Instruction Manual for BASTL POST SOUND models including: Thyme Plus Sequenceable Robot Operated Digital Tape Machine, Sequenceable Robot Operated Digital Tape Machine, Robot Operated Digital Tape Machine, Digital Tape Machine, Tape Machine

[PDF] SEQUENCEABLE ROBOT-OPERATED DIGITAL TAPE MACHINE

Adjust INPUT GAIN to a desired level. A GREEN light indicates an incoming signal, while a RED light indicates clipping. (the signal is too loud).

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SEQUENCEABLE ROBOT-OPERATED DIGITAL TAPE MACHINE

Bastl's THYME+ optimizes your And finally, the built-in

sound and liberates you from the sequencer enables you to

confines of routine work. With compose these effects into

numerous parameters at hand, vibrant, dynamic patterns!

you can delve deep into time-

based effects and explore their Automate and synergize your jam

wildest combinations.

with THYME+, a one-of-a-kind

audio effects processor run by

You have the freedom to

friendly Robots ready to handle

experiment with delay, phaser, your audio processing workload.

reverb, chorus, pitch shifter,

multi-tap delay, tape delay,

This quickstart guide provides

tremolo, vibrato, and much

essential information to get you

more ­ all in stereo!

started right away.

audio input

INPUT GAIN

TAPE SPEED

Signal-flow and controls
MIX VOLUME audio output

FEEDBACK

FILTER

LEVELS

For full manual and documentation, scan the QR code.

There's a lot THYME+ can do and we will slowly dive into it. Follow these easy steps to comprehend it all, bit by bit...

In this quickstart guide, we will look into:

· Tape delay · Sequencer (remember to save your

· Memory

progress as you go, it will be essential)

· Freeze mode

For the best results, turn the page and follow each step ­ the way it's written.

MONO OUT RIGHT

STEREO OUT LEFT

POWER

9V

MIDI IN

write head

main read head

extra read heads

COARSE

FINE

tape direction

tape

SPACING

FOOT

CV IN

CLOCK IN

MONO IN RIGHT

STEREO IN LEFT

speakers

headphones

DC power supply

ROBOT WAVESHAPES
+

midi type A

footswitch

control voltage 0-5V

FREEZE MODE

The FREEZE mode samples a short loop, with the length defined by the delay time.

FREEZE allows you to create drones with longer time frames, "lag" the sound with shorter ones, create feedback pitches with the shortest delay times, or glitch the sound with gradual movements.

trigger only once when you select a PRESET

doesn't react to the SHAPE knob

Change the length of the frozen loop using the COARSE & FINE knobs.
Control the intensity of the loop with FEEDBACK (when fully to the right, the loop will stay indefinitely).

external control voltage (sent to CV IN)

Mix in the extra read heads to the output with LEVELS. In the second half of the knob, the signal from extra read heads gets written into the frozen loop. Have fun!

ROBOT POLARITY

+

FREEZE There are three different settings negative

LINK bipolar

SYNC positive

Each Robot can modify a parameter in three directions:

knob value

modulation
It can subtract from the knob value, it can modulate around it, or it can add its output to the knob value.

ROBOT PHASES
+=

ROBOT STEREO
+=

PATTERN

SYNC

0°

default LEFT

OFF

90°

RIGHT

180° 270°

LEFT ON
RIGHT

SHIFT

analog sync instrument (mono) signal is split to both channels

FX pedal (stereo)

line (stereo)

BUTTON COMBOS

Tape machine

+

FREEZE
DELAY SYNC
TAPE SPEED FEEDBACK wiggle SPACING wiggle

set tape speed to half set tape speed to double lo-fi/analog tape negative/positive feedback synced/unsynced read heads

Robots

+

any KNOB wiggle any KNOB movement robot SYNC PRESET 1­8 RATE A/B/C/D PATTERN FREEZE/LINK/SYNC BYPASS

select for modulation set modulation amount stereo robot mode select waveform of LFO modulate waveform shape select phase of LFO select robot polarity erase selected robot

Sequencer and clock

WRITE + PRESET 1­8 record preset (live mode)

SELECT + PRESET 1­8 select preset (write mode)

hold PRESET 1­8

select substeps (write m.)

