new to monome devices: ask questions here

desolationjones · 2022-12-06T14:10:41.780Z

You have quite the collection, there! Most of those sequencers are highly interactive so you’ll probably end up focusing on just a couple at a time. Bring some utilities nearby for combining their output in useful ways (switches, adders, attenuverters, etc.). Two Ansibles flanking a Cold Mac running into a quad quantizer could be a great recipe.

cuba1956:

Outdated modules

You should be glad to hear that none of the Trilogy modules are outdated since they all bring a unique set of CV IO, knobs, and buttons. Ansible is the remastered “greatest hits” collection but I found myself missing the knobs in Earthsea, for example.

cuba1956:

What updates should I deploy on all of them before getting started? Was there specific update or firmware I need to look out?

This page details the latest firmware available for each monome module, with instructions. Updating can bring its own challenges so be careful to follow the instructions exactly, especially pre-installing the correct drivers.

You may also want to update your Mannequins modules: Just Friends v4.5 (new today!), and W/2 beta w20b7 (this one radically changes the features of W/, so be sure to read the new scroll). These are updated using audio; check the Whimsical Raps website for instructions.

cuba1956:

What’s the best way to connect everything together on the back?

I would honestly recommend getting very comfortable with the normal operation of these modules before exploring the I2C functions. Specifically, a good understanding of Teletype scripting is key to comfortably using these features. Feel free to join us in the Teletype Study Group Discord if you’d like some chat guidance while you explore the Teletype studies (and beyond). If you are feeling ready to get into the I2C stuff, shoot me a PM here or there.

cuba1956 · 2022-12-06T18:24:32.777Z

Thank you so much for sharing this. Appreciate it a lot. I will start with updates first. See where patching gets me. I’m very excited about tracker function of the Teletype, if I’m honest. But I’ll start slow.
I’m still a bit confused with how much of everything should I put in the case (monome vs voices vs utility). Still exploring everything. Will start over the weekend.

desolationjones:

You have quite the collection, there!

I wasn’t kidding when I said lifetime achievement. And I got three kids.

ollbam · 2022-12-13T03:30:32.047Z

are there any real-life differences depending on the version of hardware Norns uses? (not shield, factory norns) + does monome offer upgrades/replacements for older hardware Norns?

radioedit · 2022-12-13T06:44:54.861Z

The differences you’ll find between different hardware iterations are a different compute module with different amount of storage (4GB vs 32GB), and different enclosure colour (grey vs black). There’s a summary here:

monome/docs

norns

monome docs

There are instructions for upgrading older versions here:

monome/docs

help

monome docs

PhiCro · 2023-03-06T12:56:47.464Z

Hello,
this is my first entry here, so forgive me if I do anything wrong. I want to know whether arc or any of its clone can be used as a standard MIDI controller (I am using Cubase basically) without to much headache or programming. I could not find anything with the search function.
Would appreciate some insight!
Thanks
Philip

corpusjonsey · 2023-03-06T13:57:50.327Z

Welcome! The monome arc and grid use the OSC protocol. You would need a translation from OSC to MIDI using a computer or other device if you want to send MIDI to external instruments or your DAW. There are little programs out there like this one.

radioedit · 2023-03-19T05:54:29.228Z

This will be a useful starting place for you, I think: grid studies | monome/docs

saysthetedd · 2023-03-19T06:25:05.756Z

You can check out this repo. It’s a suite of apps for using Grid within Ableton.
I believe there is something in there that can do each pad to midi.

GitHub

GitHub - stretta/gridlab: A suite of maxforlive monome devices

A suite of maxforlive monome devices. Contribute to stretta/gridlab development by creating an account on GitHub.

Are you handy with code at all? I was pursuing the docs earlier and noticed in the Node.JS tutorial, they literally walk you through programming your own little grid to MIDI controller script that will work within Ableton. Totally going to try this tomorrow and I am pumped!
I am sure it exists somewhere already, but I can share it with you when I finish.

monome/docs

Grid Studies: node.js

monome docs

antipodean · 2023-06-08T00:51:19.137Z

Hi,

I’m new here and I have 2 questions you might be able to help me with…

Recently acquired a 128 grid and really enjoying it. I have experience scripting using R statistical language, so felt comfortable taking on the learning curve of SuperCollider. I was wondering whether there is a library of community contributed SuperCollider scripts that I can explore with my grid?

