VCV Rack - VC Mixer, Patching, & VCO-1 to VC Mixer

in #utopian-io6 years ago (edited)

What Will I Learn?

  • You will learn how to use the VC Mixer module.
  • You will learn the how patching works in Rack.
  • You will learn how connect the VCO-1 module to the VC Mixer module.

Rack Cover Image Text small.jpg

Requirements

To complete this tutorial learners will need to have the following:

  • The software application VCV Rack installed
  • Access to the Internet
  • An account created on www.vcvrack.com
  • Fundamentals plugin installed

Difficulty

This tutorial is at an Beginner level.

Description

Learn how to use the Fundamental Mixer module

A mixer is a central piece of our module setup. A mixer allows us to have serveral sources of sound within our setup and be able to balance these sounds to the levels we need.

VC Mixer.jpeg

You will find that you have many options for mixers in Rack, but the best place to start is with the Fundamental "VC Mixer." You can add this mixer by right-clicking and selecting it from your module browser.

The VC Mixer has three audio inputs, level control for each and a main out and main level control. There are also voltage controls (VC), but we will leave these for a later tutorial when we cover voltage controls.

In the tutorial video I show how the in's and out's function in VC Mixer. You can check out the detail in the video.

How to use patching in Rack

Patching is connecting any two jacks on your modules together with a patch cable. This is how we allow 'signal' to flow from module to module. There are several information types which can flow through our patch cables and we will be discussing these later. But for now it is good to know that you use patch cables to connect modules together.

full screen VCO1 sound.jpeg

To connect a module just click and hold on a module's jack and a patch cable will appear. Release and click again and it will change colour. You can drag and release the cable onto the jack that you want to connect it to.

When you click and hold a cable only the jacks that can accept a signal from that first jack will highlight.

See the tutorial video for a demonstration of this process.

How to connect the VCO-1 to the Mixer

From earlier in the tutorial you learned how to add the VC Mixer to your Rack. Now you can go through the same process to add the Fundamental VCO-1.

vco-1.jpeg

VCO-1 is a Voltage Controlled Oscillator. There are several VCO's available to you in Rack, but this is a good one to start with. We will be going over more details about the VCO-1, but today we will learn how we can connect it to the VC Mixer to get some sound.

VC Mixer.jpeg

There four basic sound waves that can be produced by VCO-1: sine, triangle, saw, and square. Each of these wave forms has its own output jack on VCO-1. Click and hold a patch cable from one of these and drag it to one of the three inputs found in VC Mixer. By doing this VCO-1 will be sending that wave form sound to the mixer. Raising and lowering the level dail on that channel on the mixer will adjust you sound level.

VCO1 to VC Mixer.jpeg

NOTE: I have not shown you how to configure the Audio Interface of Rack to send sound to your computer's speaker, but I will be showing you this in a tutorial VERY soon. Stay tuned.

VCO1 to VC Mixer to Audio Interface.jpeg

VCV Rack is an open source application, which means that it is free for everyone to use. Please consider going to the developers' website and show your support for the project - http://www.vcvrack.com

rack background.jpeg

I hope you enjoy this tutorial. If you have any specific questions for me feel free to leave it in the comments of this post and I will do my best to get back to you with an answer.

Cheers,
@buckydurddle

Video Tutorial

Curriculum


Learn VCV Rack Modular Synthesis Series

Rack Logo.jpg

VCV Rack - Modular Synthesis, Plugin Manager, Customize UI


Learn Hydrogen Drum Machine Series

zeropoint_logo.png

Hydrogen - UI Layout & Basics

Hydrogen - How to Make Beats

Hydrogen - Beat Shaping Tools

Hydrogen - Rhythmic Resolution

Hydrogen - Pitch Shifting

Hydrogen - Effective Beat Making

Hydrogen - Song Editor, ADSR, Importing DrumKits from Respositories

Hydrogen - Humanize (Velocity, Timing & Swing)

Hydrogen - New Instruments, Loading Samples & Multiple Sample Sounds

Hydrogen - Beat Counter, BPM & Other Tempo Tools


Learn Helm Series

helm_logo6 small.png

Helm Introduction Video

Helm 1st Oscillator Video Tutorial

Helm 2nd Oscillator Video Tutorial

Helm - Cross Modulation

Helm - Arpeggiator

Helm - BPM Metronome

Helm - Reverb

Helm - Delay

Helm - Mixer

Helm - Feedback

Helm - Distortion

Helm - Stutter

Helm - LFO

Helm - Amplitude Envelope

Helm - Keyboard Response A

Learn Audacity Series

audacity logo small.png
If you would like to learn how to use the open source sound recording and editing software Audacity then have a look at these tutorials:

1 How to Create a New Audacity Project

2 How to Open or Import Audio Files in Audacity

3 What are Audacity Tracks

4 Audacity Transport Controls

5 How to Save an Audacity Project

6 How to Record

7 How to Set Input Volume Levels

8 How to Export MP3 and WAV Files

9 How to Select and Delete Sound

ACTIVITY 1 - My First Recording

10 How to use Undo and History in Audacity

11 How to Use the Zoom Tools

12 How to Use the Time Shift Tool

13 How to Use the Change Pitch Effect

ACTIVITY 2 - Make Your Voice Sound Like a Chipmunk

14 How to Use the Fade In & Fade Out Effects

15 How to Download Sound Samples from the Internet

16 How to Use the Amplify Effect

17 How to Edit Metadata

18 How to Multitrack Record

19 How to Use a Click Track

ACTIVITY 3 - Multitrack Recording in Audacity - Beatbox

20 How to Make Silence

21 How to Use the Change Tempo Effect

22 How to Use the Equalization Effect

23 How to Reverse Sound

24 Stereo Mono

ACTIVITY 4 - How to Mess Up a Piece of Music

25 How to Remove Vocals from a Recording

SETUP - How to Install the LAME Encoder

Logo - http://tytel.org/helm

Logo - https://www.audacityteam.org/

Logo - http://www.hydrogen-music.org/hcms/



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Very nic post. I like your posts.plz wait my blog

Hey @buckydurddle I am @utopian-io. I have just upvoted you!

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