SHIFT + TAP

select clock source

SHIFT + A/B/C/D

select tempo divider

SHIFT +

Memory

PRESET

select bank

SELECT

save bank

WRITE

copy preset

PLAY

paste preset

BYPASS + SHIFT + PRESET

erase bank

BYPASS + PRESET

erase preset

BYPASS + A/B/C/D

erase pattern

PRESET 8 + PLAY

format memory (test mode)

+ SHIFT
+

Randomize
FREEZE LINK SYNC

all robots parameters tape machine parameters tape and robots parameters

Midi, hardware test
Hold buttons during power up:
WRITE PRESET 1­8 SHIFT + PRESET 1­8 A+B+C+D TAP

start/stop message midi channel 1­8 midi channel 9­16 hardware test mode bootloader mode

Let's get you STARTED with the BASICS

1. START HERE
Plug in your power supply, input signal, and output signal.

2
delay section

extra read

heads

volume control

5

9. EVEN MORE ROBOTS
In this next example, we will build a simple tremolo effect:

For starters, to learn the instrument and best hear the processes, it's best to use a simple

3

continuous rhythm signal instead of drones or

an instrument you would have to play actively.

· Select an empty BANK with empty PRESETS (SHIFT + PRESET)

+
PRESET

HOLD PRESET

· Select an empty PRESET

7-10

robots

1 4 6 11

sequencer and memory

2. LET THERE BE SOUND

4. COPY & PASTE PRESETS

8. MORE ROBOTS

· Adjust INPUT GAIN to a desired level. A GREEN light indicates an incoming signal, while a RED light indicates clipping (the signal is too loud)
· Adjust VOLUME. Now you can hear your signal!
· Quickly turn MIX to unfreeze the knob* · Adjust between DRY (original)
and WET (processed) signal
*Knob freezing is a function keeping the knob values set. It applies to all the knobs except INPUT GAIN and VOLUME.

· Select a PRESET (or just stay in the current one)
· Press SHIFT + WRITE to COPY the current PRESET settings
· Select another PRESET · Press SHIFT + PLAY to PASTE
5. ADDING DENSITY
You can add three more extra read heads to the tape. They will be added after the main read head.
· Unfreeze and adjust LEVELS. This knob controls the volume level of all three read heads
· Play around with SPACING. This knob controls the distance between the three extra read heads

Using Robots, you can create interesting modulations, such as the following one, resulting in a flanger-like effect:

· Select a new PRESET

· Adjust FEEDBACK

· Turn the FINE knob, and listen to

the flanger effect

· Hold

and wiggle FINE

to automate FINE with a Robot

· Release

and play with

AMOUNT, RATE, and FINE

You can change the waveform shape from triangle to sine wave:

· Hold

and turn RATE fully to the

right. It now functions as

INPUT GAIN

MIX

VOLUME

These heads also react to FEEDBACK and TAPE SPEED. Let's try it out!

Choose a different waveform shape for the Robot modulating the FINE knob:

3. SIMPLE DELAY
Delay is the core of this instrument. It functions as an analog tape machine. There is a virtual digital "tape" as well as write and read heads interacting with it.

6. ERASING A PRESET
If you happen to get lost because things grow a bit too chaotic ... don't panic!

· Hold

and press a corresponding

PRESET button to select the desired

waveshape. Let's try the random shape

for a Sample & Hold-like effect.

Now, you can smooth out the edges with

the

knob

· Hold

and automate VOLUME

· Set RATE, AMOUNT

and VOLUME

Robots can be synced (quantized) to the clock in rhythmical intervals:

· Press the SYNC button next to the

button

· Hold

and press SYNC again.

This turns the modulation into

.

Really cool!

Try to automate more parameters using Robots in the same way!

There is even more to Robots on the other page.

