Eurorack Jam with 1010 Blackbox, Erica Black Sequencer, Qu-Bit Mojave, RE-303 and Mutable Beads.

video upload by t. noise

"Just a little dawless jam, experimenting with some granular fx modules in context.

- 1010 Blackbox for Drums
- Erica Black Sequencer
- Mutable Plaits through Qu-Bit Mojave
- RE-303 trough Mutable Beads.
- Bass by Mutable Braids through Make Noise LXD"

The Grainmakers Playlist

video uploads by Cinematic Laboratory

"This playlist features granular eurorack modules that all need to process the same reference sample. I hope this gives a good impression of what the modules can do for you. They're all different, they're all great."

Playlist:

1. Grainmakers Playlist Introduction

I've been working on a huge video over the last few days and when I reached 30 minutes I decided to break it up into a playlist. This is cool! I can make updates and add new modules as they emerge. It's not supposed to be the ultimate grain guide, but it's cool to hear all modules chew on the same sample and hear what comes out. It's easy to be impressed by a bad module with a great soundsource, or underwhelmed by an amazing module that need to process something unworthy of its grains. So it all comes down to what they have to offer. And there are no bad modules. It's great fun to hear how a standard concept can turn into completely different experiences. So this is just a short playlist introduction.

2. Mutable Instruments Beads | Grainmakers Playlist

In this episode, Beads needs to chew on a reference performance.
Beads is an effect, but it can process an internal wavetable synth on its own.

3. Qu-Bit Nebulae V2 | Grainmakers Playlist

Our next contender in the playlist is the Qu-Bit Nebulae. It may be a bit underappreciated, but wow. A unique feature is elastic audio for time stretching.

4. Qu-Bit Mojave | Grainmakers Playlist

Next, Mojave needs to chew on Sebastian Lexer's grand piano.

5. Loopers | Lubadh & Morphagene | Grainmakers Playlist

Loopers are often confused with granular synths, especially with the Morphagene. Loopers don't grain or spray, they're digital tape machines.
Sometimes, when you think you're into grains, you'd actually been looking for a looper. It's time to show the difference, so they're an important addition to the lineup.

6. 1010Music BitBox MK2 | Grainmakers Playlist

The BitBox may not seem an obvious choice for granular processing, but if this playlist were a competition, then BitBox MK2 would be the King of the Grainfields. Granular processing offers limited CV support in the current firmware, but the sheer processing power is almost an insult to the other modules. Fortunately, it can't offer the hands-on experience like dedicated modules.

7. Error Instruments x TINRS Brinta | Grainmakers Playlist

8. Melotus Versio | Grainmakers Playlist

It's a Versio. What can I say. Awkward, special, amazing and breathtaking. It's unique feature is no pitch control. While this sounds like a flaw, it's almost a musthave feature when you run notes, effects and chords through it. Don't touch the melody. Just make it grain. Top 3 module in my list. And if it doesn't fit your needs, install a different firmware! If you own a different Versio, give it a shot. Nothing creates techno atmospheres and backdrops like Melotus.

9. MISO Cornflakes | Grainmakers Playlist

This is the last one for today :). Still a few more modules to cover, but it's already a great list. Here's MISO Cornflakes chewing on the Lexer piano. Again, it's a totally different experience, because Cornflakes adds special harmonizing features and stacking of grains. No other module has it - as far as I know. It can make wonderful new sounds from something familiar.

10. Instruo Arbhar V2 | Grainmakers Playlist

I already made plenty of Arbhar videos, but this is the second V2 video. In this playlist, all granular modules in my collection need to process the same audio file so it's easy to figure out what they do. Now it's Arbhar's turn.

