LIVE MODULAR SYNTH WALKTHOUGH
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 22 ส.ค. 2024
- Make yourself a brew and settle in - in an hour I’ll take you (almost) completely through every part of my latest live improvisational eurorack modular system, with thoughts and notes to self throughout. Skip to 15:36 to begin the walkthrough of all parts!
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Here’s this system on modulargrid! www.modulargri...
Note: The case is actually 94HP! It's made by MDLR and will be available in wood (as special order) or in special lightweight materials as standard, you can contact Arjan through here to ask about it: www.mdlrcase.com/ (I don't mention it but his power system has been fantastic BTW, just ensure you keep it grounded - ie. If you use an international travel adapter, ensure that has grounding/is earthed and doesn't leave it floating.)
Second Note: I forgot to mention the MCO goes through the Doepfer SEM filter. The SEM filter is ace.
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Further viewing:
An hour of practice on this system: • Modular Synth Jam - Im...
Ben DivKids Mutes Module: • DivKid Mutes Eurorack ...
An earlier video that explains the previous iteration of this system (same sequencing principle so if you’re interested in that, it explains it more deeply): • How I'm playing Live E...
An hour talk I gave in Switzerland discussing the route and philosophy behind this design: • The Journey into Live ...
This is Learning Modulars excellent video on syncing Grids and Euclidean Circles V1 to Pamela’s New Workout: • Eurorack Sync & Reset ...
We caught your set this weekend in Bristol. It was the first time my 9 year old saw someone work the knobs live. Afterwards he said “I could have watched that for the rest of the day.” And thx for saying hi to him earlier in the day. Inspiring the next generation to make and share.
This kid is going places.
@@imlxh7126 This kid will never have money to do dumb shit like crack, smack or coke.
I'm back for my monthly viewing of this video.
we also now need to cover "I wanna hold your hand" on the modular.
the kicks showing up on the off-beats after so long without a kick was actually kinda cool im gonna steal that
Thank you so much Alex for sharing all of your knowledge, you’ve helped me immensely to build my case up, and I now finally have something that works for me! Now I’m in the “practice to bollocks” stage. Shout out from Canada!
highlight lol moment when you said "ohhh, it's 4 o'clock in the morning, your disco biscuit is starting to kick in" Thanks for sharing your setup and a detailed look into how you use your modules. I definitely learned a ton about ways to experiment with my own stuff now. Thanks!
and your disco biscuit has kicked in....🤣🤣🤣
awesome setup, great explaining and you are hilarious,
My god your rig screams versatility / tweakability. That's refinement over a ton of sets right there. It's obviously working very well for you. Mad props to get the system down to one case.. I could never minimalise to that level. Well, I mean, I can, but that's where the experience comes in right? Merging stuff into one module, gauging the rate of use over a longer periods, see if it still synergises well.. rinse repeat.. edit: CLICKY READ MOREY THANKEY
So the general experience of the whole video; You demo a particular module, and say what it connects to, and while I'm involuntarily nodding mmhmm, hmm! you kick it into overdrive and I'm like, yes! that works perfectly with that and that, and not 10 seconds later you're onto that module.. Well done dude. You're traversing this particular "patch-tree" very intuitively. It's a joy to watch you tinker and fiddle and audibly show the place, space and use every module has within the rig, and within your style. I particularly enjoyed the bit where you defend and justify every module's footprint, how it fits in the rig, how it fits in a set etc..
Thanks for sharing dude. Love these long form video's!
Great video! Thanks for the walkthrough of the system. I've always lived by the mantra "less is more" - do more with less. A smaller system requires you to plan very carefully, make compromises and learn how to use each module to it's max.
Watched it twice now, many thanks and for putting on ModularGrid.
Yes! I’ve been rewatching the others all month.
Brilliant, really brilliant. I've learned so much. Loving your videos and music, thank you.
I flew in to Austin for a gig at SXSW with a carryon-sized eurorack rig--unpack & play like yours :) and on the way home they insisted they were out of overhead space and it had to be checked. I let them know it was about 6k of electronic equipment and it seemed like that was enough to let me (attempt) to find space for it, which to my luck there was. You can also ask if they can stash it in the closet typically reserved for musical instruments, since it is one after all. I always suggest pushing to protect your equipment whenever you can!
Good tip!
