markeats
2132
Wondering if anyone can help point me in the right direction regarding an issue I’m having with my VCFQ.
It’s started introducing some noise/instability when moving the freq pot. If I modulate the frequency via CV then it sounds clean. I did a quick re-heat of the pot leg solder joints but that didn’t change anything. What would be the next things to check? This isn’t a very old panel so it’d be surprising to me if the pot itself had just gone bad but I guess it’s had a bit of energetic use 
Video attached with filter sweeps of a saw wave to show the issue.
I’ve seen photos with the SMT version (with one PCB), but with Styroflex capacitors, some time ago.
It looks like yours comes with SMT capacitors on the other side of the PCB.
Most likely they can be de-soldered and replaced with thru-hole capacitors of your choice, but it is strange that they are not coming from the manufacturer in the first place.
Also, from the photo, it looks like the support legs of pots are not soldered or come with a tiny bit of solder, which should be secured and is intended to add more mechanical strength. This is strange considering a price of a brand-new module.
3 Likes
poed
2134
I don’t think 12 pots module need that much of stability, but it’s a lot easier to replace them that way.
I have 2 4U Res Eq modules. One by PatchPoint with vintage caps, 1-2 years old. And another by RS I acquired recently, with SMT and single PCB. I’m dissatisfied with this module so much that I decided to build all my next Serge from scratch.
It picks interference from my finger placed on wave mults switch. Don’t know if it’s due to single PCB vs double, however dual PCB module don’t have this issue.
1 Like
Hm. Could be the pot. On an NTO I sold to a friend a pot turned bad and it didn’t really track anymore.
I have a DIY Euroversion of the vcfq and it doesn’t have this. Have you reached out to Random Source?
1 Like
poed
2136
My VCFQ does the same thing with cutoff sweep. It’s cheap Alpha pots. Сan anyone suggest better quality pots?
I found bourns 51, but maybe it is overkill since cost is almost 10x, and easier to just replace the broken ones.
1 Like
hale
2137
I have had multiple people with issues with R*S 4U boats / power and it has been unconnected screen / gnd to the boat / panels. Whole thing was floating and acting like a radio antenna. The Res Eq is usually the most susceptible.
But I can’t stress enough that that is HIGHLY dependent on power / best practice for your particular set up so don’t just go alligator clipping things, get it checked out by a qualified pro if possible! I’m just a guy on the internet 
.
1 Like
Thanks for the replies! Swapped the pot and it seems fixed (for now?)
2 Likes
trytyke
2139
I guess this is the first patch that I got the feeling that there is some kind of a conversation between different parts of the setup. Made with 2 panels, Sing to Me and R*S 4x4 (Carnivore, Divide and Compare, ResEQ, Filters)
24 Likes
There isn’t so much info about GTO yet, but I can’t help but compare it to the Toppobrillo Sport Modulator 2. The SM2 obviously draws deep inspiration from Serge, so there might be a conversation to be had about lineage, but I’m can’t help but think that SM2 beat Random Source to it.
Full disclosure: I have SM2 racked.
3 Likes
909one
2143
Ive never used a Sport Modulator, but I was looking at it the other day. I could be wrong but it appears to be their take on the SSG? It looks really similar.
1 Like
gslam
2144
the SSG has been around since 1975… trying to talk about lineage is pretty silly. both sport modulator and GTO are very welcome riffs and updates to it
excited for a 4U version of GTO - the idea of a smooth generator that can spit out 30kHz triangle waves is for whatever reason exciting to me
2 Likes
hale
2145
Agree with you about lineage, R*S manages to mention it in a negative way almost every release and it is getting weary. Pot shots at “wiedergangers” along with calling modules like the Befaco Rampage inferior clones as if only one company is allowed to make a module that goes up and then comes back down.
The GTO has got some interesting ranges / stats and I’m interested to know more. The CYCLE outputs still being +/-12V imply that they’ve kept some of an SSG core under the hood or at least they’ve kept some of the original voltage ranges to keep classic patches working. I’m interested to see how some of the modes work …. Especially if the stepped side can function as a kind of “accumulator” or directional S/H since that is one thing I have been playing around with.
8 Likes
robint
2146
Came back from a music weekend with friends a few minutes ago. I had a good time with this setup:
At times it felt incredibly slow in comparison to some other cases with digital modules. Some eyebrows where raised when the Serge started to do its thing. Unfortunately that happened not often because I had some weird clipping and random noise issues I now need to investigate 
7 Likes
vals
2147
it is said that there will be a Dual GTO (+Noise) in 4x4 4U format.
2 Likes
emsahp
2148
A one minute LW SING TO ME song + Korg SQ-1
14 Likes
nice walk-through of the Mantra and TKB panels here, from Stazma. touches on the basic principles, without being clinical about it. also walks through a few patch ideas and tricks. I feel like there’s not enough “Serge basics” videos out there, so it’s nice to see this.
13 Likes
emsahp
2150
Another 1 minute LW SING TO ME song !
SQ-1 is doing the sequencing
Delay in Ableton
10 Likes
909one
2151
So in the last few months I’ve gone through this whole cyclic crazy GAS infused selling and then buying back a bunch of Serge 4u. I bought a Plumbutter and a Double Knot and sold the majority of Serge to fund these guys. My thought was that I would prefer a handful of small standalone instruments over a larger system of Serge, because I can focus on each one for a bit and then bring them together when needed. However the moment the Serge left my possession I realized I made a huge mistake because I was replacing this curated Serge system with instruments that are Serge-adjacent and not really doing exactly what I wanted. Trying to coax anything melodic to a scale out of the Plum and DK was a chore and Iw as constantly annoyed that these instruments weren’t performing the way the Serge did. No knock to Plumbutter and Double Knot, they are both rad, but as soon I started getting all more core modules back in Serge… SSG, DUSg, VCFQ. ResEq… I just realized how much ‘better’ the Serge is at doing what I’m trying to accomplish. The Serge feels more like a completely blank canvas, with elements that can be as precise or chaotic as you desire, whereas the DK and Plum felt much more curated to the each creator’s vision. Don’t get me wrong, in a perfect world with no budget Id keep it all, but in hindsight it was a great journey. Nothing really makes you realize what you are drawn to until it leaves your hands.
Anyone have similar journeys with Serge?
5 Likes
q_ben
2152
Ha, I’m in the middle of this right now, sold about half of my Euroserge and really missing the core modules that I thought were duplicative - turns out the SSG/DUSG combo isn’t just some function generators and a filter isn’t always just a filter. I am planning on moving over to 4u in the next year, hopefully self- built if I can get the time. LW format is really calling to me but also may try out some older serge designs.
3 Likes
