This is probably the most pleasant and rewatchable review I've ever come across on here. Great job! Some of the patches are intriguing and the explanations of the functions can sometimes be vague and imprecise, much like the synthesizer itself. Pure joy!
I am so excited for my preorder to ship next week. Cannot wait to get my make noise trio singing together. Thank you for reviewing this Nick! I’m in a first class car on the hype train!
I love this synth. A splash of reverb really expends its sound stage. Paired with the 0-Coast and the 0-CTRL, it makes a very capable system that can make everything from the noisiest and chaotic abstract ambiant textures to acid-house bangers. Add a couple of Eurorack modules on the side and it opens up another world of possibilities.
Thanks Nick, great review as always. I hope you will incorporate the Strega into a Friday Fun session soon. Also, I am quite surprised that you didn't mention its biggest weakness - no PWM! ;)
Many reviewers don't mention weaknesses so as not to upset the manufacturers who send them the freebies. There are some who come across as unbiassed but they are few and far between.
The case is magnetic. I've made some patch cables that terminate in magnets. That way you get perfect clean connection between the gold patch points... the Strega is noisy enough without the noise from my skin.
I probably shouldn't be doing this, but I'm about to "Check out" with my first purchase of... patching cables and _other things_ ;) And you kinda losing yourself during the patch demo - _"Oh wait, this is a review, I should resume talking"_ - did play into it :D
If you think about their configuration, they're quite the same idea, same layout (although Strega obviously has more features, controls, etc). Oscillator mixed to an external audio input, and a super noisy delay with a filter in its feedback path.
Price. This is something I'd love to try and I am a huge MN fan but the price kills it for me, even with the discounts you can find. I suspect being a collab, there are more mouths to feed.
How much! One could buy an Erebus V3 for that, or similar unit, and still have enough change for some patch cables... Though £350 to 400 would get me interested. Love to ALL, feel no hate
I struggled with this when I first got mine, too! If you have the key step, plug in gate out to the Activation CV input directly (turn Activation control CCW, attenuverter clockwise), or gate the Agitation Function and patch its output to Activation (adjust shape and length of Agitation Function to taste) and lastly plug Pitch into 1V/Oct. Hope this helps!
@@jamesbtex58 My pleasure! I sincerely hope you enjoy the synth. It took me a few days to warm up to its quirks, but then I realized it's something very special.
@@jfg09 sound clarity! there are good sounds behind the bit crushing, it would've been nice to have the option to hear these before the crunch. Hope you understand where I'm coming from :-)
HAHAHA. Yeah I'm not sure what the raving over it is all about. I can easily make a bunch of garbage sounds with effect VSTs included with my DAW. No need to pay $700-$800 for a Strega to do it.
Get a Subharmonicon and pair it with the Strega. I can't imagine anything sounding more crap than that! Plus the total waste of cash, perhaps $1400-1600 wasted on stuff with extremely limited (5%) use.
It cracks me up how divisive the Strega is. I don't think you can fully appreciate it until you plug headphones into it and get lost in its sound world. I haven't felt this way about a synth since the Prophet-6. Could not be more different, but the love factor is just the same. Try to listen with your ears and worry less about 'hype' and 'chin-stroking' and whatever write-offs you want to throw at it. We are a pretty small community and should support everyone's interest. Big ups to the person that buys a Moog One or Prophet 10 or a Strega. Respect to all the builders (except B...) and players . We're all just trying to make some sound.
@@paulb1953 make noise makes really delicious kool aid, actually. Not too sweet, not too sour. Available on their webstore. They also make great sandwiches, which they sample into the morphagene. Should give that video look if you’re hungry.
I understand it's not for everybody, but it's definitely one of my favorite synths I've ever owned. I was quite skeptical of it at first, but there isn't a single time I've played it and not got lost in it for hours. It's not feature packed and filled with quirks, but they are what make it so special. I think you made it sound absolutely gorgeous, Nick. One of the best demos yet.
Thank you for the review Nick, really appreciate it. Not one for me to lust after (thankfully) as I prefer my crazy in the Sound of Shadows form. But each to their own and thanks for the review!
