Endorphines Evil Pet: A Granular Powerhouse

video upload by Matt Lowery

"The Evil Pet, by Endorphines, is an incredibly capable desktop granular workstation. Here are some tips and tricks for working with it.

Oh, and make sure to grab a sample pack here to feed your Evil Pet: https://otakusound.gumroad.com/l/boke...

00:00 Overview of the pedal
10:57:12 Buffer Scrubbing a drum loop
44:02 Playing grains back via midi
57:03 Real-time audio processing
51:19 FM radio tuner"

You can find additional posts featuring the Evil Pet here.

Demystifying the Mannequins Silhouette

video upload by Matt Lowery

"Make sure to grab a sample pack here to keep this channel rocking and rolling: https://otakusound.gumroad.com/l/boke...

Today we (hopefully) demystify the Mannequins Silhouette by focusing on its architecture and musical utility. Grab a beverage and get dialed in.

00:00 Intro
02:14 Front Panel
03:36 Explanation of 'Foreground'
09:26 Explanation of 'Background'
11:45 The Split/Mix switch and ATMOS
14:55 "Blur", which is a reverb
22:49 Sound Sample 1: Synced Subharmonicon
24:01 Sound Sample 2: Muse + Arbhar
26:15 Sound Sample 3: Pulsar 23
31:10 Sound Sample 4: Vocal Hocket Machine"

Vongon Introduces Solarfaze Stereo 3-band Saturator and Detune/Chorus Pedal

Demo and Sounds Samples video upload by Matt Lowery

"Grab a sample pack and support the cause: https://otakusound.gumroad.com/l/boke...

Today we've got the Solarfaze on the bench, by Vongon. It's a stereo saturation and detune (aka chorus) effect. Here's how it works and what it sounds like.

00:00 Intro
01:43 Chorus
05:23 Saturation
09:45 With Subharmonicon
11:40 With Pulsar 23
14:10 Multiband Guitar Loop"

Burning Softly // Vongon Solarfaze

video upload by OoraMusic

"Warmth. Movement. Glow.
This is the new Vongon SOLARFAZE — a stereo chorus fused with saturation.
Joined by Replay, Ultrasheer, and Polyphrase, here’s how it dreams.
Enjoy."

00:00 Jam
02:36 Intro
03:59 How to support me
04:30 Overview of SOLARFAZE
05:45 Saturate
08:15 Detune
10:04 Bringing in the other pedals
11:15 A different effect chain
15:13 Bonut tip : Transposing arpeggios with Replay
16:10 Solarfaze on Pads
20:05 Conclusions

Vongon Solarfaze is beautiful (harp, guitar, synth, drums)

video upload by Harp Lady



Pics and details via Perfect Circuit

The Solarfaze from Vongon is a stereo 3-band saturator and detune/chorus pedal that gives you exacting control over the frequency landscape of your signal. Whether you're adding a bit of undulatory warmth and saturation or assaulting the frequency spectra of your choice, Solarfaze as you covered, often surprising you with its tonal complexity. The heart of the pedal is a 3-band Bass, Mid, and Treble saturation mixer with each section offering three levels of gain: Soft, Boost, and Hard. Each band can be finetuned to one of five different frequencies, making this pedal as versatile as you are.

The Detune section offers a simple interface for adding movement and interest to your signal, affecting the stereo field, as well for a satisfying binaural experience. Adjust the Amount and Mix to your taste and turn up the Envelope control for dynamic expression that is based on your playing. Size can be adjusted as well to create a smoother or tighter detune effect. Other features include a built-in Noise Gate and an effect rerouting option. Indeed, the Solarfaze is a wonderful addition to the already incredibly Vongon lineup and is sure to find a use in any pedalboard.

SOLARFAZE FEATURES

Stereo multi-band saturator and chorus
Soft-clipping waveshapers for smooth transition from subtle warmth to heavy breakup
Bass, Mid, and Treble drive sliders
Selectable gain level per band: Soft (0dB), Boost (+6dB), Hard (+12dB)
Each band has 5 different frequency options
Stereo detune chorus with independent left/right pitch shifts
Envelope modulation of detune amount for dynamic stereo animation
Route Saturation into Detune and vice versa
Built-in Noise Gate with adjustable threshold
MIDI Input for parameter control and 9 preset storage

CLICK FOR MORE »

Bokeh, By Otaku Sound

video upload by Matt Lowery

"Download Bokeh here: https://otakusound.gumroad.com/l/boke...

