#2412

Does anyone here have experience with the Rossum Mob of Emus? I’ve looked all over YouTube and it’s hard to find demos showing sounds it creates. It looks pretty robust and I want to pull the trigger as what I’ve seen and heard sounds cool, plus I like that it can pull duties as a modulator (a la JF), but I haven’t been able to find a solid example of sounds in relatively basic patches. If anyone has a track or video to share, I’d appreciate it!

I’m also eyeing a Control Forge as well so if anyone wants share their pros and cons, I’m all ears. Plenty of helpful videos on YouTube, but it’s always nice to hear first-hand experience.

#2413

Hey there,

I know this is an old comment, but would you recommend an 0-coast to someone starting out in modular with a lot of the same musical interests and goals that you described?

I just stumbled upon your comment in this thread while looking for advice about how to shoot for very similar sounds. I was really excited when I started looking into the 0-coast, but a lot of the videos and some posts on forums left me wondering if I’d struggle to get it out of the harsh kinda buzzy territory and into stuff more like you’d described. I realize that a desktop semi-modular is obviously going to be way way more limited than what those artists are working with, but I’ve been trying to assess if the 0-coast is the best contained, portable, and affordable unit for those kinds of moods at least. I’ve got a pretty good selection of pedals I’ve been using to try and head toward this kinda territory for a while, that I thought could be cool to run the 0-coast through (and possibly adding an 0-ctrl as well), but I would love some more feedback from someone with similar interests who actually owns one if you wouldn’t mind :pray:

I’m interested in exploring the noisier side of the 0-coast too. Jim O’Rourke is another major influence of mine that’s pushed me toward modular/semi-modular, so exploring some of the wackiness the 0-coast is known for sounds fun, but I’m mainly looking for more calming, ambient sounds. Would really appreciate your thoughts!

#2414

Hey all!

Does anyone have any ideas for improvements on this Palette I’m planning? I have some of the modules already, others I will have to acquire.

Screenshot 2021-01-07 at 12.39.26

My thoughts and goals:

I have a 6U 104hp rack in addition to this but I’ve been wanting a smaller system that I can bring with me and that can focus my playing on less modules.

I am thinking of combining this with a Keystep 37 and a Digitone, so I have not included any effects in the Palette - I figure I can use the Digitone reverb. I might also have my Norns (shield) in the mix.

My goals for this is to have a small complete two-voice system with plenty of modulation and generative possibilities. I’m into ambient a lot but I also work on more rhythmic electronic music and adding synth parts to pop/rock tracks.

For voices I have the Instruo Ts-L and uPlaits. As far as modulation I have uTides, Pamela, O_c, Pique and Sisters if I want to use it for that. Scales and O_c along with modulation for creative sequencing. Digitone and Keystep 37 for more structured sequencing. Utilities/VCA is the 321, Intellijel 1U VCA and Doepfer Dual Polarizer.

I figure Sisters will most regularily be on creative mixing duties. I was considering adding some kind of creative delay but I’m not sure what I’d throw out. The remaining 1U space is a bit of a lie, my output module is bigger (Exi[s]t), and there are transformers blocking some of the space underneath.

I was also concerned with limited stereo options, aside from what Sisters can give me.

Any thoughts?

#2415

I will try to remember to confirm midi clock to cv gate works as well, but I did use my volca sample to clock a sirin/moogerfooger experiment once:

Clock adjustment is at the very beginning. You don’t have to watch the whole thing. No one ever does lol

#2416

There tends to be an uncomfortably long lag between a Rossum module getting released and anything approximating a suitable demo video getting made. They write terrific technical manuals, but they’re hard to really comprehend without a demo.

There’s an active discussion of Mob of Emus over on MW, including various demo videos. It’s intriguing, but everyone struggling with it a little, as it seems to have some counter-intuitive limitations, mainly on the cv input side.

