Building a Buchla 248 MARF with Stages, Stages, Stages and Marbles

video upload by Cinematic Laboratory

"Sorry about that title. The MARF is short for the Multiple ARbitrary Function generator, a huge Buchla design carrying the model number 248, and is part of the 200 series. It's not easy to compare it with anything, but you could see it as a 16 step 0-CTRL, a Rossum Control Forge and maybe even the 250e circular Dual Arbitrary Function generator (DARF) like Frap Tools USTA. I contacted Todd Barton (thanks so much!) to be able to study a few MARF images. The sliders made me think of Mutable Stages, and the control section reminded me of Marbles. While getting lost on the way, I finally got a patch that sounded similar: 'music that sounds like dancing butterflies'.
The recipe involves variable timing, notes, a quantizer, and a transpose. You may also need a trigger or gate when a segment runs or finishes. There's a lot to explore here, and I don't think you can find a MARF in a single eurorack solution. I tried to approximate it, but I also needed Maths to do envelopes and gate extraction. It took a while to make this video and I wasn't sure about the results until the very end. Then suddenly, it worked.

You'll need a lot of stuff to do it, but there may be smaller solutions. I'll revisit this idea when my Control Forge arrives and I'll be able to combine USTA with the CF.

This is a complex video so I hope it will make a bit of sense. It would have been better to figure all this out and then make a video. But you'd be missing the fun of exploration. There are plenty of useful examples of how 'factory' Stages can be used, but I installed the Qiemem firmware for max flexibility. In the end I only used its 'random segment' feature in this video, but it doesn't play a role in the MARF patch. You can do this with factory Stages but it still requires a chain of 2 or 3. You can use any sequencer with a clock input for this. A DFAM will also help you to cover the time/level sequence.

Installation requires playing a .WAV into the module which can be bit of a drag. I recommend using a eurorack sample player like the BitBox for a high success ratio. Using a phone, PC or pad can be a nightmare. Also, I am not sure if the firmware works on a clone, please comment if you tried it.
https://github.com/qiemem/eurorack/re...

I am still trying to wrap my head around it. Even though Stages and Marbles are now discontinued, they're easy to find as fully functional clones. With Eurorack, we have the 'power' to build our own synths, or get inspired by designs which are still amazing and modern after +50 years. I hope it inspires you too."

Prymnd - Studio Session | Progressive Techno - Sequential Pro 3, Moog DFAM, ASM Hydrasynth, Yaeltex

video upload by Prymnd

"Dive into the soundscape of Prymnd - an ever-evolving journey through various soundscapes of modern, live-performed Techno."

"The Lost Tape" Arturia Minifreak, Microfreak, Moog DFAM, AudioThing Noises

video upload by Vöstok-one

"The dual Freak (Minifreak, Microfreak) is here, with their best friend the Moog DFAM, in this lost tape journey with some saturation flutter and wow...

I hope you will enjoy this song as much as I had fun playing it."

Moog DFAM: Modular Grooves Patches/Patterns. No Talk Demo

video upload by Anton Anru

"The new Moog DFAM soundset has been highly requested by my subscribers. The first bank, «Techno Generator», received many positive feedbacks over the past few years.
«Modular Grooves» is a collection of 50 patches + patterns: 17 Percs/Drums, 16 Basses, 17 Synths. It is dedicated to the modular vibe, loved for its analog warm sound, experimental attitude, rich opportunities, unique features and tones, and inspirational workflow.

📦 Get the soundset: https://antonanru.sellfy.store/p/dfam...

💎 The presets feature various colors: noisy, detuned, distorted, as well as mild, clean, soft, punchy, dark, bright, deep, and airy.
Some timbres are great to play the first role in tracks or jams, while others will work perfectly as additional parts.
You may use the patches as they are, but I strongly recommend tweaking the knobs to develop the timbre during your performance and get an exciting experience.

📚The soundset is presented in the form of PDF-Document. Each page contains notes that explain how the patch works, what parameters are worth tweaking during playback, and how to develop the timbre during a performance. If you make all the settings consciously and try the things mentioned in the notes, you will learn a lot about the synth and discover its true depth.

🎧 There are audio examples of all patches inside the folder with the soundset.
To recreate these patches you need up to 3 patch cords.

