Expert Sleepers Disting mk4 User manual

disting mk4
Firmware v4.4
User Manual
Page 1

Copyright © 2017 Expert Sleepers Ltd. All rights reserved.
This man al, as well as the hardware and software described in it, is f rnished nder licence and
may be sed or copied only in accordance with the terms of s ch licence. The content of this
man al is f rnished for informational se only, is s bject to change witho t notice, and sho ld not
be constr ed as a commitment by Expert Sleepers Ltd. Expert Sleepers Ltd ass mes no
responsibility or liability for any errors or inacc racies that may appear in this doc ment.
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Table of Contents
Introd ction..........................................................................................................................................6
Installation............................................................................................................................................6
Power req irements.........................................................................................................................6
Inp ts, O tp ts and Controls................................................................................................................6
Inserting a MicroSD card.....................................................................................................................6
Start p...................................................................................................................................................7
The encoder & men system................................................................................................................7
Selecting an algorithm..........................................................................................................................7
Settings.................................................................................................................................................8
Help......................................................................................................................................................8
Parameters............................................................................................................................................9
Knob Recorder......................................................................................................................................9
Tap Tempo..........................................................................................................................................10
Favo rites...........................................................................................................................................10
Presets.................................................................................................................................................10
Preset 0...........................................................................................................................................11
Select B s...........................................................................................................................................11
SD Card Playback...............................................................................................................................11
S pported MicroSD cards..............................................................................................................11
S pported a dio files.....................................................................................................................12
S pported MIDI files.....................................................................................................................12
File naming & Playlists..................................................................................................................12
A dio Playlist Format....................................................................................................................12
MIDI Playlist Format.....................................................................................................................14
Example Files................................................................................................................................15
MIDI/CV conversion.....................................................................................................................15
Scala S pport......................................................................................................................................15
Organising the files on the card.....................................................................................................15
Example Files................................................................................................................................15
Scale Playlist Format.....................................................................................................................16
Possible So rces of Error...............................................................................................................16
Algorithm Overview...........................................................................................................................17
A-1 Precision Adder......................................................................................................................18
A-2 Fo r Q adrant M ltiplier........................................................................................................18
A-3 F ll-wave Rectifier.................................................................................................................19
A-4 Minim m/maxim m...............................................................................................................19
A-5 Linear/Exponential Converter................................................................................................19
A-6 Q antizer................................................................................................................................20
A-7 Comparator.............................................................................................................................21
A-8 D al Waveshaper....................................................................................................................21
B-1 Sample and Hold.....................................................................................................................22
B-2 Slew Rate Limiter...................................................................................................................22
B-3 Pitch and Envelope Tracker....................................................................................................22
B-4 Clockable Delay/Echo............................................................................................................23
B-5 LFO.........................................................................................................................................24
B-6 Clockable LFO........................................................................................................................25
B-7 VCO with linear FM...............................................................................................................25
B-8 VCO with waveshaping..........................................................................................................26
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C-1 Precision Adder (fractional offsets)........................................................................................26
C-2 Voltage Controlled Delay Line...............................................................................................27
C-3 Clockable Ping Pong Delay (Z feedback)...............................................................................27
C-4 Clockable Ping Pong Delay (Z inp t pan)..............................................................................28
C-5 Resonator................................................................................................................................28
C-6 Vocoder...................................................................................................................................29
C-7 Phaser......................................................................................................................................30
C-8 Bit Cr sher..............................................................................................................................30
D-2 Tape Delay..............................................................................................................................32
D-3 Waveform Animator...............................................................................................................32
D-4 State Variable Filter................................................................................................................33
D-5 LP/HP Filter............................................................................................................................34
D-6 LP/BP Filter............................................................................................................................34
D-7 BP/HP Filter...........................................................................................................................34
D-8 BP/Notch Filter.......................................................................................................................35
