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Take only a few modules and start making music with them.
(try to take it to new/other directions, if necessary read manuals)
Narrowing down to a very small setup teaches me a lot every time. The music that comes out is mainly shit, but the things I learn I can use in a bigger setup again.
Back on MG. I'm a bit late...
But among the things that hold my attention here, there are these relaxed tracks from the Wishbonebrewery :))
So, another piece that doesn't lack charm (even if sometimes a little bit long; honestly, I stopped after 23 minutes, but I had a pleasant little trip under the 'starry vault' of the first part; and I also saw quickly the last part with the voices, which looks like a kind of return to earth).
Two questions:
- Do you remember how you proceeded with those little percussions with some delay (and triggered by Pam, I guess...). The ones that appear around 5:10. They form beautiful clouds of galaxies :)
- How is your black cat? (I have a cousin of his here, on the other side of the channel, in the Somme).
Thanks in advance for your answers, and congratulations for your publications !
Only use Noise: filter it, sweep it, gate it, lower the volume through a VCA and something like a ADDAC103 and you get some lovely sweep-able crackle, with an envelope follower after that you can run your whole system clicking from noise crackle. You can combine Noise with low VCO and LFO like @Anthuriumsounds on Youtube does and there is a walk through of how they do it.
Always Unpatch everything: I'm bad at not doing this but it helps make you try different things, I was getting stuck leaving all my percussion section patched up.
Try some Feedback loops: You can use a simple Mixer or Attenuator to limit and control the feedback.
Single VCO: try splitting different waveforms off into different effects (Everything will be in tune), something like the MakeNoise STO is great for this with its S-Gate you can easily make a good piece from just the STO.
Use a Pitch sequence to control a filter rather than a VCO.
Use random snippets of gated audio as percussion.
Use different length Euclidean patterns to liven-up your percussion so they evolve over a longer timeframe.
Add a gate sequence AFTER your effects or add it both before and after the effects.
Thats a few things I've played with, hope it gives you some ideas or something you haven't thought of.
Enjoy your spare HP, don't rush to fill every last space, this is not like filling sticker books. Resist the urge to 'complete' your rack, its never complete so just relax.
Have you already bought all four C4RBN's? They are discontinued and sold out basically everywhere, with one exception I found—listed as the 'final batch' and available as a pre-order, if you're interested, fingers crossed they are getting at least four remaining: https://www.rhythmiqx.ca/products/c4rbn?_pos=1&_sid=9f223768d&_ss=r
And the gold FX Aid XL; I couldn't get one. I eventually gave up waiting for a Reverb post or a faceplate restock from Signal Sounds.
Like the saying, 'We live, not as we wish to, but as we can': We build our modular cases, not as we wish to, but as we can.
I feel like I somehow got into a narrow minded patching routine, not being able to think outside the box, or to take it to a higher level, being stuck with basic techniques I learned in the beginning.. I know there are no real shortcuts in learning any skill, but I also know that there are good and bad ways in learning any skill...
Has anyone felt like this, do you have any good and real advice?
Thanks in advance :)
A new distortion unit from Neutral Labs.
Very simple build, mostly surface mount pre-installed, so only one pot, 3 jacks, and a few other things to solder.
Similar to they Scrat, this allows you to plug random electronic components into the audio chain to create distortion.
Slightly less aggressive than the Scrat,, but a good module and a great 1-2nd module.
I bought an Arbhar from user @jotaha. The box arrived damaged, which would usually be alright if the module had been packed properly. Unfortunately that wasn't the case: instead of putting the module's box in a larger box with enough padding in between, which is in my experience common practice, he simply wrapped the original box in paper. Of course that wasn't enough protection and the module arrived broken.
Hopefully that won't happen again but I definitely wouldn't take the risk and avoid trading with him.
I've seen this video but the cv clock doesn't send any start (I've try everything so far, but din't find a solution)... the clock signal is is sent and the pedal receive it but did not start, they just follow their own internal clock...
Hello everyone,
I bought an Expert Sleepers Disting mk4 with a Tiny MIDI breakout to be able to synchronize my midi pedals (microcosm, meris etc) from my modular CV glock. I'm using the G8 algorithm (CV to Midi) on the Disting. Everything is ok, EXCEPT that my pedals are waiting for a START message to switch from their internal clock to the clock they receive from de Tiny Breakout... and I can't find any way to send them this message. Is there a solution, or did I buy the wrong interface for what I wanted to do? Thanks a lot for your help !