11. Clouds & Clones | Grainmaker Playlist

This playlist would not be complete without a tribute to Clouds, one of the first modules in Eurorack that brought grains to the case. Clouds was launched in 2015 and discontinued in 2017. But that wasn't the end of it. It's been revived and extended in many forms, making it one of the most successful modules in Eurorack even today. From a techical perspective, Clouds is no match for the modern grainmakers in this playlist. But from the perspective of production value it's still a super useful module, especially if you manage to install the Parasite firmware. It's easy to forget that granular synthesis doesn't need big buffers. Sometimes a small 1 sec buffer is exactly what you need to get that desirable classic granular stream.

12. Combinations | Grainmaker Playlist

I got a question if Lubadh and Mojave would make a good combo. I had no idea. I figured this whole playlist is still 1-dimensional. So I patched these two up and then and I just had to make this video! I am still using the reference track so you get a good idea of how big the sonic playground becomes when you combine any looper with any granular engine. Results may vary, but wow. The bottom of the Rabbit Hole simply has a doorway to the next one. And it always gets deeper than the one before.

13. ADDAC 112 | Grainmakers Playlist

I may have unintentionally kept the best for last. The 112 combines a looper and granular engine in one big module. This is the last entry in the playlist.
The 112 will return soon for a dedicated video with some carefully selected samples to play with.

14. I missed a few | Grainmakers Playlist

After finishing the 112 video I was confident I covered enough 'grainmakers' in this playlist. I doublechecked if Disting EX and Phonogene should be in it, but no. The third one definitely needs to be on it! It doesn't show up when you search for 'granular' on ModularGrid, but it immediately went to my personal top #2.

Exploring QU-BIT MOJAVE! Live Granular Processing!

video upload by The Unperson

"Today's video explores a new player on the granular scene - the Qu-Bit Electronics Mojave! I've only had the module for about a week or so and I was learning on-the-go while making this video - the manual was never far away. There's definitely more to explore with this module so stay tuned for more videos!

Ally

#eurorack #granular #modular #synth

CONTENT
0:00 - Intro
2:26 - Overview
7:16 - Instant Polyphony
10:37 - Feedback Madness
14:30 - Radio Sampling
18:59 - Orchestral Sounds
22:32 - Outro"

Qu-Bit Mojave | Live Granular Sandstorm

video upload by Cinematic Laboratory

"It's not easy to make a Mojave video after doing one about Arbhar V2. First, let me clearify that Mojave is an effect that needs a source, and Arbhar is more like a granular synth that can run completely by itself. I will clear this up in the forthcoming Grainstation 2 video with a big compare of synths vs effects. I am not sponsored so I can share my personal thoughts on this.

Mojave is great for processing rhythmic atonal sounds like percussion or found sounds. It's not ideal for processing melodic phrases because it's hard to keep in tune. There's no typical harmonic spread but somekind of random sequence generator that follows a scale. So it can suddendly behave like a granular engine with a built in 'Marbles' and you have no control over what's going on except shutting it up. If you're in the wrong scale, it can go major in a minor patch. It's designed for live, but it can easily trash your gig too.

But don't get me wrong, Mojave is definitely a keeper. This video is a journey where I slowly learn to understand and deeply appreciate the module.

If you already own Beads, you may want to skip Mojave because they're roughly on the same functional and sonic level. If you're completely new to granular, you need to figure out if you want an effect or a synth. Mojave has no storage, it doesn't remember anything when the power goes down. And if you're serious about live graining (and sustaining) real acoustic instruments, forget about the built-in mic and get a decent stereo field recorder with audio out. However, since Mojave has no storage, I'd recommend having a sample player nearby and store your field recordings there."

You can find additional Qu-Bit Mojave posts here.

Mojave: Manual Patch Examples

video upload by Qu - Bit

"Follow along with Michael, the man behind the Mojave manual, as he brings the manual's patch examples to life!"