E-1 AR Envelope...........................................................................................................................35
E-2 AR Envelope (with p sh)........................................................................................................36
E-3 AR Envelope & VCA.............................................................................................................36
E-4 AR Envelope & VCA (with p sh)..........................................................................................37
E-5 D al AR Envelope..................................................................................................................38
E-6 D al AR Envelope (with p sh)...............................................................................................38
E-7 E ro to B chla Converter.......................................................................................................39
E-8 B chla to E ro Converter.......................................................................................................39
F-1 Clockable AD Envelope (with m te)......................................................................................40
F-2 Clockable AD Envelope (with gate).......................................................................................40
F-3 Clockable AD Envelope (with trigger)...................................................................................41
F-4 Clockable AD Envelope & VCA............................................................................................41
F-5 Shift Register Random CVs....................................................................................................42
F-6 Shift Register Random Q antized CVs...................................................................................43
F-7 Shift Register Random Triggers..............................................................................................44
F-8 Shift Register Random D al Triggers.....................................................................................44
G-1 ES-1 Em lation.......................................................................................................................45
G-2 ES-2 Em lation.......................................................................................................................45
G-3 Pitch Reference.......................................................................................................................46
G-4 Freq ency Reference..............................................................................................................46
G-5 T ner.......................................................................................................................................47
G-6 MIDI Clock.............................................................................................................................47
G-7 MIDI/CV................................................................................................................................49
G-8 CV/MIDI................................................................................................................................49
H-1 Crossfade/Pan.........................................................................................................................50
H-2 D al Sample and Hold............................................................................................................50
H-3 D al Q antizer (Z scale).........................................................................................................51
H-4 D al Q antizer........................................................................................................................52
H-5 D al E clidean Patterns..........................................................................................................53
H-6 D al Delayed P lse Generator...............................................................................................53
H-7 Noise.......................................................................................................................................54
I-1 A dio Playback........................................................................................................................55
I-2 Clocked A dio Playback..........................................................................................................55
I-3 A dio Playback with V/Oct.....................................................................................................56
I-4 A dio Playback with Z Speed..................................................................................................56
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J-1 MIDI File Playback (Clocked).................................................................................................57
J-3 MIDI File Playback (Free R nning)........................................................................................57
J-4 A dio Playback with End CV..................................................................................................58
J-5 A dio Recorder........................................................................................................................58
K-1 Wavetable VCO......................................................................................................................59
Loading wavetables...................................................................................................................59
K-5 Programmable Q antizer........................................................................................................61
L-1 Stereo Reverb..........................................................................................................................62
L-2 Mono-to-Stereo Reverb...........................................................................................................62
L-3 D al Reverb............................................................................................................................63
L-5 Stereo Chor s..........................................................................................................................64
L-6 Mono Chor s...........................................................................................................................64
MIDI I/O.............................................................................................................................................66
Introd ction....................................................................................................................................66
Connections...................................................................................................................................66
Breako t mod le............................................................................................................................66
MIDI "Low-Voltage Signaling"....................................................................................................66
Controlling the disting mk4 via MIDI...........................................................................................67
MIDI Thr ......................................................................................................................................67
Calibration..........................................................................................................................................68
Calibration Proced re....................................................................................................................68
Calibration Data.............................................................................................................................68
Firmware Updates..............................................................................................................................70
Acknowledgments..............................................................................................................................71
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Introduction
Congrat lations on yo r p rchase of an Expert Sleepers disting mk4. Please read this ser man al
before operating yo r new mod le.
Installation
Ho se the mod le in a E rorack case of yo r choosing. The power connector is Doepfer standard. If
sing the power cable s pplied with the mod le, the red edge of the cable is nearest the bottom of
the PCB, and carries -12V. ("-12V" is marked on the PCB itself next to this end of the connector.)
Be s re to connect the other end of the power cable correctly, again so -12V corresponds to the red
stripe on the cable.
Power requirements
The disting mk4 draws 51mA on the +12V rail, and 19mA on the -12V rail.
It does not se the 5V rail.
Inputs, Outputs and Controls
From top to bottom, the disting has
•A rotary encoder/p sh b tton, named 'S'.
•A dot matrix display.
•A MicroSD card slot.
•A knob, referred to as the 'Z' control, which controls some
aspect of the algorithm. This knob also has a p sh b tton
f nction.
•Three inp t sockets.
◦The top inp t is the 'Z' CV inp t, which controls the
same thing as the 'Z' knob. The two are added
together.
◦The other two inp ts are 'X' and 'Y', and their f nction
depends on the c rrent algorithm.
•Two o tp t sockets, named 'A' and 'B'.
The sockets are ill minated to reflect the voltage at the socket (or in the case of 'Z', the combined
voltage of the inp t and the knob). Red indicates a positive voltage; bl e indicates a negative
voltage.