Howdy! There's a soundscape contest going on over at ModWiggler and I created a patch for it that turn out pretty well IMO. So after recording the patch within the limitations of the contest rules, I went crazy adding a load of additional sounds and modulation to it and I really like the result. The one thing I really like here is Rings into 100 Grit into Nautilus. I thought it would be an interesting combo and I think I was right. ;-) I also paired the audio with a hi-def fractal animation created in Artmatic Designer. Cheers!
-tengo 2 opciones:
ME GUSTA MAS LA OPCION "C"
a) Usaría rytm, akaimpx, minikaoss pad y minicase (con o sin korg NTS)
b) Rytm, akai, minicase con korg nts dentro de la minicase.
C) set 3
A)
-Akai --> minikaoss --> out
-La minikaoss y minicase están en la misma caja de madera.
-Me tendría que hacer una caja de madera a medida, porque el minikaoss pad, se sale 2 cm por arriba... osea que la case sería más "larga" por arriba, y en la zona de los módulos eurorack, le pongo unos taquitos de madera para acortar la distancia, y ahí atornillaría el modulo por la parte de arriba.
-De esta manera estoy sacando lo mínimo de la case.
-Hay que comprar este módulo: http://ladik.ladik.eu/?page_id=135
Es la ampliación del modulo para secuenciar el plonk.
-Los 2 modulos de ladik manda trig y cv a plonk
-De plonk--> fx aid --> atenuador 1 --> atenuador 2 --> out
-El primer atenuador, le baja bastante volumen. El segundo me servirá de volumen de control en directo.
-La rytm podría mandar midi info a akai también. Y disparar algunas notas, para una transición, p.ej. Para esto se podría dividir la señal midi out, en 2 señales minijack stereo, una para la akai, y otra para la korg nts, y de nts sacar su sync para la minicase.
B) No usaría minikaoss, en su lugar la korg NTS (le descargo otros patches para tener filtro en "modulation")
La nts, estaría dentro de la minicase, en este caso creo que cabe en la case eowave (quizá atornillándolo por arriba, digamos sobresaliendo por arriba de la case... ¿?¿?)
-akai-->nts-->out
-rytm midi out, spliteado en 2 señales stereo
--> un midi para akai (para disparar notas)
--> otro midi para nts, y saca su sync out, para la minicase eurorack sequencer
C)
-malekko envía solo cv:
-un cv, como lfo de fx aid
-otro cv, es lfo de radio (cambia su start, de vez en cuando)
-otro cv, es el lfo de plonk
-otro cv, es el que cambia su sonido (pasar de un patch a otro)
-PICO TRIG:
-2 pistas disponibles: envía triger a plonk (2 pistas disponibles, con sus variaciones)
-envía un clock, especial a malekko: 7 pulsos "si" y un pulso "no", de esta manera, malekko puede estar en modo "pingpong" sequencer
-envía trig a radio
-radio está funcionando como una perc corta (como un pico drum) tiene un lfo, que le cambia su start, así consigo un poco de modulación sutil...
maybe there also will be also a GODZILLA TANG
which - for me - would be everything in STEREO, as i got too many modules with 2 or more (in and) outputs
i wish there was a compact mixer with at least 3x stereo fx send/return
I'd consider scrapping both Ochd and Clep Diaz
-- Shakespeare
Clep's are good, I'd be almost tempted to buy a second one even if i don't understand binary or have the time to learn it.
Enjoy your spare HP, don't rush to fill every last space, this is not like filling sticker books. Resist the urge to 'complete' your rack, its never complete so just relax.
and another no more sound sources... 4 is more than enough in this size case!
I also agree that maybe more than 4 channels of sequencing is a good idea - so you can sequence modulation if you feel so inclined
ES8/ES9 - I've got an es8 +es6 but really only use it for audio in and out and clock (& occasional drum triggers) out (using an audio track) - it's a really useful piece of kit of you are combining modular and a computer though and would much rather use that for sequencing than midi
modulation - yes matrix mixer... just do it & I'd probably also go for a 3MIA too - as well as channel 2 & 4 of maths - the 3MIA will effectively be 6 channels of the mid section of maths in this use case - but I'd also not tie Maths up doing basic utilities - it's much more powerful when self patched to do more interesting things - bouncy ball etc etc
complex oscillator - rubicon2 iirc is a great module that can form part of a complex oscillator when patched with another oscillator and a wavefolder - I'd probably go this way as it is more flexible
re people gelling more with clouds than beads - I think at least some of that is down to when clouds was released and there was no competition in that area for a while so people played the shit out of clouds and hence got deeper into it - when beads was released there were other similar modules available from other manufacturers - so to some extent people got beads and compared it to the other granular effects that they had (or were available) and decided to go elsewhere
"some of the best base-level info to remember can be found in Jim's sigfile" @Lugia
Utility modules are the dull polish that makes the shiny modules actually shine!!!
