Today I decided to go back to a technique I’ve rarely used, and on a much grander scale. I don’t use noise very often, and when I do it tends to be for the obvious use cases. Hit hats, wind and ocean sounds, sprays, etc. I seldomly use it for modulation, and only once have I used noise of any flavor to amplitude modulate an oscillators wave. Today I would do it again, times eight.
I conceived of using noise to modulate all eight harmonics of the Verbos Harmonic Oscillator this morning as my wife was talking to me. I even popped up a bit at the idea, and she took notice.
Wife: “What?”
Me: “Nothing. Just had a thought occur to me. Not even sure if it’s worth a shit.”
I spent the better part of the morning and early afternoon thinking about how I wanted to do this patch. I knew that just noise into each harmonic’s VCA wasn’t it. Then it occurred to me: Chaos! As soon as this though hit my brain I knew what to do, and immediately went to the synth to start patching.
I ran blue noise from Sapel to input 1 of the Intellijel Amps. Amps is a special sort of VCA. Everything cascades. All inputs cascade, as do CV inputs, and there are mixing outputs as well. It’s incredibly flexible. I have four of them chained together to be an eight channel “super VCA/submixer” and it’s been a great choice. Since each input cascades, I only needed one noise input to run this entire section of the patch. Every other channel received that same blue noise input as well. Into each channel’s CV input I patched one of the eight outputs from Nonlinearcircuits The Hypster to chaotically modulate the noise levels of all eight channels independently. Once that was patched, I ran each Amps output to its own Harmonic Oscillator VCA input at random. The only part of this patch that was planned were the first and fifth harmonics, which received their noise modulation from the U and -U outputs on The Hypster as they’re the outputs with the highest amplitude. Each harmonic was slowly brought in by slowly adjusting each CV attenuator individually at random until they were all playing. The nature of chaos means that cycles, even if semi-regular at times, don’t repeat exactly the same, and the harmonics never played the same twice, which kept movement interesting. There were often pauses or redirections in motion for each harmonic. Wonderful.
The mixed HO output was patched to the Multi-Delay Processor. I’ve been taken in by the earthy sound of the Harmonic Oscillator. Each harmonic sine wave has a little hair on it once you give them a little push. The drive in the MultixDelay Processor, both on the input and on each tap output, accentuates that hair in all the right ways. This Verbos ecosystem is warm and inviting, but it can also roar. Taps four and eight were patched to the Verbos Scan & Pan, hard panned left and right, and the output of the MDP, which only had the dry signal, was patched to be in the middle of the mix. This mix created a strong signal with some subtle stereo movement which ended up being fantastic. This stereo signal was then patched to the stereo matrix mixer to be spread around to different effects.
The Rossum Panharmonium fed the Holocene Electronics Non-Linear Memory Machine, which was set with a fairly slow delay and full clockwise smearing, which really smoothed out the Panharmonium’s output for an accompanying drone that floats along beside the ever moving Harmonic Oscillator. This output then fed the Dradd(s), which did its thing in Grain Mode (although I think I forgot to turn on the modulation to both P1 and P2 on both Dradds 😬 – I’m also not convinced it isn’t lost in the mix).
I’m very pleased with how this patch turned out and was a great success at using this technique which I’ll be sure to use more often.
I was short on time yesterday, so put together a reasonably simple patch on the iPad. This Jamuary I’m purposefully trying to use unfamiliar techniques with unfamiliar instruments, and that’s what yesterday was all about in the little time I had. But the patch turned out so beautifully that I wanted to take some time to explore its possibilities in the modular. My first thought was to try and use the Oxi One as a Midi > CV converter so that I might patch the outputs of the Alexandernaut Fugue Machine to something like the Synthesis Technology E370 or some other quad sound source. But despite spending the better part of three hours trying to figure it out,1 I still had achieved no progress and so abandoned the idea and decided to do the next best thing. To patch a more intentional version of Jamuary 2507 into the modular and run it through several effects and see if I couldn’t come up with something new.
The initial patch is the same. Fugue Machine feeds the Klevgrand Speldosa and Decidedly Decent Sampler software instruments in AUM. Yesterday those went to reverb and I called it a day. The patch was beautiful and full of promise. Today went much further. The outputs of both Speldosa and the Cello samples were sent from AUM, via the ES-9 outputs, to the AI Synthesis 018 Stereo Matrix Mixer so that they might be spread around the system to three different effects, shifted and morphed matrix style, and finally sent back to AUM before getting some reverb. Though I’m trying new techniques with new things, that doesn’t mean everything in a single patch, lest I become overwhelmed and frustrated.2 The effects I chose were the Venus Instruments Veno-Echo,3 Pladask Elektrisk Dradd brothers, and the Rossum Electro-Music Panharmonium. Speldosa and the cello samples were sent to the delay, with Speldosa only going to Panharmonium, while the cello only was initially sent to the Dradd(s), before adding the delay to the Dradd(s)’ input, slowly adding more, and allowing those higher pitched notes to be granular-ized and spread through the stereo field. The Dradd(s) really turned out to be the highlight, though the delay isn’t far behind. Panharmonium sounds nice, as it always does, but seemed to get lost when it wasn’t leveled as a prominent voice in the mix at a given moment.
To be fair, I struggle with just about everything with the Oxi One. I really need to revisit it with purpose. ↩︎
I recently suffered that sort of frustration when I put two completely unfamiliar modules in my Xmas 2024 Synth. It was an exercise in frustration when it should have been a relaxing time. ↩︎
I used CoVariant, a now seemingly discontinued midi > cv plugin for the iPad to send out an analog clock from the iPad that is perfectly in sync with the midi clock generated by AUM. I will never delete this plugin as long as it continues to work. It also does midi > CV conversion (but I couldn’t figure it out). ↩︎
I was always sure that a Verbos system could do ambient, but it’s not what I read in their brand identity. Mark Verbos, the owner of Verbos, has noted several times in interviews that his main inspiration in both making music and instruments is his love for techno. The sounds his instruments make are raw, and there doesn’t seem a clear path to ambient paradise when I look at Verbos module faceplates. But in an interview I recently watched, Verbos mentioned that one of the first questions he was asked when the Harmonic Oscillator was whether it can do ambient drones, something he hadn’t considered at all when he was designing it. Nearly a decade later we know Verbos systems can used to perform ambient music, but it wasn’t until today, after a couple of days using sequencers and rhythms, that I finally decided to see what I could do.
The patch began with the Polyphonic Envelope, each of the four outputs to a different harmonic of the Harmonic Oscillator, with the All output patched to the fundamental. In a new technique for me, I decided to use blue noise from Sapel as an amplitude modulator for the fifth harmonic, which ended up being fantastic. I followed that up with very short, randomly generated pings to the eighth harmonic. As a means to more beef, I also frequency modulated the HO with its own second harmonic. The Mixed output of the HO was sent first through Amp & Tone for a bit of conditioning and resonance before going to the Multi-Delay Processor. The MDP was set to output the dry signal and some volume level delay taps, while I patched four separate individual delay tap outputs to the Scan & Pan for stereo-ification.
After some fuddling around with the Polyphonic Envelope, I finally got to a nice flow of envelopes, each triggered once the decay stage of the previous envelope begins in a beautiful cascade that cycles over and over. After a bit of figuring out some movement for the patch, I decided it was ready to record. Only this time, I decided on using some final reverb, my every trusty Walrus Audio Slöer, instead of relying solely on the reverb from the MDP. This was a great choice.
Having recorded the patch and still wanting more, I decided to process the Verbos voice through the Panharmonium (crossfaded saw waves) > the Bizarre Jezabel Pkhia, as well as the Dradd(s) to add some movement and edge, and recorded it again, so today we get another bonus patch.
I’m quite happy with how this patch turned out. This is definitely a route I’ll be exploring more in depth this year.
As a result of acquiring both the Synthesis Technology E370 and the Flame Instruments 4VOX, after also getting the Humble Audio Quad Operator and RYK Modular Algo earlier in the year, I’ve been stringing together a series of chord-based polyphonic patches using various forms of slow modulation to control the volume of each chord tone. From standard LFOs to chaos, and stochastic functions to ocean wave simulations, I’ve tried at least a dozen of this style of patching over the last several months. Some of these have used static chords that don’t really move anywhere. Different notes of a chord come in and out chaotically (in most cases), but the chord itself doesn’t change. Others are based on the harmonic series, where only one pitch change of the master oscillator affects all of the individual harmonics resulting in chord changes. All of those were composed using chaos or random as a pitch source. But, with one exception, it wasn’t until this patch that I used the NOH-Modular Pianist with real intent and composed a chord progression to move the piece along. To set a mood and provide some tension and relief with harmonic motion in addition to volume and timbre changes. And this time I went big with using all eight CV outputs, rather than just four.