💽 The soundset also includes 24/41000 WAV samples, accompanied by BPM and scale information. You can use them as they are, or you're free to resample, edit, and apply effects. These samples offer a versatile material for your experimentation.

🔔 You are listening to demo tracks featuring these presets. I've added other samples, drums and pads, to create a complete musical context. The DFAM sequences can be quite complex, producing various timbres at once, like bass and percussion. To help you distinguish, I've marked the DFAM and ADDITIONAL SOUNDS with different colors.
These ADDITIONAL SOUNDS are not included in the soundset.

CLICK FOR MORE »

LXR-02 does the DFAM & beyond (5 kits, no talk)

video upload by Richard DeHove

"I recently made the somewhat rash suggestion to try an LXR-02 emulation of the DFAM. Here it is, sort of. At first I thought I'd use only one voice of the LXR. So in all five kits demoed here Voice 1 or 2 tends to claim almost all the LFOs and be a clock-synced complex sound.

But the LXR-02 and DFAM are such very different beasts it seemed odd to be so restrictive. Instead I've gone for a two or three voice 16-step kit and pattern that attempts to capture the flavor of the DFAM rather than strict technical parameters.

The speed of all parts is 73bpm, a couple of the kits use the internal ping-pong delay, and where there is definite pitch it's always on C - just makes things easier for sampling and later processing.

The result is not exactly DFAMish. Demo 2 even sounds bit chiptune to me. But I've never yet owned any two machines which could exactly replicate the other. As an exercise though it's a bit of fun! All LXR-02 challenges happily considered.

On the plus side the LXR-02's ability to store presets is a massive bonus but the constant click-and-twiddle is no match for the knob-filled interface of the DFAM/Edge.

All five kits are on my Patreon. Unused voices (typically 4, 5 and 6) are mostly on the default sounds.

As usual there is absolutely no extra processing of the sound. It's all completely raw LXR-02.

0:00 Demo 1: Slapper
1:00 Demo 2: Chiptune
1:56 Demo 3: Saw
3:06 Demo 4: Frogpond
4:23 Demo 5: Decay

Lots of downloads for supporters on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/richarddehove
Many thanks to my kind patrons who keep this channel ad-free
My website: https://richarddehove.com/"

Behringer Edge with the DB-01

video upload by Richard DeHove

"The Edge-DFAM class of machines is an odd category. Not a very good as a synth due to the constant (and necessary) manipulation of the oscillator frequencies. Not particularly good as a drum machine due to the 8-step limitations and the delicate juggling required to squeeze out multiple sounds. And not so great live since there are no presets and too many parameters to easily morph to a different sound. OTOH if you want a random percussion chaos layer then it's the perfect solution.

Of course they're great fun to twiddle and make unexpected discoveries. They also pair up pretty well with more conventional machines to produce a more complex result than you'd get with 'ordinary' synths.

Having owned both the DFAM and Edge I'm happy but hesitant to admit that in a 1:1 matchup I'd choose the Edge. This is entirely due to the MIDI clock options: The sequence must always start at the start - duh. Some people say the DFAM sounds better (whatever that means) but I'm not feeling anything radically different. My only complaint is that the LPF feels murky and doesn't interact with the resonance control in a pleasing way. The HPF is much superior imo and saves the filter section. Of course it may be that I've now been trained by prolonged Polivoks filter exposure to expect satisfying grit and tortured screaming.

Back on the topic of 'Would I use it live', the more I thought about that the more I thought I'd use the LXR-02 instead. Perhaps a video 'The LXR-02 does the DFAM' would be good?

It may also be of interest to note the use of the DB-01 gate output connected to the noise level in Demo 1. It generates some noise percussion when playing normally because of the gate length but this largely disappears when playing the arpeggiator's much shorter gate length.

As usual there are absolutely no external effects or DAW processing.

0:00 Unboxing
1:25 The setup
1:42 MIDI reset
2:27 Clock divider
3:13 Tuning
4:05 Demo 1: Cheese
4:39 Demo 2: Swinger
5:19 Demo 3: Rubber
6:22 Demo 4: Wired

Lots of downloads for supporters on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/richarddehove
Many thanks to my kind patrons who keep this channel ad-free
My website: https://richarddehove.com/"

3/3/24 Metasonix R-54, R-52, R-51 + Moog DFAM & Subharmonicon + Doepfer + Lexicon PCM 70

video upload by Cfpp0

"Similar patch and settings as in the other day-lit 3/3/24 video, but stopping and starting the DFAM at different steps to latch onto different pitches. Moog Subharmonicon is running through Metasonix R-52. Moog DFAM is running through Metasonix R-54 & R-51. Moog and Doepfer provide the modulation. Lexicon PCM 70 is set to Gated Plate reverb off the Mackie Onyx 1640."

