Buchla Easel Command 208C - Arpeggio

Made my first video with the Buchla Easel Command 208C that I bought from Signal Sounds in Scotland. The Easel is connected with a MIDI cable to an Elektron Octatrack which is running an arpeggiator. I am changing patterns later in the video so each oscillator receives a different MIDI sequence on separate MIDI channels - the complex oscillator on channel 2 and the modulation oscillator on channel 3. The audio goes through the Octatrack with some effects added and then recorded on my computer.

[@Unison_Detune]

Sounds wonderful. A definite bagpipe lilt to the arp.I buy a lot from Signal Sounds. Great guys.

[@InFamousProductions]

That sound is so sweet. It really sounds like quality.😊

[@TheTrackdriver]

thank you😊

[@electrummodularmusic]

Beautiful track. Maybe it was your mention of a store in Glasgow, but the tone of the complex oscillator (at least when it first appears) reminded me of bagpipes. Subbed!

[@LukeLendrum]

I've been on the fence about the Buchla but this is one of those performances that really makes me think it's worth it.

[@joshjuanfifarek7382]

Right?? Me too. I wanted to replace my ARP Odessey with maybe a 2600 modular or the Korg ARP but really for $700 more I could work with this…. Damnnn….

[@nsbd90now]

Yeah, that was really good, and terrific to see you play the instrument.

[@kenb7540]

Wonderful jam and set-up ! I love the syncopated modulation of the mod oscillator. 👏🙏

[@2609kenny]

Wow, fantastic, what a sound !!!!!!

[@steveambrose1]

This is great I’m just starting out with the easel , i have an octatrck can you please do a video on the midi set up , thanks so much.

[@StrixElectric]

A moment of pure beauty.

[@StephenMcLeod]

This is real nice.

[@laurenthilairet2004]

A nice moment of music ! That sound !

[@alexhahn8016]

beautiful sounds!! This would pair great with my Zaquencer I think. Might have to get one.

[@-CALC-]

This is lovely stuff! The Command has such a powerful and useful MIDI implementation. It gives next level Easeling for sure.

[@TheTrackdriver]

After posting this video I also found out how to get two separate audio signals from the Easel, at least this model allows it. This makes it possible to apply different effects on each oscillator.

[@-CALC-]

@@TheTrackdriver Yep theres some really neat additions in the Command. I've also experimented with the switch on the PCB to turn the M.O.Freq input into a Sequencer Advance input instead. I thought you could maybe use an external source connected to this to separately trigger the Envelope or Pulsar from the sequencer and make the 208C into a true two voice instrument. It works but..... then I found out that if you just send a trigger into the Pulsar's input socket you can trigger it anyway!!! I've also had a lot of fun mapping the few MIDI CCs available and sequencing them with a Novation Circuit Tracks too. I was amazed to find that the mysterious purple "From Card" output also reacts to MIDI Velocity and outputs control for even more modulation fun. They've really pushed the Easel into new territories with all of these features..... I love it!

[@TheTrackdriver]

@@-CALC- Thank you for sharing your knowledge! Now I have even more things to try out. The Octatrack can send and sequence MIDI CCs too.

[@drippydroopy7052]

@@TheTrackdrivermultiple outs? interesting, how exactly?

[@TheTrackdriver]

@@drippydroopy7052 I have no idea how the other Easels work but the 208C has several outputs. Pre Lo Pass Gate 1 * TiniJax complex oscillator in the "Comp osc" section (top row) 1 * TiniJax modulation oscillator in the "Mod osc in/out" section (top row) Post Lo Pass Gate: 2 * 1/4″ on the back 2 * TiniJax in the "Mix out" section on the top right corner 1 * TiniJax LPG 2 in the mixer section If you want to use the filters on each oscillator and have them on separate channels on your mixer or soundcard, connect a cable with a 1/4″ TRS connector to one of the sockets on the back and another cable with a TiniJax connector to the "gate2 sig" socket. The complex oscillator signal will go out through the 1/4″ and the modulation oscillator through the TiniJax. Don't forget to turn the "channel B" knob down completely, otherwise the modulation oscillator will go out on both outputs. The built-in spring reverb will only work on the complex oscillator in this setup.

[@spdycar13]

I’m curious, where is the frequency modulation coming from? (Green patch cable?) Sweet sounds. 👍

[@TheTrackdriver]

I am using the hard wired FM on the 208C in this video so no patching was needed. If the modulation switch in the modulation oscillator section is set to "f.m. osc" the complex oscillator works as the carrier and the modulation oscillator as the modulator. You can do the opposite by patching the "c.osc" out to the "f.m. in" with a tini jax cable. I do not remember and it is difficult to see in the video but I think the green patch cord you mention is going from a sequencer output (stacked on the orange cable) to the modulation slider.

[@joshjuanfifarek7382]

Wicked scapes …. So I guess that you do maybe reccomend this or the easel?

[@TheTrackdriver]

You mean Octatrack or the Easel? I can't recommend one over the other I'm afraid. Luckily I own both.

[@nucleararmeddogg568]

So how exactly do you make it so the two oscillators operate on separate midi channels? I didn’t realize this was possible! Or is it inherently like that and I’ve just been overlooking it?

[@TheTrackdriver]

I actually used three MIDI channels in this video. Channel 2 for the complex oscillator and channel 3 for the modulation oscillator. These two channels sent melody sequences. Channel 1 sent pulser and sequencer triggers IIRC. After this video I have been using a simpler setup. Channel 1 to send triggers and melody to complex oscillator which is set to keyboard on. Channel 3 to the modulation sequencer with keyboard off (this will prevent it from receiving data from channel 1 but it will still respond to messages from channel 3). Maybe I will make a video on this setup in the future as it is difficult to explain in words. There is a downloadable MIDI chart at Buchlas site.

[@CRLFNKL]

GOOOOOOD DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMN, SON

[@latejuly432]

How do you like playing with the command and the octatrack? I am consider having a similar setup.,

[@TheTrackdriver]

This was the first time I tried the setup with Octatrack and thought it was a bit complicated. In my second and third video I used MIDI channel 1 instead of channel 2 for the complex oscillator. You can still control the modulation oscillator separately by turning off the keyboard (there is a switch). The oscillator will receive MIDI notes from channel 3 exclusively in this mode. This made it much more enjoyable so I like this way of controlling the Easel. I do have the MIDI host expansion card installed but have not felt the need to use it yet.