Koma Elektronik field kit User manual

50 WAYS TO USE
THE FIELD KIT
USER MANUAL, DIY MANUAL AND EXPERIMENT GUIDE
COPYRIGHT 2017 KOMA ELEKTRONIK GMBH

3
Made
with
love
in
Berlin
The KOMA Elektronik Team
♥

1. Introduction 6
2. User Manual 7
2.1 Getting Started 7
2.2 Function Overview 7
2.2.1 4 Channel Mixer 8
2.2.2 Outputs 11
2.2.3 CV Radio 14
2.2.3.1 Usage Of Antennas 16
2.2.3.2 CV Radio Tuning Ranges 17
2.2.4 DC Interface 18
2.2.5 Envelope Follower 22
2.2.6 Low Frequency Oscillator 25
2.2.7 Signal Interface 28
2.2.7.1 Switch Interface 29
2.2.7.2 Sensor Interface 30
2.2.8 Field Kit in A Eurorack System 32
2.2.8.1 Power 32
2.2.8.2 Panel 33
Table of Contents

3. 50 Ways to Use the Field Kit 34
3.1 In the Kitchen 34
3.2 In Your Studio 39
3.3 On Stage 44
3.4 With Friends 49
3.5 With Sensors 54
3.6 At an Art Gallery 59
3.7 The Field Kit Lid 64
3.8 A Variety Of Spices 69
3.9 Koma Favourites 74
4.0 All Other Patches 79
4. DIY Manual 84
5. Frequently Asked Questions 90
6. Warranty 93
7. Imprint 94
8. Who Made The Field Kit Possible 95
9. Glossary 98
10. Patch Sheets 104
Table of Contents

6
Berlin, February 22nd 2017
Thanks so much for purchasing the Field Kit!
After a year of work and a very successfull Kickstarter campaign, we
are very happy you nally have your own Field Kit in front of you. We
hope this little machine will help you to engage with physical objects
in your surroundings and use new sounds in your music. We hope
it inspires you to pick up old pieces of gear that have been lying
around for a while. We hope the Field Kit brings you fun!
In this book and manual we will show you how to use the Field Kit,
how the electronics work, how to build the DIY Version, and we give a
bunch of tips on what you can do with it.
For beginners, we added a glossary in the back with used terms
and their explanations, so when it gets too technical and you nd
a word which is underlined, you can nd it back in the Glossary.
For the more technically advanced users, we added some hacking
options to modify the device to your wishes. We also added a bunch
of patchsheets in the back. Print them out via our website to write
down your own patches, or make copies from this book and do it the
analog way!
If you have questions about warranty and what to do if your Field Kit
is broken, please check the Warranty section towards the end of this
book. If you have a question about your device, please contact us via
[email protected] and we will help you get back on your
way!
Thanks again for your support, in particular the Kickstarter backers.
We could not have done this without you!
Now make some noise!
All the best from Berlin,
The KOMA Elektronik Team
1. Introduction

7
2.1 Getting Started
You are reading this text, so you started by opening the manual.
Good one! Now, let’s get to playing: Start by unpacking your Field
Kit and connect it to power through the included 9V PSU by using
the power jack in the backpanel. When mounting the Field Kit in a
modular setup, please make sure to read chapter 2.2.8 Field Kit in
Eurorack before powering up your system!
Now that your Field Kit is powered up, plug in the Master Out to an
amplier or powered speakers and patch the LFO Out to Channel 1.
Flip the Range switch of the LFO to High, open the fader of Channel
1, and make sure the Master Volume is turned up. Now play around
with the tune knob and you have your rst drone going! From here
on, your only limitation is your own imagination!
2. User Manual
2.2 Function Overview
The KOMA Elektronik Field Kit is divided into 7 separate function-
al blocks: the 4 Channel Mixer, Outputs, CV Radio, DC Interface,
Env(elope) Follower, LFO and Signal Interface. They are designed to
operate together as a coherent electro acoustic workstation or alterni-
tively with other pieces of music electronics with the ability to use CV
(control voltage) signals.
In the following subchapters, we are going to cover the basic opera-
tion of the different functional blocks.

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2.2.1 4 Channel Mixer
2. User Manual
Inputs Input 1- 4
▪AC coupled inputs for different kinds of electro
acoustic signals.
▪Maximum signal level: ~6V peak to peak.
▪Input impedance: 1MΩ
The 4 Channel Mixer is the heart of the Field Kit, providing a ful-
ly functional 4-channel mixer with individual Gain, Mix-level and
Tone-controls over the separate channels. The processed signals are
sent to the Outputs section for further use. The 4 Channel Mixer forms
two separate mixes: a Master-mix and an Aux-submix. The signals
sent to the Aux-submix can be selected with dedicated Aux Select
buttons.
The Field Kit is designed to be used together with a variety of differ-
ent electro acoustic transducers to catch and process signals from
the physical world, and the 4 Channel Mixer serves as the rst stage
for further manipulation.