Bokeh is an esoteric and highly musical collection of samples in major keys that I've been working on for a while now. The gist: familiar instruments processed in unfamiliar ways. Worked and reworked until they sound like liquid late-afternoon sunshine.

Recorded through an extensive collection of outboard preamps, compressors, and EQ- these samples are ready to drop into sessions of any kind.

Bokeh is a robust collection of 1-3 minute Long Play sound beds and 5-10 second Short Play samples. Equally at home in the DAW or hardware sampler environment, it provides a solid foundation against which composers and songwriters can craft sweeping, ethereal compositions.

00:00 Intro
03:30 Using Bokeh in a session
06:27 Mix tips
12:58 Using in Sampler
14:15 Arps
14:35 Use with modular
15:30 A tour of the sounds alone"

Future Sound Systems Cric Patch Journal: Two Voice Paraphony

video upload by Matt Lowery

"With freshly tie-dyed hands, I demonstrate and explain a Cric patch that has been on my desk for almost two weeks. We'll use Rene 2 to sequence two channels of Cric, send the resulting audio through the Vongon Polyphase, and create a big granular cloud to sit behind that whole situation. It'll be fun, you'll see.

00:00 Cheeseball Intro
00:17 Cric Settings
03:07 Sequencing Strategy
06:40 Granular Cloud
08:50 Skip Here If You Just Want Cric Sounds"

Endorphines Ground Control: My Favorite Features, And Firmware 3.0

video upload by Matt Lowery

"Well well well What do we have here? The Endorphines Ground Control, that's what. This sequencer has stolen my heart, and I'd love to tell you why. Grab a beverage and let's do this thing.

00:00 oh hey
01:10 keyboard is good
02:40 polysomethings
03:43 so many outs
04:37 cv control
05:05 crafting a banger
14:00 so random
23:20 pattern chaining"

Future Sounds Systems Cric Oscillators are Unhinged and Wonderful

video upload by Matt Lowery

"A sleepy and untechnical exploration of the oscillators on the Future Sound Systems Cric.

00:00 Exploration
10:20 The SAUCE
15:00 A synth voice (skip here if you're busy)"

Vongon Introduces Paragraphs 2 Stereo Resonant Low Pass Filter

video upload by Matt Lowery

"The Vongon Paragraphs 2 is a stereo low-pass filter, envelope follower, and function generator. In this demo, we'll look at what a low-pass filter does, how Paragraphs 2 operates, and what it sound like in a variety of musical applications. Buckle up.

Intro: 00:01
What's a Low-Pass Filter: 01:38
Paragraphs 2 Overview: 5:00
Less Talking, More Music: 17:15"


NEW! Vongon PARAGRAPHS II: Stereo Resonant Low Pass Filter (Full Stereo Demo)
video upload by SpiralCasterPlaysPedals

"Original music/song showcasing the sounds I uncovered in my time with the new Vongon: Paragraphs II resonant low pass filter with stereo modulators. The Paragraphs II is at the end of the chain of every instrument played, and was recorded in full stereo at all points. Panning on most tracks is wide L/R to show the stereo movement of the filtering effect."



"PARAGRAPHS II is the latest generation of VONGON’s four-pole resonant low-pass filter effect. It now features stereo inputs and outputs, with a focus on modulation functions that respond to your playing dynamics and add stereo depth.

At the core of paragraphs II is the same rich ladder-style filter found in our REPLAY synthesizer, offering exceptional harmonic tone shaping with precise control. This low-pass filter excels at adding character to harmonically complex, fuzzed, and distorted signals. Its improved signal-to-noise ratio also ensures a clean, clear tone for more pristine sources like clean guitar, bass, or electric keyboards.

CLICK FOR MORE »

The Ohmforce Ohmicide Eurorack Module Is Not Playing Around

video upload by Matt Lowery

"Let's spend some time getting to know Ohmforce's exceptional port of the Ohmicide plugin to eurorack land. Ohmicide is a collection of perfectly curated distortion algorithms that sounds great and is easy to use."

The Artium Swarm Is Super

video upload by Matt Lowery

"Let's get to know this little blue box of supers, shall we?

00:00 Intro/What Tea Is That?
03:15 Modes/Arpeggiator
06:00 Envelope Generator
07:00 Detune
08:39 Filter
10:00 FX
17:25 With Bitmap Pedal
18:45 With Mood Mk2
20:46 With Generation Loss Mk 2"

See the Artium label below for more.