The NOH-Modular Pianist is an interesting module. It promises a world of harmonic movement in an environment where using chords isn’t a simple proposition. Polyphony in Eurorack is equipment and labor intensive. Each separate note of a chord requires its own separate oscillator, function generator, and VCA, at minimum. and requires its own discrete signal path. That’s a lot of patching for what is an easy task in a DAW or by using keyboard-based synths. It’s a lot of tuning (and re-tuning); lots of signals to tweak, and lots of modulation to account for. Before the Pianist, ways to get this sort of advanced polyphony was hard to come by. You could use a MIDI > CV converter, which has its own challenges, or else by painstakingly programming a pitch sequencer note by note, which requires a level of music theory knowledge that most don’t possess.1 MIDI > CV converters require careful calibration, and there are few sequencers with more than just four channels. But the Pianist is different.
Rather than programming chords note by note, Pianist uses standard western music shorthand for identifying chords, and the module does the rest. When you program it to play a CM7 chord, for instance, it knows to send out pitch data for C E G and Bb. It’ll even repeat chord notes in a different octave if no color tones are used. You can add two chord extensions beyond the 7th, called Colours in the Pianist, or use chord inversions to designate the third or fifth as the bass note in the chord. If a up to six note chord can be played on a piano, it can be played by the Pianist.
Users can freely enter chords from scratch in Free mode, or, to make the job even easier, set it to Scale mode and choose only from chords within your chosen key. The scale can be set to Major, Minor, or any of the modes2 and Pianist does the rest. So, for example, if a user in Scale mode were choose A Major as the scale, Pianist would present you with only AMaj, Bmin, C#min, DMaj, EMaj, F#min, G#dim, the diatonic chords in A Major, in order to facilitate easier chord progressions for theory novices. As long as your oscillators are tuned, your chords will be in key. Nifty. For those who want to use chords outside of a key, or if your composition isn’t really in a specific key, Free mode allows for creating chords from scratch. Virtually any chord is possible (up to six notes). In both modes, harmonic complexity is simple, with up to two color tones available, and made even simpler in Random Gate mode where each gate received will add random colors automatically, and choose colors that make harmonic sense within that chord. The workflow in creating chord progressions is intuitive. I was quickly making fairly complex progressions with repeats and skipped chords with ease.
Though Pianist is a boon to those of us seeking access to polyphonic 12TET harmonic movement in our Eurorack patches, it does have its weaknesses. Though you can move notes up and down in octaves to create chord depth, it’s done in a haphazard way. Rather than setting each note for the exact voicing you’re looking for, you have to rely on functions Pianist calls Shift and Spread in order to get full, rich chords that don’t clutter a particular part of the audio spectrum, but it’s not exactly clear how that affects the chord as a whole. I can hear changes, but can’t always identify them. Easy variety, however, can be achieved when the Gate mode is set to Spread. No chord will be voiced exactly the same which creates intrigue.
The calibration for the module, at least in Version 1.0, is straight funky. This patch uses eight discrete oscillators. While tuning I sent a C from Pianist to set a baseline. But in order for the oscillators to play the C being sent, they each had to be tuned to G, which I found odd. The newest firmware, 1.2, addresses tuning and scales in a way that version 1.0 does not, which is a great improvement by all accounts, even if I haven’t used it yet to note any changes. Since I’m using Pianist in Free mode in this patch, however, there wasn’t a compelling reason for me to upgrade, though I certainly will now that I’ve finished recording it, even if I have an aversion to the upgrade processes of most digital modules.
The screen has a lot of information, and not a lot of room. However, navigation is still reasonably simple and the information on the screen laid out such that it’s not hard to read. It’s easier to read and use than many far more established modules like the Disting Ex, Kermit Mk3, or uO_C, even if there isn’t a lot of screen real estate. The interface is super easy to navigate using the mini joystick/push button. Version 1.2 is reported to have an even more streamlined navigation and menu system. Though altering global settings like the Scale, Gate or Spread behavior requires some menu diving which is never fun, programming chords decidedly does not. It’s a point and click operation made easy with the joystick, all done on one level. Move the cursor to what you want to change, click, move the joystick to the desired value, and click. Done.
A major issue with version 1.0, which may have been changed, is that it always boots up with the first saved sequence. Unless you save your progression to one of the user slots, you will lose your work if the module power cycles. If you don’t have much in your progression, or it’s a super simple that’s no problem. But if it’s long or has a lot of direction you might be losing a lot. Ask me how I know. 😕
Pianist has its own clock that will change on each beat, along with a clock output to trigger envelopes or some other event as chords change. But it also has a clock input, which will move along the chord sequence with every rising edge like any standard step sequencer. Being that I rarely use a steady clock, I haven’t tried the internal clock, and have instead used clocks created by chaos or some other irregular source. This patch used a fairly complicated sub-patch in order to derive the chord changes. I didn’t want haphazard pitch changes in the midst of notes actively being played, but only when nothing was being heard. Finding an approach for this was time consuming, and although there are probably (certainly?) other methods that would work as well, I settled upon an approach using two comparators, one analog and one digital.
The four waves from Swell Physics first went to the Xaoc Devices Samara II. Samara compares all four inputs, and outputs the Maximum signal (AKA Analog OR). Being that these four waves were controlling the volume of the individual chord tones, it occurred to me that once the Maximum signal went below 0v meant that all four parent signals were below 0v, which meant no volume at all from the chord voice. This is exactly when I want to trigger the next chord in the sequence. I then sent that Maximum signal from Samara II to a digital comparator, the Joranalogue Compare 2, with its compare window set to anything below 0v. So once that Maximum signal went below 0v, it would spit out a gate that would trigger a chord change in Pianist.
The eight chord tones created by the Pianist went to eight different oscillators. The root, third, fifth, and seventh (or fifth if there is no seventh) form the base of the chord and all go to one of the four Flame Instruments 4VOX oscillators, while the color notes and two additional root notes, one that follows chord inversions and one that does not, all go to a self-frequency modulated Frap Tools CUNSA, where each filter is set to self oscillate, and pinged in a Natural Gate.
The Flame 4VOX has been around a long time. My brother, a house sound engineer, producer, and DJ who’s been into Eurorack a long time, lusted for one long before I even knew what Eurorack was. It’s a fully polyphonic, wavetable oscillator beast, split into four sections of up to four oscillators each. Each oscillator can create detuned swarms, chords, or be unison. Each oscillator can be controlled by v/oct CV or midi, and is fully polyphonic with its own output. It really was a very advanced piece of gear for its time. It still is, even if it hasn’t been updated in several years and is showing its age. There are two pots and two CV inputs per oscillator that can control several parameters including scanning the wavetable, detuning, amplification, and more. It has internal VCAs to control volume, but I did not like how they functioned at all, and opted to use external VCAs, which worked to my benefit allowing me to modulate two wavetable parameters rather than the volume and only one parameter. There are also separate FM and reset/sync inputs per oscillator, along with its individual output. Even if CV-able options seem to be limited, virtually every facet of the 4VOX can be addressed via midi, although I haven’t used it with midi at all. It’s a very powerful oscillator bank that can cover lots of ground.
Although I wouldn’t say programming the 4VOX is difficult, it’s not as easy as most more modern interfaces. The screen is bare bones with low resolution and a slim viewing radius. The encoder is a little weird. You have to push it down and turn CCW to move downward in menus, while you simply turn it CW to change parameter values inside the menu. As a unit, it’s impressive. There are lots of options, plenty of stock wavetables to choose from, and it sounds good, but it shows its age. Upgrading firmware is a laborious process with modern computers. Although you can install your own wavetables, the processes to convert them to the right format and get them loaded can be a nightmare, particularly if you’re a Mac user. All of the computer-side software is a decade or more old, and workarounds are sometimes needed. I’m not a “I need to load my own wavetables” kind of guy, and my unit came to me with the latest update, but if I were that guy or my unit hadn’t already had the latest firmware, it would not be an easy task. I’ve had similar problems with older gear before3, and they’re no fun.
The 4VOX forms the base of the chords, brought in and out by the four waves from the Addac508 Swell Physics. The sound is both powerful and delicate, with each quadrant set to four slightly detuned, unison oscillators, each one being slightly modulated by the Nonlinearcircuits Frisson. Although I was pleased with the 4VOX’s performance, the Synthesis Technology E370 is a better overall option. Although the E370 is also based on nearly decade-old technology, it’s still a better user experience. The screen is in color, fully customizable, bigger, and gives more information. The stock wavetables are a gold standard. The software UI is easier to navigate using a more standard encoder. The physical UI is also far better arranged. With the 4VOX, the screen is in the middle of the module, knob locations are not symmetrical, and are more difficult to wiggle once everything is patched up. The E370 has everything laid out very neatly. The screen is on the far left, I/O on the far right, with knobs in the middle, leaving more than enough room to wiggle. It’s really a premium user experience. The only advantages the 4VOX has are its price, size, and complete polyphonic midi capabilities. The 4VOX has always been less expensive than the E370, and that remains true on the secondary market. However, the price differential on the used market is much closer than their respective MSRPs, as the E370 can be purchased for well under 50% of the original retail cost. The price difference on my units, both purchased used within a week of one another, was $100. The size, however, cannot change, and in that regard the 4VOX has the E370 soundly beat. At 29hp the 4VOX is still large (and odd hp 😕), but it’s dwarfed by the massive 54hp E370. It’s the massive size, however, that makes the E370 such a pleasure to wiggle.
