PreenFM3 + Ableton Move | Sound Design with Chimera 0.3.0

video upload by Serge

"A 15-minute hands-on session with the PreenFM3 running Joe Giralt’s Chimera 0.3.0 alpha, paired with Ableton Move running Schwung. Mostly knob turns and a few notes. I start with an FM patch, map pressure in the mod matrix, mess with the grain delay, then try a factory physical modeling sound and take ORBIT for a quick spin.

0:00 PreenFM3 + Move setup
0:35 First patch edits
4:10 Mapping pressure in the mod matrix
7:30 Playing with grain delay
11:30 Factory physical modeling preset
13:37 ORBIT sequencer tweaks

How it’s hooked up

Move is powered over USB and powers the PreenFM3 through a single USB-A to USB-B cable. That same cable carries USB MIDI, with Move’s Track 4 sending on channel 7 to the PreenFM3. The Preen’s analog outputs 1 and 2 go into Move’s 3.5 mm stereo input via a Y-cable, using Schwung’s Line In.

I recorded Move directly into the PC. The audio is as captured, with no added DAW effects, EQ, or level adjustments. The grain delay and other effects you hear are from Chimera.

#PreenFM3 #AbletonMove #ChimeraFirmware"

Chimera firmware - PreenFM3 - rough Alpha Demo

video upload by Cassilda and Carcosa

Chimera firmware - PreenFM3 - 0.2.0 Alpha - Whats New?

video upload by Cassilda and Carcosa
https://github.com/joegiralt/chimera-releases

"A new way to make music with your PreenFM3.

Chimera is alternative firmware for the PreenFM3 synthesizer. It gives your synth new sound engines, effects, sequencing tools, and a different way to explore and create sounds.

It runs on the original PreenFM3 hardware. You don't need to modify your synth or buy anything else.

And if you decide Chimera isn't for you, you can switch back to the original PreenFM3 firmware.

Current version: Alpha 0.3.0

Chimera is still in development. Some features aren't finished, and you may run into bugs."

Vhikk X Bank 2 UPUP | Filterbank Feedback Structure

video upload by Cinematic Laboratory

"I am not sure how far I'd get, but I'll try to make one video for every single VHIKK X algorithm. The first nine algo's were documented on the FORGE TME website as a short reference, but the new algo's are documeted by a huge 3 hour video. So the only way to get through this is to make notes and try to remember. Well, even my photographic memory can't keep up. So I am making this series for myself, but I am confident it will eventually help a lot of you too. I now officially 'know' the UP UP algorithm from the new BANK 2 and I am sure I will forget how it works when BANK 3 and 4 are released in a far or near future.

This particular algo is the Filterbank Feedback Structure. We've seen those before, making spooky atmospheres, drones and growls. SynthUX Audrey immediately comes to mind. For me, it immediately reminds of the Serge Resonant EQ, which started explorations like this. Usually, they process input. The VHIKK version is more like a playable instrument and does not resonate incoming sounds. However, it will still filter them, and put them through the FX section. Sure it can growl and haunt, but it can also follow V/OCT (BASIS) and create beautiful organic tones. If only you can find them...."

Modular Vid #354

video upload by Phisynth

"Destiny+ Czochralski Cells with controlled cross feedback between the phasers. Clock divisions from the BugBrand and slopes provided by Serge DUSG. All sounds coming from CC + a little bit of ES.
#destinyplus #czochralskicells #entanglementspace #bugbrand #sergemodular"

Serge Modular 3u 4u playing together

video upload by Laurent Hilairet

"Clics and noises over drones and melody.
Lyra 8 for additional layers.
No FX"

SERGE MODULAR La Bestia III & Medusa - Raw sounds -

video upload by Laurent Hilairet

"No Fx here, that's the natural room reverb. That's my first try with reamp. I worked on filters and panoramic adjustments."

