Introduction:
The Eurorack platfor is rich in sound shaping tools that can be used to create new and innovative effects for
stringed instru ents. The Entry Point allows you to take advantage of this sonic landscape by acting as a bridge
between your electric or bass guitar and Eurorack odular synthesizer. Instead of buying a single effect pedal
to achieve a desired sound, now you can patch ultiple odules to build your own unique effects with the
individual characteristics you desire. The Entry Point perfor s three pri ary functions when connecting your
instru ent to a Eurorack syste . First, it acts as a low noise prea plifier to bring your instru ent up to
Eurorack signal levels. Second, it generates an envelope voltage that follows your playing dyna ics for use as a
control voltage. Third, it extracts the funda ental frequency of the note played and outputs it as a square
wave signal for processing in the odular.
Preamplifier:
The Entry Point's prea plifier is designed to a plify usical instru ents up to Eurorack signal levels. When
connecting traditional passive instru ents or other low signal level devices, the ACTIVE/PASSIVE switch should
be set to the passive position. When connecting active instru ents or other devices that output line level
signals the switch should be set to the active position. The switch position affects both the envelope follower
and the square wave generator and should be set prior to aking any other adjust ents. The GAIN control
knob sets the a plitude of the signal co ing out of the the SIG jack. The a plitude of the SIG output is
displayed on the LED signal strength eter.
Envelope Follower:
The envelope follower generates a control voltage that correlates with the dyna ics of your playing. An
envelope is output when the a plitude of the input signal is greater than the threshold set by the THRESH
knob. Exceeding the set threshold is displayed by illu ination of the blue threshold LED. The RATIO control
sets the a ount gain that is applied to the control signal that has exceeded threshold. A wide range of
envelope shapes can be achieved by the anipulation of these controls. For an envelope shape that follows the
overall dyna ics of the input signal, the THRESH control should be set to the ini u threshold (full
clockwise) and the RATIO control should be adjusted to set the axi u envelope size. To create an envelope
that responds to the ost dyna ic parts of the input signal, raise the THRESH control so the threshold LED
illu inates only on the loudest parts of the input signal. Then adjust the RATIO control for the desired
envelope a plitude. The envelope follower control voltage is available as both a positive control ENV + and
negative control ENV - . The range on the ENV + output is 0 to 5V and the range on the ENV – is 5V to 0 or 0 to
-5V as set by H101.
ENV – : 5V down to 0V (default configuration) ENV – : 0V down to -5V (user option)
Square Wave Generator:
The square wave generator extracts the funda ental frequency of the single note being played and outputs it
as a ±5V square wave on the SQR jack. The TRACK control knob allows for adjust ents to be ade to the bias
of the extraction circuit. When this control is in the counterclockwise position the circuit is very sensitive and
an output can be triggered with an extre ely light touch. As the control is rotated clockwise, the sensitivity is
reduced resulting in ore precise tracking; however the sustain of a note will be shortened. The quality of the
tracking is largely dependent on a nu ber of factors such as the instru ent configuration, setup, and playing
technique. Playing with a soft touch and using only the neck pickup will generally offer good results. Poor
tracking will result in an output that ju ps between the funda ental and the second har onic (octave up). At
ti es this ight be just the thing you're looking for, so have at it.