Once mixed to mono in the Atomosynth Transmon, the 4VOX chords went through the venerable Industrial Music Electronics Malgorithm MkII, a powerhouse FSU-type module with bit crushing, sample reduction, and various types of waveshaping available to have anything from subtly crunchy through completely mangled audio at the output. Using Malgorithm was an absolute treat. Most of the lo-fi effects I tend towards are of the vintage variety, tape sounds, record pops, etc, vs just slightly old sounding digital artifacting, so it was a different sort of experience. On any other day I likely would have chosen distortion in this role, but the day I started this patch I precipitously chose to go with a different kind of dirt. And it was perfect. I was still able to get some nasty distortion via the “Axis” waveshaper (whatever that does), with the bit crushing and sample reduction playing a slowly increasing role. It’s starts clean, then moves to understated digital artifacting, and finally waves of full blown destruction, ending clean once again. One aspect of Malgorithm I enjoyed was the interaction between input level and the waveshaping. It responds similarly to tube distortion circuits, where the harder you drive the input, the more distortion there will be ranging from just barely there to outright obliteration. Each of these waveshaping circuits has three different levels, red, orange, and green, and all of them have their own character. These waveshapers can even interact with each other for nuking your audio from orbit if that’s what you want. I rode faders on the very awesome Michigan Synth Works XVI to control both the input level as well as the wet/dry mix in order to provide a performative aspect to this patch. Both the bit crushing and Nyquist parameters were modulated by the Addac506 Stochastic Function Generator, with a fairly wide range of both rise and fall times between medium and long. Each of the parameters were set to moderate crunchiness with the knobs, with their modulation moving towards a full-resolution signal. This created an absolutely amazing effect from the sound of dying batteries to the fabric of the universe being unzipped and sewn back together. I would highly recommend Malgorithm to anyone, but you’d have to find one first.
Once through Malgorithm and into the stereo matrix mixer, these now buzzy chords went to the Holocene Electronics Non-Linear Memory Machine, with a very light perfect fifth shimmer in the feedback loop. I initially went with a full octave shimmer, but decided against it as it was too prominent and spiraled too far out of control too quickly. This created a very subtle sheen on the chords that isn’t noticeable much of the time, but is a nice effect nonetheless. Feedback and Spread were both modulated by attenuated versions of the Average output from Swell Physics.4
The color tones of each chord were all sent to the mighty Frap Tools CUNSA, a quad filter extraordinaire, and pinged in a pair of Rabid Elephant Natural Gates. Though I was tempted to use the simple sine waves from each LPF output, I later decided to use the HPF output as a means of each oscillator frequency modulating itself in order to add some harmonics, which worked a treat. In retrospect, I could have simplified the patch significantly had I pinged CUNSA itself instead of running the output to Natural Gate, but I chose the Natural Gate route because Natural Gate.
Using a patch technique I’ve used often, the gates that pinged the Natural Gates were created by running the four waves from Swell Physics into the Nonlinearcircuits Numberwang. But rather than simply choosing four gate outputs, I ran several Stackcables so that each strike input on the Natural Gates were each derived from three Numberwang outputs. This filled in space much better. The notes are still sparse, but they’re triggered at a much better pace using three gates each rather than just one. These notes fill out chords in interesting ways. They’re very short, but combined with delay and reverb, those colors hang around long enough to create intrigue in the overall sound without being intrusive.
These notes were sent to what is becoming one of my favorite delays, the Chase Bliss Audio Reverse Mode C, a re-imagining of one of the modes on the legendary Empress Effects Superdelay. Although it certainly does standard stereo delay stuff, it excels at being a quirky sort of delay, able to output normal delays, reverse delays, and octave up reverse delays, by themselves, or in a mix. Mixing delays creates a beautiful sound space of echoes bouncing all around the stereo field, at different speeds and octaves, which is an incredible aural treat. I haven’t yet learned to properly modulate the Reverse Mode C, but that’s a function of not having a firm grasp on midi. As I figure that out, things ought to get very interesting, with different sorts of delays fading in and out in very creative ways.
The last synthesized voice in this patch is the Good and Evil Dradds as an effects send, sending both the chords and ornamental color notes for some granular action. The Dradd(s) outputs went to separate EF-X2 tape echoes with different settings. Ever since getting a second Dradd, I’ve been infatuated by what I can do with them, and this patch may be the best result yet. Both were set to Tape mode with similar P2, but different P1 knob positions, with the P1 parameter on both being modulated by an attenuated version of the Average output on Swell Physics. The Dradds, in some ways, steal the show. They create all sorts of movement in the stereo field and fill the space between chords and color notes in ways that keep the piece from becoming still. They’re the wake left after a large swell passes by. The bio-luminescence after a crashing wave.
The spoken voice is a set of three samples that were triggered in Koala on the iPad. Triggers emanated from the gate outputs on Swell Physics combined in the new Nonlinearcircuits Gator, sent to the Joranalogue Step 8 and then the Befaco CV Thing and converted to midi notes that were sent to trigger Koala samples on the iPad. It took me a while to figure this one out, though it worked exactly how I envisioned. Gates from Swell Physics were combined in Gator, which triggered Step 8. Each of the first three steps sent its individual gate output to a different CV Thing input. This ensured that the three samples were always triggered in the correct order. The samples themselves were then sent to a new collaborative delay plugin, Moon Echo, by AudioThing and Hainbach.. Moon Echo is a modeled simulation of bouncing sound off the moon, and has a very distinct character. The delay was set to fully wet, and has a delay of about 2.5sec, though that changes depending on the day. The moon is not at a fixed distance from the earth, and the plugin reflects that. By “pinging” the moon upon startup, you will get the current distance to the moon, and a new delay time down to five decimal points (1/100,000 of a second). Fucking cool.
One thing I did differently with this patch paid off high dividends, and will absolutely become a staple in my recordings. I’ve been patching for a few years, but am still an absolute novice at standard studio stuff. Mixing, EQ, compression, and everything else in that sphere evades me. I’ve used some very basic EQ in the past, but really only on the final output, which, as I’ve discovered has several drawbacks. This patch was the first I’ve ever recorded using EQ, the highly regarded Toneboosters TB Equalizer 4, on individual channels as they were being recorded. The chords, ornamentals, and reverb send received EQ that greatly improved the sound quality, even if it could still be better. I did, however, neglect to put EQ on the Dradds, which proved to be a mistake, as there is a very occasional pitch that pierces through in what can’t be far from dog whistle frequencies. It’s not eardrum busting, but I can hear it, and it annoys me. I didn’t catch that behavior when recording, and never EQ’d it out. That said, it was also the first time I’ve recorded a modular patch in separate multi-tracks, including the chords, ornamentals, Dradds, spoken voice, reverb return, and the mixed stereo signal (presented here). I can go back and make changes or additions should that be something I want to do, or send the parts to someone else for mixing and mastering should I ever choose to release it.
Overall I’m very pleased with this patch. It was originally composed in a different key and completely different chord progression, and for a special group of online friends. The chord progression I used in this recording wasn’t composed, as such. At least not by me. I asked ChatGPT for a “sad progression, yet with a sense of hope.”5 I asked for it to be more sad, and it changed key from Amin to Dmin, and ended in a non-diatonic chord (DMaj), which I found a wonderful “choice.” Then, as a means to test the Pianist, I asked for several chord extensions and inversions, and ChatGPT complied, giving us what we have in the recording.
Improvised and recorded in 1 take on iPad in AUM via the Expert Sleepers ES-9.
I studied music performance in college, and have a decent grasp on music theory. The last 30 years, however, have pared that knowledge down to basics. I’m certainly no expert, but I can read chord charts and identify chord notes, even if I have to think for a second. ↩︎
The Humble Audio Quad Operator I purchased did not have the latest firmware update, and the internal VCAs all bled badly. I was unable to install the latest firmware with a modern Mac. I was fortunate to have an older one available to me that I was able to use. ↩︎
There are no fewer than seven modulation points in the patch that are all modulated by an attenuated version of the Average output from Swell Physics. ↩︎
This was literally the first time I’ve ever considered purposefully using AI for anything. ↩︎
I recently sat down with a goal: identify modules in my synth that are underutilized, and make a plan to integrate them into my patches. Like all musicians, synthesists can fall into patterns. We use the same techniques and too often travel similar routes. Though my repetition of techniques of late is somewhat purposeful as I learn new gear, its’s still repetition, and it’s nice to walk on untrodden ground every once in a while.
While I was looking through my folder of manuals, I quickly identified a module that I’ve only used once, and over a year ago: the Blukač Instruments Endless Processor.1 On paper this sort of module seems a natural partner for the kinds of sounds I use most, but for some reason I’ve tended to reach by it and patch something else like the Rossum Electro-Music Panharmonium or Qu-Bit Electronix Aurora. In a bid for some nonlinearity in my practice, I decided that the Endless Processor would be the first of those unused modules to put through its paces.
