MSK 013 Middle Path VCO SDIY Kit

US$318.40 including shipping

Also available as an assembled module.

A nobly balanced build

Build North Coast's complex VCO kit for a journey to the East or the West, or bring it home as a stable foundation for any Eurorack. The module contains two triangle-core VCOs, each with four waveforms and Eurorack-standard V/octave pitch CV. As basic VCOs running independently these can be the heart of a traditional subtractive East Coast synthesizer. But the Middle Path's oscillators can also be used together, with or without sync, to drive its unique multi-output Gilbert-style sine shaper. The shaper, which can also take external input, offers wave shaping, distortion, folding, phase modulation including through-zero, and imitation stereo. These effects take the sound into West Coast territory.

This is one of the easiest complex VCOs to build. It's all through-hole, without flying wires or complicated physical design. The exponential converter uses premium AD633 analog multipliers and a THAT320 transistor array to give excellent temperature stability in a simple, foolproof build. There are only four trimmers to adjust (one tracking and one sawtooth shape per oscillator) and they don't interact. The circuit is simple for the range of features it offers, and solidly documented. With two oscillators and many modulation options, building just one kit puts you well on the way to a complete DIY Eurorack synthesizer.

The Middle Path is available as a pre-built 24HP Eurorack module or a DIY kit. It may be the only VCO path you need walk in this or multiple lifetimes.

High-quality potentiometers with bushings fastened to the panel for wobble-free operation; conductive plastic for smooth feel
Normalling to the Eurorack bus allows it to receive pitch control without needing an input patch
All-new design, not a clone or imitation of anything else. Innovative quadrature sine shaper offering through-zero phase modulation with a range of up to 1080°
Genuine AD633 and THAT320 chips in the exponential converter; sockets on all DIP ICs
Through-hole for easy hand construction and maintenance
Connectors between boards, and panel controls mounted on a board - no flying wires
No compromises on build quality: real aluminum panel, not PCB material, with colour printing; panel screwed solidly to both the PCBs and the pots and jacks, for maximum ruggedness; nickel and gold plating on the circuit boards; close-tolerance metal film fixed resistors.
Fully open design - no lock-in

Specifications

24HP Eurorack synthesizer module, 36mm deep including space for the power cable.
Maximum current requirements in normal use: 75mA +12V, 105mA -12V. 16-pin power cable with polarized connectors, and protective diodes on the ±12V rails.
Build difficulty: intermediate to advanced. 760 solder joints. All through-hole. Multimeter and oscilloscope are recommended for adjustment.