Rhythmic Robot NANOMODS: mighty miniature machines for £3!
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- KVRist
- Topic Starter
- 377 posts since 15 Jan, 2012 from UK
New from Rhythmic Robot, NanoMods are tiny miniature synthesisers designed to fill specific sonic niches. Rather like Readers Digest Condensed Books, they're intended to build into a collection; and with that in mind they're priced at a pocket-friendly £3. The first one is out now, and aims to fill your pad sound needs.
NanoMod 1: Rich Pads combines twin blendable analogue waveforms with ten multi-function controls, capable of intelligently and musically interacting to replicate most of the functionality of a fully featured analogue synth in a much smaller and simpler interface. This lets you get the sounds you want quickly, easily and efficiently! As the name suggests, it is focused firmly on providing pad sounds, and the two source waveforms reflect this: one is a subtle, smooth triangle-based wave, detuned and lush; the second is a rich, thick, huge multi-sawtooth wave with lots of harmonics for the filters to bite into. Between them they cover the bases from delicate shimmering textures through string-synth warmth to full-on Roland-style "supersaw" territory.
Intelligent controls put several functions in the hands of one interface knob. For example, the Sweep knob not only dials up the filter resonance, it also checks the position of the Envelope knob and then adjusts a hidden filter cutoff envelope to give you either a nice squelch or a slow sweep, depending on what kind of sound you're creating. All NanoMod controls interact in a similar way, working together to help you get the tones you want.
NanoMod 1: Rich Pads features twin convolved static filters, MS20 and Wasp, which replicate two all-analogue classic filters teetering on the edge of distortion. Each of these two models has 16 custom impulse responses, covering cutoff frequencies from 100Hz to 12kHz. The "character filters" work in series with the Smooth Filter, a general-purpose 24db / octave model internally wired to the Sweep knob. Glow and Shimmer add depth and movement to the sound, while Warmth emulates analogue instability and drift.
The Glitch control randomises all the other controls in a musical way, allowing for instant inspiration - great for getting out of a creative rut, or generating new starting points for patches.
All the usual info, plus audio demos, can be found here:
http://www.rhythmicrobot.com/page0/page59/index.html
Features:
• Custom-designed analogue source waves
• Intelligently-interacting UI for swift, efficient, familiar control
• Huge variety of pad sounds on offer from a small-footprint, simple interface
• Glitch control for instant inspiration
• Part of the NanoMod series, which builds into a collection of niche-specific instruments
NanoMod 1: Rich Pads is the first of the growing NanoMod series of miniature synths, all of which cost £3. They require Kontakt version 4.2.3 or above to run (including all versions of Kontakt 5).
Any suggestions for future NanoMods? Let us know!
Best wishes,
The Professor (and Mongo)
NanoMod 1: Rich Pads combines twin blendable analogue waveforms with ten multi-function controls, capable of intelligently and musically interacting to replicate most of the functionality of a fully featured analogue synth in a much smaller and simpler interface. This lets you get the sounds you want quickly, easily and efficiently! As the name suggests, it is focused firmly on providing pad sounds, and the two source waveforms reflect this: one is a subtle, smooth triangle-based wave, detuned and lush; the second is a rich, thick, huge multi-sawtooth wave with lots of harmonics for the filters to bite into. Between them they cover the bases from delicate shimmering textures through string-synth warmth to full-on Roland-style "supersaw" territory.
Intelligent controls put several functions in the hands of one interface knob. For example, the Sweep knob not only dials up the filter resonance, it also checks the position of the Envelope knob and then adjusts a hidden filter cutoff envelope to give you either a nice squelch or a slow sweep, depending on what kind of sound you're creating. All NanoMod controls interact in a similar way, working together to help you get the tones you want.
NanoMod 1: Rich Pads features twin convolved static filters, MS20 and Wasp, which replicate two all-analogue classic filters teetering on the edge of distortion. Each of these two models has 16 custom impulse responses, covering cutoff frequencies from 100Hz to 12kHz. The "character filters" work in series with the Smooth Filter, a general-purpose 24db / octave model internally wired to the Sweep knob. Glow and Shimmer add depth and movement to the sound, while Warmth emulates analogue instability and drift.
The Glitch control randomises all the other controls in a musical way, allowing for instant inspiration - great for getting out of a creative rut, or generating new starting points for patches.
All the usual info, plus audio demos, can be found here:
http://www.rhythmicrobot.com/page0/page59/index.html
Features:
• Custom-designed analogue source waves
• Intelligently-interacting UI for swift, efficient, familiar control
• Huge variety of pad sounds on offer from a small-footprint, simple interface
• Glitch control for instant inspiration
• Part of the NanoMod series, which builds into a collection of niche-specific instruments
NanoMod 1: Rich Pads is the first of the growing NanoMod series of miniature synths, all of which cost £3. They require Kontakt version 4.2.3 or above to run (including all versions of Kontakt 5).
Any suggestions for future NanoMods? Let us know!
Best wishes,
The Professor (and Mongo)
- KVRian
- 966 posts since 16 Feb, 2010
nice idea, looks and sounds lovely
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- KVRist
- Topic Starter
- 377 posts since 15 Jan, 2012 from UK
Thank you! We aim to please It was a ton of fun stacking up sawtooths for the "supersaw" wave: gave the modular a bit of a workout
We've just got our hands on a Roland SH-7, so a future NanoMod is very likely to include some source waves from that....
We've just got our hands on a Roland SH-7, so a future NanoMod is very likely to include some source waves from that....
- KVRAF
- 25852 posts since 20 Jan, 2008 from a star near where you are
Why did I miss this before?