This patch uses chaos to create a sequence. The starting point is The Hypster by Nonlinearcircuits. I use The Hypster in a lot of patches for a lot of different purposes. I use it for “normal” modulation, the beginning of a chain to make clocks, pitch CV, and maybe more. It’s definitely one of my favorite modules overall, and a top two or three modulator that I’ve used. The Hypster serves many purposes; sometimes more than one in a given patch. In this patch it would serve all three of those functions, plus a bit of self-modulation to keep it from settling into something resembling a pattern.
Four outputs from The Hypster (X, Z, -Y, -U) were patched to another Nonlinearcircuits module, Numberwang, for some good old fashioned gate extraction. The last time I used Numberwang, I wanted a steady-ish rhythm. Not perfectly-on-the-grid steady, but something close, even if it had the propensity to drift (which was a big part of the point), which is why I didn’t modulate The Hypster in that patch. But this time I didn’t want steady. I wanted gates that can’t easily be tied time, which required a meandering source. Chaos can meander a bit, but it can also become regular in that chaotic kind of way. I didn’t want the regular part this time, so modulation of at least one parameter was crucial. Once I started to ping my oscillators with gates from Numberwang and found a frequency on The Hypster that provided a satisfying cadence, I set out to modulate both the Damp and Gain settings. Adding gain adds both voltage and nonlinearity to the feedback loop. More gain is higher output levels and more meandering. Damping suppresses those things in interesting ways. Modulating both brought revealed the chaotic nature of the signal, specifically through the pitch CV, but also in the gate pattern from Numberwang.
This wasn’t the first time I’ve used a chaos signal an a source for pitch CV or gates. But it was the first time I’ve used chaos as a source for pitch and gates while I performatively modulated it so that I would have more control over its range, or the way it meanders. Too much gain and you have pitches more fit for dogs than humans) Too much damping, and you have pitches without enough variation to keep the note sequence interesting, and gates that quickly turn into patterns (even if they do drift a bit). To modulate gain, I used The Hypster’s next door neighbor in my case, Frisson. I also used the -Z output to self-modulate Damping. Although both the Gain and Damping CV inputs both have attenuators, I patched both signals to an attenuator to fine tune the level of modulation The Hypster was receiving. Even very small turns of either attenuator knob revealed very interesting results that would be difficult to achieve with one-pass attenuation at the CV input. Slightly different gate patterns; slightly different notes in the pitch sequence. All very interesting and necessary in order to keep any part of the sequence from becoming dry or repetitive for too long.
I’ve used chaos as a pitch CV source frequently, but this time was a little different. Normally I use one source signal for each oscillator in the patch. But this time I decided to use just one chaos signal as the source for all four oscillators, clocked by Numberwang separately in four separate channels of Quantermain. I controlled the range of pitch primarily through an attenuator, the Nonlinearcircuits De-Escalate.2 This allowed for small changes in pitch choices. One thing I would likely do differently would be to minimize very low pitches by using some offset to the signal before attenuation, especially as I opened up the attenuator. Higher pitches also means lower pitches at the bottom end without some offset, and some of the pitches on the low end are just a little too low for my liking. I imagine some are even inaudible.
The pitch sequence (in D Minor) was sent from Quantermain to the four wavetable oscillators of the Synthesis Technology E370, with all four oscillators tuned to the same pitch, even if I couldn’t tell you what that pitch is. Each wavetable was lightly modulated by the Frisson, with each oscillator detuned slightly by hand. This constant variation in timbre created a wide variety of sounds. Each note just a little different than the last time it was struck. The oscillator outputs were patched to a pair of Rabid Elephant Natural Gate LPGs for pinging, using the same four Numberwang outputs that selected pitch for each channel.
The result is a dance of orbs in some fantastical forest, or drops of water falling to make music, like something akin to a fast moving Fall on the Monome Norns. It’s a beautiful generative sequence, even if this version of the patch used some human assistance. Using a VCA to control levels of the pitch and modulation signals with a very slow modulator would be the key to make it fully generative. In fact, I’ll put that in my patch book to use in the future!
In this patch I used a very simple stereo algorithm: the first Natural Gate outputs are the left channel, and the second Natural Gate outputs are the left channel. Although this decision created a wide stereo space, four separate events happening independently, two in each ear, can become a little distracting and separated, even if it also heightened interest. I think I might have been better served to send these outputs to a panning mixer for mixdown to place them a little more carefully in the stereo field, though I won’t go so far as to say that change should be recorded in ink. There is no sense of a unified space until these completely independent left and right channels hit the stereo reverb.
This effect was exacerbated by the dual mono delays used in the patch, a pair of Echofix EF-X2 tape echoes. Each was set to augment the original’s clarity, holding on to timbre as long as it could until atrophy took hold. Each delay was also set to a different delay time and tape head playback/feedback configuration which created very different echo patterns, heightening the very different sequence patterns in each ear.
But I made a terrible mistake. Throughout much of the recording you can hear some clipping in the left channel. While I investigated I made sure levels were good going into the audio interface. Not only were they not too hot, I’d have liked for them to be even louder. At first I thought it might be some artifact in the wavetable being modulated. But why only that wavetable? I then thought I might have set an envelope a little hot before going to Natural Gate, but that wasn’t it either. Then I heard it. A clue. The clipping wasn’t on the note generation itself, but only occasionally on the very first repeat of only particular notes. It doesn’t happen all of the time. As I was recording i investigated my gainstaging. I discovered that my levels going into the left channel delay were quite hot, and that’s what was causing the clipping; the inbuilt analog limiter that was occasionally being hit very hard and distorting. At least I think that’s what it was. Toward the end of the recording I adjusted the input level to the left delay which seemed to mostly sort the issue.
I also used The Dradds in this patch, although in a way I had never used them before, with the Grain algorithm. I had sort-of tried this mode before, but never really investigated it with the manual until this patch. Like when I actually RTFM while using The Dradds in the Tape algorithm, I was immensely happy with the result. Understanding your instrument is key. As synthesists we can happy accident our way into nice sounds regularly. But you can’t really compose with the hope that your knob twists will land you where you want to go. Just as strumming away on a guitar, or pressing piano keys doesn’t create something musical, you can’t really get music from a modular until you know which knobs to turn and when/how much to turn them. For this patch I chose to scan each buffer using a chaos signal from Frisson. This was nice movement, but the scarcity of notes feeding The Dradds meant that sometimes there was nothing in the short buffer to scan, or so little that it wasn’t scanned while it was in the buffer. This served to keep the Dradds from becoming too busy and overtaking the patch, but I would have liked more from The Dradds at many points.
The last effect used (besides reverb on the entire output) is the aforementioned Endless Processor. I hadn’t used this module much before. Not because I don’t think it would add a beautiful dimension to my patching, but because of unknown reasons that had me patching other FFT-like modules instead. The Endless Processor is a very simple module that does just one thing: it analyzes the frequency and level information of incoming audio, and endlessly sustains an average of that audio until you clear the layer. You can clear layers, or replace them with new audio, but ultimately the Endless Processor is a very simple instrument. It’s perfect for drones or making chords. It’s perfect for creating air in your patch, or filling space and creating texture. You can even use this module for stabbing techno chords.
But simple doesn’t mean easy. Capturing the exact sound you want, particularly at lower Memory times, can be challenging. You don’t always get the capture you hoped for (something that happened during this recording), and sometimes you get a capture that sounds downright bad. Today was my first day with it, so I think I can forgive myself for getting “meh” results in my first recording with it. I can only discern one capture, though I was pretty sure I did at least four of them on layers one and two. My initial goal was to have both channels of the Endless Processor float back and forth in the stereo field at different rates, but with only one sound being audible it’s pretty awkward, especially with as loud as it is. Clearly, I need practice.
Overall I really enjoyed creating this patch. Chaos is always fun to use in whatever capacity I use it. The Natural Gates shines again. The Echofix tape delays, brilliant. The Dradds doing Dradd-y things. My hope is to really work with the Endless Processor, as I can absolutely see just what a boon it could be in my practice.
I actually identified a whole lot of modules that have been underused, and am making a plan to use them, or sell them. ↩︎
As much as I like the De-Escalate, it would be a much easier tool to use were the jacks to one side and the knob on the other. Input-Knob-Output is a horribly patching orientation for minimizing spaghetti. ↩︎
I’ve used all kinds of slow modulation sources in my patches. Wave simulators, chaos, and slow, free-running LFOs are all staples in my modular practice, and I’ve used all of them as the engine that drives an entire patch. But one thing I’ve never tried in a lead role in a patch is good, old fashioned random modulation. Sure, I’ve used sample and hold or smooth random generators like the Frap Tools Sapél, Mutable Instruments Marbles, or Make Noise Wogglebug for specific tasks within a patch, but outside of Marbles > Rings-type patches, I’ve never based a patch on staochastic movement before.
