Can we talk about modular synths?

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GAS KING
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Re: Can we talk about modular synths?

Post by GAS KING »

Dinky's Taiko and uPlaits showing up tonight. Can't wait to figure them out and incorporate them into my rig.

After a dual attenuverter and full size Turing Machine with expanders come next week.....I should be good for a while.

:facepalm:
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Re: Can we talk about modular synths?

Post by GAS KING »

Plaits didn't show.

Dinky's Taiko did though. HOLY SHIT this thing is awesome. I need like 3 more.
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Re: Can we talk about modular synths?

Post by GAS KING »

okay. 2 more plus a Akemie's Taiko too.
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Re: Can we talk about modular synths?

Post by doommeow »

so i'm not loving morphagene. Nine times out of ten, I end up feeling this way with Make Noise gear - sounds great, too many functions to learn and remember, too big, too $, gets sold.

Is there a simpler alternative? Something that can work with samples via SD or USB, can change speed (slowing down is exponentially more important than speeding up), and play in reverse. Maybe change start and end points. Don't care about stereo. Don't care about (read - haven't figured out) the whole splice thing. Doesn't have to record.

It's also entirely possible that i'm a simple girl, not a samplegirl. As much as I like the idea of sample/loop manipulation, I've never bonded to it the have I have feedback loops, whatever other terror techniques.
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Re: Can we talk about modular synths?

Post by Dandolin »

qubit nebulae maybe?
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Re: Can we talk about modular synths?

Post by lordgalvar »

Next! DJS-24
-Ring Mods!
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Re: Can we talk about modular synths?

Post by MrNovember »

doommeow wrote:so i'm not loving morphagene. Nine times out of ten, I end up feeling this way with Make Noise gear - sounds great, too many functions to learn and remember, too big, too $, gets sold.

Is there a simpler alternative? Something that can work with samples via SD or USB, can change speed (slowing down is exponentially more important than speeding up), and play in reverse. Maybe change start and end points. Don't care about stereo. Don't care about (read - haven't figured out) the whole splice thing. Doesn't have to record.

It's also entirely possible that i'm a simple girl, not a samplegirl. As much as I like the idea of sample/loop manipulation, I've never bonded to it the have I have feedback loops, whatever other terror techniques.
Dandolin wrote:qubit nebulae maybe?
I loved the Nebulae and it's definitely a lot more straight forward than the Morphagene. Same size and roughly the same price, but otherwise it does literally everything that doommeow is looking for; load samples via USB, change speed and pitch independently, play in reverse, change start and end points. In addition, the new version is stereo and does the whole granular thing.

Radio Music with some of the alternative firmware might get you there too. Standard firmware would get you pretty close too, but I think there's an alt firmware that would get you closer. Or the Tiptop One? I don't really know that one as well though.

Now, that I'm thinking about it, I think I might try to sell my Digitakt and build a little sampler setup based on a Nebulae (or two). I love the Digitakt, but I really don't use the it enough. There's also a lot of "Elektron-isms" that I don't quite get along with; mainly loading samples and the menu diving kind of sucks. A small eurorack setup would probably make more sense with my Matriarch, Keystep Pro, and 16n than the Digitakt. Hmmmmm.....

Edit: did some maths and realized that a Happy Ending Kit and a Nebulae v2 alone would cost more than what I'd likely get for the Digitakt, so let's just forget that idea!
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Re: Can we talk about modular synths?

Post by behndy »

lol. i've done that. visualized the perfect little fun project idea then actually... figured out how much i'd drop on it. nurp.

Flux hits tomorrow, Data Bender was supposed to ship late September/early October, so hopefully that goes out soon. then this rack is DONE.

annnnnd pre-ordered a black Analog Four to go with the Rytm. woot.
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Re: Can we talk about modular synths?

Post by coldbrightsunlight »

eatyourguitar matrix mixer arrived today. Only done one quick patch with an oscillator and filter so far but it is FUN for drones. Can't wait to explore it in a lot more detail.

Thanks!!! This thing is built really solid too, better than a few "major manufacturer" modules I've had....
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Re: Can we talk about modular synths?

Post by Dandolin »

cool - this is on my radar :)*
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Re: Can we talk about modular synths?

Post by doommeow »

MrNovember wrote:
doommeow wrote:so i'm not loving morphagene. Nine times out of ten, I end up feeling this way with Make Noise gear - sounds great, too many functions to learn and remember, too big, too $, gets sold.

Is there a simpler alternative? Something that can work with samples via SD or USB, can change speed (slowing down is exponentially more important than speeding up), and play in reverse. Maybe change start and end points. Don't care about stereo. Don't care about (read - haven't figured out) the whole splice thing. Doesn't have to record.

It's also entirely possible that i'm a simple girl, not a samplegirl. As much as I like the idea of sample/loop manipulation, I've never bonded to it the have I have feedback loops, whatever other terror techniques.
Dandolin wrote:qubit nebulae maybe?
I loved the Nebulae and it's definitely a lot more straight forward than the Morphagene. Same size and roughly the same price, but otherwise it does literally everything that doommeow is looking for; load samples via USB, change speed and pitch independently, play in reverse, change start and end points. In addition, the new version is stereo and does the whole granular thing.

Radio Music with some of the alternative firmware might get you there too. Standard firmware would get you pretty close too, but I think there's an alt firmware that would get you closer. Or the Tiptop One? I don't really know that one as well though.

