Connecting to the QCD
First, remove all the jumpers from the QCD's
"EXPANDER" header. Save these jumpers with your
QCD box and manual in the bag provided with the
QCD. You may wish to use small needle-nose pliers to
remove the jumpers if you can't remove them with your
fingers.
Second, connect the QCD and QCD Expander
together using the 16-conductor ribbon cable provided.
One end plugs into the "EXPANDER" header on the
QCD, and the other end plugs into the "TO QCD"
header on the QCD Expander. Make sure the red
stripe points down on both modules.
Now connect both modules to your power rails, and
power up. Tap a tempo on the QCD, and the lights on
the QCD Expander should blink in time and change
rate when you turn the QCD's Div/Mult pot. Also, the
main QCD's lights should react to adjusting the Gate
PW knob on the Expander.
Note: The ribbon cable that connects the QCD and
QCD Expander is a standard Doepfer/Eurorack power
cable. In case you lose or misplace the cable, or need
a different length, you can use a standard 16-to-16pin
Eurorack power cable.
About Attenuverters
“Attenuverter” is short for “attenuating inverter”. These knobs take the signal on the CV
jack and control how much of this signal will effect the parameter. They also can invert the
CV signal, meaning that a positive CV signal creates a negative effect (and vice-versa).
On the QCD and Expander, the two parameters with CV jacks and attenuverters are
Div/Mult and Gate PW/Trig Delay. The CV jack for Div/Mult is located on the main QCD
module, and the CV jack for PW/Delay is located on the Expander module. Both
attenuverters are located on the Expander.
When the attenuverter knob is turned to the center, the CV jack will have no effect on the
parameter. The knob has a slight detent at center, so this position can be easily found by
feel.
Turning the knob slightly to the right means that a positive signal on the CV jack will
increase the parameter slightly (for example, Div/Mult might sweep from “=” to x2). At fully
clock-wise, a 5V signal will sweep the parameter from half-way to maximum (for example Div/Mult would sweep from “=” to
x16). A 10V signal will sweep the parameter from minimum to maximum (/32 to x16).
Turning the knob slightly to the left means a positive signal will
decrease
the parameter slightly (for example, Div/Mult might
sweep from “=” to /2). At fully counter-clockwise, a 5V signal will sweep from half-way to minimum (e.g. “=” to /32).
When patching one QCD channel into another's Div/Mult CV jack, the channel will switch between two tempos. The first
tempo is set by the main Div/Mult knob. The second tempo is set by the Div/Mult CV attenuator. Turning the attenuator to the
right means the second tempo will be faster than the first. Turning the attenuator to the left means it'll be slower.
Making Rhythms
The QCD Expander and QCD are designed to create an infinite variety of rhythms that can be programmatically built, as
opposed to linearly "grid" sequenced. This is a form of non-linear sequencing. Using a few short patch cables, you can create
complex rhythmic patterns for multiple voices/drums.
The basic concept is to use the channels to modulate each other:
•
Modulate a channel's Div/Mult amount with another channel. Use the Div/Mult CV attenuator knob to fine-tune.
•
Modulate a channel's Trig Delay amount with another channel. Use the PW/Delay CV attenuator knob to fine-tune.
•
Reset a faster channel with a slower channel.
•
Use one channel to route other channels, using an external module such as a switch or VCA Matrix.
•
Clock a channel with a dynamically changing channel to introduce clock tracking lag
Typically, the modulated channel will be faster than the modulating channel. For example, one channel might run at x2 and
the second channel running at /4 could modulate the first channel's Div/Mult between x2 and x3.
In the examples below, some references to drums (kick/snare/hats/etc) will be made. This is only to make
use of a common musical language and the relative tempos/spaces these drums traditionally fill in music.
That is, you don't actually need to imitate a particular type of acoustic instrument to enjoy the QCD! It's
great practice to Async trigger a PEG channel, or Reset trigger a QPLFO channel, or trigger an ADSR, and
use those shapes to modulate filters, VCOs, VCAs, wavetables, etc...
Example Rhythmic Patch# 1
v