00:00 Introduction
00:19 Basic Granular Texturizer
02:29 Instant Polyphony
04:27 Granular Looper
07:03 Feedback Fundamentals

Qu-bit Introduces Mojave Live Granular Processor Eurorack Module

Tutorial 1: Getting Started video upload by Qu - Bit

00:00 Introduction
01:18 Let's get started with Clock modes, Rate, Gen triggers and how to get grains moving.
02:36 Other ways to trigger grains? Hello, Gen Modes!
03:36 SIZE!
04:26 Don't forget to shut the window. Or, maybe open it?
05:04 Speed: Wait, we can pitch-shift grains?
05:39 Zone: Grains from the present and the past. (Too fun.)
06:35 The relationship between Distribute and Structure.
08:02 Take control of quantization with Sky modes.
09:06 I want my grains to jump around! Drift is your friend.
09:37 Whirl creates a universe in stereo. No, really.
10:03 TWO end-of-chain effects - Feedback and Reverb!
11:17 TWO freeze functions!
13:02 Dune: Mojave's unique CV/Gate output
13:38 Oh, we didn't tell you there's a mic on Mojave?
14:33 Patch Example - "Gypsum"
15:00 Patch Example - "Mic-Check"
15:56 Patch Example - "Interstellar Beats"
___________________________________________

https://www.qubitelectronix.com/

Press release follows:



SAN CLEMENTE, CA, USA: Q-Bit Electronix is proud to announce availability of the Mojave module as its latest Daisy platform- based Eurorack entry — effectively kicking up a granular sandstorm as a live granular processor drawing inspiration from vast swathes of its American Southwest desert namesake by using microscopic bits of audio to create beautifully-crafted sonic landscapes while reinventing the way we interact with sound, seriously backing up the self-proclaimed ‘Future Coast’ modular synth-maker’s philosophy of building bespoke devices that push the boundaries of design beyond what is presently possible in the process — as of October 10…

It is fair to say that Mojave is a stereo live granular processor at its creative core, but, in reality, it is capable of so much more — not least when being pressed into play as a stochastic event generator. Mojave makes it possible for explorative users to patch together feedback-driven glitch textures or compose harmonic symphonies from a single droning oscillator. Other possibilities include creating a granular delay or scrubbing a locked audio buffer to create time-stretching effects — and all directly from the front panel of this 14HP-wide module.

Mojave can — in many ways — behave exactly like other granular processors, but what sets it apart in this realm is its ability to take complex granular manipulations and make then accessible to even the most novice of users. “Our first module ever was Nebulae, a granular looper; we've always wanted to do a fully-committed, live granular processor but with a ‘New-Bit’ twist,” confirms Qu-Bit Electronix CEO — and company co-founder — Andrew Ikenberry. Indeed, that ‘New-Bit’ moniker really reflects the company’s collective internal name for its new design philosophy of focusing on hands-on, approachable devices that leave room for users to push their own technique and explore sound design in new ways.

With this in mind, Mojave is no exception to this rule; for its front panel includes the fundamental controls for generating and manipulating grains — themselves the tiny building blocks of granular synthesis. Adjust a grain size, shape, and generation rate while also having control over the grain pitch, the position in time where the grain grabs audio, and the audio playback direction. Though these controls are essentially found in any granular processor, they only scratch the surface of Mojave’s potential.

Put it this way, then: the key to Mojave’s magic resides in the controls at the centre of the module. The two larger knobs there are absolute attention-grabbers — and for good reason, providing aleatoric grain manipulations in exciting, unquestionably ‘Qu-Bity’ ways. Turn the distribute knob to add rhythmic displacement to the grain rate; depending on which Mojave mode is selected, distribute’s displacement can either be asynchronous movements through time or quantised ratchets, repeats, and rolls that liven up the simplest of rhythms. Representing the flip side of the granular coin, as it were, the structure knob adjusts each grain’s pitch within a defined system. structure can — at its smallest setting — provide subtle semitone pitch changes, perfect for thickening up a sound, creating chorus/flanging effects, and more. But by turning up structure beyond halfway, Mojave begins to sing. structure starts to play through a quantised scale, introducing arpeggios and trills as the knob ventures further up; with the grain size large enough for grains to overlap, Mojave effortlessly transforms into a polyphonic sound generator — regardless of input.

