Morpheus | A tribute to Dave Rossum and E-mu Systems

video upload by Cinematic Laborat

"Back in the 80's, I used to own an E-mu Proteus 2 and the legendary Emulator IV sampler. I noticed the Morpheus, but I did not pay much attention to it, because I felt the Emulator could record samples AND do Z-plane synthesis. No idea what it was, never used it. But the Morpheus became an ambient legend because of those Z-Planes. The specs didn't make much sense. It offered three AHDSR envelopes and two complex 8-stage function generators per voice, where each stage could do something different and you could jump to a stage based on conditions (like key velocity) With the knowledge I have today I'd immediately say WOW.

E-mu Systems is gone (due to the PC/Mac), but Dave Rossum's creations live on in Eurorack. The Assimil8or could be compared to the Emulator sampler. Control Forge is the multi-segment conditional function generator and the Morpheus now only provides the Z-Plane filter. To get an idea, it's like a 3D wavetable for filters you can traverse with X, Y and Z coordinates mapped to frequency, morph and amplitude (not 100% sure).

So yes, I was thrilled to give it a try. I hooked up Plaits and a bunch of LFO's, only to discover it sounded like crap. Que? Yes. Plaits came in too hot so I had to use a VCA. Uncontrolled CV can make the Morpheus explode in extreme clipping which the module - and your 24 bit audio interface - can't possibly handle. So It needs a limiter too if you just throw CV at it. After one day of shooting video I was very disappointed and almost decided to put it back in the box and do something else. I checked videos from collegue YouTubers and it all sounded 'more is less' with the frantic filter changes, clicks, pops and digital harshness. Terrible. Was this it? It can't be. Not from Dave Rossum.

It's impossble to cut a long story short now, but I studied the old Morpheus brochure and listened to some orginal sounds. Then all the pieces fell together. It sounds best when used like the old E-mu. It needs a polyphonic source, a big pad or a collection of moody samples. It needs a clever function generator, like two chained Maths or a Buchla 281 quad function generator. Or a ZADAR! I tried a little proof of concept with Knobula Poly Cinematic and one Maths, and yes. This is the way. In the final patch I used BitBox with a bed of three layered samples (Emulator!) and three complex functions from Zadar, triggered by Maths. And there it was. A eurorack Morpheus doing true Z-Plane Synthesis."

ER-301 Mannequins Black Ambient System

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via this auction

"Massive Ambient Modular System

Includes:

Orthagonal Devices ER-301

Xaoc Devices Zadar

Mannequins Mangrove

Mannequins Three Sisters

Mutable Instruments Beads

Michigan Synth Works F8R (Custom Black)

Intellijel Dual VCA 1U

Intellijel Quadratt 1U

Instruo Ochd

Intellijel Ins 1U

Intellijel uMidi 1U

Intellijel Dual Stereo Outs 1U

Intellijel Pallette 104

original silver panels will be included with modules as well as most of the original boxes."

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SEM vs SEM - November 2023 edition

video upload by John Schussler

"The G-Storm Electro SEM VCF arrived the other day, and I figured I'd give it a listen in comparison to what, up to this point, I think is the best SEM eurorack module: the Studio Electronics SEM VCF.

(Spoiler alert: The G-Storm gives the SE a serious run for its money)

I've also thrown in the Bubblesound SEM20 and an AMSynths Obie XA. The Bubblesound is mostly SEM, but with some MS-10 bits grafted on that makes it more aggro. The Obie XA isn't a SEM at all, different chip, but is also modeled after an Oberheim filter so I figured I'd toss it in for contrast.

VCO is a Befaco Pony, first on saw then on square. Sequencer is a Clank Chaos. Envelope is Zadar.

Be forewarned: a lot of this video is me going back, and forth, and back, and forth, and back and forth between modules. Don't get seasick.

00:00 Intro
00:20 Standard gain
03:43 Gain up
06:46 Resonance up
08:56 Tight envelope
16:00 Square wave"

Last Time Playing This Patch Before Unplugging Everything

video upload by Izntrik

"Just a streamed synthesizer techno, electronic, and ambient jam session. Less polished than live shows, more for practice and experimentation. It's almost time to ruin this patch and move a bunch of modules around to expand my live setup into two eurorack cases instead of one. More drums, more control, more fun! Gets a little experimental at the end. Enjoy the synths!

