VPME

Reviews | Modular and Eurorack
84
I
f you are interested in creating
sequences that don’t stick to the
normal 16-note grid so often
found, then Euclidean Circles
might just be your new best friend.
With six channels to play with, there
is plenty to be getting on with and the
form factor means it doesn’t eat too
much of your valuable hp either.
The blue faceplate is just 10hp
wide (12 with the optional extension)
but manages to feel roomy. In part
this is due to the interface design,
which uses three buttons surrounded
by LEDs to create patterns, with a
fourth ‘F’ button for other functions.
The success of this design is in
the wonderful colour coding system,
which lets you see exactly what is
happening at any given time. For
example, if you want to change the
sequence length then you click the
knob until it turns blue.
Surrounding each knob is a set of
16 LEDs, lit blue for active and
orange for inactive. Use the knob to
select a mode and turn it to set the
desired amount. It is really that
simple. You have six of these
channels to play with, or you can
chain for up to 38-step sequences.
You can rotate the sequence
relative to the others, by pressing the
main knob, or press it again to go into
step edit mode.
This version (V2) benefi ts from the
addition of the ‘F’ button which can
be used to tap a tempo, or combine
with other buttons to do things like
chain sequences.
So far so good then? Yes but it
doesn’t end there. The Joy here is
using euclidean algorithms to create
sequences, so the module’s visual
feedback is perfect for understanding
what is happening. In essence, the
algorithm tries to divide the step
count by the active step number as
equally as possible. For example, if
you had an eight-step sequence with
two active steps they would fall every
fourth step, as signifi ed by the
coloured LED ring. Easy to get your
head round but also something that
can be done with any sequencer. Try
using odd numbers, then rotating
some of the start steps and you get
some really interesting results. This
could be hard to track by memory
alone, but the coloured lights make it
a breeze. One point to note is that the
LEDs are pretty bright and can
overpower nearby modules in darker
environments. In every other situation
they feel just right.
There are patch points for each
channel, as well as external clock and
reset, so you’ll fi nd that your clocking
needs are well met.
VPME can ship the module with
its ‘Six Switches’ expander, which as
2hp is a no brainer. It’s a very simple
expander with, as the name suggests,
just six toggle switches. Each of these
corresponds to a sequence, allowing
you to mute/unmute at will. This
makes for a fantastic live setup and
the toggles feel solid to boot.
VPME Euclidean
Circles v2 £235 and
Six Switches £42
VERDICT 8.0
Euclidean Circles
might just be your
new best friend
FMU371.rev_modules.indd 84FMU371.rev_modules.indd 84 11/05/2021 12:4811/05/2021 12:48