#41

I was creeping your Instagram for inspiration and I got a cool idea from one of your posts.

Set up a four voice patch, play a three-note-chord on the Electribe. Have three of the voices play the chord, and have the fourth voice arpeggiate over the others. You did something like that with your 301 right?

I’m really excited to get my hands on Hermod and start experimenting. Some more creative thought is helping me realize how I can still get some very interesting conceptual patches to be realized. The idea of ignoring the gate out and using other sources is also really making me think…

#42

Yeh exactly. There’s so much you can do with voice allocation. Its such a rewarding module once you spend some time and really learn the ins and outs

1 Like
#43

Hermod is still kinda new to me, but I’m probably using it in a similar way to @scttcmpbll. I’m loving using it as a MIDI looper. That type of workflow is what I’m used to, also using the Electribe 2. But with Hermod, the sequences don’t have to be so rigid. The sequencer resolution is much higher. The MIDI effects are great too.

I’ve mostly been using it with the Keystep so far, mainly because it can power the Keystep, and my E2 is sadly on the fritz.

1 Like
#44

OP-Z + Hermod. Just saying…
Had a lot of fun with this combo today.

3 Likes
#45

Indeed! I had no problem recording white noise.
OP Z and hermod looks like a potent combo as well.
Sadly Hermod cannot record multiple sources (does any sequencer do that?) but having multiple midi ins and being able to either route or record these makes hermod very hands on, very live on the spot. You could even incorporate a DAW to record everything thats going on, being hooked up via different midi ports…i used the Din Midi connection with an MPC and the USB connection into Ableton. Once you‘re connected you can do everything. Get sync from the mpc, trigger a virtual instrument in ableton, record audio from the modular or have a very potent Midi scaling/harmonizer tool. The best thing abt all this is that it works upon connecting-no fucking about, it just works.
I had horrible problems hooking up the Beatstep pro according to different situations…ah you need that cable when doing this💩and the preset/midi template thing on that machine is just a pain in the ass. Hermod does not need any of this, probably the most powerful feature being active track on channels-you’ll always have connection

2 Likes
#46

There is a new Hermod update. A pretty nice one, if you ask me.

Includes two major features I’ve been longing after since picking one up; the ability to arm recording (recording doesn’t start until first note is entered) and the ability to make loops without having to predefine the sequence length.

Pretty, pretty…pretty goood.

http://squarp.net/hermodos

New features

● REC WAIT/LOOPER : press X+REC (only if Hermod is not slaved)

  • if Hermod is stopped, it will wait for you to play a note before starting to play and record (punch in).
  • if Hermod is already playing, it will wait for the next bar to restart the player and enable the recording.
  • pressing REC again will end the recording and will set the track length to the recording time, like a looper (from 1 bar to 16 bar).
  • tip: pressing X+Y+REC will enable the looper with hard recording.
    ● MULTITRACK RECORDING: press STEP+REC to enable multitrack recording (omni mode). Up to 8 routed tracks (via midi in, usb in, cv/gate in, …) can be recorded at the same time.
    ● RESTART: press SEQ+PLAY to restart (re-sync) all tracks.
    ● New SETTINGS > CLOCK > CV CLOCK OUT (G1+RUN, G2+RUN, G3+RUN…). If set, the CV voice will output 5V if Hermod is playing and 0V if Hermod is stopped.
    ● New SETTINGS > CLOCK > CLOCK SOURCE (TRANSP OFF). If set, the clock will be internal but Hermod will not send transport midi messages (CLOCK, START, STOP, …) to the midi/usb host/usb device outputs.
    ● New SETTINGS > MIDI IN > PROG CHANGE (OFF, ALL, 1, 2, 3, …16). Now you can select the channel of Program Change midi message (in order to switch between sequences).
    ● New LFO RATE values, to make it slower : 6/1, 8/1, 16/1, 32/1, 64/1, 128/1.
    ● FX SCALE : TRANSPOSE range increased (-36…36 instead of -12…+12).
    ● Autoload template project : if you name a project as “_”, it will always be loaded at startup, even if you saved or loaded an other project more recently, making it easier to have a template project.

Bug fixes

● Freeze when changing sequences in slave mode, and receiving midi notes.
● Freeze when generating patterns with the randomizer.
● Improved delay when recording notes via the midi input.
● When changing sequences (with PLAY+SEQ), sometimes, tracks were not reset to their beginning.
● When assigning an effect parameter (modMatrix) to CVA, it was not possible to change the value in the effect view.
● FX CHANCE was not playing the first note (if affected by sync chance).
● When SETTINGS > CV IN > TRACK X = CV/GATE AB/CD, this input CV value was used to define the mid-value of the LFO effect (now you have to use only SETTINGS > CV IN > TRACK X = MOD A/B/C/D).
● Now the LFO will not run when Hermod is stopped.
● After loading a project, sometimes, MOD tracks were displayed as NOTE tracks on the screen.
● Held note when using the FX MIDI OUTPUT and overlapping the same note.
● FX MIDI : now if INPUT MOD is not set to CC1, CC1 can’t control the modulation anymore.
● HARD REC was not usable when the current track was set to MOD.
● CV inputs (ABCD) accuracy greatly improved.

