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Erica Synths Bassline DB-01

¥98,900 (Tax excluded ¥89,909)
An analog monophonic synthesizer equipped with a 64-step high-performance sequencer that can handle from acid bass to drone and noise

Format: Standalone Device
Body only Weight 850g, 232mm (W) x142mm (D) x63mm (Max H)
English Manual Page (pdf)
Firmware 1.08 .wav file  (Orders after June 2020, 06 have been updated. Sequence glitches etc. have been fixed)

MIDI IN / OUT jack
Analog clock input / output
CV / Gate input / output, VCF CV input

Accessories other than the main body: AC adapter that can be used in Japan, manual (English)
* The outer box has light scratches and abrasions. Please note on your purchase.

MUSICAL FEATURES

The DB-01 is a standalone synthesizer packed with Erica Synths analog signature sounds and an advanced sequencer. With a single unit, you can create melodies to noise, drones to percussion, and open up new areas of sound and performance.

Major features

  • Full analog sound engine
  • Aggressive acid filter
  • Overdrive to further destroy the sound
  • Transistor-based sub oscillator
  • Separate envelope for volume, cutoff, and pitch
  • BBD-based detune
  • LFO with multiple waveforms that can be synchronized and used for FM and cutoff modulation
  • Noise source
  • Intuitive and easy to use 64-step sequencer
    • Can be transposed
    • Pattern randomize
    • Arpeggiator
    • Modulation track with cutoff automation
    • User scale & factory scale that can also use microtonal music
  • Analog clock input / output
  • CV / Gate input / output
  • With MIDI IN and THRU installed, you can also play from the keyboard
  • Eight banks of 16 patterns
  • Compact and durable aluminum housing
 

Interface


The explanation of each part is displayed by mouse over

How to Use

Sequencer

Press the Play button on the sequencer to start the sequence. When you press the step button, the synth will sound at the gate with C3 and 10% length at that step. If you turn the SELECT / GATE encoder while pressing the step button, the gate length will change, and if you turn the SELECT / GATE encoder,Gate lengthBut when I turn the BACK / NOTE encoderPitchBut with the octave buttonoctaveIs changed. AlsoExternal MIDI keyboardYou can program the scale that is pressed by pressing a note on the MIDI keyboard while holding the step button. When the gate length becomes 100%, even if the next step is ONGate is connected, The envelope is not triggered. If you turn the SELECT / GATE encoder while the sequence is playing,shuffleYou can control the amount of.

By holding down the SHIFT button and pressing a step button on the sequencer, you can set different sequence parameters for each button. The setting items for each button are as follows. After setting, press the BACK / NOTE encoder to return.