Introducing Vongon: Replay // Polyphonic Synth & Muti-Mode Arpeggiator

video upload by MAS Distro

Update: new demos added below.

"Join us as we embark on a sonic journey with Replay, a new polyphonic synthesizer and multi-mode arpeggiator from Vongon. First up we test its prowess in the realm of synthwave - spoiler alert: it excels! In the latter half, we delve into the interface and its versatile capabilities complete with an immersive sound exploration, unleashing the arpeggiator and tweaking various parameters for a mesmerizing experience. Video and music production crafted by DeadMidi.

Gear Used:
Vongon Replay Polyphonic Synth/Arpeggiator
Vongon Polyphrase Stereo Echo
Vongon Ultrasheer Stereo Pitch Vibrato & Reverb"

Vongon Replay!

video upload by Fireghosting

"Replay is a six-voice polyphonic synthesiser and a little window into synth heaven. Lush pads, tiny plinks, snappy arpeggios, warbling melodies, resonant filters with midi connectivity and a sleek web interface!"

Vongon Replay Virtual Analog Synth | Overview + Exploration

video upload by Sarah Belle Reid

"A demo and walkthrough of the new polysynth Replay, by Vongon. Replay is a 6-voice polyphonic synthesizer with a compact form factor that takes inspiration from classic poly synths from the 1980s, like the Roland Juno series + the Korg Polysix.

This video includes an overview of what Replay is and how it works, along with a number of sound examples demonstrating Replay on its own and in combination with FX pedals, to create a wide range of sounds from classic synth leads, pads, and arpeggios to more experimental textures and noisy sound worlds."

TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 Intro
02:45 Replay Overview & Tour
17:03 Musical Demo
19:09 Filter Experiments on Replay
23:50 Exploring the Arpeggiator
28:00 Combining Replay with FX

Vongon Replay: This synth rules!

video upload by Matt Lowery

"Today we take the beautiful Replay by Vongon out for a spin and also have a conversation about synthesis basics in honor of my five year synth-a-versary. Vongon really hit it out of the park with this instrument and--whether it's your first synth or your 10th-- there's a lot here to love."

VONGON REPLAY Polyphonic Synth & Arpeggiator | Can I write a synth-pop track with it?!

video upload by Ambient Endeavors

"Man, I just love gear that makes you approach writing differently. That reminds you how fun it can be to find new sounds and feels, explore new ways of composing. And today, the new Vongon Electronics REPLAY is doing that for me - a super fun, approachable, compact polyphonic synth and arpeggiator."

via Perfect Circuit

"The Replay is the first synthesizer offering from boutique pedal designers Vongon, offering a six-voice virtual analog sound engine with multi-mode arpeggiator. Inspired by beloved keyboard synths of the early 80s like the Roland Juno and Korg Polysix, the Replay faithfully delivers warm and lush vintage timbres in a compact package that drips with modern aesthetics and utility. In Replay, Vongon has struck an impressive balance between scope of features, user experience, and overall sound quality. The result is an instrument that sounds wonderfully rich and nostalgia-laden, with an interface that is easy to understand - perfectly approachable for a beginning synthesist, yet deep enough to inspire veteran wigglers to explore the edges of its capabilities.

Replay's front panel is incredibly straightforward, with simple controls for its primary functions conveniently accessible. Additional options are selected via the "secret menu" alt functions. At the heart of Replay's sound engine are multiple selectable waveforms for its primary oscillator, with ramp, square, triangle, and sine modes. Noise amount, pulse width modulation, and LFO pitch modulation offer further timbral manipulations before passing to the four-pole, low-pass filter. Highly resonant and warm, the filter includes modulation depth controls from the primary envelope, keyboard tracking, and the LFO. The VCA features options for maximum amplitude and modulation source. An organic and responsive ADSR envelope and the on-board LFO round out this straightforward voice, with flexible modulation routing options between the main controls and alt functions.

The multimode arpeggiator on the Replay opens up a variety of fun and engaging options for controlling the synthesizer voice. Latch and keyed modes, in addition to the three poly modes available on the alt functions, offer a variety of ways for creating snappy and spiraling arpeggios and fuzzy, morphing pads. Up/Down, order, and random modes provide further ways to organize pitch material. The alt functions allow the LFO to be clocked by the ARP speed, creating rhythmically modulated phrases that are a joy to get lost in.

