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Expert Sleepers ESX-8CV MKII CV Expander Eurorack Module

Expert Sleepers

£179.00
In stock.
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Expert Sleepers ESX-8CV is an expansion module for the ES-4, ES-40 or ES-5, adding eight CV outputs from one expansion header.

In order to squeeze eight 12 bit channels through one 8 bit connection, the channels are time-multiplexed and so effectively run at between one-third and one-twenty fourth of the audio sample rate. For example, if the audio interface/DAW is running at 48kHz, the ESX-8CV's outputs are running at between 16kHz and 2kHz, depending on how many channels are active. This is still plenty fast enough for most CV purposes, except for audio-rate modulation and the very fastest envelopes. Because the outputs are still derived from the audio stream, they retain the advantages of the ES-3/4 over traditional MIDI-based interfaces, that is, rock solid timing and absence of jitter.

The outputs are hardware calibrated and so do not require the use of e.g. Silent Way's software calibration when used with standard V/octave synths/oscillators. That said, the ESX-8CV's 12 bit resolution is adequate to perform software calibration if required (e.g. to cater for misbehaving oscillators that don't track well to a standard calibration), or to support oscillators with a Hz/V response.

The ESX-8CV requires software in order to time-multiplex the eight output signals, and to encode them for the ES-4 or ES-5. Currently, the only such software is the 'ESX-8CV Combiner' plug-in, part of Expert Sleepers Silent Way, and our Max/MSP external (see below).

Silent Way is available in AudioUnit, VST & AAX formats for Mac OS X and Windows. Use of Silent Way therefore requires a compatible host application (DAW).

A Silent Way licence is not included with the ESX-8CV - however, the ESX-8CV Combiner plug-in functions in a licence-free mode, so ESX-8CV users are not forced to buy Silent Way. Such users can than evaluate the rest of the Silent Way suite in demo mode.

How much is my shipping?

Shipping is automatically calculated before you submit your payment information. Simply add items to your cart and proceed to the checkout page, where you'll be offered shipping options and their prices. In the UK it's normally around £4 for order values under £150, and free above that. Shipping to mainland EU is typically between £7 and £20, depending on the shipping method and the size and weight of the order.

Do you ship to my country?

Almost certainly - the site will give you an estimate of shipping costs if you add an item to the cart and then enter your country and postcode. If you have specific requirements (such as if you prefer UPS over FedEx, for example) then let us know in advance and we'll try to work something out for you.

Shipping methods

We use a combination of Parcelforce, DPD, Royal Mail and UPS for the UK, and for international orders it's either Royal Mail, UPS, DHL or FedEx depending on where you are in the world. If you have a particular preference then try to let us know BEFORE you order so we can look into it for you. Please note that there may occasionally be additional shipping charges if you live in a remote area, depending on what surcharges are applied by the shipper. We'll get in touch to discuss this with you in such cases.

Dispatch times

For UK orders, we normally dispatch the same working day if we get the order before 15:00. If you have a really urgent situation then of course drop us an email before ordering and we'll always do our absolute best to accommodate you.

For international orders, we normally dispatch the same day if we get the order before 13:00 but again, occasionally it might be the next day before we can send it out, and sometimes FedEx or UPS may come a little earlier than scheduled which would also push an order into the next day.

Shipping times

Since April 2020 the couriers we use have suspended guarantees for shipping times, so even though we're paying them for priority services - 24-48 hours for most of the world - in practice it's often an extra day on top and sometimes it can be longer.

There is absolutely nothing we can do about this unfortunately. If you are outside the UK and it's a life-or-death situation where you absolutely MUST have that passive mult for the next day then... it may be better to find a local supplier.

Saturday shipping

If you're in the UK and you order before 15:30 on a Friday then we can send something for a Saturday delivery (NB: this applies to UK mainland addresses only). The success rate with DPD is about 95% so it's worth a punt most of the time. Please note that if you select Saturday shipping on an order placed earlier in the week, we'll wait until Friday to ship it.

Pre-orders

If a product is listed as a pre-order, it means we've ordered it from the supplier but it's not physically in stock yet. The product listing will include an estimated shipping date based on the best information we have from the supplier, but do bear in mind this is subject to change and is not a guaranteed date.

If you place an order containing a mixture of in-stock and pre-order items, we'll normally hold off on shipping anything until the pre-order item(s) have arrived, rather than splitting it into multiple shipments. If you need the in-stock items sooner, we'd recommend placing separate orders. As always, please get in touch if you have questions.

