Frap Tools CGM User manual

!
MANUALONE
A Single, Comprehensive Guide!
to Frap Tools’ Modules

I’d like to thank a few precious friends for their support during these years, for the discussions we had, and for the precious feedbacks i received — in
alphabetical order: Caterina Barbieri, Sebastian Baumann, Alessandro Bonino, Marco Ciccotti, Enrico Cosimi, Tom Hall, René Margraff, Gianfranco
Marongiu, Chris Meyer, Giulio Saltini, Alessio Santini, Stephan Schmitt, Brian Smith, Trevor Tunnacliffe, Giona Vinti, Andreas Zhukovsky.
And thanks to the amazing people I’m working with — in alphabetical order: Fabrizio Benatti, Federico Foglia, Giovanni Grandi, Antonio Masiero.
Simone Fabbri"

SAFETY & WARRANTY 5
BEFORE STARTING 6
INTERFACES 7
1. ARROWS (INPUT, OUTPUT) 7________________________________________
2. SQUARE AND ROUND SHAPES 7_____________________________________
3. LINES (SOLID, DOTTED, DASHED) 7___________________________________
4. COLOR CODING 7____________________________________________________
5. COMBINATIONS 7___________________________________________________
CGM - CREATIVE MIXER 8
1. SYSTEM SETUP (LINKING) 8__________________________________________
1.1. Master to Group(s) 8...................................................................................................................................
1.2. Group to Channel(s) 8................................................................................................................................
2. GROUP JUMPERS CONFIGURATIONS 9_______________________________
3. CHANNEL 9__________________________________________________________
3.1. Main VCA & Direct Out 9.........................................................................................................................
3.2. Sends 9..................................................................................................................................................................
3.3. Pan, Fader and Other Controls 10.....................................................................................................
4. GROUP 10___________________________________________________________
4.1. Sends 10................................................................................................................................................................
4.2. Returns 10...........................................................................................................................................................
4.3. Group Output 10.............................................................................................................................................
4.4. Fader and Other Controls 10.................................................................................................................
4.5. The Safe Solo Function 10......................................................................................................................
5. MASTER 11___________________________________________________________
5.1. The PFL Function 11.....................................................................................................................................
6. CGM MIXER TIPS 11___________________________________________________
6.1. Stereo Inputs 11...............................................................................................................................................
6.2. More Than 2 Send/Returns Per Channel 11...............................................................................
6.3. Serial Send/Return (and Feedbacks) 11.........................................................................................
7. FLOW CHART 12_____________________________________________________
SAPÈL 13
1. PHILOSOPHY AND DESIGN 13________________________________________
2. NOISE OUTPUTS 13__________________________________________________
3. STEPPED RANDOM VALUES GENERATION 13_________________________
3.1. Internal Clock and Clock Modulation 14.......................................................................................
3.2. External Clock 14............................................................................................................................................
3.3. Clock Interpolation 14.................................................................................................................................
3.4. Manual Sampling 14.....................................................................................................................................
3.5. Sampling via External Gate 14..............................................................................................................
3.6. Clock Outputs (Main and Random) 14...........................................................................................
4. RANDOM VOLTAGES 14______________________________________________
4.1. Non-Quantized Random Voltages 15............................................................................................
4.2. Quantized Random Voltages 15.........................................................................................................
4.3. Fluctuating Random Output and Global Rate of Change (random clock
density control) 15.........................................................................................................................................
5. PROBABILITY DISTRIBUTION (STORED RANDOM VOLTAGES) 16______
6. FLOW CHART 16_____________________________________________________
FUMANA 17
1. PHILOSOPHY AND DESIGN 17________________________________________
1.1. Panel Overview 17..........................................................................................................................................
2. AUDIO INPUTS 17____________________________________________________
3. AUDIO OUTPUTS 18_________________________________________________
4. AUDIO PROCESSING AND MODULATION PATH 18____________________
4.1. Faders and CV 18............................................................................................................................................
4.2. Global Spectral Editing: Tilt and Parametric Scanning 19...............................................
4.3. Spectral Transferring: Modulation Filters and Envelope Followers 19..................
4.3.1. The ‘unvoiced’ section 19.......................................................................................................................