Inserting a MicroSD card
The disting's MicroSD card slot is to the left of the display.
The exposed contacts of the card sho ld face towards the display; the angled side of the card itself
points p.
The slot is of the "p sh-p sh" type - to remove the card, p sh it in slightly and it will spring o t.
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Startup
Video
When the mod le powers p it first r ns thro gh some patterns on its display. The seq ence is as
follows:
•Each of the seven col mns in t rn, from left to right.
•Each of the five rows in t rn, from bottom to top.
It then shows the bootloader version (e.g. "b1") and the c rrent firmware version (e.g. "v4.0").
If after the above the disting shows the message "Uncalibrated", then the calibration data in flash is
missing or corr pt. A defa lt calibration will be sed, b t for acc rate res lts, please recalibrate the
mod le (see below).
The encoder & menu system
Video
Pressing the encoder ('S') enters the disting's men system, which is indicated by the display
blinking.
At this time the men s are partic larly simple, there being only fo r men items to choose from,
only one of which yo will normally need. In general, the men system works like this:
•Press the encoder to enter men mode.
•T rn the encoder to select the men item, and press to select.
•At this point the behavio r depends on the chosen men item.
Pressing 'Z' at any time cancels and exits the men s.
The men items are:
•Algorithm - select algorithm
•Help - access help
•Settings - change settings
•Calibrate - begin calibration
◦If yo accidentally enter this mode, press the Z knob to cancel
Selecting an algorithm
Video
There is a single list of algorithms, named A1 p to P8 (i.e. A1, A2, ... p to A8, then B1, B2 etc.).
See below for details.
The algorithm can be chosen via men 1 "Algorithm". Press the encoder twice (to enter the men ,
and to select "Algorithm"). Then t rn the encoder to select the algorithm. Finally, press the encoder
again to switch to the chosen algorithm.
Alternatively, yo can switch between algorithms by p shing and holding the S knob while t rning
it, tho gh this does visit every algorithm yo pass thro gh, rather than j mping directly to the
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chosen one, as is the case when sing the men .
Settings
Video
The disting has a n mber of settings, which are stored in flash memory. They are accessed by men
4 "Settings". Once yo 've entered the Settings men , t rn the encoder to select the setting to
change.
The settings are:
•Brightness – set the display brightness
•Recall enable – enable/disable recall from the Select B s (see below)
•In MIDI ch – the inp t MIDI channel
•Out MIDI ch – the o tp t MIDI channel
•Thru MIDI – enables a soft MIDI thr
•Pgm Chng Alg – controls whether MIDI program change messages select the c rrent
algorithm (1) or load a preset (0)
Once yo 've chosen the setting to change, press the encoder to select it, at which point the setting's
c rrent val e will be shown. T rn the encoder to change the val e. Then press the encoder to accept
and store the val e into flash, or press Z to leave the men witho t storing the val e.
Help
Video
Accessing 'Help' from the men displays algorithm-specific information. The help is loaded from
the MicroSD card, if present (else the message "No card" is displayed), and scrolled across the
display. To exit the help f nction, press Z.
The help text is a simple plain text file on the card, so it can be freely edited (e.g. to p t yo r own
choice of information first, or to translate it into a different lang age).
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The defa lt set of help files can be downloaded from the firmware pdate page here. Simply nzip
the file onto yo r MicroSD card. The file str ct re sho ld look something like this:
i.e. the 'help' folder is at the root level of the card, and inside is a file per algorithm, named
'hXXX.txt', where XXX is the algorithm n mber, starting from zero for algorithm A1.
Parameters
Video
In addition to the control provided on the Z knob, each algorithm may have p to six 'parameters',
offering f rther control over the algorithm's operation.
Unlike the Z control, which is sampled at the same high rate as the X & Y inp ts, parameters sho ld
be considered coarse, non-real-time adj stments to the algorithm. They may ca se glitching in the
o tp ts when changed.
Parameters are adj sted via the S knob. When changed, the parameter val e is displayed for a
co ple of seconds.
If an algorithm has more than one parameter, pressing the Z knob cycles thro gh them. The c rrent
parameter n mber is displayed briefly followed by its name.
nob Recorder
Video
In many algorithms which do not se a Z knob press for another p rpose, pressing Z offers a 'knob
recorder' f nction.
When this is available, holding Z down while t rning it ca ses the Z val e changes to be recorded.
