Many of the Ansible apps have max/msp equivalents, so I would recommend using those first if you can.

Rene and Ansible are extremely different, so it might be prudent to review videos of people using these modules and ask which kind of sequences sound closer to what you want to accomplish.

As far as clocks go, Tempi and Pam’s are both good choices. If you get a Rene2, you obviously want Tempi as they have deep integration. Pam’s on the other hand is much more than a clock. It can provide a number of useful functions! Definitely read the manual - that goes for both really. Tempi uses a small set of key combos you must memorize and is very “hands on”; Pam’s has an easy to use menu for all settings but cannot easily accomplish the instant changing of tempos to a new target the same way.

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Thank you again for the thoughtful reply. I did read the manual and listened to plenty of what Rene can do but I did not yet do the same with Ansible+Grid. I did read the documentation for Kria and listened to some Youtube videos but that’s about it. I was in a hurry not to miss the opportunity on the Grid that’s just been put on sale. I will dig deeper into what the possibilities are to make a good decision.

I was aware of most of the differences but I did not read the manual por PNW. I will have a look at that. But I like the immediacy of Tempi and I can deal with not having as many options as with PNW. I am very bad with menus, not because I don’t understand them but I tend to lose focus too quickly, something that I’ve been working on for the last ten years. Getting into hardware and leaving the DAW for basic mixing is part of that. But it is not that PNW is that complex from what I’ve seen. I will make some tea and sit with the manual I guess. Thanks again! I will come back to this thread with more questions probably.

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I have a René 2 and use Pam’s. While there is a lot of functionality in pairing it with tempi, I would seriously think about what you want to do and what it might require. Tempi along with René 2 is deeeeeeeeeeep. René 2 itself is deep enough but hooking up tempi over the select bus really adds a new level of complexity. The thing about tempi vs Pam’s, though, is that tempi only gives you clocks. Pam’s can give you a whole pile of other things, simultaneously. I mean, you could use Pam’s for all your modulation if you wanted. So, maybe also think about what will be ultimately clocking René. Doesn’t have to be Pam’s, but that all depends on what you are wanting to create musically.

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I’m also a Pam’s + Rene user. But really I like using Rene with a Knight’s gallop or with triggers from an outside sequencer (digitakt).

I had a Tempi but could not get down with memorizing the button-press combos and I also found it pretty convoluted to get anything but a straight clock subdivision going. I find that I need irregular “clocks” to get Rene to feel interesting (euclidian stuff, LFOs being modulated by other LFOs, etc). Of course, your mileage may vary!

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I will take a look at Knight’s Gallop, it looks super interesting. And for Pam’s, I see the advantages of using it for its modulation possibilities as a big plus for a small system. Some of the possibilities I only guess. I am slowly leaning towards Ansible+Grid which to me appears to be simpler to start with than Rene. I wouldn’t mind some menu diving and for what I see Pam’s menu is quite simple. I am checking the MAX apps that Grey mentioned to see what type of clock module would give me better interaction possibilities. So I will be looking at a wider range of options anyway.

This probably won’t happen with Pam’s. The menus are shallow, and aside from some specific features, you won’t use the sub menus all that often. I only say this because I also had those concerns. There is a reason the module is so popular. Not trying to presuade you re: Pam’s vs Tempi, just additional info. I’ve had both, and they are both good modules.

My dream clock module is a hybrid of both.

Holy moly both would be awesome. I think about that all the time.

As for grid/ansible as “easier” than René…maybe, I don’t know about that though. Rene is very easy to just get started with, and with minimal manual reading. Heck, watch the loopop review on YouTube and you would be set for a while. One simple clock and you can do quite a lot. Heck you could split the clock with a mult or stackable and have interesting things happen depending on how you clock x/y. But with ansible, you will certainly be doing some manual reading before you start up in earnest. I will refrain from further talk of grid/ansible since I just got mine and haven’t spent nearly enough time yet (I really wanted Earthsea). I will say that Rene was far more intuitive for me, though that certainly won’t be the case for everyone.

Also, the Pam’s menus are no problem. Easy to use and not too deep at all.