My current setup is minimal (grid + pc). I have extended visions (or delusions perhaps) about building a small modular system with my grid as a sequencer. Based on current projections at monome.org, teletype and ansible have unknown restock dates, so I think I’d need both norns and crow to do this - given I continue to script in SuperCollider. I’m aware of the semiconductor shortage. My next question stems from the constraints on monome as a small manufacturer, but I’m assuming these constraints apply to all manufacturers of modular units… As a consumer, is now (mid 2023) a bad time to be getting into modular?

Thanks in advance!

Zeke_B · 2023-06-08T01:36:37.767Z

I can speak to your second question and that is right now the diversity and availability of different modules is huge. There are also A TON of resources online (forums, YouTube, etc.) that make learning a piece of cake and more accessible than it has ever been?

If there’s a downside to getting into modular in 2023, it would be wanting very popular modules made by tiny operations. Demand has grown and the operations of some builders just can’t keep up with it. As long as you don’t want an ER-301 or a Mannequins set immediately, or at retail, you’d be getting into modular at a great time. There are so many cool builders and modules right now the options can be overwhelming.

antipodean · 2023-06-08T02:29:49.854Z

Thanks! It’s great to hear another perspective @Zeke_B. Spirits raised!

parlej · 2023-06-08T13:48:07.176Z

@Zeke_B is really on point here.

re: expanding your own setup - seems like you’re already on this thought path, but norns seems like a great step to take. with grid & supercollider skill you’re super well placed to move outside of the pc environment, without totally alienating yourself from existing practices.

crow is definitely one way of crossing the bridge from norns to hardware modular, but you also have usb & midi (+more) to take advantage of.

16n could be another worthy investigation that works within your current environment, but has forward/future compatibility.

so much wonderful stuff happening in the modular world - it’s worth exploring (without the expectation of ‘getting it right, first time’) - it can be an incredible lens to observe what works for you/makes you tick.

antipodean · 2023-06-09T04:16:56.864Z

Hi @parlej. Wow the 16n sent me down a rabbit hole - a very deep diy rabbithole - and I liked what I saw!

mreid · 2023-06-09T18:10:02.106Z

I haven’t tried this myself so can’t vouch that it would work but you could consider getting an ES-8 or ES-9 module from Expert Sleepers as a computer to modular interface. They are good modules in their own right, significantly easier to find than monome modules at the moment, and would let you build sequencers for grid on your PC and send CV out to modular. It may also make it possible to try out a virtual version of Teletype on VCVRack with a physical grid (not entirely sure about this?) and use the ES-8/9 as its CV inputs and outputs.

alanza · 2023-06-12T20:07:34.346Z

antipodean:

I was wondering whether there is a library of community contributed SuperCollider scripts that I can explore with my grid?

I’m not aware of one that is quite what you’re looking for, but there are some studies for grids with SuperCollider:

monome/docs

grid studies: SuperCollider

monome docs

I’m told if you ask @WilliamHazard nicely, he might have a supercollider + grid script for turning poetry into music.

WilliamHazard · 2023-06-12T22:36:22.674Z

alanza:

a supercollider + grid script for turning poetry into music

yep! This exists. I haven’t made a thread for it here because I don’t yet consider it quite “done” enough for public consumption. This is to say, it isn’t quite up to my own standards yet. But it’ll run, at least, and if you’re somewhat familiar with sclang, I’m sure you could tweak it to do what you’d like with it. Here’s a link to the repo. There’s a version for grid + mft too, if you’ve got one of those! That’s here. Eventually, I intend to get these a little more polished and combine them down into a single script that’ll be able to tell if you’ve got a grid, mft, or neither connected and act accordingly (i.e., provide grid buttons and/or mft knobs in the gui if the hardware is absent). But for now, this is what I’ve got. Hope it’s helpful! Please let me know if any questions arise, and I’ll do my best to answer

EDIT:

antipodean:

I think I’d need both norns and crow to do this - given I continue to script in SuperCollider

While I love norns a lot and would recommend one to just about anyone, strictly speaking, if what you’re interested in is scripting in SuperCollider and also eurorack, you don’t need one. In fact, if you want to sequence crow with sclang, norns is probably not the best solution. You could plug crow directly into your computer’s usb port and access it from sclang in the context of a larger SuperCollider script. I threw an example of what that could look like in a gist here. I don’t have my modular handy at the moment, but that should play a note on Just Friends over i2c. Of course, you could send different commands the same way to, for example, send voltages from crow’s hardware outputs.