Patch Notes:
Intellijel Metropolix is the sequencing Plaits and Doepfer A-111-6. Zadar is sidechaining, modulating morph on Plaits, and pulse width modulation on the Doepfer. Basimilus Iteritas Alter switches between quantized voltages from the Polar 8 and also sample and hold pitches from Metropolix with triggers from the euclidean sequencer running on Ornament and Crime Hemispheres, runs into the WMD C4RBN filter for wavefolding and saturation. Tesseract Modular Polar8 is controlling delays, drum density, resonance, saturation, A-111-6 pitch, euclidean offset, and BIA pitch. Prok and Pico Drums are being triggered by the 6equencer and Dnipro Dot. Endorphin Ghosts, ALM MFX, and Qu-Bit Prism for effects.

All music and socials can be found on Izntrik's website
https://www.izntrik.com/

My name isn't Rick
Orlando DJ and Producer
DJ - Everything
Produce - House & Techno"

Making Sound Machines - Farbshaper

video upload by John Schussler

"I covered the Making Sound Machines Farbfolder in a previous vid: [below]

The Farbshaper is similar, but not such a standard wavefolder design. It has a gain circuit that's unusually responsive to the amplitude of the input signal, giving it a very organic sound and variety of timbres you don't get on other folders.

The input signal is all sine wave from the Befaco Pony VCO.

00:00 Intro
00:20 Source audio
00:45 Sweeps
02:50 Sequence"

Making Sound Machines Farbfolder vs. Joranalogue Fold 6


"Just got the new Farbfolder in from thonk.co.uk and put it together (it's an easy build, just knobs and jacks). I must admit the sexy color LEDs at the top caught my eye. They've 3D printed a light guide and used a transparent panel, so it gives you an excellent show of das blinkenlights. (Die? Das? I've forgotten what little German I had.)

But of course there's always the real question, how does it sound? And how does it compare to others at its size? I figured I'd pair it against the Fold 6 from Joranalogue, which is also 4hp, for a head-to-head.

Source audio is a Befaco Pony VCO sine wave. Envelope from Zadar.

00:00 Intro
00:20 Farbfolder
08:19 Fold 6"

Gotharman's VCF8 in Eurorack

video upload by gotharman

"The VCF8 (Dual Band Spaze Filter) installed in EuroBoard.
Sound source: BL Braids.
Modulation: Pico VCO 1 and ZADAR.
www.gotharman.dk"

Noise Engineering Versio - Praetereo firmware

video upload by John Schussler

"There's a new firmware available for the Noise Engineering Versio modules
called 'Praetereo.' It's a drifting loop maker, in the same vein as the Soma
Cosmos or Hologram Microcosm.

There's a thread for it on ModWiggler with links and detailed info: https://www.modwiggler.com/forum/view...

No commentary from me in this one, just listening. VCO is a Cwejman VCO-2RM, with one side going to the left channel and one to the right. Seqencer is the OK200 Degree. Envelope: Zadar.

Last in the chain is a Yester Versio module. If you hear a regular delay, it's that, not the Praetereo. And occasionally I bring in the Yester wavefolder. If you hear effects happening but don't see my hand making them, it's the Yester.

00:00 Intro
00:20 Part 1
08:30 Part 2
18:00 Part 3"

New from Bard Synthesizers - LPG and Ring Modulator

video upload by John Schussler

"I recently got a couple new modules from Bard Synthesizers. The VTG low pass gate is available as part of his normal product lineup, but the ring modulator is a custom build. I'm guessing if you like it you could talk him into building you one as well, but note that it takes a bit longer, what with it being a custom build and all.

Here's a little sampler to get an idea how they sound. Plus some extra from the Erica Synths Fusion Ring Modulator at the end for comparison.

Source VCOs are an Acid Rain Chainsaw and a Befaco Pony VCO.
Envelope from Zadar.

00:00 Intro
00:20 LPG
06:00 Gilbert Ringmod
11:27 Erica Ringmod"

The module that makes complex modulation easy – Xaoc Zadar

video upload by

"Interesting modulation is what makes eurorack patches come to live. I have been using Zadar from Xaoc devices for some time now, and really enjoy it for the interesting and complex modulation signals it can create. Today we take a look at how the module works, and of course I give a series of patch examples and ideas along the way."