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2. User Manual
Control Gain 1 - 4
▪Lets you amplify the input signal with a settable
amount.
▪Gain range: 1 (fully counterclockwise) - 100 (fully
clockwise)
Mix Level 1 – 4
▪Sets the level of the channel in question.
Aux select 1 - 4
▪Lets you choose which of the 4 channels gets sent
to the Aux-submix.
▪Signals tapped post-Tone, pre-Level
Tone 1 - 4
▪Serves as an overall tonal control over the specic
channel. By default, it is set up as a tilt-EQ with a
center frequency of around 600Hz.
▪Range:
fully CCW: low frequencies (<600Hz) +4.5dB,
high frequencies (>600Hz) -6dB/Oct.
fully CW: high frequencies +6.5dB, low fre
quencies -6dB/Oct.
▪Check the USER TIP Box at the end of this chapter
for information on how to tweak the response of
the Tone stage.

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2. User Manual
USER TIP: Shaping the Response of the Tone Stage
Inside the Field Kit, there are two special hackable capacitors found in each
of the Tone stages. There are 4 tone stages in total. These capacitors (C5
- C12) set the cutoff frequencies of the high- and low-pass sections that
together form the Tone stage. By changing these capacitors, you can shape
the response of the Tone stage to better suit your needs. The default values
of these capacitors are 10nF, which makes the Tone stage behave as a Tilt
EQ with a center-frequency of ~600Hz. By increasing the values of both
capacitors by the same amount, you can form a Tilt-EQ with a lower center
frequency and vice versa. Changing the values independently of each other
generates either a peak or a dip between both independent cutoff frequencies
depending on the chosen values. Experiment!
The range of different input sources you can use is very diverse. You
can hook up all sorts of modular instruments and line level devices
and we made it super suitable to connect your contact microphones.
The gain controls give you control over the amplitude so don’t worry if
the signal is too low, just boost it with the gain knobs.

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2.2.2 Outputs
2. User Manual
The Outputs section of the Field Kit is hardwired to the 4 Channel
Mixer and lets you access the processed signals for further use. The
Outputs section is divided into three separate outs: Master Out, Aux
Out and Speaker Out. The signal entering the Speaker Out is select-
ed with a toggle-switch while the Master and Aux Mixes are deter-
mined inside the 4 Channel Mixer.
The Speaker Out is designed to directly drive external speakers. The
overall levels of the Master-, Aux- and Speaker Outs can be set with
separate Volume controls. The Speaker Out can be used together
with the prepared speaker available with the Field Kit Expansion Pack
or the user can prepare their own speaker.
Check the USER TIP box at the end of this subchapter for further
information on how to prepare your speaker to be able to use it with
the Speaker Out.

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2. User Manual
Inputs
Control
Outputs
Signals from the 4 Channel Mixer
Master Volume
▪Sets the level of the Master signal.
Aux Volume
▪Sets the level of the Aux signal.
Speaker Volume
▪Sets the level of the Speaker output.
Channels
▪Lets you select the signals sent to the Speaker
output.
▪Options: Channel 1 only, Channel 3 only or both
Channel 1 and 3.
▪The signals sent to the Speaker output are tapped
post-fader.
Master
▪Contains a sub-mix of all the signals mixed down
inside the 4 Channel Mixer.
▪Output Impedance: 1kΩ
Aux
▪Contains a sub-mix of all the signals sent to the
Aux-bus.
▪The signal to the Aux-bus is tapped pre-fader.
▪Output Impedance: 1kΩ

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USER TIP: Preparing a loudspeaker to be used with the Speaker Output
The connection to an external speaker is made via a 3.5mm monophonic
minijack connector. To use a speaker of your choice, solder the two wires
coming out from the coil of the speaker to the monophonic minijack con-
nector so that one wire connects to the tip-terminal and the other to the
sleeve-terminal. The polarity of the wiring is not especially important and
only affects the phase of the speaker movement.
If you are lucky enough to own multiple Field Kits each with their own ded-
icated external speaker, make sure that you connect all the speakers the
same way around to avoid phase cancellations (or not, if that’s your goal).
The Speaker output is designed to work best with an 8Ω speaker. It’s safe to
use a speaker with a higher impedance (i.e. 16Ω, 32Ω), Impedances lower
than 8Ω are not recommended.
2. User Manual
Speaker
▪Connection to an external speaker.
▪Maximum output power: 500mW
▪Recommended loudspeaker impedance: 8Ω
▪Use the prepared speaker available inside the
Field Kit Accessory Pack or prepare a speaker of
your own.