All in all, the Vongon Replay delivers a premium virtual analog experience that feels streamlined and purpose-built for getting beautiful analog sounds quickly. With plenty of depth in sound color and just the right amount of tricks up its sleeve to keep you immersed in music making rather than menu diving, the Replay is sure to become a go-to instrument for lush pads and other classic synth timbres. Its physical design is beautifully simple, and the responsive feel of its Cherry MX keys invite playful interaction that is hard to put down. Of course, the Replay is a lovely source for running through Vongon pedals, creating an instant synthwave or soundtrack machine paired with an Ultrasheer or Polyphrase. If you're needing a straightforward synth with limitless sonic charm, the Vongon Replay is a wonderful choice.

CLICK FOR MORE »

Boredbrain Xcelon: Analog Eurorack Mixer Demo

video upload by Matt Lowery

"Today we're spending some time with the Boredbrain Xcelon, a six channel, stereo euro rack mixer. We'll do a quick tour and then a patch from scratch in order to get a feel for Xcelon's feature set and advantages."

00:00 Setup/Overview
07:00 Patch From Scratch

Make Noise Tape & Microsound Music Machine Patch From Scratch

video upload by Matt Lowery

"Hi.Over the past few months, I've gotten a lot of requests for a longform exploration of how I like to use the Tape and Microsound Music Machine for ambient music making.

This is less of a tutorial, more of a walkthrough.

Here is the case I'm using: https://blackholecases.com"

teletype/just friends grid instrument played through chase bliss mood mk2

video upload by Matt Lowery

"I made my first teletype/just friends grid instrument, then played it through chase bliss mood mk2

I'm giddy with excitement today, because after studying the teletype grid ops for a couple of days, I was able to whip up my first playable instrument this morning before I'd finished my first cup of coffee. The ops are so powerful and accessible! I've never played a melody on an instrument that I coded before, so I wanted to share this video as a kind of mile marker. It's nothing fancy- just a row of faders that send note data to Just Friends over i2c and a giant button that sends triggers. The cool thing to me is that I had this very simple idea and was able to bring it forth into existence in about 15 minutes. That's a new and special feeling."

DRADD, by Pladask Elektrisk

video upload by Matt Lowery

"DRADD is a eurorack module by Pladask Elektrisk. Come and listen. It's wonderful.

You can pick up a DRADD (as well as other neat instruments) at https://www.pladaskelektrisk.com

00:00 Intro
00:38 Panel Tour
02:12 GRAIN Explanation
03:30 GRAIN Mini Jam
05:30 TDL Explanation
07:15 TDL Mini Jam
08:40 Tape Explanation
10:20 Tape Mini Jam
11:00 Big Jam Kickoff
11:44 Electric Guitar
15:39 Vocals (TDL)
19:45 Vocals (GRAIN)
26:17 Pulsar
33:02 Jasno
31:13 Deckard's Dream
35:42 Plumbutter"

DRADD is an experimental time-based audio processor for the eurorack system. The module can stretch, bend and invert time through granular synthesis, modified sample playback and tapped delay lines. Intended as a tool for adding synthetic and unnatural ambiance/coloration to your synth patches.

Sound Study: Frippertronics with Novation Peak, Vongon Polyphrase, Chase Bliss Generation Loss Mk2

video upload by Matt Lowery

"An exploration of frippertronics style looping with the Vongon Polyphrase. Sound source is the Novation Peak, which is also being processed by the Chase Bliss Generation Loss Mk2.

This is one of those videos that started off as a short form idea and turned into a longer piece because, well--because I was having fun."

How your synth would sound in the post-apocalypse [Fairfield Circuitry Roger That]

video upload by Jameson Nathan Jones

"Fairfield Circuitry sent me their new pedal, Roger That to check out, and it's really......something. After the initial shock and urge to burry it in my backyard wore off, I started to think of actual ways I could tame it. The results were surprising (hint: a Moog Matriarch always helps).

FREE Basics of Synthesis Workshop:
https://bit.ly/SubtraciveSynthWorkshop

0:00 - initial excitement/surprise
0:50 - oh ok
1:48 - feature explanation and raw sounds
6:37 - today's setup
8:48 - taming it with Matriarch
10:38 - arps with bad reception
12:57 - stereo filter sweeps with bad reception
13:53 - pad swells with....well, you know"

Fairfield Circuitry Roger That

video upload by Matt Lowery

"An exploration of Fairfield Circuitry's newest release: Roger That. Roger That is a crazy little modulator/demodulator pedal that can be subtle or can tear a hole in the fabric of the universe.

