Rhythm Ace FR2 uniPulse install

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This manual describes how to install uniPulse in the Rhythm Ace FR2L

This is based on the schematics and has not been tested yet. Please let us know if you have installed it. Bonus points if you send us a video of the drum machine in action 🙂
Download the uniPulse Configurator file for Rhythm Ace FR2L

uniPulse power

In order to power the uniPulse, you need to install a few additonal components. Due to the high voltage after the transformer, an additional 15V regulator must be used (7815). The capacitors should have a voltage rating of at least 35V, more is ok. Connect the uniPulse V+ and V- wires as shown in the picture.

Trigger

Trigger are very straight forward. Most triggers are soldered to the legs of diodes on the voice boards. Cymbal and Maracas triggers are simply connected to the solder points on the voice boards. It is also possible to control the Brush (B), but without testing it is hard to tell exactly how. This will be updated as soon as this information is available.

Clock sync

As always syncing the drum machine to the midi clock is optional and requires additional circuitry.
A level shifter is needed for the start/stop signal. Two pole switch (included in the kit) is used to switch between internal clock and midi clock. In order to access points A and B, desolder one leg of R12. A is connected to the resistor, B is connected to the board where the resistor was connected originally.
Point C can be directly connected to the Start/Stop switch.

ELKA Drummer One uniPulse installation

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This manual shows how to install uniPulse in the ELKA Drummer One and thus allows to trigger voices via midi and to sync the Drummer One to midi Clock.

Thank you very much to Thomas Kayser of SynthMedic for figuring this out and providing pictures.

After installation use the Config Tool to upload the Config file for ELKA Drummer One (right click, save as).

Connecting trigger points

Below you can see the installed uniPulse. Trigger points are on the right the picture below shows the trigger points in a bit more detail. Two of the triggers needed additional 1Meg resistors to ground which can also be seen in the picture. UniPulse channels 1-9 are used.

Midi Clock Sync

If you like, you can also sync the Drummer One to midi clock. This requires a bit of additional circuitry. A two-pole switch is used to switch between internal and midi clock. This switch is provided with the uniPulse kit since uniPulse MK2. You will also need two general purpose NPN Transistors and 2x10k and 2×2.7k resistors. The circuit can be seen below. Its purpose is to level shift the clock and gate voltages.

The GATE signal is connected to uniPulse pin D1, the CLOCK signal to uniPulse pin D2.
The picture below shows the location of the C point and the circuit on a prefboard. To access points A and B, one leg of a capacitor needs to be desoldered. This is also shown in the picture below and in more detail in the next picture.

Installing the uniPulse board

You can mount the uniPulse board in the case using distancers as shown here:

The Drummer One needs to be in start mode with all Rhythms deselected in order to be synced to midi.

Roland TR-66 unipulse Installation

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A customer sent us the uniPulse trigger points for the Roland TR-66. Thank you very much! Installing is very simple, just connect the unipulse to the trigger points as shown and upload the config file via the tool.

As you can see there are 9 instruments you can trigger:

BD = Bassdrum
SD = Snare Drum
HH = Hihat
CY = Cymbal
HC = High Conga
LB = Low Bongo
HB = High Bongo
C = Conga
RS = Rim Shot / Cow Bell

Just connect uniPulse outputs P1 .. P9 to these points, configure these outputs using the configurator as ’15V, negative, Open Rect’ and you are good to go.

When the bossanova rhythm is selected, you will hear the Rim Shot. If no rhythm is selected, the cowbell will sound.

uniPulse needs some Power and you can get it by connecting uniPulse GND to G1 or G2, and connect uniPulse V+ to B0 of the voice board as shown in the next picture.

Have fun!

uniPulse MK2 is here

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uniPulse has been updated to a new improved MK2 version, while the price stays the same.

These are the improvements:

  • Larger output voltage range: +-15V
  • Wider supply voltage range: runs from 7V-25V, generates +-15V supply voltages internally
  • 3 additional digital outputs
  • Improved input and output protection
  • Fully compatible with uniPulse MK1
  • Comes with an external midi socket with wire and connector
  • Now also included in the kit:
    • A two-pole throw switch often needed to switch between internal and midi clock
    • A panel mount learn button which can optionally be installed

µTune: Recalibrate CV-input

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Early models of µTune were unfortunately shipped with a badly calibrated CV-Input.
This only concerns you if you have one of the early models with HW version 16 or 17. And only if you have firmware version 1.00 installed.
If you have Hardware version 18 or higher or firmware 1.01 or higher, you can stop reading now.

