Modulars have serious side effects | By RYK Modular.

video upload by Cinematic Laboratory

"Maybe it's just me, but modular effects are becoming serious competition for outboard gear and VST plugins. RYK Modular has released Side FX this week, and I think it's brilliant. They basically let you pick four roles (pitch, delay, texture and reverb) and place them in a four slot algorithm in any order. However, you can only use one role once, so no complex stack of delays. But that's OK, because instead of using four separate modules you can use one. And while it shouldn't be able to compete with four separate modules, I think it does.

When I made this video, I ran into some gainstaging issues, which is not an issue, but a common challenge in Eurorack. This affects using HOT modules which go full 10V on the output, like raw VCO's. It's easy to solve with a VCA before the input, but I wanted to show you what happens when you stack a hot source into a huge pile of delay and reverb. I am sure it happens to many of us one day, and it should better NOT happen when you're playing a live gig. On the other hand, going too HOT can also make monster sounds and I'll be making a few. If you do, why not add some more distortion :)!

In the final session I used #VHIKK X again, which allows you to set the output level. This kind of proves the 'problem' is in the chain, not in a module. I also used the MESSOR limiter from Cosmotronic to secure the final output before it goes to my DAW. Even then, using FX on high feedback settings can still tickle the digital brick wall INSIDE the module, your case or your AD converter.

Regardless, SIDE FX is a beauty and I am proud to highly recommend it."

See the announcement post here.

MimeoPlexus - Adventures in Time, Space and Spacetime.

video upload by Cinematic Laboratory

Cinematic Laboratory Plexiphon posts

"Welcome to episode 02 of my Plexiphon exploration. I must admit I’ve been a bit underwhelmed by it because I was hoping for more like a network behavior where sounds from the past could suddenly return into its input.

Kind of like Mimeophon’s long repeat that remembers almost a minute. It became more and more clear that Plexiphon is indeed an Erbe-Verb V2. Even the CV out is ultimately intended to ‘push back’ the infinite wash so it can be controlled. I guess it’s now a stereo space folder, and once you accept that, it’s quite a cool and creative reverb. But that’s not why I run this channel. People who got themselves a Plexiphon most certainly also have a Mimeophon. And if not, one should at least consider adding one, so one can build yourself a Mimeoplexus. This basically answers my question why there isn’t a bit more ‘plexus’ in the Plexiphon. It’s because Mimeophon already took care if it a long time ago.

In this patch, I’ll use a mono source. In this case, I’ll pick Plonk again so it’s easier to follow what happens to a single mono modal ‘plonk’. MP’s left output goes to left PP input. MP’s right output goes to case out. And then: the loop: PP’s left output returns to MP’s right input.

PP’s right output goes to case out. So the combo pans a bit hard L/R, but the reverb runs through a feedback path. PP can now ‘save itself’ in MP’s long buffer and it can receive its own output many seconds later. Meanwhile, MP can change the delay times, direction, skew, colors, etc. We can’t just fold space, we can fold time too, and make it run backwards.

Now be honest, when was the last time you could creatively mess with relativity?"

Mutable Noise Mutations | Plaits alternative firmware by iNit-Crioxica

video upload by Cinematic Laboratory

"OK, trust me on this. ‪@init-crioxica‬ has released a firmware for Plaits that's completely dedicated to Noise Music, and it can/could be used for making noise. However, it offers 28 presets - or banks with tons of insanely cool sounds. Sure, there's noise, but I found countless leads and textures which are too good to be true, but entirely true. I am not a fan of noise music so I explored the 'sweeter' side of the firmware, which comes down to using the knobs differently. At first I thought it didn't track pitch, but it does V/OCT when the preset allows it. Some are mutated, modulated, randomized, etc so pitch is useless. But tonal voices just track beautifully. Here, Plaits gets some help from Bruxa and Plexlphon, a combo I am starting to love a lot.

Here's the link to the firmware.
https://archive.org/details/i-nit-cri..."

Why doesn't Digital Feedback Blow Up Like Analog?

video upload by Cinematic Laboratory

"When I posted my first Plexiphon video, I got a few comments like ‘how about Bruxa x Plexiphon’, or better, ‘how about two Bruxae x Plexiphon’.
I think I can answer that now. Bruxa is a dominating module. This simply means, whatever you patch up, Bruxa is going to demand all attention. New to modular? Bruxa is a Bruxa is a delay/filter using a crappy karaoke toy chip. Sorry, it’s the ‘lo-fi delay’ that reached a cult status in the legendary Soma Lyra-8 Orga(ni)smic Synthesizer.
And then there’s the PoliMaths vs Maths discussion. Maybe they should have called it the PolyFunction, because it’s not Maths. It’s more like a ‘polyphonic function sequencer’, where a function is nothing more than a rise and fall. A slope or envelope depending on the Coast you’re on. It’s an attack/decay shape to sculpt a sound.
In this patch, I am using Echophon – the echo – as a clock, using the clock divider output. It’s a cool example of working with limitations. There’s no clock module in this case, but any ‘repeat’ that ticks is a clock. So today it’s not a tape delay, it’s just sending blips to PoliMaths’ activation IN. PoliMaths is like an eight channel sample and hold. When a trigger comes in, the module ‘activates’ by reading all knob positions (sampling) and holding them until the next activation. The channel index will decide which of the eight channels is affected. Depending on the SPAN mode/color, the channel will either be addressable (white), rotating (yellow) or fire all (cyan blue). If you’ve updated your PM, there’s a purple mode too (binary logic).
In this patch, the eight envelopes are distributed to various effect modules like Bruxa, more Bruxa and Plexiphon. Depending on knob settings (and especially ABSORB) Bruxa can make percussive sounds with its crappy chip. So what can we do with it? We can make a drum machine that nobody else has.
The patch itself is turning my effects units into an improvised lo-fi CMOS drum machine and Plexiphon is adding a bit of reverb. Even on full strength it can’t compete with the two Bruxae.
There’s an intermezzo where I’ll patch a long loop between Echophon, Mimeophon, Bruxa 1, Bruxa 2, Plexiphon and QPAS. In plain English, it’s making a long FX chain, but the end of chain is also the beginning. A snake biting its own tail. It’s like taking ugly feedback noise, and then try to sculpt it into something that faintly sounds like music – or a score from an 80’s horror sci-fi B movie with lots of sax and violins.
I was expecting something like throwing a mentos in a bottle of Coca Cola, but it didn’t happen. Instead, a nice abstract feedback patch emerged. It turned out to be pretty civilized.
In this video I discovered that feedback patching with digital modules is very different from using analog modules. A well designed digital effect doesn’t explode, it stays clear from crashing into digital brick wall and self destruct. In fact, digital feedback patching is more like continuous sound on sound dubbing. If you’re into chaotic feedback patching, you’ll benefit from adding at least one analog module, like a Serge wavefolder, waveshaper, filter or resonant EQ – or any other brand. Just make sure it’s using real analog components and real voltage instead of coded error handlers, limiters, exceptions and guardrails. In the analog domain, chaos is only bound to the rules of Mother Nature.
The ‘crappy drum machine’ patch is decorated by a second take with Error Instruments x This Is Not Rocketscience Kharper. I am running it through dual Bruxae and Plexiphon, where the PP gets modulation from Bruxa’s mysteriously labeled CV outputs. They basically contain CV related to Bruxa’s internal chip rumble. Nothing special, but super cool as a mod-source."

Plexiphon | The World's Most Haunting Reverb Is Back

video upload by Cinematic Laboratory

"Nobody has said it out loud, but Plexiphon is definitely Erbe-Verb 2.0.
I will prove it by running it with the old Shared System. I replaced Echophon and Erbe-Verb with Mimeophon and Plexiphon but the Shared remains the Shared. However, when experimenting with different sources - and you'd love the #VHIKK X as a guest - Plexiphon suddenly sounds as new as it's designed to be. When I made the 'What is a Plexus' video, I used XAOC Samarkanda to make my own network so if you want to learn what a plexus is, check it out."

Additional Plexiphon posts

Guidance | Conducting an Orchestra with Voltage and Feedback Noise

video upload by Cinematic Laboratory

"I've been experimenting a lot this week and this video will focus on feedback patching, with two twists. It's not just circuit noise, I added a delay and a reverb to the chain. But more important, I added a ring modulator, modulated by a sinewave. So the feedback path is constantly flipping, cancelling waves or amplifying them. The idea is not mine, I got it from La Synthese Humaine who got the idea from Jaap Vink (synth & sonology pioneer, NL, 1970's) , linked in the video.

OK so it's mosty sculpted noise with no VCO and no frequency or pitch. I guess we can call it an atonal spectrum, a sum of sines that doesn't harmonize or add up to a note. Then I was wondering, what if we'd use a symphony orchestra to try and align with the tone/cluster, using the noise as a guide? In the early days, one would arrange a score for the orchestra to mimic frequency sweeps, and Xenakis made it a legendary technique using graphical scores. But this is the other way around. The source is my modular feedback exploration, so the score is voltage and audio. There are no notes, no scale, no 440 Hz concert pitch, so the orchestra would need to improvise and approximate whatever pitch is perceived. Will it be messy? Or will we always gravitate to order and balance? Spoiler. We'd do both.

How did I pull this off? I can't tell you. Not yet. Not now. And there's no 'best part' in this video. It's all good. Or all bad.

00:00 Introduction
02:30 Forbidden Planets again
06:00 'Guidance'"

0-Coast by MakeNoise | 10 years later

video upload by Cinematic Laboratory

"I am not sure when I saw the 0-Coast for the first time. I had no idea it was already around for two years when I started modular in 2018. The 0-Coast became my 'tiny teacher' after getting lost in the Shared System first. It turned out to be crucial to fully understand that everything is voltage, and every circuit can make sound even when the circuit is intended for something else. The 0-Coast combines Buchla, Serge and Moog philosophies in one tabletop unit. By itself, it provides endless possibilities provided by its confined option space. I can safely say it gets better as your own skills develop. And don't forget to use stackables or a mult."

RESONATORS | Rings | PolyMoog | Tiptop Audio | Haible by R*S

video upload by Cinematic Laboratory

"In this video, I'll try to explore the concept of resonators in electronic music. I am not sure I am correct here, but I guess the first official Resonator was from Serge, followed by the Resonators in the fist PolyMoog. Buchla may have closed the line with the 292 Spectral Processor, which is also a resonant array of filters. Resonant filters is what all these modules have in common. Jurgen Haible revisited the Moog resonator in the 21st century, and Emilie Gillet perfected it with the Rings module. TipTop Audio also made a faithful recreation of the Polymoog resonator quite recently.

My interest in resonators was ignited when I saw a 17 year old low-res video from Kenneth Elhardt running a Jupiter-8 through an isolated Moog resonator unit, turning clearly synthethic sounds in to very convincing voices, brass and woodwinds. I've used a few snippets (transformative / educational) and added a link to the original. Mr. Elhardt also has a few videos on his channel where he recreated 'medieval' music on a Synthesizer.com Moog clone which is an amazing listen and a hidden gem on the tube.

What I did not know, is that this video may have also inspired Haible and Tiptop Audio to recreate the resonator.

But wait. Rings? Yep. When not plucked and using the IN, you'll pass a sound through 48 digitally controlled 'virtual' filters. So don't pluck it. Resonate it."

JHaible TAU Phaser 'The Pipe' 2026 by Random*Source

video upload by Cinematic Laboratory

"Today I am proud to show off the new TAU 2026 phaser edition from JHaible x Random*Source for Eurorack. Obviously the core 'Pipe' sound didn't change because it needs to remain faithful to its history and heritage. It's not supposed to sound different from the previous R*S version. But it does. This is because the TAU '26 features two inputs and two CV inputs instead of one. Also the inverted (-) V/OCT is dropped. Visually, the panel now matches the Serge Modular line so it neatly blends in with your Serge 3U gear.

So is it a 20 pole- or an 18 pole phaser? Is it even important? No. What's truly important is the PIPE configuration of 20 transistors in a classic ladder topology. Your input will actually flow through the circuitry like air in a tube and I think it's absolutely stunning when you run noise through it. However, when you bring a lush pad, the TAU will redefine 'lush' into a pseudo stereo swirl that doesn't make you seasick.

