VOLTAGE CONTROL YOUR MIDI GEAR! with the Befaco VCMC

[@willynebula6193]

Just look at that mountain of modules 😯

[@WillisZzz]

That makes the volca sample alone into a whole new instrument, not to mention what it could do for so many other pieces of midi kit.

[@chronomod8358]

Yes it does, this was a particularly well chosen use case to demo

[@oscillosaurus]

The elevator music over the timing index was a nice touch lol

[@LYFoulidis]

You’ve outdone yourself with the table of contents elevator music. Top notch!

[@MsZumoman]

Very cool module. I think i'm more sold on the Cz-1 though.

[@NinoAuricchio]

Great for introducing the spontaneity and improvisatory nature of working with modular into other domains.

[@scamlikely1442]

Yo this into a S950 sampler and i could bring breakcore back from the dead

[@tolkachev]

what about latency? is my midi instrument sinced with modular or it need delay compensation?

[@MikkelGrumBovin]

Modular Filth ! (Thats what SHE said !) 😅 All filth aside - me , just taking the plunge , with a niftycase,a "Pamela",a Rample, and a Plaits for the hell of it - i fell in love with Befaco - and got a Muxlicer, and a Vermona melodicer (im a bassplayer , and need all the help i can get from ANY "Synthgear" to get anykind of good sounds)) i gotta say that i love this video - everything about it ! and after the "Feeding the Monster" sessions , you , Chris and Kim has become sort of new heroes of mine,-

[@DivKid]

Thanks Mikkel, really appreciate your support and nice to hear you're getting lots out of the various videos. Enjoy your journey into modular.

[@MikkelGrumBovin]

@@DivKid Thanx DivKid,-

[@digo8167]

Thats so much better than the doepfer cv->midi. Gotta have that one!

[@sneakyfatcat]

WTF, the cz-1 sounds incredible

[@phosfiend]

I have a doepfer 192-1, and it works well, but I've never deviated from the initial setup as it's a huge PITA. This really looks to have solved that with this elegant little screen & wheel. Bravo Befaco! The prospect of controlling a beastly poly FROM my modular seems closer to reality (admittedly I'd need a beastly sequencer to actually generate those voltages). But a 4 part sequence from eurorack into a nice desktop poly sounds raaaad...

[@CablesForClouds]

This thing looks nuts! 😮

[@KidLifted10]

Thank you so much. This will be a journey

[@stinkypete9070]

This thing is cool, instead of waiting for the kind of midi controller/sequencer/generator I want to be invented, I could pretty much make it in eurorack with this at the end. Very cool (but would be a bit pricey, I know.)

[@DivKid]

Yeah the price stacks up but as you say you can just make exactly what you want.

[@OttosTheName]

That's amazing, I want one, I just never thought of the idea. You could easily DIY a basic version of this for about 20 usd with an Arduino Nano. (6 cv, 6 gate, no usb midi, no sliders)

[@chronomod8358]

A single channel one, perhaps, but 8 CV + 8 gate inputs, 8 faders, a screen with configuration UI software and associated human interface controls onboard (no PC required to reconfigure or use), and both USB and DIN output? For $20? Easily?! Compared to existing competitors (of which there are very few - ES & ADDAC are the only I can think of), this is both more full featured and less expensive

[@OttosTheName]

@@chronomod8358 I should have been more clear that with 'something like this' I mean a version that has enough functionality for me. Like 6 CV and Gates in are enough, a rotary dial for the UI, a very simple lcd screen, I don't need USB, but I would add Midi DIN, I also don't need any pots. All of that could easily be done with an Arduino Nano for about 20 bucks if you source the parts from AliExpress. For 5 bucks more you can get a bigger Arduino that allows more inputs and for a few bucks more you can add 10 (rotary) pots. And just the 1 pot and a button and an afternoon of programming is enough to get it configurable without a PC. It's really a pretty simple product. I didn't mean to blast Befaco, I think it's really expensive for what it is, but you pay for more then the parts ofcourse.

[@chronomod8358]

@@OttosTheName Interesting. Thanks for the detailed reply, and I see you clarified your original comment. Right on. I guess the takeaway is that the knowledge and skills needed to perform the build you're describing are pretty valuable. Which is presumably why there are so many boutique module producers nowadays - there's a market willing to pay the markup. Ultimately I'm glad there is, because it leads to innovative and creative products that most of us would have never dreamed of. It's all fascinating. And if I were you, I'd see opportunity here 😉

[@cymbolic_space1832]

You wanna make a build guide for something like that? My building of modules expertise ends at soldering and following instructions.

[@thirdsmusic]

Really hope on your next VCMC video that you can go through the "Global CV calibration" procedure. You would think BEFACO would have already made a video going though the process since it is key to the accuracy of the CV to Midi conversion.

[@Robin.Burke-Optical_Collusion]

Well on the DIY product page, they classify it as a "Master" build.

[@DrGeta666]

this would be great to hook into VDJ system or DMX lighting so you can control and automate the video/lighting by the audio you make in eurorack.

[@Robin.Burke-Optical_Collusion]

Sick idea!

[@AliTheArchitect]

Great review! This controlling zoia would be dope

[@MisterNiles]

I love the CZ series. I wish Casio would re-issue them already!

