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."

Drone Music | Maths + Morphagene + DPO = Motor Synth

video upload by Cinematic Laboratory

"I saw the Gamechanger Audio Motor Synth MK II on the Erica booth at Dutch Modular Fest and I was intrigued by the sound and the mechanics of eight precision drone engines. Unfortunately I can't justify a purchase due to price and my focus on Eurorack. But that sound... So I was inspired to try to make something similar with a clever envelope, a complex oscillator and a drone engine sample. I am using Maths, DPO and Morphagene, but any combo of an ADSR, growling VCO and sample player with pitch CV would work.

This video basically covers the fun of combining a VCO with a Sample and mult pitch to both of them. It will open up a weatlh of new sounds you've never heard before, but offer a new level of complexity and awe.

I guess you can see this as Shared System Tutorials episode 45 too. So the series goes on, but the thumbnails are no longer directly tied to the series."

UNEXPECTRAPHON | Advanced Patching and Sound Design with Maths and Erbe-Verb.

video upload by Cinematic Laboratory

"Spectraphon is a module with many faces and a big mustache. It can have a classic additive spectral processed sound, but it also offers sub oscillators and two basic sinewaves, one clean, and one a bit saturated. It's a big module with a big sonic spectrum (duh!). But an even bigger world unfolds when you patch it up with some old friends, in this case Maths and Erbe-Verb. It's a module that needs to be explored and discovered.
Like Strega, Telharmonic, Mysteron and Erbe-Verb I don't really like Spectraphon's raw raspy sound which can easily dominate a patch and makes it very recognizable. However, the many output options can suit your needs for more gentle sounds. You just need to know how, so hopefully my patch adventures can offer some new perspectives. Welcome to the Unexpectraphon!

Fun fact, this video includes Shared System Tutorials 44 with different captions, explaining half-rectification of a simple sine with Maths.
I always see the Shared as a reimagination of the classic Buchla 200 series with a twist so I always think of it as 'vintage' instead of 'advanced'. Sure, it's an expensive powerhouse flagship but if you ignore the black & gold panels, you may also see a collection of basic modular functionality like LFO, Envelope, Polarizer, dual VCO, VCA, tape echo, reverb, clock division, randomization, 16 step sequencing, human interaction and basic sampling/looping. It's a template for a complete modular setup, only missing a filter. Even if you don't own a Shared, my 44 episodes can still bring you plenty of inspiration for similar modules and functions. I would never say 'everyone should own a Shared', but it helps to look at what it does - and all the things you have to do yourself, like making white noise from scratch.

00:00 Introduction
00:10 Rectification with Maths
02:21 Charming snakes again
04:02 Odd and Even output normalization and sound
05:48 Unexpected bowed strings
06:48 Erbe-Verb reverb trail feedback patch
09:09 Explicit Noise"

Shared System Tutorials | Episode 40 | Morphagene loops & splices | With Teenage Engineering PO-32

video upload by Cinematic Laboratory

"In this episode I am going to use a 'cheap' drum source (but good!!!) to mash and splice up a simple drum loop into a retro-futuristic jam of beats and glitch. I've been using the Teenage Engineering PO-32 as the only sound source. It's a shared system tutorial, but it's mainly about the #Morphagene so I've been using the Tape & Microsound Music Machine layout to revisit some old school clocking techniques. This series could also be of some help if you only own a Morphagene and haven't been able to figure it out. Have fun!"

Shared System Tutorials | Episode 39 | Patching a Drum Machine

video upload by Cinematic Laboratory

"I uploaded this one as episode 40 yesterday, but I am not there yet. It's episode 39. In this episode I'll revisit a few techniques from previous episodes to create drum sounds. You can use the double sinewaves from DPO and the Optomix LPG to create all kinds of kicks and toms, but you'd need noise & FM to create hats, bells and snares. You'd need to make your own noise (or add a Telharmonic). Since the Shared System is basically a two voice mono synth, you can use Morphagene to create layers and build an alien drum machine. A dedicated module is much easier, but synthesizing your own has its charms too!"

Shared System Tutorials | Part 38 | The Jukebox

video upload by Cinematic Laboratory

"In MakeNoise latest Maths 'bouncing ball' video, Tony Rolando spoke about a patch you could start with one button/trigger and would then play a 'song' by itself. Aleatoric Music.
I've been so intrigued by it and came up with a cool patch that does just that."

Fields of Grain | Monome Grid + Grainfields VST | Instruo Arbhar.

video upload by Cinematic Laboratory

"I've been experimenting with granular synthesis. I created a few files with notes in a minor scale, coming from different VST sources. The idea behind this is to create 'multisample' files that can be used to 'grain' to actual notes in the scale and to make more musical soundbeds and scapes. In the first part I am testing the files with the Monome Grid and the GrainFields Max for Live application (free). Pretty impressive! But this is a modular channel so in the second part I'll be importing the files into Arbhar, to see if a modular can 'compete' with the powerful PC environment. I personally feel the results were more than impressive. I hope this video will inspire you! I guess it will also work for other granular machines like Morphagene, Nebulae and the new ADDAC 112."

