Reverse Landfill Creep Cluster - DIY Build
As we dive into the fall season and Halloween draws near, we decided to take on a little module known as Creep Cluster by Reverse Landfill . Until recently, little was known about the Creep Cluster as it was only available as a desktop synth. We were very intrigued by the desktop model and were stoked to see Martijn decide to release the eurorack version.
Upon picking up the module through Reverse Landfill’s ETSY page (listed here), we made sure to read through the assembly guide and double checked the BOM to ensure that we had everything ready once the module arrived from overseas. Thankfully, we had a few single female single header wires/pins (at least 3 are needed) but we did have to order some extra wire for the build. A quick order on Amazon and we were ready to go in a couple days.
What about the design?
The wooden panel with the Reverse Landfill logo really give the panel a unique look. This is something that Reverse Landfill is known for up until recently, as they now offer black panels as an option.
As for the PCB panels, they are royal blue with a white silkscreen. Martijn also had a little fun with the PCB as you can see by placing an “Easter egg” on the board. Now, lets get on with the build!
Time Lapse Build Video
After unpacking the kit and separating all of the components, we fired up the old soldering iron and jumped right in. The PCB is high quality and soaks up solder quickly, therefore the build process is easier even for the novice builder. This really speeds up the build process which is a nice addition. There are some tight spaces, so make sure you have a pointed tip on your iron and take your time when soldering. In our build, we were missing the shrouded 10-pin header and upon contacting Reverse Landfill, Martijn said he would send one out right away. Luckily, we had a few extra lying around but were really appreciative of the level of customer service.
Continuing with the build, the novice builder could be confused by the free standing jack mounting on the back of the panel. Don’t worry about this part of the build because they were not free standing for long. Remember that extra wire we talked about ordering earlier? You will want to solder one wire from the PCB “GND” to the ground of one of the mounted jacks; the other wire will go from the “OUT” on the PCB to the input of the bottom output jack.
By this point in the build, you will have several resistor leg clippings laying around and you will want to grab a few to solder from ground to ground on each of the jacks. We had to use tweezers to hold a leg and then pre-solder the jack so it was easier to heat and push the leg into place. Once these jacks are soldered inline (see gallery for close up) is complete, your module is grounded and it’s onto defining what the jacks will do.
Creep Cluster Gallery
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- You Creep!
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- Completed Resistors
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- Rear panel resistors completed
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- Pots and ICs
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- Read Board Partial
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- Close up – ground wiring
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- Close Up Resistor Leg Wiring
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- Jack and Resistor Legs
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- Completed Creep Cluster PCB Wiring
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- Completed Creep Cluster Front Panel
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- Completed CC Rear Far View
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- Completed Rear PCB
We decided to stay with the “factory” defaults containing 2 oscillators, 1 clock and 1 output. You can see in the gallery that there are other options that allow the user to “mod” their Cluster. This in itself almost makes us want to pick up another just to mod and throw into another rack.
In the audio sample video we made, the Creep Cluster has a really unique sound much like its brethren NOISE! module and stand alone desktop version. With that being said, the layered tones of the oscillators are able to produce some rich bass drones and the clock feature can make the module produce some wild sounds. One cool thing that we did in our demo was to patch the Creep Clusters clock back into one of its oscillators, ultimately bringing the module a whole new set of sounds.
Audio Sample Video
Module Features and Mods Available
FEATURES
-Extensive mod possibilities, all included in a handy 12pin header
-Trimpot for filter character
-Eurorack powerheader
-The PCB is suitable for Eurorack or a 9v standalone synth.
MODS
OSC1 cv
OSC2 cv
OSC3 cv
OSC1 direct output
OSC2 direct output
OSC3 direct output
Switch 2 input 1
Switch 2 input 2
Switch 3 input 1
Switch 3 input 2
Switch 2 output
Switch 3 output
Our Final Thoughts . . .
The Reverse Landfill Creep Cluster is a unique and expandable module that brings a flare to your rack. With the ability to modify the functionality of the jacks and its boutique feel of its wooden panel, the Creep Cluster module is something we are learning more about.
It seems like the more we use it or patch it, the more we want to continue using it. It can produce some throaty bass drones by layering its oscillators. We really enjoyed the build but wouldn’t recommend it for the first time builder.
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 …
