Count To Five

[voerking]

finally got a chance to plug in my 5th anniversary CT5 & i am in love with Nightly Mode 2!

[Seance]

Clips?

[mcatano]

New mode 2 is really, really cool—especially stacked after other stuff. Adds a rad and random percussive delay/tremolo sort of texture that bobs in and out of whatever else you're doing. Made some nice whale sounds going bakfram—>fuzz—>CT5.

[cosmicevan]

Spent the night in Mode2 (regular Ct5) for the first time.

So, this is a 'foot-action' pedal here. Is this what you would technically call a 'Freeze' pedal, right? So, if Mode2 is all Ct5 offered, it might be comparable to Raptio or MiniGlitch?

If I seems hesitant, silly, or ignorant, it's just that I want to make SURE I'm 'getting it all' and not missing anything. There really is a lot of Mysterium surrounding this pedal, and I just don't do 'can't figure it out'.

Ct5 CAN be pretty simple if you JUST use it as a 'normal' guitar pedal, and don't do any on-the-fly tweaking... agree? At least in Mode2, with no real secondary features, except for XPedalOut (which I am working up to... yes, I AM playing real conservative here just so I absorb everything). The 4sec vs 8sec of course opens up the Time (TranscendenceMode), but I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW THE EXACT MILLISECOND TIME OF THE 'QUICK CAPTURE'.

How QUICK is Ct5, in milliseconds? I know with my EHX Hazarai, you have to hold the Capture for 1 whole second. With Ct5 I'm guessing between 80-120ms? (same with Zellersasn?) I do understand that you can set the 'LEN S' faster (apparently) than the actual softswitch, so, if you Capture something 'as quick as possible' (but it can't be nano-quick or Ct5 WON'T process- hence my question about exact milliseconds), and set your 'LEN S' very very fast/quick, then you get the 'impression' of a quicker-than-what-you-captured occurrence.

Does my inquiry/head-scratching make sense what I'm questing about?

Are you tracking your own playing by milliseconds? Asking for a friend...

In response to

Ct5 CAN be pretty simple if you JUST use it as a 'normal' guitar pedal, and don't do any on-the-fly tweaking... agree?

, well, yeah...Count to 5 can be used as a regular slapback delay if that's what you are looking for (and don't think I didn't get lost in that setting more than a few times playing w my regular firmware). It can also be used to cop almost ring moddy kind of sounds in mode 1 w most of the non blend settings towards the CCW position...it can also be used as a reverse delay for moments or breaths of time...it can also be subtle birds softly in the back of the mix...or a VARIETY of uses if you choose to pick a setting and just stomp on/off in a pedalboard. Add expression and now you can do even more. That's the thing w Count to 5...it's a fairly deep pedal. There are a LOT of things one can do with a pedal that has these controls...from traditional to a setting that only you've found useful, count to 5 is an almost bottomless pit of possibility. and there is NOTHING out there quite like it. Sure some things do count to 5ish things, but nothing IS count to 5. You can get a zillion tube screamers or delays or this or that, but there is only ONE count to 5 (well, technically w the nightly firmware and new casings there are like 8 or 9 count to 5's but you get what I'm saying?).

I get you though...I like to understand a pedal too. I like to be deliberate with the tools I use. I like to create what's in my head as opposed to discovering what's to be found, but the thing that really draws me towards Montreal Assembly (above most other companies) is the journey offered. I look at Empress Zoia in this way (but I haven't dared take that path yet)...Montreal Assembly, to me...is kinda like the Simpsons of pedals. Phenomenal across the board, appealing to those of sound consciousness as well as psychonauts...and something available for those who only want to hang on the surface, but oh so much more for those willing to dig deeper, full of riddles that may never be solved nor confirmed and tones to be chased...mystery...excitement...but I digress, I'm just some dingus who loves pedals and a pretty big soy boi for mtl asm.

[multi_s]

JUST TO BE CLEAR: there are no other 'secondary' functions on the pre-Nightly Ct5 other than the ones listed on the 'Handy' Guide? ...meaning, there's really NO secondary functions for Mode2 (other than regular Quantization)...correct?

That is true for now.

Lately I ve been using the CT5 a lot as pseudo-standard looper (I and then modify the recorded loop etc), and my main problem with it used for precise looping instead of random noodling came back.. The fact that i have to hold down the switch for the entire recording time and then lift it when the Loop is done never lets me loop the exact time I want.
It's always a tiny-little-bit too soon or too late, but it annoys me a lot.
I wish there was a way to set that switch as a standard looper with a first press to start recording and a second press to stop recording and start playback.