RichPads is a fun, simple, yet deep Kontakt lib. And very affordable
RichPads is a fun, simple, yet deep Kontakt lib. And very affordable
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- KVRist
- Topic Starter
- 377 posts since 15 Jan, 2012 from UK
Welcome to the party! You're definitely fashionably late but we still like yaNumanoid wrote:Why did I miss this before?
RichPads is a fun, simple, yet deep Kontakt lib. And very affordable
There are now five NanoMods in the lineup, and more on the way. All £3 a pop. They are:
NanoMod 1: Rich Pads Full of rich pads (see above).
NanoMod 2: Cool Reeds Both synthy and acousticy.
NanoMod 3: Kick Full of kick drums! Seriously, a LOT of kick drums live in here.
NanoMod 4: Hot Brass Guess.
NanoMod 5: Analog Bass This one is purple.
We've got plans for further drum-based NanoMods as well as the instrumental ones so you can build up a kind of modular synth drum machine bit by bit. Next will probably be Hats, which will do hats And the instrumental ones will continue to be a grab-bag of goodies from some classic machines
- KVRAF
- 5564 posts since 13 Jan, 2005 from the bottom of my heart
love the nano mods! so versatile! it would be great if the next nano would be a snare ( and then the hats..) and somthing chip-a-like retro 8-bit fx. also a nano mod for analog lead.. ..then we could start a nano competition!
Whoever wants music instead of noise, joy instead of pleasure, soul instead of gold, creative work instead of business, passion instead of foolery, finds no home in this trivial world of ours.
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- KVRist
- Topic Starter
- 377 posts since 15 Jan, 2012 from UK
Damn, you're right – it should be snare first Okay, we'll do that.murnau wrote:love the nano mods! so versatile! it would be great if the next nano would be a snare ( and then the hats..) and somthing chip-a-like retro 8-bit fx. also a nano mod for analog lead.. ..then we could start a nano competition!
As for 8-bit... without giving too much away, we have plans in that direction, and not just on the NanoMod front. We've just got hold of an Emulator II which will be teaming up with our Mirage for some serious 8-bit crunchdom. Watch this space...
- KVRAF
- 25852 posts since 20 Jan, 2008 from a star near where you are
I picked up on it now, because it got a favorable review in a recent issue of Computer Musicthe professor wrote:Welcome to the party! You're definitely fashionably late but we still like ya
And the instrumental ones will continue to be a grab-bag of goodies from some classic machines
A NanoMod for leads would be nice
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- KVRist
- Topic Starter
- 377 posts since 15 Jan, 2012 from UK
We've got that in the pipeline. Back in the very early days of Rhythmic Robot we did two instruments called Bad Bad Lead and Bad Bad Bass, which were in some ways kind of proto-NanoMods; simple interfaces aimed at a single sound. They're still available on the website, but the NanoMods are cleverer, and in many ways I think Bad Bad Bass is made a bit redundant by the NanoMod Bass we've put out.Numanoid wrote:I picked up on it now, because it got a favorable review in a recent issue of Computer Musicthe professor wrote:Welcome to the party! You're definitely fashionably late but we still like ya
And the instrumental ones will continue to be a grab-bag of goodies from some classic machines
A NanoMod for leads would be nice
So the "plan" (and I use that term very loosely.... like Mongo and I have a plan! ) is to do a NanoMod Lead, and then probably to retire the Bad Bad Bass and Lead instruments quietly. Don't worry, we'll give them a decent party and, you know, visit when we remember
I don't think I've seen the Computer Music review yet – I knew they were doing one but haven't got my lazy ass down to WHSmith. Glad to hear it's good! They said very nice things about SH Poly (http://www.rhythmicrobot.com/page0/page ... index.html)... in fact, they called it "Retro-tastic"
- KVRAF
- 25852 posts since 20 Jan, 2008 from a star near where you are
9 out of 10 aint bad, this is in the issue that is on the newstands now:
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- KVRist
- Topic Starter
- 377 posts since 15 Jan, 2012 from UK
Woo hoo! Thank you for posting that I'll stick some quotes up on the website ASAP.
Interesting what they say about adding more modern colours to the series. I'm assuming they mean sonic tones, rather than literal colours, so we'll have a little look at that, though retro is kind of our thang
Interesting what they say about adding more modern colours to the series. I'm assuming they mean sonic tones, rather than literal colours, so we'll have a little look at that, though retro is kind of our thang
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The_Hidden_Goose The_Hidden_Goose https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=10878
- KVRian
- 945 posts since 8 Dec, 2003 from Birmingham-ish, UK (Tamworth, but shhh!)
Leads would be most welcome here - although the Bass one is pretty good at that too (not just good for bass...like the reeds one is good for pads too, and the pads one is good for...well pads, but it IS good at them!)
I'm all for you sticking with the retro sounds, at least until you've run out of bases to cover there.
I'm all for you sticking with the retro sounds, at least until you've run out of bases to cover there.
Q. Why is a mouse when it spins?
A. The higher the fewer.
A. The higher the fewer.
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- KVRist
- Topic Starter
- 377 posts since 15 Jan, 2012 from UK
That's a lot of votes for leads. We're listening, promise
I think our route to "modern" is probably on the programming side rather than the source instrument side of things. I can't see us suddenly ditching the SH7 in favour of a Virus TI, for example (cool though the Virus is!). But I reckon we could have fun with some sync'd up waves for the Lead machine...
I think our route to "modern" is probably on the programming side rather than the source instrument side of things. I can't see us suddenly ditching the SH7 in favour of a Virus TI, for example (cool though the Virus is!). But I reckon we could have fun with some sync'd up waves for the Lead machine...
- KVRAF
- 25852 posts since 20 Jan, 2008 from a star near where you are
Kill two birds with one stone, go for FM/digital leads, that really can pierce through a mix. That will also address CM comment about modern soundsthe professor wrote:That's a lot of votes for leads. We're listening, promise