EZEPTOCORE Guide

Get your first loop playing

If the module is not mounted yet, start with installation. For the first listen, leave the CV inputs unpatched so you can hear what each knob does on its own.

1. With the case off, insert an SD card prepared with the sample tool. Patch the two audio outputs marked OUT to your mixer or output module, and start with its listening level low.
2. Turn AMEN and BREAK fully counterclockwise. Set JUMP to 12 o’clock. These positions play the sample in order without random breaks.
3. Power on the case. Turn TUNNEL to choose a sample; press BANK to cycle through banks. Hold BANK and turn TUNNEL to choose a bank directly.
4. If playback is stopped, hold TAP and press X/ to start. Hold TAP and turn BREAK to set the module’s volume. Turning farther adds saturation and then distortion.
5. Choose an EFFECTS position, then raise BREAK a little. Turn AMEN to hear repeating slice patterns, and move JUMP away from center to introduce jumps.

To hear the original loop again, return AMEN and BREAK fully left and JUMP to center. Any BLUE or RED mode effects you adjusted have their own settings; returning the ordinary knobs does not clear those effects.

Install the module

Allow 8 HP of rack space and approximately 27 mm of depth. Typical power consumption is 135 mA at +12 V and 11 mA at −12 V. Check the remaining capacity of each power-supply rail with all your other modules included.

1. Switch off the case and unplug its power supply before installing or removing the module.
2. Connect the supplied Eurorack power cable to the module and the case’s power bus. Check the connector orientation and power markings at both ends before turning anything on.
3. Mount the panel securely and cover unused rack space with blank panels. Keep loose screws and cables clear of the circuit board.

Use the module indoors in a dry, ventilated case. The original manual includes the complete handling instructions and warranty terms.

Core features

• Algorithmic slicingChop a loop into slices and play them in a new order.
• Evolving sequencesRepeat a slice pattern or let it change as it plays.
• Tempo lockExternal clock sync and tap tempo keep playback aligned.
• SD streamingStereo 16-bit, 44.1 kHz audio plays directly from the card.
• 16 × 16 librarySixteen banks hold up to sixteen samples each.
• CV controlModulate effects, sequencing, sample changes, and reset.
• Compact hardware8 HP wide and approximately 27 mm deep.
• Power135 mA at +12 V and 11 mA at −12 V.
• Clock I/OClock input and output with division and multiplication.

Seven EFFECTS positions store combinations of the 16 available effects. BREAK controls how likely those combinations are to happen. You can build your own combinations in the sample-tool settings.

The everyday controls

Start here with TAP and MODE released. The large AMEN knob changes the slice sequence; BREAK changes the chance of effects. TUNNEL selects your sound.

AMEN

Fully left plays slices in their original order. Intermediate positions choose repeating sequence lengths. Fully right enables an evolving random sequence. A patched AMEN CV input takes over slice selection; see CV control.

BREAK

Sets the probability of activating the effects selected by EFFECTS. Start fully left, then turn clockwise to hear them more often.

EFFECTS

Selects one of seven effect mappings, labeled I–VII. Each mapping can contain several effects; configure them in the sample tool.

JUMP

With AMEN CV unpatched, center gives no random jumps. Moving away from center increases their probability. Left of center, jumps change the continuing position; right of center, playback returns to the underlying sequence.

TUNNEL and BANK

Turn TUNNEL to select a sample in the current bank. Press BANK to cycle through populated banks, or hold BANK while turning TUNNEL to choose one. The library holds up to 16 banks of 16 samples.

TAP

Tap repeatedly to set the internal tempo. Hold it while using another control for BLUE mode.

X/

Tap to move toward clock multiplication; hold to move toward clock division. This changes the clock ratio.

MODE

Press to cycle the Trigger Out mode: Kick, Snare, Transient, or Random. Hold until the LEDs turn red to use the RED effects.

RESET and SD card

The small front-panel RESET button restarts the device. The SD card holds your prepared banks, samples, and settings; the module reads them at startup.

BLUE mode: hold TAP

Hold TAP, move the control you want, then release TAP. These controls let you filter, pitch, gate, and repeat the sample during a performance.

TAP + AMEN → DJ filter

Turn left of center for a low-pass filter that removes highs; turn right for a high-pass filter that removes lows. Center leaves the filter open.

TAP + BREAK → volume

Turn clockwise to raise the level. Further rotation adds saturation and distortion.

TAP + TUNNEL → gating

Turn clockwise to shorten the audible portion of each slice. This leaves more space between hits.

TAP + JUMP → pitch

Turn left to lower pitch and right to raise it, independently of the tempo. Center returns to the original pitch.