Great video, but one things worth noting: the delay is based on PT2399, so it is not an analogue delay but rather a lofi digital delay. I saw your other video with Alessandro and see he didn't do very well to clarify it, but elsewhere it is confirmed as PT2399.
you forgot to use/describe the “absorb” knob! i don’t exactly get what it does - it acts as a combination of filter and resonance - you said the filter doesn’t peak, but that’s because you had the absorb turned all the way down, if you turn it “up” you let in all this awful high frequency noise mess but it also adds resonance to the filter! still figuring it out…
im quitre torn about this, it sounds and looks cool as fuck but the erebus has a multimode filter, 3 oscillators, many patch points, and echo and vca for pretty similar price. i do love make noise stuff though
20:08 What if you solder a wire to a 3.5mm jack socket, expose the wire on the other end and just tape it to the touchpoint? An external VCA to top it off and you're good!
Incredible sounds in here - love the methodical, rational breakdown as counterpoint to the more whimsical marketing. Messing with Strega for a couple weeks now; easy to get lost in the sweet spots. Out of the 3 MN synths with this form factor, this is the only one that can be played without patching.
I saw Alessandro Cortini perform using a couple of these and it was pretty amazing. Epically loud and brutal and beautiful too. I ordered one the next day, and I love it. Continuously surprising what it can deliver. It’s right up there with the Benjolin in terms of untamed results.
Just got mine this week after shipping delays on the Make Noise side (parts to them delayed I believe) - it's very clearly meant to be a friend with some of the others (0-coast/0-ctrl) which I'm excited to delve into.
I rarely go past 7-8 O'Clock, although sometimes it sounds awesome with the clock noise filtered out a bit and the subharmonics blasting through it-like Boris of Sunn))) in your lap, haha. But yeah, it's a pretty dirty delay for sure.
Yea they used the pt2399 chips, the ones used in cheap karaoke machines for delay and reverb. They are known for sounding bad, which is fun but $600 for about $50-100 in parts? nah.
@@kellymerrill5294 I hear you, but I’d honestly buy another one to have them in stereo, haha. It’s funny, tho, I’ve tried running it through my magneto, mimeophon, re-501, and 4ms DLD and it just didn’t sound as cool. I guess it’s in the way the circuits feedback. Again, not for everyone, but I can’t put mine down.
does anyone have a longer term review about this? My guts rather tell me, this is kind of a gimmicky thing which is fun for two or three days, but too all over the place to make it into a regular danceable music production workflow...
Hainbach and Sarah Belle Reid’s reviews/hands on are pretty great. It isn’t something that you pick up and go unfortunately with melody and more upbeat tracks. Even from a sound design perspective it takes time to tune in and find its spots for whatever session I like. It definitely thrives with bigger systems for routing/modulation, or the full 0 Coast/ 0 CTRL/Strega trio for variety. That being said, it is pretty niche in sound/design. Not for everyone, but once you get the wheels turning it’s a blast to explore.
This along with SoftPop, and the Quadrantrid Swarm has so much sound design possibilities. Imagine combining all of them.... Thanks Nick for showing us another side of Strega - beautiful!
I am sure that this must have some creative applications. I really can’t see it as part of any kind of workflow however. And frankly, there are way better esoteric/individualistic instruments out there. The Lyra 8, Solar 50 and dreadbox abyss being cases in point. So. Not reaching for the credit card on this one!
well if your "workflow" is live improvised experimental/noise music then it's perfect. it will make a nice addition to my aging bugbrand boardweevil once I have the cash for it.
Yea, it's way overpriced. The delay chips they used cost near nothing. Well engineered though. A couple of NLC modules can do this for less than $100 if you can solder.
You know you don’t only pay for the parts though, right? Research and development, design, parts sourcing, testing, shipping, assembly, marketing, public relations, distribution, accounting... The instrument has to pay for all of this.
It is great to have a review and description that is not a bunch of information-free artsy-fartsy speak. Nick found some interesting sounds by playing around, but a manual that gives some real description of what each section of the device does and its basic properties is essential. For me it is a pass. I guess it appeals to others.
![[TH] FS vs BME - VCT Ascension Pacific - Lower Bracket Final](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/wnygqsR2Fig/mqdefault.jpg)
I apologize to my Korg MS20 for thinking it's noisy.
I issue an apology to my former Korg Monotron delay,
The ms20 into strega must be heaven
Best comment of the year here ^
This is probably the most pleasant and rewatchable review I've ever come across on here. Great job! Some of the patches are intriguing and the explanations of the functions can sometimes be vague and imprecise, much like the synthesizer itself. Pure joy!
