Your modulars (Part 2)

The Lounge Other Gear
81

Caveat: I have not used Arbhar, Lubadh, or Nebulae, only listened to demos. I was loaned Morphagene for a while, I have used Melotus Versio, and I have various granular apps on iOS.

My sense is that there is not much overlap between 112 and Nebulae, since 112 mostly reproduces things with pristine fidelity. There are speed and direction changes, and a Frippertronics-style tape degradation effect. But not much in the way of mangling or drastic transformation.

You could probably patch much of 112 with a combination of Arbhar and Lubadh, plus several support modules (certainly not all, and it could be awkward to use). But I think you are right that 112 will add capability to your system, especially if you use it in conjunction with one or more of these other modules. You will have to decide if the cost in ā‚¬ and hp is worth it.

If you search the Current Sounds thread, you will find some little Ć©tudes I made with 112, three using short snippets of polished recordings by other people, and at least one I built up in real time using loop capture and overdubs with bell-like sounds from the Pizza FM oscillator.

And if you click through on the link for AndrĆ© GonƧalves (team leader) in the ā€œAboutā€ section of the ADDAC website, you will reach his Bandcamp page, including an album he made during the development of 112, called Grnlr.

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82

Iā€™m in the same place. Quite addicted to this workflow and trying to find the perfect tool. For me I have Phonogene, Morphogene, Clouds, Beads, Nebulae and ER301. Still so interested in the 112. Sighā€¦

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83

New module demo online for the 1U delay (also fuzz / weird noise generator) from Ritual Electronics: Crypta

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84

I went to see brinta. I had already seen it when it was lauched, i was on Error Instruments mailing list. I did not pay attention to it at this time.

So i listen to the demos, one more time, and not beiing charmed.

I used to have few Error Instruments, but finished to sell them, cause i could reach similar sounds within my case using others modules. Iā€™m found of noise and gritty sounds, but, i learn since my modular begenings that my ā€œclassicalā€ modules could produce that too. So now, i do my own noise and artefact sounds. A real pleasure to bring clean oscillators to uncontrolled noise and sound destruction.
Thank you for your interest in my quest

85

This sentence turn in my head since i have read it.
Then i first respond to you, glosing about my Arbhar/Lubadh/Nubulae. Long post.

Then, this morning, evidence stroke my mind. Your sentence was not so about the use or the capabilities than about the accumulation.
Right. This brings me to understand (lately) that it is just a kind of syllogoma ia. A kind of febrile ā€œi need itā€. My mind was now clear. 112, not necessary.

But, butā€¦ you direct me to Grnlr. And this strikes me hard. Iā€™m done.
Iā€™m sure that i will take it, as soon as i clear enough modules and have made place.
This is exactly the music i produce with my Arbhar, with little difference about lengh of samples and possibility to shape the grains (microloops more precisely). The works of 112 with Arbhar is to be tested. Not sure that it is really efficient. Because of the similitude of method, use and result. While combo with Lubadh seems more evident.

So, yes iā€™ll take it. The cleaning time came, spring in my case.
Thanks for this last detail, i mean Grnlr, so much near to my taste than anyother videos i could see.

Edit : i bought Grnlr album too, that permit begening discussion with AndrƩ GonƧalves. What fortune you have to live near his lair.

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86

Iā€™m glad that link resonated with you! I met AndrĆ©, he was the one who fixed my 112 when I took it back. Chatted with him for a bit. All the ADDAC crew seem like nice people.

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87

Here are some photos to drool over from my visit to Patch Point Lisbon today.

The view of the counter to the left when standing just past the door from the outside.

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eKalimbas and Ciat-Lonbarde devices (the latter from Peter Blasser).

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Ieaskul F. Mobenthey modules. This is Peter Blasserā€™s Eurorack line.

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The Eurorack up front. The silver modules you can probably identify as Random*Source Serge; the green ones are Gieskies; the black ones are Aulos, a Eurorack line (in development?) by Bert Vermuelen, the FĆ©nix designer.

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I went to try Serge 4U panels (banana jacks) but they say they are mostly built to order and there is no stock on hand. But for the banana patching experience, they suggested I try the FĆ©nix II, which they are building to order in collaboration with Bert V. I was let into the back studio where there was a La Voix du Luthier, some more Ciat-Lonbarde bits, and this rack of Bugbrand (FRAC format):

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And finally the FĆ©nix II, with which I have spent about four hours, in two sessions.

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It is a nice collection of modules, though for the first session (somewhat less than two hours), I had only half the manual (truncated printed copy seen in photo, almost nothing on modulation and sequencing, so I had to guess). It strikes me as more accessible to users of conventional synths than Serge, that is, it is designed at a slightly higher level, so rather than function generators, there is an AHDSR+D generator, and various specialized VCOs and LFOs. I couldnā€™t get the wave multiplier (really a wave multiplexer, like an audio-rate sequential switch) to work as advertised (I felt I needed a scope to debug it), and I didnā€™t try the sequencer (which has some outputs that can be soft-ORed together with banana jacks, which are like stackables for Eurorack, but then it needs to go to a ā€œbufferā€ before the V/oct input of a VCO, helpfully labelled ā€œCV1ā€). On a modest patch, I almost used up the LFOs and CV mix/attenuverters, and felt the lack of multiple clock sources (have to use an LFO or VCO) and only one S&H. This is user error, or patching like my Eurorack rather than leaning into its limitations and using the ā€œfree multsā€ of the banana jacks fully. It is slightly more than ā‚¬7000 with VAT, and build time is at least several months.

