Expert Sleepers

Joyns · Post by **Joyns** » Sat Nov 19, 2011 11:53 am

Hi Friends!

I have a problem with my analog synthesizers : Korg MS-20 , Moog Prodigy with kenton kits , Roland Sh 101 and Sound Card with expansion : RME AIO + AO4S/192 + AI4S/192.
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The "Silent Way" works only with sound card : "DC coupled"...I don't know if my sound card can' work with this !!
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My analog synthesizers can work with "Silent Way" ?

Please...Help meeeee !!!

**Sorry for my English

Best regard

Meffy · Post by **Meffy** » Sat Nov 19, 2011 1:57 pm

Your sound card has to be DC coupled to generate CVs you can use to control your analog synth. It's not optional, it's central to the way this works.

Imagine that you've put a capacitor in series with a CV connection in one of your synths -- no DC can pass, so any change in CV becomes a blip that quickly (more or less quickly depending on the value of the cap) decays to zero. That's AC coupling. With DC coupling (no capacitor) a change in CV remains steady at the desired value as long as the output holds that value.

I don't know what sound cards are DC coupled. Someone else can probably provide that info. Hope you're able to get things working.

[edit: I'm not a silent way user, but have built and used analog synths since the 1960s.]

MaxSynths · Post by **MaxSynths** » Sat Nov 19, 2011 2:12 pm

You can find a list of compatible devices here: http://www.expert-sleepers.co.uk/siwacompatibility.html

And this is a workaround to use AC interfaces, look here: http://www.expert-sleepers.co.uk/siwaacencoder.html

Meffy · Post by **Meffy** » Sat Nov 19, 2011 2:19 pm

Cool, didn't know about the diode-cap workaround. Anyone tried it? How well does it work? Must be dependent on the CV input impedance being pretty high to avoid discharging the cap, but I'd bet more modern synths have higher input Z than the Moogs and ARPs I grew up using.

Joyns · Post by **Joyns** » Sat Nov 19, 2011 3:39 pm

Thx Meffy
Thx MaxSynths

I searched the specifications (DC-Coubled) or testing (compatible with "silent way") of the my sound card : RME AIO ... but I have not found anything !!

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the only alternatives...as I understand it:
it may work with a ADA8000 (ADAT).
Connect ADA8000 on sound card;and analog synthesizers on connected at ADA8000.
(Bitrate : 24/48....build it to 24/96...nooo ??)

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Another alternative:
try at connected analog synths on my soundcard ... with a signal cv...hoping not to burn anything!

MaxSynths · Post by **MaxSynths** » Sat Nov 19, 2011 3:50 pm

@Meffy: Never tried the diode trick (Silent Way is in my "experiment" list but now I don't have enough time to mess with it

)

@Joyns: try to post your question to this forum
http://www.muffwiggler.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=35

It's the official forum so I suppose someone can provide useful infos

Joyns · Post by **Joyns** » Sat Nov 19, 2011 7:28 pm

Nothing

Please...Help Meeee !!

os · Post by os » Mon Nov 21, 2011 11:08 am

The RME interfaces are all AC coupled. You will not be able to use them directly with Silent Way.

As mentioned above, you can use the Silent Way AC Encoder plus some suitable hardware to make the RME usable. The simplest option is a basic DIY project, as described on the page linked above (http://www.expert-sleepers.co.uk/siwaacencoder.html).

Alternatively, you can use one of the Expert Sleepers hardware modules (http://expert-sleepers.co.uk/hardware.html) together with a suitable case (e.g. a Doepfer Mini Case, which is probably the cheapest option).

Joyns · Post by **Joyns** » Mon Nov 21, 2011 5:00 pm

Many Thanks

I Buy : Silent Way !!

For to work with my 3 analog synthesizers, which module should I buy?

* "ES-3 Lightpipe / CV interface" ?

.....and for to operate the "gate" ?....sorry;but; I they are not very practical with setup !!!

again, many thanks !!!

MaxSynths · Post by **MaxSynths** » Mon Nov 21, 2011 5:08 pm

@OS: ehm since we are here: what about the Echo Layla 20bit??

os · Post by os » Mon Nov 21, 2011 5:17 pm

@Joyns The ES-3 is a good choice if your interface has an ADAT output, but is a little fiddly to use at more than 48kHz (which may not be important to you). The ES-4 will work if you have S/PDIF out (ideally coaxial, but you can convert optical S/PDIF fairly easily). Or, you could get an ES-1, which will use your existing audio outputs and convert them to something you can use with Silent Way.

Or, get a MOTU audio interface and slave it to your existing rig somehow (e.g. via ADAT), or run an Aggregate Driver if you're using Mac OS X.

You don't need anything special for Gates. Whenever I say CV I mean 'control voltage' in the general sense, not in the specific sense of a 'pitch CV'. A gate is just a CV.

@MaxSynths The Layla is almost certainly AC-coupled. I have no specific information on that.

MaxSynths · Post by **MaxSynths** » Mon Nov 21, 2011 5:41 pm

Thank you

Expert Sleepers

KVR Audio

silent way:works with:rme aio+ao4s/192+ai4s/192.