Thank you. Your level of experience really helped you make sense of this thing and let us know what it's capable of.
I am so excited for my preorder to ship next week. Cannot wait to get my make noise trio singing together.
Thank you for reviewing this Nick!
I’m in a first class car on the hype train!
Great little box, very tempting.
It's an Outdoor Instrument. I can hear it sitting about 1/2 mile away on a nice summer (Italian?) night. Lots of amps pushing it out. Well done, Sir!
Nice look! Its absolutely nuts as an fx unit also, ringmod and funky delay combo is out of this world! Hope to see it peak it's way into a Friday fun.
how do you use it as a ringmod?
@@bassdoll1548 send the output of the audio input into the activation and it should ringmod the signal
What a valuable video! I understand my Strega much deeper now, thank you!
I know a lot of people may not like this noisy sound... But I love it and can't wait to incorporate into my system.
Always wonderful
I love this synth. A splash of reverb really expends its sound stage. Paired with the 0-Coast and the 0-CTRL, it makes a very capable system that can make everything from the noisiest and chaotic abstract ambiant textures to acid-house bangers. Add a couple of Eurorack modules on the side and it opens up another world of possibilities.
That ending melody reminds me of Pictures of You in a really good way.❤️
Love it. Thanks for the review Mr. Batt. Looking forward to hearing more of strega paired with 0 coast and 0 ctrl
Thanks Nick, great review as always. I hope you will incorporate the Strega into a Friday Fun session soon.
Also, I am quite surprised that you didn't mention its biggest weakness - no PWM! ;)
Many reviewers don't mention weaknesses so as not to upset the manufacturers who send them the freebies.
There are some who come across as unbiassed but they are few and far between.
@@johnhorrobin8560 pretty sure @1VperOctave was continuing the Nick Blatt PWM inside joke...
The case is magnetic. I've made some patch cables that terminate in magnets. That way you get perfect clean connection between the gold patch points... the Strega is noisy enough without the noise from my skin.
Great sound⚡️
I probably shouldn't be doing this, but I'm about to "Check out" with my first purchase of... patching cables and _other things_ ;) And you kinda losing yourself during the patch demo - _"Oh wait, this is a review, I should resume talking"_ - did play into it :D
great review - cheers. :)
The time function made it sound a little like a Korg monotron delay.
If you think about their configuration, they're quite the same idea, same layout (although Strega obviously has more features, controls, etc). Oscillator mixed to an external audio input, and a super noisy delay with a filter in its feedback path.
same delay chip
"i mean yes it's quite noisy.."
Bonkers, awesome, out there. I think I need one.
Very nice!
Price. This is something I'd love to try and I am a huge MN fan but the price kills it for me, even with the discounts you can find. I suspect being a collab, there are more mouths to feed.
I want this with the wing pinger.
I love this video as i do all of yours! I can't connect my keystep though via pin to v/oct :/
Why not?
How much!
One could buy an Erebus V3 for that, or similar unit, and still have enough change for some patch cables...
Though £350 to 400 would get me interested.
Love to ALL, feel no hate
thanks for the review!
It would have been helpful if you had started the video showing how you had your keyboard connected to the Strega.
I struggled with this when I first got mine, too! If you have the key step, plug in gate out to the Activation CV input directly (turn Activation control CCW, attenuverter clockwise), or gate the Agitation Function and patch its output to Activation (adjust shape and length of Agitation Function to taste) and lastly plug Pitch into 1V/Oct. Hope this helps!
Did I not mention it? Sorry
Thanks that is very helpful.
@@jamesbtex58 My pleasure! I sincerely hope you enjoy the synth. It took me a few days to warm up to its quirks, but then I realized it's something very special.
awaiting...........
Interesting machine! Getting some Annihilation soundtrack vibes from some of the tones.
23.45 Phwoarrr...
couldn't agree more .
£530 quid!! not enough clarity for the money me thinks!!
Clarity? What is that ?
@@jfg09 sound clarity! there are good sounds behind the bit crushing, it would've been nice to have the option to hear these before the crunch. Hope you understand where I'm coming from :-)
100% agree. Sounds great but pretty expensive since all the interesting sounds are bathed in that clock noise....