Timetable:
00:00 – Intro
01:09 – Zadar overview
04:11 – Zadar menu
06:13 – Envelopes
12:37 – Complex voltages
17:11 – Audio rate
19:55 – Expander

VCF10 in Eurorack -EuroBoard MkII

video upload by gotharman

"-Main/lead sound: Dreadbox Hysteria into VCF10 in EuroBoard MkII, modulated by Zadar and another Hysteria.
-Pling synth: Hysteria into VCF11 (Zaturn) in EuroBoard MkII, modulated by Zadar.
-Kick drum: Qubit Tone modulated by Mutable Instruments Stages.
-Noise synth: Gotharman's Windy into Qubit Tone, modulated by Blue Lantern Braids.
-Cymbal: Urano Cymbal oscillator into VCF13 (Diode Drive) inside Urano.
-Reso synth: Urano Osc Type 1 into VCF12 (FilterBank) inside Urano.
-Snare Drum: Windy into Setonixsynth Marsupial, into Intellijel Springray, into FX Aid pitch shifter, modulated by Zadar.
-Sequencers: Urano and Tubbutec 6equencer.
www.gotharman.dk"

Also see: New Gotharman's EuroBoard MkII Filters for Eurorack

Massive Eurorack Setup for Sale

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WMD Legion vs Intellijel Dixie II+

video upload by John Schussler

"As is so often the case with these videos, I'm trying to make a 'keep or sell' decision. In this case between the WMD Legion, which has just arrived, or the Intellijel Dixie II+, both of which are 8hp VCOs.

They have different feature sets, and that's not really what interests me here. In this video I'm just doing a comparison of the basic sounds, getting a feel for whether there's a big difference in sound quality that would indicate keeping one or the other makes sense, or if they're so similar it's just a feature competition.

Sequencer: Stochastic IG. Envelope: Zadar

00:00 Intro
00:20 Saw
01:15 Triangle
01:59 Pulse
02:49 Pulse+sub
03:41 Pulse width
04:34 Saw+sub
05:01 Triangle+sub
06:01 FM
11:15 Legion features"

Sovage Engineering - L'Ecorcheur eurorack distortion

video upload by John Schussler

"I did a video a little while back comparing some distortion modules, and included the L'Ecorcheur. At the time I didn't really understand how the Glitchzr knob worked, so the demo was...sub-optimal.

Here's another try, focusing this time just on the L'Ecorcheur. Starting with the Glitchzr knob down, so we get a better comparison of its straight distortion capabilities, then later we turn it up for the full experience.

VCO is a WMD Legion in swarm mode. Envelope: Zadar. Sequencer: Stochastic IG

00:00 Intro
00:20 Sweeps
06:06 Sequence
13:49 Zone output
14:37 CV in and GLITCHZR"

Eurorack Waveshaping VCOs

video upload by John Schussler

"Several interesting new VCOs have been released over the past 6 months or so, and just recently the one I was waiting on, Legion from WMD, arrived.

So now seems like a good time to look at this batch of VCOs that all have a similar add-on feature: waveshaping. They don't all do it the same way, and all have very different sounds, but in my head they're sortof a category from which I probably only need one or two.

We'll see.

Sequence from Stochastic IG, envelope from Zadar.

00:00 Intro
00:20 Pony VCO
06:08 Virt Iter Legio
12:15 Pizza
19:58 Legion"

Eurorack distortion comparison - January 2023

video upload by John Schussler

"I used to number my distortion comparisons, but there are so many now, and in different forms, that I've decided it'll be easier to just go by date.

Here's the January 2023 batch. All have been released fairly recently AFAIK.

The comparison is a little tilted in that some are just drive circuits, while others are full on distortion/clippers. But I prefer to think of it as comparing along a range vs. a head-to-head evaluation.

Note that the video goes from soft to loud at times, because, y'know, distortion, so I recommend not blasting it too loud until you've skipped around a bit to get a feel for the dynamic range.

VCO is an Acid Rain Chainsaw saw wave. Envelope: Zadar. Sequencer: Stochastic IG.

00:00 Intro
Sweeps
00:20 Atonal OD
02:44 London Drive
03:49 Twin Drive
04:33 Nijel
05:42 cDVCA
08:08 L'Ecorcheur
Sequence
11:07 Atonal OD
14:18 London Drive
16:25 Twin Drive
18:00 Nijel
19:40 cDVCA
22:34 L'Ecorcheur"

Jamuary n.01 | Just Friends, Rings and Desmodus Versio | Eurorack Western story 📜

video upload by Andrea Marzilli

"Hellow 2023 :)
#jamuary is already going on and I'm ready to share with you my first western-ish soundscape!

