ALM System Coupe - Quickstart Guide

ALM TV

"The system coupe is a modern modular groove box combing both digital and analog technologies. It features sound generation, processing and sampling, innovative pattern creation and sequencing, plenty of modulation, and midi and external audio inputs.

Wether you have recently purchased a Coupe or are just hearing about it for the first time, this Quickstart guide will help to explain the sections and show some of the possibilities within the system.

SECTION TIME STAMPS:
0:00 Intro - Demo Patch

Module Overviews:
1:37 mmMidi / mmT
3:08 Pamela's NEW Workout
3:53 Quaid Megaslope
4:41 Mult
4:54 Squid Salmple
6:26 Milton
7:18 MCO
7:45 MCF
8:42 Tangle Quartet
9:07 HPO

Patch Guides:
9:27 Midi Controlled Subtractive Synth Voice
14:27 Midi Controlled Drum Kit
18:09 Sequencing a Full Track Internally
29:09 Interfacing With External Equipment - Sampling In
30:32 Interfacing With External Equipment - Stompbox Send / Return
32:18 Bonus - Additive Synth Voice

36:33 Outro

Thanks for Watching!"

ALM System Coupe

ALM Introduces MFD - DJ Crossfader & Stereo VCA

video upload by ALM TV

"The MFD is a 2-channel stereo crossfader designed for live DJ-style mixing and jamming in Eurorack. Two mono or stereo inputs are mixed to a single stereo output via direct or voltage control. Additional Cue controls provide preview monitoring of either input pre-mix via dedicated Cue switches and an output.

Voltage control over the crossfade and DC coupling allow for further creative uses such as a high quality stereo VCA or as a mix processor for either stereo audio signals or CV.

The MFD is designed to have very low noise and cross bleed and employs equal power crossfading for smooth constant level blending between signal sources."

Squid Salmple - Filters - Firmware Update 147

ALM TV

"The Squid Salmple now includes an independent multimode filter per channel! In this video we show off the sounds of the four different filter types while building up a basic track that utilises filtering on drums, bass, and chords.

To update your Squid Salmple to FW147 visit: https://busycircuits.com/firmware/alm...

SECTION TIME STAMPS
0:00 Intro - Filter Pages
0:36 Manual Sweeps / Filter Types
1:27 Creating a Bass Voice (single cycle wave)
2:45 Adding Chords
3:14 Engaging Filter on Chords
3:50 Modulating Drum Filter with Random CV
4:30 Outro

Thanks for watching!"

Iggor Cavalera & Laima Leyton - Busy Visits.. EP009

video upload by ALM TV

"ALM Busy Circuits presents 'BUSY VISITS..' a video series where we delve into the creative spaces and creative practises of some of our favourite artists and friends.

Iggor Cavalera and Laima Leyton, a husband and wife duo from São Paulo, are a formidable creative force. Iggor rose to prominence in the late 80’s as the drummer in his band Sepultura. Meanwhile, Laima has an established presence in both music and contemporary art.

They frequently collaborate with Soulwax and have a joint project called Mixhell, blending electronic music with live drumming. Now based in London, they show us around their studio & share insights on their creative practise.

For more info on Laima & Iggor visit:
https://www.instagram.com/laimaleyton/
https://www.instagram.com/iggor_cavalera/"

New ALM Pip Slope (mk II) - Overview - ALM028

ALM TV

"The ‘Pip Slope’ (mark II) is a compact envelope and function generator. It supports both Attack/Decay and Attack/Sustain/Decay type envelopes with both direct and voltage control of Attack and Decay times. Envelope shapes can be morphed between exponential, linear and logarithmic type slopes. Envelopes can be made to loop, repeating infinitely or decreasing with time or amplitude for echo and bouncing ball type effects. An ‘End of Cycle’ trigger output further extends the envelopes functionality for both clocking and burst type effects.

The mark II Pip Slope adds a number of new features and improvements over the original Pip Slope whilst remaining the same size. Improvements include increased output resolution, control of fast envelopes, shape control, 5 or 8v maximum envelope level, various loop modes and an additional trigger output."

Super mmMiditroid

video by ALM TV

"An all ALM system playing the ‘Brinstar’ theme from Super Metroid composed by Kenji Yamamoto in 1994. Super Metroid released 27 years ago today!