"Spectrums Symphony", Moog Matriarch, DFAM, Arturia Microfreak, Minifreak, AudioThing Noises

video upload by Vöstok-one

"When the Arturia Microfreak drives the Moog DFAM. That gives you something more musical than just a groove machine. So much to explore with this Moog if you take time with it.

This electronic symphony reminds me this strange landscape we found lost in the middle of Mongolia.The specter of a lost serenity, absorbed by the sky.

I hope you will enjoy this song as much as I had fun playing it."

"Secret Softly Sigh" Moog Matriarch, AudioThing Noises, Arturia Minifreak, DSI MophoX4

video upload by Vöstok-one

"Ambient and cinematic, drop into the black sand shore of mystery.
Moog Matriarch Lamentation and Audiothing Noises for the strange and mystic feeling. The Arturia Minifreak for this ... I don't know ... chord generative and the Mopho X4 for the pad.
Have fun with this almost 10 minutes of dark drone endless reverie shadows dance.

Verse 1)
Upon the blackened shores, where whispers roam,
Where windswept tales are carved in ancient stone.
In the misty veil, secrets softly sigh,
Beneath the northern sky, where dreams can fly.

(Chorus)
Black sands beneath my feet,
In Iceland’s embrace, where mysteries meet.
Where the wind’s wild song entwines with the sea,
In this land of endless reverie.

(Verse 2)
Through the veils of fog, a world unseen,
Where shadows dance and memories convene.
In the echo of waves, a melody untold,
In the heart of nature, where stories unfold.

(Chorus)
Black sands beneath my feet,
In Iceland’s embrace, where mysteries meet.
Where the wind’s wild song entwines with the sea,
In this land of endless reverie.

(Bridge)
In the depths of the night, where stars ignite,
In the soul of Iceland, where magic takes flight.
Through the misty morn, the secrets call,
In this timeless land, where wonders enthrall.

(Chorus)
Black sands beneath my feet,
In Iceland’s embrace, where mysteries meet.
Where the wind’s wild song entwines with the sea,
In this land of endless reverie.

(Outro)
In the whispers of the wind, I find my song,
In Iceland’s embrace, where I belong.
Forever bound to this ancient land,

I hope you will enjoy this song as much as I had fun playing it."

DB-01 does the DFAM

video upload by Richard DeHove

"What do you get with a full parameter randomization and an LFO modulating FM? Played in the usual way you're almost certain to get a dog's breakfast. But with some careful step arpeggiation it can start to come together in a very DFAM-like way. If you're particularly lucky you may even be able to get the equivalent of four or five progressive sections from a single pattern.

The setup is a little bit involved so if you're impatient to see whether the DFAM sound is achieved just skip to the demo chunks at the end. My favorite is the DAF demo. These were named after creating them - don't think for a moment you can decide what you want ahead of time :D As usual the Gods will deliver to you what they see fit.

The Zen delay is proving a little "smoothing" and rhythmic coherence but other wise what you see is what you get. There's no further processing. Some of the demo tracks are slightly chopped since it's very easy to wander off the path into techno-Gristle land. Visually there's a few sections where the waveform display is missing, so my apologies, in the excitement of twiddling I forgot to switch it on :(

0:00 A mild example
0:42 LFO setup
1:56 Randomizer
2:40 Arp settings
3:42 Set scale
4:25 Roll the dice!
5:45 FM LFO issue
7:11 Demo 1: Warm Featherette
8:00 Demo 2: Funky Gabber
8:34 Demo 3: Bandpassed
10:10 Demo 4: DAF
10:42 Demo 5: Noisetown

Lots of downloads for supporters on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/richarddehove
Many thanks to my kind patrons who keep this channel ad-free
My website: https://richarddehove.com/"

Moog Sound Studio 2 DFAM / Subharmonicon w/ Original Box

Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.

via this auction

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Nice pics. Reminds me of the Brady Bunch house.