@@triplebacon1 yep it s crystal clear Thanks ^^
Yep, one or two more patch points in the right places could have really opened the versatility of this. It's still a cool sounding device.
Sounds awful and Nick is trying not to say it's garbage, but is reluctant to speak his mind and upset Mr Rolando/Cortini.
HAHAHA. Yeah I'm not sure what the raving over it is all about. I can easily make a bunch of garbage sounds with effect VSTs included with my DAW. No need to pay $700-$800 for a Strega to do it.
Sounds horrible. I'd be wanting my money back.
That user interface is awful tho - like all the make noise products. Pity.
Lost me at the first bleep - chin strokers only methinks.
I stroke my chin in your general direction.
Expensive toy
The Strega, or you?
@@cldbrbn6070 The review wasn't about me, dummy. The Strega ofc.
Ok. I guess that’s my review of you then. Thanks for playing
It's my favorite expensive toy I own right now. And you two play nice!
The emperor has no clothes. Some of Cortini's music is good, other not. But this synth is unuseable art, pretentious art over everything.
Get a Subharmonicon and pair it with the Strega. I can't imagine anything sounding more crap than that! Plus the total waste of cash, perhaps $1400-1600 wasted on stuff with extremely limited (5%) use.
I've been waiting for Nick to get his hands on this!!
It cracks me up how divisive the Strega is. I don't think you can fully appreciate it until you plug headphones into it and get lost in its sound world. I haven't felt this way about a synth since the Prophet-6. Could not be more different, but the love factor is just the same. Try to listen with your ears and worry less about 'hype' and 'chin-stroking' and whatever write-offs you want to throw at it. We are a pretty small community and should support everyone's interest. Big ups to the person that buys a Moog One or Prophet 10 or a Strega. Respect to all the builders (except B...) and players . We're all just trying to make some sound.
I couldn't agree more!
Sounds like someone drank the kool aid
@@paulb1953 make noise makes really delicious kool aid, actually. Not too sweet, not too sour. Available on their webstore. They also make great sandwiches, which they sample into the morphagene. Should give that video look if you’re hungry.
or make... noise...
I understand it's not for everybody, but it's definitely one of my favorite synths I've ever owned. I was quite skeptical of it at first, but there isn't a single time I've played it and not got lost in it for hours. It's not feature packed and filled with quirks, but they are what make it so special. I think you made it sound absolutely gorgeous, Nick. One of the best demos yet.
Thank you for the review Nick, really appreciate it. Not one for me to lust after (thankfully) as I prefer my crazy in the Sound of Shadows form. But each to their own and thanks for the review!
Great video, but one things worth noting: the delay is based on PT2399, so it is not an analogue delay but rather a lofi digital delay.
I saw your other video with Alessandro and see he didn't do very well to clarify it, but elsewhere it is confirmed as PT2399.
you forgot to use/describe the “absorb” knob! i don’t exactly get what it does - it acts as a combination of filter and resonance - you said the filter doesn’t peak, but that’s because you had the absorb turned all the way down, if you turn it “up” you let in all this awful high frequency noise mess but it also adds resonance to the filter! still figuring it out…
Love what you were able to dial in around 12:38 really nice 👌
im quitre torn about this, it sounds and looks cool as fuck but the erebus has a multimode filter, 3 oscillators, many patch points, and echo and vca for pretty similar price. i do love make noise stuff though
Lovely stuff ! Watch out Nick. I feel a modular growing around this
My cat is scratching her post and running around the room, she likes it.
The patch demo section from 12:00 or so onwards is quite amazing.
20:08 What if you solder a wire to a 3.5mm jack socket, expose the wire on the other end and just tape it to the touchpoint? An external VCA to top it off and you're good!
Incredible sounds in here - love the methodical, rational breakdown as counterpoint to the more whimsical marketing. Messing with Strega for a couple weeks now; easy to get lost in the sweet spots. Out of the 3 MN synths with this form factor, this is the only one that can be played without patching.
Hello again! Can you connect the Strega to 0-coast? (Also from MakeNoize) Best wishes from Liselotte in Karlstad, Sweden.
It's amasing how whatever the synth, you make it your own, mood wise.
Je suis le seul à plus rien comprendre aux synthétiseurs ?
7:15 That ghastly bestial soup sounds awesome.
Micromonsta 2 still has bang for the buck, sounds great and user friendly. This is very fiddling and sounds ok
@@tColorsinspacerecordings true
It sounds like being underwater, or in space. In a good way.
