User manual

Introduction

This manual is for the Devil Fish modifications to the Roland TB-303’s synthesiser. Please

see separate manuals for the MIDI In System, the MIDI In and Out system and the 32 Bank

Memory System.

This manual covers Devil Fish versions 2.0 (1996) to 4.2B (February 2015 and to the present

day). It does not cover the 18 version 1.0 and 1.1 Devil Fishes from 1993 and 1994.

Starting with Version 4.2B, in February 2013, the memory backup arrangements are

documented in a separate manual: DF-Memory-Backup.pdf

There are minor audible and functional differences between some versions. Four of the six

V2.0 machines have a filter oscillation problem. V2.0, V2.1 and V2.1A machines create a

small click at the start of the note when the Decay pot is anticlockwise and the Soft Attack

pot is clockwise. V2.1B (February 1999) and later have no such clicking problems. In

V2.1C and later the Filter CV input responds at approximately 1V/octave – replacing two

earlier linear approaches. V2.1D (2003) introduced a new function for the Slide In input:

turning on the Gate when this input is 4.0 volts or greater.

Current production Devil Fishes sound identical to all those since V2.1C, and have CV

inputs which respond identically to those of V2.1D and later. The later version numbers

refer to circuit board revisions, which do not alter the sound or CV behaviour.

Please note that despite our best efforts, there can occasionally be a fault which is easily

fixed. For reasons unknown – but perhaps “fretting corrosion” – the contacts which form a

switch inside the CV In socket sometimes fail to connect properly. The result is a wavering,

out-of-tune or unchanging VCO pitch when it should be responding to the internal sequencer

or to MIDI In. The solution is simple: plug something into the CV In socket and remove it –

any 3.5mm plug or lead will do. This usually fixes the problem. There is no obvious

corrosion or contamination problem and the sockets are otherwise entirely reliable. The

“Known Reliability Problems” section has further information.