4.3.2. Spectral transfer: a brief history 20................................................................................................
5. FILTER DESIGN 20___________________________________________________
6. PATCH EXAMPLES 21_________________________________________________
6.1. 16 Bands Spectral Transfer 21...............................................................................................................
6.2. Dual 8-Band Spectral Transfer 21......................................................................................................
6.3. Hybrid Spectral Transfer 21....................................................................................................................
6.4. Vocoder-Like Behavior 21........................................................................................................................
FALISTRI 22
1. PHILOSOPHY AND DESIGN 22________________________________________
2. FUNCTION GENERATORS 22_________________________________________
2.1. Times 22...............................................................................................................................................................
2.2. Shapes 23.............................................................................................................................................................
2.3. Trig and Modes 23........................................................................................................................................
2.3.1. Green Alternative Retrig (On Rest) 23.........................................................................................
2.4. Outputs 23..........................................................................................................................................................
2.5. Additional Generator Features 24....................................................................................................
2.5.1. Quadrature 24................................................................................................................................................
2.5.2. Max 24..................................................................................................................................................................
3. FUNCTION PROCESSORS 24_________________________________________
3.1. Cascaded Frequency Dividers 24......................................................................................................
3.2. Four Quadrant Multiplier 25..................................................................................................................
3.2.1. Amplitude Modulation & Ring Modulation (2 vs 4 quadrants) 25..........................
3.2.2. Trimming 25.....................................................................................................................................................
3.3. Linear Slew Limiter 25................................................................................................................................
USTA 26
1. QUICK START 26_____________________________________________________
2. PHILOSOPHY 26_____________________________________________________
2.1. Architecture 27................................................................................................................................................
2.2. Tempo Management 27...........................................................................................................................

3. BASIC EDITING AND VISUAL FEEDBACK 28___________________________
3.1. Editing Projects - Project Menu 28...................................................................................................
3.2. Editing Tracks - Track Menu 28..........................................................................................................
3.3. Editing, Playing and Looping Patterns 28...................................................................................
3.4. Editing Stages 29...........................................................................................................................................
3.4.1. Length 30...........................................................................................................................................................
3.4.1.1. Maintain pattern length on variation 30....................................................................................
3.4.2. CV Layers 30....................................................................................................................................................
3.4.2.1. Red CV layer: value 30.............................................................................................................................
3.4.2.2. Green CV layer: variation index 31...................................................................................................
3.4.2.3. Blue CV layer: variation range 31......................................................................................................
3.4.3. CV Stage Colors 31......................................................................................................................................
3.4.3.1. USTA slide vs FALISTRI slew 31........................................................................................................
3.4.4. Gate Layers 31.................................................................................................................................................
3.4.4.1. Red Gate layer: value 32.........................................................................................................................
3.4.4.2. Green Gate layer: variation index 32..............................................................................................
3.4.4.3. Blue Gate layer: variation range 32.................................................................................................
3.4.5. Gate Stage Colors 32.................................................................................................................................
4. QUICK EDITING 33___________________________________________________
4.1. Set All and Shift All 33................................................................................................................................
4.2. Coarse and Fine 33.......................................................................................................................................
4.3. Combining the Buttons 33......................................................................................................................
5. CLONING 34_________________________________________________________
5.1. Clone a Stage 34............................................................................................................................................
5.2. Clone a Structure 34....................................................................................................................................
5.2.1. Clone a Layer 34...........................................................................................................................................
5.2.2. Clone a Pattern 34.......................................................................................................................................
5.2.3. Clone a Track 34...........................................................................................................................................
6. PERFORMING 35_____________________________________________________
6.1. Play/Pause, Reset and Master Track Settings 35.................................................................
6.1.1. Master Track 35.............................................................................................................................................
6.1.2. Play / Pause 35..............................................................................................................................................
6.1.3. Reset 35...............................................................................................................................................................
6.2. Stage Loop 35..................................................................................................................................................
6.3. Song Mode 36..................................................................................................................................................
6.3.1. Pattern to song while playing (and vice versa) 37...............................................................
6.4. Live Performance Tools: Pattern Recall 37................................................................................
6.4.1. Full pattern recall 37..................................................................................................................................
