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I like the music, and I like the videos (this one quite a lot actually) but I think I would like the video more without the music What can I say, everyone's a critic :)
-- the-erc
Yeah, the music does get in the way, but considering this was a failed fishing trip, it turned out okay.
I like the music, and I like the videos (this one quite a lot actually) but I think I would like the video more without the music What can I say, everyone's a critic :)
I should clarify, I'm not just looking to make octave sound dissonant, I'm looking to synthesize sounds that will sound good in any tuning, which means it would be best to synthesize them at the Spectra level. Other than this Harmonic Shift Oscillator, I assume that an appropriate module would probably be an FM or Additive synth/oscillator.
Hi, I'd like to work with a module that has inharmonic (Non integer) partials. So far it looks like a module close to what I'm looking for is the Harmonic Shift Oscillator by New System Instruments. I'm not sure if it does exactly what I want, but if I understand the module correctly It has a Harmonic Shift knob that alters how spread the partials are. I'm trying to replicate the results in this video (which are in turn from the book Tuning Timbre Spectrum Scales)
Also fun bonus fact: The idea that consonance is based on simple integer ratios is a pure misconception! That's exciting if you ask me (see video).
Hey all, really excited to be getting into analog and modular after many years working in largely in DAWs as an experimental music hobbyist, because like many, all my initial experiences fiddling around with music and noise-making were analog. Feels great to get back to manipulating sound so directly. I finally have my first skiff set up, but I figured this might also be a place to share my compilation "Sorceress" of my past work, which has been free for a while in both truncated and extended versions on my website. Over the past year I compiled about 235 tracks I had laying around -- some on old cassettes, some on various PC hard-drives, some on CDRs -- for personal archival. Then I put together I think 50 of them for the purposes of a compilation called Sorceress and made it available on my website's blog, with a roughly 20 track version you can stream directly from the site. Been meaning to upload it to one of my Soundcloud accounts, where I have other unrelated material from recent years, but I don't think I ever got around to that.
The content is a pretty wide gamut, with tracks recorded in 1996 all the way up to 2020. Here's the original blurb about it from the blogpost:
Edward Ewald . Sorceress
(Selected Tracks, 1996-2020)
In 1996, when I was 17, I began fiddling around with a Radio Shack 4-channel mixer, a boombox stereo, a Sony dual cassette deck, a microphone, and a cheap Yamaha keyboard. I had no idea what I was doing and no real musical ability, but I was getting into experimental and electronic music of various kinds, and the desire to do something creative with sound was absolutely overwhelming. So I patched together the little equipment I had on a large table in my family's basement, and set to making a variety of music and noise. The first real "track" I recorded (retroactively titled "FM/AM" and appearing as track #47 on this comp) was basically just a meditative blend of FM and AM radio noise I'd taped, layered with some gentle keyboard drones. I received some positive feedback on the effort from a friend who was into ambient music, and I pressed on with more ambition.
By '97 I was listening to a lot of Aphex Twin and Squarepusher, and I wanted to make something with the rapid, chaotic percussion they tended to employ. I had no idea how to use computers to make music yet, no drum machine, no FX machines -- nothing that would be of any real use to emulating their style of music. So I improvised by simply recording very, very slowly played layers of percussion, and layering them atop each other (via cassette) piece by piece, with layers of melody woven in every other pass or so. I liked things to sound a bit strange, so I did a lot of ... creative EQ-ing, let's say ... and when I felt I had enough, I would dub the resulting, intentionally super-slow mix from one cassette to another at double-speed on the dual cassette deck, while recording the output to a third cassette. This double-speed recording would either become the final mix, or a pre-final mix that I would then mix together with another layer or two of non-sped-up material.
