MATRIXSYNTH: Frap Tools


Showing posts with label Frap Tools. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Frap Tools. Show all posts

Tuesday, April 23, 2024

New Frap Tools CGM Insert – Stereo insert for the CGM Eurorack mixer series | Overview and tutorial


video upload by Frap Tools



"The insert module is out
Shipping right now!

[check with dealers on the right]

We're particularly excited about this module because it's the first one that we design based on YOUR suggestions, especially through our Discord server. If you want to join, smash this link here!

The insert module allows you to connect stereo effects to your CGM setup, either by inserting them between two points of the internal summing bus or by placing them in parallel, as in a rudimentary stereo send-and-return.

It consists of two couples of outputs and inputs with dedicated gain switches. The first O/I stereo couple is the insert circuit, while the second is the parallel circuit.

The Insert module can be used:

between a group and a master;
between a group and a group;
between a channel and a group;
between a channel and a channel;
between a channel and a master (without a group).

The Insert module ships with two Insert cables compatible with every member of the CGM family, including the discontinued ones."

Saturday, April 20, 2024

Building a Buchla 248 MARF with Stages, Stages, Stages and Marbles


video upload by Cinematic Laboratory

"Sorry about that title. The MARF is short for the Multiple ARbitrary Function generator, a huge Buchla design carrying the model number 248, and is part of the 200 series. It's not easy to compare it with anything, but you could see it as a 16 step 0-CTRL, a Rossum Control Forge and maybe even the 250e circular Dual Arbitrary Function generator (DARF) like Frap Tools USTA. I contacted Todd Barton (thanks so much!) to be able to study a few MARF images. The sliders made me think of Mutable Stages, and the control section reminded me of Marbles. While getting lost on the way, I finally got a patch that sounded similar: 'music that sounds like dancing butterflies'.
The recipe involves variable timing, notes, a quantizer, and a transpose. You may also need a trigger or gate when a segment runs or finishes. There's a lot to explore here, and I don't think you can find a MARF in a single eurorack solution. I tried to approximate it, but I also needed Maths to do envelopes and gate extraction. It took a while to make this video and I wasn't sure about the results until the very end. Then suddenly, it worked.

You'll need a lot of stuff to do it, but there may be smaller solutions. I'll revisit this idea when my Control Forge arrives and I'll be able to combine USTA with the CF.

This is a complex video so I hope it will make a bit of sense. It would have been better to figure all this out and then make a video. But you'd be missing the fun of exploration. There are plenty of useful examples of how 'factory' Stages can be used, but I installed the Qiemem firmware for max flexibility. In the end I only used its 'random segment' feature in this video, but it doesn't play a role in the MARF patch. You can do this with factory Stages but it still requires a chain of 2 or 3. You can use any sequencer with a clock input for this. A DFAM will also help you to cover the time/level sequence.

Installation requires playing a .WAV into the module which can be bit of a drag. I recommend using a eurorack sample player like the BitBox for a high success ratio. Using a phone, PC or pad can be a nightmare. Also, I am not sure if the firmware works on a clone, please comment if you tried it.
https://github.com/qiemem/eurorack/re...

I am still trying to wrap my head around it. Even though Stages and Marbles are now discontinued, they're easy to find as fully functional clones. With Eurorack, we have the 'power' to build our own synths, or get inspired by designs which are still amazing and modern after +50 years. I hope it inspires you too."

Tuesday, April 02, 2024

Frap Tools CUNSA in-depth tutorial | Eurorack quadruple multimode analog filter module


video upload by Frap Tools

"Time to dive deep into Cunsa's main features! In this first tutorial, we will explore how a single filter works and how to combine them together to get the signature "Cunsa sound." This should get you started with CUNSA and let you understand its basic functioning. In the next episodes, we will see more specific applications!

00:00 Intro & Cunsa overview
02:21 The 12 dB/oct lowpass filter
02:41 The Q parameter (resonance, emphasis)
03:42 How the Q affects the LPF cutoff point at 12 dB/oct
04:15 The Character parameter
05:15 Combining Q and Character
05:55 The 24 dB/oct lowpass filter
06:10 The Character behavior on the oscilloscope (12/24 dB/oct LPF)
08:00 How the Q affects the LPF cutoff point at 24 dB/oct
08:15 A comparison of the 12 and 24 lowpass curves with different Q settings
08:52 The 12 dB/oct bandpass and highpass filters
10:09 How Q and Character affect the bandpass and highpass curves
10:23 The Behavior switch (filter and combo mode)
11:50 CV inputs for cutoff, Q, and Character
12:31 Using CUNSA as an oscillator (self-resonating filters)
13:13 Oscilloscope views of the self-oscillating filters
13:37 Fine-tune cutoff frequency knob
13:46 BONUS TIP: double TZFM oscillator with Cunsa and Brenso
14:12 The Ping circuit: nonlinear integration
15:40 Ping circuit and combo mode
16:10 Ping v/s ring, a brief recap
17:03 Semi-normalled connections
17:19 The mixed outputs
18:19 The routing switches: complex filtering with four filters in parallel
19:45 Some examples of semi-normalled patching techniques
22:13 The Dry output and other complex patching examples
25:50 Outro"

Tuesday, March 19, 2024

CUNSA v/s FUMANA: The same patch on two different filters!


video upload by Frap Tools

"A few years ago we animated a bass line through Fumana for a short video. It was a cool experiment, so we decided to do a step-by-step guide. And then we thought that it would be fun to replicate the same patch concept on Cunsa, a totally different filter that shares with Fumana basically just the size. Which one do you prefer, if any?"

00:00 Introduction
00:35 Animate a bass line with FUMANA
04:50 Animate a bass line with CUNSA

Tuesday, March 12, 2024

Formant arpeggios patch breakdown: a classic Falistri patch!


video upload by Frap Tools

"Arpeggios without an arpeggiator? That's no magic, just the power of sub-harmonics!

We've been doing this patch for quite some time now, but we never released a complete, step-by-step tutorial on YouTube.

By using Falistri as a frequency divider, we can obtain perfect intervals in the minor scale by sweeping the rising and falling stages. It's roughly the same principle as Oskar Sala's Mixturtrautonium!

00:00 Intro
00:18 Using Falistri as a frequency divider
05:03 Using Sapèl to sweep through the sub-frequencies"

Tuesday, March 05, 2024

Memes aside, let’s make Sandstorm by Darude on our Frap Tools system


video upload by Frap Tools

"Yeah, drones and experimental stuff are fine, but sometimes we only need a four-on-the-floor kick and an uplifting synth lead. Sandstorm by @darude has both so we thought we may give it a go on our Frap Tools system!

The modules we mostly used are our Brenso and Cunsa. In this video, Cunsa performs three tasks: a filter for the bass line, a kick drum, and a distortion effect for the lead. Quite flexible!

We hope we didn't get too close and avoid getting a copyright claim.

Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction
00:10 Bass
02:06 Kick drum and bass sidechain
05:45 Lead sound
12:15 Final result (cheating a bit here)"

Thursday, February 29, 2024

Frap Tools CUNSA demo in 6 patches


video upload by Stazma

"Today let's have some fun with the monster module that is the CUNSA by the Frap Tools.
It's a multi mode filter module, with four independant VCF core with addional VCA & EG per channel and a mixer to get it all going nicely.

Have fun!"

Tuesday, February 20, 2024

Four tips to use CUNSA as a sound source (including ringing and additive synthesis)


video upload by Frap Tools

"What happens when a filter can self-oscillate and track V/oct flawlessly? Correct, it can become a sine wave oscillator. And when the filter is quadruple? That's when the fun begins. In today's video, we will explore four and a half ways to use CUNSA as an oscillator. More will come, so let us know when shall we go next!"

00:00 Introduction
00:22 Tip 1: Self-oscillators and four sine waves
02:05 Tip 2: Ringing the filters
02:05 Tip 3: Fake harmonic oscillator
08:46 Tip 4: Harmonic ringing
10:05 Tip 4,5: Inharmonic oscillator!

