Bastl Wants To Connect Your Modular Synth To Anything In The Real World

Bastl Instruments, creators of the Trinity and microGranny electronic instruments, has announced plans for a new series of Eurorack modules that are designed to connect your modular synth to just about anything in the real world.

The idea is to translate physical events into musical ones – and vice versa.

Here’s what they have to say about it:

We are going to make some eurorack modules, but not ordinary ones.

The exact specifications of the modules still remain a little secret. The engineering behind the modules, which are coming soon into our production, is influenced by the diploma project of our main researcher Václav Peloušek: Basic research in translating biological, mechanical and chemical principles into electronic musical instrument language and vice versa. This was done at Art & Science department of University of Applied Arts Vienna.

Along with the prototypes of various translators across real world principles and modular synthesizer using CV to communicate, brief theoretical study was conducted.

It can be downloaded as pdf brochure.

The video demonstrates the types of real-world interactions that Bastl’s modules are designed to facilitate – like using a lava lamp to control the cutoff on a modular filter.

The modules are still in development, but Peloušek’s paper outlines several:

  • ASCM – Analog Sensor Calibration Module -designed to read voltages or resistance of all sensors based on outputting analogue voltage or variable resistance and translate them into CV and Gate signals.
  • Simple Trigger -This circuit is used for generating simple trigger
    signals when two conductive poles touch each
    other.
  • DSCM – Digital Sensor Calibration Module – designed to read digital sensors of the most common digital protocols (I2C, SPI, Serial, Ethernet) and convert the data from the sensors into CV.
  • Geiger Counter to Trigger and CV -This module converts detection signals from Geiger Counter into standardized CV trigger signals indicated by LED.
  • VCMD – Voltage Controlled Motor Driver  – delivers 2 channel fully analog conversion from CV to DC motor driving signals.
  • CV 2 Servo – This module is a conversion from CV into servo motor movement.
  • Trigger 2 Solenoid – Simple amplification of trigger signals into high current signals provides enough power to trigger solenoids.

The collection of modules is intended to allow open-ended physical interactions, including biological, chemical, light and mechanical.

Details on availability and pricing of the Bastl Eurorack modulars are to be announced. See the Bastl site for more info.

9 thoughts on “Bastl Wants To Connect Your Modular Synth To Anything In The Real World

  1. Im glad they’re going modular, it’s nice to finally see a company who isn’t financially dependent on bullshit cookie cutter modules.

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