6.4.2. Pattern Mix 37.................................................................................................................................................
6.5. Mute 37..................................................................................................................................................................
6.6. Hold 37...................................................................................................................................................................
7. ADVANCED EDITING 38______________________________________________
7.1. Composition Mode 38................................................................................................................................
7.2. Use an External CV/Gate Keyboard 38.........................................................................................
7.3. Store Pattern: Last Played or Last Full 38...................................................................................
8. EXTERNAL CONTROLS 39____________________________________________
8.1. Clock Input 39...................................................................................................................................................
8.2. Auxiliary Trig/Gate Input 39..................................................................................................................
8.3. External CV 39..................................................................................................................................................
8.3.1. Pitch Shift 39...................................................................................................................................................
8.3.2. Root Shift 39....................................................................................................................................................
8.3.3. Gate Shift 39....................................................................................................................................................
8.3.4. Stage Shift 39..................................................................................................................................................
8.3.5. Vari Shift (Variation Shift) 40..............................................................................................................
8.3.6. Pattern Shift 40.............................................................................................................................................
8.3.7. Phase Shift 40................................................................................................................................................
9. ADDITIONAL OPERATIONS 40_______________________________________
9.1. Select CV Mode (Raw or Pitch) 40....................................................................................................
9.2. CV Range 40.....................................................................................................................................................
9.3. Gate Width % 40...........................................................................................................................................
9.4. Swing 40...............................................................................................................................................................
10. PLAYING IN TUNE 42________________________________________________
10.1. Root & Scale – Dynamic Quantization 42...................................................................................
10.2. Microtonalities 42..........................................................................................................................................
10.3. Custom Scales 43..........................................................................................................................................
10.4. Set the Reference Note 43.....................................................................................................................
10.5. Custom Temperaments 43....................................................................................................................
10.5.1. Absolute or Relative Temperaments 44....................................................................................
10.6. LED Pitch Tables 45....................................................................................................................................
10.6.1. 12-EDO 45..........................................................................................................................................................
10.6.2. 15-EDO 45..........................................................................................................................................................
10.6.3. 19-EDO 45..........................................................................................................................................................
10.6.4. 22-EDO 46.........................................................................................................................................................
10.6.5. 24-EDO 46.........................................................................................................................................................
11. ADDITIONAL MAINTENANCE 47_____________________________________
12. Remove / Insert the SD Card 47..........................................................................................................
12.1. Analog Trimming 47....................................................................................................................................
12.2. Project Management and Backups 47..........................................................................................
12.3. Firmware Update 47....................................................................................................................................
13. CHARTS 48__________________________________________________________
13.1. Project Menu 48.............................................................................................................................................
13.2. Track Menu 48.................................................................................................................................................
13.3. Project Hierarchy 49...................................................................................................................................
14. SCALES 50___________________________________________________________
14.1. 12-EDO and other 12 tones per Octave Temperaments 50..........................................
14.2. 15-EDO and other 15 tones per Octave Temperaments 51...........................................
14.3. 19-EDO and other 19 tones per Octave Temperaments 52..........................................
14.4. 22-EDO and other 22 tones per Octave Temperaments 52.........................................
14.5. 24-EDO and other 24 tones per Octave Temperaments 55........................................
333 59
15. HOW IT WORKS 59__________________________________________________
321 60
16. HOW IT WORKS 60__________________________________________________
TECHNIQUES 61
TECHNICAL DETAILS 74
1. CGM CREATIVE MIXER VCA CURVES 74_______________________________
1.1. Channel Main VCA response curve to CV 74............................................................................
1.2. Sends VCA CV response curve to CV - Channel to group Send 74.........................
1.3. Returns VCA response curve to CV - Group Return 74....................................................
1.4. Pan 74.....................................................................................................................................................................
2. FUMANA TRANSFER FUNCTION 75___________________________________
2.1. All bands Output 75.....................................................................................................................................
2.2. Odd Bands Output 75................................................................................................................................

2.3. EVEN BANDS OUTPUT 75.....................................................................................................................
3. SPECIFICATIONS 76__________________________________________________
3.1. CGM - Creative mixer 76...........................................................................................................................
