A-188-9

Module A-188-9 is a so-called high speed VCO that tracks prefectly to the 1V/oct scale in the frequency range of about 15kHz … 500 kHz. The main application is the exact drive of BBD modules (A-188-1/2) to generate sounds realized by means of the so-called Karplus-Strong synthesis. But even in cooperation with other modules featuring high speed inputs (e.g. digital noise, delay, frequency divider) the A-188-9 makes sense. In principle the module is made of a precision audio VCO followed by a PLL (phase locked loop) unit that multiplies the frequency of the audio VCO by 32. Thus the module can be used also as an audio VCO as it features the standard waveforms sawtooth, triangle and rectangle with adjustable pulse width.  

Controls:

• Frq: frequency control (coarse)
  • control range (without external CV): about 13kHz…450kHz at the HSVCO output in HSVCO mode (range switch bottom position)
  • control range (without external CV): about 400Hz…14kHz at the VCO outputs in HSVCO mode (range switch bottom position)
  • control range (without external CV): about 12Hz…400Hz at the VCO outputs in VCO modes (range switch top position)
• CV: attenuator for the frequency control input CV
• Fine: frequency control (fine), small control without knob
• PW: pulsewidth control for the rectangle output of the audio VCO, in HSVCO mode this control has to be in the range marked “HSVO”, small control without knob

Sockets:

• 1V: frequency control input 1V/oct scale 
• CV: frequency control input with attenuator CV
• socket with rectangle symbol: rectangle output of the audio VCO, the pulse width of this output is adjusted by means of the control PW, output level ~ 7Vpp (~ -3.5V/+3.5V)
• socket with sawtooth symbol: sawtooth output of the audio VCO, output level ~ 7Vpp (~ -3.5V … +3.5V)
• socket with triangle symbol: triangle output of the audio VCO, output level ~ 7Vpp (~ -3.5V … +3.5V)
• socket with inverted comb symbol: high speed VCO output, waveform rectangle, output level ~ 5Vpp (~ -2.5V/+2.5V)

Switches:

• Range
  • upper position: audio VCO mode (frequency range of the audio VCO about 15 Hz to 6 kHz, the high speed output is not usable in this mode ! )
  • lower position: High Speed VCO mode (frequency range of the high speed output about 15 kHz … 500 kHz, frequency range of the audio VCO about 500 Hz … 15 kHz), in this mode the audio VCO and the high speed VCO can be used simultaneously
• Slew
  • upper position: medium slew time
  • center position: short slew time
  • lower position: long slew time
• Width: 4TE / 4HP / 20.0 mm
  Depth: 45 mm (gemessen ab der Rückseite der Frontplatte / measured from the rear side of the front panel)
  Current: +30 mA (+12V) / -15 mA (-12V)