Erbe-Verb B&G | Shared System 'X' | Episode 03 | Back in Black

video upload by Cinematic Laboratory

"Yeah. I made episode 03 before I was able to finish episode 02 so I decided to post them both. There's no need on this channel to manage posts to maximize views, I just want you to be able to find information when you need it and I just LOVE to make content like this. I made a lot of videos about the EV in the past and it's covered in the old Shared System tutorials (link in video). In this video, I am going to try something new.

In this episode, I'll only use Erbe-Verb and DXG in a feedback loop. So no fancy 7U case layout this time, I made this video to find out if it can still be relevant in 2024. Since I am totally biased, you'll need to decide for yourself. Honestly, if you need a regular reverb, maybe a stereo module would serve you better.

Erbe-Verb is going for a limited rerun in black and gold, so this also means it's getting old and possibly moving to retirement. Without speculating too much, it's possible that MakeNoise is working on a successor now they have this amazing new ARM DSP board. But again, I have no idea. What we DO know is, that Erbe-Verb is widely considered as one of the best reverbs in eurorack, even though it's not the best reverb as a reverb. Que? It excels in creative use and abuse. It will never get old and whatever comes next, it will pair well with the EV (it pairs really well with a Mimeophon, StarLab, Sealegs or Desmodus Versio).

Apart from the sound design fun, Erbe-Verb plays a big role in the Shared System signature sound. While it's partly overshadowed by the more recent Mimeophon, the Mime's 'halo' only adds a little space. It's nothing compared to the 'icy sheet metal in deep space' sound from the EV, which can easily double as a classic spring- or plate reverb when 'absorb' and 'tilt' are used to tame the high end. I've never been a fan of the predelay, but it can do amazing things with modulation and gates/triggers.

The Erbe-Verb is 'mono IN' so it needs to be used as a send/return with a stereo voice like XPO or Spectraphon. Here's where a ModDemix comes in handy. You can use CH1 and CH2 to pass on your stereo mix to let's say an X-PAN, and use the Sum out to EV. Then you can patch the EV's stereo out to X-PAN's aux inputs. It's a lot of patching and modules for a verb, but it provides a lot of freedom."

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."

Mega Synthesis Demo 6 [Sega Genesis Music Machine]

video upload by sushiboots

"Writing some more Sega Gensesis/Sega Mega Drive music. Please enjoy."

With the Sonicware Liven Mega Synthesis.

Ensoniq EPS ambient pads

video upload by MIDERA

"Sampled in a sound from the Sequential Prophet 10. Realized only tonight how to layer multiple sounds that could play simultaneously. Was about to give up on the EPS, but I think there's a lot of stuff it can do that is interesting. This was one of those things."

Novation Peak 03/21/24

video upload by COMMUNITY OF LEARNERS

"Familiar faces, the things that connect you all the way back."

The Secret Sounds of Oberheim Xpander Revealed

video upload by Andy Whitmore

"Analog Synthesizers Rewind: Top 10 Classics!
S1:Ep3 - The third in a series of 11 videos!

Oberheim Xpander – Famous Sounds – all 100 presets demonstrated

The famous sound of the Oberheim Xpander!"

Albers - self patched drones

video upload by DecadeBridge

"Albers is a simple 4 voice drone synth. In this video I play around with patching Albers' LFOs into itself to create a range of different sounds alongside controlling LFO rate and oscillator pitch with it's onboard LDRs."

Strange Motorised Sound Device

video upload by Pj Tardiveau

"This strange 'Steampunk' device is a motorised noise generator. I made it several years ago and never had a chance to demonstrate it on video. So here it is! ( and sorry for the annoying little sound sequence ) this device combines a low-frequency mechanical oscillator with an analogue delay and various modulation effects."

The top right reads Synth-FX SynTesla Companion. You can check out the SynTesla in previous posts here.

Electronic Perspectives: Vintage Electronic Musical Instruments by Tom Rhea - New Pics

You might remember Electronic Perspectives: Vintage Electronic Musical Instruments by Tom Rhea previosly posted here.

Heath Finnie wrote in to remind me of the book and I noticed a few new pics of the inner pages have gone up on the Electronic Perspectives website. I thought they deserved a new post. If you are not familiar with the book, here are some details:

"Forty-five years in the making, Electronic Perspectives: Vintage Electronic Musical Instruments contains all of Tom Rhea’s fifty-two influential columns that were first published in Keyboard magazine from 1977-1981. This 400-page tome greatly expands on the original content with updated information and hundreds of newly restored images. Electronic Perspectives: Vintage Electronic Musical Instruments includes two CDs of unearthed recordings; spanning multiple eras of electronic music. All in a gold foil-embossed hardcover book, housed in a deluxe slipcase."

Note Tom Rhea helped design the Crumar Spirit with Bob Moog and Jill Scott. He also penned a few classic synthesizer user manuals. You can find additional posts mentioning him here.

You can find the book on Electronic Perspectives here.

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SVF-201 State-Variable Vactrol Filter from KOMA Elektronk (Tutorial)

video upload by CatSynth TV

Merch: https://shop.catsynth.com
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/catsynth
Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/catsynth

"We preset the SVF-201 state-variable vactrol filter from KOMA Elektronik. We explore each of the states (lowpass, bandpass, and highpass) separately as well as together with the continuous CV-controllable state selection. We also use modulation from our trusty Arturia MiniBrute 2 and the Pittsburgh Modular Generator for audio-rate modulation."

00:00 Introduction
00:22 Vactrols and Vactrol filters
01:03 Overview of the SVF-201
01:45 Cutoff and Resonance in lowpass, bandpass, and highpass modes
04:15 Mix output and variable state selection
06:00 Simple cutoff frequency modulation (with ADSR envelope)
06:28 Audio-rate cutoff modulation with Pittsburgh Modular Generator
08:39 Putting it all together. ASDR, LFO, and Sequencer from Minibrute 2, and resonance modulation from the Generator
10:02 Conclusion

Field Kit previously posted here