For you TB-303 Headz, My take on the Quicksilver 303
Wanted to take a moment and provide the haters some fuel to hate and some trollers fuel to troll with regards to my take on the Social Entropy Quicksilver 303 CPU processor upgrade tot he Roland TB-303.
What Ripe has managed to pull off with the QuickSilver303 is nothing short of AMAZING!
About myself: 23 years collecting analog gear and producing music, I considered myself an analog purist, had my 303 since 1996 and did some utterly stupid stuff in order to get it (hurt no one but myself so my conscience is clean). As long as my search was, and in the short term, detrimental to my credit, it ended up being one of the best "bad" decisions I had ever made. I refused to use a computer for production until 2002. After getting married having kids and needing to take back some studio space, in 2009, I decided to sell off my analog gear and go digital. I held on to a few of my what my wife likes to call, "heirlooms" that unfortunately sat there as viewing pieces until now. The QS303 has allowed me to add my TB-303 back into my digital setup and have the ability to control it directly from any application I feel like using (Ableton / Maschine) by MIDI or just sync. As much of a pain in the arse it was to originally program, the QS-303 has literally been like Red Bull in that regard. It has given it Wings! I can't say enough that what Ripe has managed to add to the QS303 programming features have added, the bacon, the sauce, whatever you'd want to call it to blow past the proverbial "cherry on top" to the 303! The QS303 has allowed me to easily integrate it back into my setup and bring it to life with a flexibility that I could never have imagined and make it once again useful in my current digital setup.
So anyone who has a TB-303 sitting there as one of your babies, your prized possessions to be enamored or pointed at but not used, look into doing this upgrade! Do not worry about it changing the original sound or the ability to program it in the original manner, you still can, though why you'd want to is what I'd end up wondering.
I was a Beta-Tester for the QS-303. My 303 has a new lease of life and the functionality far outstrips what the original CPU could do.
The ability to create patterns and edit them while the sequencer is still running, in fact now like the TR-606, you can switch between pattern write and play without stopping and some of the new functions are just incredible.
The only thing some original 303 owner's will have is the fear of desoldering and removing the old CPU, this effortless is you own a desoldering station and removal is painless.
I've heard some of your tracks Syn. Very quality work! I am looking forward to finally getting to put some of my stuff using the 303 on Soundcloud.
I am lucky, I live a few miles from Ripe so he did mine while we hung out.
As for the new features, I really love the ability to have better control over the patterns that use long slides and the bump fwd or back feature if I am freestyle writing with headphones on and no beat.
Well I have my Devilfish 303 sitting right now with Robin Whittle in AU getting outfitted with the Quicksilver 303 mods. I am really excited to get it back. Looks like she will be gone for another month but it will definitely be worth it!
Thank you for the nice comments. It's great to finally hear feedback as people start to use the machine!
One of the top goals of the Quicksilver 303 was keeping the core workflow of the 303 intact, without complicating the process of creating and writing patterns. All of the new features are designed to be explored as needed.
I wanted someone who has used a 303 before to be able to sit down and use the Quicksilver 303 without even reading the manual, and then realize that all of the little annoyances have disappeared.
We are continuing to refine and add new features to the operating system, so there are still some exciting new things planned.
! also need to make some videos showing more of the things the Quicksilver 303 can do!
cheers
ripe
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gear: Elektron MDUW mkII, genoQs Octopus, FR Revo (x2), V-synth XT, JP-8080, KP3 (x2), TR-909, AXiS-64, TB-303, Virus TI
Quicksilver 303 - TB303 CPU upgrade http://www.socialentropy.com/quicksilver
Music and videos: ripe909
If now someone could offer a solution to get rid of that high frequency interference, hum or buzz. Don't know how to describe... but the xoxbox doesn't have this interference/sound. I guess it is a flaw in the circuit design of the original 303.
If now someone could offer a solution to get rid of that high frequency interference, hum or buzz. Don't know how to describe... but the xoxbox doesn't have this interference/sound. I guess it is a flaw in the circuit design of the original 303.
check that your mix-in jack isn't dirty. Try plugging a 1/4 jack and unplugging it and see if it gets any better.
This noise is a common issue, it can be heard on some 303s more than others.
Usually you can structure your gain staging to reduce the noise to tolerable levels, such as setting the 303 to maximum volume and attenuating your mixer/audio interface.
I have seen the problem go away with a replacement Volume potentiometer or you can try the solution that Robin Whittle has documented for the Devilfish modifications:
"[January 2012. Starting with SN 260.] Some, many or all TB-303s have a low-level buzz in the background, irrespective of the Volume pot setting.
While this is well below ordinary signal levels, it might be annoying. The buzz from LED activity – especially with four LEDs on at once, such as when selecting patterns 1, 2, 3 and 4 – is apparent when running from batteries. A higher frequency buzz, from the Interrupt oscillator, may be audible when running from an external power adaptor.
