modbap HUE Color Processor Instruction Manual

: May 15, 2024
: modbap

Table of Contents

modbap HUE Color Processor
Product Usage Instructions
About Us
Overview
INSTALLATION
FIRMWARE UPDATES
UPDATING THE FIRMWARE – MAC
Limited Warranty
Documents / Resources

modbap HUE Color Processor

Specifications

Brand: Modbap Modular by Beatppl
Product: Hue Color Processor
Power: -12V
Size: 6HP
Website:www.modbap.com

Product Usage Instructions

Installation

Ensure the power connection is disconnected before installing the device.
Identify a 6HP free location in the rack to install the module.
Connect the 10-pin connector from the IDC ribbon power cable to the header on the rear side of the module. Ensure that the pins are aligned correctly with the red stripe on the ribbon conductor closest to the -12V pin on the header.
Insert the cable into the rack and connect the 16-pin side of the IDC ribbon cable to the rack power supply header. Ensure that the pins are aligned correctly with the red stripe on the ribbon conductor closest to the -12V pin on the header.
Mount and position the module into the dedicated rack position.
Attach the 2 x M3 screws by screwing into the 4 locator holes and the rack mount. Do not over-tighten.
Power up the rack and observe the module startup.

Functionality Overview

DJ Style Filter: Low Pass 0-50%, High Pass 50%-100%
Drive: Signal boost & light distortion. Shift ON to change the tone.
Tape: Cassette tape saturation. Shift ON to change the intensity.
Lo-Fi: Sample rate. Shift ON to change the Bit depth.
Compression
Shift: Used in conjunction with controls to access secondary function.
Filter CV, Drive CV, Tape CV, Lo-Fi CV: Modulation inputs for control of parameters.
Audio Input: Mono
Audio Output: Mono. Affected audio.

Default State

All knobs are shown in the default starting state. Filter at mid-noon.
All other main and shifted knobs are fully counterclockwise.
Ensure an audio input is connected and audio output to speakers.
No CV inputs are connected.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How do I change between Low Pass and high-pass filters?
- To switch between Low Pass and High Pass filters, adjust knob 1 on the device. Low Pass is from 0-50%, while High Pass is from 50%-100%.
What does the Tape function do?
- The Tape function provides cassette tape saturation effects. Shift ON changes the intensity of this effect.

About Us

MODBAP MODULAR BY BEATPPL

Modbap Modular is a line of European modular synthesizers and electronic music instruments by Beatppl. Founded by Corry Banks (Bboytech), Modbap Modular was born of the Modbap Movement with a simple mission to dev tools for beat-driven hiphop-leaning modular artists. It is our goal to develop euro rack modules from the beatmaker’s perspective while adding value for music makers of all genres.
It’s almost impossible to explain Modbap Modular without answering the question; “So, what is ModBap?” MODBAP is the fusion of modular synthesis and boom-bap (or any form of hip-hop) music production.
The term was created by BBoyTech as a denotation of his experiments with modular synthesis and boom-bap music production.
From that point forward, a movement was born where like-minded creatives built a community around the idea of Modbap.
Modbap Modular is in effect, the result of that movement in a space where we’d previously not existed.
BUILT FOR EURO RACK DOPE ENOUGH FOR BOOM BAP!
www.modbap.com

Overview

Hue

HUE is a 6hp Eurorack audio color processing effect comprising a chain of four effects and one compressor all aimed to color the sound.
Each effect imparts a particular coloration, tone, distortion, or texture to the source audio. The initial concept was born of a debate about the techniques and processes used to make drum machines sound big, bold, and delicious.
The sounds that tug at the hearts of boom bap, LoFi, and subsequently modbap, enthusiasts are those that have great texture, lush degradation, soft distortion, and big bold strokes of color.
The classic beloved drum machines were often processed with outboard gear, recorded to tape, pressed to vinyl, played in big booming systems, sampled, resampled, and on and on.
Ultimately, those are the sounds that become nostalgic and reminiscent of all that we love about classic LoFi boom bap production.
Hue’s layout positions the DJ style ﬁlter knob for ease of tweaking. Drive boosts and lightly distorts the signal, while Shift+Drive adjusts the Drive tone.
The Filter is a low pass ﬁlter to the left and a high pass ﬁlter to the right. The tape effect is intended to impart cassette tape saturation, while Shift+Tape adjusts the intensity.
LoFi adjusts bit depth, while Shift+LoFi adjusts sample rate. Lastly, the one-knob compressor serves as the ﬁnal glue in the signal path. HUE is a textural beast when creative modulation is thrown at it.
HUE puts the power to shape and transform your sound at your ﬁngertips, is great for beeﬁng up drums, and is equally magical on melodic content. HUE can be the glue that brings it all together. It also pairs well with the Trinity and Osiris.