As soon as the knob is released, the recording is played back in a loop. To end playback, t rn the Z
knob slightly to regain man al control.
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The maxim m d ration of knob recording is a little nder 14 seconds.
Tap Tempo
Video
Some algorithms (notably the Clockable LFO and Clockable Delay/Echo) se a press of the Z knob
as a 'tap tempo' f nction. In these modes, pressing Z has the same effect as sending a clock p lse
into the clock inp t. For example, pressing Z twice will set the delay time/LFO period to the time
between the two b tton presses.
Note that if the algorithm is dividing down the clocked freq ency, pressing Z twice will not set the
o tp t to the division of the time between the two presses; rather, it will be the time between a
corresponding n mber of b tton presses. E.g. if the Clockable LFO is set to 1/4 (divide by 4), the
LFO time will be set by pressing the Z b tton 5 times, and it will only change on the 5th press.
Favourites
Yo can define yo r own list of 16 'favo rite' algorithms, via a text file on the MicroSD card.
The favo rites are accessed as algorithms O1-P8. If no favo rites are defined, or if there are empty
slots, the disting r ns algorithm A1, the Precision Adder.
The favo rites are read from the SD card, if present, at power on. They are then stored in the
disting's flash memory, and so persist even after the card is removed.
The favo rites file is a simple text file which m st be named 'favo rites.txt' and placed in the root of
the SD card (not inside any folder). The contents look something like this:
disting favourites v2
B8 VCO
a1
C5 resonator
I4 SD z speed
b5 LFO
e dual AR w/ push
The first line m st be "disting favo rites v2". S bseq ent lines specify an algorithm to add to the
list of favo rites. After 16 algorithms, any f rther lines are ignored.
Each algorithm is specified as its two character name (a letter followed by a n mber). Any f rther
text after the algorithm n mber is ignored, so yo can add a descriptive string (as in the example
above) to help yo remember what's what.
Presets
Video
The disting can store its c rrent state to flash memory as a preset. The contents of a preset are
•the chosen algorithm, and
•the parameter val es.
Anything controlled by the Z knob/CV is not stored – its val e is always defined by the knob
position and CV inp t.
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There are 64 preset slots. Presets are saved and recalled sing the men . To save a preset:
1. Press the encoder to enter men mode.
2. T rn the encoder once (to show 'Save'), and press to confirm.
3. T rn the encoder to choose the preset slot.
4. Press the encoder to complete the save.
As s al, pressing Z at any point exits the men witho t saving.
To load a preset:
1. Press the encoder to enter men mode.
2. T rn the encoder twice (to show 'Load'), and press to confirm.
3. T rn the encoder to choose the preset slot.
4. Press the encoder to complete the load.
Preset 0
Preset 0, the first slot, is special:
•The contents of preset 0 are loaded at power- p.
•When switching algorithm, the new algorithm state is saved to preset 0.1
Therefore if yo want to save the disting's state so it powers p as it is c rrently, yo can man ally
save to preset 0, which is “click, t rn, click, click” on the encoder.
Select Bus
Video
If enabled in the settings, the disting mk4 will respond to save/recall messages on the Select B s.
The Select B s is a means of inter-mod le comm nication c rrently s pported by a handf l of
mod les from vario s man fact rers, incl ding the Malekko Varigate 8+, Macro Machines Storage
Strip and the Make Noise Tempi.
Note that the disting only responds to save/recall messages. It does not initiate them.
SD Card Playback
Supported MicroSD cards
In theory any MicroSD card will work, b t in practice there is a h ge variety of cards on the market
and we cannot possible test them all. We recommend 32GB SDHC cards, and in partic lar have
fo nd "SanDisk Extreme 32GB microSDHC UHS-I U3" cards work well.
The MicroSD card m st be formatted in FAT32 format, which is the as-sold state for many cards. If
not, cards can easily be reformatted to FAT32 in Windows or macOS.
1 The thinking here is that if yo forget to save yo r preset before t rning off the power, at least the disting will come
back p in the same algorithm next time yo start.
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Supported audio files
As of now, the only s pported a dio file format is 16 bit WAV, mono or stereo. Any sample rate
can be sed, however.
Since higher sample rates impose greater bandwidth demands on the SD card streaming, we s ggest
yo se the lowest sample rate that gives acceptable a dio q ality. All o r testing generally ses
44.1kHz files.
