Published on Nov 21, 2013 QuBitElectronix·6 videos
Note this is the first Qu-bit Electronix post. We have a new eurorack manufacturer.
Playlist:
Nebulae Loop Controls - "Demonstration of the looping/cropping functionality of the Nebulæ Eurorack module by Qu-bit Electronix"
Nebulae Drum Break - "Demonstration of the 'freeze' and granular functionality of the Nebulæ Eurorack module by Qu-bit Electronix"
Nebulae One-Shot Mode - "Demonstration of the Nebulæ Eurorack module by Qu-bit Electronix in One-Shot mode"
Nebulae Looping Mode - "Demonstration of the Nebulæ Eurorack module by Qu-bit Electronix in Looping mode"
"Nebulæ is an audio file player/granular oscillator in the Eurorack modular synthesizer format. It uses sound files as the source material for creating loops, melodies, granular clouds, drones, pads and otherworldy textures. Ships with a flash drive containing a copyright free sample library recorded and mastered specifically for Nebulæ.
- Plays .wav, .aif, .flac , and .ogg files from a USB device
"We were excited to add a Qu-Bit Nebulae to the Mad Music Machine, especially as it is powered by a Raspberry Pi and the Mad Music Machine began it's life as a small network of Raspberry Pis.
Our last Raspberry Pi project used our Astro Pi code (which ran on the International Space Station) to make music, so we thought we should follow up with another space-based project for this video.
We downloaded the raw 'Martian Winds' sounds from the NASA website and loaded them onto the Qu-Bit Nebulae. The Nebulae has independent control of (playback) speed and pitch which allowed us to bring the 'wind' sounds up more into the audible range.
We created an 'industrial' rhythm by using a 'sample and hold' LFO within Bitwig (via our Expert Sleepers ES8) matched to our Make Noise Tempi clock. This modulation signal was used to 'Freeze' the output of the Nebulae.
We also created wavetables for our E352 by loading the downloaded 'Martian Winds' into the Synthesis Technology WaveEdit program. We sequenced the E352 with our Make Noise René 2 to create the "Touchdown Confirmed" bass line / melody.
We loaded the NASA commentary of the landing into our 4MS Stereo Triggered Sample which was sequenced and synchronised with the rest of the patch using our Tip Top Circadian Rhythms.
All sounds within the patch were generated from the InSight mission with the exception of the Hexinverter Kick, Snare and Clap.
We recorded the audio using Bitwig Studio with our Nektar Panorama P6 controlling the Mixer.
And finally, following previous feedback, Caitlin's voice was recorded using a RØDE Smartlav+ Lavalier Microphone.
We are aware the video focusing is not great in this video so that is the next thing we need to work on!"
"Well this is one of the last Namm 2018 videos I'll post. Qu-bit looks great in black, so Andrew of Qu-bit gave me a great demo featuring Qu-bit chance, Qu-bit Nebulae, Qu-bit chords and many more. Good stuff as always. Check them out!"
"Using the Dave Smith Instruments DSM01 Filter as a (self oscillating) VCO.
DSM01 sequenced by Doepfer A-160/161/A-138a triggered by Doepfer A-143-4 Quad LFO.
Qu-Bit Nebulae plays a sample of "The God of Silence" by David Sylvian.
Qu-Bit RT-60 FX triggered by the sequence.
Extra VCO from the A-143-4.(also radio)
A-135-1 VCA triggered by sequence.
Nebulae filtered by Koma Elektronik Vactrol SVF-201.
"Nebulae is a granular sampler and DSP platform. Its phase vocoder audio engine provides elastic audio, which can be time stretched, granularized, and mangled to no end. With independent control over pitch and speed, and granular controls such as overlap, window, and density, finding new sonic territory is only a knob turn away. Nebulae can use live audio input, a recorded buffer, or audio files as the source material for its powerful audio manipulations. The live input buffer can record up to five minutes of stereo audio at 48kHz, 24 bit. In addition, up to 75 MB of stereo audio can be loaded simultaneously through the USB port. No naming convention or special formatting necessary; just plug and play.
Nebulae lives a double life as an open source DSP platform with an extensive library of off the shelf alternate instruments. You can turn the module into a lush reverb, spectral delay, or tape-style looper simply by loading a new file onto the flash drive. Do you want to tweak one aspect of an existing instrument, even the default functionality? No problem. No prior coding knowledge is necessary to tweak and refine existing firmware to your liking or start with one of our templates. Alternate firmware files can be written with Pure Data, Csound, SuperCollider, and even bare-bones C programs.