I agree with what others are saying; I'd shy away from more sound sources and focus more on mixing your modulation sources to make it more complex. I use the Doepfer Matrix Mixer with other offset/attenuation to vary the mix and degree of my modulation sources, and something like the TipTop Miso or the 4MS SISM fills a similar function in a smaller footprint. I would also say injecting a little bit of randomness really keeps things interesting. I know Pams has random waveforms, or I'm sure you can use one of the Distings for the purpose as well, but a little bit of slewed sample and hold or a designated random module like the Wogglebug (or Sloths if you dig the smoother chaos) goes a long way. Mix your modulation sources, run your modulation sources into a VCA and control it with another modulation source, mix and mingle with some feedback maybe (!?), send it to your cutoff or timbre controls and see which motions jive with your sounds. Apart from that, all great stuff in your rack! Have fun!
I saw something on Instagram earlier this week about the potential for some casual meet ups in Leeds for electronic music makers, but I think it was speculative at the moment
A couple suggestions, though I think this looks pretty fun already:
I'd consider scrapping both Ochd and Clep Diaz in favor of Pamela's New Workout (or, if you can find it, the new Pro >Workout). Close enough to the same number of modulation sources, but with much more control over them, in the same HP.
Pamela's is a great module, and I imagine I'll end up having it too, but I'm not much of a menu-diving person, and even less if @danmala goal is live-performance-improvisation.
I recommend @danmala to watch the videos of mylarmelodies and the importance that she gives to the knob "that changes everything". I see menu-based modules more as patch and forget.
I think BIA is awesome, as ferranadsr says... but Tymp Legio covers about half of the same ground. I don't know that I'd swap out the Moskwa Ostankino combo... but I wonder if you might save HP in other places (say by swapping the Wasp filter for something in 4-6hp, using your last 2hp, etc.) to make room for it.
Regarding BIA, I thought it was for the purely percussion theme, but I didn't notice that you already have Plonk and Tym Legio. But we come back to the same thing, personally BIA is more direct to handle than Plonk.
Another option would be to add a Dixie II+ type oscillator https://www.modulargrid.net/e/intellijel-dixie-ii-
it takes up little space, and you can feed the 4 channels of your Percall with some sound, since from what I see, your voices already incorporate an envelope.
One addition that might really be great, given your stated techno use, is the DivKid Mutes module. Being able to manually turn on and off 4 sources of modulation, sound, gates, triggers, etc. is lots of fun.
-- Shakespeare
This particular module has been out of stock for some time now. Are there other modules similar to this? I do plan on playing live and I neat it powerful enough to work with the Beyerdynamic DT 990 Premium Edition 600-ohm headphones. I apreciate you help.
About the 5th iteration of this dual Rackbrute system. This time decided to place all the currently own Buchla in the bottom half and keep the top for my favorite Oscilators, filters and ultilies.
The power is very close to maxing out in the top 6U, but it boots up ok and there are no issues with heat, noise or dropouts, as I've evenly split the load in to 4 groups of
A couple suggestions, though I think this looks pretty fun already:
I'd consider scrapping both Ochd and Clep Diaz in favor of Pamela's New Workout (or, if you can find it, the new Pro Workout). Close enough to the same number of modulation sources, but with much more control over them, in the same HP.
I think BIA is awesome, as ferranadsr says... but Tymp Legio covers about half of the same ground. I don't know that I'd swap out the Moskwa Ostankino combo... but I wonder if you might save HP in other places (say by swapping the Wasp filter for something in 4-6hp, using your last 2hp, etc.) to make room for it.
One addition that might really be great, given your stated techno use, is the DivKid Mutes module. Being able to manually turn on and off 4 sources of modulation, sound, gates, triggers, etc. is lots of fun.
I think a lot of people haven't clicked with Beads they way they did with Clouds... so luckily there are other granular modules out there. I have Beads, a Noise Engineering Versio (which has the Melotus firmware), and Arbhar. I've spent the least time with Arbhar, but so far I'd say my order is Arbhar > NE >/= Beads. That said, the Versio can be whatever you want it to be... filter, granular, one of the best reverbs, an autowah, a wicked distortion, etc. So I'd say if Beads isn't speaking to you, give a Versio a try.
I'd like to have the tools that suit my taste for creating drum lines and patterns to craft songs live whether that takes a little setting up or doing it on the fly.
I was wondering how others go about creating their drums for a song, dawless, complete with multiple lines, break beats, etc.