So basically I'm controlling Just Friends and Rings v/Oct with Ableton, using Endorphin.es Shuttle Control as a USB to CV Converter.
Ableton Push is the main MIDI Controller, providing notes, arpeggios.
Just Friend is in FLOOM mode (LOVE IT!), its amp section is controlled by Zadar and modulated by Stages with some LFOs. Desmodus and Ruina Versio are the FX's for this main voice.
In the background, Rings is simulating a sort of acoustic guitar, reverberated and granulated by Monsoon.
A noisy/tape loop added in Ableton as a finishing touch.

Hope you enjoy!

Headphones as always! 🎧"

Neutral Labs Nijel Distortion

video upload by John Schussler

"I really liked Neutral Labs' first module: Scrat. It's a filter plus distortion in 8hp. But y'know, maybe you have lots of filters and only want the distortion bit, so to the rescue comes Nijel: just 4hp, but using the same sound cards as Scrat (the cards are called "Nuts"), and with plenty of attitude.

So as soon as I heard of Nijel's existence I jumped at the chance to build one (it's a super easy build...all the SMD components are already on the PCB, you just do pots and jacks for the most part). Many thanks to Martin at Neutral Labs for getting me in early.

Sound source: Acid Rain Chainsaw (3 VCO). Envelope: Zadar. Sequencer: Stochastic IG.

00:00 Intro
00:20 Sweeps
01:22 Nuts
03:12 Sequence
08:33 Scrat
12:02 LFO Drive"

Small Tube VCA/Distortion Modules

video upload by John Schussler

"There seem to be more and more folks making modules with small tubes these days. I have a few of them, and figured I'd do a comparison. These are all 'distortion' modules in one sense or another. Some are VCAs, some are filters, and some are just tube-y grimy-ness.

I've also thrown in an intro to the cDVCA, a new kind of VCA that is also a specialist at distortion. It doesn't have a tube, so it gets a solo spot at the end.

Source audio is the saw out of an Acid Rain Chainsaw. Envelope from Zadar.
Sequence from Stochastic IG

00:00 Intro
00:20 Atonal OD - sweeps
03:52 Karltron Tube
06:35 Thermo Nuclear
09:27 Gotharman
11:48 Atonal OD - sequence
15:50 Karltron Tube
18:52 Thermo Nuclear
21:49 Gotharman
25:32 Bonus - cDVCA"

Serge Random*Source Resonant EQ - SMD vs Thru hole

video upload by John Schussler

"I've had an SMD version of the Random*Source Serge Resonant EQ for some time, and have been curious to know whether the older thru-hole version had a significantly different sound. I recently ran across one for sale, so here we are.

This is basically me trying to figure out how they're different, and whether I have a preference. Ideally I'd only keep one, but....

Source oscillator is an Acid Rain Chainsaw in single saw mode.
Sequence from Stochastic IG. Envelope from Zadar.

00:00 Intro
00:20 SMD Self-oscillation
04:03 TH self-oscillation
07:27 Sequence
13:55 Faster sequence"

Therevox Ondes VCO + Hakken Continuumini

video upload by John Schussler

"My uCVC module has arrived from Evaton Tech. It's a CV converter that takes the USB output of the Hakken Audio Continuumini (little sibling to the Hakken Continuum keyboard) and breaks it into usable CV outputs.

I got it specifically to use with the Ondes VCO, because the original Ondes Martenot after which the Ondes VCO is modelled used a...well what to me appears to be a ring on a string. So a continuous pitch movement rather than quantized by keys. I already had the Continuumini, so figured it should be a perfect match.

This is me running through the various voices on the Ondes VCO and different pitch ranges on the Continuumini to see what we get.

For a sequencer-based demo, see my earlier video on the Ondes VCO:"

Ondes VCO from Therevox - Ondes Martenot in Eurorack format

video upload by

"This is a first look at the Ondes VCO. It just arrived, and I'm so pleasantly surprised by the sound that I figured I'd put a quick video up so others can hear it as well.

It's not a 'standard' VCO. Based on the Ondes Martenot, each of its voices are, on the one hand, traditional (sine, square, triangle), and on the other specifically treated to give a sound that's unique. And because it allows for onboard mixing of waves, all sorts of variety is possible.

I'll dig in deeper later, but for now, have a listen to some of the very particular voices that come out of this module.

Sequence from Stochastic IG. Envelope from Zadar.

00:00 Intro
00:20 Individual voices
01:28 Slow sequence
05:19 Add reverb and delay
09:16 Fast sequence
10:55 Tighter envelope"