Continue reading →

Korg Minipops-120 Single Output Modification

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Here you will find information on how to add single outputs to your beloved Minipops-120.
This mod is compatible to midi added with the uniPulse. An uniPulse installation manual for Korg Minipops 120 is here.

Attached is a picture (extracted from the service manual) of the circuitboard and the points/parts you have to desolder to add single outputs. The HighHats and Cymbal share the same output, so you will get 7 single outputs for Bassdrum, Snaredrum, Claves, High Conga, Low Conga, Bongo and Highat/Cymbal.

Continue reading →

Boss DR110 uniPulse install

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This manual describes how to install uniPulse in a Boss DR-110. If gives you velocity sensitive trigger of the instruments, accent trigger and midi clock sync.

There are two additional sounds that can be triggered via midi: Part of the clap (electric snare) and part of the cymbal.

For the DR-110 you need to get the custom DR-110 uniPulse version.

Installing the kit does not require to cut any traces and is generally a simple soldering job. You do however need to drill a hole for the MIDI socket. We use a 3.5mm jack socket and include an adapter. If you require, you can also install a DIN-socket, but it only barely fits. You also need to install 2 additional switches: One switch to select the clock source (MIDI or internal). The other to switch the bassdrum trigger from MIDI to internal.

MIDI is received on channel 10 with the following notes:

Note

Name

35

Bass Drum

38

Snare

39

Clap

40

Electric Snare (extra sound)

42

Closed Hihat

46

Open Hihat

49

Cymbal

51

Extra Cymbal

33

Accent on/off

Installation manual as PDF

Individual Outputs for Korg Mini Pops 7

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After installing the UniPulse in your Korg Mini Pops 7 you can also add individual outputs for each instrument.

Picture by Telharmoneum, Install by Simon Ayton

Fifteen different outputs are available, but of course you can only install some of them – for example 12 like in the picture above.


PRE IN Bus

Many of the instruments are connected to the “PRE IN Bus” which is marked red in the schematic. To gain access to each instrument connected to the “PRE IN Bus”, you have to desolder one pin of each resistor connected to it. Leave the other resistor pins connected.
It is not too easy to find the resistors on the board itself so numbered the spots where you have to desolder the pins.

schematic-instruments_bus

schematic-board_prein

Pre-in connections – overview

Pre-in connections 1 – 7

Pre-in connections 8 and 9

1 – 47k (Rim Shot)
2 – 33k (Claves)
3 – 82k (LB)
4 – 330k (SB)
5 – 100k (Conga)
6 – 82k (CB)
7 – 68k (CB)
8 – 680k (SD1)
9 – 470k (SD2)

Now solder the jack’s signal pins to the resistor pins.We used switched jacks. This way the instruments will be connected internally when nothing is plugged in.
jack_configuration

Note that the 68k and the 82k of the cowbell have to be soldered together, unless you want to have both parts of the CB sound available independently.
cowbell_resistors

Percussion

However not all instruments are connected to PRE IN.
The following instruments just need a direct connection from the board to the sockets: TAM, GUI and QUI. The solder points are marked below.
schematic-instruments_percussionboard_rueckseite_percussionBase Drum, High Hat, Cymbals

Originally the base drum, high hat, cymball and the percussion instruments are mixed together. To separate the instruments you again have to desolder several resistor pins as marked in the following pictures. The spots where the cuircuit is opened are marked by two black lines. Once again you have to use switched jacks to close the circuit as long as no male jacks are inserted.
schematic-instruments_base_hiha_cym

1 – 47k (BD)
2 – 330k (HH)
3 – 47k (CY)

Solder wires from the desoldered resistor pins to the socket’s tips and from the socket’s switch contact back to where the resistors were connected originally (marked in the picture above).

Ground

All output sockets need a ground connection. Any point labelled GND on the board will do.

The final result could look like this (image by Telharmoneum, thank you very much!)