How to: Expert Sleepers ES-9 and VCV Rack

This video shows how I am using an Expert Sleepers ES-9 USB audio interface with VCV Rack.
VCV Rack was running in Windows 10 Pro on an Intel i5 7500 with 16GB RAM.
Please consider subscribing: / @paulpiko
VCV Rack can be downloaded from vcvrack.com
Playlist of my music: • The Trillionth Experiment
Links and some patches: piko.com.au/ra...
#vcvrack #modularsynthesis #eurorack

[@MOGmog]

thanks for your turorial! one more important thing,don;forget to set your es9 config.channl 7&8 to es5Land es5R

[@ExpertSleepersLtd]

Thanks for posting this.

[@paulpiko]

No worries 😀

[@midigek]

Expert Sleepers, please fix the bug in the Windows library so we Windows users can take fully advantage of the ES-5 module and expansions too ! Great hardware comes with great responsibility.

[@ExpertSleepersLtd]

@@midigek You mean the bug in Rack? It's fixed for Rack 2.0 I believe.

[@bonaventura_AKA_ben]

Excellent video Paul. ES make some very desirable modules. And this in-depth tutorial is highly informative and greatly appreciated.

[@daxu9605]

Wow, didn't know about the work around for Windows. This has definitely opened up a whole new horizon. Thank you for doing this.

[@paulpiko]

Glad it was helpful!

[@van3ck666]

Thank you for this... just installed my ES-5 today and was pulling my hair out trying to get all 8 jacks to work correctly with VCV.

[@paulpiko]

Great! I've been using the ES-9+expanders with the pre-release of Rack 2, and the workaround hasn't been necessary there.

[@ianderrick2257]

An observation re the comments made around 11:05 in this otherwise excellent and highly instructional vid. - the bug no longer seems to be an issue, ( I'm using VCV Rack 2.4.1 and Expert Sleepers ES-9 firmware 1.3.1), so there is no longer any need to feed a >1V source into the ES-5 virtual module at jacks 2 and 5, (it is still important to feed only the ES5 virtual module's jack 1 from the 8GT virtual module and only the ES5 virtual module's jack 4 from the 8CV virtual module though, or the set up described, won't work). Also, I have found that it's similarly vital to set the Audio 16 VCV Rack module's "Rate" to 44.1kHz, since if left at the default 48kHz (as in the vid), the real-world jacks on my ESX-8CV module go purple, (and belch out some form of audio-rate junk), rather than visibly alternating red/blue as shown in the vid., when fed with a reasonable rate LFO signal. Hope this helps others who got stuck at this point as I did.

[@ianderrick2257]

Sorry, just noticed that you point this out yourself (no longer any need for >1V bug killer) in a response to another comment. My 44.1 KHz “Rate” observation in Audio 16 still stands though. 😮

[@guitdafunkadelik]

Great and useful tuto thanks

[@ThedjAwesome]

This video really helped. You are the man! God bless.

[@TerekkiTerekki]

Thanks for the video got one arriving any day now

[@largeformat153]

great overview. I got an ES-9 a week ago and this is very helpful. Thanks!

[@paulpiko]

Glad it was helpful!

[@bobbfett.musiclab]

Great tutorial, ive been waiting with the es-5 because I didn’t know if it worked properly. Thanx alot for this.

[@paulpiko]

Happy to hear that it's useful!

[@IceLocus]

Thanks so much for the tutorial! It was very helpful as I'm trying to get my new ES-9 working with VCV Rack.

[@paulpiko]

Glad it helped!

[@druidgrif]

Great video, Paul. Your hardware is growing exponentially it seems.

[@paulpiko]

Hi Marc. It's not all my gear, but I was lucky to get it for the video (it looks more impressive than a skiff with gaps in it 😉)

[@OszkarOlah]

Great tutorial! Many thanks! Now it's end of July in 2020 and still has no fix from Expert Sleepers. I was about to send back my ES-5.

[@paulpiko]

Good to hear you found it useful.

[@Kid_Placo]

Très intéressant, Paul. Indispensable pour comprendre une possible connexion hardware / software. Merci 🙂

[@paulpiko]

Cheers Marc!

[@LarsBjerregaard]

Good video Paul, very informative, thanks!

[@paulpiko]

Thanks Lars!

[@adiquinn1]

Thanks Paul! This is so very helpful!

[@paulpiko]

Cheers Adi!

[@Sir_Intranet]

Great demo here! Thanks mate!

[@paulpiko]

No worries!

[@VladyYakovenko]

nice, still too little content on the ES-9 and combos on youtube

[@paulpiko]

Thanks!

[@NoxiousButtSpray]

really appreciate this. thank you.

[@paulpiko]

Glad it was helpful!

[@midigek]

Great tutorial ! It helped and explained the problems I hat and have with using the Expert Sleepers ES-9 / ES-5 / ESX-8CV modules on Windows (7) Without this tutorial I sent the hardware back to my supplier. The bug in the Windows library is stil not fixed and by that Windows users can not take fully advantage of the ES-5 module by loosing headers by the work-arround "fix" (how the hack did you find this??) Is Expert Sleepers aware of this bug ? I see that they have seen this....they have to fix this and have work to do ! Expert Sleepers, please fix this. Great hardware comes with great responsibility :)

[@paulpiko]

The issue has been discussed on the expert sleepers section of muffwiggler, and also on the VCV Rack github. The bug is with a library for Windows that VCV Rack uses (not one it has written). And other software (Silent Way) is fine.