- Granular sampler with time stretching capabilities
- 5 minute stereo recording buffer at 48kHz, 24 bit (In addition to file playback buffer)
- No naming convention or special formatting necessary for file playback
- Supports Pure Data, Csound, and SuperCollider alternate instrument files
- Ships with loaded USB flash drive ready to use
- Black aluminum front panel"
"NOTE: This is a first patch video and there's a lot to figure out by trial on error because the manual doesn't provide a typical workflow for certain scenarios. So I will definitely revisit this module and try to help you understand it.
There are many granular solutions for Eurorack, where Arbhar, Clouds, Beads and Morphagene are probably the most used. Qu-Bit also provides the Nebulae V2 granular looper which is often overlooked as a contender.
Arbhar, Clouds and Beads have true polyphonic grain generation which allows you to create huge textures with randomly picked sound fragments from a buffer. They work similarily, but provide tons of different features. I'd say Arbhar is the most powerful of the three. Then there's the granular looper/microsound camp, where you can find Morphagene and the Nebulae. Again, both share a lot of similar features. Morphagene has an alien interface and sounds a bit raw where Nebulae sounds smooth because of its elastic audio engine - which I think is totally amazing for continuous tones. Finally, Nebulae is the only module that supports different firmwares as a DSP platform."
"This playlist features granular eurorack modules that all need to process the same reference sample. I hope this gives a good impression of what the modules can do for you. They're all different, they're all great."
Playlist:
1. Grainmakers Playlist Introduction
I've been working on a huge video over the last few days and when I reached 30 minutes I decided to break it up into a playlist. This is cool! I can make updates and add new modules as they emerge. It's not supposed to be the ultimate grain guide, but it's cool to hear all modules chew on the same sample and hear what comes out. It's easy to be impressed by a bad module with a great soundsource, or underwhelmed by an amazing module that need to process something unworthy of its grains. So it all comes down to what they have to offer. And there are no bad modules. It's great fun to hear how a standard concept can turn into completely different experiences.
So this is just a short playlist introduction.
In this episode, Beads needs to chew on a reference performance.
Beads is an effect, but it can process an internal wavetable synth on its own.
3. Qu-Bit Nebulae V2 | Grainmakers Playlist
Our next contender in the playlist is the Qu-Bit Nebulae. It may be a bit underappreciated, but wow. A unique feature is elastic audio for time stretching.
4. Qu-Bit Mojave | Grainmakers Playlist
Next, Mojave needs to chew on Sebastian Lexer's grand piano.
Loopers are often confused with granular synths, especially with the Morphagene. Loopers don't grain or spray, they're digital tape machines.
Sometimes, when you think you're into grains, you'd actually been looking for a looper. It's time to show the difference, so they're an important addition to the lineup.
6. 1010Music BitBox MK2 | Grainmakers Playlist
The BitBox may not seem an obvious choice for granular processing, but if this playlist were a competition, then BitBox MK2 would be the King of the Grainfields. Granular processing offers limited CV support in the current firmware, but the sheer processing power is almost an insult to the other modules. Fortunately, it can't offer the hands-on experience like dedicated modules.
7. Error Instruments x TINRS Brinta | Grainmakers Playlist
8. Melotus Versio | Grainmakers Playlist
It's a Versio. What can I say. Awkward, special, amazing and breathtaking.
It's unique feature is no pitch control. While this sounds like a flaw, it's almost a musthave feature when you run notes, effects and chords through it. Don't touch the melody. Just make it grain. Top 3 module in my list. And if it doesn't fit your needs, install a different firmware! If you own a different Versio, give it a shot. Nothing creates techno atmospheres and backdrops like Melotus.
9. MISO Cornflakes | Grainmakers Playlist
This is the last one for today :). Still a few more modules to cover, but it's already a great list. Here's MISO Cornflakes chewing on the Lexer piano. Again, it's a totally different experience, because Cornflakes adds special harmonizing features and stacking of grains. No other module has it - as far as I know. It can make wonderful new sounds from something familiar.
10. Instruo Arbhar V2 | Grainmakers Playlist
I already made plenty of Arbhar videos, but this is the second V2 video. In this playlist, all granular modules in my collection need to process the same audio file so it's easy to figure out what they do. Now it's Arbhar's turn.
11. Clouds & Clones | Grainmaker Playlist
This playlist would not be complete without a tribute to Clouds, one of the first modules in Eurorack that brought grains to the case. Clouds was launched in 2015 and discontinued in 2017. But that wasn't the end of it. It's been revived and extended in many forms, making it one of the most successful modules in Eurorack even today. From a techical perspective, Clouds is no match for the modern grainmakers in this playlist. But from the perspective of production value it's still a super useful module, especially if you manage to install the Parasite firmware. It's easy to forget that granular synthesis doesn't need big buffers. Sometimes a small 1 sec buffer is exactly what you need to get that desirable classic granular stream.