3.2. SAPÈL 76..............................................................................................................................................................
3.3. FALISTRI 77........................................................................................................................................................
3.4. FUMANA 78.......................................................................................................................................................
3.5. USTA 78................................................................................................................................................................
3.6. 333 78......................................................................................................................................................................
3.7. 321 79.......................................................................................................................................................................
4. WHAT’S IN THE BOX 80______________________________________________
LIST OF REVISIONS 81

SAFETY & WARRANTY!
The Frap Tools srls warranty covers the following products (here-
inafter ‘Frap Tools’), for two (2) years following the date of purchase.
This warranty covers any defect in the manufacturing of this product.
This warranty does not cover any damage or malfunction caused by
incorrect use as described in the following instructions.
The warranty covers replacement or repair, as decided by Frap Tools.
Please contact customer service at [email protected] for a return autho-
rization.
Frap Tools warrants that your new Frap Tools product, when pur-
chased from an authorized Frap Tools dealer, shall be free of defects in
materials and craft for a period of two (2) years from the original date of
purchase. Please contact Frap Tools for warranty and service outside of
Europe. During the warranty period, Frap Tools shall, at its sole option,
either repair or replace any product that proves to be defective upon
inspection by Frap Tools. Frap Tools reserves the right to update any
unit returned for repair and to change or improve the design of the
product at any time without notice. This warranty can be transferred to
anyone who may subsequently purchase the product provided that
such transfer is made within the applicable warranty period and that
Frap Tools is provided with all of the following items:
all warranty registration information for the new owner;!
proof of the transfer within thirty (30) days of the transfer purchase,
and a photocopy of the original sales receipt.
Frap Tools shall determine warranty coverage in its sole discretion:
this is your exclusive warranty. Service and repair of Frap Tools prod-
ucts are to be performed only by Frap Tools or an authorized service
company. Unauthorized service, repair, or modification will void this
warranty.
Please follow the given instructions for the use of the device because
this will guarantee the correct device operation. Since these instruc-
tions also include indications concerning Product Liability, they must be
read carefully. Any claim for defect will be rejected if one or more of the
following points is not observed. Any disregard of these instructions can
void the warranty.
The devices may only be used for the purpose described in this oper-
ating manual. Due to safety reasons, the devices must never be used
for purposes not described in this manual. If you are not sure about the
intended purpose of the devices, please contact an expert or Frap Tools
at the email address above.
Do not use or store the devices in humid places. Avoid contact with
any liquid.
Do not touch any component of the devices when it is power or
connected to any power source.
Do not place the devices on unstable carts, stands, tripods, tables, or
other surfaces, or on surfaces that are not perfectly plane. Such behav-
ior may cause the devices to fall, which could result in human injury,
property damage or improper functioning of the devices themselves.
The devices are designed for use only when safely and tightly
mounted in a proper eurorack case, made of non-flammable materials.
If you are not sure about the intended purpose of the devices, please
contact an expert or Frap Tools at the email address above.
Do not ever leave the devices switched on when not in use.
To prevent fire, never place any candle, flame, or other sources of
heat on or near the devices.
Transport the devices only in the original box with original packaging
or when safely and tightly mounted in a proper eurorack case, and
handled with care. Never let the devices fall or topple. Make sure that
during transport and while in use the devices and their case, have a
proper stand and do not fall, slip or turn over because of potential hu-
man injury to persons or property damage. Any damage from physical
abuse such as dropping the unit, impact from hard objects or damage
to external components as a result of negligence will void this warranty.
Never expose the devices to temperatures above +40°C or below 0°C.
Before any operation, also verify the operating temperature ranges of
all the modules and the power boards in use. Do not keep or leave the
case that hosts the devices, or the devices themselves near heat
sources.
Any modification must be carried out only by Frap Tools or an autho-
rized service company. The devices may not be modified in any way by
any parties not expressly authorized by Frap Tools. Any repair, modifi-
cation, tampering, or attempted repair made by unauthorized person-
nel will void this warranty.
Frap Tools can not be held responsible in any way for problems to
persons or property or to the devices themselves, if the devices are
installed improperly, or if they are improperly used, maintained, or
stored.
