Werkstatt Mods continuum

It wasn't an easy decision to come to, but after much thought, I realized there was really no avoiding adding some knobs to the Werkstatt.  It was really bugging me that I couldn't use the Werkstatt glide when using the EXP VCO IN, as the Glide is part of the keyboard which tracks 3V/Oct.  It doesn't work will with 1V/Oct gear.  The other thing was being unable to control the level of the VCO and the External IN.  So, I added a glide and mixer circuit.  It'll be a small PCB with SMD parts that'll fit right onto the kludge area.  There's even enough room to solder in the MINICV PCB for some MIDI action!

I'll be putting an order in for some of the PCB's and this will be a standard mod to be added to any Werkstatt's from here on out.  I'll post the schematics and PCB files in the next couple of days as well.

Laurentide SynthWorks 14 - Werkstatt Mod Walkthrough from Laurentide SynthWorks on Vimeo.

'Nother Hotel Sesh (Minibrute SE & Werkstatt Jam)

A positive to traveling for my day job is having uninterupted downtime in a hotel.  I try to bring gear with me when possible.  This time I rolled out with an Arturia Minibrute SE and the modded Moog Werkstatt.  The Minibrute is on the left side and the Werkstatt on the right.  Everything was recorded onto a Tascam DR-40.  The main track was laid down and then overdubbed the more percussive parts.  The Werkstatt is by far one of the most enjoyable synths I've played in a long time (with the added mods of course).

LSW 13

Finally took the werkstatt for a proper test drive with the eurorack so I could get a decent demo of it in action utilizing some of the mod's.  It starts the video out.  The LFO is being modulated by Mutable Instruments Tides (slope is being modulated by a Make Noise DPO in LFO mode.  The V/Oct is controlled by a sequence).  The combined modulation of the Werkstatt LFO with it's own rate and Tides creates interesting variations of the rate. The Werkstatt LFO is controlling the PWM.  The sequence is from Make Noise Rene.  The VCF Out on the Werkstatt is going into a passive diode clipper (this is a prototype and part of a small line of devices that I am working on getting manufactured).  Drums are handled by Mutable Instruments Peaks.  The clicky hi-hat-y part is a Mutable Instruments Braids.  The other sequence is a Make Noise STO controlled by a clocked set of Pressure Points..  Some Concertmate MG-1 "Bell Tone" for filler added.  Then just some reverb and delay.

Moog Werkstatt Mod's Breakdown

I've received several requests detailing the mod's that I added to the werkstatt (which are seen in the video below), so, here's the list.

Inputs-

GATE: This one requires the most work.  There is no direct way to trigger the envelopes without modifying the circuit board.  A trace is cut, then wired to a switched jack, so when nothing is plugged in, the envelope is triggered by the keyboard.  When a jack is insterted, the connection is broke and the external gate will trigger the envelope.  There is a small circuit added (an op-amp and some resistors) to the input to stabilize the voltages going in.  Basically making sure that the voltage used is consistent and doesn't suffer from voltage drop.

VCO EXP: Jack wired directly to the patch point.  This is the 1V/Oct Input.  This input requires calibration of trimmer on the circuit board.

VCO LIN: Jack wired directly to the patch point.  Linear scaling.

LFO: Jack wired directly to the patch point.

VCA:  Jack wired directly to the patch point

CUTOFF FREQ: Jack wired to the VCF IN patch point.

AUDIO:  There is a jumper on the circuit board that's between the VCO Output and the VCF Input.  I removed the jumper and wired a switching jack in it's place so when nothing is plugged in, the VCO is fed into the filter.  When a jack is inserted, the VCO is silenced and the audio from the jack will pass through the filter only.  There are 2 reasons why I did this.

1. There is no way of silencing the VCO, so whatever audio is sent through the filter will be blended with the VCO
2. The VCO, to me, is sent to the VCF a little too hot.  This way, with an external attenuator I can regulate the volume of the VCO.  Also, it makes it easier to mix in other audio sources, such as other VCO's.

Outputs:

VCF: Jack wired directly to the patch point

LFO TRI & Square, VCO Saw & Square: Jack wired to the waves directly, regardless of the switches position.

   ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As the panel is custom one-off's which are ordered per job, I can change what jacks are added.  The panel I added to mine made the most sense for what I wanted, but you could have a competely different idea, like putting the keyboard and env CV OUT on jacks to control outboard gear with the werkstatt 1 octave keyboard.  Or, changing a jack to PWM Or, ditch one of the jacks to add a switch to turn the VCO to filter ON/OFF (or a potentiometer for volume control but this would require the space of 2 jacks).  If you have some idea's, send me an email and we'll go over the options.

Pricing:

Panel: $35. These are custom and made to order.  There is a 2 week lead time before they arrive.

Full Mod: $120.  This includes labor and all parts needed for the panel above. Any customizations may alter the price.  

NOTICE:  ANY MODIFICATIONS TO THE MOOG WERKSTATT WILL VOID THE WARRANTY!  Which is kinda funny because I work for a manufacturer and a large part of my job is warranty work.  But, unfortunately I don't work for moog, so the only warranty I can offer is on the work I do.  None of the mod's will damage the synth, so no worries there.

Werkstatt Mods cont.

I found that the 1 octave keyboard ranges from 0-3v.  So, when a standard 1v/oct is applied, the scaling is nowhere near 1v/oct.  This is a bummer as I wanted to break the keyboard connection to the VCO so I could send the incoming CV through the glide circuit.  In order to make it work (as far as I can see) is either add a 4053 to switch between 2 different trimmer/resistors that are both set for either 1v/oct or 3whateverV/oct the Werkstatt keyboard is  (linear?) ... or, ditch the keyboard completely and re-purpose the glide to go through the VCO exp IN only.  I don't like either of those options.  I'm ok with adding a panel to the back for a row of 3.5mm jacks, but I'm not a fan of switches and pots sticking out hear and there.  I'd rather just add glide externally instead.

On the plus side, I designed a panel for the row of jacks I'll be adding to the back. Most of them are just taken right from the header patchbay.  Instead of a straight VCO out, I'll route the square and saw waves to separate jacks.  I'll more than likely remove the jumper on the PCB between the VCO and VCF and normal it to the Audio IN.  This way I can send audio through without the VCO mixed in.  Having the saw and square waves separate I can route those through modules and add other VCO's, then through a mixer and back into the Audio IN on the Werkstatt.  The overall plan is is to keep everything relatively simple but still useful.  The thing that makes the Werkstatt so much fun is its simplicity.   I could go crazy and add a daughter board with a 2nd VCO with saw/square/triangle, a mixer section, a noise source, S&H, etc etc etc all with SMD parts, then create a new case with knobs and switches galore....  but why?!  I have plenty of other synths that do that.

I may add a midimplant though.  We shall see.

EDIT: Updated I/O Panel above!

Once I nail down a panel design, I'll offer to do this mod if there's enough interest. 

Moog Werkstatt Sequence

Now that I have the gate in done I can really play with this beast.  Still really bummed the PCB is 3U.  To big to fit between the eurorack rails. :(

Moog Werkstatt-Ø1 Mods

External Gate IN:

I finally found some time to start poking around inside the Werkstatt.  First on the list is adding a Gate IN to trigger the envelope.  I followed peff's idea of using a voltage follower for the Gate IN.  I did a breadboard test and had it running in minutes.

I was wiring the Gate IN directly to the sustain switch and found that in order to have it work properly, the trace coming from the keyboard will need to be cut.  I found a small spot just before the gate is converted into a trigger.  here's a schem (oh, and I used a TL072):

All of the parts fit nicely on the kludge area on the PCB with pleanty of room to spare.  You'll notice I added some capacitors.  These are just .1u bypass caps at both voltage inputs to ground.

I know I'll be adding more, so at the moment I have the jacks just dangling out of the back through a small slot just above the power jack.  Eventually I'll drill out the case and mount them inside.  One thing to keep in mind is BE MINDFUL OF YOUR SOLDERING IRON!  I wasn't paying attention and it got a bit too close to the sustain switch.  :(  Hopefully Moog will be nice enough to supply me with a part number.  It works, just a little melted.

Werkstatt

one of these came today...

I was really bummed to find that the PCB is almost exactly the same size as a Eurorack front panel, which means it's to big to fit between the rails. :(,  But, there is pleanty of room below the PCB at the back to add a bunch of 3.5mm jacks (with some case drilling).  I'm really digging the size and addition of the 1 octave tact switch keyboard.  Most synths this size require an external keyboard for control, but this I can grab and play while tweaking on a modular patch.  Fantastic!