Random is, well, random, and it’s hard to be intentional when you can’t really expect what’s going to happen next. In some circumstances, that unpredictability is perfect. In other cases, it just makes a really big mess. There are certainly ways to corral in a random signal to fit within particular parameters to allow for more predictability. That’s the basis of stochastics. Sapél has a range probability knob which directs it to choose output values predominantly from a particular range. Marbles has a switch for voltage ranges. Wogglebug similarly has a mechanism for more or less drastic changes. You can even hone random voltage in on your own with a little offset and attenuation. But it’s still random, and even if completely random might work for certain facets of a patch, using it as the main driver becomes difficult while still remaining musical.1 But I was determined to make it work, and I had just the module to help.
The Addac506 Stochastic Function Generator is a powerhouse modulation source made up of four function generators, and most of the bells a whistles one could want. Need cycling envelopes? Check. Slew limiter? Check. One shot envelopes? Check. Audio rate to very slow? Check. EOR and EOC trigger outputs. Check. Offset and attenuation to get your generated functions in the exact range you need it? Check? Some comparator action for related modulation? Check? And this checklist of features goes on and on. But the killer app of the Stochastic Function Generator is its ability to set a very precise range for both Rise and Fall times. This ability allows for some very compelling modulation that changes every cycle, but, particularly when using very slow modulation, does so organically in a way that seems transparent. It can be set to no random generation (standard envelopes), a very wide range with wildly changing Rise and Fall times, or a very narrow range where changes are subtle, and each of these can be done in three modes, slow, medium, or fast (per generator). The Addac506 is a very powerful module with a compelling feature set that can drive entire patches.
I had set out to make another E370 patch using slow modulation to fade the four wavetable oscillators in and out to create a cloud of a chord that is constantly shifting, yet still always the same. I’d been using slow moving bipolar signals for this purpose on several patches of late, but I wanted to try something a little different this time around. I’ve used chaotic systems, and I’d used both free running and synced LFOs, but I’d had problems using cycling unipolar functions in the past because no voice is ever truly out for very long. It’s a constant chord where each note changes volume, but is almost always audible. Mystery, drama, and tension are minimized; each note like a yo-yo rather than a graceful flow in and out and back in again. But the Addac506 is a little different. Unlike most function generators, with the Stochastic Function Generator you can tailor the outputs to any range you want. Those functions needn’t be unipolar, nor with wide ranging levels, and the ability to offset and attenuate signals allows one to shape your function to suit your destination without issue, and it’s this ability to perfectly condition CV before ever leaving the module that enabled me to use it in this slow fading movement I was looking for.
Setting the stochastic functions on the Addac506 is simple: set minimum and maximum Rise and Fall times, and call it a day. At the instantiation of every cycle both Rise and Fall will receive a random value between those set minimum and maximum times, and that stochastically determined envelope will come out. Flick the cycling switch and every cycle is something different. And the Addac506 gives us that, times four. It should be noted that this behavior can be replicated in any function generator that has both End Of Rise and End Of Cycle gate/trigger outputs, plus CV inputs to control the rise and fall times independently. You’ll need to add in a sample and hold or random voltage generator, plus a module for offset and attenuation to define the range of random. All this times four is a lot of patching, and a lot of modules. The Addac506 does it all seamlessly under the panel.
At first I was a little confused. Although I hadn’t initially set any offset, the output was still silent until the voltage as somewhere between 1-2 volts.2 I had anticipated needing to use negative offset to create some space between the fading out of one wave and when it will become audible again, but instead found myself using positive offset to get the flow I was after. Fortunately the flexibility of the Addac506 allowed for quick and easy adjustments to put each wave in the right zone. I added a fair amount of positive offset to the bass note of the chord so that it was always audible, while still having level changes to keep it moving. The other three oscillators used a very slight positive offset. Combining their need to get to somewhere between one and two volts before becoming audible, with the very slow nature of these ever-evolving functions determined the use of positive offset. Up to 40% of their positive range was already inaudible. Giving the functions a bit of a voltage floor rise was in order, lest far too much silence ensue.
Having already decided on my four oscillators for this chord soup, the quad wavetable oscillators of the Synthesis Technology E370, and having had the level control roughly framed out, it was time to look at modulating the wavetables to create movement within each note. The pitch of each oscillator would remain static, and to accompany the change in level, a change in timbre is natural (especially with a morphing wavetable oscillator). Having already used up the outputs of the Addac506, I looked to a familiar module, and one right next to the Stochastic Function Generator, the Addac508 Swell Physics.
Although Swell Physics is definitionally a chaos-based system, and not a random one, the uneven flow up and down of each output was perfect for the job. The bass note oscillator received modulation only on its Detune CV input, while the other three oscillators received both Wave and Detune modulation, the former from Swell Physics and the latter three free running sine wave LFOs from Batumi II. The triangle wave LFOs from Batumi II were used to pan these same three signals slowly through the stereo field with the ST Modular Sum Mix & Pan, while the bass note was planted firmly in the center. Once mixed down to stereo, the four oscillator cloud went to the AI Synthesis 018 Stereo Matrix Mixer.
Once in the matrix mixer it was time to smooth out some of the rough edges with the Holocene Electronics Non-Linear Memory Machine, a favorite of mine since it went in the rack. As a non-clockable delay I found it a wonderful tool for long, drawn out ambient delays, especially with how it can smear repeats into an almost reverb-like sound. Although I tend to pretty heavily modulate the NLMM, I chose to go with no modulation in this patch, with smearing at about 12 o’clock on the knob, and feedback at around 11 o’clock. The NLMM was mixed with the dry signal in the matrix mixer at about a 50:50 ratio, and perhaps even favoring a bit more delay than dry signal.
This mixed signal was sent to both the output mixer and The Dradds for some broken tape machine treatment. Both sides, left and right, or light and dark as it exists in my case, were set to Tape mode at an octave up, with each side behaving slightly differently. The left side tends to randomly switch between forward and backwards playback at double-speed, while the right side randomly switches both direction and speed, although both sides were lightly modulated and sometimes change temporarily. Although I’ve always been enamored by the Dradd(s), it wasn’t until I really started to learn it have my results been what I was always hoping for. Since I sat down to really understand the Dradd(s), my patching has had an opportunity to be more intentional, with my results more satisfying and effective. Plus, having dual Dradds for a stereo field really maximizes the movement and variation it creates.
A heaping portion of distortion, courtesy of the Bizarre Jezabel Mimosa, was also used towards the end of the patch, which created occasional blips and stutters, and a sense of heavy drama. It was only used on the chord cloud and the Dradds, and even then I chose to keep a fair bit of the original dry signal in the mix. I really like the resulting sound, but something is happening that I don’t quite understand. As distortion was introduced into the mix, I did not lower the dry signal. I would have expected the volume would rise, yet it didn’t. The volume got lower, even once the dry and wet distortion signals were nearing full volume in the matrix mixer. It wasn’t until I started to lower the dry signal (the chord, its delayed signal from the NLMM, and the Dradds) that the overall volume started to become louder. My guess is there is some form of phase cancellation happening, although I don’t really know what phenomenon might explain it. You can hear it starting at about the 10 minute mark, with me starting to lower the dry level at about the 11:22 mark, which corresponded in a total output level rise. Curious, that.
Although I was quite happy with my shifting chord after a whole lot of tinkering with envelopes and CV input attenuators, I knew something was missing. I had blips of granular synthesis to break things up, but it needed more. I was hesitant to use SD Multisample as I’ve done a lot of that, but wanted something in a similar vein. Reaching back to one of my very first patches, an attempt at creating a wind chime-like sound and pattern, I decided to add in a randomly created, toy piano sound (or baby R2-D2 sounds as my oldest relayed ). I really enjoyed making that patch when I did it the first time around. It was the first patching technique I’d ever figured out on my own, and a sense of nostalgia pushed me over the edge, even if only to see if I could remember how to replicate it.
This part of the patch started at the Stochastic Function Generator’s “Average” output. This output was patched to the input of the Joranalogue Compare 2. When the Average out from the Addac506 was inside the comparator window, it spat out a gate to the cycling input on a Frap Tools Falistri. While the function was cycling, the End Of Cycle gate triggered Sapel and Quantermain. Sapel sent a value from the N2 output to both Quantermain, in order to send quantized pitch CV, and the Decay CV input of Falistri that would change the envelope length with each note. The VCO changed pitch, and the cycling envelope opened the VCA, each note with a different pitch and length. The sound went from the first VCA to the output mixer, as well as a second VCA which panned the signal to two separate delays, which were then mixed and sent to the output mixer to be mixed with the dry signal and the rest of the patch.
Although the method I ultimately used in this patch is very different than the first time around, the results are similar. The sounds are much higher in pitch, much faster, and much shorter than my original version, but the theory behind creating the sounds was the same, even if I took a different route to get there.3 I wanted short, uneven bursts, and I got them. It’s quite often these days that I realize there are many routes to the same end. Overall, this part of the patch played a very minor role, but an important one. After several listens, I’d probably integrate this part differently were I to do it again. I’d definitely have it more forward for most of the mix rather than hanging around the background. It seems to get lost sometimes, when it should be more prominent. I would also not mess up a patch connection with my second delay, the Qu-Bit Electronix Nautilus, where I plugged into the Right input, and not the left, which, with the feedback pattern chosen, put virtually all of the delay signal from Nautilus on only the Left side. Some might not even notice, but it bothers the shit out of me.
