Is there anything you miss using this combo? Anything? Maybe external effex? Sequencing duties for a midular maybe, too less inputs?
Since getting TV its become my absolute favourite piece of gear. I’m thinking of selling my DT2 and getting an s4 to pair with TV as it looks to be an incredible pair.
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yes, and Torso just released major update (2.2), about granular engine and more.
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Yeah, thats what got me thinking about it, just saw the youtube video.
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I can’t find clear informations about improvements.
Torso Electronics S-4 Firmware 2.2
- Feedback has been reworked (formerly SOS) ?
- Feed output back into the buffer for evolving textures. ?
- Legacy SOS remains as a mode. ?
- Expanded movement within grains. ?
- Warp is now part of Spray, with new modes. ?
- Mosaic can run independently of playback (configurable) ?
The Granular part of the S-4 is officially fun. Does exactly what I want Granular to do. Well done for sure.
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It’s an interesting pair for sure. Elektron should add live granular to Tonverk and they could also make that function as a simple looper. Would grow that machine a lot. In Tonverk youd just set a second page on grainer, add an option for ‘stream ON’, specify input ‘L+R’, then set continuous reading or read once and loop from a specific step length like the OT looper (can even use the trig track so that it starts recording at the start of the pattern so you have a count in)…
I like S4 with Octatrack more (i have all 3). Put S4 on the CUE out and bring it back in. Send OT Midi out to S4. You still have 2 inputs free on the Octatrack so you can plug a couple mono or stereo synth in. Gives you an easier to use looper compared to OT, gives you better reverb + delay effects, a filterbank, etc. And you can use poly mode effectively as a polyphonic sound source (4 note polyphony perfectly matches OT midi track 4 note).
Example setup:
OT CUE → S4 input
Monosynth/Polysynth/whatever → OT Input 3-4
S4 Ouput → OT Input 1-2
I set up two tracks usually on s4, load in some sample in S4 track 1 and design a cool granular sound and play it in poly mode from an Octatrack midi track, so it’s like adding a synth to Octatrack.
Then I have another OT midi track playing the monosynth. I cue it out to track 2 on the s4 and set that up as basically a live FX processor because OT onboard reverb and delay suck, but the S4 sounds great.
It’s super versatile with OT which makes me very curious to see what elektron does with OT3.
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I had S4 (and TV) 15 months ago.
But at that time granular was very limited so I switched to Tempera…
(Feedback loop with OT !). I have to try Tempera with TV in a feedback loop…
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I was a first batch owner of the S4 and stuck with it for over a year. Was in beta land forever, but believed in the device.
Only gear i had was an s4, plumbutter and bass klarinet.
Eventually sold the Torso (just before they released 2.0) so i could to fund a TV.
Couldnt be happier.
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SOunds like you made the right decision. Tempera looks like a way more complex device. I didn’t even buy the S-4 for granular, so I could see if someone was looking for a highly configurable granular device-> I could see why they would go for Tempera. Looks like a crazy fun piece of gear.
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I have both and I run my modular and semi modulars through s4 into TV. The two don’t overlap at all, at least until Elektron realizes it should make live granular and looping possible inside TV. But s4 would still have those crazy modulators and performance features that are a joy to play with! Seriously, the MODs are a work of genious here, they are so playful and immediate and can easily go into generative glitch madness in a few twist. Also @sezare56 , Turing Machines!!! 
I though about the OT setup described here a lot but did not try it yet! Should be a killer combo for live resampling/glitching stuff/ambient loops.
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