Tuesday, February 13, 2024

‘Glass sounds‘ analog through-zero FM patch breakdown with Brenso and Cunsa!


video upload by Frap Tools

"As per request, here's a patch breakdown of this short video: [posted here]

It's a super crystalline sound thanks to Brenso's through-zero FM, and we took it a bit further by adding the Cunsa filter, which we didn't have back when the short clip was filmed."

Sunday, February 11, 2024

Frap Tools Fumana Part 5: Take It Slow


video upload by Cylob Sonic Research

"Recording the output of the envelope followers analysing speech, then playing this back at a much slower rate modulating a three tone drone, then drenching that in reverb.
00:00 Intro
00:03 Source material
00:25 Recording the band analysis output
00:40 Playback
01:36 Adding reverb
07:32 Freezing playback
09:29 Reversing playback direction
20:45 Changing reverb algorithm

Eurorack modules featured: Frap Tools Fumana, Intellijel Dixie, Cre8 Audio Capt'n BIG-O, Tiptop Audio Z3000 mk.2, Doepfer A-138b mixer. Reverb: Valhalla VintageVerb. CV Control: Expert Sleepers ES3 and ES6 controlled by a custom SuperCollider patch.

Original photo of snail by invisiblepower @ pexels"

Additional posts

Tuesday, February 06, 2024

Let's recreate the drums of Oxygene pt. 4 by Jean Michel Jarre on a Frap Tools modular synth!


video upload by Frap Tools

"In this video, we'll try to emulate the Korg Mini Pops sounds and pattern that Jean Michel Jarre might have used in his iconic Oxygene pt. 4. The video is super blurry so we added some onscreen patch notes. Let us know if we shall continue this silly journey!"

00:00 Introduction
03:10 Hi-hats
04:23 Kick drum
07:12 Snare
11:19 Open hi-hat
13:57 Rim shot
15:02 Quijada

Sunday, February 04, 2024

Frap Tools Fumana Part 4: Masking [with the Cheetah MS6]


video upload by

"Turning the bands of the Fumana on and off with MIDI notes.

00:00 Intro
00:03 Cheetah MS-6, setting pre-mask band levels
00:42 Activate masking
01:49 Mask sequencing, various modes
04:08 Envelope
06:25 Delay
07:57 Asjusting MS6 patch
09:55 A bit more tweaking

Original photo of mask by Ibolya Toldi @ pexels."

You can find additional posts in this series here.

Tuesday, January 16, 2024

A random day at Frap Tools (with a censored prototype and a heavy lunch)


video upload by Frap Tools

"Some of you were curious to learn more details about Frap Tools, so today Giovanni takes you behind the scenes by documenting a work day from his perspective.

Days like this one are a bit unusual because we work remotely most of the time (both to avoid wasting commuting time and to reduce our carbon footprint), but today we had to test a prototype that hopefully will become a module! The lunch too is a bit uncommon, but not as much.

Would you like to see more content like this? If so, let us know in the comments below!"

Tuesday, January 09, 2024

Let's make a modular synth patch in the style of Ryoji Ikeda


video upload by Frap Tools

"Ikeda's style is famous for its austere structure and meticulously carved sounds. Such precision is achievable in the digital domain, so it may thus sound a bit odd to emulate it with a modular synthesizer, which by definition is "less reliable" than a computer.

However, even if we must forgo the exact repeatability of computer music, we can still learn something from this approach that we can transfer to our modular synth: playing with pure tones, and noise, and leaving a lot of space in the mix. Let us know if you liked the result and if you have more ideas!