Modular vid #353 Destiny+ Czochralski Cells

video upload by Phisynth

"Destiny+ Czochralski Cells triggered by Oxi One. additional CV's and clock divisions from Serge & Modcan. A little bit of Entanglement Space at the end, but all sounds coming from CC.
#destinyplus #czochralskicells"

Serge Modular La Bestia III & Medusa - cross modulations -

video upload by Laurent Hilairet

"Boards of Canada inspired patch with a lot of cross modulations between voices.
Drums from Vermona DRM 1 Mk IV
Reverb from JPTR FX Kaleidoscope
all sequenced by Arturia Keystep pro"

Explaining the Serge Modular 8-Stage Sequencer / Programmer

video upload by Stazma and Serge Modular | Random*Source

"Today i'll explain how I like ot use the 8-Stage Sequencer / Programmer by Serge Modular.

As most Serge module this thing can be used for many different things, completly outside of sequencing such waveshaping and frequency division.
We'll exlpore some of these as well as going through all the inputs, outputs knobs and switches of the interface."

Buchla and beyond with synth legend Suzanne Ciani | Signal Flow Podcast Ep10

video upload by Signal Sounds

"We were beyond delighted that the legendary Suzanne Ciani paid a visit to our Glasgow showroom ahead of her performance as part of Sonica 2026. Luke and Tom spoke to her about being synonymous with Buchla, and her long career in electronic music - from building synths in California in the 1960s to collaborating with Actress and continuing to tour the world with her 200-series system. Big thanks to Su ‘SHHE’ Shaw and Jenn at Electric Shores for setting this up for us.

Suzanne Ciani tour dates, tickets and releases: https://www.sevwave.com/

Sonica Glasgow: https://sonic-a.co.uk/about

Get in touch with questions, feedback and suggestions via signalflow@signalsounds.com

Chapters
00:00 Introduction
01:28 On being synonymous with the Buchla
08:45 Working in quad and giving life to sound
13:19 How audiences have changed
16:33 Reacting against the male-dominated classical world
20:20 Collaborating with Actress and others
25:01 Buchla vs Serge
29:04 Setup for current live performances
32:15 Outro"

Signal Flow Podcast Episodes

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."

Drone | Serge La Bestia 3, Siegfried & Medusa

video upload by Akihiko Matsumoto

"Reverb: AethelVerb https://akihikomatsumoto.sellfy.store...
A deep bloom reverb for building large, smooth, slowly expanding ambient spaces.

Serge Modular Synth (Sample Pack) https://akihikomatsumoto.sellfy.store...
This collection documents a complete system built by Random Source, based on the architecture of the Serge Modular Synthesizer. It is not a stylistic imitation. It is a direct capture of a signal philosophy that has shaped experimental electronic music for decades."

Jaap Vink and Recursive Sound

video upload by La Synthèse Humaine

"Jaap Vink was a technician and teacher at the Institute of Sonology in Utrecht from 1967 until his retirement in 1993. During that time he pioneered numerous techniques for the analog realization of dense electronic sounds and was a key collaborator of Roland Kayn in the 1970's and 1980's. Vink was always in search of sounds that would break the inherent periodicity of electronics, and found that feedback was the key.

This video is the first in a mini-series looking at Vink's techniques which were documented by the fantastic retrospective double LP on Recollections GRM."

00:00 Kayn in Utrecht
01:11 Jaap Vink's Background
02:37 Nonperiodicity
03:40 Objets Distants
04:39 Decoding the Diagram
06:09 Delay, Feedback, and Ring Modulation
09:36 Understanding the Feedback System
12:52 Building the Patch
14:30 Giving the System a Kickstart Like the Fonz
16:41 Inserting a Resonant Equalizer
18:53 Adding the Comparator Control Scheme
20:33 Letting It Breathe...

Jaap Vink Recollections GRM LP:



Ring-Modulated Feedback in BEA5

video upload by MrSonology

"This video shows a feedback patch that includes a delay (Studer A80 tape recorder), a ring modulator, a reverb (Lexicon PCM 90) and a modified Bruel & Kjaer third-octave filter. The technique was developed by Jaap Vink in the 1970s at the Institute of Sonology in Utrecht and can be heard in works by many composers, particularly those of Roland Kayn.
This video is dedicated to Jaap Vink and was recorded and edited by Siamak Anvari."

