Pittsburgh Modular TAIGA

[thecontrolcentre]

New from Pittsburgh Modular. This looks cool as (what you'd expect from PM) ... 3 osc, 3 wave folders, paraphonic, semi-modular analog synth. I'm tempted.

https://youtu.be/cQYpC41puos

Thomann have them at £799

[Shabdahbriah]

... some build/function details:

And ~ the drone! @1:35:40

https://youtu.be/EdDMeku9_5Q

[ghettosynth]

Not tempted, at all. That drone bores me. I think that semi-modular instruments are fine, but I'm not seeing $800 of instrument here. Sue me, I'm judgey like that.

[whyterabbyt]

I like what Molten Modular got out of it, but, like things like the Pest/Beast and MakeNoise boxes, I always wind up deciding that my trusty two-row Bugbrand system could cover enough of the territory as a system to reduce the 'new box shiny' effect to manageable levels.
Which helps with the fact Ive got limited deskspace left.

So after the first hour of 'oooh gimme,' the Taiga briefly made me wonder if I should try and pick up another couple of BB wavefolders, for the one per oscillator thing, and now Im 'sanely' (er, right) back to thinking I could 'just' pick up another Eurorack wavefolder...

I'd consider the Taiga if someone handed me a grand and forced me to spend it on audio gear, though.

Hmmm, maybe I could find room, beside the NiftyCase....

[foosnark]

In the various demos, I've heard some absolutely killer sweet spots from those oscillators. The rest of the synth ranges from competent but not impressive, to "why did they choose that?" IMHO.

I'd like to try one in person. I do suspect it'd make a fine drone box. But I'm not convinced to throw $800 at it and have it replace my Minibrute 2S. I have lots of hardware and software that can do impressive drones.

But if they offered that exact oscillator design as a Eurorack module at a reasonable price I would likely grab one.

[imrae]

Looks like it would be a nice starting point for a modular system, less likely to be useful as an expansion of a well-balanced existing system.

[whyterabbyt]

But if they offered that exact oscillator design as a Eurorack module at a reasonable price I would likely grab one.

likewise.

[foosnark]

Also based on my experience with Pittsburgh modules... attention to detail and getting things pristine and clean isn't their forte. Honestly on the Double Helix some of that led to some cool charm it wouldn't have had otherwise, and I didn't mind most of it, but some of it was freaking annoying or borderline broken and required some workarounds. (FWIW, I do still miss my Double Helix but I can't point to 28HP of gear I'd be willing to trade to make room for one again.)

I get the impression that Taiga is this way too.

[Shabdahbriah]

Looks like it would be a nice starting point for a modular system, less likely to be useful as an expansion of a well-balanced existing system.

Agree.

But if they offered that exact oscillator design as a Eurorack module at a reasonable price I would likely grab one.

likewise.

Ditto. ... but, that is kinda what the West Pest/East Beast are +some stuff.

... meanwhile:

Experimenting with Wavefolders @10:24
FM Feedback Experiments @16:17
Waveshaping Feedback @22:30
Preamp Experiments @27:56


https://youtu.be/o-pzxGa0T7M

[foosnark]

Eh, West Pest's oscillator shares some design elements but quite a bit different in details. Pittsburgh has done several different -- but all tasty -- variations on its wavefolder and the way it integrates into their various gear.

I wish they made a standalone wavefolder. Microvolt, Voltage Lab, LPO, West Pest and Taiga don't have an external input for the folder, only Double Helix does.

[whyterabbyt]

Ditto. ... but, that is kinda what the West Pest/East Beast are +some stuff.

At 40HP, though. On the Taiga, the 3 ocillators look to be, what, 8HP each?

[Shabdahbriah]

Eh, West Pest's oscillator shares some design elements but quite a bit different in details. Pittsburgh has done several different -- but all tasty -- variations on its wavefolder and the way it integrates into their various gear.

I wish they made a standalone wavefolder. Microvolt, Voltage Lab, LPO, West Pest and Taiga don't have an external input for the folder, only Double Helix does.

True... all good points. I suspect the wavefolder is so tightly integrated into the oscillator (firmware) itself, and as such is or is intended to become part of their "signature" Pittsburgh sound, that as a stand alone unit it would prove somewhat underwhelming, or even be perceived as working against a 'feature' that currently makes them unique. The Double Helix (which I have) wavefolder is severely limited compared to many other stand-alone units currently available.

Ditto. ... but, that is kinda what the West Pest/East Beast are +some stuff.

At 40HP, though. On the Taiga, the 3 oscillators look to be, what, 8HP each?

True again. I forgot how wide they were. But, they do have a lot of extra stuff, which Pittsburgh (being Pittsburgh) uses to promote them as "core" or center-piece units to build upon. And yes, the Taiga oscillators appear to be 8hp to me, as well.

I'd like to see the trio of oscillators, and the mixer/pre-amp section as a separate unit.

And, while I agree that $800 is steep, and beyond my current 'list-placement' priorities, I do find it to be a quite interesting module.

... more:

LFO speed/rate, followed by some interesting oscillators/wavefolding cross-modulation features starting @1:08:45

https://youtu.be/WA4_i4OMWhE

[foosnark]

I wish they made a standalone wavefolder. Microvolt, Voltage Lab, LPO, West Pest and Taiga don't have an external input for the folder, only Double Helix does.

Apparently I was wrong and West Pest does have a folder input. That immediately makes it even more tempting than it was before. Maybe I can squeeze it on the stands next to my Strega and 0-Ctrl? Or maybe a WP and another smol synth can take over my Minibrute space. (Pluto? Double Knot? A second Strega?)

Also Capt'n Big-O has a fold input, but... I loathe almost every single aspect of that panel, from the name to the jack spacing, and I am not normally the type to complain about such things.

[ghettosynth]

nm

[vurt]

I wish they made a standalone wavefolder. Microvolt, Voltage Lab, LPO, West Pest and Taiga don't have an external input for the folder, only Double Helix does.

Apparently I was wrong and West Pest does have a folder input.

yup.