The last part of this patch is the periodic “bubble burst” with accompanying echoes (courtesy of the Xaoc Devices Sarajewo). I stole this idea straight from one of my favorite patches on the Make Noise channel. It’s a simple sound that is both unobtrusive, and only very periodic. The sound was created by pinging (ringing?) CUNSA, which also had its frequency modulated by the highly attenuated HP output of the same filter (another trick I stole from Make Noise – Thanks, Walker!). It was triggered by using a Stackcable to combine three separate gate outputs from the Stochastic Function Generator. These long functions output only very periodic gates at a random interval, so there’s no overcrowding. It also helped provide a sense of scale and depth of the musical space.
Everything ended with a round trip through the Walrus Audio Slöer, which is quickly becoming my favorite reverb. Although I’ve tended towards one of the pitch shifting algorithms, I ultimately decided on using the Dream algorithm, though the Rain algorithm also sounded nice.
I really enjoyed this patch, even if there are a few things I would definitely change. It was both challenging and highly rewarding. It offers answers to some questions, but also to more questions to explore in a future patch.
Although what is or isn’t “musical” is certainly subject to wide interpretation, I think we can still make useful generalizations, while drawing lines between something most would call musical, with yet other examples most would call sound(s) or noise. ↩︎
I’m not sure, but I suspect that the VCA/mixer I was using to process the audio has a logarithmic response, delaying its response with slow(er) signals. The manual doesn’t illuminate the VCA topography, unfortunately. ↩︎
After looking at a patch diagram of the original patch, the methods used between these two patches was quite different, even if it started similarly. It’s nice to know that there is generally more than one way to accomplish some patching goal. ↩︎
Although I’m not fully clear on what might make a module beastly, what I am clear on is that the Synthesis Technology E370 Quad Morphing VCO is a beast. One might call a module beastly because of the sound it makes. Others might be termed a beast because of its sheer size. But then sometimes there are a few Eurorack modules that strive for something grandiose; so technically complex that to have it function at all is a major coup in engineering. It’s these sorts of tools that have the capacity to change the dynamic of one’s rack. To change how we go about playing our synthesizers. Not many modules fall into this category, and those that do tend to be bulky and expensive. I’ve only had this experience with a small handful of modules. The Synthesis Technology E370 is one of those modules.
I tend mostly to live in ambient-world when patching my synthesizer. In some ways it’s an extension of the mental state patching places me in. When I patch, I get lost; completely immersed in the algorithm. Not the shitty-type algorithm like those on social media, but that state of constantly thinking my way through the patch step-by-step. Sometimes that thought is speculative (I wonder what will happen if….), while other times I’m thinking through a problem (or set of problems) that are keeping me from achieving some goal within the patch (How the fuck do I do X?). Modular synthesis is a puzzle. It’s a technical exercise far exceeding putting the right notes in place, and one that rewards deep thought about how to approach the next step. The puzzle is what initially attracted me to modular. It’s like playing Myst, only with the real life reward of beautiful music for solving the puzzle correctly.
This quest for ambient has landed me with several oscillator banks in a search for the perfect cloud of notes. A few minutes that might have a chance to reflect the state I’m in while making the patch. I’ve used several of these in my practice. The Humble Audio Quad Operator, RYK Algo, Frap Tools CUNSA, dual Frap Tools Falistris, 4ms Spherical Wavetable Navigator, and 4ms Spectral Multimode Resonator can all be used as oscillator banks, and I’ve used them all in that capacity. But as nice as those tools are, none come to level the E370 strives to achieve. A full 4 oscillator wavetable oscillator with just about every bell and whistle one could desire to customize your sound. Oh, and each oscillator can be eight oscillators, either stacked and detuned, or with chords. That’s a total of 32 oscillators swarming around. That’s quite the tool.
Although this post is not an attempt to write a comprehensive review of the E370, it’s only my first patch with it, and after only a couple of not-terribly-thorough glances at the manual,1 I do want to note that it’s immediately apparent that the E370 is one of those transformative modules. The kind that will affect how I patch the modular in the future. Despite experiencing a couple of frustrations during this first patch,2 it’s clear that the E370 is ultra-powerful, able to deliver a wide assortment of sounds and timbres. The interface is beautiful, well laid out, and at 54hp definitely large enough to easily use it. Despite having a deep menu system, navigating is relatively simple and changing parameters is no problem. Where the issue lies is in understanding what each parameter within the menu system is and what it does, and that will come with practice. What’s the difference between MorphXY and MorphZ? What is Phase Interpolation? But those are different problems to be understood and solved with practice, not obstacles that need a workaround or compromise. This module is deep, yet despite not being quite as easy to navigate as something like the Doboz T12, it’s not difficult by any definition of the word. It’s quite easy to get going in a hurry.
This patch is a combination of several patches I’ve done recently. The Addac508 Swell Physics is the heart of the patch that controls almost everything, from the levels of each oscillator, to panning, to wavetable modulation, and more, even if not directly. Oscillator levels are controlled by Swell Physics indirectly via the Nonlinearcircuits Let’s Splosh, using the very excellent Jolin Labs Agogo LPG/mixer extraordinaire. Each oscillator output is patched to inputs 1, 3, 5, and 7 of the Agogo, with white noise patched to inputs 2, 4, 6, and 8. Four CV outputs from Let’s Splosh modulate the levels of each oscillator and its noise pairing in CV inputs 1, 3, 5, and 7, with the mixed signals being taken from outputs 2, 4, 6, and 8. This sort of usage really highlights the Agogo’s proverbial girth. With all inputs and outputs cascading, it’s a mixing powerhouse, with the ability to create all manner of different submixes to suit any patch. This patch made four separate outputs, each with one oscillator mixed with white noise that then went to the ST Modular Sum Mix & Pan for a mix down to stereo. Each of those signals was individually panned in the stereo field by outputs 1-4 of Swell Physics, with the L/R output of Mix & Pan patched to the matrix mixer. Swell physics also modulates each oscillator’s wavetable.
Another part of the patch I’ve used recently, and repeated here, is panning between delays in order to get contrasting patterns or textures and keep the sound progressing. I first learned this patch while watching a DivKid video about the stereo strip, even if I’ve adapted it to be able to pan a fully stereo signal between delays using chained Intellijel Amps, rather than sending them a mono signal to be stereo-ized by the delays. Although I don’t use the Stereo Strip for that specific purpose in this patch, I do use it to EQ the audio before going to the delays.
The first delay I used is the Venus Instruments Veno-Echo. It’s a staple in my synth, and might be the most versatile delay in Eurorack. I often use it in patches like this because it has reverse delay that can be triggered, and that leads to interesting textures that are able to contrast with whatever other delay I decide to use. It’s fully controllable per side, and highly modulate-able. I added some sample reduction (it does that too) for some slight crunch which really brings out the wavetable nature of the E370. Add in probability gated triggers to turn reverse on and off per side, and the first delay is set.
The second delay I used was a pair of Echofix EF-X2 tape delays. With this delay I added some drive using the preamp(s), and for the first time with the tape delays, used CV to control the Speed, creating a beautiful tremolo that sang almost like a voice in the feedback, particularly once run through the octave up reverb in the Walrus Audio Slöer. I hadn’t set out to CV control the tape delays, but I was reminded by the CV input sitting on the control panel and decided to give it a go.3 I’m glad I did. For me one of the highlights of the patch is this vibrato and how it interacts with the feedback of the delays. I spent a good chunk of time while playing the patch riding the feedback knobs, never allowing it to gather too much accumulated sound and run away, but at times enough so that it doesn’t really go away, even when the tape delays aren’t receiving any input. It’s a halo of entropy sitting atop everything, singing. It’s a time when a delay is more than just an echo, but an instrument unto itself, becoming its own voice.
These delays generally take the lead in the full mix. There is certainly dry signal present in the mix, but it ended up taking a supporting role in the patch, being about a 80/20 mix in favor of the wet delays, and that dry signal was to keep some kind of coherent shape to the patch. Without that wee bit of dry, it felt like it was falling apart. A loose blob.
Another highlight in this patch is The Dradds. I’ve had a Dradd since not too long after its release. I’ve long been a fan of Pladask Elektrisk. I’ve had all, or almost all, of his pedals at one point or another. Although all of them were unique, none were stereo, and I’m a guy who (irrationally) believes all of his time effects, like delay and reverb, should be in stereo. Despite also being mono, as soon as I learned of Dradd I knew I would give it a chance. After several plays, I was frustratingly underwhelmed. Not that it didn’t sound great (it sounded awesome), but that it too wasn’t stereo. I know There Are Ways, but I’d rather just have stereo effects and not worry about it. They can always be patched in mono if need be. As I was on the verge of selling it I saw a video by Matt Lowery featuring dual Dradds. Gratuitous as it may be, I was quickly convinced on the merits of two Dradds and rushed to the Pladask Elektrisk website, elated to see that they had them in stock, and purchased a second one, the first’s evil twin.
