I am thinking of using random quantized cv from eurorack to sequence Digitone. Have been googling CV to MIDI module and found Befaco VCMC/ CV Thing seem to be able to do the job.
Has anyone tried these modules with Digitone ? Pros/ Cons ? Would be great if you can share your setting as well.
Cheers
I have been thinking seriously about it for various midi devices. @MichaalHell had issues with it but I spoke to someone who was using it to trigger an MD and loved it.
I had the Befaco CV Thing… which other users apparently have had problems with as well…
I haven’t read about any real problems with the VCMC…
Another option (if you have the money) is the ZOIA Euroburo, this is the one im currently using and it’s actually great because you can endlessly customize the CV to Midi conversion…
come up with any solution yet ?
Despite more input channels and the fader bar, VCMC looks pretty much the same as CV Thing.
What is the issue you had with CV Thing ? trig the notes or sending cc ?
I will definitely have a look at Zoia Euroburo.
Thank you .
It would spas out without any indication of why or when.
• midi clock going heywire
• incoming trig and or note data not converting to midi
It worked and then it started spassing mid use and sometimes rebooting worked and sometimes it didn’t… it got really frustrating as i didn’t have a single session with it without it bugging out… I contacted Befaco which I didn’t get any response from so I returned it while I still had the 30 day return window.
In this vid I’m showing a really cool way of using cv to midi and midi to cv with ZOIA Euroburo…
I’m sending trigs from Grids to ZOIA which is converting the trigs to midi to sequence the ER-1
ZOIA is the master clock which is being send out to Octatrack and grids, BUT on grids I’ve put a clock divider in between so that I can change up the rhythm of Grids. Octatrack is sending note data to change clock divider settings. So I’m going from half time to normal and then to a triplet swing kind of feel with the note data of Octatrack…
I have another ZOIA patch where I’m sending audio into ZOIA for use of an envelope follower which is affecting the clock… so in other words you can go really bonkers when it comes to Cv to midi conversion.
I have the Befaco CV Thing, which I bought to sequence drums on Elektron boxes. It’s a recent purchase. So far I have only tested it with a Model:Cycles, but it worked as advertised. @MichaalHell used it more, and it’s possible mine will develop issues, but when people complain, it seems to be with respect to note accuracy, and I don’t currently have any plans to use that. It shares firmware with the VCMC, which has more buttons, sliders, and inputs, but I didn’t need that much. I found this post on ModWiggler useful in making a choice (between these two and also others).
@MichaalHell Many thanks for your explanation. Spasm bug is absolutely frustrating behaviour for the task.
ZOIA can do so many things (more than what I am after). Obviously useful to have on any rack but I personally do not like the way it is programmed though. By the way, your music on IG are very nice and I followed 
@plragde Very nice thread indeed. Now I understand more about the signal issues might occur due to the translation between analog and digital. CV thing is my first choice at the beginning but seem that I can send only 4 v/o as other 4 reserved for gate (please correct me if I misunderstand), which can sequence polyphonic notes on one or two tracks on Digitone , then I rethink of getting VCMC as it can send more note to more track. Besides, the price difference between the two is not that much for more channels and sliders.
Not quite. With CV Thing, each of the 8 inputs can be configured as you like. There is a mode where an odd-numbered input for V/oct is paired with the next even-numbered input for gate, but you could have all of them send V/oct without respect to gate. What I did for percussion was the opposite. I used six inputs as gates and configured the first one to send MIDI note 0 on ch 10, which on an Elektron box triggers the first track, the second to send MIDI note 1, and so on. With VCMC, you have 8 inputs and 8 paired gate inputs, but each of the 8 inputs can be configured as in CV Thing (that is, you don’t need to use the paired gate input). There is a V/oct poly mode in CV Thing where it will send out a specified chord and inversion, but that’s only under menu control, not CV control, so it is of limited use.
If you have the space and money and you think you’re going to send more than four pitch/gate pairs, or you want more CV used for velocity, CC, program change, start/stop, or if you like the extra sliders and buttons, then go for VCMC. I felt that I wasn’t likely to generate that much MIDI from my modular.
As I understand, I can set MIDI channel for each input on CV things. I plan to feed 2 CV inputs with different quantized random cv (different key/ scale) to the same channel to trig various note on a single track on Digitone (just want to experiment with overlapping notes not a chord). Could you please advise if this is possible ? In this configuration, does it need gate input to trig notes on Digitone ?
Thank in advance
The most general configuration for this situation is to take the two pitch CV sources and pair them with two different gate sequences, then use four inputs on CV Thing (two pairs) to send MIDI notes to the same channel.
You can also just use two inputs on CV Thing for the pitch CV alone, and let CV Thing take care of generating the Note Off MIDI messages. There are some fixed durations, you can choose a duration, or you can ask that the Note Off message is sent just before a new Note On is sent. I haven’t used this, so I’m not sure of the details, but it probably defines a new note as sufficient change in the CV to move to a different quantized level. If you are sending it already-quantized pitch CV, you are going to have to worry about whether the two quantizers will work well together.
Finally, there is V/oct poly mode, where several CV inputs can be grouped with a single gate. But of course this will make chords or simultaneous notes, not overlapping notes.
If you haven’t done so already, you should look at the manual for CV Thing to get a sense of the possibilities.
I think I have to save money for either CV Thing or VCMC now. Thanks again for all replies and advices.
Report back on how it performs when you do please!