To be clear, I still love it as I did in the past years, but it would be a big improvement for live performance IMO.

I will look into it, there is a version like this of one of the older firmwares but it may lack some of the later features for the standard fw. I believe it is .941k here

https://mtlasm.com/count-to-5-firmware-update/

The bypass footswitch on the new anniversary is a lot nicer than the one on my old blue 2016. Is that new for this edition or have you been using those for a while? Much quieter, I appreciate it.

It is actually the same part number from the same supplier, although they have definitely changed their products over time.

I had set up Mode1 with all the secondaries manipulated, but when I turned everything off and came back today and turned everything back on, did all my settings go away? It just didn't sound like I had set it the night before. So, does Ct5 lose its memory, so to speak, when turned off?

Yes everything goes back to a default value on boot unfortunately.

We may add away to save the current global setup as teh default in the future but i don't think it will ever just automatically store current settings.

Also there will be a third fw released with the next batch that is a bit simpler and has less alt functions via q etc.

Spent the night in Mode2 (regular Ct5) for the first time.

So, this is a 'foot-action' pedal here. Is this what you would technically call a 'Freeze' pedal, right? So, if Mode2 is all Ct5 offered, it might be comparable to Raptio or MiniGlitch?

If I seems hesitant, silly, or ignorant, it's just that I want to make SURE I'm 'getting it all' and not missing anything. There really is a lot of Mysterium surrounding this pedal, and I just don't do 'can't figure it out'.

Ct5 CAN be pretty simple if you JUST use it as a 'normal' guitar pedal, and don't do any on-the-fly tweaking... agree? At least in Mode2, with no real secondary features, except for XPedalOut (which I am working up to... yes, I AM playing real conservative here just so I absorb everything). The 4sec vs 8sec of course opens up the Time (TranscendenceMode), but I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW THE EXACT MILLISECOND TIME OF THE 'QUICK CAPTURE'.

How QUICK is Ct5, in milliseconds? I know with my EHX Hazarai, you have to hold the Capture for 1 whole second. With Ct5 I'm guessing between 80-120ms? (same with Zellersasn?) I do understand that you can set the 'LEN S' faster (apparently) than the actual softswitch, so, if you Capture something 'as quick as possible' (but it can't be nano-quick or Ct5 WON'T process- hence my question about exact milliseconds), and set your 'LEN S' very very fast/quick, then you get the 'impression' of a quicker-than-what-you-captured occurrence.

Does my inquiry/head-scratching make sense what I'm questing about?

I would have to look at the code for a min to figure out the exact minimum time but yes it is i think in teh ball park of or a bit less than you guessed. Maybe more like 30-60ms min. The LEN S acts as a percentage, but there is also some minimum which IIRC is about 32ms. So say thats the number, and somehow you captured 200ms, setting it to 1 percent would not give you 2ms, it would stop reducing around 32ms. The resolution of the percentage is 12 bits so you have ~4000 possibilities for len s usually, but as in the previous example say 32 ms out of 200 ms is around 16%. so at about 1/6th of the len s knob from min ( so the 1/6 of range most counter clockwise) all the settings are the same. ie the maximum between the %setting*recorded length and 32ms is taken.

it makes sense what you are asking, the pedal works on very deterministic code so it is not necessarily some unknowable mystery device, although you could think of it like that if you want as well.

finally got a chance to plug in my 5th anniversary CT5 & i am in love with Nightly Mode 2!

glad you enjoy it.

.Montreal Assembly, to me...is kinda like the Simpsons of pedals.

lol probably the last comparison i would expect. but thank you for your support!

[ogguitar]

Also there will be a third fw released with the next batch that is a bit simpler and has less alt functions via q etc.

Just wanted to highlight this...

[multi_s]

Also there will be a third fw released with the next batch that is a bit simpler and has less alt functions via q etc.

Just wanted to highlight this...

some direct input from a particular ilf influencer on one of the modes on the next one :P

[oldangelmidnight]

.Montreal Assembly, to me...is kinda like the Simpsons of pedals.

lol probably the last comparison i would expect. but thank you for your support!

Can we get a 5th anniversary style box but instead of triangles, it's Simpsons, and instead of green, it's yellow?
I'm sure Disney would be fine with that.

[Seance]

Can we get a 5th anniversary style box but instead of triangles, it's Simpsons, and instead of green, it's yellow?
I'm sure Disney would be fine with that.

I'd advise against that.

