Expert Sleepers — ES-9

Manual PDF

Expert Sleepers ES-9 Manual PDF

Expert Sleepers ES-9 – Quick Reference Cheat Sheet

Power & Installation

Power Connector: Doepfer standard (10-pin).
Red stripe = -12V (bottom of PCB)
Power Draw:
+12V: 451 mA (max at 96kHz)
-12V: 133 mA
5V: Not used

Panel Controls

Control	Type	Function
Volume Knob	Rotary & Push	Headphone output volume. Push & hold (>1s) toggles between "hosted" and "standalone" configs.
LEDs	4x	A: Power / B: USB Data / C: MIDI Out / D: MIDI In
Jumpers	Back Panel	JP1: Forces DFU boot mode for firmware update

Inputs and Outputs

Type	Location	Count	Connector	Voltage Range	Coupling	Notes
Analogue Inputs	Front	14	3.5mm TS	±10V (0dBFS)	DC	Use for audio or CV
Analogue Outputs	Front	8	3.5mm TS	±10V max	DC	Use for audio or CV
Balanced Outputs	Front	2	1/4" TRS	Line Level	AC	Not DC coupled (for monitors)
Headphone Output	Front	1	1/4" TRS	Line Level	DC	Mix of outs 1/2 & 3/4
S/PDIF In/Out	Front	2	Optical	Digital audio	N/A
MIDI – Expansion	Rear Header	2	4-pin IDC	–	–	Use MIDI breakout
ES-5 Expander	Rear Header	1	10-pin IDC	–	–	For gate/trigger expansion

Socket Illumination: 3.5mm input/output jacks light RED (positive), BLUE (negative).

USB Host Operation

USB C port connects to DAW; no power drawn from USB bus.
No drivers needed for macOS/iOS/Linux; Windows driver available on Expert Sleepers downloads.

Audio Channels Mapping (Default, DAW)

Main Outputs (1/4"): 1/2
Headphone Out: Mix of 1/2 & 3/4
S/PDIF Out: 5/6
ES-5 Out: 7/8
3.5mm Outputs: 9–16
3.5mm Inputs: 1–14
S/PDIF In: 15/16

Quick-Start Workflow

Install ES-9 in Eurorack → connect power cable (match -12V to red stripe)
Connect via USB to your computer (use C-to-A or C-to-C cable).
Confirm DAW Device: Select ES-9 in your DAW's audio preferences.
Monitor LEDs: LED below USB C should light when connected.
Configure with the ES-9 Config Tool (download here; browser app requires Chromium-based browser).
Save Configuration into either hosted or standalone memory slots.

Advanced Features Cheat Sheet

Feature	Key Details
Mixers	8x8 crosspoint (mono) mixers. Can route anything to anything.
DC Blocking	Switchable per input pair; keep ON for audio, OFF for CV.
Stereo Links	Links adjacent mixer channels for stereo processing.
EQ	4 bands per input, several filter types. Consumes DSP resources.
Mix Smoothing	Optional interpolation; use for MIDI-controlled mixing, live use.
MIDI Control	Macro mix controllable via MIDI CC (see manual for CC mapping).
5-pin DIN MIDI I/O	With MIDI breakout; 4-pin header pinout in manual.
Firmware Update	Use ExpertSleepersDFU tool + .dfu file; see update page
SysEx Protocol	Full SysEx support for config state/automation (see manual).

Back Panel Jumpers & Expansion

JP1: Fit jumper to force DFU boot (firmware rescue if normal DFU fails).
GT1 (To ES-5): 10-pin expansion to ES-5; red stripe down.
GT2 (MIDI breakout): 4-pin header for 5-pin DIN MIDI.

Pinout:

Pin	Function
1	OUT (DIN pin 4)
2	OUT (DIN pin 5)
3	IN (DIN pin 5)
4	IN (DIN pin 4)

Troubleshooting LED Indicators

LED	Function
A	On = Powered
B	On = USB connected
C	MIDI from host → breakout (outbound)
D	MIDI from breakout → host (inbound)
All	At start: flash twice/sequence = normal.

Useful Links

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