Serge’s 1979 ÷NCOM - It Compares, Counts, Waits, Fires and It Always Rises

video upload by Cinematic Laboratory

"I bought the #Serge #NCOM in the blind because a) it's the work of a living legend, b) I had no idea what it did, and c) after reading the manual and looking on YouTube I still had no idea how to use it in real life music.

The ÷NCOM is short for pulse divider (by N steps), a comparator (gate goes high where +IN is higher than -IN) and last but not least, a staircase CV is raised one semitone when the compare goes high and the max steps N is not reached. So now you know, and just like me, it still remains a mystery how it can play a role in modular music.

÷NCOM is from 1979, and quantized CV was rare, especially when it's derived from any two compared voltages. It's using two CMOS chips, but only 5 of 8 bits were used (step 0 to 31 = 32 values). So is it early digital? Yes, but without a CPU or code and state of the art precision - for 1979. Is it still relevant in 2025? I am not sure how many voltage comparators are around in eurorack, and you probably never needed one. A staircase CV waveform is simply a matter of running a ramp through a quantizer, and you may be able to use an END of RAMP event on a Maths clone. The ÷NCOM circuit is often used for rhythmic patches, and the staircase is super useful to make synchronized ramps you can use to open a filter or wavefolder. Not to mention arpeggios. It's the opposite of high-tech, it's low tech. A circuit you need to learn, discover and find use for. It was special in 1979, and today it's part of the joy of owning a true Serge module that can always do more than you think."