Can we talk about modular synths?

[Dandolin]

2HP Bells sounds so good! But 2hp=blessing and curse

[kbit]

I've REALLY wanted to dive into Monome since I started this modular journey but every time I go to read about it or watch videos my brain hurts...... I think I would need to attend a 3 week seminar on how to use it, that's what it feels like anyways. Does not seem intuitive or easy. I like immediacy and I don't think Monome is that? I don't know.... I want it but feel like I'll never get around to learning it.

As a user of Monome euro gear I feel inclined to chime in:

In my eyes the most immediate and versatile set up in euro would be the Ansible / Grid combo. Ansible runs a couple applications that interface with grid, the two stock apps being Kria and Meadowphysics. There's a detailed overview of how each of these work in the Ansible manual on the Monome website. I had to read through each of those sections multiple times before I could start to conceptualize what they can achieve.

These apps are very functionally dense. Their nature may seem very specific and have some inherent compromises in design choices, but these are choices made to create a system with a high level of interdependence. This interdependence can combine relatively simple building blocks into a complex web of activity.

Brian from Monome has mentioned that he was reading some writing by Laurie Spiegel when creating Teletype, which is it's own beast... But I think her ideas around the way we can conceptualize music is a worthy insight into how Monome apps are structured. I'd highly recommend reading how Kria and Meadowphysics work (twice), and some of Spiegel's writings, to get a sense for how these tools may be of use to you.

https://monome.org/docs/modular/ansible/
http://retiary.org/ls/writings/musical_manip.html



& of course, modular is all about choosing your own workflow and preferences. On an aesthetic level Monome is incredibly attractive, but the workflow is definitely particular and not for everyone who appreciates their aesthetic - i.e. not having labels on your controller certainly looks cool, but if you need something less abstract to make music that isn't a bad thing.

[MrNovember]

Current setup:

Really happy with it, but as I mentioned before, I'd like to swap out the Veils and Plaits for a Planar 2 and something else (I'm thinking a Ripples or Three Sisters now or some other filter?)

[Dandolin]

Srry fr nu b question: so no in-rack old skool osc?

[MrNovember]

Srry fr nu b question: so no in-rack old skool osc?

Old school osc as in straight VCO? Like sine/triangle/square wave and such?
Tides does this really well actually, but I'll likely be using it more for modulation duties. And Plaits is also in there, but again, I'm probably going to flip it.

Essentially, I'm giving up on "normal" synthesis techniques in the modular landscape. I've got other synths that can do subtractive synth much better than anything I could have patched in my modular.

Here's my rack in modulargrid:

https://www.modulargrid.net/e/racks/view/708372

And my plan:

https://www.modulargrid.net/e/racks/view/861733

[behndy]

annnnnd going to order a Qpas this weekend.

unless someone wants to talk me out of it.

[yeatsvisitslincoln]

Maybe look at this first? I'm not exactly helping.... butttttttt

http://www.soundcloud.com/constructmke/ ... o-examples

[Dandolin]

Srry fr nu b question: so no in-rack old skool osc?

Old school osc as in straight VCO? Like sine/triangle/square wave and such?
Tides does this really well actually, but I'll likely be using it more for modulation duties. And Plaits is also in there, but again, I'm probably going to flip it.

Essentially, I'm giving up on "normal" synthesis techniques in the modular landscape. I've got other synths that can do subtractive synth much better than anything I could have patched in my modular.

Here's my rack in modulargrid:

https://www.modulargrid.net/e/racks/view/708372

And my plan:

https://www.modulargrid.net/e/racks/view/861733

Gotcha--very cool I agree that traditional subtractive synth voices seem more bang for buck and usable outside euro....

[behndy]

Maybe look at this first? I'm not exactly helping.... butttttttt

http://www.soundcloud.com/constructmke/ ... o-examples

Big Yeasty with that WMD LOOOOOVEEEE!

lol. i love them too, so had totes checked that out. it looks cooooool. but the Qpas just speaks to me a bit more?

lol. also, it's dumb. but trying have as many sections of Manufacture Specific Goodness in this rack as possible?

[MrNovember]

I wish I could fit a QPAS in my plan, but I feel like the Three Sisters has a lot of the same ideas (definitely not the same functionality, though)

[behndy]

murrrf. fucking. fucking MYLAR.

i was all set to order the Qpas then was thinking about how yeah it looks like an AWESOME amount of filtering but i have a Polaris in that case and have always been pretty interested in the Morphagene since i couldna click with the QuBitter sample mangler so watched his vidja on it and.....

ordered a Morphy. blurgh.

[behndy]

Rainmaker just got here. mmmmmm soooooo MEATY.

[worra]

Rainmaker just got here. mmmmmm soooooo MEATY.

FWIW I kinda hated mine. Wasn't nearly as versatile as I'd hoped for a bit of kit that large and expensive. Just my personal experience though.

[behndy]

lol. i am super excited about it, but yeah. if it's neat but limited, i'll put it in an Occasional Rack and be okayyyyyy with having the space back.

it's BEEFY.

[behndy]

yah. i mean. took about 10 minutes to set up a Shapeshifter with the most MINIMAL of modulation (just an LFO sweeping through the 1st Basic Wavetable) into a preset of the Rainmaker for the most beauuuuuuutiful of sounds. so. dig it so far. going to record that tomorrow.

this is playing with the Mimetic Digitalis into Scales into Pluck and uPlaits.

then Metropolis sending main mix of Atlantis to mixer and Sub Out of Atlantis into Polaris.

Transient for drums.



the Pons Asinorum (BRIDGE. OF. ASSSSSSESSSSSSSSS.) and Roti Pola are NIFTY, but i think i'm going to swap them for another NoiseEng voice. either the Cursis or Ataraxis probably.

well, i want to try the Tempi triggering different envelopes into stuff first, but. yeah. prob'ly another voice instead.