Is it worth going modular?
- KVRAF
- 9569 posts since 16 Dec, 2002
Its a shame Roland stopped making the AIRA modular effects.
I picked up a Scooper for £169 just before they did so and prices have now rocketed for that model.
They are modular in themselves with 16 sub modules, can do CV over USB as theyre recognised as an OS sound device and can be reconfigured to do a shit load of stuff.
Plus they can be used standalone with a supplied wallwart, so no need to take up rack space/power, and accept normal line levels so can be used as a studio effect.
I picked up a Scooper for £169 just before they did so and prices have now rocketed for that model.
They are modular in themselves with 16 sub modules, can do CV over USB as theyre recognised as an OS sound device and can be reconfigured to do a shit load of stuff.
Plus they can be used standalone with a supplied wallwart, so no need to take up rack space/power, and accept normal line levels so can be used as a studio effect.
Amazon: why not use an alternative
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thecontrolcentre thecontrolcentre https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=76240
- KVRAF
- 35098 posts since 27 Jul, 2005 from the wilds of wanny
Absolutely. If VCV clicks with you then maybe go Eurorack, or a cheap(er) semimodular like the Arturia Brutes.SLiC wrote: ↑Fri Nov 16, 2018 4:48 pm Start with VCV rack (its FREE) and see if you like the sounds you get and the pathing methodology....
https://vcvrack.com/
- KVRAF
- 7325 posts since 9 Jan, 2003 from Saint Louis MO
Sometimes you can find the AIRA FXs for around $200, though Scooper seems to have higher prices than the others. I thought about it for a bit but am holding off due to general lack of space and realizing I've probably spent enough for a whileVariKusBrainZ wrote: ↑Sat Nov 17, 2018 2:49 pm Its a shame Roland stopped making the AIRA modular effects.
I picked up a Scooper for £169 just before they did so and prices have now rocketed for that model.
- Beware the Quoth
- 33109 posts since 4 Sep, 2001 from R'lyeh Oceanic Amusement Park and Funfair
- KVRAF
- 9569 posts since 16 Dec, 2002
Regards space, this doesnt need to be racked, can use included wallwartfoosnark wrote: ↑Sun Nov 18, 2018 4:33 amSometimes you can find the AIRA FXs for around $200, though Scooper seems to have higher prices than the others. I thought about it for a bit but am holding off due to general lack of space and realizing I've probably spent enough for a whileVariKusBrainZ wrote: ↑Sat Nov 17, 2018 2:49 pm Its a shame Roland stopped making the AIRA modular effects.
I picked up a Scooper for £169 just before they did so and prices have now rocketed for that model.
Amazon: why not use an alternative
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- KVRian
- 1341 posts since 15 Oct, 2005 from The Far North
I second the suggestion of trying out eurorack in software form before eventually going for the real thing. As VCV instacrashed my computer I picked up a license for Softube Modular in the Marketplace. So far it's fun and frustrating in equal measures
- KVRAF
- 9569 posts since 16 Dec, 2002
But we all know it's just not the same
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- KVRian
- 1341 posts since 15 Oct, 2005 from The Far North
Totally agree! But I guess if you don't enjoy patching modules on a screen you won't enjoy it in real life either Would be shame if one found out after buying the real thing...
- KVRAF
- 25305 posts since 3 Feb, 2005 from in the wilds
Doesn't hurt to try software cause you can do it for free... and get a taste... but patching hardware is different. It is more hands on and kinesthetic. It is easy to tweak two parameters together. So some people might not like one and like the other... either way tooaallvor wrote: ↑Sun Nov 18, 2018 12:46 pmTotally agree! But I guess if you don't enjoy patching modules on a screen you won't enjoy it in real life either Would be shame if one found out after buying the real thing...
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- KVRAF
- 15507 posts since 13 Oct, 2009
I don't think that's true. I'm mostly ITB even though I own modular hardware, but, I think that there is something fun about hardware that you don't get from software, especially when it comes to modular.aallvor wrote: ↑Sun Nov 18, 2018 12:46 pmTotally agree! But I guess if you don't enjoy patching modules on a screen you won't enjoy it in real life either Would be shame if one found out after buying the real thing...
However, and it's a big deal. Maybe it's better to say "if you can't get sounds that you like out of software, you might be equally frustrated with hardware."
I think that there's some truth to that. People think that modular is going to be the greatest thing until sliced bread until they get frustrated because there are no presets and they realize that there's some challenge involved in getting usable sounds.