The Dradd, despite its innate ability to stumble into happy accidents with virtually every knob twist, is a module that confused me. I’d kept it for so long because of how easy it is to find sweet spots. Flick a switch, turn a couple of knobs, maybe add in some modulation (or not), throw in some delay and/or reverb, and something beautiful happens. But I never used it with an intention that requires understanding. It’s one thing to turn a couple knobs until something pretty comes out. It’s another thing entirely to understand the controls, and intentionally use them to create the sound you want, or meaningfully transition into something different. Having used Dradd several times I was becoming frustrated that I couldn’t play it. It was an exercise in happy accidents. I hadn’t run into any sort of problems that kept me from decent enough results so there’d been no rush to the manual, but I was at a point where I wanted more than luck determining the output. Having run into this realization, I finally decided to really dig into the manual to finally understand what the module is doing with all these these knob twists. And the outcome is the first time I’ve been truly happy with the results. Dradd had certainly put a smile on my face before, but the sense of creating a sound with intention rather than happing upon it is far more satisfying. I’m a long way from Dradd mastery, but the first step is often the most intimidating, and that’s now done. From here it’s about ingraining my understanding of the instrument by practice, which will surely lead to an even greater understanding.
This patch also put the Jolin Agogo to use in a capacity far more involved than as a simple LPG, instead using it as a complex mixer for eight signals (four oscillators and four sources of white noise). The Agogo is my favorite kind of mixing VCA/LPG. It does a special trick that most don’t: every input, both audio and CV, as well as every output cascades to the next channel if unplugged, making the creation of complex submixes, both mono and stereo, a simple task. If you’re not using all eight channels, you can add saturation simply by moving down a couple of outputs. The Agogo is also chainable, making a 16, 24, etc. channel LPG/mixer with almost endless possibilities. The mixing flexibility it offers is truly incredible. It’s possible to mix entire patches with the Agogo, and the slight filtering it does in the odd channels brings just the right amount of vactrol-controlled goodness to any mix. It does have a drawback, however. Being that it’s vactrol-based, any slow moving CV like LFOs (or simulated ocean waves) must reach a minimum voltage level before the vactrol can start to open. Like all vactrols, and sometimes me, it’s a little slow. You are, however, treated with beautiful decays when there are sudden voltage drops (or indeed pings), provided by eight vactrols on the PBC.
The Oto Boum also made a first appearance in this recording. I’ve never really been a huge fan of using compression. Not because I didn’t think it was good for producing music, but mostly because I don’t really understand it all that well, and most compressors are decidedly not happy accident machines like Dradd. I never had the patience to mess with it, especially when the differences and improvements you’re listening to are often very subtle. But, as with Dradd, I became frustrated at not using the heralded Boum much at all, much less in the capacity for which it was designed: an end of chain compressor.
In this exercise, the manual was no help, even if it is quite good. I needed real guidance. Basically, something that could be a crutch and tell me exactly what to do. Compression is a debated topic in ambient music. You want everything to be heard, but since dynamics play such a pivotal role in ambient music it’s paramount that you maintain a high dynamic range. Having turned to YouTube for some direction, I found a video with the perfect title: “INCREDIBLE OTO Boum – Dawless Mastering Chain part #3.” Although the video is dedicated to mastering live club music, virtually the entire video is on compression and how to apply it using the Boum as an end of chain effect. Using the approximate knob positions and general guidelines in the video as a starting point I finally decided it was time. After some careful (read: very conservative) knob turns and A/B listening, the Boum worked a treat. Although the differences are admittedly small, there is more obvious clarity and sharpness across the soundstage with compression than without.
Although the Oto Boum is also a distortion, I decided to use the ever-beautiful Bizarre Jezabel Mimosa so that I could isolate it to the main voice and not the entire mix. Plus, although I’m sure the Boum is a wonderful distortion, the Mimosa is the most beautiful I’ve heard outside of high dollar tube amps.
This patch was a lot of fun to make, but it’s not perfect. The Dradds are a bit forward in the mix, and get a little busy in spots. Some more care with the settings and in the mixer ought to clean that up. I’m also not convinced that using Let’s Splosh as an intermediary for Swell Physics was executed as well as it could have been. I tried using different outputs, but to call those efforts half-assed would be a disservice to genuine half-assed efforts. I’m also not sure about the result of panning the individual signals in the Sum Mix & Pan with Swell Physics. Although the waves are spread, they’re still close enough to each other to keep too much of the audio to one side of the stereo field or the other at a given time. Inverting one of more of those signals would probably help balance out the soundstage.
Most of the time in modular synthesis drift is bad. Musicians all over will do whatever is necessary to mitigate drifting clocks or rhythms. Module makers of all sorts include resets specifically for the purpose of realigning the outputs to an incoming clock with the explicit goal of avoiding drift. Maintaining time is crucial in any beat driven track. Except when it’s not. And it’s this rhythmic drift that I wanted to explore in this otherwise beat driven patch.
It’s no secret that I like chaos. I use it for modulation or as a clock in most patches. I generally don’t expect or even desire steady clocks when I use chaos, but I also don’t generally produce beat driven compositions, and when I have I’ve tended towards uniform clocks and on-beat rhythms like most people. But today I wanted to explore a beat driven patch that uses chaos as its driving force. Rather than fear the drift, I endeavored to lean into the inherent wandering of chaotic signals while using them as lead in creating the rhythms. What I got is a wonderful dance of rhythms that want to be in line, but just can’t quite maintain their focus to make it last the whole way through. A set of rhythms that are mostly on the grid, but that occasionally drift before finally meandering their way back to the beat, like an ADHD dad in a grocery store. What we hear is the beauty of chaos in real time.
A few months ago I emailed Andrew at Nonlinearcircuits to ask for a module recommendation. I had lots of CV producers, but outside of sequencers, a clock divider, and EOR/EOC gates on function generators, I didn’t have many modules that can produce a plethora of gates. Although he had a couple of module recommendations, none came more highly suggested than Numberwang. “It’s like Let’s Splosh, but for gates” were his exact words, and I was sold. Whether using regularly timed signals like LFOs or cycling envelopes, or irregular signals like chaos or random, I’d have a gate creation machine that would be directly related to the signals feeding it.
Although I wasn’t sure how this experiment in chaos-driven rhythms would turn out, I knew I could get at least one of the waves to be in time. NLC’s The Hypster has 3 controls (frequency, gain, and damping). As explained in the Build Guide, “Damping keeps the circuits in the range of useful, somewhat regular modulation signals. As we’ll see later, more damping leads to more regular sine-like oscillations.” The guide goes on to show that although the signals are not exactly what we’d call uniform, if we use a good mixture of both both gain and damping, at least one of them will be regular(ish). Regular enough to drive a beat from. What I heard while using Natural Gate to tune the regularity of the incoming gate, saw via Numberwang’s copious blinkenlights, and with my metronome confirmed it.
With Natural Gate pinging away on my down beat, it was time to find those drifting rhythms I was after, hoping that the chaos feeding Numberwang wasn’t too far dampened and too regular. But things proverbially fell in line all too quickly. After trying several outputs on Numberwang in order to get the perfect four beat sequence, I found it. Beat one of the gate sequence is always on time, at the blazing tempo of 53bpm. This is also the beat that controls the kick and hats (using Pam’s as a 2x clock multiplier). Gates two, three, and four drift slightly. And not in that weird, timely way that slightly out of sync clocks drift and realign,1 but in a more organic way that both speeds up and slows down around that base tempo while being on grid most of the time. It’s a playful game between the clock and its trailing rhythms, not unlike three dogs drifting around its steadily paced owner on a nice walk in the afternoon.
Now that I had a good gate sequence, I needed some pitch to go with it. This patch uses four outputs from the Joranalogue Generate 3 as the main sound source. All four of the outputs (odd, even, full, and core) have very different sounds and timbres, and are up to two and a half octaves apart,2 each patched to a Natural Gate input. But even though I was only using a single pitch sequence for four separate parts, I knew I wanted that pitch to be derived from the same source as my rhythms. I wanted as much of the patch as possible to be driven by those four original chaos outputs. Using a mult, I ran the same four The Hypster outputs used to create my gate sequence in Numberwang to Let’s Splosh, and randomly chose four outputs that were then mixed in the Atomosynth Transmon before making its way to Quantermain for quantization (E Japanese), and finally to Generate 3’s v/oct input. These four Let’s Splosh outputs were modulated in this very excellent voltage controlled matrix mixer via four outputs from the Nonlinearcircuits Frisson. Using four mixed sources for pitch allows for some easy flexibility when trying to add variety. A twist of any of the knobs on the mixer will give a different result in the final pitch sequence. The pitch change was being clocked in Quantermain by one of the unused Numberwang outputs, along with all four notes in the sequence at the Natural Gates’ “Hit” inputs. Once the “Open” parameter on Natural Gate was closed to give the notes definition outside of pitch and timbre changes at about 1:30 in, those same gates also triggered four envelopes on a pair of Frap Tools Falistris to modulate the “Open” parameter and give each note just a little more punch and space.