The results were certainly not what I would call objectively good -- I wasn't even using a metronome, and I have a terrible sense of rhythm -- but they were certainly interesting, and I still enjoy some of these wonky little homespun efforts to this day. There is a 2x album on Bandcamp called "Mother's Basement," somewhere, and that is the most comprehensive collection of this specific early period of music-making that I have organized. But a few tracks from that initial era appear here also -- primarily "Falcons" (track 33), and "The Mack" (track 24). "Pac-Man," "Energy Theme," "My Ghetto Bitch, Yo," "Bryan Was a Warm Sun," and of course "FM/AM" are also from this same general very early period. ("Keyboard Music Demo Track 1," while created much later, was also recorded using the same lo-fi, cassette-based mixing method I'd used in '96, as well as the same keyboard -- it was part of a nostalgic attempt to revisit that early process).
In 1998 I'd finally transition to making music on a computer, using a very cheap off-brand DAW called Digital Orchestrator. It crashed often, my grasp of MIDI and mixing principles were poor, and it was years before I realized something as simple as the fact that I could set the sample rate to something higher than 22,500. Many tracks from this era are rather tedious; some have been lost, some I keep ambivalently shelved; but, there are nevertheless more than a few tracks from this era that I still enjoy, too. Of this compilation, tracks from that period would include "Nighthawk," "Leap Frog," "Gloomy Firecracker," "In the Beginning," "Ghost of Memory," "Ghost of Hydrogen," and a personal favorite, "Your Heart is Also Here," which for me subjectively captures the emotional atmosphere of my early twenties in a very personal way. The rest of the tracks range from the mid-aughts all the way up to 2019. I think the most recent track in this compilation is probably "Water Spirit (2nd movement)" from an abandoned ambient EP I was working on a little in 2019. The songs featuring the slightly sped-up/pitch-shifted vocals -- "Princess," "Bill & Sue," "Phantoms," "Pitchforks" and "Magic Trick" -- were supposed to be tracks for a demo album I was putting together called "Suicide Songs," sometime around 2015. "Shortcuts," "Like Magic," "Slice of Night," and the partial "Lady in Red" cover are also from this general period. I know I have a lousy singing voice -- for some reason speeding it up makes it slightly more palatable for me. It gives me permission to not take it very seriously, I suppose, and I've always just enjoyed the slightly weird effect of it (cf. the much, much older "Bryan Was a Warm Sun," which was made with a microcassette recorder microphone only).
Anyway -- recently I set to organizing and revisiting some of my large, disheveled archive, and managed to compile 235 tracks. This was by no means an exhaustive count, just the ones I was able to easily identify and catalog with the time I had. Of those 235, I've winnowed it down to a selection of 50 for the purposes of this 3 hour compilation.
I was listening at your track and "suddenly" I was... I was... disturbed and... didn't know what was going on?! What happened? Your track ended and I missed it, this track of yours is so great, so joyful to listen at, this could be double length for me and I still would feel it's too short.
I really enjoyed listening at your music, it's relaxing as well as it inspires me while I was writing and being busy with one of my review reports :-) So thank you very much for this joyful moment and kind regards, Garfield.
P.S.: Hitting the play button again, I want this again, again, and again ;-)
For review reports of Eurorack modules, please refer to https://garfieldmodular.net/ for PDF formatted downloads
Lovely video as always, I still love the river where you live nearby, beautiful to watch your videos. At about 1:30+ what happened with that road that seems to disappear in the river? Or is that on purpose?
Nice AE system music accomplishes the video, great! :-) Thank you very much for sharing this and kind regards, Garfield.
For review reports of Eurorack modules, please refer to https://garfieldmodular.net/ for PDF formatted downloads
-- Hence if you haven't already committed to a case, I suggest you view more other small to mid-size builds to try to zero in on sizing that gives the right balance of small yet inspiring for you.
-- nickgreenberg
Thanks for the good points. This actually hit the nail on the head. I've been mulling over a suitable case for a while and going between this palette or a 6U Frap Tools plus -setup and haven't made a solid decision yet.
It's difficult, for instance 6U 84hp system would open a lot of possibilities to have an additional envelope/LFO and VCA. In this current plan if I want to use Just Friends as a voice I'm lacking an envelope (thus there are a couple 1U LPGs to control voices with just triggers, but it's less flexible). But I'm kind of worried to open the floodgates with a bigger system and hoarding too much everything to keep the system coherent and mobile.
