2021: A Year in Gear (What You've Bought or Want to Buy in 2021)

[vurt]

yeah there are similarities to those, but it's far enough away to be something different.
even in the first mode

after reading the manual, i see it has not only additional download material, but a few csound instruments on board too

will be sticking with mode 1 for now, not out of fear, but out of "oh my god that sounds lovely".
will drop some random samples in too for now, see how it deals with different textures

[WatchTheGuitar]

Haven’t touched csound since early 90s uni days. Not going back to that shizzle, but I can imagine there’s a UI for it now?

[vurt]

Haven’t touched csound since early 90s uni days. Not going back to that shizzle, but I can imagine there’s a UI for it now?

for me yes, with real physical knobs and lights and sockets!

for actually programming the csound, im not the man to be asking, i will be downloading others hard works

[Shabdahbriah]

ok nebulae, you need to explain why you didnt bring this to my attention sooner!
sat here, for a couple of hours now, scanning through the onboard sounds, with various cv nonsense and such, through mimeophone

i know you said its more like clouds, but i think i was right too!
its like the best bits of both morphagene and clouds, in one box!!!
all the clouds style manipulations, over the multiple samples (slices) in a morphagene reel!!!
i can see why youve grabbed two, if this is just one firmware, i did notice some others on the page, but ill stick with this for now, its bloody lovely

For some reason it seems to be under the radar generally.

1. I think maybe if someone doesnt realise how its designed, then its 'just' a kinda clouds/morphagene thing, and because of the popularity of those it gets overlooked.

2. But OTOH for people who find out that its a pi, that's doing csound or PD or whatever, then maybe it sounds too complicated or niche.

I think your right on both counts, particularly with regard to how it is perceived compared to something else (which is inevitable, when options exist), rather than on its own merits/strengths, which for me (since version 2), are substantial, and far more relevant/significant to my personal work-flow and uses, given its ease-of-use and immediacy, by comparison.

I had watched it with great interest from its initial release, and given the user feedback (60+ pages on muffs) and available demos of the day, maintained that interest but admittedly saw it as somewhat of a 'lesser' or functionally failed Clouds alternative, with a much-hyped 'prospect' of improvements through users coding efforts, to exploit its potential.

I have kept it on a back burner (list) since Version 2 worked out all of my niggles about v1, with the exception of being able to record to the USB drive, which would be nice but is not a deal breaker. It's actually more convenient and expedient for me to record its output to something else (or several something-else-es), and then feed 'that' back into it, if I desire to do so. Then rinse-repeat, rinse-repeat... etc.

In addition to recently having resolved my long standing dread of 'button-menu-memory' inconvenience/issues/reservations with getting Clouds, by scoring a Supercell (for less than a Clouds goes for), that bouncing audio back and forth ability/capability is in part why I find Morphagene far less appealing also. Particularly from a hands-on immediacy and predictability standpoint, comparatively.

With the greater control and flexibility afforded me through 2x Phonogenes, 2x Echophons, and 2x Roland Scoopers, Morphagene isn't unique enough to escape being redundant, and its complexity and unpredictability become learning-curve liabilities, and leave its potential 'joy factor' to be more or less 'limited' to happy-accidents (which I am usually very keen on), and its morphing tricks, the latter of which to my ears, makes pretty much e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g sound very "morphagened-can-you-tell?", for nearly $200 more than the Nebulae 2.

So, all things considered, I think a Nebulae 2 although likewise fairly redundant given the above modules functions, is unique enough in desirable features, that it would compliment the Supercell and the record/freezing/loopers I have, very nicely. Thank you for your input.

[elxsound]

*Just ask foosnark, he will tell you, and rightly so I expect.

Heh... when I bought NG it was $300. Glad I never had to make the decision about paying more!

It does sound fantastic and feels great, very controllable and tweakable. The thing is though, I don't do plucky and percussive stuff as much anymore. But if I had cashed out and replaced it with a DPLPG or Takaab or something for occasional use, I figure I probably would have found myself missing it.

On Mindphaser, I like the Front Line Assembly reference and the marketing graphics but the few demos I've listened to didn't really make me think it was more special than other options. I would give it more consideration if I was shopping around for a complex oscillator, but not replacing another one with it, if that makes sense.

I’m still following up on all the module mentions… is this module going to increase in price with each new wave? I had just finished the SOS review but noticed the higher price.

I don’t need it because I’m still getting used to the lpg on 0-coast but I am considering something for later since an lpg is one of the trade offs from not getting a DPO.