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The Ansible firmware with Earthsea makes it a no-brainer as far as value in my book - Grid cost aside. Kria and Meadowphysics are beautiful sequencers but have a very specific flavor. Earthsea brings it back to more traditional means of thinking about sequencing and performance. Makes for a lovely set of options!

Can Tallin boost external signals to modular level? I’m wondering if it can be used as an input module in a pinch…

I am using intellijel Steppy to drive Rene. Steppy is kind of like tempi but only with subdivisions:) my Steppy is getting clock from 2hp random module, but honestly it could be any other source (lfo, morphagene, maths, what have you:))

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hello! i´ve more questions:

  • looking for a cheap, simple multimode filter (i love bpf´s): curious about that “forbidden planet” from tiptop with multiple ins, single out. thoughts?
  • looking from tricks & ideas to use a single modulation source (rdn cv-lfo) to modulate various parameters on a 6U system. back in the old nord modular days i used multiples, s&h, cv att, white noise, sequencers. could a module like Branches help to this?

thanks so much!

Buying filters is a bit like buying wine. So many to choose from, and personal taste is the main factor.

Branches processes triggers and gates only. It’s nice for adding variation to rhythmic event generation patches. What is an “rdn cv-lfo”? I gather it’s a voltage-controllable LFO, but I’m not familiar with any such make/model.

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just asking about forbidden planet module from tiptop in particular.
rdm cv-lfo: random voltage generator (like the nano rand, or rdm pico series, i.e) or the random waveform from some lfo´s.

thanks!

Beyond simply multing the signal around, I presume the question is how to take one fluctuating signal and get derived variations. Attenuverters will scale and flip, and it helps to have offset paired with that. A slew will “slow down” and “smooth out” a fluctuating signal. Maths and various other CV processors do all those things. Some modules, such as Cold Mac, can take a single bipolar signal and produce at least six somewhat different derived signals through logic, rectifiers, etc. Circuits like the Malekko/Richter Joystick Axis Generator or Worng Vector Space also derive new signals, but tend to depend on at least two different seed signals.

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I haven’t tried Tallin with external signals yet, but I expect it would be fine. I’ve run some fairly quiet signals through it in my rack and it has a decent amount of gain. The official specs say +18dB, and if necessary you could use both channels in series. For comparison, Gozinta gives 12, 24 or 36dB of gain depending on jumper settings.

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Are you digging Tallin, @Starthief? How do you find yourself using it?

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I’ve not used it myself, but as far as I know Let’s Splosh (and a few other modules depending on taste) from NLC are a good way of taking one or two LFOs and getting loads of different modulation possibilities from them. I have (my own version of) a FF Chaos, which provides a couple of chaotic CV and a bunch of chaotic gates from a gate in and optional CV input.

I’m a bit cagey about modules which do nothing without very specific inputs (i.e. if you have a module which only does things when it gets gates, at least have a manual gate button or something) but FF Chaos can be self-patched to produce amusing chaotic modulations alone — I’ve had best results feeding the Trig output straight back into the Gate In.

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The Splosh really needs all four inputs filled to reach its potential. You can definitely derive a couple signals from a single signal but not sixteen. My work-around is to plug different LFO shapes from a single Dixie II into the inputs. Splosh.

This trick sounds awesome and I will try it. Thanks.

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Cool, I’d be curious to know how well it works on an official module! I built my own version (with Andrew’s permission) and it does… things… but due to the chaotic nature of the module it’s tricky to say whether it’s working “properly”.

I should also mention that my version normals 10V into the CV input so that the CV attenuator knob always does something even when no external signal is plugged in, so you might have to provide that too to get good self-patching results. After that, it’s just a case of tweaking both knobs to find the sweet spots (or savour the sour ones, depending on your tastes…)

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I like it quite a bit. It’s a good balance of utility and compactness, with a nice sound when overdriven. Mostly I use it as an “almost vanilla” VCA, where I let it overdrive a bit at peak levels but mostly stay in a clean range. I usually use the linear CV inputs, but not always.

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