-- the "big rack / small rack" setup IMO works really well. Big rack gives big possibilities; small rack is portable and helps focus. I've heard a bunch of other people (incl. working musicians) take a similar approach. So you have a lot of company in this line of thinking.
-- that said, the 104hp setup above MAY be too confining? For me a 9U 84HP setup (Deopfer case) is very portable, small enough to be focused, but big enough to give some room for a variety of modules. Your question about Sarajewo and "hard to justify the space in such a tight setup" may indicate your build would be better served with a bigger case? Hence if you haven't already committed to a case, I suggest you view more other small to mid-size builds to try to zero in on sizing that gives the right balance of small yet inspiring for you.
I've read the manual and I can save patterns no problem, but I can't seem to change bank. It's possible that there's an issue with my module, but I get the feeling like I might just be doing something wrong.
Let's say I've programmed gates 1, 2, and 3 to trigger drum samples. To save that whole pattern (is that the right term for the series of sequences being sent by multiple gates?), do I need to save each track/gate individually? Or is there a way to save the entire pattern by selecting Save and Gate 1 only?
When I hold down the bank button and press another gate button, the light changes while bank is held down and it appears to me that I'm in another bank. But the pattern is the same. If I save something there, it follows me to each new bank. if I change bank and delete the pattern, I can't find it by going back to the previous bank.
I think I'm just making a silly mistake somewhere, I know that this is a dumb question and people typically figure this out from the manual, but I'm just having trouble getting it. If anyone could help me out I'd really appreciate it!
And, yeah I know that too when recording. I also get in this flow every time. I never look at a clock when recording, but usually I always end up at around 9 Minutes :-)
Hey. Here is a new track I recorded live on my modular - maybe a bit over long?.....but you know how it is when you get in that synth zone! Time seems to disappear in to the aether.
Mangu solved the issue.
You must power on the Sweet Sixteen after the Disting.
I've plugged it on another psu.
You can try this kind of thing: https://www.modularsquare.com/shop/wmd/soft-start/
It's another solution.
I didn't try it.
Pull up enabled on the Sweet sixteen and disabled on the Disting.
I was nervous for my first time buying throw modulargrid, but thanks to @Grooveserfer patient and guidance everything went perfect. Finally got the erica synths sample drum in perfect conditions! Would definitely buy from him again!
🤓
TL:DR would you replace Xaoc Sarajewo with something? Comments about the rack?
For some time now, I've felt my larger modular system gives me so much possibilities to tweak sounds in all sort of manners that it's hard not to get stuck minding over the minute details of a patch. This coincides with a feeling that it would be nice to have a more portable system.
Summer's on it's way and I'm moving temporarily to a much smaller apartment, and I've been devising a smaller 104hp setup to keep me company. The goal of this rack is to have a self-contained system with depth to sequence voices in unorthodox manner, for instance, I love just intonation tuning, so a sequencer / voices with easily changeable temperament is a must.
Some notes about the setup: ER-301 is used as a flexible mixer with some DSP applications. Just Friends used interchangeably as an envelope / LFO / or additional voices when I need them. 1U Multi-FX is only included because the plate reverb emulation is one of the best I have heard, instant ambience generator.
What I'm mostly unsure about and would love feedback about is the Xaoc Sarajewo. I've heard so much great things about it, but it's hard to justify the space in such a tight setup for a mono delay. Any other clock syncable delays that would fit? Chronoblob 2? Experiences with one or both of them you can share?
Apparent issues? I see zero with this build because none of you know what equipment I have nor my vision, I didn't ask for anyone to comment so I will make them all private from now on. You apparently got nothing better to do then to talk crap of other people's designs you know nothin about on a Saturday, so yes Trolls. And By the way everything you complained about it is in the rig if you looked harder.
Here's my own attempt. Many ideas stolen from @troux.