I’ve had Control Forge and I made a couple videos about it. One is an operational overview intended to complement the manual. The other covers the BPM mode they later added. I did not keep Control Forge and have never missed it—perhaps some great power comes with too much responsibility? But of course, it all depends on what you want to do and how. I’ve often said that it seems complex and hard to learn, but it’s actually not that hard to learn. Once you’ve gone through the motions a few times, it’s quite easy, although it can be time-consuming and quite tedious. The real problem with Control Forge is that it’s hard to employ. Control Forge, like the vaguely comparable Verbos Multistage and XAOC ZADAR (which I have instead and is more my style), lives in its own world with its own idea of time. You can start, stop and reset it, speed it up an down, and it spits out an arbitrarily fluctuating CV signal. There are lots of things you can do with that, but only some of them are actually useful, and you have to figure out what.

2 Likes
#2417

Not sure what room your fake 1U actually has available, but the intellijel Midi 1U is only 14mm deep and would add a lot if you’re working with Digitone.

1 Like
#2418

Oh, that’s great to know! Thanks for the Digitone tip, that could in theory work out, as I have almost a mm clearance there. Plenty! :sweat_smile:

IMG_2112
IMG_21123024×3024 2.35 MB

1 Like
#2419

Now you just have to sneak the cable through there to connect to the palette’s jacks :sweat_smile:

1 Like
#2420

I have a good chunk of modular gear now, and I still have a lot of fun w/ the 0-coast, a lot of that is due to an extremely clever set of choices. I think it’s actually a pretty deep instrument and not as limited as you would be led to believe given the dimensions. It’s definitely well suited for all kinds of music and can produce a wide variety of sounds. With a sequencer (DAW, SQ-1, 0-CTRL, etc.) and some pedals I think it could keep you busy for a very long time.

3 Likes
#2421

Here’s a thought exercise for the group: I’m thinking of removing or selling my Epoch Benjolin / Twinpeak combo from my main case. I think they’re wonderful but I try not to get too precious about things and once I’ve enjoyed something like that for a while I’d rather explore something new.

What kind of interesting oscillator / filter / voice combo would YOU slot in that space?

  • 34 hp or less
  • Preferably a “matched pair” within one manufacturer
  • full synth voice works (like a Deckard’s Voice for example) but thinking oscillator / filter combo
  • consider any ancillary utilities already exist in a larger case
  • Something with “character” - for example, a Dixie + Polaris is a wonderful combo but doesn’t have the chutzpah I’m looking for in this particular instance.
  • No screens / menus

I had a Synchrodyne / Expand combo which I loved. It led to unconventional sounds and rewarded exploration. The Benjolin / Twinpeak combo is similar, it offers a whole ecosystem that I could then integrate with the rest of the rack. But at this time I’d just like to look for something new.

For example: a Richter Dual Borg / Antioscillator caught my eye. It ticks all the boxes above and they seem to be readily available. That’s the type of thing on my mind. I’m also thinking about Serge modules like the NTO + ??

Here’s the case and the hole: Moonbase Alpha MKII - Current Rack (copy) - Eurorack Modular System from michaelh on ModularGrid

I’ve been browsing MG but there’s just so much and I don’t keep up that well with what’s out there.

1 Like
#2422

There was a lot I liked about the 0-Coast. The wavefolder was definitely my least favorite bit, and that is certainly responsible for the more buzzy side of its sound. But it’s still a pretty worthy synth IMHO. You might also look into the Pittsburgh Microvolt 3900 as an alternative, or even the Eowave Quadrantid Swarm (though it’s kind of a different beast).

#2423

I would consider the Plague of Demons and BBX291 from NLC, that’s only 22hp so plenty of room for some other modulators/flavors. Not sure if you want more FM given you’ve got the DPO but you could get some good thru-zero stuff with PoD and another oscillator if you wanted. Alternatively, maybe a more obvious answer is IME stuff like Piston Honda and Hertz Donut which jump to mind as two characterful options with lots of chutzpah (altho distinct from each other), that leave room to be paired with something else (Bionic Lester for example)…

1 Like
#2424

very obvious and maybe you’ve already tried the osc but why not Plaits and Blades? interesting stereo possibilities like patching Plaits main and aux as L&R, and with the filter’s accurate V/oct you could get up to 3 voices out of it.

love Plaits -> Ripples and I often patch two Ripples outs into a Nearness for stereo width, so when I step up to a bigger case Blades is in the cards 100%.