Original Version: [below]

Patch Notes:
2 mmMidi’s are chained via a standard 3.5mm headphone splitter. This provides 4 CV / Gate / Velocity and 8 Trig outputs to control the whole system. Midi data is sent from Ableton controlling the following voices:

(Red / Blue Cables) - 2x Akemie’s Castle voices for pad sounds controlled by Pip and Quaid, each out patched to 2 channels of Tangle paired with Pam and Jumble Henge to create autopan. Velocity changes attack time of the envelopes between sections.

(Green Cables) - Akemie’s Taiko as a percussive synth voice, patched out to Squid using channels 6, 7, and 8 as a stereo delay (see the squid 'deep dive' videos for info on setting this up).

(Yellow Cables) - MCO / MUM M8 as a simple square bass voice, with filter manually controlled and VCA controlled by Pip.

(Black Cables) - Squid’s first half as 4 drum sounds in similar style to the original composition.

All mixed down to Stereo via the Jumble Henge."

Brinstar Overgrown with Vegetation Area - Super Metroid
video by GilvaSunner

Introducing ALM MEGA MILTON - Compact Utilities

video upload by ALM TV

"The 'MEGA MILTON' is a smorgasbord of handy all analog utilities in just 8HP that will greatly extend the functionality of your Eurorack system.

It includes a stereo line input converter for incorporating line level external sources into a Eurorack system, a fixed 4 input mixer with breakout attenuator for combining signals, a gated slew limiter for adding slides to sequences, a sample and hold with analog white noise with a myriad of uses such as generative melodies or producing percussive textures and finally a buffered mult for droop free signal distribution with handy LEDs to monitor.

All sections are normalised to help with typical use cases such as generating random CV from the sample & hold section, a smooth random source from the slew output and breaking out a standalone attenuator from the fourth mixer input.

The 'MEGA MILTON' provides essential classic synthesizer building blocks for patching in any Eurorack system. In this video we take a look at all of its features."

Check with dealers on the right for availability.

Amiga Music Mouse with dual Akemie Castles

ALM TV

"Using Laurie Spiegel‘s amazing 'Music Mouse' program on a Commodore Amiga 2000 computer to sequence dual Akemie Castles for 4 FM voices.

'Music Mouse turns your computer into a musical instrument, played by pushing the music around in real time with the computers mouse while accessinging the realtime control options from the computer keyboard'

Music Mouse was written in the mid 1980s by composer and computer music pioneer Laurie Spiegel for the Apple Mac. It was also soon ported to both the Atari St and Amiga computers. The Amiga version is our favourite due to its use of color and ability to also play samples as well as produce MIDI.

Via a simple Amiga MIDI interface, 4 voices of MIDI data are processed by dual ALM mmMidis to sequence each of the two voice of two Akemie Castles. Some delay processing then added via an Ursa Major SST-282."

ALM ASQ-1 - Firmware Update 003 - New Features

video upload by ALM TV

"The ASQ-1 has been updated with several improvements to its workflow. Overdub mode now includes an undo option accessible by double tapping 'Store' during record, as well as the ability to hold 'Rest' to erase multiple notes in succession. By pressing Play + Hold, keyboard transpose can be disabled to live preview notes on top of sequence playback.

In addition, pattern saving has been updated to provide each sequencer with its own independent bank of 13 save slots. Patterns saved to matching number slots can now be loaded simultaneously per mode by holding MODE & Play + pressing a key.

In this video we take a look at each of the new additions with some simple patches.

Download the new firmware here: https://busycircuits.com/alm035/

ASQ-1 is designed to be a simple, immediate sequencer ideally suited to quickly jamming out ideas, having happy accidents and performing live. It can simultaneously sequence two CV/GATE and four trigger patterns, as well as perform synchronised quantisation of an external CV signal.

SECTION TIME STAMPS:
0:00 - Intro
0:06 - Overdub Additions - Live Note Preview
0:51 - Overdub Additions - Undo / Erasing Notes with Rest
2:09 - Global Pattern Changes
4:44 - Outro"

ASQ-1 Firmware Update Process (Mac & PC) - ALM035

Introducing the ALM MEGA-TANG - ALM033

video upload by ALM TV

"The ‘MEGA-TANG’ is a 4-channel linear VCA and stereo mixer providing per input control over level, effect send, pan and muting. Designed for live use in mind with a simple & compact layout, the ‘MEGA-TANG’ builds on the clean and transparent sounding Tangle Quartet VCA by adding a stereo mix output, effect sends, manual panning, soft mute buttons with LED indicators and an expansion port for future expandability."

See the dealers on the right for availability.