Previously:

Serge Cybernetics - Reverb Ring Modulator Feedback (Continued)

video upload by La Synthèse Humaine

"an expansion and longer exploration of the jaap vink reverb ring modulator patch featured in the last video (cybernetics V). no talking in this one and very minimal intervention on my part - letting the sounds organize themselves"

Collide 4 Swells

video upload by Ebotronix

Joranalogue Audio Design,
4x Cycle 5, 4x Filter 8, 4x Generate 3, 3x Fold 6, Pivot 2, Select 2,
4x Contour 1, 2x Collide 4, 2x Link 2, Enhance 2, Step 8, Orbit 3,
Morph 4, 4x Mix 3, Delay 1,Add 2, Walk4, Warp 1,Compare 2, Flow 3 ,
3x ,Ornament and Crime, Melody Minor Scale,
ALM, Pamela's Pro Workout,
ARC Serge TKB,
Flame 2x Q Slider,
Intelligel 2x Swells,
Mutable Instruments 4x Shades,
ADDAC 2x Floor Control, Boss 2x EV 30,
WMD 2x Time Warp,
4ms DLD,Peg,
Verbos Scan & Pan,
XAOC Batumi,
Befaco ST Mix,XAOC Batumi,
Doepfer R2m, Ribbon Controller,A 156,
13.09.2026
video# 2674

Serge Medusa & Siegfried

video upload by Akihiko Matsumoto

"Reverb: AethelVerb https://akihikomatsumoto.sellfy.store...

Serge Modular Synth (Sample Pack) https://akihikomatsumoto.sellfy.store...

Akihiko Matsumoto"

First Patch // Whimsical Raps - Atrium | Dark Ambient

video upload by Luukke

"This is the first preset/patch I have made on the Whimsical Raps - Atrium, and it was made in the first hour or so of getting it home.

I wanted to show it here, as I feel like a lot of the stuff I've heard online so far is in the pretty/beautiful category. But the Form engine in particular is wonderfully chaotic and capable of getting into much gnarlier territory. The patch itself tonally reminds me of some of the feedback patches i've done with the Serge.

Many many thank yous to Trent + Dani and everyone at Whimsical Raps. Atrium is incredibly inspiring, immediate and interactive. A true musical instrument.

Lightly processed in Ableton with delay from Echoboy."

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."

Cha Cha Guitri - Non non non

I just recently came accross this one and thought it was worth sharing, if anything for the nun with the SYNTHI below. It immediately reminded me of the Every Nun Needs a SYNTHI ads. According to the article that the image is from, they formed around 1981. The article is in French and has one NSFW (not safe for work) image of a breast - fair warning if you pop it up with someone else within eyesight: [French | Googlish]. The following is the bit pertinent to synths followed by a translation of the full article. You can find the release via BandCamp above or in the article from Born Bad Records. I also wanted to post this for the way the female singer enunciates those lyrics.



"While they started out like everyone else, playing flute and acoustic guitar and listening to King Crimson, the arrival of synthesizers on the European music scene completely redefined their direction: they cut their hair, donned ties, and replaced Indian tapestries with Venetian curtains. Kraftwerk had clearly had an influence. It was around an EMS AKS synthesizer, a Roland SH101, and a Roland TR808 drum machine that the four friends gathered in their home studio to compose the carefree and joyful electronic and exotic tunes that are the hallmark of Chacha Guitry. The group thus chose to climb the sunny side of New Wave, the one taken by the B-52's or Isabelle Antena, rather than its dark side, cluttered with the heirs of Joy Division. The boys programmed the machines, while the girls created minimalist, geometric costumes using whatever materials were at hand (paper rather than fabric). Together they immortalize their youth on Polaroid, take glue and scissors to assemble photomontages in the style of their Dadaist idols."

CLICK FOR MORE »

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."

First Look at The Legendary J Haible TAU Phaser MK2!!

video upload by The Machines Won and Serge Modular | Random*Source

"Exploring the lush, sweeping textures of the Tau Pipe Phaser mk2 synth module. In this demo, you'll hear everything from subtle movement and vintage-style phase shifting to deep, resonant modulation that brings pads, leads, and drones to life.

Featuring a range of rate, depth, and feedback settings, this video highlights the module's rich analog-inspired character and its ability to add warmth, motion, and dimension to any patch.

Big thanks to Random*Source Serge for sending this module to demo and continuing to rethink and reimage these classic circuits!

Be on the lookout for more reels, live jams and demos. The music never stops!"

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

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"