When you crank up the feedback and hit it with some trigger 'stick' or chain, the TAU will make remarkable percussion. The Tau is also available in 4U. It's still a Haible, but it carries the 'Serge Modular' branding and comes with an extra mixing panel.

00:00 Introduction and history
02:55 Using the TAU on a synth voice + noise
05:37 TAU phasing on the Serge Medusa
07:45 TAU and triggers (w. MakeNoise Resynthesizer)
09:21 Non-competitive compare with XAOC Kamieniec V1
10:16 TAU on Plaits
13:44 A trip down Memory Lane w. Mellotron Micro"

Turn any soundsource into Drums with 'Doppler' from Jasmine & Olive Trees.

video upload by Cinematic Laboratory

"Sometimes a module comes along where you'd read the description and think, OK, why? This module turns any sound into drums so if you're not interested in drum sounds, why bother? And what do drumsounds have in common with the Doppler effect where pitch perception would change depending on an object moving towards or away from you?

BUT THEN.
You patch it up, play with a few sources and go WOW.
Check it out."

What is a Plexus | feat. XAOC Samarkanda and WMD Sequential Switch Matrix

video upload by Cinematic Laboratory

"Yes, I want to make a PlexiPhon video too. It's always a joy when MakeNoise announces a new Tom Erbe collab, and always a drag to wait for it to cross the Atlantic. I have it on pre-order since I saw the first video. As far as I can tell, MakeNoise didn't explain what a 'plexus delay' is and how it differs from, let's say, a Mimeophon. At first listen they sound like very close family, maybe even too close. However, MakeNoise did a follow-up video where we could hear how the PP changes its delay line like a chameleon, depending on whatever goes into the module and I had a clear WOW moment.

But I still didn't know what a Plexus was, and since I am writing a Book that's supposed to last at least 50 years, I had to do some research. The term is mainly used in biology, describing complex junctions in our nervous system. The term is adopted by networking and represents a complex node to node network. Now it's a small step from a delay line to a delay network, and from a delay network to a reverb. The fun part about a closed plexus is that it can re-encounter elements from anywhere in the chain. Imagine taps that can select crossroads and take a long way home.

I explored the concept with XAOC Samarkanda Quad Delay, which allows me to 'patch program' any combination of four delays with four feedback paths. It's a plexus, but a very simple 'square'. I decided to use the WMD Sequential Switch Matrix so I could patch the I/O in a 4x4 grid. It still doesn't sound like much, but now a 'tap' can travel over 65.536 different routes (2 to the power of 16) which is more than enough to create a vast diffusion network.

I am aware it's a lot of patching and most of you won't be able to follow, but you can freely experiment in VCV too, and learn a LOT. And let's not forget the PlexiPhon can be on its way to the stores right now, which could downsize my experiment into one convenient little module. I can't wait to get my hands on one. But honestly, if you own a Samarkanda, experiment with it first, and only buy new stuff if you really have to. Remember this: It's not the module, it's the behavior!"

Buchla TTA 248T MARF | Quick Start 'Manual'.

video upload by Cinematic Laboratory

"I think it's the first time I made a tutorial without actually using the module. I made two 'Building a MARF' videos where I'd use regular modules like Metropolix, Rene and Stages to mimic the workflow and it already had great music. My channel is educational and I love to make videos like this to learn the module instead of showing it off.

The 248T 'MARF' is a Multiple Arbitrary Function Generator, which translates to a freeform modular composer for melody, expression, and extremely complex movement over time. It's hard to find all that in a single module, so maybe this explains why the 248 is a panel.

If you don't aspire to own a budget Buchla from TTA, your closest equivalent is a Maths with Rene V2. If you have those, try to patch it up like a MARF and be amazed. Simply use cycles as clocks and use any X, Y or C channel for time intervals (to change cycle speeds). In my humble opinion, you shouldn't buy a 5K modular for making 16 step sawtooth sequences. It's about happy accidents and they don't happen if you stay on the path like a responsible musician."