Nick_Lewis · 2023-06-15T14:58:36.758Z

I have just purchased an old secondhand Monome64 off ebay, it’s arrived, looks great but came with no USB cable. Does anyone know what type works with these devices? What I’d need to order off Amazon for example.

Thanks,

Nick

antiphon · 2023-06-15T16:08:49.529Z

The Monome 64 requires a male USB-B connector. So, assuming you are using a standard USB-A connection to your computer/host device, this is what you need:

Hosa

Type A to Type B - High Speed USB Cable - Data Cables | Hosa Cables

Find Hosa High Speed USB Cables near you. We supply high speed USB cables that come in a variety of lengths perfect for interconnecting devices with USB interfaces.

Est. reading time: 1 minute

fellowfinch · 2023-06-15T16:40:54.209Z

hi folks,

very new to modular and I have slowly started to dive deeper and deeper into the whole rabbit hole of modular gear. I have seen some lovely videos on monome incorporation with the eurorack world and it’s connection with mannequins, but since I’m quite new and a bit of a noobie when it comes to understanding some things in eurorack, maybe some of you fine people might help me demystify some stuff:

I’m looking into a smaller eurorack system mostly for creating generative ambient patches. My main question would be: what is a good small system that would would also nicely interplay with norns and grid? I do understand that crow plays a large roll in this, but can anyone explain what crow actually does? I assume you connect it USB from norns to crow and based on the script (and it’s incorporation) you can patch it to different modules. I’m also interested in Mannequins Just Friends but sadly the whole esoteric nature confuses me - is it an oscillator? LFO? Sequencer? all mentioned?

Been trying out a few ideas in VCV just to see how my initial plan of little generative machine would work and been trying out different stuff in modular grid. Here are my two ideas based on Nifty Case HP number

Screenshot 2023-06-15 at 18.35.491920×713 174 KB

Screenshot 2023-06-15 at 18.38.531916×696 167 KB

Hope ya can take a look

nonverbalpoetry · 2023-06-15T17:00:10.735Z

fellowfinch:

is it an oscillator? LFO? Sequencer? all mentioned?

Bit of an esoteric answer but basically, in eurorack, everything is just voltage. A voltage jumping up and down - that can be interpreted as a series of pitches by another module. Make that voltage go up and down smoothly - that’s an lfo, make that same smooth up and down voltage go up and down thousands of times a second - it’s now an oscillator at audio rate, and can be heard as a pitch. That’s why just friends is all of those things.

So me norns can be so many things, you really have to decide what you want your eurorack to contribute. It could act as an FX processor for synths generated and sequenced by norns. It could be a generative sequencer and monosynth to feed into norns for further processing.

It looks like in your hypothetical systems you’re trying to do everything - sequencing, sound generation and FX processing, which I think won’t leave any space for the utilities that actually make eurorack fun, and will mean norns doesn’t mesh well. That has been my experience.

Especially for euro systems this small, some focus and idea of what synthesis spaces you want to play in is good.

If I was starting from scratch again, honestly what I would do is get some midi to CV, maths, a couple filters, a couple oscillators, a quad vca, sequential switch, some utilities. Just all the classics really.

In my personal opinion, norns excells at complex generative sequencing, interesting, deep and interactive FX processing and complex digital synthesis that might take 20 modules to do the old fashioned way.
(Quick edit in here - I notice all of your planned sound sources are these complex digital sound engines with chord,rings, plaits. That’s definitely one way to approach euro but when you already are working with a norns I really didn’t find that kind of thing that rewarding.)
Modular excellent at being a voltage experimentation playground, where patching leads to happy accidents that wouldn’t come about if I were setting out to do the same thing on norns.

I didn’t really answer your question but stuff to keep in mind when thinking about in operating euro into your process.