(The grounds are all connected on the same blob on my perfboard mixer (which is wired from behind the ground Jack), except for the TRS which is connected to the ground plane through its pads on the pcb
crucFX
2284
Since I do not go out - I spent my new year continuing on the Rolz build.
Figured out a PCB case thing…
Will line up like this hopefully… lolol
11 Likes
Correct me if I’m wrong, but it sounds like you have 3 separate shielded audio cables leaving the Rollz and going to the same interface. If it’s a ground loop the solution would be to unhook the ground from one end of all but one of the cables (or jacks).
I don’t fully understand how/why they happen, but they are notoriously hard to diagnose so I could be wrong. The part that sticks with me is that shield, 0v and ground are not necessarily the same thing in every circuit, especially when you start to interface them with one another as it’s the slight difference that can cause hum. The other one is to imagine or draw out the circuit and if there is a “loop” or circle of ground connections, then there is a potential for ground loop noise.
1 Like
anyone want to help me truly love sidrax? i’ve had it for a year and primarily use it as a sort of modulation matrix for crosspatching with pb and coco (it’s great for this). i just can’t vibe with the barres though. i always seem to make stuff that sounds the same- call and response hoots, static blasts, trembling triangle sounds. certainly fine and not uninteresting, but for as rich as the instrument has the potential to be, i always end up in the same zones.
i know i’m not alone here, from talking to a few other sid/tet owners. just wondering if anyone has overcome an inability to connect with the gestural side of the organs, either by technique or processing.
2 Likes
My main gripe with it is similar – that the volume is based on the change in barre pressure. While this allows for a huge range of certain gestures, the thing I can never coax from it alone is a “pad” type sound; something sustained for longer than it takes for me to press and release the barre.
Additionally, because the Sid is such a unique and fairly open universe, I get stuck in my habits and then dissatisfied with them (this is applicable to many areas of my life). Any way to break that loop is helpful (including asking for other opinions and ideas!). I’ll try the instrument in different contexts, with different roles in different tracks. Or I’ll see if I can make it sound like another instrument, say a violin or a voice. FWIW my Sid rarely lives without some sort of effect on it. I have a multi-funtion reverb (empress) and crazy looper (count to 5) that I use to help with texture. I’ll use the reverb (usually 90% wet) with a slow attack and long decay to try and extend the envelope. The CT5 also helps because it has a couple excellent Grain Loop functions, so I can capture a small blip of sound and turn it into a texture. Basically, anything to help me extend/alter the envelopes and timbres is helpful – even an EQ pedal.
Something that’s always blown my mind about my Sid is handing it to other people. I have “stolen” techniques from people by just handing them the instrument and telling them to go nuts, then observing their patching and playing styles. I get rather impatient with my patching so watching someone explore with curiosity and ignorance leads me down new pathways with the instrument. I know that’s particularly tough right now but maybe we can all share some videos demonstrating techniques?
Sometimes I’ll use a rubber ball on the end of a toothpick, or hold the end of a dowel to a barre and bow the dowel… sort of like “prepared” Sidrax. That has varying degrees of effectiveness but sometimes it really works. I’ve been hesitant to sprinkle rice or ball bearings on it, out of fear that some would get stuck inside. The piezos in the barres will “pass” audio-rate vibration as well, so you could probably put a small speaker (with a big magnet) onto a barre and get some wild AM stuff.
I’ve loved using the Landscape touch pads – they make some specifically for banana now and they’re sturdy and lovely. Something I want to do soon is “hack” an audio cable so that I can use the Red nodes as touch points to the audio cable itself, bypassing the barre controllers.
4 Likes
Jonny
2288
I find that the expressive nature of the barres lends itself nicely to use with loopers (coco included, of course). I guess it really depends on where you’re trying to go with it, but I find that it can be tuned carefully and played harmonically. Here are a few clips, which maybe will spur some patch ideas/conversation? I put these into a soundcloud playlist to reduce the server load:
- Sidrax modulated by coco and (you can hear the grey outputs from quantussy here). I think there was some modulation sent to the blues of quantussy petals.