[@jimmy_jamesjams_a_lot4171]

Too late for Casio, unless they build them into their next iteration of pocket calculators. Behringer IS listening, though. So I’m willing to wager a Behringer Mellotron that Uli will task some engineers with this assignment soon enough. Behringer must believe the end is near, so the idea is, forget the animals, ‘Build me an Ark for thy classic synthesizers. Let the machines come from far and wide, to come aboard in pairs...’.

[@MisterNiles]

@@jimmy_jamesjams_a_lot4171 I hope so, and I think you are probably right. I'd buy a Behringer CZ in a second. And I'm okay with the next flood coming. I'm tired. Let some other kids be on the Behringer ark. Sounds like fun.

[@robjenkins9839]

Ive been trying to achieve this with doepfer modules, but this is the dogs nuts!

[@MisterNiles]

I have CZ jealousy, I need to get one of those again. And this module,,, I must have. Maths plus Ableton Operator? Oh yeah!

[@BlueSB017]

Just bagged one

[@michelduprezcomposer]

Thanks, that's huge :)

[@ArjunVagale]

super cool ... this would be perfect to play with Ableton for a live set. Could control everything via the Rack. Really great solution. Even a hybrid DJ/Modular set on Traktor :)

[@distorson]

To make full advantage of the CV tools in Ableton have a look into the Expert Sleepers modules: ES-3+ES-6 to use with an audio interface with a ADAT connection, or ES-8 or the new ES-9 which can be connected directly to you computer via USB.

[@richiesantana7628]

hey bud just saw this very awesome module only wish it was a bit smaller........

[@iansunderland117]

Hi Ben, can you chain these things so you could have say 16 or 24 channels etc? just thinking if you have limited MIDI inputs to your laptop or DAW.

[@DivKid]

I don't think (can't find anything, best to ask Befaco directly) they chain to each other. But you could definitely use a MIDI merge to bring the data together onto one cable if that's the intention.

[@reed9577]

I'd like to see a comparison between VCMC and Doepfer A-192.

[@precarious333music]

Interesting module. Definitely fills a void in eurorack. Would love to see you cover response speeds through DIN and USB to see any lag through those methods. It's to be expected. Just good to know up front.

[@OttosTheName]

A $3 arduino could poll voltage, check settings, send midi message in 2 milliseconds at most. I wouldn't expect noticable lag.

[@precarious333music]

@@OttosTheName Cool, sounds good. I wouldn't expect Befaco to not deliver on the goods.

[@musicartgeek]

DivKid is the real deal

[@nyallwarner4599]

Hi Ben, before I take the plunge and buy this, could you confirm that I could trigger my Elektron Machinedrum with this? From what I understand the MD triggers each sound via the white keys. I basically want to set up the VCMC in place of a MegaCommand and get the MD doing polyrhythmic/Euclidean/probability trigs via the modular, for several sounds+1 to clock the tempo... And if possible, CV some CC's/use the faders as instrument HPF controls or whatever I feel necessary, for a live performance. Look forward to hearing from you. Best of wishes Nyall

[@BlueSB017]

Wheres Marc Doty? PMSL!!

[@brmbkl]

so in theory, this could fire off notes/gates on 8 monophonic synths, if you have a midi splitter?

[@Justbase]

nice

[@ikkini]

Great demo Ben. I don't get the USB-B port, we can only connect the VCMC to a host ?

Sounds promising...

[@Makebelieve123]

Amazing ! Would the same work if I sent cv gate midi from the VCMC to my Juno Alpha 2 ? The juno is not multi tamberol but has 6 voices. Thanks Divkid, this could make my year lol !

[@DivKid]

Hello, yes if your Juno Alpha 2 has MIDI in and 6 voices then 6 CVs and 6 gates would be able to play that polyphonically from a modular system with this VCMC or the CV Thing (smaller version). kzbin.info/www/bejne/f4PLh6aAmtanrqM

[@Makebelieve123]

@@DivKid Thanks Ben ! great news :) ....My concern was it would not play variable notes as its not multi tamberol ( sorry dont know the correct terminology haha ) Are there any draw backs using the vcmc due to the Juno 2's tamber ?

[@DivKid]

if the Juno 2 can articulate it's 6 voices of polyphony fully then it will play with independently played notes. Where each new note sounds at it's pitch with it's own filter and envelope sounds. Knowing how a JUNO 6 / 60 / 106 works (and I think the alpha is the same but a different interface) this will work nicely for you.

[@Makebelieve123]

@@DivKid i have an original Roland PG300 controller so can control the Juno Alpha’s parameters too then. This would be my first module and the start of my modular journey thanks to the vcmc 💥🙌🙌...thanks Ben !

[@leejmalcolm1]

Forgive the stupid question but where was all the note programming coming from?

[@chronomod8358]

Love the onboard screen, no PC required for setup! Is this available for purchase now?

[@Befacosynth]

Yep!

[@juliaseppi2205]

Ooooh, CZ1...

[@denisgoulet798]

DivKid did not post a video in 4 weeks. What's going on? Is he dead? Is he sick?

[@Nick-kb6jd]

Yeah, seems weird, hope everything is ok,.

[@MarcasLancaster]

What beautiful eyes you have.

[@jamesbtex58]

Demo is way to fast to follow. Please slow down a little when describing what you are doing. Makes it extremely hard to follow.

[@jazzbeats8168]

updating this thing is a pain in the ass.... seriously what in the world is this guy thinking, just trying to make some music here. not become some mad coder. NOT COOL Befaco.