A 14HP Eurorack replica of the ARP 1042 module which has three voltage controlled amplifiers. The original was announced by Tonus/ARP back in 1970 but unfortunately never made it into production or a prototype stage. It would have provided a set of VCA’s to be used for CV and signal control with having to tie up a 1006 or 1005. The 1042 would have been very useful!
Eurorack Module The idea of a Eurorack 1042 module was initially floated to Behringer in 2020 as part of a follow on set of modules. However the proposal was rejected due to the potential lack of customer interest and knowledge about the “ARP 2500 lost modules”.
In 2024 I opened up the ARP 2500 Project again and decided to design and manufacture the AM1042 Triple VCA in Eurorack. The design follows the same approach as the 5U Module (2016) with 3x 4019 sub modules with SMD components mounted on a single PCB. High quality op amps have been used at the output and a Yellow/Amber LED is driven by a TL072 driver circuit to show the output level on the first two models.
The first version uses a horizontal channel orientation and trimmer pots to fit into the 16HP panel.
- Gain with control knob
- 2x Audio Levels (trimmer)
- 1x CV Level (trimmer)
- Slide switch for VCA mode (linear or expo)
AM1042 Eurorack V2 In the spring of 2024 I had a complete set of ARP 2500 control knobs manufactured by Rogan Corp in the USA. This inspired me to rework the triple VCA into a vertical format with a slightly narrower panel at 14HP, and to replace the trimmers by control knobs:
- Gain – red control knob
- CV Level – silver control knob
- Input – yellow control nob
- Slide switch for VCA mode (linear or expo)
There are 12x 3.5mm jack sockets mounted at the base of the front panel, each VCA has:
- Audio Input
- CV Inputs (x2)
- Signal Output
Availability & Outcomes The first Eurorack AM1042 module was launched in April 2024 and sold out quickly. The second production version had to wait for the arrival of red ARP 2500 control knobs, and was available from July 2025.