A friend of mine had a zine back in the 1990s and he drew this image and
the lawyers for The Simpsons sent a cease and desist letter and he had to
destroy all the copies (or at least the covers). I'm sure Scott doesn't want
to destroy CT5 pedals.

[multi_s]

I already sent for the next boxes to be made so ..

i was thinking something more subtly though. maybe a yellow pedal with 2 4 fingered hands holding up a total of 5 fingers.

[multi_s]

also isnt there a guy who already puts mr sparkle all over his pedals? then he got mad at jwar for making 1 pedal with mr sprakle on it? something like that... no lawyers involved yet it seems.

[Dowi]

Lately I ve been using the CT5 a lot as pseudo-standard looper (I and then modify the recorded loop etc), and my main problem with it used for precise looping instead of random noodling came back.. The fact that i have to hold down the switch for the entire recording time and then lift it when the Loop is done never lets me loop the exact time I want.
It's always a tiny-little-bit too soon or too late, but it annoys me a lot.
I wish there was a way to set that switch as a standard looper with a first press to start recording and a second press to stop recording and start playback.

To be clear, I still love it as I did in the past years, but it would be a big improvement for live performance IMO.

I will look into it, there is a version like this of one of the older firmwares but it may lack some of the later features for the standard fw. I believe it is .941k here

https://mtlasm.com/count-to-5-firmware-update/

what.



This made my day.
Already downloaded the firmware, gonna try it tonight, CAN'T WAIT.

Thanks Scott!

[Seance]

also isnt there a guy who already puts mr sparkle all over his pedals? then he got mad at jwar for making 1 pedal with mr sprakle on it? something like that... no lawyers involved yet it seems.

Yes.
http://ilovefuzz.com/viewtopic.php?f=149&t=46951&hilit=mr.+sparkle+simpsons

[Phuzzy856]

Spent the night in 'regular' Mode3.

WTF?

1) Control tempo (DIR1)
2) Step variance (DIR2)
3) 1-3 playback heads modulated (DIR3)... is this like 1/2 way thru it goes to 2, and then all CW it's 3?

So, if I record 1-and-2-and-3-and-4-and (8 notes), leave DIR2 at '0', and DIR3 at '0', will DIR1's 'repeats' slow down/speed up as I twiddle the DIR1 knob?

And then with DIR2, is that going between single notes, two, three, four,... and so on?... like a 'scale'?


All I know is that I set it up, recorded something, and this rush of notes came back, in all registers, it was... unbelievable!!!

Again, since Ct5 doesn't 'remember' settings, I wasn't just yet able to dupe last night's awesomeness.



Either way, I guess I've figured out that Modes 2-3 do 'do' anything UNTIL you record 'something'. Is that correct?

[ogguitar]

Spent the night in 'regular' Mode3.

WTF?

1) Control tempo (DIR1)
2) Step variance (DIR2)
3) 1-3 playback heads modulated (DIR3)... is this like 1/2 way thru it goes to 2, and then all CW it's 3?

So, if I record 1-and-2-and-3-and-4-and (8 notes), leave DIR2 at '0', and DIR3 at '0', will DIR1's 'repeats' slow down/speed up as I twiddle the DIR1 knob?

And then with DIR2, is that going between single notes, two, three, four,... and so on?... like a 'scale'?


All I know is that I set it up, recorded something, and this rush of notes came back, in all registers, it was... unbelievable!!!

Again, since Ct5 doesn't 'remember' settings, I wasn't just yet able to dupe last night's awesomeness.



Either way, I guess I've figured out that Modes 2-3 do 'do' anything UNTIL you record 'something'. Is that correct?

Mode 3 is 3 playback heads for one sample or really short loop. Forgot if it's 4 sec or 8. Record a loop then Dir 1 is speed/pitch/direction for head 1 from +1 oct/2x speed reverse at CCW, through -1 oct/0.5x speed just before noon then -1 oct/0.5x speed just after noon through +1 oct/2x speed at full CW - and everything in between. Same sweep as other modes.

Dir 2 and Dir 3 both have the same sweep as Dir 1, and all knobs control the exact same thing but for 3 different playback heads. E switch activates 1 playback at top, 2 at middle, and all 3 at bottom. So you can have say one arpeggio or riff playing at 3 different speeds and pitches with in both forward and reverse.

That's the gist of it. There's quantization, playhead volume, etc. as well with more advanced controls. IIRC you get one overdub. If you do a second overdub you'll lose the original sample, then whatever was oldest if you keep overdubbing. Think of it like the Sith Rule of Two.