Print this and carry it with you, friend.
members.afm.org/departments/legislative-office/instruments-as-carry-on
Wow, this is just amazing. Thank you so much for sharing all this knowledge! And I love how it sounds.
A very interesting and detailed look into live modular performance, plenty of helpful tips, and just raw techno awesomeness.Thank you!
Maate, how do you even see sunlight when you have a system like this.. endless fun ! many thanks for the walk through.. time to start dreaming.
27:26 : jep that’s techno.
Haha I just finished Consider Phlebas and just started the second in the series. Synths and sci-fi podcast... I'd watch/listen! Overall loving all your videos mate. Just recently found the channel and I'm loving working my way through your backlog. Keep up the great work!
Thanks mate!! Yeah I’m not sure how I came across him first but loved all the culture novels - gave my cousin a signed copy of Consider Phlebas! He’s never read it. Some people!
@@mylarmelodies Love the Culture books. I guess there's probably quite a bit of crossover between synth nerds and sci-fi geeks :) When I get around to building a modular rig I might call it GCU Just Read the Instructions.
I think that Arjan makes the best cases in the world!
Most inspiring video I’ve watched this year, fantastic work!
When you wake up at 5:30am, sneezing. Everyone else is asleep. Sneak downstairs. Marmalade toast and a cup of tea. Headphones, laptop; Sofa University. Thanks Mr Mylar 😃
🫖👨🏫🙌
Mhm, watched the bits of your sitdowns with C. Bender and Ebcidic where you touched on how trim a rig for life improv, and wow a crowd' in a somewhat dependable fashion with intense interest. Don't know if you intended it that way but many of the ideas I'm gonna shamelessly pinch totally transcend specific gear, loads of different ways to replicate them with different hardware. So thanks for that!
I'm completely new to modular synthesis, and I must say that I really enjoy how you convey this information. Ive learned a lot. Thank you. Please make more noob content lol
Thanks - check thru my vids as there is a bunch, check the “Generative Synth” one!
Mate, it's 2:30am here and I'm buzzed on whiskey.. I'm gonna take a good nights rest and get back toya in the morning. This needs my full (sober) attention. Brb sleeptiem.
Goodnight boo
Always a good show. Thank you I would love to see your module collection. The ones in boxes on the shelf you know waiting for the right time to get into it or the ones you pushed put to put others in it’s place lol. Stay safe
There’s a lot! Hard to give it all air time, but I try
hipass mixing within eurorack. ace!
58:01 "t e c h n o" I don't know why but this made me laugh so hard while also being super inspiring to me
Great set yesterday! What a top day !
riveting, truely
Super helpful video. You've inspired me to start playing out again! I
Yusss!! I'd say good luck, but you don't need it - all you need is enough practice
Hey that's clever how the case opens and closes. You just need to turn up, open it up, plug it in, and play.
I wonder if you could mount a battery into it? That way you wouldn't even need to plug it in.
It's a bit like you've made a big heavy lap.. oh wait. Forget that.
I'm new at all this but for anyone that is interested in this without spending a lot of money first, there is a new app called Hexen. It is available for both iOS and Android. I don't work for the company but it is on sale right now for $5 and it gives you a chance to play and see if it is something you would invest in.
Great video!
Inspiring and entertaining video. Please bring us more 😁
More great ideas here, as usual. Thanks!
One case to rule them all
Now that's the sort of system that makes you forget to eat or sleep!
man, that was a really old orbital reference. job well done
I’m here for you
Thank you. There is loads of interesting information in this video. Almost a how to Eurorack tutorial this is. And thumbs up for Ian M Banks to : )
Thanks for the great video ! I won´t argue, because there is no right or wrong, but i was slightly disagreeing around 40min, when you were talking about random sequences and techno. To get a feeling for the right moment to capture a random sequence / "killer hook" or if this goes wrong , applying to the situation and making something beautyful out of a mistake through repitition, is a skill, which can be trained and is part of virtuosically playing the instrument. I´m not saying i am there, but in my opinion this is the way to go, if you´re going this certain musical route. Again, there is no right or wrong in this.
Yeah, when I’m actually playing in front of a crowd you have to embrace that and work with what’s there, or appears in the moment - since to sit and wait for something great to happen might mean you’re waiting all night (and the crowd won’t!), so that’s what I do when I play (embrace whatever it spits out and work with it!)
