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[iggy.labs]

Simpliciter in VCV Rack is also one way to play around with morphagene-like features including SOS and slicing and varispeed

Here’s an overview from Omri Cohen: https://youtu.be/bY6-Vxwdj_k

[janglesoul]

I actually think that the closest thing I have found to the Morphagene, at least the way I used it, is just Ableton’s Simpler.

Get a midi fighter twister or anything with knobs and wire up some controls similar to the Morphagene’s and you can get pretty close.

That sounds really interesting! Would you please explain a bit more of how you use it? What sort of sample do you load Simpler with? What kind of midi-notes do you feed it with etc? I obviously have some homework to do regarding the controls on the Morphagene, but if you’d have the time to tell me some more it would be very appreciated. Thanks!

[crunchydrums]

I think I could take a crack at this, I hadn’t given Simpler my full attention, but it does seem more similar to morphagene (if you leave simpler’s warping modes off) than more dedicated granular devices I mentioned above.

To sort of replicate the pitching/granular morphagene experience in the classic playback mode, I think you map midi knobs to the looping parameters, pitch bend - though I don’t think this accounts for the splice functions of morphagene

I think you could bootleg the splicing functions with Simpler’s “Slice” Mode (but I forget if this would make the looping functions unavailable, I will have to investigate…). The thing with Slice mode is that the slice being played back depends on the midi note in, so you would have to map a knob to transpose the midi note (built in midi arpeggiator allows for gate and pitch to be manipulated) in order to change the midi note inputted.

Not sure what other features im missing here. Reversing functions are more limited, simpler does playback only, so recording/SoS wouldn’t be available. But this could be a fun playground in the DAW to get a similar playable music concrete experience, I’ll definitely give it a go later.

[janglesoul]

Thanks! Lots of ideas there! I’ll have to look into it. I have a feeling that you could build pretty advanced instrument/effects-racks with a few M4L-devices thrown in.

[Xylr]

I should probably just upload a rack because it will be easier demonstrate that way, but here is an attempt at trying to describe a process for doing this.

1. Create an instrument rack (Rack A)

2. Drop another instrument rack (Rack B) inside Rack A

3. Drop some samples in Rack B

4. In Rack B, make sure that all of the Simplers (created when you dropped the samples in Rack B) have the following settings:

-Disable warping
-Disable retrig
-Set decay (to taste)
-Set release (to taste)
-Set number of voices (to taste)
-Enable loop
-Map sample length to macro knob 1
-Map sample start to macro knob 2

5. Within the Rack B chain list, choose velocity

6. Select all devices in the Rack B chain and choose ‘distribute ranges equally’

7. Drop the Fixed 1 preset from the Velocity midi effect in Rack A

8. Map Rack B Macro 1 (Sample Length) to Rack A Macro 1 (this is your Gene Size knob)

9. Map Rack B Macro 2 (Sample Start) to Rack A Macro 2 (this is your Slide knob)

10. In Rack A, map the velocity midi effect’s Out Hi knob to Macro Control 3 (this is your splice control)

Midi notes can function as the positive polarity side of the varispeed control.

This leaves the morph function… which is important! Obviously. It’s called Morphagene after all. What I would recommend here is just trying out some combination of effects and mapping the dry/wet to a 4th macro control in Rack A in order to make up for some lost functionality.

Obviously all of this can be modulated with M4L LFO’s as well.

I hope this helps… and PLEASE if someone has a better approach, let us know!

[janglesoul]

Wow! Thanks, for letting us in on the secret! And thanks for taking the time! Much appreciated. I’ll definitely be trying it out.

Edit/add: Sorry for sidetracking the discussion, should probably continue the discussion here Ableton Live

[Vessel]

Have to say as well, WRT all this talk about the granular capabilities of Simpler, that the Bitwig sampler is superb as well

[naxuu]

Seconding this. Right out of the box, the Bitwig sampler’s Granular mode replicates most or all the functionality of Nebulae v2 pretty handily (including independent pitch and speed parameters). It can probably do a convincing Morphagene impression if you’re willing to play around with the sampler module in Bitwig’s grid. More here.

[randy]

I feel like Kaivo gets overlooked as a granulator. So pardon if I toot my own horn for a minute. Beep beep.

