some errata from the review.

I sent Tom Carpenter the links to my review last night after I wrote it. I suppose this is learning through trial and error. It occurred to me after that I should have written him and asked a bunch of questions related to my experiences using his instrument before writing my review, at least that's how I've seen it done in places like Sound on Sound. That being said, he wrote me back today and offered a few words about the jack problems I mentioned and caught a mistake I'd made in describing the midi-to-CV converter. The unique features on the midi converter I mentioned are Accent and Legato outputs not Allegro and Legato inputs as I had written. Accent turns on when you play over velocity 80, Legato turns on when you overlaps notes.

here are a couple of excerpts from his e-mail speaking to the jacks

"Jacks are generally good; I don’t hear about problems.

A little history. There is only one make of those jack sockets; Cliff electronics. Same as Integrator and Doepfer use.

Since my modules where to be compatible, I used the same sockets. Perhaps a mistake since I am stuck with them and the price keeps going up and up.

For years there was a problem with those sockets; documented by doepfer themselves on their web site.

I buy a more expensive version of the socket which cures contact problems (at least it seems to, I am certainly happy with the improved sockets).

Cliff state that the problem (with their older design) is not created by them, but by slight variations in jack plug design. They seem to think the Japanese ones are slightly different from the European ones, or something.

When you point out that no problems exist with any other jack socket manufacturer they can offer no comment."

and the matrix

"‘signal attenuation on the matrix’ is normal, since this panel is ‘unbuffered’, like the EMS synths and many others. Buffering is possible, but I believe the big increase that will add to the price out weighs the benefit. (no one has complained about attenuation, so why remove it at a cost of around $300!)"