Said structure knob and its rate (speed) neighbour are connected to Mojave’s Sky Mode — itself selected using the button in between distribute and structure — that determines what scale Mojave is quantised to. The default modes include major, minor, and chromatic scales, as well as the aptly-named, non-quantised Twilight Mode. Moreover, each mode will be fully customisable — alongside a host of configurable settings — within Narwhal, Q-Bit Electronix’s module web app (https://narwhal.qubitelectronix.com/) for custom settings.

Since Mojave boasts true stereo I/O, it includes a couple of controls that emphasise this characteristic. drift does exactly as its name implies; it drifts the grains through the audio buffer, and the more the knob is turned, the more Mojave begins to slip into the past, grabbing random bits of audio from both signal channels to fill its grains. An adjacent whirl control provides random stereo panning to each generated grain; the more this knob is turned, the more frequent and wider the grains are panned, creating huge stereo sounds from any sound source — stereo or monophonic.

Mojave has more than one way to inject sound into its granular sandstorm, speaking of sound sources. Indeed, it even has an onboard, high-quality MEMS (Micro- Electro-Mechanical System) microphone that is positioned just above its USB port; simply removing any patch cables from Mojave’s audio inputs makes the microphone active, ready to pick up any acoustic audio! Try talking or singing into Mojave — or even play an acoustic instrument in a live setting — to bring granular flair to compositions.

Clearly, then, Mojave is primarily designed for live granular processing, yet users are afforded an ability to not only freeze the grains in place for glitch stutter effects, but they are also able to lock the audio buffer in place, thereby using Mojave as a granular buffer scrub; Mojave — at the right settings — can even mimic the time- stretching effects of its bigger granular sampler and DSP (Digital Signal Processing) platform sibling, Nebulae, now benefitting from v2.1.2 firmware itself. It is worth noting here that future firmware updates and alternative firmware for Mojave are accessible via its USB drive.

Meanwhile, Mojave’s granular engine can generate a plethora of audio effects that will transform any sound. Saying that, Q-Bit Electronix even included one final end-of- chain control to add some sparkle to an already dazzling device — namely, the gust knob. Which way it is turned determines control over either an internal feedback loop designed to tear grains apart in the best way or a lush reverb effect to fill the voids between the audio — alternatively, granular-textures-into-a-wash-of sound-morphing.

“Mojave is the module that’s gotten me excited about patching again,” admits Andrew Ikenberry, alluding to its configurable dune CV/Gate output and more connectivity besides, before enthusiastically continuing towards a natural conclusion: “There is something to be said about designing individual aspects of a module, not fully knowing how each part will interact with another; as such, Mojave has created sounds that I’ve never heard before, and it’s this journey into the unknown that — as a designer — gives me the opportunity to sit down and discover every corner of this amazing device along with everyone else.”

Check with dealers on the right for availability.

California Highway 58 Part 2: Tehachapi, Mojave and the Desert

video upload by CatSynth TV

California Highway 58 posts

"Part 2 of our three-part series along California Highway 58. In this segment we travel from the town of Tehachapi east out of the mountains and into the desert, along the edges of the town of Mojave, California City, and Edwards Air Force Base. Along the way, we cross Highway 14 at one of my favorite interchanges.

The music features synthesizers and electronics by Amanda Chaudhary with drums by G Calvin Weston. It combines West Coast metal, No Wave, and other styles.

Synthesizers and software instruments:
Buchla Red Panel 158 and 156m
Arturia CMI V
Arturia OB-Xa V
EastWest Ministry of Rock 2
Minimoog Model D
Mutable Instruments Plaits
Metasonix R-53
Qu-Bit Prism
Arturia CS-80 V
Sequential Prophet 12
Synthesis Technology E-350 Morphing Terrarium
Strymon Magneto
Arturia Solina V
Arturia Pigments
Arturia Stage 73
Arturia Piano V
Big Fish Audio Grindhouse
AudioThing Wires and Reels"

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