HEALTH DISCLAIMER: This demo gets pretty loud and will expose you to some intense upper-spectrum audio. Please listen at a safe and reasonable volume and take breaks if needed."

See the dealers on the right for availability.

"Fully embracing sputtery and bizarre artifacts, Fairfield Circuitry's Roger That is a distortion pedal inspired by FM radio transmitters and receivers—and all of the noise that comes along with them. The core of Roger That is a simple JFET preamp, but by then including an FM modulator and demodulator circuit, the pedal becomes an interactive sonic playground with a wide range of sounds to be uncovered in every corner. The basic controls include Dry and Wet levels, Drive for the preamp circuit, and a Tune control for dialing in the FM character. Roger That is highly responsive to audio input, so different sources will yield very different results. For more variety you can explore Shift to destablize the tracking of Tune, select between two different Tuning ranges via the R switch, or apply a bandpass filter with F. Tune also features a CV input to be externally controlled by modular synthesizers or other control voltage sources. Get into the noisier side of life with Fairfield's Roger That.

ROGER THAT FEATURES

Distortion pedal inspired by FM radio
Dry and Wet signal level controls
Drive for JFET preamp
Tune control sweeps through frequencies of internal FM modulator/demodulator scheme
Shift modifies the accuracy of tuning
Extended Tune range available via R switch
Voice filter applied with F—bandpass filter from 300Hz-3kHz
CV input for Tune"

Sound Sample: Loudest Warning Sing To Me (instrumental drone)

video upload by Matt Lowery

"Hi friends! Today I’m here with a pretty simple, short video showcasing the Loudest Warning Sing to Me panel. It’s a beautiful instrument, and combines a pair of Buchla 258’s with a small selection of serge modules in a single panel. The truth is, this was a video I captured as an Instagram post, but I was having such a nice time that 1 minute turned into 8 minutes pretty quickly! I remember when I was researching this format, there wasn’t a ton of content or sound samples of Sing To Me, so I figured I’d toss this out for posterity. A touch of reverb and delay were added in post. Have a great day."

Note this is the first post to feature a demo of the panel. One was listed for sale back in Nov here.

Some info & pics via Loudest Warning

"There are quite a few version of this around, some have different names.

258 VCO -> Triple Wave Shaper implementation: Above the 258 VCO’s is a Serge Triple Wave Shaper, normally this has three sections, but on panels with the above design the left hand shaper is one section, the right hand is two sections in series with VC 1 input tied to both of teh two sections simultaneously – configuration:

Bonus mixer between SSG and DTG: This is a simple unity gain mixer with two inputs and one output. On the other side of the DTG (between it and the Dual VCA) are two more outputs which might be labelled PEAK/TROUGH, MIN/MAX or AND/OR, these are all different names for the same thing, that is minimum / maximum outputs derived from the two inputs to the bonus mixer. Some mixers also have a Full Wave Rectifier output.

Most / all other modules are stock and info about use of these can be found on the internet, but here are some interesting things here:

https://sergemodularinfo.blogspot.com/

Great information on Serge in general and the Wave Multipliers in particular!"

CLICK FOR MORE »

Patch From Scratch! Qubit Nautilus, Mannequins Just Friends, Monome Teletype

video upload by Matt Lowery

"Hi, hello, good day. Here's a very chill video in which we create a fun generative sequencer with Teletype+Just Friends that is being clocked and processed by the Qubit Nautilus. It's awfully pleasant. I also drink tea, talk about Cormac McCarthy, and almost swallow the dynamic mic that I chose for this informal recording. What's not to love?

00:00 Intro
02:15 WTF Is Teletype?
10:14 Nautilus Overview
27:40 Cormac McCarthy Plug
30:42 Jam with no talking"

Spitfire Audio and Blankfor.ms Present: Tape Synths

video upload by Matt Lowery

"What a beauty of an instrument! One of my favorite people/artists (Blankfor.ms) is teaming up with the absolute best in the sample instrument game (Spitfire Audio) to create Tape Synths. It's a remarkably beautiful collection of analog and digital synthesizers, processed through tape machines, modular, and more. It's a sample library just oozing taste, tone, and beauty.

00:00 Intro/Controls
02:12 ADSR controls
03:48 Pads
08:10 Keys
12:39 Arps
14:45 Blankfor.ms Presets"