Now, that I'm thinking about it, I think I might try to sell my Digitakt and build a little sampler setup based on a Nebulae (or two). I love the Digitakt, but I really don't use the it enough. There's also a lot of "Elektron-isms" that I don't quite get along with; mainly loading samples and the menu diving kind of sucks. A small eurorack setup would probably make more sense with my Matriarch, Keystep Pro, and 16n than the Digitakt. Hmmmmm.....

Edit: did some maths and realized that a Happy Ending Kit and a Nebulae v2 alone would cost more than what I'd likely get for the Digitakt, so let's just forget that idea!
I need to do more research on Nebulae. I assume it'll do most of everything I want, but it's good to hear that it's more straight forward. It's definitely cheaper - I'm seeing used ones around threefitty, morphagene is pushing around $500. Anyone have any thoughts on Nebulae v1? I'm seeing those for ALOT cheaper... Or what about Bastl Grandpa (with or without SPA)? I read something on MW that implied that it'll do reverse, but the documentation isn't clear...
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Re: Can we talk about modular synths?

Post by doommeow »

PROPS to Blue Lantern.

They don't seem to get the hype that the other mutable-a-like builders get, but they are one of the more impressive modular builders I've dealt with. Fair prices (two digital modules with shipping for <$200?!), fast shipping (Priority mail, when it seems like everyone is using first class these days, and they actually had product built and in stock), professional packaging (heatsealed multisegment bags that may have even been antistatic?), and they give credit to other when it's due (referencing Emilie on their circuit boards and panel, etc.).

Pro outfit.
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Re: Can we talk about modular synths?

Post by MrNovember »

I actually owned both a Nebulae v1 and v2 and I would absolutely recommend the v2. The v1 layout was weird and they added a lot of improved functionality to the v2 (made it stereo, added a record button, pretty sure they fully rewrote the granular section).
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Re: Can we talk about modular synths?

Post by Dandolin »

that was my impression....
"In a moment of unparalleled genius, Noel Parachute headed off this potential disaster by unplugging the microphone."
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Re: Can we talk about modular synths?

Post by coldbrightsunlight »

doommeow wrote:
MrNovember wrote:
doommeow wrote:so i'm not loving morphagene. Nine times out of ten, I end up feeling this way with Make Noise gear - sounds great, too many functions to learn and remember, too big, too $, gets sold.

Is there a simpler alternative? Something that can work with samples via SD or USB, can change speed (slowing down is exponentially more important than speeding up), and play in reverse. Maybe change start and end points. Don't care about stereo. Don't care about (read - haven't figured out) the whole splice thing. Doesn't have to record.

It's also entirely possible that i'm a simple girl, not a samplegirl. As much as I like the idea of sample/loop manipulation, I've never bonded to it the have I have feedback loops, whatever other terror techniques.
Dandolin wrote:qubit nebulae maybe?
I loved the Nebulae and it's definitely a lot more straight forward than the Morphagene. Same size and roughly the same price, but otherwise it does literally everything that doommeow is looking for; load samples via USB, change speed and pitch independently, play in reverse, change start and end points. In addition, the new version is stereo and does the whole granular thing.

Radio Music with some of the alternative firmware might get you there too. Standard firmware would get you pretty close too, but I think there's an alt firmware that would get you closer. Or the Tiptop One? I don't really know that one as well though.

Now, that I'm thinking about it, I think I might try to sell my Digitakt and build a little sampler setup based on a Nebulae (or two). I love the Digitakt, but I really don't use the it enough. There's also a lot of "Elektron-isms" that I don't quite get along with; mainly loading samples and the menu diving kind of sucks. A small eurorack setup would probably make more sense with my Matriarch, Keystep Pro, and 16n than the Digitakt. Hmmmmm.....

Edit: did some maths and realized that a Happy Ending Kit and a Nebulae v2 alone would cost more than what I'd likely get for the Digitakt, so let's just forget that idea!
I need to do more research on Nebulae. I assume it'll do most of everything I want, but it's good to hear that it's more straight forward. It's definitely cheaper - I'm seeing used ones around threefitty, morphagene is pushing around $500. Anyone have any thoughts on Nebulae v1? I'm seeing those for ALOT cheaper... Or what about Bastl Grandpa (with or without SPA)? I read something on MW that implied that it'll do reverse, but the documentation isn't clear...
I thought it could so I had a look at the microgranny manual. it seems like it will do reverse but only when you have the granular effect on, see below. Grandpa is the same core and you can alter both of these parameters on grandpa.


GRAIN SIZE sets the size of the GRAIN loop. When GRAIN SIZE is set to 0 there is
no granular effect applied to the sound and therefore the SHIFT SPEED function
doesn’t affect the sound either.
SHIFT SPEED sets the speed at which the GRAIN loop travels through the
sample. it ranges from -127 to 128, where 0 means the GRAIN loop is static. The
negative numbers mean that the GRAIN loop travels backwards (from the end
position to the start position).


I have looked at GrandPA a few times and to me at least I think it's very uh, non-modular in layout without SPA. In that not a lot of the controls are immediately accessible or controllable with CV. This bugs me with modules so I couldn't use it without SPA. Depends how you feel about that. If you just want to set up a couple of samples to trigger and are happy to manually tweak the parameters using the little menu system it could work without SPA.
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