Cereal Instruments BINARY and RESOLUTION - DIY Builds
We decided to do a few things a little different this month by not only having more than 1 build/review, but having 4 by one company… Cereal Instruments. Their utility modules are something that every rack should have in them. We use them all of the time not only for performance but for recording or just jamming. Check out the latest builds of the Cereal Instruments BINARY and RESOLUTION.
BINARY
The Cereal Instruments binary is a dual gang attenuator that allows you to attenuate two signals with one knob. This 4HP passive module is pretty self explanatory and the controls are simple.
Knob A controls the attenuation of the signals passing through the ‘a’ inputs and outputs, whereas knob b controls the attenuation of the signals passing through the inputs and outputs of the ‘b’ jacks.
binary Gallery
The Build
Binary is a quick and easy build. It is literally 8 jacks and 2 knobs. Start by placing the jacks in their appropriate places and tacking down the rear ground pin to hold the jack into place. It might seem like its a close quarters, but this is the way it is due to the size of the module.
After you have soldered the ground pins on the jacks into place, set the pots in their relative positions. Next place the panel on top of the components and go ahead and hand tighten the nuts on the jacks/pots to keep everything in place.
Flip the module over and tack everything down. Grab your knobs and set them on the pots and pat yourself on the back… you have completed the binary by Cereal Instruments.
binary - Time Lapse Build
resolution
The last 2021 module from Cereal Instruments is named “Resolution”. It is a 10hp module that is used for sending or attenuating voltages. Resolution consists of input and output jacks and 4 precision faders. The four faders are normalled together as a buffered multiple from left to right which allows you to send one input to the other 4 outs. This is ideal for performance or adding finishing touches to your track.
Lastly, the first input is also normalled to a +5v offset that is provided by a 5v regulator (it doesn’t require power from the 5v rail).
resolution Gallery
The Build
Resolution is a power module so the first thing you want to do is place and tack down the power header on the backside of the module. If your PCB says ‘resolution v1’ on the front of it then you will need to add a couple of additional grounding connections (which you can read about here). Ours was not v1, so we didn’t have to worry about grounding connections as stated.
After you complete the power header, place the jacks and sliders. Hold the parts in place by placing the front panel over them and then tighten it down with the nuts from the jacks.
Flip the board over and solder everything into place. You have just completed the final steps in building the Resolution by Cereal Instruments.
resolution - Time Lapse Build
Oh and one other thing...
Cereal Instruments is located in the UK, so after we ordered the module up on Reverb we were expecting it to take its time getting to the US. This was not the case with any of the modules from Cereal Instruments. You might pay a tad more in shipping getting things from the UK, (unless you live there of course), but your module will be at your doorstep within a week or so. It was so fast and we really appreciated it. (Just a little FYI).
Comments or Suggestions?
If you have questions about the build process or suggestions/feedback about this article, feel free to let us know by contacting us We look forward to hearing from you!
Until the next build …