  1. Accent: Step by stepaccentSet whether or not. Steps with 70% brightness are displayed as gate-on steps. Press the step you want to accentuate to 100% brightness, and the VCA gain and VCF cutoff will increase slightly at that step.
  2. Slides: Set the presence or absence of slide for each step. Steps with 70% brightness are displayed as gate-on steps. Press the step you want to slide to get 100% brightness, and the pitch will slide at that step.
  3. Mod: Sequence the cutoff frequency step by step. By pressing the step for which you want to set the cutoff and turning the cutoff knob, you can set the amount of deviation from the cutoff determined by the knob position and VCF CV. You can also record the cutoff for each step in real time by turning the cutoff knob while pressing the RECORD button. If you want to remove the cutoff modulation, press SHIFT + CLEAR and then the step for which you want to remove the modulation.
  4. Pitch Env: Step by stepPitch envelopeSet. Especially useful for drum sound sequences. You can adjust the pitch envelope by turning the GATE encoder while pressing the step button where you want to set the pitch envelope, and by adjusting the NOTE encoder you can adjust the amount of the pitch envelope.
  5. Last Step: In sequenceLast stepSet by rotating the NOTE encoder or pressing the step button.First stepYou can also set. Specify by turning the GATE encoder or pressing two step buttons at the same time.
  6. Play Mode: NOTE Turn the encoder toPlay modeSelect from Forward (FWD), Reverse (BWD), Random (RND), Ping-Pong (PP) and Ping-Pong (PP2) to play end step twice. AlsoTrigger probability for each stepCan also be programmed here. Holding down the step button and turning the SELECT / GATE encoder to the right reduces the gated probability of that step from 100%. Also, turning the encoder counterclockwise will trigger once every two laps.Deterministic trigger condition(Displayed as 1/2) can also be set.
  7. Transpose: Real-time transpose is possible.Since the pseudo keyboard showing the white keyboard and the black keyboard is displayed depending on the brightness of the step button, you can press the step button to transpose in semitone steps. You can change the octave of the keyboard with the octave button. While the button is transposed only while you hold it down, pressing and holding the GATE encoder will keep it transposed even when you release the button.
  8. Scale: Set the scale. You can change the scale used by turning the SELECT encoder. Initially, factory presets (chromatic, major, minor, major pentatonic, minor pentatonic, whole tone, major blues, minor blues) are lined up, and then a user-defined scale. The 12 step buttons on the left side are keyboards for specifying the scale. Turn them ON / OFF to specify the scale. Press and hold the REC button to save the specified scale.
  9. Arpeggiator: Access the arpeggiator function. The step button corresponds to the keyboard, so when you select a note and press it, the arpeggiator will run according to BPM. While the arpeggiator is active, sequences that are typed in are invalid. If you want to keep the arpeggiator even when you release your finger, press the SELECT / GATE encoder to latch it. If you want to record the arpeggio as it is, press the REC button to overwrite the sequence pattern.

    To set the arpeggio, turn the SELECT encoder to change the item, and turn the BACK encoder to change the item value. The items are as follows.

    BPM: Change the BPM of the internal clock during the arpeggio
    DIR: Changes the order in which the arpeggio will play the specified scale.
    OCT: Change the arpeggio octave
    PAT: You can select a rhythm pattern that is slightly thinned out from the BPM clock as it is.
    GAT: Sets the arpeggio gate length
    SRC: Switches the arpeggio scale source between the keyboard (PIA) and the current sequence (STP). For the current sequence, use the current sequence instead of the keyboard for arpeggio scale selection.

  10. LFOs: Here you can make settings for the LFO used for modulation.For setting, turn the SELECT encoder to change the item, and turn the BACK encoder to change the item value. The items are as follows.

    SHP: Changes the shape of the LFO waveform.
    SYN: Select whether to synchronize the LFO with BPM. When synced, the LFO RATE knob toggles between an integer multiple of BPM and an integer fraction of the speed.
    RST: Toggles whether the LFO waveform is reset each time the gate exits
  11. Randomize: Randomize the pattern. Randomize can control the target parameter and the range of randomize. For example, if you want to randomize the accent, press the ACC button and it will be randomized. The relationship between buttons and parameters is as follows.

    Acc ... Accent
    SLIDE ... slide
    MOD ・ ・ ・ Cutoff modulation
    PITCH ENV ・ ・ ・ Pitch envelope
    LAST STEP ・ ・ ・ STEP ON probability
    PLAY MODE ・ ・ ・ STEP PLAY probability
    TRANSP: Gate length
    SCLAE ... scale
    PATTERN ・ ・ ・ all parameters