Analog Anonymous | Episode 01

video upload by Cinematic Laboratory

"In this new series I want to focus on cool sounds without immediately revealing which modules are used. The principle is simple, if you don't like how a module sounds, change something until you do. Back in the 1970's, a Serge panel could do anything - and you'd need to figure out how. Just think of Maths versus a dedicated Envelope Generator or LFO. A swiss army knife versus a specialized screwdriver for a specific kind of screw. The module in this episode feels like one of those screwdrivers and my goal is to explore such a module until it becomes multi functional. It's often not about the gear, everything's been done before. It's about using your modular lego bricks and build something you'd have weeks or months of fun with.

Even though the series is called Analog Anonymous, inspired by the AA and solving bad habits, it can include both analog and digital gear. In this series, 'analog' means 'analogue to air pressure'. Whatever you're using, your ears are always analog. In modular synthesis, your patch is not intended to be sober. We need to be intoxicated by sound while being in the Zone. Very healthy, very Zen. I talk too much. Have fun!"

Buchla TTA 296T | Episode 17 | Jailbroken

video upload by Cinematic Laboratory

"I've been preparing to sell my 296T this week, because it's too big, I rarely use it and I do not like the nasal and harsh resonant character too much. Sure it's personal, because the 296T is a faithful recreation of the original classic model (and it also sounds like the more modern LED version 296e). I've explored the module in many videos, but best results were achieved when I patched my Mellotron in it (see 207T video in playlist).

I've been browsing youtube for patch examples, to do a final check on true Buchla versions, because maybe I overlooked something. I did not, it is what it is and I can either accept it, or sell it. In either case I need to stop whining about it. But then I found a cool video from the Sonny Downs Quartet channel, where a simple dual VCO in a 'chord' setting was spectrally transferred into beautiful textures. And then I realized the 296T is eurorack and every I/O can be used. Anyway, I decided to keep the 296T after all, and this video may help to explain why."

XenoMorph II - MakeNoise Polymorphism with NUSS and Morphagene

video upload by Cinematic Laboratory

"Five years ago, I already played with the idea of expanding the Morphagene into a shapeshifting creature. I used two Phonogenes to process the Morph's L and R outputs, inspired by a lo-fi Ciat-Lonbarde Cocoquantus. It was a fun experiment. This Xenomorph is different, a worthy V2. It's a custom 104 HP system I designed as a synth I did not know how to make:

Morphagene
Mult
MultiMod
PoliMaths
QXG x 2
X-PAN
Mimeophon

When used in a skiff, X-PAN is replaced by X-OH (output) and a mult. If you have stackables, you can even use the new GTE. The idea is to bring the stereo Morphagene OUTS together with the QXG outs, so you'll need to stack/mult one Morph out into MultiMod.

The 7U case obviously has the CV bus and - can / could - contain the regular NUSS layout AND the Xenomorph Granular NUSS system. Together they could hold two universes which makes it Multiversal (NMSS) which logically brought me to the name 'Nemesis'. We often assiciate that name with something bad, but after a bit of research it translates to 'the force that reveals your limitations'. So when we meet our Nemesis, the only thing we need to do is grab another patchcable and say 'why stop here?' bla, bla, bla.
Seriously. This is an amazing layout.

Even though MultiMod was never intended for audio, again it's my favorite way to use it, and now it's the core of this setup. It will take the L[mono[ channel of Morphagene as an input so it will create eight roughly independent tentacles. MultiMod has a NUSS header on the back, so without any cable clutter it connects to QXG's audio in and PoliMaths will do the envelopes. So I am basically replacing the MultiWAVE for Morph + Mod as the new sound engine.

I did not realize I'd be getting a genuine granular synth on steroids. A workstation."

'SIEGFRIED' | VC RES EQ + VBR | Serge Modular | Episode 11

video upload by Cinematic Laboratory

"The VC RES EQ is big, very big and the VBR (Variable Bandwidth Filter) makes it even bigger. But even then, it's not a combo that would appeal to the 'mainstream' eurorack audience. The 4U version joins both modules under one panel and is called 'SIEGFRIED', inspired by Wagner's dragonslayer in the classic Ring des Nibelungen epic 15 hour opera which ends in Ragnarok - the Apocalyptic end of the Gods. Now that's a much better setting! We need mist, heroes, dragons, Gods and something close to Mount Doom. Tolkien didn't like Wagner's work at all, in fact, he hated it. With this eurorack combo you can now create your own adventure, keep the ring for yourself and throw Frodo into Mount Doom.