Mixing solution :
SSF Vortices is the main mixer, which is stereo. the main outs go into the MSCL (bus compressor) and then the Isolater for output.
The four non-kick voices (BIA, Entity, Hats, Disting) get high passed by the Shakmat Hi-Pass and then multed into the Vortices' mono inputs, and also the two 2hp mixers (which are effects sends).
The white 2hp mix goes to FX Aid for delay/reverb/etc and comes back to a stereo in on Vortices
The black 2hp mix goes to the Kith Ruina for distortion and comes back via one of the stereo ins on Vortices (as mono). Not sure about this... maybe not filthy enough.
The Kickall goes into the remaining stereo in of Vortices, (again as mono).
It's a bit perverse to use the stereo inputs for the things which I want dead centre but it makes sense.
Non-mixing additions :
extra power!
more passive switches
I dropped the Takaab SMIX to make space.
I have tried to think about the cable routing, but there's only so much you can do with so much packed into such a small space. And of course I have no EQ anywhere which is not ideal. I was also considering a build around the Befaco Hexmix but, being that bit bigger, it makes doing anything sensible with the effects quite difficult.
@troux@garfield -- I think I will buy a PSU3 from Doepfer and swap out the PSU2. It seems to be pretty easy. But as it happens I have a spare "rack-wart" power module lying around that I can use to tide me over until then.
I've been told by a representative of Cre8Audio that the following tools will work to remove the existing nuts on my NiftyCase :
Philmore NT500
Xicon 382-0006
Can anyone confirm this ? Is there a standard knurled nut bit set available anywhere ? Part numbers, source, weblink, etc ... ?
Thanks in advance.
I'd rather have a bottle in front of me than a frontal labotomy
Wowzer Lugia this was a super deep treatise on generative music and synths! I'd love to see a patch guide example to help budding self generative acolytes like myself apply this to our modular systems. My large system has plenty of LFO, VCAs, sequencers and logic modules and even a comparator now. I hope someday to see a book and video series on modular synthesis from you and I'd definitely buy it. I'm finding modules like Mutable Instruments Marbles, Acid Rain Maestro and WMD SSF Toolbox great items to help with self generative music creation on modular.
Yeah, as I look into it more (and now that I have my actual skiff today) I'm realizing I'm overworrying a bit. I know I'm a little out of my depth with the technical side of electronics, so I'm being super cautious in making sure I'm not overlooking something. Thanks for the link, I will indeed be bookmarking that.
For others interested in this, you might check out these threads:
-- https://www.modulargrid.net/e/forum/posts/index/9673 ... see esp. middle of the post where, in response to some questions from me, Lugia posted a 9U 84HP rack and discussion of its generative capabilities
-- https://www.modulargrid.net/e/forum/posts/index/9516 ... see esp Farkas's posted video on Generative, and Lugia's larger proposed rack build with comments
I'm interested in continuing to learn about generative modular / hierarchical musical control systems SO if anyone else knows of good threads, vids etc. on this topic, please do add in Replies below.
I would have to wear each on a scale and find out. The MDLR feels heavier as it is solid birch wood than the Doepfer monster case.
The Doepfer base/monster were expensive together cost close to $2800 but with discount cost me about $2300 and not cheap but I figure for all those expensive modules the solid power supplies and case will be worth it. Now I won't have to buy another case for a while until I fill up the 300+ HP and 140HP in the 6u case free.
Here is my current "midsize rack" design. It is intended for i) EDM lead / bass tones ii) learning modular iii) fun and exploration.
This is the round 3 design, after "just ideas" in February, and an earlier build mockup in March.
The basic design logic:
-- Row 1 is "voicing" with 2 oscillators, 2 filters, a wavefolder, and a little bit of mult utilities in the middle
-- Row 2 middle is "brains" with Vector Sequencer and Scales (quantizer) to the left. I did choose to keep a quantizer (in addition to the sequencer) in the design as I wanted an independent chain to sequence pitch class sets. And I went with Scales over a couple other suggestions as Scales better fits my thinking and workflow.