WHAT’S IN THE BOX?

The Hue package comes with the following items included:
Hue module.
Eurorack IDC power ribbon cable
2 x 3m mounting screws.
Quick reference guide.
Sticker.

SPECIFICATION AND CORE FEATURES

Module size. 3U, 6 HP, Depth 28mm
+12V current demand 104mA.
-12V current demand 8mA
+5V current demand 0mA
5 effects (Drive, Filter, Tape Saturation, LoFi, Compressor.)
4 CV inputs for modulating the effects
Audio mono channel input and output

INSTALLATION

Follow the installation instructions carefully to avoid module or rack damage.

Ensure the power connection is disconnected before installing the device.
Identify a 6HP free location in the rack to install the module.
Connect the 10-pin connector from the IDC ribbon power cable to the header on the rear side of the module. Ensure that the pins are aligned correctly with the red stripe on the ribbon conductor closest to the -12V pin on the header.
Insert the cable into the rack and connect the 16-pin side of the IDC ribbon cable to the rack power supply header. Ensure that the pins are aligned correctly with the red stripe on the ribbon conductor closest to the -12V pin on the header.
Mount and position the module into the dedicated rack position.
Attach the 2 x M3 screws by screwing into the 4 locator holes and the rack mount. Do not over-tighten.
Power up the rack and observe the module startup.

Overview

DJ Style Filter. Low Pass 0-50%, High Pass 50%-100%
Filter LED Indicator *. Low Pass LED is Blue, and High Pass LED is pink.
Drive. Signal boost & light distortion. Shift ON to change the tone.
Drive LED Indicator *. Boost / Distort LED is green, and Tone LED is blue.
Tape. Cassette tape saturation. Shift ON to change the intensity.
Tape LED Indicator *. Saturation LED is green, Intensity LED is blue.
Lo-Fi. Sample rate. Shift ON to change the Bit depth.
Lo-Fi LED Indicator *. Sample rate LED is green, Bit depth LED is blue.
Compression.
Shift. Used in conjunction with controls to access secondary functions.
Filter CV. Modulation input for control of the ﬁlter parameter.
Drive CV. Modulation input for control of the drive parameter.
Tape CV. Modulation input for control of the tape parameter.
Lo-Fi CV. Modulation input for control of the Lo-Fi parameter.
Audio Input – Mono.
Audio Output – Mono. Affected audio.
- The brighter the LED, the more effect is applied.
- Default / Starting State
- Knobs are all shown in the default starting state. Filter at mid, midnight. All other main and shifted knobs are fully counterclockwise.
- Ensure an audio input is connected and audio output to speakers. No CV inputs are connected.

INPUT / OUTPUT ASSIGNMENTS

Hue has one mono audio input and a mono audio output. There are 4 CV inputs used for the modulation of the four primary effects.

| Filter| Drive| Tape| Lo-Fi
---|---|---|---|---
CV / Gate| +/-5V| +/-5V +/-5V| +/-5V
| Function
---|---
Input| Mono In
Output| Mono Out – Effects applied

A subtle saturation is applied when a hot signal is connected to the input. Lower input levels will generate a cleaner output.
Control levels are reﬂected in the respective LEDs. Generally speaking, the primary effect will be shown with the LED lit green and the secondary function lit blue.
The amount of effect applied is represented by the brightness of the LED.