But Let’s Splosh wasn’t finished doing its part at deriving the pitch sequence, as 10 other outputs were used to modulate various parts of the patch. From subtle changes in the hi hat’s envelope decay, to modulating the “Even”, “Odd”, and “Fundamental” CV inputs on Generate 3 that are constantly changing the timbre of each note produced, and both P1 and P2 CV inputs on both Pladask Elektrisk Dradds used in the patch, Let’s Splosh, and the four signals that feed it, are all over this patch. In total 14 of the 16 Let’s Splosh outputs were used, spreading out remnants and recombinations of those four original chaos signals throughout the entire patch. The only independent module in play that isn’t being driven by those four original chaos signals is the NLC Frisson, which plays a somewhat minor role in modulating direct descendants of those four original chaos signals in getting a pitch CV.
From here the patch is relatively simple, mostly with the sequence running through various effects. The most obvious effect is the ever-wonderful Olivia Artz Modular Time Machine. The taps on the delay combined with feedback can take a very simple four note sequence and turn it into any rhythm I can imagine, and plenty others I can’t, even if the one in this patch is rather unimaginative with all of the taps active, though at different levels. But it’s not just some ornamental delay that I was after either. It’s the Time Machine, when juxtaposed against the steady kick drum, that fully reveals the chaotically drifting rhythm. It’s the key to the entire endeavor. The sequence is only four notes long, and all four notes are quick plucks in Natural Gate. There isn’t much musical information to go on, despite the pains taken to create the patch, and it’s the Time Machine that helps bring that very simple sequence to life. With Time Machine, the slightly out of place notes in the sequence are given a chance to wander. It exposes the frolicsome ebb and flow of chaos for all to see.
Another accompanying effect used in the patch is the always beautiful Rossum Electro-Music Panharmonium. I’ve found Panharmonium to be indispensable in my patches, and have written about it before, as it allows me to fill sonic holes in a very organic way, using the main driver of the composition as its muse. Pitching the Panharmonium up or down to suit my needs, I can fill gaps in the frequency spectrum, or avoid the clashing of instruments in a particular spectrum. I also frequently use it for its excellent ability to fill space, especially in patches that are otherwise sparse, and since it follows its input directly, it’s always harmonically related. In this patch I pitched Panharmonium down an octave using cross faded sines, and ran it through the Bizarre Jezabel Mimosa as an insert, adding progressively more and more distortion as the piece progressed, with it running full wet, though not full distortion, by the end. This creates a bed of pads for these meandering rhythms to float through, while filling space in the frequency spectrum. It helps create texture, and gives the composition some weight.
A pair of Pladask Elektrisk Dradds also made an appearance, even if it didn’t really work out. Using the dry sequence and its many repeats from the Time Machine, my first thought was to fade the granular outputs of the Dradds in and out. Something to add some ornamentation to the patch, but without being prominent. It sounded great when I was setting it up, but is barely audible for most of the patch. Which brings me to the new SetonixSynth Shaka modular voltage controlled stereo matrix mixer.
It’s also no secret that I really like the AI Synthesis 018 Stereo Matrix Mixer. It fundamentally changed the way that I patch and how I go about composing pieces from the moment it was first installed. It opened up a lot of opportunities for how I enjoy patching in modular. I’ve used it in literally every patch since it went in the case. It prompted me to buy the also excellent Atomosynth Transmon voltage controlled matrix mixer. When SetonixSynth announced earlier this summer that they would be releasing a voltage controlled stereo matrix mixer, I knew I was going to get it. I quickly joined the pre-sale mailing list which would give a goodly discount on the first units sold. As soon as I got the email with a link a couple of months later, I went ahead and purchased a Shaka 8 and two Shaka 4 expanders for a four input, four output voltage controlled stereo matrix mixer. There’s the very real possibility that I purchased the first one sold once that link went live. As soon as I got it, it went in the case. I used it in my first patch after putting it in, though I didn’t use any voltage control, opting to see just how close it is to the AI Synthesis on an even playing field. It sounded great. Like the AI Synthesis, the Shaka system is made foremost with high quality sound in mind. But I did notice that the exponential nature of the volume control was unlike anything I’d used before. There’s no sound output until you get to about noon on the dial, and it moves up rather quickly from there. According to the developer, at full attenuation, the output is at -100dB, while it’s still a remarkable -50dB with the dial at noon, maxing out at unity gain (8v) at full clockwise. Adding CV up to 10v can output your signal at +20dB. But that leaves just half a knob twist to dial in the level of each node, making fiddling with knobs a must, and the need for precision is paramount, especially if you’re to perform with it. I won’t say I had trouble dialing in good levels with the knobs. It was easy enough, even if that meant paying much closer attention to a simple process than I normally might.
But once I decided to try and use CV control with this patch, I was stymied by the exponential nature of the level control. I’ve never used an exponential VCA before. All of mine are either linear, or somehow switchable between linear and logarithmic. I was trying to do relatively simple things that I’ve done since my very first patch, like using a cycling envelope to open and close a VCA, and I simply couldn’t figure it out. My first thought was that since the VCA is fully open at 8v, I’d send an 8v envelope in the CV input for a channel and everything would be right with the world. Only it wasn’t. With an 8v envelope from Zadar and the knob at full CCW, I got virtually nothing from the output. I would hear the two Dradds granular-ing away for perhaps two seconds of a 20 second envelope. I couldn’t get any sound at all until the envelope was higher than 6v. I was stumped, with no idea what the problem was, much less a solution. I tried adding some offset with the knob, but that only led to blowing the signal out quickly. I never did find a good solution, hence the sparse appearance of the Dradds.
But hope isn’t lost. In the Shaka thread at Modwiggler, I noted my frustration and was given a couple of tips by the developer. He admits that using CV will take some adjustments to how one might normally patch a VCA. In his last response to me he noted, “With such a slow moving LFO, your best bet is probably to attenuate it more into the range you want. The full attenuation of this module is -100dB, the maximum allowed by the VCA it’s using, so at 10 o’clock it attenuates by -65dB and at noon it attenuates by -50dB. Depending on the input signal that is still a lot of attenuation, so is probably where you want to start for many applications.” He further goes on to say that having silence was his goal at full attenuation, noting that it was the largest concern from testers during development. Having had mixers and other gear that bleeds audio where it doesn’t belong, whether in an output or via crosstalk between separate channels, I can’t say that I blame him. If it’s not a vactrol based device, it shouldn’t ever bleed.
That said, this needed conditioning of CV before going to a VC mixer seems to be trading one hurdle for another. A voltage controlled mixer is desired so that you don’t need separate VCAs to manage signal levels. They’re built right in. That’s a highly desirable feature, especially with stereo signals. But if I need a VCA, or an attenuator, to condition my CV for use in the mixer CV inputs, I’ve simply traded out the reason why I need a VCA pre-mixer. It’s a side step, when the point is an improvement. An external VCA is an external VCA whether it’s used for note shaping before a mixer or envelope attenuation in order to shape the note in the mixer. Add in the relative complexity of having to carefully attenuate and shape the CV alongside meticulous knob placement on the mixer itself so that the CV functions in the way you think it should, and I’m not yet convinced that this particular implementation a real step forward. I’m not yet ready to give up on the Shaka system. It’s a very powerful idea that could bring yet another boon to my patching in the same way the AI Synthesis 018 did over a year ago. But if these VCAs don’t function like virtually every other VCA I regularly use, and CV preparation is more of a chore than simply using a VCA for note shaping before the mixer, I’ll have to re-evaluate its place in my rack.
Unfortunately I was unable to get good CV control over the Dradds’ level, and it only peeks through seldomly, and for only a short time. Fortunately my inability to get good CV control over the Dradds wasn’t a crucial part of the composition, and despite its absence, the patch sounds great.
The last part of the patch couldn’t be simpler. The kick drum is a simple filter ring with the Frap Tools Cunsa. The same envelope used to hit the filter input is also used as FM to give the drum a bit more punch. The hats are just as simple, using white noise from Sapel that is patched through Cunsa using a HP output. The VCA in Cunsa is hit by an envelope with a very lightly modulated decay to introduce some difference. Something between a fully closed “tic”, and a very slightly opened “pshh.” Both envelopes are clocked originally from that same regular downbeat of the four step sequence, but it’s patched through Pamela’s Pro Workout. Both outputs are at a 2x multiplier, with the hi hat output being shifted 50% to be on the offbeat.
Overall, this was a really fun patch to make. I had an idea that I was able to bring to fruition, despite some difficulties with a new piece of gear. I’ll keep working with the Shaka system until I either conclude that it’s better than the AI Synthesis 018, or I’ll sell it and wait for the next alternative.
Or how how the turn signal in your car will drift in and out of time with music or another car’s turn signal. ↩︎
As explained in the Generate 3 manual, “[The Core output] is the 10 Vpp triangle wave output straight from Generate 3’s VCO core. Also note that it is at half the frequency of, so one octave below, the fundamental output, and thus can be used as a sub-octave signal” The manual continues on to note that the “Even” output is a saw wave at twice the frequency of the fundamental, the odd is an octave and a half higher (beginning on the 3rd harmonic), and the “Full” wave being all harmonics, including the fundamental. ↩︎