I'm really novice. I know there's some interesting modules out there like the Make Noise Rene Cartesian sequencer, but I haven't come to terms yet with how much versatility I'd get from a module like that, not to mention the case real estate(in fact, my first case is already planned out and full) and perhaps the only "quick and easy" switching of patterns would be the stochastic inspiration generator.
In any case, I'm curious and thought it could be a real learning moment to find out what and how others are crafting their drums.
ES9 + VCV Rack opens up a lot of flexibility for a hybrid system
Malekko Voltage Block might be worth consideration. It can output quantized sequences, but it's a little fiddly if trying to hit precise notes. Similar to Bloom it can be a happy accident machine
Performed on Moog Subharmonicon and two Moog Mother 32's. Effects by Q-Bit Nautilus and Desmodus Versio. Modulation by Vector Space. Stereo filtering, eq, and compression by SoundStage, SCLPL, and MSCL.
\The first thing that jumps out at me is how are you sculpting your modulation? I'd recommend looking at the Happy Nerding 3xMIA, you can mix, mult, invert, attenuate and offset your CV through it which might give you more control.
re: sequencing, I've still not really clicked with marbles (which I'm going to equate to your bloom), and I bought quite a few sequencers (Marbles, 8s, Varigate 4+, bin seq, dnipro Dot, ornaments & crime, mimetic digitalis) but having recently picked up the Metron & Arpitecht and they made the whole case come alive from a sequencing point of view, I now use the mimetic digitalis alongside those two and I feel like I have a lot more control over standard sequencing as well as sequenced modulation.
for four sound sources, I think you might need a bigger case to get the most out of them
-- Sythic
Thanks Sythic, all really useful thoughts! I nearly bought an MIA but couldn't get hold of one. I thought I would use channels 3 and 4 on Maths for the same purpose, but will look for it again.
Will check out Metron and Arpitecht - thank you!
And fear not, I have a 6U rack brute with nothing in it at present - looks like it will be getting used!
I think I’m missing inspiration around modulation. I have plenty of sources (clep diaz being the most recent addition) but struggle to get great results out of them. Any tips / learnings / changes / additions?
Maybe try a mixer to create complex modulation signals (mixing several envelopes, or envelopes and the sequence of voltages that Clep Diaz gives you, LFO's, or maybe some feedback signal.
Clep diaz is also very useful for sequencing the CV of a filter.
For these cases the ideal would be a matrix mixer, since it allows you more than one different output, but if not with a simple mixer you have it too.
I’m not really clicking with Bloom at the moment. I bought it for the evolving / fractal nature of it, but on reflection I think I’m missing a sequencer that gives me more hands on / immediate control. Of course I can use Ableton for this (and I have a Keystep Pro too) but having something else in the rack might open things up for me and means I won’t need to break from the patch to change / modify sequences. Thoughts?
-malekko envía trig y cv a dfam y plonk.
-dfam será el bajo
-maleko para dfam, configurado así:
-cv: a corcheas, con una escala menor, lineal (no en ping-pong)
-trig: a semicorcheas, trigando 4 steps on, p.ej.
-tenemos tambien el ladik que trigea al pico drum, para unos platos o algo accesorio en la transicion de canciones
-radio: se pulsa manualmente en directo.
-necesitaríamos un LFO quizás para controlar el fx aid... (o un sequenciador con cv, un pico de erica synth, que haga una curva melódica y que nos sirva de lfo)
-para pico drum, podría recivir modulacion de volumen, desde la dfam (por su pitch cv out)
- Uno de los módulos (p.ej. el bajo de dfam) se podría poner por el pico dsp (para que no se ensucie la señal...)
-el resto de modulos van para el mixer doepfer y de ahí a fx aid.
-fx aid y pico dsp --> atenuador --> out
The first thing that jumps out at me is how are you sculpting your modulation? I'd recommend looking at the Happy Nerding 3xMIA, you can mix, mult, invert, attenuate and offset your CV through it which might give you more control.
re: sequencing, I've still not really clicked with marbles (which I'm going to equate to your bloom), and I bought quite a few sequencers (Marbles, 8s, Varigate 4+, bin seq, dnipro Dot, ornaments & crime, mimetic digitalis) but having recently picked up the Metron & Arpitecht and they made the whole case come alive from a sequencing point of view, I now use the mimetic digitalis alongside those two and I feel like I have a lot more control over standard sequencing as well as sequenced modulation.
for four sound sources, I think you might need a bigger case to get the most out of them
I think I’m missing inspiration around modulation. I have plenty of sources (clep diaz being the most recent addition) but struggle to get great results out of them. Any tips / learnings / changes / additions?
