Buchla/Tiptop 259T | A Legend Revived

video upload by Cinematic Laboratory

"I don't think this module needs any introduction in Eurorack. Don Buchla inspired countless complex oscillators before it inspired Serge Tcherepnin and digital FM pioneers like John Chowning who brought FM on a chip to Yamaha. The 259 is a landmark VCO. One could assume it would old compared to modern gear like the DPO, Cs-L, Furthrrr, Brenso, Verbos CO and many more, but the 259 has a unique sound you will not find anywhere else.

There's 50 years between the 259c and the Tiptop recreation. A lot has changed. The original featured eight vactrols, but the T has none due to Hazardous Substance Regulations (RoHS). It's fair to say it's impossible to stay faithful. Autotune wasn't finished yet, it relied on the forthcoming 300 series that never took off. Remote/local control relied on Easel programming card tech which is useless in its eurorack incarnation. Tiptop decided to add ART support, a proprietary protocol which supports autotuning VCO's.

Real Buchla 259's are extremely rare, they're mostly faithfully recreated clones. So I had no idea how the real thing sounds and the 1M $ question is obviously 'does it sound the same'. Spoiler alert: it does. This video also concludes my 259 origin story, so it's episode 04 in the 259 playlist, and episode 09 in my Tiptop 200 series playlist. It's a bit confusing but it it makes sense to me.

Bottom line, it's a beauty."

Serge New Timbral Oscillator (NTO) | Tutorials | Episode 05

video upload by Cinematic Laboratory

"I did my very best to remain objective and compared the NTO with simple basic sounds to my favorite VCO - the MakeNoise DPO - and the digital perfection of the Schlappi Three-Body. The NTO has been around since 1976 and represents the origins of modern synthesis. I just learned about it this year, so better late than never. It's surrounded by praise to the level of 'hard to believe'.

I used reverb on the raw sounds, and I found out that a digital effect can easily ruin the analog experience. I used ALM MFX, and it sounds great with NTO. But it sounds terribly aliased with the DPO and I wasn't happy with the Three-body result either. I wouldn't have known with raw sounds and I would not be able to share it. I've patched DPO a thousand times and it sounds clean and woody in the MakeNoise universe, but the raw waveforms are far from perfect and there's a certain bite. In this video, you may also learn that every VCO carries the signature of it's maker. DPO sounds like Tony Rolando. The 259 sounds like Buchla. Cs-L sounds like Jason Lim. Three-Body sounds like Schlappi. The NTO sounds like Serge, and now I have a new personal analog favorite.

The NTO is pure sophistication. I can say this both objectively (backed up by history and other reviews) and subjectively (it melts your heart). In the end it's just a VCO, which is about 10% of your whole patch. In many occasions, any quality VCO will be enough. But if you're looking for something special, this may be it. But your own personal opinion and taste will always be more important than mine!

You will be listening to analog through MFX AD/DA and my DAW's AD/DA. It's impossible to really listen to analog on YouTube but the DAW captures analog very well. There are plenty of raw sound NTO videos on youtube, so if you need to deepen your interest, please do some research. I've linked to an interview with Serge, where he explains a few things. It's a privilege to be able to hear him talk about it."

Dual #XPO | Shared System 'X' | Episode 02 | 259 is here again

video upload by Cinematic Laboratory

"This series is about getting creative within the confinement of the 7U case with black and gold modules which are available in retail. The goal is to build something like the original Shared System B&G where the collection and order of modules deliver a logical and intuitive synthesizer ecosystem.

The heart and soul of the original Shared is the DPO, which is a dual complex VCO, inspired by the Buchla 259 from the '70's. There's 'two five nine was here' printed on the circuitboard. While the DPO is still available, it's only available in silver, and it may not be restocked in the EU because it has a vactrol to strike the wavefolder. Without speculating too much, DPO will either leave the stage, or return as a 'green' revision borrowing a DXG strike. Who knows.