In space isn't any noise at all
I saw Alessandro Cortini perform using a couple of these and it was pretty amazing. Epically loud and brutal and beautiful too. I ordered one the next day, and I love it. Continuously surprising what it can deliver. It’s right up there with the Benjolin in terms of untamed results.
Just got mine this week after shipping delays on the Make Noise side (parts to them delayed I believe) - it's very clearly meant to be a friend with some of the others (0-coast/0-ctrl) which I'm excited to delve into.
Sounds cool but have many things that do the same.
great review, cheers!
Woo! Serious distortion and noise....
Nice.....
I loved when Nick said "bestial soup".
the op1 of semi mods
'A simple patch' - I don't think this thing does simple patches. NTSST - never the same sound twice.
Listening on headphones and that noise from the delay is awful. Kills the good things this thing is capable for me
I rarely go past 7-8 O'Clock, although sometimes it sounds awesome with the clock noise filtered out a bit and the subharmonics blasting through it-like Boris of Sunn))) in your lap, haha. But yeah, it's a pretty dirty delay for sure.
Yea they used the pt2399 chips, the ones used in cheap karaoke machines for delay and reverb. They are known for sounding bad, which is fun but $600 for about $50-100 in parts? nah.
@@kellymerrill5294 I hear you, but I’d honestly buy another one to have them in stereo, haha. It’s funny, tho, I’ve tried running it through my magneto, mimeophon, re-501, and 4ms DLD and it just didn’t sound as cool. I guess it’s in the way the circuits feedback. Again, not for everyone, but I can’t put mine down.
does anyone have a longer term review about this? My guts rather tell me, this is kind of a gimmicky thing which is fun for two or three days, but too all over the place to make it into a regular danceable music production workflow...
Hainbach and Sarah Belle Reid’s reviews/hands on are pretty great. It isn’t something that you pick up and go unfortunately with melody and more upbeat tracks. Even from a sound design perspective it takes time to tune in and find its spots for whatever session I like. It definitely thrives with bigger systems for routing/modulation, or the full 0 Coast/ 0 CTRL/Strega trio for variety.
That being said, it is pretty niche in sound/design. Not for everyone, but once you get the wheels turning it’s a blast to explore.
This along with SoftPop, and the Quadrantrid Swarm has so much sound design possibilities. Imagine combining all of them....
Thanks Nick for showing us another side of Strega - beautiful!
This sounds like one of my DIY attempts, wonder if I could sell them for 500 quid
Cool story 😎
I am sure that this must have some creative applications. I really can’t see it as part of any kind of workflow however. And frankly, there are way better esoteric/individualistic instruments out there. The Lyra 8, Solar 50 and dreadbox abyss being cases in point. So. Not reaching for the credit card on this one!
well if your "workflow" is live improvised experimental/noise music then it's perfect. it will make a nice addition to my aging bugbrand boardweevil once I have the cash for it.
@@valdir7426 I have no idea what you just said. But applaud the experimental spirit. As we say in New Zealand “Go you good thing!”.
Yea, it's way overpriced. The delay chips they used cost near nothing. Well engineered though. A couple of NLC modules can do this for less than $100 if you can solder.
You know you don’t only pay for the parts though, right? Research and development, design, parts sourcing, testing, shipping, assembly, marketing, public relations, distribution, accounting... The instrument has to pay for all of this.
@@XanderEwald No, he doesn’t know.
@@XanderEwald lots of ignorant individuals on the internet
Strega sounds much larger than the sum of its parts.
It needs to sound larger than the sum of its farts...
No offense, Nick, but this review seemed like it took a lot of mental gymnastics. Too many, perhaps.
Some sound 🔊
This thing is awesome! Thanks Nick! 😎👍🏼
sounds awful. Nothing but hype and pseudo science . Not you Nick ...difficult job here.
You seem to lack imagination, except about your own importance
Teriible sound! Like a cheap Japanese karaoke bar with light footed ginseng girls! Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeey!
Where is the karaoke bar that sounds like this?!? Terrible comment!
It is great to have a review and description that is not a bunch of information-free artsy-fartsy speak. Nick found some interesting sounds by playing around, but a manual that gives some real description of what each section of the device does and its basic properties is essential. For me it is a pass. I guess it appeals to others.