8 Likes
#47

Yes, this midi looper mode has been on the wishlist since the beginning, it’s a really great addition :slight_smile: Transposition -36 +36 I’ve been asking this for ages. Good to see they’re adding new features finally. Now, having the ability to trigger the randomizers via CV and a more simple way to transpose the tracks without adding a « «scale effect » and without scale quantizer, would be great too, in a future update maybe. Things are slowly moving but they’re moving that’s good news

2 Likes
#48

This is now implemented in OS 1.3 :blush:

The last 4 updates have had new features. I’d suggest if there are features you would want to see, visit Squarp’s website and send a feature request via their contact form. In my experience they’ve been really responsive and some suggestions I made got implemented into this OS. So they are listening and actively developing.

Nice!

1 Like
#49

Yeah I know, I’ve been in touch with them last year when some bugs were discovered. I was talking about the time they stated “we aren’t planning to add new features” :wink:

1 Like
#50

Yeah - that was definitely a weird statement to make… hopefully that made them double down and commit to making more updates with new features :wink:

2 Likes
#51

how is the hermod in handling wonky loose external clocking?

#52

After unboxing my new Hermod literally the first thing I tried to do was use it in conjunction with my Digitone through the USB host port. Well that didn’t work and after a bit of searching I found out that the Hermod doesn’t work with high speed devices like the Digitakt/Digitone nor does it work with USB hubs. That was a bit of a let down and now I’m wondering if I should keep it (I think I can still return it to Squarp’s within a two week window).

I see the Expert sleepers FH-2 works with the Digitakt and hubs, so that is an alternative.

Just looking for some alternative opinions why I should keep the Hermod. It can obviously do a lot of other stuff (recording/sequencing), but I think I’d rather do that with the Digitone anyway…

Thoughts/opinions please…

1 Like
#53

Why not use din midi on the Hermod? I’ve definitely used both Digi’s with Hermod

#54

Yes, that’s definitely an option, but I’m trying to think about all the potential situations where I might use this, e.g., using it with equipment that only has a DIN connection and my Digitone is now going to require some kind of midi hub since USB is a no-go.

Also, more and more gear only has USB connections, so the fact that Hermod doesn’t work with USB hubs eliminates the possibility of connecting more than one USB device at a time.

The Hermod is definitely a really cool device, but I was disappointed to find out it won’t work for some of the basic use cases I had imagined.

#55

Hello guys, I have an OP-Z and I’m thinking to an Hermod… is it an overkill combo and should I just take a mutant brain ?

#56

In my limited experience (with either!) I’d say it depends on if you want to use Hermod for midi-to-cv functionality, or if you want to save sequences on it to use without the OP-Z? Just midi? Mutant Brain, midi and recall? Hermod.

1 Like
#57

I agree with @ThurberMingus , if you just want midi -> cv, Hermod is overkill.

However, Hermod is not (for me) just about saving sequences - aka a sequencer.
I also like its ‘midi’ fx , these can be really fun, either as ‘standalone’ or by mutating midi you are sending from an external sequencer.
Also Hermod has 4 cv in, these can be fun for modulating fx, or for cv -> midi

the other reason I got a Hermod ( I already had a Pyramid), its nice to sometimes have the eurorack completely standalone… or even just to have another sequencer.(*)

I would agree with comments that the small UI on the hermod is not the best for programming, but its workable esp. if you use an external keyboard (to select notes) , or the new looper functionality.

overall, i find the Hermod a bit of an oddity,
I think many (from the outside) see the hermod as a sequencer with a ‘limited’ ui.
but for me thats only one part of it, i believe this is why squarp market it as a ‘modular brain’, as it can be used for many things … interfacing (in and out) /modulating/sequencing.

thats not to say all ‘get on with it’, some do wish it had more in the sequencing department, so it doesn’t meet everyones expectations (what does? :wink: )

(*) e.g. i like sharing a clock between pyramid/hermod, but then running a euclid sequence on the hermod which i use as a modulation source, rather than a note generator.

1 Like
#58

Thank you for those advices, will think more about it !

#59

Very cool review. Very quick question to all…
If i connect this to a computer or MAX msp, will it convert cv created by my modular into max?
Will it also act as an audio interface?

Thanks a bundle.

#60

Hermod does cv to midi which you could send to max.
No it’s not an audio interface

More details at squarp.net