Any device shipped to Frap Tools for return, exchange, warranty
repair, update, or examination must be sent in its original packaging!
Any other deliveries will be rejected. Therefore, you should keep the
original packaging, and any technical documentation or manual provid-
ed. The device must be shipped only with the original packaging. As
specified on the product box, this box is not intended for shipment: if
you bought the device directly at a physical reseller’s shop, you should
put the device in the original packaging and put the packaging in a
properly larger box with proper packaging destined for shipping. If you
received the device via carrier or any post service, it should have come
with a proper double box packaging.
All non-warranty services are subject to a minimum fee of
€50.00+VAT (within the European Union). The customer must pay for
shipping to Frap Tools; Frap Tools will cover return shipping costs.
It is important to note that the front panel of our modules may get
warm, and may warm up the case where it is mounted. Please do not
be alarmed, as this is normal and is part of its standard operation.
Shut down your equipment immediately if it produces smoke, a
strange odor, or unusual noise. Continued use may lead to fire. Immedi-
ately unplug the equipment and contact your dealer or Frap Tools at
the address above for advice.!
Never attempt to repair this product yourself. Improper repair work
can be dangerous. Never disassemble or modify this product. Tamper-
ing with this product may result in injury or fire and will void your war-
ranty.
Do not allow foreign matter to fall into the equipment. Penetration by
foreign objects may lead to fire.!
If water or other liquid spills into this equipment, do not continue to
use it. Continued use may lead to fire. Unplug the power cord immedi-
ately and contact your dealer or Frap Tools at the address above for
advice.
WARNING: The internal components of our modules and power sup-
plies can get very hot. Do not touch any internal components while it is
connected and/or powered and after they completely cool down after
use for at least 30 minutes."
Rev 2 - Sep 2019
Page of5 81

BEFORE STARTING
I. Connect The Power
To connect the power cable, carefully follow these two rules:
•the power connector on the module is the keyed one in the top;
•the red line on the cable should be placed matching the -12V side
on your power board: please double check with your power boar
supplier that the marked side is the -12V.
WARNING: Frap Tools can not be held responsible in any way for prob-
lems or damage to persons or property or to the device itself, if the
device is not connected as indicated above.
II. Mounting The Module
After connecting the power as explained in the previous section,
install the module in your case using all the 2 or 4 screws provided.
Make sure that the module is safely and tightly connected to your
Eurorack case.
Frap Tools modules use the standard Eurorack orientation and color-
coding: the red line on the power cables is placed at the bottom and
stands for the -12V.. Please double check with the power system you
want to use that it adopts the same powering system.
WARNING: Frap Tools can not be held responsible in any way for prob-
lems or damage to persons or property or to the device itself, if the
device is not connected as indicated above.
III. Warm-up and working temperature
For best performances, we suggest to let the Frap Tools modules
warm up at least around 20 minutes prior to use it [tested at 25°C]. It is
absolutely normal that they feels warm when touched!"
Rev 2 - Sep 2019
Page of6 81

INTERFACES !
Here at Frap Tools, we put a lot of effort into designing a proper user
interface for each of our modules.
By “proper user interface” we mean essentially three things:
1. it must convey the module’s identity at a glance;
2. it must allow for a smooth creative workflow;
3. it must be pleasant to look at.
Moreover, we want our interfaces to be clear, but not self-explanatory
(or, in other terms, cryptic, but not chaotic).
The reason for doing so is that, in our vision, the
musician should master the “code” of her/his instrument!before!playing
it: a piano does not have the note names on its keys, a violin does not
have marks on its neck – it is up to the musician to practice and learn
how the instrument works.
In the same way, our modules do not have labels such as ‘frequency’
or ‘decay time’: instead, they are replaced with a system of symbols and
colors that try to be as consistent as possible. Moreover, a musician
approaching our modules through a “conventional” labeling system
might be tempted to assume that the module behaves in an ordinary
way, which sometimes is not completely correct.
The modules are explained in detail further in this manual. However,
to allow the musician to get acquainted with the overall symbol system,
we provide here a brief guide to “decode” the most recurrent elements
of the “Frap environment”.