Shared System Tutorials | Part 36 | Melodic Splices (Morphagene)

video upload by Cinematic Laboratory

"In my previous video, I found a cool way to work with granular synths by creating granular buffers in a melodic scale. This makes it much easier to pick a segment and use it as a pitched voice without affecting playback speed. Obviously, people wanted to know if such a thing would also work with Morphagene. Unfortunately, the Morph is a looper and doesn't support buffers and reversible enveloped polyphonic grains. Fortunately, the Morph is not alone in the Shared System. So I've created a reel with splices (markers) for each note. You can then pick a splice with a 'Shift' trigger or 'Organize' CV. I've added to the illusion with two Maths envelope and FX from Erbe-Verb and Mimeophon. Finally, there's a cool X-PAN tip you may want to explore: mixing CV. I consider X-PAN a vital part to the Shared System, even though it's not in there by default. It turns your mono synth into glorious stereo."

Shared System Tutorials | Episode 33 | 2-Operator FM

video by Cinematic Laboratory

"I never really knew what an FM 'operator' was so when I found out I wanted to share it. An FM operator is a combo of s sinewave, a VCA and an envelope. We can then use these 'operators' to interact with eachother in different settings called algorithms. The Shared System can offer two mono operators with DPO, Maths and the Moddemix VCA (or Optomix LPG). So we're still a long way from organs and electric piano's. But you can't patch an organ :). Have fun!"

Cinematic Laboratory Shared System Tutorials

Shared System Tutorials | Part 32 | Mimeophon Microsound

video by Cinematic Laboratory

"Always fun to create a new episode! As I mentioned before I am now including the full range of MakeNoise modules in these tutorials to accomodate people who need to know more about QPAS and Mimeophon. This session is about microsound exploration on the Mimeophon instead of Morphagene. The Morph has a Strega reel because I also wanted to find out how this evil little machine would sound in a bigger setting. So there's a lot of noise coming up. Have fun, and modulars really help you to stay home, safe and inspired!"

Shared System Tutorials | Part 31 | The Strega Patch

video by Cinematic Laboratory

"I was very impressed when I saw the new MakeNoise Strega tabletop synth with Alessandro Cortini on the SonicState channel. I used some footage without permission, but this is an educational video, I am not monetizing my stuff and it's not harming anyone's revenue. Not even posting on FB. I just wanted to dive in, recreate that awesome sound on the Shared System and share it in this series. It's really cool to figure out how an instrument like the Strega gets from an idea to a real instrument and I bet the Shared has been a source of inspiration for many of its parts. I can't help hearing a lot of makenoise modules combined in this great new tabletop and I was intrigued by the fact that it used a clear Echophon pitched delay many people seem to abandon and replace with Mimeophon. As for Strega, I think it sounds like a 'old, new, borrowed, blue' marriage thing. It has the amazing sound of an STO, 0-Coast and DPO but there's seems no technology involved that had to be developed from scratch. It's a cool way to clean out some old Echophon chips and give them a second life. Have fun and let's hope the Strega (Witch) will hit the stores soon!"

Shared System Tutorials | Part 30 | Arpeggios

Cinematic Laboratory

"I guess this is a logical sequel to part 29. In this episode we're going to use Maths LFO's and translate them to arpeggios with the help of the Rene built in quantizer to create all kinds of dreamy soundscapes, whirls and spirals."

Shared System Tutorials | Part 29 | Rene Quantizer

Cinematic Laboratory

"I created this video on january 3rd so it was first uploaded as a Jamuary video. But when I created it I realized it's also a cool episode in the Shared System series. So I decided to upload it again for the series with a matching title thumbnail."

Shared System Tutorials | Part 27 | Taming the #Wogglebug

Cinematic Laboratory

"I did two video's last week called 'Exorcist' and 'Wogglebug Ambient'. I discovered so many cool stuff when I made those that I decided to take them down and create a Part 27 in my Shared System series. So I added some more background information (Part 05 is covering the basics) and tried the Wogglebug VCO's in a heavy metal production where the loud and ambient parts were mixed with a drum kit and some distortion from Native Instruments Driver VST. Wogglebug is definitely a module that needs time and discovery, but there are some really cool features in there to add spice and grit to your patches. Have fun and go annoy some critters!

Note: there's an overlay mentioning the Les Paul real guitar, but I took it out and forgot to remove the overlay text - so the metal part is only wogglebug and no real stuff.

Visit Cinematic on Soundcloud: http://www.soundcloud.com/cinematic"

Shared System Tutorials | Part 26 | Clocks, Patterns & Gates

Cinematic Laboratory

"In this episode we'll take a deeper dive into clocks, gates, triggers, divisions and patterns to turn your shared into a techno system (or whatever you prefer) where you can patch all night. First, there's a bit of theory, a quick tribal jam (please use headphones to hear the deep sinewave low end) and then I'd like to show you a cool example mixing gate patterns with X-PAN and Maths to create gate patterns with dynamic volumes. If you love making beats, you'll definitely love this!"

And the full playlist: