[sdiy] Reaktor and CV scaling...

[WeAreAs1 at aol.com]

In a message dated 1/22/04 8:29:31 PM, moog at qwest.net writes:

<< I don't know if anyone else has messed with this, but I just stumbled on 
the
fact that I can use reactor as a CV generator for my modular rig! I don't
know if it is sound card dependent but I use MOTU stuff which gives me an
absurd number of analog I/O's. This might not work on other manufacturers
cards. >>

Hello James,

I would be very surprised to find that the MOTU audio interfaces have 
DC-coupled outputs.  It is more likely that hey are AC-coupled (via capacitors), so 
they would only be useful for sending out AC control signals (such as fast 
envelopes or fast-ish LFO's.  If you are able to send out static DC signals, 
please let us know.

I have heard about people modifying original ADAT's to record and play back 
DC control signals, usually for the purpose of motion control in amusement 
parks and stuff like that.  I think they simply remove or bypass the capacitors at 
the inputs and outputs.  They may also have to put in some kind of DC offset 
trimmer on each channel, but I don't know about that.  It's probably possible 
to modify a MOTU box in the same way, although it might be tough to get 
schematics from them.  If you could get DC signals out of the MOTU box, then Reaktor 
would really be a fun addition to an analog modular setup, especially if you 
could route incoming analog signals back INTO reaktor (so it could also 
respond to external control signals).  Does Reaktor have any audio input modules?  
If so, maybe they'll also accept DC signals. BTW, which MOTU box do you have?

Please keep us posted on your experiments with this.

Michael Bacich

P.S. - If Reaktor works for this purpose, I'll bet MAX would also work.