Even though I love Spectraphon, which also has a '259 inspired' design, it doesn't sound like an analog DPO. It doesn't have the raw sound of fresh timber. I've been experimenting with dual XPO's for a while now (there's a link to my XPO vs DPO video) and I've 'discovered' that adding a moddemix as a bus really approximates it, but can also go beyond any complex VCO I've heard. The output count is outrageous, and having the 'FM/MOD bus' on the outside brings you very close to a Serge design. It takes a bit more patching, but it also delivers tons of fun.

I am aware this series is a bit like a buying guide mixed with a MakeNoise ad but I am not affiliated with MakeNoise except that I am a groupie. I make fan films. We all have our favorites and MN was my entry into modular. I am totally biased. But these layouts also work with other brands and they're shared for inspiration. It's not the brand, not the modules, it's the roles, order and interaction of modules that turn a patch blanket into an ecoystem."

259 | Episode 03 | Modulation

video upload by Cinematic Laboratory

"3rd and final episode of the 259 series [all episodes here], where I take a closer look at the impact the Buchla 259 had on contemporary eurorack gear. This episode is about the center modulation bus which still translates very well to the VCO feature lists of modern complex oscillators.

00:00 Introduction
00:27 Modulation types
02:23 Furthrrrr Generator - Strong Zero Core 05:38 Commercial Break (ShapeShifter)
06:02 Furthrrrr Generator - Analog Core
08:57 MakeNoise DPO
12:12 Mutable Instruments Blades (patch your own 259)."

Buchla 259 | Episode 02 | Playing the Oscillators

video upload by Cinematic Laboratory

"In episode 01 I started with the Main/Principal oscillator. But a complex oscillator also has a modulation oscillator. In episode 02 I am going to focus on the 'dual oscillator' side, which could be useful for anyone with two VCO's in a case. The original title was 'surfing the oscillators' because it's inspired by a @vgermuse Todd Barton live improvisation from 2012 where he actually played the 259 on instinct, just fiddling knobs. Part one of the video is music from the actual recording: https://soundcloud.com/user7621213/bu...

Playing the oscillators by hand is possibly the most fun and gratifying experience with your modular. Just have a big reverb nearby! So I hope you have FM inputs to play with. I am saving the modulation/FM bus for episode 03 and I may finish the series with a 'build your own complex oscillator with anything you can find'. In this episode I am also revisiting the Furthrrrr Generator with the 'strong zero' core. I mentioned that the digital core may not be the best choice if you're looking for an analog 259 experience but this does not mean it's bad. It's quite the opposite.

We'll stay in complex territory this month. Next up will be a Cosmotronic Vortex video because all the material I shot for this series deserves a separate item. If all goes well, I'll have a Cs-L video planned and finally a Lubadh 'reel life' episode with 2.0 firmware. So plenty to study and hopefully something to look forward to."

Buchla 259 - Episode 01 - In the Beginning...

video upload by Cinematic Laboratory

"Many - if not all - contemporary complex oscillators are inspired by Buchla's original 259 from the 1970's. I don't think there's anything before that, except maybe the 258 ('60s) and FM radio ('50s). John Chowning is considered the father of digital FM synthesis - also in the 70s - but even in 2017 scientists were breaking their heads over 'how to make a digital wavefolder'. I guess eurorack would be far less interesting without mr. Buchla's work. In this episode I'll focus on the main/principal oscillator of the complex VCO design. I am unable to hear the original sound of the 259, but the Furthrrrr Generator from Endorphins is the most faithful recreation I know. We'll check out the DPO and the Cs-L while being guided by the 259's panel (thanks to mr. Todd Barton for shooting some great images), but even mr. Barton's 259 is a clone. I learned a lot by just looking at the panel. The 'autotune' on the original is not implemented on the clone PCB's so DIY people wonder how it would have worked. So this video contains inevitable speculation but even that is very inspiring. I'll try to get a Verbos CO for episode 02, since Mark Verbos actually built original 259's in Buchla's garage. It brings back memories and visions I can't possibly have, but it only confirms the 259 is - and will always be - special."