Thanks for this. Really helpful to see and hear you describe your setup. Gave me lots of ideas to think about! ;-)
I especially liked the magic trick with the disappearing phone there at the end! 1:03:48
58:30 right there! awesome as always mate
Thanks for this walktrough mate ;)
Loving the vid so far. Shout out to Shakmat Hi-pass. Ive been using one of those for a couple of months. But fair warning - i thought it would solve (or at least improve) the boomy acoustics live situation and sadly it did NOT. Had to determine my mix from the middle of a bass riddled echo chamber and to my dismay was informed after my set that my levels were oddly low and too pronounced in the upper frequencies. So I'm worried that the HiPass may have reduced the bass for the audience but not for the poor soul (me) in the Pit of Hoary Resonance that was the stage area, and the end result for most innocent bystanders was a wimpy, deflated mix. So I will be leaving Mr HiPass out of the case for the next gig at this venue... And hoping I don't regret it...
EDIT - to be clear though - I think both the module and the general technique of high passing the majority of the mix are both solid. But I just think that in some venues and situations, you may not want to count on it to solve terrible monitoring problems. I strongly believe that this is why artists employ live sound guys (and gals) whose entire job is to maintain a well balanced mix throughout the set, and there may just be limits to what one person on stage can realistically achieve unassisted. Which is not to say I've given up on trying to find a solution... Just a friendly word of caution (and frustration/commiseration) I guess.
I got some good comments about having proper floor shaking bass (thanks Dixie and Z2040) - but also percussion being too quiet! I used my headphones more at this last gig. Various things at play I think but bottom line is with some experimentation and trim modules you could set and mark on panels nominal levels for a reasonably balanced mix - be nice to have access to a club system in the day to test it tho! Or like, you know, be able to do a soundcheck (wouldn’t that be a thing!)
Great stuff. I've been following your build since the start and also long fascinated with stevios setup and thus have been building something similar over the last few years. Something I'm still surprised not to see in the system is the wmd ssm, this module is so dam playable and does many of the stevio style jobs.
Yes you say "pain in the dick"!!!!!!!!! You are now even cooler than I already thought you were. Every time I say that in front of someone who has never heard it, they either get really offended or laugh their ass off and start saying it. I'm not even sure where I picked that up from.
I just subscribed because of this clip. Honestly very important to get out the concept of less is more.. powerful. Peace Christo 👽🎶🐕
Amazing functions in this case. First I wondered why there is no quantizer like the 207, but I’ve learned in another vid from you, that you’re chopping all 1V/Oct VCs from the metropolis via sampleNhold, but haven’t seen s&h. Damn … this beautiful compilation of modules will only be a dream for me:(
Could you elaborate on why did you said it's so important you have grounded electrical connection? I have an older house and electrical sockets don't have grounding, is that a big deal with modular (or particular this case)? I do realize the importance of grounding in general, but curious why specifically you mentioned for this case.
The 165 text cracked me up :P
Great video as usual! Did you loose the freq knob for Plaits or do you remove it to remind yourself not to detune mid track?
I pulled it off to avoid unintentional retunes!
What I've heard of the Z2040 filter has been nice, but I'll never abandon my one true Prophet 5 filter-clone bae, the Synthesis Technology E440. You will have to pry the E440's cutoff & resonance knobs from my cold, dead hands.
Great video thank you, I am looking forward to trying out your Metropolis tips
Man, I love your voice!
Got 2 7u cases from Intellijel. Love em! Light weight. Closes patched..1u for xtra goodies
I'm in the process of migrating my live rig from an unwieldy 10u x 84hp to an Intellijel 7u x 104hp. It really is a fantastic case with just one critical flaw - it's locked into Intellijel's 1u format, for which there are painfully few useful modules that are actually in stock anywhere. Meanwhile, I've got some ~160HP of Pulp Logic 1u modules that are incredibly useful and provide a vast set of utilities that no Intellijel 1u covers at all such as VCAs, envelopes, switches, cross faders, logic and much more. Sure would be nice if someone came up with some kind of cross-compatibility shim that would let Pulp Logic (or any other non-Intellijel) 1u modules fit into the Intellijel slots.
Mylar: Pre is really helpful for side-chaining...