[elxsound]

@ Shabdahbriah, for Morphagene the things I wish they would change, is to add an option to trigger slices without need to wait for the end of a slice and more ways to affect the sound when morph is at full cw (random pitch and pan). I also don’t get consistent results with clock input and stretching.

Side note… I’m only commenting on Morphagene because I’m choosing to be blissfully ignorant about clouds, supercell or nebulae.

[vurt]

Side note… I’m only commenting on Morphagene because I’m choosing to be blissfully ignorant about clouds, supercell or nebulae.

is that going to be permanent or just till after the missus birthday?

[Shabdahbriah]

@ Shabdahbriah, for Morphagene the things I wish they would change, is to add an option to trigger slices without need to wait for the end of a slice and more ways to affect the sound when morph is at full cw (random pitch and pan). I also don’t get consistent results with clock input and stretching.

Interesting. Those things, particularly the inconsistency, would drive me nuts.

Supercell is what Clouds should have been, and then some... and well worth having waited however many years, for it to materialize. (imho)

As for Nebulae, it doesn't have 'slices' per se, but it does have CV control over most of the knob functions, and a bunch of buttons along the bottom, @3:14, including reset, which immediately jumps to the beginning of the selected sample.

https://youtu.be/wLGTOwPDJEE

*Just ask foosnark, he will tell you, and rightly so I expect.

Heh... when I bought NG it was $300. Glad I never had to make the decision about paying more!

It does sound fantastic and feels great, very controllable and tweakable. The thing is though, I don't do plucky and percussive stuff as much anymore. But if I had cashed out and replaced it with a DPLPG or Takaab or something for occasional use, I figure I probably would have found myself missing it.

On Mindphaser, I like the Front Line Assembly reference and the marketing graphics but the few demos I've listened to didn't really make me think it was more special than other options. I would give it more consideration if I was shopping around for a complex oscillator, but not replacing another one with it, if that makes sense.

I’m still following up on all the module mentions… is this module going to increase in price with each new wave? I had just finished the SOS review but noticed the higher price.

I don’t need it because I’m still getting used to the lpg on 0-coast but I am considering something for later since an lpg is one of the trade offs from not getting a DPO.

fwiw, I've heard nothing but positive ravings about the Rabid Elephant Natural Gate. I nearly scored one myself, but hit that out-of-stock wall too many times, and ended up with two Dynamix's (which are nearly half the price) instead, and am very pleased with them.

{aside} Since you are looking into it, my very first eurorack oscillator was the very 'organic' Pittsburgh Modular Double Helix, which I love, and has an LPG built in, albeit limited comparatively to either of the above, but it works well enough.

[vurt]

you bastard
you can't drop videos like that when he's not allowed to buy stuff

nebulae/morphagene/clouds/databender/supercell/mimeophone...
now that might be fun

[Shabdahbriah]

you bastard
you can't drop videos like that when he's not allowed to buy stuff

nebulae/morphagene/clouds/databender/supercell/mimeophone...
now that might be fun

IIRC, he's keeping the things he's "not allowed to buy", conveniently stashed in a 'guilt-free' box.

[vurt]

[elxsound]

you bastard
you can't drop videos like that when he's not allowed to buy stuff

nebulae/morphagene/clouds/databender/supercell/mimeophone...
now that might be fun

IIRC, he's keeping the things he's "not allowed to buy", conveniently stashed in a 'guilt-free' box.

Yeah, pretty much!

I’m breaking things down into stages. The next stage, if the Mindphaser truly comes will put QD, Dot, Running Order and Dirty Squawk in a pod.

I haven’t made up my mind on the next modules that will send Morphagene and Mimeophon to their own pod, but those modules won’t be noise makers. I’d like to include an lpg. I’m still looking at different envelopes and ADSRs. I’ve become a huge fan of Cascade, almost considering a second one.

Once I’m full, that’s when I can start drooling over noise makers and effect processors (along with a portable case to house things). That might be a 2022 list though

[vurt]

damn f**king hmrc bastards
65 bastard quid

[resynthesis]

Haven’t touched csound since early 90s uni days. Not going back to that shizzle, but I can imagine there’s a UI for it now?

Yes, it's moved on quite a bit. All those years ago I was chuffed when emacs csound mode arrived

[WatchTheGuitar]

damn f**king hmrc bastards
65 bastard quid

Taking back control of your sixty five quid