DFAM SN 21701
Subharmonicon SN 11250
4-Channel Summing Mixer SN 2092

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Moog DFAM - Drummer From Another Mother

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via CONTROL Reverb

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See the site's privacy policy for more info.

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Ligeti - Musica ricercata: No.7 - Cantabile | arr. for theremin & analog synthesizers

video upload by Grégoire Blanc

"This wonderful piece by György Ligeti is part of the famous 'Musica ricercata' suite for solo piano. This seventh movement has a very interesting feature: the supporting ostinato and the melodic lines are totally decorrelated. I would like to propose here an interpretation which leverages this very aspect, involving two sides of electronic music I enjoy equally. Expressivity with the theremin and haken continuum for the singing lines. Sequencing, patching, tone-shaping with analog synthesizers (@MoogSynthesizers ) for the motor-like background.

Instruments featured: Moog Etherwave Theremin, Mother-32, Subharmonicon, DFAM, Haken Continuum Fingerboard, and my favorite red pullover."

This one is in via John L Rice.

Moog Sound Studio Generative Patches: DFAM + Subharmonicon

video upload by Anton Anru

"Welcome to the soundset for the semi-modular system, Moog Sound Studio: DFAM + Subharmonicon. DS Generative is a collection of 25 patches. This genre of sound design is very popular inside modular culture, and Moog Sound Studio suggests a good set of features to enter this club.
The bank covers a wide range of tones: warm, deep, bright, metallic, soft, expressive, dreamy, dark, evolving, detuned, inharmonic, noisy, distorted and others.

🧊 Get the soundset: https://antonanru.sellfy.store/p/moog...

Controlled chaos and randomness, probability, non-repetitiveness, tempo break, pattern uniqueness, short and long sounds alternation, unexpected changes, silence and density, harmonic and fx-like tones, freaky splashes during a sequence - all these things are included in the soundset.

Generative timbre may be a good addition to (or a lead part of) ambient or techno tracks, jams and performances. You may also record fragments into your DAW or sampler, slice it to one-shots or make loops - you’ll get a unique material for further processing.
The main point of the soundset is the high level of interconnection. In this patchbook, the timbres of the synths are soldered and can’t exist separately:
🔸 they modulate each other with Envelopes
🔸 a sequence from one synth may change parameters on the other one
🔸 triggers interaction, clock/rhythm, run/stop modulations break predictable patterns
🔸 audio signals from VCOs may be used as modulation sources to create harmonies/intervals or crazy experimental inharmonic tones.

The soundset is presented in PDF format. Each page contains notes that explain how the patch works, what parameters are worth tweaking during playback, and how to develop the timbre during a performance. If you make all the settings consciously and try the things mentioned in the notes, you will learn a lot about the synths and discover their true depth.

To recreate these patches, you need up to 13 patch cords.

There are audio examples of all patches inside the folder with the soundset. Audio examples for a patch are presented in three variants: DFAM only, Subharmonicon only, and both together.

CLICK FOR MORE »

Concerning Hobbits (Synth version) | Lord of the Rings soundtrack cover

video upload by Karel Smit

Some AI generated synth art.

"Had a lot of fun redesigning this orchestral track to a synth version. All sounds come from the Sequential Prophet Rev2 and Korg Minilogue xd, with a little help from the Moog DFAM for the kick drum."

Ken-Ambient Jam by Moog Matriarch, Dfam, Mother 32, Subharmonicon, Novation peak and MPC one

video upload by MongKencO

"Ken-Ambient Jam by Moog Matriarch, Dfam, Mother 32, Subharmonicon, Novation peak and MPC one"

SEABOARD BLOCK M: Now with MIDI Out

video upload by ROLI

"Join us in exploring the limitless possibilities of sound and musical creativity with Marcus Levy-Chance from ROLI's Sound Team (@SyntheticEpiphany), as he masterfully utilizes Seaboard BLOCK M’s new MIDI out functionality.

Experience how this game-changing tool elevates music production by controlling a diverse array of synthesizers, including the Moog DFAM and ASM Hydrasynth. Marcus demonstrates the unique 5D Touch technology to enhance his creative workflow and bring a new dimension of expression to his sound. Whether it's manipulating sound parameters or integrating multiple synths, Seaboard BLOCK M stands out as a versatile and intuitive instrument for modern music creators."

