Cyma Forma ALT Rhythmic Experiment

video upload by Laboratory 0

"Some additional pads & synths were added in post"

Melbourne Instruments Nina | First Patches

video upload by Laboratory 0

"First few patches with the Nina - No external effects."

Melbourne Instruments Nina Round-Robin Experiment #1

video upload by Laboratory 0

"How close can the Nina get to the Vermona Perfourmer? Distributing MIDI notes evenly across three layers on the Nina, each with slight variations in filter and envelope settings. The track, originally made with the Perfourmer (ID: Samuel Yang - Skyward Bound), is now played on the Nina, and I’m amazed by how closely it replicates the original, with its round-robin arps.

Arps coming from Nina, everything else was pre-recorded / taken from the original track."

Studio Live Ambient Sessions | Vermona Perfourmer MKII

video uploads by Laboratory 0

Playlist:

1. “Echoes” - Studio Live Ambient Session | Vermona Perfourmer MKII, Chase Bliss Thermae
2. Vermona Perfourmer MKII + Hologram Chroma Console + Piano
3. Vermona Perfourmer MKII + Intellijel Sealegs Generative Ambient Sequence

Cyma Forma ALT Soundscape Synthesizer - First Contact

video upload by Laboratory 0

Quick Sketch with Dreadbox Artemis | Ambient Arps

video upload by Laboratory 0

RYK TimeSlice Quad Looper and sampling laboratory - sound demos and technique tutorials

video upload by RYK Modular

"CHAPTERS:

0:00 – Time Slice !

0:08 – Drum loop and synth with FX
Track3: Drum loop with Delay FX, and Pitch Shifting. End Of Loop Pulse sent from drum loop to pulse an envelope in ENVY Machine. The envelope is patched to amplitude mod on ALGO.
ALGO output is patched into Track 2, with Delay and Pitch Shift effects applied

01:07 – Ambient Piano treatment
Track 1 Jazz piano loop. Tracks 2,3, & 4 are resampling from Track 1, and are set to Live Loop mode. Each track has random trigger from ENVY Machine, for resampling input from paino loop on Track 1.

01:58 – Live Keyboard loop recording, with drum loop and granular scanning trumpet solo !
Track 1: Using DAW loop style to record VECTOR WAVE keyboard sounds, then Track 2: using RETRO loop style to record bass line also from VECTOR WAVE.
Drum break loaded from internal storage, Decimate FX applied.
Flute sample sliced, slowed down, Wave Folded, and sliced-scanning modulated by knob recording on ENVY Machine.

CLICK FOR MORE »

Serge’s 1979 ÷NCOM - It Compares, Counts, Waits, Fires and It Always Rises

video upload by Cinematic Laboratory

"I bought the #Serge #NCOM in the blind because a) it's the work of a living legend, b) I had no idea what it did, and c) after reading the manual and looking on YouTube I still had no idea how to use it in real life music.

The ÷NCOM is short for pulse divider (by N steps), a comparator (gate goes high where +IN is higher than -IN) and last but not least, a staircase CV is raised one semitone when the compare goes high and the max steps N is not reached. So now you know, and just like me, it still remains a mystery how it can play a role in modular music.

÷NCOM is from 1979, and quantized CV was rare, especially when it's derived from any two compared voltages. It's using two CMOS chips, but only 5 of 8 bits were used (step 0 to 31 = 32 values). So is it early digital? Yes, but without a CPU or code and state of the art precision - for 1979. Is it still relevant in 2025? I am not sure how many voltage comparators are around in eurorack, and you probably never needed one. A staircase CV waveform is simply a matter of running a ramp through a quantizer, and you may be able to use an END of RAMP event on a Maths clone. The ÷NCOM circuit is often used for rhythmic patches, and the staircase is super useful to make synchronized ramps you can use to open a filter or wavefolder. Not to mention arpeggios. It's the opposite of high-tech, it's low tech. A circuit you need to learn, discover and find use for. It was special in 1979, and today it's part of the joy of owning a true Serge module that can always do more than you think."

Make Noise Introduces PoliMATHS and QXG

video upload by MAKEN0ISE

Check with dealers on the right for availability. User video by Cinematic Laboratory further below.

PoliMATHS [MSRP: $459] is an eight-channel CV and Audio event generator for the New Universal Synthesizer System or any Eurorack modular synthesizer. It uses a single set of controls to generate complex functions at eight independent channel outputs. PoliMATHS’ functions are made up of two components: first, the well-known Rise-Fall envelope with variable Curve (familiar from the original MATHS and Function and 0-Coast Slope); and second, a variable-Shape Oscillation whose amplitude is controlled over time by the Rise-Fall envelopes. This oscillation can be either low frequency for the creation of complex control functions, or audio frequency for native generation of audio events/notes with optional tuned pitch control via 1v/oct control voltage. PoliMATHS also includes output headers for creating pre-patched connections to the control inputs of QXG.

PoliMATHS
Part of the New Universal Synthesizer System
Eight channel function generator with a single set of controls
Create simple or complex functions
Activate channels in many possible patterns using Channel Index, Round, and Parallel Modes
Modulate parameters across channels with Spread or Modulation Dissemination
Designed to work with MultiMod and QXG and future NUSS modules
Chain to QXG for immediate eight channel amplitude control


The Quad Stereo Gate (QXG) [MSRP: $239] music synthesizer module is a Four Channel Stereo Low Pass Gate and Mixer. Like the DXG before it, the QXG utilizes a new low pass gate circuit that does not use vactrols. This circuit is 100% analog and its response was arrived at after many months tailoring it to meet or exceed the expectations that have been set by all the vactrol low pass gates that Make Noise has created over the years. Additionally the QXG adds a Vactrol button to select between a Slow, low-pass-gate-like response emulating the decay time of a vactrol (Vactrol button ON), and a Fast precision response that still maintains the gentle filtering characteristic (Vactrol button OFF). Fast response can be especially useful when patching QXG with complex and quickly-changing functions such as those generated by PoliMATHS with the OSC circuit in use. The QXG also includes a Stereo Sum Output with voltage controllable Stereo Spread to quickly route all four channels across the stereo field. Each channel also has an individual output that removes the channel from the Sum when patched. In addition, QXG includes signal and control input headers for creating pre-patched connections from the outputs of PoliMATHS and MultiMod.

Part of the New Universal Synthesizer System
Four channel low pass gate
Vactrol-free design for classic Low Pass Gate sounds
Vactrol button to select Fast or Slow response
Xpread parameter for spreading the four channels across the stereo field
Summing stage with Stereo AUXiliary IN allows for chaining of multiple units, creating larger mixes
Individual channels can be removed from Sum by patching to their respective outputs
Designed to work with MultiMod and PoliMaths
Chain two QXG units to a PoliMaths for immediate eight channel amplitude control


PoliMaths & QXG | How does it sound when you know nothing?

video upload by Cinematic Laboratory

"Today MakeNoise has introduced PoliMaths and QXG. My dealer already had them in stock (!) and allowed me to buy them - under the strict condition to keep it a secret until after the official launch video. So I had the opportunity to make a video in one day, without access to any help from the manual or the MakeNoise launch video. Normally I'd do my homework first, but this opportunity is rare. Usually, I can intuitively figure out how a module works, but with PoliMaths, almost nothing is familiar, and what's familiar works differently. So I've probably been using a MonoMaths, but since I decided to get two, there's still a Poli vibe to it.

This is probably one of the worst videos I've made so far, but it's fun to patch in the blind with zero knowledge, and this was the only day I could record, edit and post it. So forgive me for being a MakeNoise groupie. I am biased, but I also think it's for a good reason. MakeNoise managed to make something extremely innovative. I'll make a proper video soon, and I'll figure out what to do with this one later."

Dual mono recording and using stackables featuring Strega and 0-Coast.

video upload by Cinematic Laboratory

"New modules are cool, but old modules are cool too.
Strega Unleashed is not the most descriptive title, but hey, I suck at making my videos easier to find by a wider audience. This is for everyone who wants to get more stereo from a mono semi-modular synth.

My increasing love and diminishing hate relationship with Strega is still going strong. I was under the impression I heard most of what it can do, but I was wrong. This whole idea started when I wondered about the Buchla TTA 264 'polyphonic adapter' which could round robin notes to various destinations. I am not using it in this video, this is more like a proof of concept. Strega is obviously a mono voice, but the delay accepts 'pitch cv'. The same applies to the 'Agitation' LFO. It gets even cooler when you also have a O-Coast because it provides another VCO and the 'Slope' LFO which can run audio rate too. The 264 could send pitch CV to four destinations like a rotating sequential switch and this will probably also work with the WMD sequential switch matrix.