ALM Introduces BXx2 - ALM043 & STEREO SUM - ALM038

video upload by ALM TV

"The BXx2 is a dual channel preamp, EQ and mixer based on the classic Boss BX series mixers. Well loved for their unique character and musicality, the sound of the BX is found throughout countless techno records from the 80s & 90s.

With the inclusion of both input gain and level controls, each channel can be overdriven, producing the signature saturated and lively sound the BX mixers are known for. The EQ controls provide the channels with simple but great sounding high and low shelf EQs for emphasising and shaping sounds as well as the tonality of the drive. An additional Aux input allows another mixer or extra sound source to be chained in.

The BXx2 is a simple but powerful sound shaping tool, adding colour and warmth to anything patched through it.

It was designed in collaboration with Feedback Modules – based on their single channel PRE BX module and has a limited release of only 300 units. Visit Feedback Modules here: https://feedback-modules.myshopify.com/"

Introducing STEREO SUM - ALM038

video upload by

"The ‘STEREO SUM’ is a unity gain summing mixer that features four stereo input pairs summed as pairs to two independent mix outs or all as a single combined mix. It is a useful utility for efficiently combining outputs of multiple stereo sources, such as the MEGA-TANG and Jumble Henge mixers or multiple MFX returns.

The inputs accept stereo or mono signals (via normalisation) which can be audio or CV (module is DC coupled) and the top mixer’s outputs are normalised to the bottom mixer section meaning if the upper output is left unpatched the two upper inputs will be added to the lower output."

ALM020 QUAID MEGASLOPE MEGA TUTORIAL

Published on Jan 6, 2020 ALM TV

"The ALM ‘QUAID MEGASLOPE’ is a five stage function generator or modulator which operates in one of 3 modes.

This tutorial covers each of the modes and various patching ideas."

ALM020 QUAID MEGASLOPE

Loula Yorke - Busy Visits.. EP005

video upload by ALM TV

Note the eurorack log cases.

"Loula Yorke is a live artist and composer who uses sound, video and participation to create noisy artworks. Dancing in the spaces where the personal meets the political, her electronic music practice conjures moments of revolt as well as revealing hidden systems of control.

We met up with Loula at Asylum Studios to chat about her unique improvisational process, relationship to music and art, and her influences along the way.

https://loulayorke.com
https://loulayorke.bandcamp.com
http://instagram.com/iamloula"

Black DIY synth with banana jacks at 4:02. Similar in shape to an EMS VCS3 Putney / SYNTHI.

P.S. I did a search on black EMS to see if it was ever mentioned before. I didn't find it but some other interesting posts came up. Every now and then you can find interesting things in the archives just searching on radomn stuff.

Pamela’s PRO Workout: Off-Grid Timings with Human, Swing & Ramp Flex Ops

video upload by ALM TV

"Flex Operations are a powerful feature of Pamela's PRO Workout that allow outputs to be taken 'off the grid' for functionalities such as swing, random ‘human’ fluctuations in timing, and unique up and down ramping of the clock speed. The various Flex Ops make it easy to create groovy and organic rhythms, ever changing CV modulation signals and more. In this video we take a look at the different types of Flex Operations."

Pamela’s PRO Workout series

Boss Bow Two Overview - 8 Way Multimode Switch - ALM027

ALM TV

"The brand new Boss Bow Two is an eight way bidirectional multimode switch with three different selection modes: step, strobe, and address. These control methods and I/O flexibility allow for a wide range of potential patches with Boss Bow Two as it can interface with essentially any signals generated in a modular system. In this video we look at making complex LFOs, routing voices, modifying/creating trigger patterns, creating unique sequences, slicing up envelopes, switch ring modulation, and much more!

TIMING INDEX:
0:11 Introduction / Overview
0:54 Inputs and Outputs

Modes
1:45 Address Mode Overview - Routing Synth Voices
3:43 Address Mode Overview - On / Off with Reset
5:21 Address Mode - Routing 8 LFOs
7:47 Address Mode - Creating Complex Envelopes

10:25 Strobe Mode Overview - Beats from a Single Clock
14:20 Strobe Mode - Ratcheting with Multiple Clocks
15:21 Strobe Mode - 1 Voice With 4 Sequenced Oscs

18:05 Step Mode Overview
18:52 Step Mode - Chaining Two 4-Step Sequencers
22:34 Step Mode - Patching 8 Offsets to Create a CV Sequencer
26:16 Step Mode - Slicing an Envelope to 1 Output per Stage

Patches
28:26 Looping Envelope to Castle CV Inputs (Step Mode) / Out of Time Beats
30:16 Ring Mod Style Audio Rate On / Off Switching (Address or Strobe Modes)
31:53 Pre Filter Switching Thru Oscillator Outputs (Step Mode)
34:06 Feeding MCO Outs Back In to Sync (Step Mode)
35:13 Rerouting a Euclidean Pattern Around the System - Complex Beat (Strobe Mode)

Thanks for watching!"