Note that beca se the disting's o tp ts are DC-co pled, the 'a dio' files can act ally contain
recorded or generated CVs, so all the sample playback modes can also be sed as complex
mod lation or seq encing so rces.
Supported MIDI files
C rrently we s pport Format 0 files (single track). The division field of the header ch nk m st be in
"ticks per q arter note" format.
Happily this is the format that Ableton Live spits o t if yo do "Export MIDI Clip".
File naming & Playlists
All files need to be in the root of the drive i.e. not inside any folder.
For a dio files, we still s pport the legacy naming convention from the early disting mk3
implementation, which req ired that files be named 'sampleXX.wav' where XX is a decimal n mber
from 00 to 31 e.g. sample01.wav, sample23.wav. However the playlist file is the preferred method
going forward.
The playlist file specifies what a dio/MIDI files the algorithm will se, how they will be ordered,
and what playback setings they will se. It is a simple text file, as described below.
By defa lt, a dio algorithms look for a playlist file called 'playlist.txt' and MIDI algorithms look for
'midi-playlist.txt'. However, each algorithm first looks for an algorithm-specific playlist file, the
name of which is specified in the algorithm descriptions below.
The playlist files m st be plain text. Note that TextEdit on macOS defa lts to rich text. From the
'Format' men choose, 'Make Plain Text'.
Audio Playlist Format
An a dio playlist file might look something like this:
disting playlist v1
-loop=0
-gap=0
-fadeIn=0
-fadeOut=0
TR _BD_aOrig_b_R1.wav
-fixedPitch=0.9
TR _Snare_aOrig_b_R1.wav
sample01.wav
-loop=1
-ramp=1
funky_lp.wav
-loop=1
-triggers=4
58 447main_JFKwechoosemoonspeech.wav
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-loop=1
This breaks down as:
•The header: "disting playlist v1"
•Defa lt settings (optional)
•List of a dio files
•Per-file settings after each file (optional)
Files may appear more than once in the playlist, with the same or different settings.
Settings are in the format "-" <setting name> "=" <setting val e>
Settings that appear before any a dio file apply globally to all the files in the playlist, nless
overridden by the per-file settings.
The available settings are as follows.
Setting Default Description
loop 1 Whether the sample loops (val e 1) or is a one-shot (val e 0).
fadeO t 3 Fade o t to apply when a sample is retriggered, in
milliseconds.
fadeIn 3 Fade in to apply when a sample is retriggered, in
milliseconds.
gap 3 Gap (silence) between fade o t and fade in, in milliseconds.
retriggerOnSampleChange 1 See below.
fixedPitch 0 Play the sample at a fixed pitch, not controlled by the pitch
CV (if any).
ramp 0 Switch O tp t B to emit a ramp CV.
triggers 0 Switch O tp t B to emit trigger p lses.
clocks 4 Set the n mber of clocks per loop for the Clocked A dio
Playback algorithm.
wavelength 600 Set the n mber of sample frames per waveform for the
Wavetable VCO algorithm.
The fades are sef l when retriggering samples, especially when starting them at arbitrary points
within the sample, to avoid clicks. However, for maxim m responsiveness when triggering, say,
dr m samples, set the fades and gap to zero.
The defa lt behavio r (with retriggerOnSampleChange=1) when selecting a new sample
(via S or Z depending on algorithm) is to immediately begin playing the new sample. If a sample
has retriggerOnSampleChange=0 (or, if the defa lt is set to 0) then the next sample does not
begin playback ntil triggered by the inp t. A typical se case for this wo ld be when yo have a
set of one-shot (say, dr m) samples and yo want to trigger each sample and have it play ntil the
next trigger, not changing in the middle if the sample select CV changes. At an extreme, yo co ld
in this case feed white noise into the sample select CV, to choose a random sample on each trigger.
The fixedPitch setting is a floating point n mber, where 1.0 corresponds to playing the sample
at its nat ral speed, 0.5 means play it at half speed etc. fixedPitch=0 (the defa lt) means that
the sample respects the CV-controlled pitch.
ramp=1 o tp ts a rising ramp from 0V to +8V corresponding to the c rrent position in the sample.
ramp=-1 o tp ts a falling ramp (+8V to 0V).
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triggers o tp ts a n mber of triggers d ring the sample e.g. triggers=4 will o tp t 4 trigger
p lses, eq ally spaced over the sample length. The triggers are +5V p lses lasting abo t 10ms. The
maxim m n mber of triggers per sample is 32767.
Video
ramp and triggers are m t ally excl sive. The last setting in the playlist file for a given sample
is the one that takes effect.
The maxim m n mber of sample files per playlist is 64. Files beyond that limit are ignored.
MIDI Playlist Format
A MIDI playlist file might look something like this:
disting playlist v1
-zeroVNote= 0
bach_2ptinv.mid
CDE_bend.mid
-bendRange=12
CDE_bend.mid
-loop=0
cc1_2.mid
-cc1offset=-1.5
-cc1scale=3
-cc2offset=2
-cc2scale=
This breaks down as:
•The header: "disting playlist v1"
•Defa lt settings (optional)
•List of MIDI files
•Per-file settings after each file (optional)
Files may appear more than once in the playlist, with the same or different settings.
Settings are in the format "-" <setting name> "=" <setting val e>
Settings that appear before any MIDI file apply globally to all the files in the playlist, nless
overridden by the per-file settings.
The available settings are as follows.
Setting Default Description
loop 1 Whether the MIDI file loops (val e 1) or is a one-shot (val e 0).
zeroVNote 48 MIDI note n mber corresponding to zero Volts o tp t pitch CV.
bendRange 2 Pitch bend range, in semitones.
cc1offset 0 Offset for CC#1, in Volts.
cc1scale 5 Range for CC#1, in Volts.
cc2offset 0 Offset for CC#2, in Volts.
cc2scale 5 Range for CC#2, in Volts.
The maxim m n mber of MIDI files per playlist is 32. Files beyond that limit are ignored.
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Example Files
A simple example playlist and some a dio files which are known to be formatted correctly can be
downloaded here2.
MIDI CV conversion
The are two primary modes of MIDI/CV conversion, which can be mixed within a MIDI file:
1. Note on/off messages, and pitch bend messages, are sed to generate a pitch CV from o tp t
A and a gate CV from o tp t B.
2. CCs #1 & #2 are sed to directly control voltages on o tp ts A & B respectively. The 7 bit
CC val e (0-127) is converted to a voltage according to the scale and offset settings (by
defa lt, 0-5V).
Scala Support
Some disting algorithms s pport microtonal scales, sing files generated by the program Scala3. The
files are loaded from the MicroSD card. See 'S pported MicroSD cards' above.
Organising the files on the card
To se Scala with the disting, yo will need a MicroSD card set p as follows.
•An 'scl' folder A folder named 'scl' in the root folder of the card, which contains all the
scale (.scl) files that yo wish to se. Note: yo are advised not to simply nzip the archive
of over 4000 scales available from the Scala website onto the card – yo will find the disting
slow to load scales if yo do.
•A 'kbm' folder A folder named 'kbm' in the root folder of the card, which contains all the
keyboard mapping (.kbm) files that yo wish to se.
•The log tables The disting ses precomp ted mathematical tables when processing the
Scala files. Download the file 'logTables_16_20.bin' from here4 and place it in the root of
yo r SD card.
•The playlist A file named 'playlist-scales.txt' which tells the disting which scales to se.
Example Files
A zip file containing some example files, which are known to work, is here5.
2http://expert-sleepers.co. k/downloads/content/disting_sd_content.zip
3http://www.h ygens-fokker.org/scala/
4http://expert-sleepers.co. k/downloads/content/logTables_16_20.bin
5http://expert-sleepers.co. k/downloads/content/disting_example_scales.zip
Page 15

Scale Playlist Format
A scale playlist file might look something like this:
disting playlist v1
-kbm=example.kbm
equal.scl
pyth_7a.scl
pyth_12.scl
johnson_7.scl
-kbm=7.kbm
equal.scl
-kbm=root+fifth.kbm
This breaks down as:
•The header: "disting playlist v1"
•Defa lt settings (optional)
•List of scale files
•Per-file settings after each file (optional)
Files may appear more than once in the playlist, with the same or different settings.
Settings are in the format "-" <setting name> "=" <setting val e>
Settings that appear before any scale file apply globally to all the files in the playlist, nless
overridden by the per-file settings.
C rrently there is only one setting, which is the name of the keyboard mapping file to se with the
scale file.
Possible Sources of Error
If there is a problem reading or interpreting the scale files, the disting will not be able to se them.
Possible things to check incl de:
•The scale and keyboard mapping files m st obvio sly be valid Scala format files, that the
Scala application itself will load s ccessf lly.
•The scale and keyboard mapping m st match – for example, the keyboard mapping m st not
refer to scale degrees that the scale does not have.
•For the keyboard mapping files, the reference freq ency m st be given for a note that is
act ally mapped.
Page 16

Algorithm Overview
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
APrecision Adder Fo r
Q adrant
M ltiplier
F ll-wave
Rectifier
Minim m/
maxim m
Linear/
Exponential
Converter
Q antizer Comparator D al
Waveshaper
BSample and
Hold
Slew Rate
Limiter
Pitch and
Envelope
Tracker
Clockable
Delay/Echo
LFO Clockable
LFO
VCO with
linear FM
VCO with
waveshaping
CPrecision Adder
(fractional
offsets)
Voltage
Controlled
Delay Line
Clockable
Ping Pong
(Z
feedback)
Clockable
Ping Pong
(Z inp t
pan)
Resonator Vocoder Phaser Bit Cr sher
DTape Delay Waveform
Animator
State
Variable
Filter
LP/HP Filter LP/BP
Filter
BP/HP
Filter
BP/Notch
Filter
EAR Envelope AR
Envelope
(with p sh)
AR
Envelope &
VCA
AR
Envelope &
VCA
(with p sh)
D al AR
Envelope
D al AR
Envelope
(with
p sh)
E ro to
B chla
Converter
B chla to
E ro
Converter
FClockable AD
Envelope
(with m te)
Clockable
AD
Envelope
(with gate)
Clockable
AD
Envelope
(with
trigger)
Clockable
AD
Envelope &
VCA
Shift Register
Random CVs
Shift
Register
Random
Q antized
CVs
Shift
Register
Random
Triggers
Shift Register
Random D al
Triggers
GES-1 Em lation ES-2
Em lation
Pitch
Reference
Freq ency
Reference
T ner MIDI
Clock
MIDI/CV CV/MIDI
HCrossfade/Pan D al
Sample and
Hold
D al
Q antizer
(Z scale)
D al
Q antizer
D al
E clidean
Patterns
D al
Delayed
P lse
Generator
Noise
IA dio Playback Clocked
A dio
Playback
A dio
Playback
with V/Oct
A dio
Playback
with Z
Speed
JMIDI File
Playback
(Clocked)
MIDI File
Playback
(Free
R nning)
A dio
Playback
with End
CV
A dio
Recorder
KWavetable VCO Programmable
Q antizer
LStereo Reverb Mono-to-
Stereo
Reverb
D al
Reverb
Stereo Chor s Mono
Chor s
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A-1 Precision Adder
Video
A = X + Y + offset
B = X - Y - offset
offset = ±10V in 1V steps derived from Z
Knob recorder enabled
Parameter Min Max Default Description
0 0 1 0 When 1, the offset is not restricted to 1V steps, and changes
smoothly with Z.
O tp t A is the s m of inp ts X & Y; o tp t B is the difference between inp ts X & Y. With
nothing pl gged into inp t X, B is therefore simply an inverted copy of Y.
The Z knob/CV sets an offset which is applied to both A and B. The offset is a whole n mber of
Volts. If X/Y are 1V/Octave pitch CVs, Z is therefore an octave shift control. The maxim m shift is
10V, positive or negative.
When Z changes, the offset is shown on the display. After a short while the display reverts to
showing the c rrent algorithm.
A-2 Four Quadrant Multiplier
Video
A = X * Y * scale
B = -X * Y * scale
scale = 1/10 to 10x in steps derived from Z
Knob recorder enabled
Parameter Min Max Default Description
0 0 1 0 When 1, the scale is not restricted to integer steps, and changes
smoothly with Z.
O tp t A is the res lt of m ltiplying inp ts X & Y. O tp t B is the inverse of o tp t A.
If for example X is a signal and Y is an envelope, then this algorithm is a VCA. If both inp ts are
signals, then this is a ring mod lator.
The Z knob/CV sets a scale factor which is applied to both o tp ts. The scale is an integer (whole
n mber) which either m ltiplies or divides the res lt, and ranges in val e from 1-10.