TAP + EFFECTS → beat repeat

Raise the probability of repeats with variations in pitch decay, volume decay, and quantization.

TAP + X/ → playback

Start or stop playback. Stopping saves the current bank and sample for the next startup. For a reset against an external clock, use TAP + MODE.

TAP + MODE → tempo or pattern reset

Without an external clock, restore the sample’s source BPM. With a clock present, realign the pattern to beat one.

TAP + BANK + RESET → calibration

Only use this with all five knobs centered. Follow the calibration steps below.

RED mode: hold MODE

Hold MODE until the LEDs turn red before turning a knob. Keep MODE held while adjusting the effect. A normal press also changes the trigger mode, so check the trigger indicator afterward if your patch depends on it.

MODE + AMEN → decimation

Reduce the audio’s digital resolution for a rough, 8-bit character.

MODE + BREAK → digital wavefolding

Increase digital wavefolding and distortion.

MODE + TUNNEL → Chaos Trembler

Increase random tremolo: irregular changes in loudness.

MODE + JUMP → digital jitter

Introduce fragments of randomly sampled audio.

MODE + EFFECTS → digital smear

Add small, changing phase differences between the stereo channels.

Turn the corresponding knob fully counterclockwise while holding MODE to remove that effect. Release MODE to return the knob to its ordinary job.

CV and clock connections

Control voltage lets another module choose slices, select sounds, or change the probability of effects. Configure the input behavior in the sample-tool settings, then copy those settings to the SD card.

AMEN input

Selects slices by voltage. When patched, AMEN sets the start of the slice range and JUMP sets its end. Choose jump, repeat, or bipolar split behavior in settings.

BREAK input

Controls the probability of activating the combination chosen with EFFECTS.

TUNNEL input

Selects a sample within the current bank. The sample tool calls this Sample CV.

CLK input

Synchronizes playback to an external clock at two pulses per quarter note (2 PPQN). Incoming clock settings determine whether playback stops when that clock stops.

CLK output

Sends a clock to other devices. Settings choose trigger or gate output and whether it follows the tempo or the slices.

Reset override

Disabled by default. Assign AMEN, BREAK, TUNNEL, or incoming CLK to reset playback to the beginning of the sample. The selected jack loses its usual function while the override is enabled.

The AMEN, BREAK, and TUNNEL inputs can each map either 0 to +5 V (unipolar) or −5 to +5 V (bipolar) across their control range. Choose the polarity that matches your modulation source.

Trigger outputs

The SLICE jack is the Trigger Out. Press MODE to select Kick, Snare, Transient, or Random. The first three follow markers in the sample; Random produces random triggers.

Use drum separation in the sample tool to find kick and snare events, or place markers by hand in the waveform editor. The trigger mode selects which markers produce pulses as playback crosses them.

Patch this output to another module’s trigger input, or send it back into BREAK for effects tied to particular hits. The pre-programmed breaks patch shows that connection.

Sample preparation tool

For the desktop app, read the _core sample manager guide.

Prepare your library with the browser-based EZEPTOCORE sample tool. It organizes sixteen banks of up to sixteen samples each and streams audio from the card, so samples do not have to fit into the module’s RAM.

Choose a workspace and import sounds

No account or password is required. Enter a workspace name you can remember, or choose a generated URL. Anyone who knows that URL can access its data. For private work, use a hard-to-guess name or the offline sample tool.

Choose a bank and drag in audio files. WAV, AIF, OGG, and Renoise XRNI are supported. Embedded slice information in XRNI and compatible AIF files can be imported with the audio.

Edit slices, tempo, and trigger markers

Open a sample to edit its waveform. Set the source BPM accurately before enabling tempo matching; this tells the module how the original loop relates to the playback tempo. You can also convert a stereo file to mono.

• Even slices divide the sample into equal parts. These are useful for evenly timed loops.
• Transient slices follow detected attacks. Move or add slice points by hand when a hit needs a more precise start.
• Kick, snare, and transient markers tell the Trigger Out where events occur. Choose a marker type, then place it on the waveform; use MODE on the module to choose which events it follows.

Copy the banks to the SD card

1. Choose Download .zip when the bank layout and samples are ready.
2. Extract the archive. Back up any banks you want to keep, then replace the bank folders on the SD card with the exported folders. Copy the folders themselves, not the ZIP or an enclosing download folder.
3. Eject the card from the computer. With the module powered off, insert the card, then power on to load the banks.

Set up clocks, CV, and effects

Open Settings in the sample tool to choose how the module responds to your patch. These are device settings; exporting audio alone is not a substitute for copying a changed settings folder.