1. Arrows (Input, Output)
An arrow can mean either an input or an output, according to its
position: if it points towards one or more jack sockets, it is an input; if it
points away from one or more jack sockets, it is an output.
2. Square and Round Shapes
All the modular world revolves around voltage. The most basic dis-
tinction is, conventionally, between voltage used for timing pulses (trigs
or gates) and audio signals or CV.
The former is a discrete signal with two levels only (“off” and “on”,
“low” and “high”), and for this reason, in our modules is associated with
square shapes.
The latter is a continuous signal (or ‘analog’ in its closest meaning),
therefore it is associated with round shapes.
A subgroup of audio analog section is the stereo audio: as you can
notice in the CGM serie, the group and master module which features
stereo in/out. Here the left/mono is connected to the filled area while
the right is connected to the ring that surrounds it.
3. Lines (Solid, Dotted, Dashed)
A solid line relates two or more elements of the circuit. It stands for
manual control, which means that a given knob or switch directly af-
fects the signal passing through the circuit from an input or to an out-
put.
A dotted line stands for external CV control, and it often relates a
jack socket to a manual control such as a knob or a
slider. It means that the specific parameter can be volt-
age-controlled.
A dashed line relates two or more inputs or two more outputs: it
means that they are semi-normalled, or, in other terms,
that the signal going to one input or coming from one
output is mirrored by the other jack sockets connected by a dashed
line. Such behavior is automatically overridden once a cable is plugged
to another jack socket (thus “breaking” the normalization).
4. Color Coding
As a rule of thumb, if a module performs more than one function, the
respective controls are marked with different colors. In other words, a
given color relates to one and only one section of the module design. In
case a module features two “mirrored” sections (such as SAPÈL’s or
FALISTRI’s generators, or CGM Group’s FX sends), they are marked in
yellow and green.
5. Combinations
All the aforementioned elements can be combined. For example, an
arrow within a square pointing towards a jack socket means that it is a
gate/trig input; if a dotted line connects a jack socket to a knob, and a
solid line connects the same knob to another jack socket, it means that
the signal outputted from the second jack socket can be modified
either manually via the knob or automatically via an external CV
patched to the first socket."
Rev 2 - Sep 2019
Page of7 81

CGM - CREATIVE MIXER
The CGM Creative Mixer is a modular mixing solution for Eurorack
modular systems. It is designed to obtain a flexible setup, providing all
the tools you may need in studio and during a live performance, as well
as plenty of CV inputs for every possible automation.
It is currently composed of three modules: the Channel, the Group
and the Master.
The Channel manages mono signals via the 3.5 mm input mono jack.
It has a main stereo VCA with CV in and attenuator (RED), a direct
output post-main VCA (pre or post fader), two parallel voltage-con-
trolled effect sends with individual attenuators and pre/post fader
switches (Yellow and Green), and a PAN control with offset CV and
offset pot. This, together with the latching buttons for mute, solo in
place, and PFL, manages the incoming signal and distributes it to the
Group module.
The Group gets and sums the L/R post-fader signals (WHITE) of all
the linked Channels, sums all the signals from the YELLOW and GREEN
sends, and manages the sends (mono) and returns (DUAL MONO or
STEREO), summing it to the signals from the CHANNELS. It also man-
ages the solo in place activation on all the linked Channels, and pro-
vides a L/R output for the outgoing signal, or (via a jumper on the back
of the module) a L/R output of the sum of the returns signals. Up to 8
Channels may be connected to a single Group, taking care also of its
powering. You can connect also up to 4 Groups to a Master module.
The Master sums the incoming signals from the Groups, and man-
ages the PFL (stereo) of both Channels and Groups. It also features a
stereo in via a 3.5 mm stereo jack with PFL latching button and a stereo
out via 3.5 mm stereo jack for headphones, whose signal can be blend-
ed between PFL (BLUE) and main out (WHITE).
1. System Setup (Linking)
In a CGM system, the communication between the modules happens
via 10 poles IDC ribbon cables (please refer to the What’s in the Box
section of the manual to see the content of each module and to have
an overview of the available link cables for various setups).
1.1. MASTER TO GROUP(S)
Each Master comes
with one link cable to
connect a Group to it.