MongKencO - Techno Jam by Moog Matriarch, Dfam, Novation circuit, peak, and Intellijel Cascadia

video upload by MongKencO

"MongKencO - Techno Jam by Moog Matriarch, Dfam, Novation circuit, peak, and Intellijel Cascadia"

MongKencO - Autumn 가을 / Ambient track by Novation peak, Moog Matriarch, and Dfam.

video upload by MongKencO

"We hope you can feel the Autumn!!
MongKencO - Autumn 가을"

--

What's in the hammock at :40? Don't miss the end.

Berlin School live performance at home - "Analog crabs"

video upload by Caught In Joy

"'Analog crabs' is my Berlin School electronic music performance from my latest album "La chica de la playa" out on Bandcamp: https://caughtinjoy.bandcamp.com/albu...

Playing the analog synthesizers, modular drum machines and guitar pedals in a Berlin School music style is like embarking on an electronic journey through time and space. As your fingers dance across the synthesizer's lush, vintage-style keys, you unleash a sonic universe that harkens back to the iconic soundscapes of the 1970s pioneers like Tangerine Dream, Klaus Schulze, and Jean-Michel Jarre.

I hope these analog warmth and organic textures will transport you to a sonic realm where pulsating sequencers guide your way through mysterious, cosmic landscapes on a rainy Berlin night.

All my recent songs are fully improvised and performed "dawlessly". Creating "dawless" electronic music in a home studio involves producing music without using a traditional Digital Audio Workstation (DAW). Instead, hardware synthesizers, modular synths and effects are used to create, sequence, and manipulate sounds directly. This approach can provide a hands-on, tactile experience and encourage creativity by relying on physical gear rather than a computer interface. It allows for a more immediate and intuitive workflow, with real-time control over parameters, resulting in a unique sonic character.

Timeline:
0:00:00 Intro with Moog Mavis, Prophet-10 and Moog Matriarch
0:07:16 Moog One solo
0:11:28 Moog Matriarch ending solo

Playing Moog One, Moog Matriarch, Moog Mavis, Moog DFAM and Prophet-10.

If you appreciate music that helps you unwind or just old-school electronic sounds crafted with analog synthesizers, explore my extensive collection of 20+ albums on Bandcamp."

Moog Sound Studio: DFAM + Mother-32 Generative Patches. Demo

video upload by Anton Anru

"Welcome to the soundset for a semi-modular system Moog Sound Studio: DFAM + Mother-32.
'DM Generative' is a collection of 25 patches. This genre of sound design is very popular inside modular culture, and Moog Sound Studio suggests a good set of features to enter this club.
Controlled chaos and randomness, probability, non-repetitiveness, tempo break, pattern uniqueness, short and long sounds alternation, unexpected changes, silence and density, harmonic and fx-like tones, freaky splashes during a sequence - all these things are included in the soundset.

That was a hard work. Each patch took me up to 2 hours. I tried to find interesting combinations of settings and patching. Hope you will enjoy the results.

🧊 Get the soundset: https://antonanru.sellfy.store/p/moog...

Generative timbre may be a good addition to (or a lead part of) ambient or techno tracks, jams and performances. You may also record fragments into your DAW or sampler, slice it to one-shots or make loops - you’ll get a unique material for further processing.

The main point of the soundset is the high level of interconnection. In this patchbook, the timbres of the synths are soldered and can’t exist separately:
🔸 they modulate each other with LFO and Envelopes
🔸 a sequence from one synth change parameters on the other one
🔸 gates and triggers interact to break predictable patterns
🔸 audio signals from VCOs may be used as modulation sources to create harmonies/intervals or - crazy experimental inharmonic tones
🔸 or they may be used just as audio sources sent to the other synth for processing with its different filter and envelope, giving them a 'second life’.

The soundset is presented in PDF format. Each page contains notes that explain how the patch works, what parameters are worth tweaking during playback, and how to develop the timbre during a performance. If you make all the settings consciously and try the things mentioned in the notes, you will learn a lot about the synths and discover their true depth.

To recreate these patches, you need up to 15 patch cords.

There are audio examples of all patches inside the folder with the soundset. Audio examples for a patch are presented in three variants: DFAM only, M32 only, and both together.

The patches don't include Mother-32 patterns.

For the video demo, I added delay and reverb to the synths and background pads to put the timbres into a musical context.

CLICK FOR MORE »