I think that it's important to have a goal and a reason for modular. It's an expensive way to realize that more gear is not necessarily going to make your music better.
- KVRAF
- 9569 posts since 16 Dec, 2002
This is where we all differ, one man's modular fart is another man's eargasm.
I can sit and tweak my Triple Wave Folder with just a Sine wave input and some modulation and get lost....
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- KVRAF
- 15507 posts since 13 Oct, 2009
No doubt. Don't get the wrong idea, I mostly make modular farts, just long smooth wet ones, you know, the kind that pack some heat. I think I jammed for about four hours straight once on a friend's 0-coast and that was the first time that I laid hands on it.VariKusBrainZ wrote: ↑Mon Nov 19, 2018 9:29 amThis is where we all differ, one man's modular fart is another man's eargasm.
I can sit and tweak my Triple Wave Folder with just a Sine wave input and some modulation and get lost....
You have to decide if what you're creating is what you want and I've often seen that people get into modular and get out because the sonic value gap between hardware and software is much smaller than the financial gap.
I will admit though, that I would probably get bored with just a wavefolder and a sin wave.
Someone else likes doing that as well, it seems, I mean, it kind of reminds me of the simple 555 synth craze a few years back. I'm not sure that you need modular hardware to get that kind of sound.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IstptPjpSKQ
- KVRAF
- 9569 posts since 16 Dec, 2002
I've yet to hear a software wavefolder as good as hardware, and triple is better than 2ghettosynth wrote: ↑Mon Nov 19, 2018 9:52 amNo doubt. Don't get the wrong idea, I mostly make modular farts, just long smooth wet ones, you know, the kind that pack some heat. I think I jammed for about four hours straight once on a friend's 0-coast and that was the first time that I laid hands on it.VariKusBrainZ wrote: ↑Mon Nov 19, 2018 9:29 amThis is where we all differ, one man's modular fart is another man's eargasm.
I can sit and tweak my Triple Wave Folder with just a Sine wave input and some modulation and get lost....
You have to decide if what you're creating is what you want and I've often seen that people get into modular and get out because the sonic value gap between hardware and software is much smaller than the financial gap.
I will admit though, that I would probably get bored with just a wavefolder and a sin wave.
Someone else likes doing that as well, it seems, I mean, it kind of reminds me of the simple 555 synth craze a few years back. I'm not sure that you need modular hardware to get that kind of sound.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IstptPjpSKQ
Love just tweaking my Furthrrrr, self patched and straight to mixer.
I am talking at the extreme end of 'as simple as it gets'
My ears just love all that lovely waveform movement and phasing, or maybe it's my shit room acoustics and very dodgy hearing that add these qualities!!!!
Amazon: why not use an alternative
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- KVRAF
- 15507 posts since 13 Oct, 2009
Yeah, I suspect that there's some bias there. It's hard to know. When I listen to those sounds I'm not hearing anything that makes me wet for hardware. Then again, I have two DIY oscillators that I think sound great droning against each other. They're nothing special, I'm pretty sure that they're very similar to the Thomas Henry xr2206 based VCO with a few mods of my own. I should make an album of one note drones with just those two VCOs.VariKusBrainZ wrote: ↑Mon Nov 19, 2018 10:04 am I've yet to hear a software wavefolder as good as hardware, and triple is better than 2
Love just tweaking my Furthrrrr, self patched and straight to mixer.
I am talking at the extreme end of 'as simple as it gets'
My ears just love all that lovely waveform movement and phasing, or maybe it's my shit room acoustics and very dodgy hearing that add these qualities!!!!
It's pretty easy for the bias loop to convince you that your beliefs are real. Ask any former audiophile.
- KVRAF
- 7325 posts since 9 Jan, 2003 from Saint Louis MO
O_C has something like 13 apps and you can run one at a time. A lot of them are some weird music theory stuff I just don't have much use for. (When I originally had O_C, I almost exclusively used Piqued.)whyterabbyt wrote: ↑Sun Nov 18, 2018 11:23 amWhat's the advantage of that over the regular firmware?
Hemisphere Suite has something like 60 apps, and it runs two of them simultaneously (side by side on the screen). They're generally simpler, lots of small utilities, but a few more unique things. I'm really fond of the new vector modulators, it's kind of like a mini Zadar.
I know, I don't have much space outside my rack either at this point.VariKusBrainZ wrote: ↑Sun Nov 18, 2018 11:29 am Regards space, this doesnt need to be racked, can use included wallwart