It's a great setup. I'm saving towards trying out something steevio does myself and that's the whole thing of pretuning a bunch of oscillators to a chord... getting my A-111-4 next pay day
The aloe plant is making a bid to wiggle the Euclidean Circles
my DUUUUUDDDEEEEEEEE thank you for this
I ended up getting the same MDLR case as you (after I asked you). :) It required a little snagging, but I love it. Also, I changed the handle - that handle is not fit for purpose - two screws! How many attempts does it take you to actually close it shut! Also, its 94hp...! I repeat, 94 hp ;) My system has 67 modules in it - but I spent an AGE planning it. As you say, in the end it's almost like a muscle memory kicks in and you know where every thing is instinctively. Love your system...
Bugger, yes it's 94HP!!! Closing isn't too bad but you do have to unplug some bits for me and I think I may have broken one Pamela output... :C
down a shot every time he says "literally" :)
You'd literally be hammered
Cheers Alex, somewhat mind scrambling but of real value. Been enjoying the crispy (paid for) version of Videomusik, nice one! Also, 'allo Vera. :)
You're going stereo into the PA system though right? So the sound guys and girls can't high pass filter elements of the mix without butchering your kick and bass? ... The high pass is a mighty addition to getting the mix clean, how are you finding it?
Correct - Even on systems that should have highpass available I’ve had issues enough that I think it makes sense to just take care of the issue yourself
A M A Z ! N G ! i ! i ! (how did I overlook this) thanks :)
Iain Banks was the best.
14:30
Yep! I built several 4 step sequencers called MISEK, which I call animators. They animate any parameter you you wish. I'll gave them over an LFO any time (for my kind of music).
Hey mate. Thanks heaps for posting these vids. Hugely inspirational. I’m researching like crazy to build my first case, and I’m wondering why you ended up going with the Metropolis over the two Ladiks a la Steevio?
I found I got more instantly satisfying results in less space overall, certainly less headspace in a live situation!
Thanks for taking the time to do this. Does taking the pitch knob from Plaits help with the issue of hitting it and knocking out of tune? Did a gig recently and knocked it and couldn't get it back in tune listening through the foldback, so I just turned it down.
Yup, that's why I pulled it! And the MCO knob too. FWIW my Grids and Tiptop One are a bit close as well, have knocked the One knobs by accident when practicing, but didn't in actual use.
knobs...
The only thing missing for the Befaco mixer is CV control over the channel volume.
Add their VCA expander and there you have it
@@mylarmelodies Oh my, yes. Now all I need is money.
totally flipped out at 15:17 over that reset tip! gonna go patch it now.
Wait... How does this work? I need this!
@@Cowboy-Ben-Alman it's in the top menu where you set the clock divisor/multiplier. You scroll all the way through until you get to the raising edge icon _|- which will fire when you press stop. Plug it in to everything that needs to reset, start-stop-start Pamela and everything should be in sync.
@@devdsp0 I found the video. Game changer!
Nice to see Iain M. Banks in the bookshelf. Consider Phlebas is on my re-read list.
Love him! RIP...
Thanks again, Alex, for another interesting and informative video...When are you going to play in Sheffield (or near-ish...)? Let us know!
Pure ❤
Excellent video! Have you seen or used Tangible Wave AE Modular at all?
Super inspiring!...would be great a tutorial on the ADE-33 Event Boss!
Another nice video but can I make a request for a future topic? What about shuffle/swing? Maybe one shuffle for bassline and other one for the top line? Shuffle on hats is pretty hot. Don't know much about € but hearing no buzz about shuffle/swing.
Great topic, I’m not there yet with my own plans!! I want way funkier shuffle than I’m currently able to achieve.
I know nothing about hardware, and this might as well be wizardry to me. May I ask, which part of the UK do you live?
The Norf
@@mylarmelodies May I ask, which part of the Norf?
@@WeirdSide Norf Yorkshire atm
BEN!BEN!BEN!BEN!BEN!BEN!BEN!BEN!BEN!BEN!BEN!BEN!BEN!BEN!BEN!BEN!BEN!
I use those trolleys to get around London. Works but I've had things like screws fall out from the vibrations 😜
11:25 very smart to use HP it's very very important on PA. There's always too much subs that's for sure. But... really i don't understand how a venue does not have proper tool to do this. Any HP on mixing desk does the trick for me... or would that be that because you'r mixing on the befaco it's important to remove those subs before the your mixing stage ? i'm sure you thought about all that but it's surprising. thx for that wonderful video !