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2. User Manual
2.2.3 CV Radio
The CV Radio is a CV-tunable radio receiver capable of receiving
radio broadcasts on the AM-, FM-, and SW-bands. It provides the
user the ability to catch radio transmissions for further manipulation
inside the Field Kit. The tuning of the radio can be set with a dedi-
cated multifunctional Search control which acts both as a manual
CV source and as an input attenuator for an incoming CV signal. The
CV Radio is capable of catching the strongest broadcasts without
any external antennas but for better reception, an external antenna
should be used.
Check the end of this subchapter to nd more information on suitable
antennas to be used together with the AM/FM/SW Radio.

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2. User Manual
Inputs
Control
Outputs
Search
▪Provides CV control over the tuning of the AM/FM/
SW Radio.
▪Input impedance: 100kΩ
Antenna
▪Lets you connect an external antenna to improve
the radio reception.
▪Connections: FM, AM, GND
▪Check the USER TIP box at the end of this chap-
ter for further information on connecting external
antennas.
Search
▪When there’s no signal connected to the Search
input, the Search control functions as a manual CV
source for tuning the radio.
▪When a signal is connected to the Search input,
the Search control acts as an attenuator for the
incoming CV signal.
AM/FM/SW
▪Sets the radio to receive radio transmission broad-
cast either in the AM-, FM-, or SW-bands.
Output
▪Outputs the radio transmission caught with the
AM/FM/SW Radio.
▪Output impedance: 1kΩ

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2. User Manual
The reception of the Radio is in practice determined by the antenna
being used. In general, the FM and SW reception can be accom-
plished with one type of an antenna while AM reception requires an
antenna of another type. The antennas are connected to the Field Kit
using the 1x3 Female Header next to the Search-input.
FM/SW Reception:
For FM and SW reception, the simplest antenna can be formed out of
a single electrically conducting straight wire. The reception is deter-
mined by the conductivity of the material, the length of the wire and
its location and direction. A FM/SW antenna is connected to the CV
Radio using the header labeled ‘FM’. There are also other types of
antennas suitable for FM and SW reception, such as dipole antennas,
whip antennas, etc., with plenty of information on effective reception
of radio waves available from the world wide web. You can experi-
ment with such antennas by connecting their antenna-terminals to the
Field Kit using the header labeled ‘FM’.
AM Reception:
To receive AM radio broadcasts, the simplest solution is a loop an-
tenna. A loop antenna is formed out of electrically conducting wire,
which is rolled to form, like the name implies, a loop. The reception is
determined by the conductivity of the material,
2.2.3.1 Usage Of Antennas

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2. User Manual
The default tuning ranges of the CV Radio are:
AM: 522kHz - 1620kHz
FM: 87Mhz - 108Mhz
SW: 5.9MHz - 18Mhz
The CV Radio responds to CV signals in the range from 0 - 6.5V.
The corresponding tuning bands for different CV spans can be seen
in the following table:
Volt AM FM SW
C 0 - 1 522 – 691 kHz 87 – 90.2 MHz 5.9 – 7.8 Mhz
V 1 - 2 691 – 860 kHz 90.2 - 93.5 MHz 7.8 – 9.6 Mhz
2 - 3 860 – 1029 kHz 93.5 – 96.7 MHz 9.6 – 11.5 Mhz
s 3 - 4 1029 – 1198 kHz 96.7 – 99.9 MHz 11.5 – 13.3 Mhz
p 4 - 5 1198 – 1367 kHz 99.9 – 103.2 MHz 13.3 – 15.2 Mhz
a 5 - 6 1367 – 1536 kHz 103.2 – 106.4 MHz 15.2 – 17.1 Mhz
n 6 - 6.5 1536 – 1620 kHz 106.4 – 108 MHz 17.1 – 18 Mhz
Please note that radio reception always depends on where you are
located. Reception in a cellar club will always be a problem. Be cre-
ative with your antenna length and you might pick up cool shortwave
Russian number stations!
2.2.3.2 CV Radio Tuning Ranges
the size of the loop, the number of turns that form the loop, the direc-
tion and location of the loop and wether a ferrite is used inside the
loop to strengthen the reception. A loop antenna is connected to the
CV Radio between the AM- and GND-headers. One end of the loop
is connected to the AM-header and the other to the GND-header.
Experiment with the location of the loop and where it’s facing and see
what kind of transmission you can catch!