12. Combinations | Grainmaker Playlist
I got a question if Lubadh and Mojave would make a good combo. I had no idea. I figured this whole playlist is still 1-dimensional. So I patched these two up and then and I just had to make this video! I am still using the reference track so you get a good idea of how big the sonic playground becomes when you combine any looper with any granular engine. Results may vary, but wow. The bottom of the Rabbit Hole simply has a doorway to the next one. And it always gets deeper than the one before.
13. ADDAC 112 | Grainmakers Playlist
I may have unintentionally kept the best for last. The 112 combines a looper and granular engine in one big module. This is the last entry in the playlist.
The 112 will return soon for a dedicated video with some carefully selected samples to play with.
14. I missed a few | Grainmakers Playlist
After finishing the 112 video I was confident I covered enough 'grainmakers' in this playlist. I doublechecked if Disting EX and Phonogene should be in it, but no. The third one definitely needs to be on it! It doesn't show up when you search for 'granular' on ModularGrid, but it immediately went to my personal top #2.
"A patch exploring three new modules, the SSF Ultra Random Analog, Qu-Bit Electronix RT60 and Macro Machines Storage Strip.
SSF Ultra Random Analog (URA):
The URA is the main clock source by way of random pulse output. the pulse density is being modulated via the Synth Tech e350 in LFO mode for more sporadic gestures and events. The Pulse out is also simultaneously dictating the pitch of the two sound sources - the Make Noise DPO and Cylonix Shapeshifter. Additionally, the sound source for metallic hi hat thats comes in mid way are from the URA as well. this is achieved by running an osc into a sample input (in this case a Hertz Donut MKII into sample input b) and outputting via the toggle output. This feature is very useful for creating analog bit crushed timbres as well as FMed analog bit crushing type sounds when using both sample inputs. for further sculpting, a synced and attenuated LFO (Modern Quad LFO) is going into the clock cv input which creates a filter of sorts to the hi hat sound. this is then put through the Flame FX6 reverb.
Qu-Bit Electronix RT60:
The RT60 is the main reverb source you can hear on the DPO LPG plucks in the patch, additionally it is the source of the flanger, chorus, pitch delay and tremolo whose parameters are being modulated by the Synth Tech e355. the presets are being stepped through via the SSF URA, with the same trigger that is sequencing the oscillators pitch. The RT60 has 7 sequence modes for switching between effects, in this patch i am using mode 1 (top to bottom)
Macro Machines Storage Strip:
Here i created 16 different presets for the Mungo d0 who's delay times are somewhat in tune with the overall piece. the presets are sequenced in random mode via the SSF URA random pulse output. various slew settings on the d0 causes interesting artifacts between delay settings when being sequenced.
Performance notes:
To create the effects throws and gated effects gestures i set up an aux/send system that i can control in the performance via make noise pressure points outputs. going straight into a VCA with the effect on the audio input for gated effects as well as instances with an envelope for one shots with decay trails. pressure amount also determines how the effects are performed - swells, volume etc.
Pressure Points pressure out channel 1 - DPO/Optomix through Qu-Bit RT60 as a gated effects send.
Pressure Points pressure out channel 2 - DPO/Optomix though the Modern Dual Delay as an effects send for throws.
Pressure Points pressure out channel 3 - Cyclonix Shapeshifter though the Mungo d0 and Macro Machines Storage Strip set up as a gated effects send.
Pressure Points pressure out channel 4 - Cylonix Shapeshifter though the Tiptop Zdsp set up as an effects send for throws.
Ambient melody is the Qu-Bit Electronix Nebulae playing an original piano recording in loop mode through the Make Noise Echophon and MMG."
"Jamming with the new Behringer Crave analog synth.
CRAVE JAM #04
Patch notes:
Lead voice: Crave into Eventide H9. Cutoff modulated by the lfo. The rate of the LFO modulated by the keystep modwheel.
Ambient Background: Rhodes loop from QU-BIT Nebulae v2 into Make Noise Mimeophon. Nebulae 1v/oct modulated by a lfo."
"QU BIT NEBULAE features a couple of software plug ins that may be loaded into the machine. such as analog synth voice and also an FM module which was the 1st one I tried to load in my nebulae but I failed -- the code seems to be buggy and the machine crashed. 2nd try was successful: Vowels which is a nice vowel generator with a lot of tweaking possibilities!!"