Incoming clock

Choose “stop if clock stops” to make playback follow the external clock’s start and stop. Choose “continue” to let playback carry on when the clock stops.

Outgoing clock

Choose a short trigger or a gate, then select “sync with tempo” or “sync with slice.” Slice sync follows the slice boundaries, which may be uneven when using transient or manual slicing.

AMEN CV behavior

“Jump on change” changes slices as the voltage changes. “Repeat at CV” keeps selecting the slice addressed by the voltage. Bipolar “split” uses negative voltages for repeat and zero or positive voltages for jump.

CV polarity and reset

Set AMEN, BREAK, and Sample CV to match unipolar or bipolar sources. A Reset CV override replaces the chosen input’s normal behavior; it does not add a separate input.

Brightness

Adjust the multicolor LEDs to suit the room. Higher brightness also increases power consumption.

Choose the seven effect combinations

Select a mapping from I–VII and toggle the effects it should contain. The EFFECTS knob chooses among these seven mappings; BREAK sets their probability. Try a mapping with just one effect first so you can hear what it contributes.

The sixteen choices are fuzz, lossy compression, bit reduction, filtering, time stretch, tape delay, comb filtering, beat repeat, reverb, auto-pan, pitch down, pitch up, reverse, retrigger, retrigger with pitch shift, and tape stop.

Save settings to the card

Choose Download settings and extract the download if it is an archive. Back up the card’s existing settings folder, delete that old folder, and copy the new settings folder to the card. Do not merge the two folders. Eject the card and restart the module with it inserted.

Four patches to try

These four patches start with a simple connection or knob position. Change one thing at a time so you can hear which part of the patch is doing the work.

Basic playback

Leave AMEN and BREAK fully counterclockwise and JUMP at noon. Choose a sample with TUNNEL. This gives you a reference sound before you add sequencing or effects.

Auto-rungler

Turn AMEN fully clockwise for an evolving random slice sequence. Move JUMP a little clockwise to add occasional detours that return to the underlying sequence. Start with BREAK low so you can hear the slicing.

Pre-programmed breaks

Connect SLICE / Trigger Out to the BREAK input. Choose Kick, Snare, or Transient with MODE, then choose an effect mapping. Marker pulses now drive the effect probability. Edit the markers in the sample tool to decide which hits trigger those changes.

Sync two modules

Connect CLK Out on the first module to CLK In on the second. Set the second module’s incoming clock behavior to “stop if clock stops.” Use a tempo-synced clock output on the first module to share a regular beat.

Firmware

Use the store’s EZEPTOCORE firmware selector to choose the current clock and latency build. Overclocking firmware provides the most effect-processing headroom when externally clocked; non-overclocking firmware prioritizes the most stable internal timing.

Normal latency is the best balance for most setups. Low- and ultra-low-latency builds respond faster at the cost of some effect-processing headroom. Full release notes and desktop sample-tool downloads remain on the project releases page.

Copy firmware over USB

1. Download the EZEPTOCORE .uf2 file from the selector above. If you need to remove the module to reach its rear button, switch off and unplug the case first.
2. Connect the module to your computer with a USB data cable. Hold the small button on the back, press the front-panel RESET button, then release the rear button.
3. A drive named RPI-RP2 appears on the computer. Copy the downloaded .uf2 file onto it.
4. The drive disconnects when the module accepts the firmware and restarts. You can then return to normal use.

Calibrate the knob centers

EZEPTOCORE arrives calibrated. Recalibrate if the LED positions no longer line up with the knob centers.

1. Power on the module and set all five knobs to 12 o’clock, including EFFECTS.
2. Hold TAP, then hold BANK as well.
3. Keep both held and press the front-panel RESET button.
4. When the lights flash, release TAP and BANK. Let the module finish calibrating and restart.

DIY, source, and schematic

The firmware and related source are GPL-3.0 licensed, and the project publishes its schematic alongside the source. Browse the canonical _core repository or open the EZEPTOCORE schematic directly.

Acknowledgments

Infinite Digits created the Zeptocore platform and EZEPTOCORE’s firmware, sample tools, and software. Maneco Labs designed and manufactured the EZEPTOCORE hardware. The instrument draws on the work of the Raspberry Pi, Adafruit, and Émilie Gillet communities, alongside earlier Infinite Digits instruments and music scripts.

The sample tools use Alexandre Défossez’s Demucs work for drum separation, with Aubio and SoX contributing to audio processing and slice detection. Thanks also to the open-source maintainers and musicians whose work and experiments keep these instruments moving.

Read the full project history and acknowledgments, or the credits in the original manual.