When Z changes, the scale is shown on the display. If the val e shown is negative, it is a divisor
rather than a m ltipler. Note that there is no val e of "-1" since dividing by 1 and m ltiplying by 1
are the same. After a short while the display reverts to showing the c rrent algorithm.
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A-3 Full-wave Rectifier
Video
A = abs( X + Y ) or abs( X )
B = abs( X - Y ) or abs( Y )
Z selects mode
This algorithm provides a f ll-wave rectifier or absol te val e f nction. The Z knob/CV select
between one of two modes. In 'independent' mode, A and B are the absol te val es of X and Y,
respectively. In 'combined' mode, A is the absol te val e of the s m of X & Y; B is the absol te
val e of the difference of X & Y.
When Z changes, the mode is displayed. 'Independent' mode is shown as "-0"; 'combined' mode as
"0". After a short while the display reverts to showing the c rrent algorithm.
A-4 Minimum maximum
Video
A = min( X, Y )
B = max( X, Y )
Z is gate
O tp t A is the minim m of inp ts X & Y; o tp t B is the maxim m of the two inp ts. If one inp t
is zero (or disconnected), this is a half-wave rectifier.
The Z knob/CV provides a gate f nction. When Z goes higher than approximately 2.5V, the gate
goes high and the o tp ts follow the inp ts according to the min/max relationship. When Z goes
below approximately -1.5V, the gate goes low and the o tp ts are frozen.
When the gate changes state, "LO" or "HI" is displayed to indicate the gate stat s. After a short
while the display reverts to showing the c rrent algorithm.
A-5 Linear Exponential Converter
Video
A = ( 2 ^ X ) * scale
B = log2( Y / scale )
Z is Hz/V scale, centred on 1kHz
This algorithm provides a linear-to-exponential converter and an exponential-to-linear converter.
Yo might se this to interface 1V/octave mod les (E rorack standard) with Hz/V synths (e.g. old
Korg or Yamaha synths), b t it co ld also be sef l within E rorack e.g. to convert an LFO
(commonly with Hz/V pitch control) to a V/octave oscillator, or to convert an exponential FM inp t
on a VCO into a linear FM inp t.
Inp t X is the exponential inp t; its corresponding linear o tp t is A. Y is the linear inp t, whose
exponential o tp t is B.
Z sets the scale factor which is common to both conversions. It sets the n mber of Hz per Volt, with
arrange from near zero to abo t 2kHz. The Yamaha CS-15, for example, ses abo t 1100Hz/V,
which is abo t half way on the Z knob here.
The zero Volt point on the exponential scale sed is C3 (approximately 130.81Hz).
Page 19

A-6 Quantizer
Video
A = quantized( X )
B = trigger on note change
Z chooses scale & function of Y
Y = transpose (Z positive) or trigger (Z negative)
Outputs & Receives MIDI
Parameter Min Max Default Description
0 -1 31 31 Inp t X atten ation.
1 0 1 0 Transpose mode.
2 -31 31 0 Key.
3 0 31 0 Offset.
O tp t A is a q antized version of inp t X; the closest whole-semitone val e to the nq antized
V/octave pitch CV X. O tp t B is a trigger signal which fires whenever o tp t A changes - a 5V
p lse approximately 10ms long.
As well as providing a chromatic scale, this algorithm can also constrain the q antized val es to a
m sical scale or chord. This is controlled by the Z knob/CV.
When Z changes, the scale is displayed on the LEDs. The scale's n mber in the following table is
show, and after a short pa se, the scale's name. After the name has scrolled across, the display
reverts to showing the c rrent algorithm.
Number Scale Displayed name
0 chromatic Chromatic
1 major scale Major
2 minor scale Minor
3 major triad Triad
4 minor triad 3b+5
5 root+5th Fifth
6 major triad+6th Triad+6
7 minor triad+6th 3b+5+6
8 major triad+7th Triad+7
9 minor triad+7th 3b+5+7
10 root+5th+6th 5+6
11 root+5th+7th 5+7
12 pentatonic major Pent
13 pentatonic minor Minor Pent
14 nat ral minor scale Nat Minor
15 harmonic minor scale Harm Minor
A f rther option is controlled by Z being positive or negative. When Z is negative, the scale n mber
is shown as a negative val e.
When Z is positive inp t Y is a transpose control. The CV on inp t Y is q antized (to a chromatic
Page 20