"The Qu-Bit Nebulae V2 is a granular sampler eurorack synthesizer module that can have samples loaded by a USB stick or recorded directly into the module. In this video we used a few built in sounds and a few of our own samples. The Nebulae can also load other programs and is open source so you can develop your own synths and effects to run on it.
"Andrew from Qu-Bit Electronix brought a case full of their modules by to show us their three new modules. Their Nebulae V2 is an updated version of their first module, a granular sample player and sampler that is stereo and can have custom firmware loaded onto it. The Scanned is a VCO that uses scanned synthesis to generate wavetables on the fly by analyzing a system based on a model of springs. The Synapse is a sequential switch with way more options than the standard switch including randomized routing, crossfading and memory locations for routing presets.
"Here we’ve loaded a guitar recording into the QU-Bit Nebalue.
The Chaos Computer is interconnected to the Circuit Abbey Intermix.
The Cwejman D-LFO is clocking the Chaos Computer.
The Nebulae is running through the Audio Damage Errorbox. The Chaos Computer and Intermix are controlling the speed, direction and Freeze parameters of the Nebulae while bit crushing parameters of the Errorbox."
Tutorial 1: Getting Started video upload by Qu - Bit
00:00 Introduction 01:18 Let's get started with Clock modes, Rate, Gen triggers and how to get grains moving. 02:36 Other ways to trigger grains? Hello, Gen Modes! 03:36 SIZE! 04:26 Don't forget to shut the window. Or, maybe open it? 05:04 Speed: Wait, we can pitch-shift grains? 05:39 Zone: Grains from the present and the past. (Too fun.) 06:35 The relationship between Distribute and Structure. 08:02 Take control of quantization with Sky modes. 09:06 I want my grains to jump around! Drift is your friend. 09:37 Whirl creates a universe in stereo. No, really. 10:03 TWO end-of-chain effects - Feedback and Reverb! 11:17 TWO freeze functions! 13:02 Dune: Mojave's unique CV/Gate output 13:38 Oh, we didn't tell you there's a mic on Mojave? 14:33 Patch Example - "Gypsum" 15:00 Patch Example - "Mic-Check" 15:56 Patch Example - "Interstellar Beats" ___________________________________________
https://www.qubitelectronix.com/
Press release follows:
SAN CLEMENTE, CA, USA: Q-Bit Electronix is proud to announce availability of the Mojave module as its latest Daisy platform- based Eurorack entry — effectively kicking up a granular sandstorm as a live granular processor drawing inspiration from vast swathes of its American Southwest desert namesake by using microscopic bits of audio to create beautifully-crafted sonic landscapes while reinventing the way we interact with sound, seriously backing up the self-proclaimed ‘Future Coast’ modular synth-maker’s philosophy of building bespoke devices that push the boundaries of design beyond what is presently possible in the process — as of October 10…
It is fair to say that Mojave is a stereo live granular processor at its creative core, but, in reality, it is capable of so much more — not least when being pressed into play as a stochastic event generator. Mojave makes it possible for explorative users to patch together feedback-driven glitch textures or compose harmonic symphonies from a single droning oscillator. Other possibilities include creating a granular delay or scrubbing a locked audio buffer to create time-stretching effects — and all directly from the front panel of this 14HP-wide module.
Mojave can — in many ways — behave exactly like other granular processors, but what sets it apart in this realm is its ability to take complex granular manipulations and make then accessible to even the most novice of users. “Our first module ever was Nebulae, a granular looper; we've always wanted to do a fully-committed, live granular processor but with a ‘New-Bit’ twist,” confirms Qu-Bit Electronix CEO — and company co-founder — Andrew Ikenberry. Indeed, that ‘New-Bit’ moniker really reflects the company’s collective internal name for its new design philosophy of focusing on hands-on, approachable devices that leave room for users to push their own technique and explore sound design in new ways.
With this in mind, Mojave is no exception to this rule; for its front panel includes the fundamental controls for generating and manipulating grains — themselves the tiny building blocks of granular synthesis. Adjust a grain size, shape, and generation rate while also having control over the grain pitch, the position in time where the grain grabs audio, and the audio playback direction. Though these controls are essentially found in any granular processor, they only scratch the surface of Mojave’s potential.