3 Likes
#2425

That could definitely be an option, I like all of the NLC stuff I’ve had and the chaotic nature that comes with them is right up my alley. I didn’t know the BBX291 existed, but that looks amazing as does the Feague.

That would be very versatile indeed! I had a Braids a long time ago but have never used a Plaits. I should try it out in VCV Rack…

1 Like
#2426

Not first hand but feedback I’ve heard re blades-as-stereo is just that it’s not really optimized for that use. Product description even says re stereo YKINMK. It ~can~ do it, but only as strict hp/lp, and most of its modulation destinations are borderline useless in that context.

If width is the concern, I’d recommend just augmenting ripples w a LRMSMSLR so that you’re not just phase cancelling when you patch to stereo. Blades is big, expensive, and ill-optimized for that application.

Edit: did not mean to imply that it can’t do bandpass in stereo. It can. I mean that variable shape, resonance at related peaks (leading to phase cancellation), and routing modulation (The Cool Things About Blades) are not immediately useful in a stereo widening context compared to M/S processing based on my experience (which is by no means authoritative).

Edit 2: can’t do variable width bandpass in stereo. I regret saying anything at all :upside_down_face:

1 Like
#2427

What do you think is best here? 3sis? Belgrad? QPAS? I know this has been beaten to death but since it’s being discussed I see no reason not to get some extra opinions as I’m looking for a stereo filter myself.

#2428

I’m not following - what do you mean only as strict hp/lp only and modulation destinations being useless??? can you link to your sources?

I don’t see anything about the Mode knob being disabled when using the individual outputs.

And it seems like the only knob that you wouldn’t use when in true stereo is Routing, but if you treated L as the Mid and R as the Side, Routing would effectively control stereo width by feeding Filter 1’s output into Filter 2

#2429

And does anyone have experience with the Bastl Ikarie yet?

That looks interesting.

3 Likes
#2430

Really depends on what you like and how much space you have. I have two three sisters, one of which I use with a LRMSMSLR for stereo width before effects and the other I use in straight mono for color and (shocker!) filtering lol (or as an oscillator or in the fun formant zones…).

I like 3S cuz it’s the first analog filter (and oscillator) I ever used. It’s VERY quirky though. The inputs run hot. The resonance is extremely resonant. Most things you’d intuitively want to use the four outputs for (chords, comb filtering) you just can’t (hard to explain), but that forces more interesting uses anyway. I love it but man it demands some patience at first.

QPAS is very fun but never self-oscillates and it’s more challenging to mix stereo outs for width than it is to mid/side it for mono outs (phase cancellation).

Belgrad I’ve never used but Lightbath loves it. It’s big + mono so pair with a LRMSMSLR if stereo width is the goal.

Ripples + LRMSMSLR is what I’d say is prolly best. Simple, intuitive, sounds good. Weirdly, of the options I’m familiar with, Blades is really the only choice that feels ill-advised. Like the manufacturer has said directly ‘is not a stereo filter’

@varispeeder Mutable Instruments | Blades

Last bullet point under specifications. Sorry my initial post was unclear. To be more overt: my one claim here is “blades may not be the best choice for stereo width given its price, size, and strengths outside of that context, esp. if real estate is a concern.” I thought it might be useful to point out a cheaper and smaller option that could aid in your mission but if that’s not welcome then that’s totally groovy and if I’m demonstrably wrong about this that is also totally groovy.

1 Like
#2431

I see. The terms “ill-advised” and “borderline useless” make it sound like you’d seen reports that using Blades in stereo disables some core functionalities of the module. That was concerning given that it’s a planned near-term purchase for me.

Ripples was not explicitly designed to be patched into a stereo width module like Nearness (or LRMSMSLR) but it still sounds very cool! lately I’ve just been extremely frustrated by the limitations of that patch so I strongly disagree with the notion that it’s in any way a better option than Blades.

You are stuck with inputs are summed to mono, identical cutoff frequency, different filter topologies per side, and no option to use it as two independent voices or as a self-contained complex oscillator. It does cost an extra $59 and 6hp over your suggestion, but that’s a lot of extra bang for your buck/hp!