    To change the randomization range of a parameter, turn the SLECT / BACK encoder while pressing the button of the corresponding parameter to set the lower / upper limit.
  12. Clear: Access various clear functions for the parameters on the step. Pressing two step buttons will clear all steps between them. Press the GATE encoder to clear all steps. It is also possible to individually clear only the four parameter settings: accent, slide, VCF modulation and pitch envelope. For accent, for example, press SHIFT + ACCENT → SHIFT + CLEAR and select the step button to clear only the accent parameter of the specified step.
  13. Copy: Copy: You can specify the step range or copy all steps.Press the step button to copy all the parameters for that step (gates, notes, accents, slides, etc.). Pressing the two step buttons will copy all steps in that range, and pressing the GATE encoder will copy all steps. If you want to copy only one step, hold down the step button without accessing the Copy function.
  14. Paste: Paste the copied pattern or part of it. All the parameters in the copied step range are copied by pressing the step button corresponding to the first step of the area you want to paste. You can also paste only individual parameter settings individually.For accent, for example, press SHIFT + ACCENT → SHIFT + PASTE and select the step button to paste only the accent parameter of the specified step.
  15. Bank: Each selects eight banks that store 16 patterns. Select a bank with the step buttons.
  16. pattern: You can call or save patterns. Since the currently selected slot is blinking, if you want to save it there, press the REC button (when not on the Pattern page, this can be done with the SHIFT + REC shortcut). If you want to save to another slot, hold down the step button of that slot and press the REC button. If you want to erase the pattern of the slot containing the pattern, hold down both OCT buttons and press the button of the slot you want to erase, then press the SELECT encoder to confirm the deletion.

    If you want to recall the pattern, press the corresponding step button. When the currently playing pattern is played to the end, the called pattern will be played. If you want to switch patterns immediately, hold down the + OCT button and press the step button. If you are not in the Pattern page, hold down the SELECT encoder and press the BACK encoder to reload the saved pattern. It is also effective for live performances because you can edit the saved patterns variously and then immediately return them.

    By continuously pressing the pattern button while pressing the SELECT encoder,Pattern chainYou can also Select another pattern to stop the pattern chain.

    You can also copy and paste patterns on the pattern setting page. As with the operations on the Copy and Paste setting pages, select the pattern you want to copy.Hold down the step buttonPress the button (above the Paste button) to paste the step.

Keyboard Mode

If you press the Play button while holding SHIFT while the sequence is stoppedKeyboard mode, And you can play a simple keyboard with the step button. The difference in the brightness of the step buttons indicates the white keyboard and the black keyboard. The octave button is also valid. Use the SELECT / GATE encoder toGlideCan be set. The scale of the keyboard is affected by the set scale, and scales that are out of scale are brought closer to the scale.

Configuration Menu

You can change global settings in the Config menu. Hold down SHIFT and press the CONFIG button to enter the Config menu.For setting, turn the SELECT encoder to change the item, and while holding down the SELECT encoder, turn the BACK encoder to change the item value. The items are as follows.

CLK: Switch the clock source between internal and external.
MIN: Switches the channel used for MIDI IN
MOT: MIDI OUTSwitch the channel used
MCK: Switches MIDI CLOCK output ON / OFF
BRF: BAR FOLLOW, whether or not the measures of the displayed sequence follow the currently playing measures
VOL: Output volume control
TUN: Master Finetune
BKP: Pattern memory backup. Pressing the SELECT encoder will display "TX", so press the SELECT encoder again to hear the audio from the CV OUT jack. You can record the pattern by recording it. When loading a pattern, turn the SELECT encoder while "TX" is displayed, and when the display shows "RX," press the encoder again to put it in standby. Pour the recorded audio into CLK IN, and when complete, the pattern will be loaded.
CAL: Calibration. Calibrate the VCO, but usually not needed.
Press the VER: SELECT encoder to display the firmware version
RST: Factory reset by pressing the SELECT encoder twice

firmware Update

Follow the procedure below to update the firmware.

  1. Download the firmware audio file from the link to the firmware in the specifications section at the top of this page.
  2. Prepare to play the firmware file from your laptop or smartphone. VLC Player is recommended for playback, but any playback software can be used as long as the original audio can be played back correctly. For Ableton Live, remove Warp and play.
  3. Connect the output of the audio playback device to the clock input of DB-01.
  4. Set the FM LVL knob to the 9 o'clock position. While holding down both SELECT/GATE and BACK/NOTE encoders, power on the unit.
  5. DB-01 will enter the firmware update mode, play the audio file and wait until the playback ends.
  6. The latest firmware will be obtained when you restart.
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