"‘Boss Bow Two’ is an 8 way bidirectional voltage controlled switch with 3 different control modes: address, strobe, and step. Each control mode uniquely routes signals from an input ‘I/O’ to an output ‘I/O’. Address mode allows for instant routing manually via the offset or external control voltage, step mode sequentially advances I/O following signal at the clock input and the strobe mode combines the two, holding the addressed position until the next clock pulse.

The reset input allows for master on off switching in address and strobe modes and traditional sequencer style ‘reset’ in step mode. The control input features both an attenuverter and offset to precisely select which of the 8 I/O’s are available to be ‘switched’ in address and strobe modes and sets the direction of travel in step mode.

As it is bidirectional, audio or CV can be routed from 1 of up to 8 inputs to a single output or a single input to 1 of up to 8 outputs. The unique features and flexibility of the ‘BB2’ allow for a wide range of potential patches to be created.

CLICK FOR MORE »

Introducing MCFx2 - Dual State Variable Filter - ALM030

video upload by ALM TV

"The MCFx2 is our state variable ‘MCF’ filter made double. It features 2 identical classic analog 3 pole filter cores each with Low, High and Band Pass (or Notch) outputs. Direct and voltage control is provided for both filter cut offs and resonance.

Two switches allow the filters to function as one, with the ‘Feed’ switch internally routing audio from one filter to the other in series and the ‘Link’ switch linking the cut off controls for both filter cores.

MCFx2 expands on the great sounding MCF filter (previously available only as part of the System Coupe) to offer both serial and parallel functionality for stereo operation, dual peak, tighter slopes and other complex filtering set ups.

CLICK FOR MORE »

SQUID SALMPLE Tips Compilation - ALM022

video upload by ALM TV

"SECTION TIME STAMPS
00:00 Intro
00:06 Transforming a Sample with CV
01:08 Adding Variation with Cue Sets
02:06 Transforming Found Sounds
03:08 Converting Audio to CV
04:07 Adding Pitch Sweep to Samples
05:05 Sequencing Sample Start Position
06:06 Sampling and Playing Back CV
07:08 Rerouting Outputs
08:12 Automated Bank Rerecording
09:16 Creating Swing with Cue Sets
10:19 Extreme Sample Repitching

Thanks for watching!"

SQUID SALMPLE - Button Combos & Shortcuts

ALM TV

"The Squid Salmple offers numerous button combos that allow for faster set up and access to deeper additional features that take sample recording and playback further than simply triggering sounds. Here we demonstrate the application of these shortcuts via simple patches.

TIMING INDEX:
Channel Operations
0:00 Intro
0:07 Mute & Solo Individual Channels
0:45 Reference Sample Data From Another Channel
1:30 Swap Any Two Channels
1:53 'Choke' a Channel with Playback of Another

Parameter Operations
2:24 Move to the Same Parameter on a Different Channel
2:42 Change Selected Parameter to the Same Value on ALL Channels
3:10 Attenuating and Offsetting Assigned CV

Cue Sets
4:44 Entering Cue Sets Screen and Deleting Individual Cue Sets

Recording:
5:18 Record Monitor the Input Signal
5:37 Lock the Recording Destination Channel

File Operations:
6:42 Previewing Samples from USB

Thanks for watching!"

MC-4 Electro Jam

video by ALM TV

"The Roland MC-4 was an early microprocessor based sequencer released by Roland in 1981.

In this patch Pam is synced via Din Sync to the Roland MC-4 clock. Pam is then used to sequence a drum pattern using mainly the Squid Salmple (and Akemies Taiko).

The MC-4 CV outputs are used to provide melody and some modulation to 3 MCO's."

ALM011 - 'Akemie's Castle' Tips & Tricks

Published on Mar 27, 2020 ALM TV

"‘Akemie’s Castle’ is a Eurorack dual voltage controlled oscillator with authentic 4 Operator digital FM using ‘new-old-stock’ Yamaha IC’s for audio signal generation. In this video we provide some tips and tricks for music making with the Castle, including simultaneous bass and chord voices, quantised sequencing with multipliers, morphing drone patches, a supersaw patch, a pseudo Taiko patch, and more!"