[@zoran68]

Great Video. Do exist some possibility to make Ableton slave sync with send hardware master clock with dc coupled inputs ? Or do You have other Idea how to clock ableton as slave with modular hardware with es-9 without MIDI ES-9

[@paulpiko]

If you are using VCV Rack there's a module that helps link with Ableton library.vcvrack.com/StellareModular-Link/Link. Another way is to send the output of a pulse wave (generated by Rack, or replaying a sample WAV) to Ableton, and sync with that. www.ableton.com/en/blog/midi-cv-link-sync-many-ways-connecting-modular-gear-live/

[@dezwrightmusic]

Little confused on how to send audio from my computer>interface to the ES-9

[@paulpiko]

Do you mean audio from VCV Rack? Or from another application?

[@dezwrightmusic]

@@paulpiko another app, logic out to my apollo to my eurorack

[@paulpiko]

I suggest checking on the Expert Sleepers forum www.modwiggler.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=35

[@joostvanbunnik7646]

Hi Paul, Great video on the ES-9. this is one of the most usable instruction video out there. Still struggling how to calibrate this. Do you have any suggestions (i do have the commercial expert sleepers units in vcv)?

[@paulpiko]

Have you followed the Expert Sleepers videos? expert-sleepers.co.uk/vcvrack_silentway.html#manual

[@joostvanbunnik7646]

@@paulpiko i finally did and solved my issue. Thanks.

[@paulpiko]

@@joostvanbunnik7646 That's great news

[@HaineZeeTV]

Great vid, thanks! I love my ES-9 but I’m just guessing really! This has really helped! I’d love some help on using it with MiRack on iPad too!!

[@paulpiko]

Happy you liked the video. Unfortunately I can't help with the ipad. I only use Windows and the official VCV Rack.

[@bobbfett.musiclab]

I’m in the same situation. Unfortunately miRack hasn’t included the 16 in out module yet, so you only have 2 outs from miRack. I have been nagging on them for a while, and there is a lot of people who wants it. Please whine on them also on the Audiobus forum so they know that more people want it, and they willmaby hurry up, I have full respect for their work, and know they are really busy, but it would be soo cool to be able to do the same from iPad, great portable rig.

[@johndean5860]

Where is the 1.2 es9 confit tool can’t find it anywhere?

[@paulpiko]

The rightmost column on the firmware updates page is "Config tool". expert-sleepers.co.uk/es9firmware.html

[@johndean5860]

Will it take a line level signal?For example can I plugin the stereo outs of my Argon 8 using 1/4 to 3.5mm mono cables?

[@paulpiko]

This is from the ES-9 manual: "The ES-9 has fourteen analogue inputs on 3.5mm TS jack sockets. These are designed to cope with any Eurorack signal, and are DC coupled, so can be used for CVs as well as audio. An input voltage of approximately ±10V will give a 0 dBFS level in your DAW. The input ADCs (analogue to digital converters) have optional DC Blocking filters, which can be switched on or off in pairs. It is recommended to have these on if the input is being used for audio, to maximise dynamic range and to avoid pops due to DC offsets in the recorded audio. The filter must be turned off in order to use the input for CV"

[@wimwijn1]

perfect video on this subject, I have a ES-8, one of my best investments with VCV and my hardware in mind, but the official channel count on the ES website for the ES-8 is 12 in, and 16 out, can you maybe shine some light on that too, any tips or advice how to make use of all these channels? I use the ES-8 with VCV and Bitwig successfuly, also as audio interface where two outputchannels are going to my mixer. Is there a way to do DC blocking on specific channels for the ES-8 too?

[@paulpiko]

Thanks Wim. I haven't had a detailed look at the ES-8. If I can find one locally to try out, I'd be happy to share what I learn.

[@wimwijn1]

@@paulpiko Thanks Paul, no hurry, whatever you can come up with

[@johndean5860]

All of my input and output jacks are dimly lit upon powering on in standalone mode is this normal ?Some are lit red others lit blue with nothing plugged in I have the latest firmware. Beware!

[@paulpiko]

My ES-9 jack lights are off when I power on my rack. The jacks turn red and blue when there is voltage detected. I suggest contacting Expert Sleepers to check if the behaviour of yours is OK, or needs a fix.

[@tividorfabriek]

hi there! any chance you could do a video about setting up the es-9 w/ cv and gate expanders within ableton?

[@paulpiko]

Hi, sorry I don't use ableton, so I can't really help with that

[@martinomarini5051]

write me up i can help!

[@loganshirah3804]

Wait...did you use the es-9 to record your voice track here?

[@paulpiko]

No, the voice was recorded separately. I wanted the ES-9 to just have the things necessary for the demo, to keep the video simple.

[@loganshirah3804]

@@paulpiko I was half-joking just because of the peaking but I'm glad to know the audio functionality isn't fatally flawed or anything :p Thanks for the helpful vid!

[@paulpiko]

Yeah, there was some other software screwing up the voice recording. And I didn't really want to go back and re-record ;-) Good to hear it was useful.

[@troublesomecorsair]

Don't even speak to me until I can send 8 channels to the SPDIF Out

[@tColorsinspacerecordings]

I can’t even get audio from es-9 into Ableton or VCV rack. Spent 15 hours trying to get it work. Id warn anyone thinking of buy ES-9 to run away. It’s garbage.

[@paulpiko]

Quite possibly a permission issue on your computer