Product Overview

Expert Sleepers ESX-8CV is an expansion module for the ES-4, ES-40 or ES-5, adding eight CV outputs from one expansion header.

In order to squeeze eight 12 bit channels through one 8 bit connection, the channels are time-multiplexed and so effectively run at between one-third and one-twenty fourth of the audio sample rate. For example, if the audio interface/DAW is running at 48kHz, the ESX-8CV's outputs are running at between 16kHz and 2kHz, depending on how many channels are active. This is still plenty fast enough for most CV purposes, except for audio-rate modulation and the very fastest envelopes. Because the outputs are still derived from the audio stream, they retain the advantages of the ES-3/4 over traditional MIDI-based interfaces, that is, rock solid timing and absence of jitter.

The outputs are hardware calibrated and so do not require the use of e.g. Silent Way's software calibration when used with standard V/octave synths/oscillators. That said, the ESX-8CV's 12 bit resolution is adequate to perform software calibration if required (e.g. to cater for misbehaving oscillators that don't track well to a standard calibration), or to support oscillators with a Hz/V response.

The ESX-8CV requires software in order to time-multiplex the eight output signals, and to encode them for the ES-4 or ES-5. Currently, the only such software is the 'ESX-8CV Combiner' plug-in, part of Expert Sleepers Silent Way, and our Max/MSP external (see below).

Silent Way is available in AudioUnit, VST & AAX formats for Mac OS X and Windows. Use of Silent Way therefore requires a compatible host application (DAW).

A Silent Way licence is not included with the ESX-8CV - however, the ESX-8CV Combiner plug-in functions in a licence-free mode, so ESX-8CV users are not forced to buy Silent Way. Such users can than evaluate the rest of the Silent Way suite in demo mode.

Technical Specs

Shipping Details

How much is my shipping?

Shipping is automatically calculated before you submit your payment information. Simply add items to your cart and proceed to the checkout page, where you'll be offered shipping options and their prices. In the UK it's normally around £4 for order values under £150, and free above that. Shipping to mainland EU is typically between £7 and £20, depending on the shipping method and the size and weight of the order.

Do you ship to my country?

Almost certainly - the site will give you an estimate of shipping costs if you add an item to the cart and then enter your country and postcode. If you have specific requirements (such as if you prefer UPS over FedEx, for example) then let us know in advance and we'll try to work something out for you.

Shipping methods

We use a combination of Parcelforce, DPD, Royal Mail and UPS for the UK, and for international orders it's either Royal Mail, UPS, DHL or FedEx depending on where you are in the world. If you have a particular preference then try to let us know BEFORE you order so we can look into it for you. Please note that there may occasionally be additional shipping charges if you live in a remote area, depending on what surcharges are applied by the shipper. We'll get in touch to discuss this with you in such cases.

Dispatch times

For UK orders, we normally dispatch the same working day if we get the order before 15:00. If you have a really urgent situation then of course drop us an email before ordering and we'll always do our absolute best to accommodate you.

For international orders, we normally dispatch the same day if we get the order before 13:00 but again, occasionally it might be the next day before we can send it out, and sometimes FedEx or UPS may come a little earlier than scheduled which would also push an order into the next day.

Shipping times

Since April 2020 the couriers we use have suspended guarantees for shipping times, so even though we're paying them for priority services - 24-48 hours for most of the world - in practice it's often an extra day on top and sometimes it can be longer.

There is absolutely nothing we can do about this unfortunately. If you are outside the UK and it's a life-or-death situation where you absolutely MUST have that passive mult for the next day then... it may be better to find a local supplier.

Saturday shipping

If you're in the UK and you order before 15:30 on a Friday then we can send something for a Saturday delivery (NB: this applies to UK mainland addresses only). The success rate with DPD is about 95% so it's worth a punt most of the time. Please note that if you select Saturday shipping on an order placed earlier in the week, we'll wait until Friday to ship it.

Pre-orders

If a product is listed as a pre-order, it means we've ordered it from the supplier but it's not physically in stock yet. The product listing will include an estimated shipping date based on the best information we have from the supplier, but do bear in mind this is subject to change and is not a guaranteed date.

If you place an order containing a mixture of in-stock and pre-order items, we'll normally hold off on shipping anything until the pre-order item(s) have arrived, rather than splitting it into multiple shipments. If you need the in-stock items sooner, we'd recommend placing separate orders. As always, please get in touch if you have questions.