However, in this proof of concept I'll just use stackables to honor the 'dark easel' as it comes, so without any fancy modules you don't own, and only using free VST's from Native Instruments (Replika, Raum). So there are two main takeaways in this video, regardless of owning a Strega or not. Stackables can make your old synth sound brand new, and recording your outputs on as many mono channels in the DAW as you can - so you can mix, pan and add FX later."

Reviving Classics with MultiMod | MakeNoise NUSS | Episode 03

video upload by Cinematic Laboratory

"MultiMod arrived two months ago, my Jumbler is pre-ordered and PoliMaths is expected end of summer or later. It's a great time to be a MakeNoise fan. However, my collection of old, classic and discontinued modules is growing way too fast. I always say that a new module should be able to revive your old modules. If not, doublecheck if you really need it.

In this video, I hooked up MultiMod with 0-Coast, Strega and DPO.
I also used my beloved Tetsuo Noise Box and run a true analog 'pling' through a Cacophon (MultiMod and Mimeophon) to find out how that would sound. Very cool."

Mutable (ST)RINGS | Modular Composing | Open Sequencing

video upload by Cinematic Laboratory

"I guess it's much cheaper to find new use to existing modules instead of getting more modules that don't really add anything new. We all know Mutable Rings, it's our modular guitar. So how about trying to play it like a guitar? In this video, I'll use a static arp, like the strings on a guitar, tuned to whatever you like (like Fripp's New Standard Tuning) and then move the individual notes around like a fretboard. It's like a note-by-note transpose. Do you know any sequencer that can do this? Sure! Five12 Vector has chance operations and subsequencers. Westlicht has note ranges and you can use Track B to transpose track A. But you can't transpose the indivual notes in an ARP with their own subsequences. I've been working on this idea because it's a cool addition to our stochastic generative dice controlled compositions. I'd like to all it 'open sequencing' as a tribute to 'open composers' from the 50's and 60's. People like John Cage and Hans Otte, but also people like Robert Fripp (tuning of fifths) and Hans Zimmer (double harmonic dune scale).

It's even cooler to use a module that allows you to build what doesn't exist yet, lke Monome Teletype. I wrote a script you can load in your module, but Teletype is also part of the VCV free module collection. I bet you'd never use it without some help. So here's a script you can cut, paste in a .TXT and load it into the 'active script' of Teletype."
--COPY AFTER THIS

CLICK FOR MORE »

HARVEZI HAZZE functionality walkthrough

video upload by SOMA Laboratory

0:00 - Waveshaper
1:15 - Preamplifier
1:50 - Tone stack
3:34 - Total feedback

See the announcement post here.

The Road to Berlin | XAOC Leibniz Binary Subsystem | Episode 03

video upload by Cinematic Laboratory

"I got a bit stuck after doing the 2nd episode. Yeah, that episode sucked, but that also happens at the Lab. Dead ends are important if you want to learn to think more in u-turns. In this episode, we're back on track.

I knew the Leibniz Binary system would give me a hard time, but I underestimated that. I had a few weeks staring at my case wondering 'what's next?'. Sure, there's plenty to explore, but it's hard when you don't resonate well with the broken chiptune sounds - which are inevitable. Then, XAOC added 'Berlin' to the list of cities. It's labeled a 'numeric' VCO and it's designed especially for the Leibniz modules. It's basically a simple sawtooth with 1V/OCT, FM and Sync, but it's more like a quality D/A converter for generating waveforms. The Drezno II used to take care of that, but it would make jagged waveforms by summing lots of squares. It sounds very 8-bit. Berlin doesn't have that problem, it sounds great.

In this episode I am not doing a deepdive yet, because I just got the module. Instead I'll try to explain why it's relevant, and how a sawtooth gets all these odd/even harmonics and overtones. Why it's considered 'rich' compared to a sinewave. Then, it's easier to understand why Berlin only has a sawtooth (or scrambled saw) out. When you draw a graph of numbers 0 to 255, you'll get a nice ramp (reversed saw) that flips back to zero and counts up again. Berlin is basically counting up very fast and restarts at 0.