Of course...but the bottom line is I can tell you from first hand experience you can end up in a situation where despite that, the sound is still knackered as the venue sound people get it wrong...my best advice is take care of as much of the issue at the source - just in case.
Great video! Thank you so much. What have you hidden underneath all the spaghetti next to the hexpander?
man im dying for that jove filter....beside blades and belgrad the best sounding filter....at least to my ears!!!! i fuckin g love it but i dont have it :( sold out everywhere....alwyas lil to late on ebay. so im concidering to get the clone from tunefisch modular!!
Yayyy the Euclidean Circles made it into the system! Did you DIY them? BTW have you checked out the Tesseract Nutella Tsunami? You might enjoy it! Love your Videos, supported on the Patreon.
Thanks
One not-so-unlikely problem with checking in your gear: it may not arrive with you and if you are playing on the same day, you're screwed.
Just now I learned that an airline company "lost" my techno artist friends luggage. Headphones, keys and a lot of stuff gone. It could have been a bag full of equipment. So, don't check in your luggage, especially on long distance flights and those that involve transfers.
Which global and local modes are you using on the event boss?
A friend and I will be doing a live-show with my modular rig (two voices), volca beats (which i modded), a laptop (ableton) and a beatstep pro. We haven't really planned out a live-set yet. Any tips on how to improvise electronic music with two musicians? Cheers, i love your videos! :D
God this drives me crazy. LOL Such a great video, so first of all thank you taking the time to go through your rig - but I want to get into eurorack so badly, but I'm a complete beginner to music production with a smaller budget and no matter how much I try to learn about this stuff I still feel like I never really have any idea of where to start with a small group of modules that interest me. I need to find a eurorack consultant I can hire to guide me through. hahaha Maybe I should just start out with a small all in one solution like a Synthstrom Deluge and then start adding modules one by one that I think would compliment the Deluge instead of trying to put together a small modular system right from the get-go.
I’d go the other way round and build a system for sequencing and use voices you already have! I need to make a video about this really.
Hey man. About precision adders?
I have a Stillson Hammer. It has 4 channels of cv out. Would I input the 4 channels into 1 precision adder then run 4 Different oscillators off that 1 precision adder to ensure everything works together?
I’m really confused regarding how the precision adder works. It has 4 outs right? That all output different voltages?
Confused???
You mean, there's going a way to sidechain all my shit BESIDES jerry rigging an envelope filter, attenuverter, and a vca together?
LOVE IT!
And since you asked for many questions...where exactly in the signal chain / audio chain did you put the HIPASS?
Just before the mixer, as I want to use the mixers outs and headphone etc!
awesome video. packed with helpful info. no more basimilus iteritas alter?
I actually had it in like a week ago but decided to move back to Akemies - fits better tonally with this project I think, but I’ve got some thoughts about a different case it’d be essential for...
sounds like an intriguing project! I am just starting to get into modular and have picked up the BIA as my first voice, using it with the elektron A4 for sequencing, envelopes, and filtering. i've gotten some surprisingly ... pretty tones out of it sending it all sorts of arpeggios and fast switching the SLM input
7:53 - 7:59
This is why I prefer using 4U Serge over Eurorack
Nice, but you have to do some cable management. Greetz ✌️👍
Great overview. Are your clocks swung or straight up?
Grids is swung to heck!
curious if Prok drums will weed out Tiptop or just join in with the limited real estate. . . . ?
Join in the party
Thanks for posting this. I’m trying to build a system to work with breaks. I’ve totally stolen your method for working with melodies. Do you use sample and holds for each synth voice?
No but I would like to shoehorn it in for Plaits!
I just got 2 2 x sample and holds by Doepfer because of your sample and hold tutorial. It really tidied up the melodies. Especially the sparser stuff.
How do you tune/keep in tune the VCOs other than Plaits, which you mention?
Question: What is the major difference between Tiptop One and Radio Music? They both seem to be sample players, the Radio Music being some significantly cheaper. Is that it?
In short, the length of the samples and way they are triggered - in the tip-top ones they’re designed for short repeating sounds like drums - whereas radio music is designed to host very long files and allow you to scan and retrigger parts of them, better for musique concrete and noise sculpture....
Is Mylar working on a sidechain module?
sonicdetails.co.uk/ 👀