-- Row 3 is CV (Stages through Batumi) followed by VCA, effects, and signal out
-- tucked in a few other places are attenuator / logic modules (4MS SISM, ADDAC Sum&Diff, Triplatt) to control / mix CV signals; Doepfer narrow mix and steroe mix to let me have a couple chains through the OSC, filters, Wavefolder; and Kinks
-- modules are selected by i) what's inspiring to me ii) what modules will complement others iii) what is in stock (vs. having to wait forever) iv) to keep some "easier to learn" modules involved (vs. having huge manuals for everything)
Regarding layout:
-- I wanted Voicing on top row, the Sequencer in a nicely centered position, effects and signal out in the lower right
-- other items are arranged thinking how I might normally patch them, and where the HP is a good fit
I'm curious:
-- what do you think of this build?
-- would you consider this a deep / fun rack? If yes, why, if not, what changes would improve it?
-- are there clear ways to improve the layout?
Thanks to anyone willing to have a look & kick around some ideas on this. And thanks for the many helpful comments on my earlier posts!
So everyone on here is a troll, got it!
-- Hellseeker
No, not really. But if you're going to post a build, and it's got clear and apparent issues, you're going to hear about it. And this one fits right in there...
For one thing, there is an excess of audio modules here. I see several possible audio chains...except for the fact that you've only got five VCAs for this entire build, and you need VCAs for both the audio AND modulation. Five won't cut it. Then there's the envelope generators...as in, there aren't any. Sure, you can use the Maths for that, but doing so is sort of like using your Ferrari Dino to pop around to the Circle-K for some jerky and a Monster tallboy. Also, I see no submixing possibilities (and I refuse to count the Erica Mix/Splits here...mixing implies control over incoming levels, not "jam everything in with no control") at all aside of the three inputs on the Fusion VCF.
Then there's all the tubes. Tubes draw more current than solid-state devices, and tend to require beefier power supplies to deliver it. So, at present this build has a "calculated" draw of 2.4A. Then, to avoid inrush (and tubes do current inrush like nothin' else!) issues affecting the power supply, you would need a supply to deliver 3.2A on the +12V rail alone. And that's going to COST...
But what's here costs already...and unnecessarily so, as well. ARE the tube modules necessary? Are they present from the idea that "tubes = loads of noise" (not really true)? Couldn't you do better (and cheaper [and with less current draw]) with some regular-ish VCOs, a PROPER submixer, and a wavefolder to deal with the distortive waveshaping? Do you have to have these large modules eating up your valuable panel space? Panel space that NEEDS to be filled with all of the various utility and modulation modules that are necessary...but not present here for the most part?
There's a term around here for the problem this build has: "Sexy Module Syndrome". This happens when someone gets all hot-n-bothered about slapping "feature" modules in, mesmerized by the blinkenlichts und tvistenknobs to the point that they neglect the fact that those "sexy" modules REQUIRE a proper complement of the "boring" ones so that they can be used to their fullest. That's what utilities DO. It's VERY easy to build a build like this...but all you get in the end is a very expensive noisemaker, and not a proper synthesizer.
I'd strongly suggest looking at the builds on here that are done by experienced synthesists. There's plenty of them here. Note how they deal with this primary issue. Then, if that's not sufficiently convincing, get a copy of VCV Rack and try putting together a mockup of the above (as best as possible in VCV...although, you can get pretty close). See what it does and doesn't do. Then apply whatever knowledge you can glean from those example builds to the VCV mockup...and you'll notice that, all of a sudden, that VCV build is really acting like a synthesizer.
Yeah love having it all in one place and infinite patch options. Now I can really sink my teeth deeper into modular and not buy another module for a long time. The Doepfer rig is quite portable and has great covers/handles to take on the road. I know a guy with two monster cases who does events and he has a very impressive rig. They are expensive but I bought mine on sale and Detroit Modular has point discount program so I saved over $300 for a new monster case. For large travel case, the MDLR 12u is hard to beat. I would however get a lighter case like the Amalgamod or NONO Lander Two 104HP 9U Modular Case for less money that still gives over 200HP for mobile power.