I'll leave the interaction between Berlin and other modules to episode 04, which will probably be posted next week. It's not going to take too long :)."

FLUX sonic and performance possibilities (1st demo by SOMA labs)

video upload by SOMA Laboratory

"All sound is FLUX without post processing and FX.
In this video, I used 13 from 37 possible synthesis algorithms.
In the lower left corner, you can find the glif of the current algorithm.

Algorithms
TIMELINE:
0:00 Pipe
9:36 Bell
22:10 3D 4
23:31 Tremolo 1 Tempo
27:37 Detuned Saws
32:28 ByteBeat 1 Tempo
41:02 Vox
47:10 3D 2
54:15 Sync Resonances
57:00 3D 3
58:06 Detune
1:01:57 Digital Chaos
1:06:23 Clavir"

Introducing the Pittsburgh Modular Voltage Lab 2

video upload by Pittsburgh Modular Synthesizers

"Standalone Modern Analog Synthesis Laboratory
Pittsburgh Modular Synthesizers’ long-anticipated successor to the Voltage Research Laboratory is filled to the brim with interesting new inventions, such as several new wave-shaping technologies, an addictive tactile performance controller, and more…"

The New, Experimental Synthesis of the Voltage Lab 2

video upload by Jorb

0:00 Intro
2:27 Hands on Begins
4:58 Oscillator One
11:01 Oscillator Two
16:29 Quick Look at Function Generators
18:26 Quick Look at Dynamics Controllers
19:04 FX
21:02 Chance Sequencer
22:37 Touch Controller Begins
26:56 Step Conditions
28:10 Step Jump Explained

Geek Chic // Sonic Experiments from the Voltage Lab2

video upload by Starsky Carr

"Dusting the cobwebs from my vintage 1950's lab coat - it was all the rage once honest.

Going into lab rat research mode and seeing where the maze takes me..

... and here's the results.

Just a little taster while I open the lab book to record apparatus, method, results, discussion and conclusion.

0:00 Bunsen Burner Big Beats
2:15 Plucking Pipettes (no pipettes were harmed)
3:06 Test Tube Techno (it's not techno)
5:59 She's Alive
7:44 Naked Flame
10:00 Medical Skeleton (its the Bare Bones)"

Pittsburgh Modular Voltage Lab 2 - Just Jammin'

video upload by Molten Music Technology

"Fascinating new modular system from Pittsburgh with a decidedly West Coast bent. Too soon for a review, but here's half an hour of playing with the rather remarkable sequencer, the timbre of the oscillators and other bits and pieces. I added some reverb via the Chroma Console but otherwise it's all the VL2."

The Sweet Spot: Voltage Lab 2 Semi-Modular Synthesizer
video upload by HAINBACH

"As anyone who has ever tried to assemble a modular synthesizer, it is not easy to create a cohesive instrument, especially if you try to narrow it down to a portable case. In comes The Voltage Lab 2 that Pittsburgh Modular send me to play with (thanks for that!) - it is a semi-modular self contained synthesizer, and to me it hits the sweet spot between functionality and musicality."

Also see The Lab Report Episodes for audio demos.



Press release follows:

May 14th, 2024 - Pittsburgh, PA Pittsburgh Modular Synthesizers today announced Voltage Lab 2, a standalone dual oscillator analog synthesizer synthesis laboratory with a unique integrated touch-sensitive performance controller.

CLICK FOR MORE »

Morbus Legio | The filthy beauty of Engineered Noise.

video upload by Cinematic Laboratory

"It's always cool to try a new Noise Engineering firmware. But I had my doubts with this one, because it's just a Noise generator and it will not have a dedicated hardware module. It's a freebee. But that's not all, because Morbus means 'disease' in Latin, hopefully in the context of it being a 'sick' firmware.

My doubts were confirmed at first patch. It accepts external sounds, but only to wavefold them in three different levels of destruction. The noise itself has colored noise, covering the rainbow between black- and white noise, but it also allows you to reduce the sample rate, producing something we'd all want to avoid. Who'd want a module with a digital noisefloor of 0 dB?

But they call themselves Noise Engineering for a reason, and Morbus turned out to be an amazing asset to any Eurorack setup. If you love an occasional dark ambient heavy industrial tour, this module will be a lot of fun. However, you'll need to spend some time with it to find all the sweet spots, and try as many of external sources as you can. Wavefolders work best with simple waveforms, and will trash the more complex ones.