00:00 Patch overview
01:17 Clicks
04:04 Sine waves
09:40 Noise
12:58 Reverberated drone
14:33 Kick"

Tuesday, January 02, 2024

Antonio's hidden random clock trick for SAPÈL!


video upload by Frap Tools

"Let's extract a secret random clock output that plays only when the actual random clock is silent. The trick is simple but insanely effective!

https://frap.tools/sapel/

00:00 Introduction and technique overview
00:56 Patch 1: Ringing Cunsa
05:40 Patch 2: Double sequence with Usta and Sapèl
10:48 Patch 2,5: The Krell trick"

Tuesday, December 26, 2023

Six interesting timbres with one FALISTRI (a patch-saving hack)


video upload by Frap Tools

"It happened to all of us: we're in the middle of a patch, and we ran out of complex sound sources. Luckily we have a spare Falistri, so here are six ways to get interesting timbres out of it!

00:00 Introduction
00:39 Number 1: The fake flip sync
03:31 Number 2: The force loop sync
05:54 Number 3: The Max output
08:34 Number 4: AM and RM
10:48 Number 5: Sub-octave-ring-modulated-flip sync
12:50 Number 6: Feedback ring mod"

Friday, December 22, 2023

Frap Tools Fumana Part 3: I Achieve Full Freeze (Vocoder, eurorack modular, spectral transfer)


video upload by Cylob Sonic Research

All parts here

"Using the Frap Tools Fumana as a vocoder. Recording and playing back phonemes with a custom SuperCollider patch."

00:00 Intro
00:03 Sherlock
00:36 Vocoder
04:00 Lag and Threshold
06:03 Sibilant noise
07:35 Reorder bands
08:19 Phoneme sampling and band freezing
10:02 Saved phonemes
10:35 Phoneme sequencing
11:45 Song: I Achieve Full Freeze
14:36 Fatalist

Tuesday, December 19, 2023

At last: the Krell Patch on a Frap Tools modular system!


video upload by Frap Tools

"It's time to confront ourselves with a pinnacle of modular synth techniques: Todd Barton's Krell Patch.

Inspired by Bebe and Louis Barron's soundtrack for the 1956 sci-fi film "Forbidden Planet", this patch revolves around a 'modulation feedback': a single LFO drives the whole patch and triggers many S&H circuits that generate random voltages, which, in turn, constantly modulate the LFO speed and shape.

Original track from the film score: [below - also see this post]
Original Todd Barton's Tutorial: [posted here back in 2012]

00:00 Introduction
01:03 The krell patch as per Todd Barton's instructions
14:25 An extra tip with the USTA sequencer"

Ancient Krell Music

video upload by Louis & Bebe Barron - Topic

"Provided to YouTube by The Orchard Enterprises

Ancient Krell Music · Louis And Bebe Barron

Forbidden Planet

℗ 1956 Planet Records

Released on: 1999-01-06

Auto-generated by YouTube."

Tuesday, December 12, 2023

How to make vowel-like formant filtering with the CUNSA


video upload by Frap Tools

"Time for some serious formant filtering with the CUNSA and USTA dream combo!

USTA https://frap.tools/usta
CUNSA https://frap.tools/cunsa

Sources and references:

Image 1
Title: frequencies of formants
https://www.britannica.com/science/ph...
Retrieved on October 27th, 2023

Image 2
Title: tongue position for vowel sounds
https://www.britannica.com/science/ph...
Retrieved on October 27th, 2023

The formant chart comes from Peterson, G. E., & Barney, H. L. (1952). Control methods used in a study of the vowels. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 24, 175–184. https://doi.org/10.1121/1.1906875

Time stamps:

00:00 Introduction on vowel formants
01:20 Programming an ɑ sound (as in 'hot')
03:34 Programming an ɔ sound (as in 'bought') and morphing between them
08:54 Refining the morphing with the USTA sequencer"

Tuesday, December 05, 2023

Audio, modulation, or both? Let's make a sample-and-hold feedback patch à la Rob Hordijk.


video upload by Frap Tools

"Let's make some serious SAPÈL feedback patching! Today we draw inspiration from Rob Hordijk's talks about sample-and-hold circuits and chaos theory."

00:00 Introduction
01:53 The S&H feedback
05:04 Adding the filter
09:02 Stacking more filters in parallel
10:50 Using a sequencer instead of a random S&H
12:12 Randomizing the sequence and closing remarks

You can find Rob Hordijk's masterclass series here.
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