Maybe try a mixer to create complex modulation signals (mixing several envelopes, or envelopes and the sequence of voltages that Clep Diaz gives you, LFO's, or maybe some feedback signal.
Clep diaz is also very useful for sequencing the CV of a filter.
For these cases the ideal would be a matrix mixer, since it allows you more than one different output, but if not with a simple mixer you have it too.
I’m not really clicking with Bloom at the moment. I bought it for the evolving / fractal nature of it, but on reflection I think I’m missing a sequencer that gives me more hands on / immediate control. Of course I can use Ableton for this (and I have a Keystep Pro too) but having something else in the rack might open things up for me and means I won’t need to break from the patch to change / modify sequences. Thoughts?
-maleko envía trig y cv para plonk. Le puede enviar con sequenciador ping-pong, así tenemos sensación de 16 steps
-maleko envía trig y lfo para pico drum (el lfo, controla su volumen, lentamente o rápido...)
-la "radio" se dispara en directo, pulsando el boton. Aquí tenemos samplers largos para ayudar en los drops y transiciones... A la derecha del knob (p.ej.) se encuentran los "hits y decayendo" (medianamente cortos) y a la derecha los "crescendo" (que serán más largos) Depende de lo que necesites en ese momento. Puedes tocar un "crescendo", esperar, y cuando hagas el drop, le bajas el volumen a la radio...
-el switch puede ayudar a on/off a plonk y pico drum
-plonk y radio--> van a pico mixer --> de ahí a fx aid --> a atenuador --> y de aquí para afuera...
-también radio puede ir a --> atenuador salida 2 --> korg minikaosspad. Así tendrías un control fx sobre los sonidos largos, o cada vez que le das a un mismo sonido, suene diferente...
-la case se alimenta por abajo, con su alimentador pequeñito original (con 500 de potencia como máximo)
-si le ponemos el pico drum, puede que sobrecargemos la case de alimentación (ya vamos por 400) ¿?¿?
I'd like some input on my current rack. It's the result of around 2 years of building up. I mainly enjoy jamming with it (although there's never enough time) and using it to add sounds to tracks I make in Ableton. I have Electronica and Ambient leanings, but have a broad musical taste. I am a child of the 70s and therefore came of musical age in the late 80s with all the synth sounds you would expect.
I am at an impasse. My rack has evolved over the last two years without a strong vision, and now I'm looking at a nearly full case and feeling that something's missing. Therefore I'd love your input on what you might add / change / do differently.
Here's my thoughts, to help give a picture:
I think I’m missing inspiration around modulation. I have plenty of sources (clep diaz being the most recent addition) but struggle to get great results out of them. Any tips / learnings / changes / additions?
I don’t think I’ve ever really ‘clicked’ with Beads. Aside from a nice reverb I’ve never managed to get into a flow with it or truly ‘play’ it. I’m thinking I should have bought a Morphagene instead to manipulate and warp audio. Any thoughts on this?
I’m not really clicking with Bloom at the moment. I bought it for the evolving / fractal nature of it, but on reflection I think I’m missing a sequencer that gives me more hands on / immediate control. Of course I can use Ableton for this (and I have a Keystep Pro too) but having something else in the rack might open things up for me and means I won’t need to break from the patch to change / modify sequences. Thoughts?
I have a feeling I’d like a complex oscillator. Last Osc bought was the 4ms Ensemble but honestly I haven’t clicked with it (or spent enough time learning it, probably). I seem to struggle with too many switches, buttons and modes and prefer the more ‘nob per function’ approach. I’ve looked at the Rubicon2 and DPO as potentials and would welcome your thoughts!
Recently I’ve been interested in linking more directly with Ableton / Max to feed modulation in and out of the rack (and was therefore looking at the Expert Sleepers ES-8 and 9). I’m not a proficient Max/MSP user but like the generative / logic coding base of it (am a big Autechre fan). Does anyone have any thoughts or advice on getting this going?
Wow – there’s some big questions there, no wonder I’m a bit stuck! I hope the above makes some kind of sense and I welcome your thoughts and observations!
anybody had recently contacted with dave jones or his company? Try to reach him since a months in terms of purchasing a unit.. would really appreciate any kind of information :)
Anybody know where there is some kind of manual this guy? like what's that button for? Website that says it's a function button. not totally useful. I know the switches change the voltage range for midi output, but I don't know which position is which! Stuff like that.
Surprisingly, tesseract's website references a manual but damn if I can find it anywhere.
-- Rastoboy