I couldn't help thinking of Mordor while patching it. And then, patching a Mutable Rings was just meant to be. Inevitable. Precious. We all love Rings into Clouds. But it belongs in Mordor."

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."

Dark Easel | Buchla LEM 218e, 0-Coast & Strega

video upload by Cinematic Laboratory

"This is a freeform improvisation with 0-Coast and Strega in three takes. The first take is 0-Coast doing plonks and textures, the second take is Strega doing a pad and the third take is a solo over the pad. Nothing fancy, and quite linear. More like parts - or movements - instead of overdubs. I am trying to show you that a DAW can turn a small set of modules into a huge wall of sound too. Doing everything in one go is really hard and only necessary if you need to perform live. I am happy I don't have to.

The Dark Easel is the nickname for the 0-Coast, Strega and 0-Ctrl trinity. As you may have seen in previous videos, I've been on a quest to recreate something close to the Buchla Easel in Eurorack. My quest came to an end when I took a leap of faith and got the Buchla 218e, which is the 'simple' 50% of the Easel case. However, I did not expect these capacitive touch keys to be such a big component of the authentic Buchla Easel sound.

It's a very big investment for a little keyboard, but I can't emphasize how happy I am with it. I am not a good keyboard player, but sliding over the surface finally allows my fingers to keep up with my brain. But it also feels like I am playing a bit of synth history. As I describe in the video, this combo is like a classic Corvette towing a skateboard. It's not intended as a disrespect to the 0-coast, but there are a lot of skateboards at the MN office in Ashville. Besides, 0-coast definitely qualifies as a great entrypoint into modular westcoast synthesis and honestly, I learned a LOT from this little machine. Like 'everything is voltage'. This time it's not racked and used as intended. With keys.
I am sure you'll get similar results with your Keystep or a more fancy controller.

I know there are a few Spartans out there who want it raw, with nothing but the bare machine. But it has a contour and sustain tightly related with holding down a key. And then, ofcourse, there's midi. In this video, I completely overlooked using the 0-coast with the midi output from the 218, but I don't feel like going through those PGM A | B pages. I will check it out later, because I wonder what would happen if I enable the Coast's internal sequencer AND an external one (e.g. BeatStep Pro). If it's any good, I'll post it. For today, I just wanted to cruise the Ease Coast."

Country Life | AtoV #Gaeto, After Later Audio #Atom - #jamuary2024 Day 15

video upload by Cinematic Laboratory

"It's the dreaded day 15 and we're almost half way on this creative journey where nothing is planned and tomorrow is uncertain. But today turned out a really good day.

I wrote a Teletype script two years ago, that was able to extract gate patterns from any CV source. Higher CV would lead to more percussive events.
But I don't see much people writing code for the modular.

So I was hoping that AtoV Gaeto would do the same, but the implementation is a bit different. It expects a shape between 0 and 1 V which is way less than regular utilities will provide, so you'd need to attenuate the hell out of your CV. It also offers some cool gate logic which can be useful for both trigger patterns as square/pulse waves. I've been a bit disappointed because I was hoping it would work like my script. But it's a cool module on its own. I made a few beats, but then realized I was missing something meloduc. I tried ALA Atom again, which is supposed to be an NI Elements clone, but no. It's an ATOM. And it's a bit different. But in the best way possible. I am just using gates to play it, and manual tweaking to make chords."

FarCoast | 0-Coast, 0-Ctrl, Strega

video upload by Cinematic Laboratory

"I did a drum patch yesterday and right after posting I recorded a jam I liked very much. So even though I am using the same modules as the day before, this patch is completely different, mainly because 0-coast is the main voice. It's a simple patch, designed to stack itself up by using delay and short loops. Using a scale creates the illusion of polyphony even though 0-coast is mono. Using Strega as a support voice doesn't create polyphony or duophony, but a multi-timbral mono patch. Telharmonic is making creative noise effects. Using a quantiser like the O_C is crucial for offering the freedom to tweak 0-Ctrl's pitch lanes so whatever you tweak will come out as a 'proper' note. While it may be interesting to go 'unquantized because it's designed that way', I don't believe a module dictates how you should use it. The only rules that apply are your own.
#jamuary2024 Day 04."