- Sidrax self modulating
- Sidrax played into Norns using the great Compass script by @Olivier
Another idea I tried: tune sidrax and then turn the master pitch all the way up to put things into the ultrasound range. Record your playing into the cocoquantus on the highest loop speed and then once done, lower the rate so that it becomes audible. You could probably also play this into the ultrasound filters on plumbutter somehow, but I haven’t tried that yet.
If you want to abandon the barres, you could also use the red outputs (even stacked) into the cocoquantus and modulate the levels using the quantussy to generate drones with envelopes.
To me, the base sound of the sidrax is comparable to a woodwind like a bassoon or oboe. Adding even a tiny bit of chaos brings out complexity in tone. The barres are a limitation just as a player will run out of air eventually.
Oh and I haven’t even started touch patching with exposed banana jacks! Looking forward to doing that with touch and steel wool.
9 Likes
rmro
2289
Blow on the bars to make a pad sound. Also I use a stereo to mono cable to capture both press and release sounds.
5 Likes
Zeke_B
2290
Does this imply that stereo to stereo cables wouldn’t capture the release? I currently use a TRS to 1/4” mono cable with my Tetrax and I’ve found that removing my finger from a bar generates as loud an envelope as pressing. Which is frustrating when I’m wanting a pad sound…
Jonny
2291
You’ll get a press/release gesture translated to left and right sides of the stereo field. To get a pad, I would try pressing slowly and releasing pressure slowly as well.
1 Like
this would be great
also, more broadly, id love to see people talk about what effects they like best with c-l stuff. i’ve found bastl thyme to be nice, and i like various norns scripts too. stuber has been incredible.
i’m considering picking up some pladask stuff for c-l use, seems like some of them could be good pairings
2 Likes
What are the norns scripts you like to use and how?
Zeke_B
2294
I currently only have a Tetrax, but I love running it through pedals. A recent favorite route has been into EQD/DBA Time Shadows or Cooper FX Outward V2 > EQD Afterneath > When The Sun Explodes. I also like it through a setting on Cooper FX Arcades (1st setting on Gen Loss card I believe) into a chorale reverb on Big Sky.
Playing long fading notes in an attempt to make pads along with staccato taps is a lot of fun.
Pladask stuff is cool! Which pedals were you thinking about? I recently parted with a Fabrikat that I just never bonded with. Draume is lovely though and I should put it on my board soon.
2 Likes
Zeke_B
2295
I’ve enjoyed Barcode and Oooooo.
2 Likes
Here’s another ex of getting reallllly fast triggers for gong. You could still modulate the roll inverso for even faster yet… say patch from the remaining 4-roll brown, from ground, MWTRS etc into the inverso all work
23 Likes
bounds mostly. tunnels too. i have norns in a mixer send processing a chain like, for example, pb (or op1) -> coco -> stuber
2 Likes
draume and the delay mostly
i’ve been trying to decide on a granular pedal to pair with c-l too… i had a mood and kinda miss it. outward is intriguing, as is Ct5.
i wish i could manage to get a stretch weaver, that seems like it would be an amazing pairing for pb
1 Like
Zeke_B
2299
Nice! Draume is awesome and I think anyone who likes reverb would enjoy it. I also would love to get my hands on a Stretch Weaver… One day!
As for a granular pedal, I really want to check out a Microcosm. Every video I’ve seen of it sounds lovely, regardless of what’s being processed. I’m saving for a PB2 and Coco and my long-term plans include a Microcosm to run them through.
I finally got the components for my paper circuits and I have realized I would much rather work with pcbs. Haha
Anyway here is my lil sidrassi in progress. I’m using Richard brewsters on-off-on switch mod.
10 Likes
This is amazing! I always thought that I wasn’t possible to trigger gong in a fast manner!
1 Like
Justmat
2302
this is soooo cool. thanks for sharing!
1 Like