The lower frequency buzz problem seems to be most apparent with the original LEDs or perhaps with any Red LEDs. Blue LEDs have a higher threshold voltage and draw less current.
The cause is ground loop problems within the machine. The fix is a wire between the Output socket ground terminal and the ACW (ground) terminal of the Volume pot."
I have had the Quicksilver CPU in my Devilfish for a month now.
It is nothing short of astounding.
It can be programmed the same as the original. But so much more!
Live programming with running sequencer, USB Midi, Midi Filter Control, Filter Accent in Time mode, Sysex Copy/Paste, you name it, it does it.
The sound of the unit is "Devilfish" awesome.
My TB-303 had a faulty CPU. The Quicksilver has been a "rebirth".
Thanks to Robin and ripe.
Happy to hear all this cause my Devilfish is supposed to be number 2 with the Quicksilver mods. I am on my honeymoon now and that is going to be Robin's present to me when I get back ;-)
Thanks a million for the info, Ripe. I will post an audio clip soon. I want to change the red LEDs to blue ones anyway. If this slightly reduces the noise that would be cool. I love the blue LEDs in your videos, could you tell me the brand and the specifications they have?
I have looked into how we can reduce the digital noise when using the Quicksilver 303 CPU. After some tweaks, we have drastically reduced the noise level.
This is especially noticeable when using distortion on the 303, as the noise gets amplified.
This noise fix will be included in the next OS version, after I get the thumbsup from my testers.
For the blue LEDs, they are just "eBay special" diffused blue, T3. ebay blue LEDs
Usually there is some variation in the LEDs so I try and match them for consistency.
...yeah, if using the 303 without distortion it's ok, but as soon as you use distortion it gets annoying sometimes. Thank you so much for all this work!
Here is the noise (below) that I was talking about. And believe it or not... I only have very basic knowledge about electronics but to me the hum/buzz always sounded like processor noise.
And thanks for the info on the LEDs, now I need your CPU!
TB-303 volume set to minimum, then normalized with my DAW.
I created a sample audio file showing the difference in noise levels.
This has the Quicksilver 303 running through distortion so it makes the noise more obvious.
In the first half of the file, is the original noise, then in the second half, the same levels, but with changes we have made to the CPU code... you can hear a substantial difference when it switches over.
Dear tb303 pros- I've been watching prices on 303s for years. I missed one chance to acquire one years ago and since then I've been hoping to add one to my studio. I have a Roland 100M modular and know that they'd work great together! I have had an MC202 and TR606 in the past too, so I'm a little familiar with some of the sequencing etc.
From reading posts, I'm thinking that the devilfish modded tb303, with quicksilver OS, would be the ultimate configuration, but wanted to check with you all to make sure. I wonder whether there is a seller anywhere who works with quicksilver devilfishes, ready to go; I'd love to know more.
Thanks again- Taiko
The noise reduction (LED dimming) setting is now available.
Now the sequencer can program filter cutoff "bumps" in time mode.
sample: chopping and bumping
ripe
I was totally hoping you'd do something like that! Programmable filter bump! I think I'mma be upgrading my OS this weekend.
I've not had any noise issues myself. When I did once have a noise issue, it turned out to be related to the "mix in" jack, I'm not sure if it was dirty or somehow interference was leaking into it, but after futzing with it a bit and re-soldering it, it's been pretty much gone.
damn, that is slick. might have to save up and quicksilver my 303.
good idea IMO..not because of the filterbump.. but the general writing experience gets way better..cant wait for the next upgrade.. than the sequencer will surpass evrything you can do with the original 303..plus all the extras like midi I/O..
never have thought the midi in might get handy for me.. but ripe has made an touch osc template for the ipad..and i actually like the idea to write the 303 in studio b without the need to move it around... have to try that tomorrow when i wake up... not even leaving studio b.. just connect per wifi to the studio a computer :-))
good idea IMO..not because of the filterbump.. but the general writing experience gets way better..cant wait for the next upgrade.. than the sequencer will surpass evrything you can do with the original 303..plus all the extras like midi I/O..
never have thought the midi in might get handy for me.. but ripe has made an touch osc template for the ipad..and i actually like the idea to write the 303 in studio b without the need to move it around... have to try that tomorrow when i wake up... not even leaving studio b.. just connect per wifi to the studio a computer :-))
there's a touch osc template? I totally would love to be able to write my patterns on the ipad screen ala a grid edit mode like rebirth used to have.
there's a touch osc template? I totally would love to be able to write my patterns on the ipad screen ala a grid edit mode like rebirth used to have.
there is no grid edit..just remote..but you dont need a graphical editor thanks to the real time input.. in the end music is consumed with ears not eyes..
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MAN, the buzz is completely gone!!!? AMAZING!!! My hum/buzz is much lower than yours, 