FIRMWARE UPDATES

Occasionally ﬁrmware updates are available. This may be to provide improvements to the functionality, ﬁx bugs, or add new features.
Updates are applied using the micro USB connector on the rear of the unit and connecting to a PC or Mac.

UPDATING THE FIRMWARE – MAC

The instructions below are a guide. Always follow the instructions that are provided with each update.

Download the ﬁrmware update.
Remove the device from the rack and ensure the power is disconnected.
Connect the device using a micro USB connection to the module and USB to a Mac. The module LED will illuminate. Power for the programming function is provided by the USB connection to the Mac.
Open the programming utility at electro-smith GitHub within the Mac browser. It is recommended to use the Chrome browser.
On the module, ﬁrstly hold the boot button and then press the reset button. The module will enter boot mode and the LED may appear slightly brighter.
On the programming page, press ‘Connect’.
The option pop-up box will open and select ‘DFU in FS Mode’.
Click the bottom left option to select a ﬁle using the browser. Select the .bin ﬁrmware update ﬁle from the Mac.
Click ‘program’ in the bottom programming section window. The status bar indicators will show erase status followed by upload status.
When complete disconnect the USB connection and reinstall the rack.
Power on the rack and module.

UPDATING THE FIRMWARE – PC WINDOWS

The instructions below are a guide, follow the instructions provided with each update.

Windows PC’s may need the original WinUSB drivers installed. It is recommended to install Zadig, a utility that reinstalls Windows drivers, before updating. This can be downloaded from www.zadig.akeo.ie.
Download the ﬁrmware update.
Remove the device from the rack and ensure the power is disconnected.
Connect the device using a micro USB connection to the module and USB to a PC. The module LED will illuminate. Power for the programming function is provided by the USB connection to the PC.
Open the programming utility at electro-smith Git Hub within the PC browser. It is recommended to use the Chrome browser.
On the module, ﬁrstly hold the boot button and then press the reset button. The module will enter boot mode and the LED may appear slightly brighter.
On the programming page, press ‘Connect’.
The option pop-up box will open and select ‘DFU in FS Mode’.
Click the bottom left option to select a ﬁle using the browser. Select the .bin ﬁrmware update ﬁle from the PC.
Click ‘program’ in the bottom programming section window. The status bar indicators will show erase status followed by upload status.
When complete disconnect the USB connection and reinstall the rack.
Power on the rack and module.

TIPS WHEN UPDATING THE FIRMWARE

There are several things to consider when updating the ﬁrmware from a PC or Mac. These tips will help to avoid any problems when updating.

PC users may need a WinUSB driver installed to use the electro-smith utility. A PC application called Zadig may help install generic Windows drivers. This is available from www.zadig.akeo.ie.
Ensure the USB is the correct type for data use. Some devices such as mobile phones are supplied with a Micro USB cable for charging purposes. The USB cable needs to be fully featured. Any connected device may not be recognized by the web app if the cable is incompatible.
Use a browser that is compatible with running scripts. Chrome is a robust browser recommended for this purpose. Safari and Explorer are less reliable for script-based web applications.
Ensure the PC or Mac USB supply power. Most modern devices have USB power but some older PC/Macs may not supply power. Use a USB connection that can supply power to Per4mer.

Limited Warranty

Modbap Modular warrants all products to be free of manufacturing defects related to materials and/or construction for one (1) year following the product’s purchase date by the original owner as certiﬁed by proof of purchase (i.e. receipt or invoice).
This non-transferrable warranty does not cover any damage caused by misuse of the product, or any unauthorized modiﬁcation of the product’s hardware or ﬁrmware.
Modbap Modular reserves the right to determine what qualiﬁes as misuse at their discretion and may include but is not limited to damage to the product caused by 3rd party related issues, negligence, modiﬁcations, improper handling, exposure to extreme temperatures, moisture, and excessive force.
Modbap, Hue, and Beatppl are registered trademarks.
All rights reserved. This manual is designed to be used with Modbap modular devices and as a guide and aid to working with the entire range of modules.
This manual or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for personal use and brief quotations in a review.
Manual Version 1.0 – October 2022
(Firmware Version 1.0.1)
Manual designed by Synthdawg
www.synthdawg.com .
www.modbap.com