10. TOO MANY ROBOTS

Hold

to see which knobs are

automated. Those with an active Robot will

flash briefly. Afterwards, the one knob with a lit

light is the currently selected Robot.

To deactivate a Robot, select it with a wiggle of

the knob and press

+ BYPASS.

11. SAVE & ERASE
· Press SHIFT + SELECT to SAVE your whole BANK
This will save all the current settings. All will stay saved even after restarting the device.
Save your presets, so that you can build a sequence with them.
· Press SHIFT + PRESET to select a BANK (1­8)
· Press PRESET to select a PRESET (1­8) from the active BANK

· Unlock and adjust the COARSE knob. It controls the main delay time
· Use FINE to make precise delay time adjustments
· Adjust FEEDBACK to control the amount of the signal fed back to the write head

· Press BYPASS + PRESET to erase the corresponding preset
Since you still have the first preset in your device's memory, you can always PASTE it again (SHIFT + PLAY).

Every waveshape reacts differently.
If you're curious, check the table on the other page for all the possible waveshaping variants.

THYME+ is, by default, shipped with all
the BANKS and PRESETS empty. However,
if you need to clear a BANK, press BYPASS + SHIFT + PRESET.

TAPE SPEED changes how fast the

7. ROBOTS

tape moves, so it affects the overall duration of

the loop and, therefore, the audio sample rate. Now's the time to learn how to automate

The slower the tape (turning the knob to the parameters using Robots.

left), the more digital sound artifacts appear.

Let's try it on the FILTER parameter:

Now that you have a few presets prepared & saved, let's learn how to turn them into sequences...

· Select an empty PRESET.

PASTE your copied preset again

FEEDBACK COARSE

TAPE

SPEED

· Play around with the FILTER knob.
On the left, it acts as a lowpass (LP), and on the right, as a highpass (HP)

· Hold the

button and then wiggle

You can press LINK to compensate for the

the FILTER knob

change in delay time caused by adjusting

· While still holding

, the light over

TAPE SPEED.

the FILTER knob should light up green with

full brightness. It indicates you've selected this

· Press TAP multiple times to set the tempo parameter to be modulated by a Robot

of the main clock. The tempo is indicated by

the blinking green light above*

· Press the COARSE SYNC button to sync the delay time to the main clock
· Play around with all these parameters

+

HOLD

FILTER

*If there's no light indication, check the clock source (SHIFT + TAP) and select the TAP
option. The setting is indicated by one of the
three lights:

· While still holding the

button, select

one of the Robot waveshapes

· Release the

button

· Adjust the RATE and AMOUNT knobs

to set the modulation. The R light indicates the

modulation progress of the selected Robot

FREEZE LINK SYNC

+
TAP TAP/CLK/MIDI

RATE

AMOUNT FILTER

HOLD
Adjust FILTER. The Robot still reacts to the

knob's position. Its value is a refference point the

Robot modulates around. Try it.

It's THYME to COMPOSE

Press PLAY, this will start the sequencer, and the WRITE light will start blinking.*

Since there are no presets recorded into the sequence yet, all the steps are set to BYPASS by default.

To temporarily listen To record presets

to different presets, into the sequence,

hold the corresponding hold WRITE +

PRESET.**

PRESET.

HOLD

WRITE

PRESS PLAY

BYPASS

PRESET

HOLD

+

WRITE PRESET

*if not working, make sure your clock source is set to TAP **if not working, stop the sequencer and make sure that the WRITE light is off.

The sequence is stored in the active PATTERN. There are four PATTERNS.

Change the tempo of the sequencer by tapping the TAP button.

PRESS

TAP TAP

When switching the sequencer off by pressing PLAY, you stay on the preset that played last in the sequence. WRITE light stops blinking.
PRESS
WRITE PLAY

Now you understand how the sequencer works in the LIVE MODE.
There's also a WRITE MODE which is the more detailed mode and allows for much more precise editing. Learn how the WRITE MODE works in the full THYME+ manual.