THE TB-303 MODS,
TIPS AND TRICKS

The Devil Fish 303 Modifications

The Devil Fish is a set of internal TB-303 hardware modifications which allow you to get a larger definition within the 303 sound. Robin Whittle, who is the inventor of the Devil Fish concept, is back to bussiness with version 2.1. By clicking the Devil Fish Mod plate, you'll get all infos about price, how to order, how it works and so on ...

Robin could also add extra memory to the TB-303 with switches, and with this modification you can also switches pattern banks while still running the sequencer !!! This guy is really the TB-303 WIZARD !!!

The 303 BORG Modifications

At Analogue solution in UK, they are developing a new hardware sound mod for the 303 called "BORG". It's a bit the same concept of the DevilFish, some plus and some minus, but will be cheaper (£195).

Rackmounted 303

At Analogue solution in UK, they have some kits to rackmount your 303 with a 5U rack (like the 606 on the picture) for keeping intact all controls, or with a 1U rack adding external CV/GATE controls

VARIOUS TIPS & TRICKS

As the 303 is a bit 'closed' we can't bring you a lot of cool tricks, but anyway if you know cool way to modify the sounds, the lines ... then drop me a mail.

Here are a few interesting things :

• You can modifiy the basic amount of a few knobs (tune, freq., tempo...) : open the 303 and look at the main board : you'll find small pots of grey and blue plastic, with a cross on it. Each one is labeled for the function it affects. Simply turn it left to increase the original amount of function affected, or right to decrease it. It is VERY usefull with the frequency pot : you can start with a frequency amount higher than the original, and, of course, it goes far beyond the orginal setup if you then turn the frequency knob fully clockwise !!!! (That's why you sometimes listen to extreme basslines ...)
  The pots are labeled as follow (some are hidden under the switch board) :
  TM1 : affect the basic tempo, labeled TEMPO
  TM2 : switch the internal clock on/off, labeled INT
  TM3 : affect the amount of frequency, labeled FREQ
  TM4 : affect the basic tune, labeled TUNE
  TM5 : seems to be fine tune with saw wave and width with square wave, labeled WIDTH
  TM6 : CV adjust, labeled CV
  
  
• If you want 64 random basslines, just remove the battery and the 9 volt adapter, and wait 1 hour. Switch on : ready ! 64 randomly generated patterns ! Trick : some are 2 to 4 notes patterns, change the lenght of the pattern to discover the rest of the line (look at the programing guide ...).
  
  
• If you want 32 notes patterns instead of 16 : impossible ! He, he ... not really, grab a delay box or pedal (I use the BOSS DD-1 guitar pedal), and configure it as a very short delay (feedback to 1) but very high in volume (max volume) and the first delayed note must be played just between note 1 and 2, it will then double your line to 32 notes (let's say 2x 16 notes !) and you'll get some very fast basslines, or even very cool effects ...
  
  
• If you want Sync24 output instead of input, plug your sync cable only half way in !!!
  
  
• If you want some HARDFLOORish 303 sound, here is a tip : you need to distord the sound, but instead of playing with gain on you mixing desk, better overload the effect unit and put effect return to maximum ! Then overload light will stay sleepy on you mixing table, and you'll get full distortion on the sound. (I tried it with both BOSS SE-70 and SE-50, works great !)
  
  
• You can get some really noisy sound by changing the AC adapted to 3-6 volts instead of 9 volts, be sure to remove the battery as well.
  You need to have the 303 working in 9 volts then dropping to 3-6 volt without switching it off. If you start with 3-6 volts it wont work properly.

Reaching self-osc.

synades@mainz.netsurf.de
From : synades 
Subject: Re: stacked diodes

Replace resistor R 97 (10k) with 6.8k (or 5.6k), and it self-osc.

synades

200% Accent increase

From: "Rob" cyborg0@globaleyes.net
Subject: Re: [AH] TB-303 Accent 200% Increase 

>In what way can I change the Accent range on my TB?
>I'm not interested in the internal pots, I'm wondering which parts affect
>the accent range.
>I want to increase the accent-range by 200%.
>So that I can get those really bouncing patterns...
>It shouldn't be too hard I guess. Just don't know where to start, plz help
>me out.


lower or jumper completely
r46 and r119.. that should do it.. It should cause the accents to go from
subtle to outrageously loud..
perform at own risk, but it should be perfectly safe..

Rob

Adding a vibrato ...

From: lunatic-asylum@calvanet.calvacom.fr (Lunatic Asylum / Paranoid Section)
Subject: Bubbled 303

Just a funny effect for the TB

Try to find a jack without the plastic ring then plug it
into the gate output,

Sound goes like it  have a really fast vibrato on it, like
Bubbles
Bye

Guillaume

Lunatic Asylum / Paranoid Section
http://www.france-techno.fr/~lunatic/

Primitive midi sync and timing hint for your 303

jkimble@engin.umich.edu
From: john hamilton kimble 
Subject: 303 tricks

hey I think you should start a 303 mailing list!
anyways here is a cool trick for ya,
OK this is a tough one :)
make a cable out of a 5 pin DIN cable that only has the start/stop pin in the
end connector (either cut the other four pins out or pull them out with pliers
then, you can use a spare midi devide that outputs a sharp short sound
like a drum sound, or something.
now you program the midi device to play every four beats.
adjust the volume level on the MIDI device to pulse to 5V
when it is triggered (you may need to amplify the signal to get 5V)
now you can use this to primitively sync the 303 to midi
or you can create cool effects by changing the 303 tempo knob, because it will
always start over every 4 bars, but the lines will repeat or be cut off,
bdepending on the 303 tempo, (because the tempo is still controlled
internally!)