This is one of my favorite videos so far and I just LOVE the sound of the VC RES EQ. The VBR is added to tame the harsh sounds that often come from the 'pet dragon', but if you play it with your fingertips, prepare for myths and legends.

As always, this video is not sponsored, but I am enjoying a small 'artist discount' from Random*Source because I make videos like this. Dear Serge, if you're watching this, THANK YOU for being Serge and thank you Random*Source for keeping the legend vibrant, alive and kicking."

What the fork is Waveshaping? | Modular Classroom | Lesson 05

video upload by Cinematic Laboratory

"I've been doing modular since 2018 and now I finally think I may have figured out what waveshaping could be. So by all means this is not some 'masterclass' where I teach you, it's learning as I go and recording it on video. The main takeaway from all this, is that waveshaping is not a module or something you'd do, it's something that happens when certain circumstances align. By definition, waveshaping is 'a non-linear transfer producing new harmonics' which kind of sums up nicely why it's so hard to put your head around it. It becomes much easier once you realize you need to listen for it, it's the result. Not the tech, process or recipe.

And how about 'folding'? As far as I know, wavefolding belongs to the waveshaping family, but instead of clipping the tops off, you'd mirror them back into the waveform. In waveshaping, 'transfer functions' are called 'shaper functions' because a 'transfer' is hijacked by systems theory and we're doing music and synthesis while leaving science in its own domain.

I'll mostly be using Serge gear in the classroom series, but you can already start shaping with a pre-amp with plenty of gain. Just push a sound to a loudness your case or ADC can't handle. Then you can figure out if it's cool to get dedicated tech for it. Hopefully you'll learn that waveshaping is not just distortion :)."

The Rise and Fall of Maths - With GTE 'expander'.

video upload by Cinematic Laboratory

Creating wavetables and Morphagene reels with Gemini 3 and Google Colab.

video upload by Cinematic Laboratory

"When I asked Gemini 3 if it could create wavetables, a new world opened up. Now, I am aware it's about artificial intelligence taking over the wonderful job of creating wavetables by hand (64 cycles of 256 bytes) I'd rather make music and noise with them. In this workflow, you'd describe what kind of 'morph' or 'animation' you'd want, and Gemini 3 would write the code in the Python programming language.

Next question is obviously: how do I run it because we don't want code, we want a WAV file in WaveEdit format. It turned out to be just a matter of pasting the code in Google's Co-laboratory (COLAB) environment and press 'play'. Then COLAB would run the code and output a .WAV with a pre-coded descriptive name. So next is to install them on your VCO of choice, which hopefully has an SD card or USB 'disk mode'.

But then the real fun begins. You can also ask Gemini 3 to code a 48K/32 bit Morphagene reel with a splice marker for every wave. These waves can be much longer, much more complex, and they can be stereo. You can create wobbles, sweeps, morphs, ticks, hiss, grains, anything. And then you can take your files to the modular, disconnect from the internet and lock the doors."

MultiWAVE MIDI | MakeNoise New Universal Synthesizer System | Episode 06

video upload by Cinematic Laboratory

"Midi on the MulitWAVE is a big deal. It seems it just adds polyphony from your DAW or midi host, but how many keyboards do you know where you can actively control eight separate voices and put each voice in its own VCA, with its own modulation and FX? I know only one. And then you can still go hybrid and plug all kinds of CV in it.

It's also a big deal because you can make moving soundscapes which are either super hard or totally impossible with regular hardware keys. Sure you can use multiple instances of VST's in the daw, but that doesn't count because a PC is not a fair compare.

I am still waiting for my MIDI expander strip to arrive, so I 'broke the rules' by using a direct USB connection with Ground Control. MakeNoise does not support this due to all classic 'interference' problems with USB loops between controllers, hosts and output devices. The 'strip' mitigates those problems, and it offers a front panel input instead of running USB cables through places where they can't go. But this video was simply to short to wait for the strip to arrive. Next week the new GTE will also be here, so I'll stitch it up properly soon and try an MPE controller."