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2. User Manual
2.2.4 DC Interface
The DC Interface can be used together with PWM (pulse-width modu-
lation) or pulse-controlled devices to interact with the physical world.
An example of a PWM-controlled device is a DC-motor whose rota-
tion speed can be set by varying the pulse-width. A Pulse-controlled
device can be a solenoid-motor whose impulse strength/distance can
be set with the length of the control pulse. Other devices that can be
used together with the DC Interface could be computer fans, LEDs,
electromagnets, heaters, etc.
The operation mode of the DC Interface can be set with a two-po-
sition Mode switch. In addition, there is a multifunctional Intensity
control and a CV/Trigger input whose functions are dependent on the
mode of use and whether a jack is connected to the CV/Trigger input.
The DC Interface can be used together with the devices available in-
side the Field Kit Accessory Pack or alternately the user can prepare
devices of their own depending on their needs. For further informa-
tion on preparing devices to be used together with the DC Interface,
check the USER TIP box at the end of this subchapter.

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2. User Manual
PWM
In PWM-mode, the circuitry generates a steady rectangle wave signal
whose pulse-width can be set from 0 to 100% either manually with
the Intensity control or through the use of a CV signal. When a jack
isn’t connected to the CV/Trig input, the Intensity control functions
as a manual CV source which sets the pulse-width of the rectangle
wave. When there is a jack connected to the CV/Trig input, the Inten-
sity control functions as an attenuator for the incoming CV signal. The
effect of varying the pulse-width is determined in turn by the device
with which the DC Interface is used.
Pulse
In Pulse-mode, the circuitry generates a pulse of settable width
whenever there’s a trigger signal present at the CV/Trig input. In this
mode, the Intensity control sets the length of the output pulse. The
effect of varying the pulse length is determined in turn by the device
with which the DC Interface is used.
Two things to remember:
Never Ever Ever plug in a DC voltage to the Output of the DC
Interface, although we’ve implemented a reversal protection, this
could damage your device and void your warranty!
You can use the DC interface with all kinds of electrical hardware,
just remember to check what current it will draw. See the output sec-
tion for more info. The solenoid and the DC motor that are included in
the Expansion Pack will work as they should and will give you great
possibilities to interact with other objects.

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2. User Manual
Inputs
Control
Outputs
CV/Trig (multifunctional)
▪In PWM-mode, functions as a CV input for setting
the pulse-width.
▪In Pulse-mode, functions as a Trigger input for
generating pulses.
▪Input impedance: 100kΩ
Intensity
▪In PWM-mode, functions as a manual CV source
when a jack isn’t connected to the CV/Trig input.
When there’s a jack connected, the Intensity
control functions as an input attenuator for the CV
signal. The functional CV range is from 0 V (0%
Pulse-Width) to 6.5 V (100% Pulse-Width)
▪In Pulse-mode, sets the pulse-length of the output
pulse.
▪DC Interface Pulse mode pulse lengths:
Min - 11ms (Intensity fully CCW)
Max - 77ms (Intensity fully CW)
Mode
▪Switches the operational mode between PWM-
and Pulse-modes.
Driver
▪Outputs either a PWM or a Pulse signal of the set
type.
▪Output specs: 9V DC, 500mA absolute maximum.
Contains a fuse that breaks at 500mA and resets
after the normal operating conditions are met.

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2. User Manual
USER TIP: Preparing devices to be used together with the DC Interface
The DC Interface can be used together with both PWM- and pulse-controlled
devices with two electronic connectors. Connection to an external device is
made via a 5.5mm plug-connector. To use a device of your choice, solder the
two wires coming out from the device to the 5.5mm plug so that one wire con-
nects to the “tip”-terminal and the other to the “sleeve”-terminal. The polarity of
the wiring depends on the device being used.
IMPORTANT! The DC Interface should only be used with external devices that
can operate with 9V DC and draw no more than 500mA of current. If the exter-
nal device tries to draw more than 500mA of current, the internal fuse breaks
and prevents the current ow. The fuse will reset and start to conduct once
the operation conditions are met again. Always carefully check the operating
conditions of the device you are about to use and make sure it matches these
specications.
We know this chapter is a bit nerdy and full of terminology, so to give
your eyes some rest, here is a photo of a hedgehog in a slipper...
Credit: dalangalma on Flickr
CC-BY