Jomox Alphabase - thoughts and alternatives?

The Lounge Other Gear
#75

There’s a new OS (1.49) adding 9 “scenes” aka presets with limited tuning range for the Mbrane, it’s a welcome addition :

Because the MBRANE instrument is so complex, and many users have
struggled to easily find e.g. a proper snare drum sound, we have added a fixed
preset selection with limited tuning range to quickly obtain snare drum, tomlike or kick drum sounds without diving into the sound production parameters.
On page A, where previously Gate Time was (on both pages) is now a so-called
Scene parameter.

You’ve got 9 scenes:
1-4 contain 4 different snare drums,
5-7 contain 3 tom-like and
8-9 contain 2 kick drums.
„Off“ brings back the previously stored MBRANE sound. In „off“ mode the
MBRANE instrument works as known before.

Within scene selection, the pitch tuning range of the both membrane oscillators
is very limited. This is useful for distinct snare drums or kicks. The normal
range of the membranes covers the whole audio range, and this may have
been tricky for many users. You can fine tune the membranes and it is being
stored like this. All other parameters work as before.
If you have selected a scene and are editing the parameters, you have to
quick-store the preset (encoder 16 click) in order to keep it. Once you turn
Scene again, all is gone and the fixed scene preset is reloaded. With „off“, the
latest stored preset (full range tuning) is loaded.
But if you stay on the scene you can change all values, and after storing the
sound is recalled like this, keeping the scene number.

Here’s a quick loop I made using the Mbrane as toms with one of these scenes :

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#76

Hi, would you mind to explain your problem with the Mbase11 talking midi? I have mine hooked up since years via midi without on single hiccup… what was the fault?

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#77

The earlier models had a software issue that made the device only sometimes respond to midi. There are some workarounds like sending cc data like an lfo to an unused cc, but that only seemed to work intermittently.
That issue was fixed by JOMOX, but unfortunately the only way to get the software updated is by sending the device to them and paying a ridiculous fee. That is if they ever respond to your emails to begin with.

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#78

When I had one I found that just turning off midi clock going to it worked - otherwise it would ignore a midi note here and there

The thing of sending continuous CCs also workedc, but think that was a workaround for ppl who still wanted to send it midi clock for syncing things like LFO

#79

Updated mine. The new mbrane sounds are great and super handy to have!

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#80

I made a big demo of the Alphabase for anyone who’s been wondering what the fuss is all about :

I also made a sample pack to go with it

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JoMoX Alpha Base Analog Drum Synthesizer
Jomox Alpha Base
#81

I’m about halfway through the video, and this is perhaps the best walk-through of the Alpha Base I’ve seen.

3 Likes
#82

Thorough and entertaining at the same time. Nice work @tumulishroomaroom

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#83

@InvalidException & @Kpucski Thanks a lot ! Much appreciated

#84

I have the Jomox base drum eurorack module and love it. That said, from videos the user interface of their stand alone Alphabase is terrible. I enjoyed the Rytm MK2 that I borrowed from a friend and it sounds great. So between the two, the Rytm MK2 would be my choice for a stand alone drum hardware synth thus far. Soma Pulsar 23 is cool but still need a decent clock and sequencer for it. And more expensive.

#85

It’s knobby, it’s quick and easy to use, there’s no menus… I don’t quite get why people are hellbent on this poor UI thing. I have an Octatrack (I take it the Rythm has a very similar UI) and enjoy using it as well, but the AB is just so much more FUN to use.

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#86

I would need to try one out and see if I can vibe with it. Done buying stuff site unseen.

#87

After some time with the Alpha Base I can say: less menue diving then on the AR when editing sounds. From my experience it gets a little confusing when choosing and editing the extra functions (last step, fx, …. ) best examble are the fx where the upper knob row becomes knobs for editing fx and the send of the instruments starts at row 2. but the mute is still on the 1st row.

But soundwise, its fun! Using samples and the filters.

But I came across a problem with syncing to external gear

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#88

Hi Elektronauts! New AB owner here. I am running into an external clock sync issue and I cannot figure out how to fix it.

I have contacted JoMoX for their support with little luck on finding a solution.

At the bottom of this post is a video explaining the issue in detail but short form explanation is that internal clock is resetting the LFO to the correct phasing whenever I start and stop the sequencer. However, as soon as I try to clock it externally, the lfo starts at a random phase every time or takes a few bars to find it’s clocking. I’ve tried clocking with ERM Multiclock, Elektron devices, USB via Ableton and it is the same behavior every time.

Any help is greatly appreciated! I am at my wits end.

#89

I saw your Facebook post on the same issue. Sorry, but I don’t have any suggestions. :frowning:

Sounds like you’ve covered and tried pretty much everything. Hopefully Jürgen gets back to you, but that might take some time. This YouTube video shows the issue well, so hopefully that helps out. I haven’t clocked my Alpha Base from anything external yet (only briefly playing around), so I haven’t run into this myself.

Just acknowledging your post and hoping you find and share the resolution.

#90

a few different hats/ride/shakers and also a nice jomox kick in here, along with the OB6. What a pair these two make !

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cjpm4Alu-V8/

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#91

Nice! What camera do you use btw?

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#92

Your Alphabase content pushed me over the edge to get one. Now an OB-6… you’re killing me. :rofl:

Seriously though, sounds amazing. Really enjoying your recent IG clips. Would love to see you make a longer form YouTube video on the OB-6 with your thoughts and techno take on it.

EDIT: Somehow I missed this… :man_facepalming:

OB6 Dub Techno - YouTube

Sorry to get OT folks!

#93

Ahah yeah I really love it. I might make a video at some point because most if not all of the OB6 content on yt doesn’t really appeal to me; but I have less time now (baby) so the little I have I make music rather than videos (although I enjoy making the videos, it’s really time consuming)

@scoobydoozler a relatively cheap sony a6000 but I have some nice lenses from my film cameras.

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#94

Just received my Alpha Base last night.
A various times, I’ve owned:

-XBase 888 (at two different points)
-MBase 11
-M.Brane 11
-ModBase 09 mkii

Alpha Base is better than XBase. It doesn’t have nearly the amount of confusing UI quirks and navigational mazes and personally, I think the MBrane engine is dope. If you need exact 909 or 808 snares, the sample engines are VERY good at reproducing the full frequency spectrum. The unit I got off Reverb was full of 909 samples (why??!) and honestly, the snare samples sounded totally satisfying to me, I might keep some of 'em (but not until I load in the entire collection of Cari Lekebusch MPC samples from the late 90s! :crazy_face:). I reckon with a few more sit-downs I’ll have that MBrane engine doing acceptable snares.

Yes, the unit is still a bit bizarre to operate, but I know I’m keeping this one now. I’m just going to be patient, enjoy every step of the learning process.

My other concern was the sample playback DAC and how it compares to the XBase series. It still has that amazing dirt when pitching down. I’m happy as a clam, as they say.

I’d say my biggest gripe is the rather basic and non-straightforward P-locking sequencer. It appears to be only 16 steps long? And there are only 2 automation lanes, one is hardwired to pitch, and the other is assignable to one paramater per instrument (e.g. kick drum decay time).
Not super great. Mmmmmaybe there’s a way to sequence the parameter changes with something else like my Squid or Hapax. We’ll see.

But the PRESENTNESS AND PUNCH and the tightness of the sequencer are the bee’s knees…absolute club soundsystem annihilators.

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