Put it this way, then: the key to Mojave’s magic resides in the controls at the centre of the module. The two larger knobs there are absolute attention-grabbers — and for good reason, providing aleatoric grain manipulations in exciting, unquestionably ‘Qu-Bity’ ways. Turn the distribute knob to add rhythmic displacement to the grain rate; depending on which Mojave mode is selected, distribute’s displacement can either be asynchronous movements through time or quantised ratchets, repeats, and rolls that liven up the simplest of rhythms. Representing the flip side of the granular coin, as it were, the structure knob adjusts each grain’s pitch within a defined system. structure can — at its smallest setting — provide subtle semitone pitch changes, perfect for thickening up a sound, creating chorus/flanging effects, and more. But by turning up structure beyond halfway, Mojave begins to sing. structure starts to play through a quantised scale, introducing arpeggios and trills as the knob ventures further up; with the grain size large enough for grains to overlap, Mojave effortlessly transforms into a polyphonic sound generator — regardless of input.
Said structure knob and its rate (speed) neighbour are connected to Mojave’s Sky Mode — itself selected using the button in between distribute and structure — that determines what scale Mojave is quantised to. The default modes include major, minor, and chromatic scales, as well as the aptly-named, non-quantised Twilight Mode. Moreover, each mode will be fully customisable — alongside a host of configurable settings — within Narwhal, Q-Bit Electronix’s module web app (https://narwhal.qubitelectronix.com/) for custom settings.
Since Mojave boasts true stereo I/O, it includes a couple of controls that emphasise this characteristic. drift does exactly as its name implies; it drifts the grains through the audio buffer, and the more the knob is turned, the more Mojave begins to slip into the past, grabbing random bits of audio from both signal channels to fill its grains. An adjacent whirl control provides random stereo panning to each generated grain; the more this knob is turned, the more frequent and wider the grains are panned, creating huge stereo sounds from any sound source — stereo or monophonic.
Mojave has more than one way to inject sound into its granular sandstorm, speaking of sound sources. Indeed, it even has an onboard, high-quality MEMS (Micro- Electro-Mechanical System) microphone that is positioned just above its USB port; simply removing any patch cables from Mojave’s audio inputs makes the microphone active, ready to pick up any acoustic audio! Try talking or singing into Mojave — or even play an acoustic instrument in a live setting — to bring granular flair to compositions.
Clearly, then, Mojave is primarily designed for live granular processing, yet users are afforded an ability to not only freeze the grains in place for glitch stutter effects, but they are also able to lock the audio buffer in place, thereby using Mojave as a granular buffer scrub; Mojave — at the right settings — can even mimic the time- stretching effects of its bigger granular sampler and DSP (Digital Signal Processing) platform sibling, Nebulae, now benefitting from v2.1.2 firmware itself. It is worth noting here that future firmware updates and alternative firmware for Mojave are accessible via its USB drive.
Meanwhile, Mojave’s granular engine can generate a plethora of audio effects that will transform any sound. Saying that, Q-Bit Electronix even included one final end-of- chain control to add some sparkle to an already dazzling device — namely, the gust knob. Which way it is turned determines control over either an internal feedback loop designed to tear grains apart in the best way or a lush reverb effect to fill the voids between the audio — alternatively, granular-textures-into-a-wash-of sound-morphing.
“Mojave is the module that’s gotten me excited about patching again,” admits Andrew Ikenberry, alluding to its configurable dune CV/Gate output and more connectivity besides, before enthusiastically continuing towards a natural conclusion: “There is something to be said about designing individual aspects of a module, not fully knowing how each part will interact with another; as such, Mojave has created sounds that I’ve never heard before, and it’s this journey into the unknown that — as a designer — gives me the opportunity to sit down and discover every corner of this amazing device along with everyone else.”
"This live modular synth performance is the final patch based on the one I created for Qu-Bit Electronix's Instagram Story Takeover.
The patch features several Qu-Bit modules: Pulsar, Contour, Octone, Tone, and Nebulae.
When I took over Qu-Bit's Instagram Stories, I built a patch in 24 hours (link here to that patch BTW: https://youtu.be/x3CzYb2IZLE) but then expanded on that quite a bit more, adding in lush melodies (with the Sputnik Modular keyboard and Mangrove oscillator) and more intense percussion (with Noise Engineering's Manis Iteritas and Mutable Instruments Warps for some effects)
The two samples in this patch (violins and choir) were created in Kontakt then exported to .wav files and added to the Nebulae.
IN STEREO
Various sections in this patch:
0:00 Melodies
3:20 Discovery
5:03 Intense
6:48 The Jam
10:04 Calling
11:48 Reprise
13:49 Fade
"Not for the casual observer/listener....
A brief sampling of several of the alternate instruments
available for use on the QU-Bit Nebulae.
More on those here: http://www.qubitelectronix.com/nebul-..."