Everyone was quite nice, but this gear is in the stratosphere as far as Iā€™m concerned. But I was happy and grateful to be able to poke at it without restraint.

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88

Sounds like a good time! I bought some of there right angle banana brand banana cables recently and they are a joy to patch withā€¦ has me thinking of converting my wiard300 system to banana but I suppose the bantam jacks it has have there own unique advantagesā€¦ they are almost like switches in that you can leave them 90% plugged in with not worries of the signal completing until you give it the final push with a quite physical clunk, but visually you can loose track of what cables are actually engaged especially between sessions. Bananas are just very satisfying, Iā€™ve owned stackables in eurorack but they always seem to breakā€¦ so Iā€™ve been much more of a fan of just using mults in the euro lands.

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89

I can vouch for the Delta-V and the 3xMIA.
Deltaā€”V is a very hands on EG/LFO/VCA/Slew x 2.
3xMIA is one of these useful utilities that I am thinking of getting a second one :slight_smile:

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90

How about a Noise Engineering effect? I am thinking Desmodus Versio :slight_smile:
You could then swap the firmware later down the road to test one of their other effect. They are top effects to be honest.
Then add a 2 hp blank and your OCD is cured :slight_smile:

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91

Nice :slight_smile:
How do you like the Battering Ram?

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Itā€™s really really good. Massive sounding and more or less 100% sweet spot. Just different flavors but really easy to dial in whatever the sound needs at any point

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The bantams are balanced in the 300 if memory serves. Might take a little extra work to bananafy with those, and youā€™d lose the balanced connections. That said, a banana 300 would be pretty interesting :slight_smile: Especially if you say, added some ModCan to your setup, or some 4U :slight_smile:

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Yeah, the power supply I have has a grounding banana plug already but thinking more the wiard stuff does have some normalizationsā€¦ so I would have to decide if I want to give up that aspect of the system or not.

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I was using my SY0.5 before deciding on the purchase of a dedicated kick module. I eventually went for the Battering Ram and I was very pleased: small form factor and massive sounding indeed :slight_smile:
Now pondering whether I should swap my SY0.5 for one of those Erica Synth Perkons voiceā€¦

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96

One possible way, would he to create a switching panel or panels. Then you could have a toggle for the normalization. Kind of like expander modules. I have some Wiard 300 format panel drawings, and I made an FPD file for an all purpose type with typical control and connection locations. Itā€™s easily edited. I had planned some Celtic etch/prints for it to semi-match Wiard, but havenā€™t added them yet. I was debating about whether to employ my own style or keep with the existing aesthetic .

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Iā€™m looking for a bit of advice - Iā€™ve reached out to a store but Iā€™m not sure they get here Iā€™m coming from. Basically I think I want a Buchla or Serge type setup where I can just make weird noses. I have looked at a Serge Mantra Panel but Iā€™m more interested in Euro so that I can grow it in incremental steps.

Iā€™ve been really impressed by the approach and sounds in this video from Cinematic Laboratory

and how Iā€™m hoping to start is with 3 or so Buchla modules ( plus separate mfx, output and case which arenā€™t part of the question) that I can just connect up, twist knobs, re-patch etc and get lost in possibilities. Whatever I buy I need to keep as I donā€™t want to repeat my mistakes with all the other gear Iā€™ve bought and sold over the years. I could list a few modules Iā€™ve seen used in videos like this but really Iā€™m just looking for a few modules to string together that can entertain me and educate me for a few months and then Iā€™ll start adding all the other Serge TipTop modules in.

I have plenty of other gear and Bitwig so I want this to be itā€™s own thing. Can anyone with knowledge in this area offer some advice on these starting (2,3 or 4) Buchla modules to get me going? Many thanks if you can help out.

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98

Thanks for the awesome link to Cinematic Laboratory - for some reason it reminds me of Cenks early mind blowing Digitakt demos. Truly inspiring!

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99

Buchla and Serge are much older designs that have inspired many manufacturers. I have a Frap Tools case that is like a modern version of some hybrid of these two (this MG rack is slightly aspirational, I am waiting for a second Falistri and have yet to order 411):

Tiptop is releasing Buchla modules in 3U format, working with some of the engineers who had worked for/with Buchla. Random*Source is releasing Serge modules in collaboration with Serge Tcherepnin, who is still alive and still tweaking his designs. Various manufacturers offer Serge 4U panels. Both Buchla and Serge 3U designs are fairly large compared to other Eurorack alternatives, so you will have to factor in a larger case.

I enjoy Cinematic Laboratory videos but keep in mind the audio is heavily post-processed and the reverb is doing a lot of heavy lifting. Your stuff wonā€™t sound like that without a lot of work. Also these are not easy weird noise machines. Some amount of intellectual effort and experimentation is needed. There are easier and cheaper ways to get these sounds if thatā€™s what youā€™re after. Have you spent time in VCVRack?

A minimum starting configuration for Buchla could be the 281t plus the 266t (Source of Uncertainty). For Serge, GTS, SSG, and either VCFQ or NTO. You might like Triple+ Waveshaper also. Youā€™ll need support modules for attenuverters, CV mixing, audio mixing, and output; those should probably be third party.

I suggest that you compare a Serge Mantra II panel against the equivalent configurations (Buchla and Serge separately) in Eurorack, and against a mix-and-match version of the best Eurorack modules in the same vein from other manufacturers. If you start small and purchase incrementally, you could end up spending twice as much. 4U is also easier to tweak and banana cables are a different patching experience. This all gets very expensive very fast.

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sorry for being pedantic

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