Kaivo’s 2D approach to sources is unique as far as I know, and combined with all the modulation options it offers a lot of possibilities. The intention was to make as flexible a system as possible without any menu diving. The modulation sources include a 2D LFO and a very flexible noise generator.

We did a lot of work to make grains smoothly transition into one another (if desired) so you can get a faithful un-grainy-sounding reproduction of the source as a starting point before you mess it up. Great for oscillator waveforms as sources.

If you turn off the physical modeling modules it becomes very a CPU friendly plugin.

[LLK]

I really think that because Kaivo’s such a rich synth and an odd combination (Granular + Physical Modelling I mean… You don’t see that everyday), people tend to forget it each singular part of this synth is a synth on its own merit. As you said you can bypass the physical modeling modules to go full granular (Kaivo is actually my main granular synth so I agree), but you’ve also made it clear in your manual that you can use it as a sample player which means it suddenly becomes Sample + Physical modeling synth.

It’s a bit like, since all the reviews mention how “out there and weird” it is, they dismiss the point that it can also be more “classical” and still shine and be versatile.

+1 for taking the time to toot your own horn (wether you did that through granular or physical modelling !)

[naxuu]

@randy

If you turn off the physical modeling modules it becomes very a CPU friendly plugin.

This is a very good tip to know, I’ll have to dive in again with this in mind.

[kilchhofer]

kaivo for me too is the main granular tool. in combination with the soundplane it is the only synthesizer that gives me the feeling of diving into the sound of the sample. i often use the physical modelling module as a pseudo reverb, spring like if pitch turned way down with negativ modulation added, then the body as a subtle stereo effect…just perfect!
madrona labs

[hermbot]

Izotope has some pretty sweet deals going on, apparently they’re even better if you already own a product. I’ve used RX for years, and that means I can get Ozone Advanced for $150. That seems like a pretty good deal for a solid set of tools, no? Advanced gets you all the tool as individual plugins, which sounds nice.

I try to keep a pretty tight plugin list and avoid buying things just to buy them, but Ozone looks to have some powerful tools in it. RX has saved my bacon countless times and I’ll sing its praises to everyone, so I’m hoping Ozone is equally well constructed.

(Though it kind of bugs me that their loudness metering package is a different set of software? That seems… annoying.)

[discreet-cowboy]

I standby Ozone- especially if you’re not sending tracks off to a mastering studio. It’s a great companion to RX. There are a few components I like to use individually in my sessions, but most of the time when I’m mastering a track I just do it in the stand alone program itself. However I still think the Advanced is the way to go.

Hope this is helpful!

[varispeeder]

Definitely go for Ozone. For most things now, it’s the only thing on my master bus. Though the metering isn’t as robust as Insight, it will really only matter if you’re doing post since Ozone has excellent metering.

But IMO, unlike RX, Ozone Advanced isn’t a huge upgrade. I got it in a bundle, but I’ve never used the components on their own. in fact I removed them from my plugin folder to keep it less cluttered. Same thing with Neutron.

if you can get a discounted bundle that has both Neutron and Ozone Standard, I’d go with that instead.

[Smapti]

I agree that Ozone Advanced isn’t a big improvement over Standard, but I do really like Low End Focus and Tonal Balance Control, both of which are only in Advanced. I use the latter quite a bit since I don’t have a lot of mixing experience.

[mateo]

@hermbot

Izotope has some pretty sweet deals going on

They have a holiday bundle which is pretty much a no-brainer: I already own a few of the plugins it includes and I’m going to pick it up anyway!

Buy iZotope Holiday Bundle | Sound Editing/Production Software

[papernoise]

@hermbot

Izotope has some pretty sweet deals going on, apparently they’re even better if you already own a product.

Depends.
Ozone Standard is $99 right now, but my loyalty offer is $199… so far for loyalty paying off haha

[dangriffiths]

6 year birthday sale at Goodhertz so I have got a couple more and really rate all of the ones I have tried:

Goodhertz, Inc.

[addamm]

Do you find these “elements” versions of plugins are useful? I have very little experience with in the box stuff or even mixing/EQing (I have ableton which I mostly use as a multitrack recorder ) and these seem like good entry points. For instance, I’m never going to learn the ins and outs of mastering (I have a conceptual grasp) but would appreciate being able to sort of finalize tracks myself, or at least take a stab at it.