You can connect more
Groups using a proper
Link cable. The Master
module, on its back, has
two 10 pole IDC con-
nectors, the one in the
TOP left corner is for
powering, the other in
the bottom without any
direction is for linking.
Use this one and patch
it to the corresponding
one on the Group to
establish a connection
between them (in the
Group is the one in line
(at the same height) of
the one in the Master).
In the example here
the cable continues and
goes to other Groups.
1.2. GROUP TO
CHANNEL(S)
Each Group comes with two link cables to connect one Group to up
to four Channels. You can connect more Channels (up to eight) using a
proper Link cable, but remember that at least one Channel is required
for the Group to work. The Channel module, on its back, has three 10
pole IDC connectors, the one in the TOP left corner is for powering, the
other two in the center without any direction are for linking. Use these
Rev 2 - Sep 2019
Page of8 81
MASTER GROUP
IDC CABLE
GOES TO
OTHER
GROUPS
FROM
CHANNELS
TO GROUP
FROM
CHANNELS
TO GROUP

and patch them together on the different Channel you want to link to a
Group and on the Group too (In the Group these are the two connector
in line (at the same height) with the two on the Channel). It is important
to double check that all the modules are orientated in the same way,
and that all the upper connector are connecter with one IDC cable,
while all the lower connectors are connected with another IDC cable.
In the example below the cable continues and goes to other Chan-
nels.
It is imperative to do not swap connectors !!!!
WARNING: Frap Tools can not be held responsible in any way for prob-
lems or damage to persons or property or to the device itself, if the
device is not connected as indicated above.
2. Group Jumpers Configurations
Group L/R output can be configured in two ways: looking at the PCB
from the back, if the two jumpers on the top of the module are con-
nected to the pins 2-3 (from the left) the group outputs the sum of the
signals from all the channels connected to the group itself, and the
signals coming in from the yellow and green return. Otherwise, if the
two jumpers on the top of the module are connected to the pins 1-2
(from the left) the group outputs the sum of the signals coming in from
the yellow and green return only.
Please note that these jumper configuration will not affect the signal
sent from the group to the master via the IDC cable: only the group
outputs on the front panel may be configured.
WARNING: It is imperative to do not connect the jumpers to any other
connector except the two mentioned in this section, and shown in the
pictures below. Frap Tools can not be held responsible in any way for
problems or damage to persons or property or to the device itself, if the
device is not connected as indicated above.
3. Channel
3.1. MAIN VCA & DIRECT OUT
The top left input of each channel is its mono input. The connected
signal goes directly to the main VCA (red): it is the second row of para-
meter, with a jack socket on the right and a pot on the left. This stage
can also be identified as gain stage. CV input range accept both modu-
lation signals from 0÷5V or 0÷10V. When a CV is patched to the jack
socket VCA input, then its pot attenuates that CV; when nothing is
patched to the jack socket, the pot works as the unique primary control
for the VCA (or for the gain stage). This section also features a post
VCA peak LED.
The jack socket on the top right is the direct output signal It is not a
duplication of the input, but a post VCA direct output: it is extremely
useful in case of multitrack recording or parallel processing of signals.
The last control is the switch in the bottom center of this section
which let you define how the direct output works: pre-fader (up, red
dot), or post fader (lower, white dot).
3.2. SENDS
The two sends (yellow and green) work in the same way and receive
the signal after the main red VCA. The CV input range accepts both
modulation signals from 0÷5V or 0÷10V. When a CV is patched to the
jack socket VCA send input, then its pot attenuates that CV, while when
nothing is patched to the jack socket, then the pot works as the unique
primary control for the VCA (that is, the signal sent to the send bus).
The last control is the switch in the bottom center of this section which
let you define how the send works: pre-fader (up, yellow/green dot), or
post fader (lower, white dot).
CHANNEL CHANNEL
GROUP
IDC CABLE
GOES TO
OTHER
CHANNELS
FROM
GROUPS FROM GROUP
TO MASTER
PINS 1&2
group outputs the sum of the
signals coming in from the
yellow and green return only."
PINS 2&3
group outputs the sum of the
signals from all the channels
connected to the group itself,
and the signals coming in from
the yellow and green return
Rev 2 - Sep 2019
Page of9 81