#871

He, funny that you are bringing this up. I do try to use every single trick mentioned here, like mixing various LFO-signals, OR-logic, waveform-rectifying and all. But I need quite a bit of real estate for this approach I feel. Except when using single LFOs at ultra slow or fast speeds their usual regularity and predictability drives me crazy and ruined quite a few recorded songs of mine for myself when I listen back on them after a little while. I even never officially released a completely manufactured cassette tape once because of me finding the LFO in one piece just to be a tad too obvious and overbearing throughout the piece in hindsightā€¦
So yeah, thanks for bringing this up to hopefully get a little closer to this mystery.

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#872

Glad Iā€™m not alone! I like the idea of having a batumi set incredibly slow to develop parameters over the course of a set.

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#873

Yeah, the very slow speeds seem to cut it much better in general for me as well. Iā€™m just about to solder up a triple sloth for that reasonā€¦letā€™s see where that will lead me.

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#874

One of the key :closed_lock_with_key: for your lfoā€™s is attenuation.
And yes Batumi is amazing !

2 Likes
#875

You can slow down most VCO/LFO modules by sending a negative offset signal to the frequency input so you very likely already have the tools to accomplish this.

#876

I had a 2hp VCA as well and it broke. Their customer service was great though. They repaired it, and then it broke again and they sent me a brand new one for free and it still works great. My thought on 2hp is that since they are so small they are quite delicate.

#877

One thing that can help with some LFOs without extra space in the rack is self patching to create more complex shapes. For example you can patch Ochd so that its overall rate parameter is controlled by one of the LFO outputs.

3 Likes
#878

Thanks @SimonKirby , yeah, I have absolutely 4hp reserved for Ochd in my main case. Hopefully I can get a hold of one with the next batch.

An LFO Iā€™m quite happy with is the VCLFO-B from Omsonic which accepts external voltage for modulation and also the VILFO from Pittsburgh does a good job at breaking the monotonyā€¦so thatā€™s not too bad after all:)

#879

I like to take four basic shapes out from the Dixie II and put them into the NLC Letā€™s Splosh. Then I have 16 wacky LFO shapes to play with.

3 Likes
#880

Re: LFO patches

One trick I use is taking a slowly changing random voltage, attenuating it and using that to modulate the frequency of an LFO. I do this using the NLC sloth and a Doepfer a-147-2. This causes some instability int the LFO which makes it seem less static. Another great trick is sending two LFOā€™s into a DC coupled ring mod. I have a uMod from Intellijel which has four analog logic outputs as well as the ring mod which is great for sending various shapes to different locations within the patch.

Another patch involves two LFOs into a vc switch and using a random gate to switch between the two LFOs. I often send the output into a slew limiter set to a fast rate just to smooth the edges off of the jumps between the two LFOs.

If you have a crossfader thatā€™s another way to get variation using two LFOs or even one LFO with different shapes.

6 Likes
#881

And now with a question of my own: Does anyone have any fun tips for using multiple filters in series? Iā€™ve been experimenting with patching a 24db filter from two 12db filters and am having some success, although itā€™s tricky using different filters with varying responses to envelopes etc. I started playing around with different filter arrangements - low pass into high pass, high pass into low pass etc. - and started to find some interesting sounds so I was wondering if other folks had tricks they wanted to share.

One cool discovery on my end was using two resonant 12db low pass filters in series and offsetting the frequency slightly to increase the harmonics in the resonant peak and then using common controls for sweep, envelope etc. It created a really wide resonance (if that makes any sense) that was also hard to predict, probably because of the varying response between the two filters.

4 Likes
#882

The Instruo Divkid Ƙchd is my favorite at the moment. Because itā€™s easy, random and only 4HP for 8 LFOā€™s.

#883

Hi. I wondered if this thread might help me with a dilemma Iā€™m having.

Whenever I hear a DPO, I swoon. I donā€™t think I need to tell you that modular offers phenomenal sound sculpting options, the DPO being an exemplary module.

Afa modular goes, I donā€™t have the time/money resources to spend liberally and so far have two semimods, a M32 and Microvolt3900. I am considering giving up my M32 for a DPO (+4ms pod) and using the MVā€™s filter and utilities. What I would be giving up in utility I would gain in sound sculpting capabilities, particularly the ā€œfollowā€ and synch options. I might also consider pairing it with a utility module - optomix, maybe - to get back the utility I would lose giving up the M32.

Iā€™m looking for reasons against doing this; things I may have overlooked. Maybe different routes: the M32 for an STO or Dixie plus better modulation/utility options.

Thank you in advance.

#884

Sometimes I just like to use an LFO for basic effects like tremolo or subtle FM modulation of a VCO. Nothing fancy. But classic ā€œguitar pedalā€ style effects are classic for a reason.

#885

I have a like/hate relationship with the M32ā€™s sequencer. And their approach to V/octave forces me to burn an offset channel when I sequence it extremely. But that sound. If you love it, you love it.

#886

Itā€™s hard to argue with love for a sound.

Personally, I enjoy the DPOā€™s sound more in other peopleā€™s hands than I did in my own. Itā€™s the Hertz Donut mk2 or Pittsburgh Double Helix for me (ā€¦and a bunch of other FM) :grin:

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#887

There are probably hundreds of combinations of modules that would let you build a complex oscillator with patch cables in Eurorack. Not to mention other modules that actually are complex oscillators.

But if the DPO is whatā€™s truly calling out to you, wonā€™t you always wonder what you could have done with the DPO if you go for something else?

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#888

Iā€™ve been pondering selling one of my two DPOsā€¦ I got a silver one and later got a black&gold shared system, so wound up with twoā€¦

Iā€™ve promised myself (and my wife) not to grow my system beyond the 15u 104hp Iā€™ve got now, and space is already getting tightā€¦

I asked once here if I should sell it and someone said that it wasnā€™t uncommon for buchla systems to have more than one complex oscillatorā€¦ which caused some decision paralysis on my partā€¦ but Iā€™m really top heavy with oscillatorsā€¦ argh!

Actually the pandemic has taken my attention away from excessive eurorack fantasies, which is a bit of a relief!

#889

Howabout some East coast flavor? Need an M32? :wink:

#890

I have one already, but thanks! I rarely use it for some reasonā€¦

1 Like