Bastl says Softpop SP2 units made from September 2022 carry digital VCO

September 1, 2022 · 1 sources

Bastl Instruments has published a support note stating that Softpop SP2 units manufactured from 09/2022 carry the digital VCO version, while units manufactured pre-09/2022 run the analog VCO firmware¹. The note, dated 2022-09-01, sets out how owners can tell the two apart and how older units move to the digital version.

The Softpop SP2 is a semi-modular synth voice with a sequencer. Bastl describes the original design as having "an analog triangle core oscillator and automatic tuning feature"¹. Moving a pre-09/2022 unit to the digital firmware is not a software-only step: "If updating from the analog VCO version firmware (units manufactured pre-09/2022), this update requires switching to the DIGITAL oscillator via the onboard jumper before installing the new firmware"¹. Bastl says the jumper must bridge the middle and right pins, and that it is small and easily misaligned¹.

Firmware is loaded over audio from a phone or computer. Bastl warns that noisy power supplies and externally powered USB hubs can disrupt the update, and that any notification sound from the phone or computer during the upload will cause it to fail¹. The note also gives a fallback routing through the audio input, amp and filter for units whose output level is too low for the reset jack¹.

At startup, the two versions show different light patterns. On digital VCO units, all lights are on except one blinking light that indicates the firmware version; lights 1, 3, 5 and 7 animate, with light 2 showing the VCO Pitch Limiter mode, light 4 the CV Pitch tracking mode and light 6 the flipped function of the FINE-TUNE fader¹. On analog VCO units, the firmware version is shown by a GATE number blinking several times: "If GATE number 2 blinks, you are running firmware v1.2"¹. Bastl adds that "All units from the batch shipped in February 2022 have version v1.1 installed. Please update to v1.2 for better sync stability"¹.

The page lists the latest digital VCO firmware as v1.3 (07/2025) and the last analog VCO firmware as v1.2 (03/2022)¹. Bastl states that updating the firmware cannot brick or harm the SP2¹.