More Elastic sound mod

mcelhany@u.washington.edu;analogue@hyperreal.com
From: michal mcelhany 
To: analog heaven 
Subject: 303
Sender: analogue-owner@hyperreal.com


To make your 303 even more "elastic" sounding.  play with resistor R47
located on the frequency pot pin 2.  I changed it to 100k by accident on
my homebuilt clone and the sound was better than the original!


IS
TRITON corp.

THE START/STOP 303 MOD

cdmaster@netcom.com
From: MACHINE MEDIA 
Subject: 303 Sync Mod??

> IF no sync cable plugged in
>        303 works normally - regardless of switch setting

So put the mod in the cable.  That way you don't have to drill holes in
your 303 and you might be  able to use it for other xoxboxes.

> ELSE
>        IF switch set one way
>              303 works normally - tempo and start/stop come from sync cable
>        ELSE
>              303 gets tempo from sync cable but starts / stops
>              based on 303's start / stop button
>
> Has anyone ever tried this? it doesn't seem like it would be too hard to do.
> Any suggestions?

Sure, get a five pin DIN cable from Rat Shack, cut it open, find where
the conductor that carries on/off is (the other live wire will have the
clock pulse), splice in a SPST switch on this conductor, splice the
other four back together.  Opening the switch should make the 303 stop.
Closing it should make it start.  The insertion of the Sync24 cable into
the 303 is what disconnects its own clock and stop/start from itself (the
jack has switches and even a clear plastic window so you can watch it
happen :) I have not tried this, but I think this should work.

PEACE OUT :)
MARK

ADDITIONAL INPUTS MODS

You can get various additional inputs to your TB quite easily, here's the list and standard prices :

• CV/GATE/FILTER - 3 inputs - 150.- DM at TOUCHED BY SOUND (see the adress page)
• CV/GATE/FILTER/SLIDE/ACCENT - 5 inputs - 195.- DM at TOUCHED BY SOUND (see the adress page)

Here's a mail from a guy who checked the external box :

From: Jacktrippy@aol.com
Subject: midi 303/Kenton Pro-4

Man I got the Kenton 303 socket kit put in finally and it works wicked with
the Pro-4.  It adds cv/gate input and also inputs to control the filter,
slide and accent.  I can finally make the dam box swing!  As in shuffle feel.
It also gives you more range in the filter letting it open up to the point
of white noise distortion.  And the clincher is midi synchable lfo's!
Peace
the acid xpander

MIDI CONTROLS

You can add full midi control over your TB as easily, here's the list too :

• Internal MIDI KIT - 699.- DM at TOUCHED BY SOUND (see the adress page)

THE BASSFACE BY SND

The BassFace is an external box, made in grey just like the TB, which enable you to bring out the TB-303 sequences (via CV/GATE out) to any other midi synth, or even sequencers ...

This tool has the following controls :

• Midi in : used to get the midi clock from your sequencer
• Special in/out : CV/GATE/ACCENT in, 9 volts out, SYNC out ... all with 1 special cable
• Midi out : to play your basslines on another gear
• 9 volts in : for the BassFace itself AND the TB !! You don't need 2 x 9 volts !
• Slide effect on/off : you can switch off the slide-to-pitchbend converter if you want
• Velocity knob and minimum velocity switch (0 or 64 minimum) : you can real-time modulate the output midi velocity
• Free controler knobs, switchable from free midi controler or midi volume : very useful for any real-time jobs
• The Slide effect is converted to pitch bend informations, so all the lines sounds the same as the TB itself
• The Accent effect could be recognized as well, but you need to open the TB and put a special cable on it

This box is really magic ! You can drive any midi destination with this and add a different tone to your basslines, it works pretty good, and you can even save your lines to any sequencer with this tool.

It's the stand-alone version of the A2M module (analog to midi interface for all hybrid sequencers) and you can use it even with the MC-202 and the SH-101 !

The BassFace is sold by TOUCHED BY SOUND (see the adress page) and costs 690.- DM

THE ORIGINAL DJ.UNGLE FEVER MODS

Here are the exact description of the TB-303 mods "THE BASSFACE" and "THE DEMOLITION MAN" from the original flyer :

• DJ.UNGLE FEVER presents : THE BASS FACE
  the original dj.ungle fever cv/gate to MIDI converter !
  control your midi equipment and sampling systems
  with your 303/101/202 or any other cv/gate sequencer !
  Made in germany by sebastian niessen, the original
  KRAFTWERK synthesizer-engineer !
  
  cv/gate to midi converter / MIDI to Sync interface
  accent out / accent to MIDI
  
  
• DJ.UNGLE FEVER presents : THE DEMOLITION MAN
  the orginal dj.ungle fever 303-expansion-board featuring :
  2 additional VCO's for the 303 (16"/8"/4") &
  (triangle + pulse) & (tuning) & (volume)
  303 filter expansion and modification
  noise-generator (pink and white noise)
  external input / accent output
  cv/gate in / MIDI-Sync
  
  and more special features which guarantee the fattest
  303 sound you've ever heard !

The contact number is the following : DJ.UNGLE FEVER COLOGNE FAX : +49-221-2403267

If you know places where you can get some other mods easily (additional controls, inputs, midi, additional features ...) then E-mail me, I will add the infos here. If you know some nice tips & tricks, then E-mail me as well.