Not too shabby...plus, plenty of "hole" in which to put M0AR!!!
Also, don't be fooled here, folks...that Doepfer rig, even with 1000+ hp, can STILL be put on a backseat of your basic car. Yes, both cabs. I wish they weren't so effin' expensive, tho...
You're not even close to a typical current overload situation. Let's look at the math involved here...
Here's a very useful page...so useful, in fact, you might want to bookmark it: https://www.rapidtables.com/calc/electric/watt-volt-amp-calculator.html All you do is enter two known values, and the calculator fills in the rest according to basic electrical physics. So, in the case of the 1 kW PC PSU, you'd enter 117 V for the voltage, 1000 watts for the consumption in watts, and you get 8.5 amps (and change).
Now, armed with that website widget, start calculating your TOTAL amperage draw for your ENTIRE music rig. Then check your breaker panel and make sure that whatever circuit you use is capable of handling the amperage load. My bet is that you're just fine; solid-state electronics such as what's in music gear doesn't tend to have much of a current draw when compared to motorized devices, devices that involve high voltage step-ups, and the like. In fact, your biggest "amp hog" is probably going to be the main monitor amplifier.
Kel, you really need to calm down. There's no "there" there. And eexee is 100% spot-on; the term, as I used it, is American "carny speak" for precisely the sort of person who someone pushing a $5k QMMG is looking for, just like carny barkers looking for an easy mark among the midway crowd. Nothing "xenophobic" about it.
If you buy nowadays a new Doepfer case, it comes with the PSU-3 and that one goes up till 2000 mA for the +12 V, that's in most cases sufficient. I agree with you that the PSU-2 with only 1200 mA for the +12 V can be challenging.
Or you could buy the PSU3 unit and replace that with your current PSU2, I do think that's possible but please check before doing so (in case you are interested).
Kind regards, Garfield.
For review reports of Eurorack modules, please refer to https://garfieldmodular.net/ for PDF formatted downloads
I plan to keep the MDLR case next to the Doepfer monster case, and use the mostly empty 6u Doepfer case for jams and travel.
I can throw in Queen of Pentacles and Ground control in the 6u case and maybe a good mixer and some utilities and a complex oscillator and have enough to jam and do sets without killing my back carrying the MDLR case which is heavy! I do have a hand cart so could use that also for the MDLR case.
Wow, that's a great nice looking and indeed large setup, the A-100PMB together with the A-100PMS12 standing on top of the PMB! So you have now 6*168 HP = 1 kHP ;-) 1008 HP nicely in one large overview :-)
The MDLR case, are you going to use that for when you are going to meet friends or when you want to move with your modules somewhere else (holiday, laying on the beach or on the hotel's room balcony, in one hand a nice drink and the other hand controlling the modules in your MDLR case)? ;-)
Looks like you got yourself a few nice guitars too! I even don't know how to hold one ;-)
Oh indeed, I agree here with Wishbonebrewery, only 300 HP left, that sounds like a serious problem, so next year you buy another PMB+PMS12 set? ;-)
Enjoy your new studio setup together with these new Doepfer cases, now comes the case-versus-module-planning... where to put which module ;-) Have fun and kind regards, Garfield.
For review reports of Eurorack modules, please refer to https://garfieldmodular.net/ for PDF formatted downloads
I too wonder if this is a UK/US thing. I've never known anyone to take particular offense to the word 'rube' (in the US). Well ... at least not in any sense relating to xenophobia. And Lugia didn't even use it as an insult ... he used it to mean someone not educated or cultured enough to see through the marketing buzz and snakeoil. Which is what the word means. What would be a better word to use in this context?
Pittsburgh Modular has some real beefy cases if you can make it work @the-erc, power for days. If not maybe we can get @Lugia to sign off on my Micro Zeus idea from the other day.
