The SEQUENCER - Intellijel Metropolis MODULAR MONDAYS #05

Ident Music by Sandy Dobson
Music by Christian & Sandy
That free software Sandy uses: vcvrack.com/
The sequencer itself: intellijel.com...
The best 'crack dealer in UK: www.rubadub.co...

[@night_speed]

It is insane how modular can keep you up at night like no other electronic instrument.

[@justryanreally]

Look forward to this each week now, just to touch-base and find out where you are up to. I have wound up venturing off down the synth-rabbit-hole in parallel, so it's nice to have someone else undertaking a similar journey. It's always a nice change of pace to have someone else in the vlog, too. Keep em coming!

[@mtg101010]

Hi, Love your work. In my mind, the Optomix is one of the best modules in modular. That said, it is not a VCA. It's a Low Pass gate. Which, as you may know, means its a vactrol controlled module that contains both a VCA and LPF. When one connects an envelope, it simultaneously modulates both the VCA and a one-pole Low Pass Filter, increasing volume and rolling off harmonics. With AD envelopes from Maths it sounds totally magical. But, because of the vactrol, it respond to envelope stage changes pretty slowly. Generally, the LPG is excellent with AD envelopes but often too slow to express the rapid changes of an ADSR envelope. ADSRs become something of a slur. You may need a true VCA for ADSRs.In the patches you're building, you are "double filtering" your VCO through the Optomix and the Erika LPF. That's super cool but it does change the sound.The right knob of Optomix sets both the bias of the VCA and initial cutoff for the filter. it would be interesting to experiment with patching your filter both before and after the Optomix. It ought produce significantly different results.

[@weepwow]

Great observation. Just gave me some great ideas and advice for my Maths, 2 Optomix(es), and ADSRs.

[@yuggothproductions]

I think the most interesting thing about modular, and why I finally took the plunge, is that it’s almost like creating a neural network of sound, and depending on how you patch say 3 or 4 modules (especially if one is MATHS) you get vastly different Sonic results. Which is soooo exciting to me and as you said that’s the hole modular fills that other synths can’t. With my own system I’m really into injecting chaotic functions with Sloth, Brainseed bad things like that. This kind of random is what makes it really interesting and I’ve created patches for textures that are great for ambient stuff in film. Anyway my two cents.

[@DivKid]

the potential for that then to affect everything else downstream through unities and logic etc gets even more interesting.

[@mmturner89]

Getting juicy now! I think as you start to introduce more exciting modules and explore their capabilities more, people will begin to get it and enjoy the series more. I think the basics and utility stuff can be a bit dull without the cool shit to back it up. Enjoy the rest of your holiday!

[@barnabycross]

Thanks for making these Modular Mondays videos, together with Patch & Tweak (a recent book on Modular Synthesis) I am making a lot of sense of the basics of Modular. I was wondering if you had an idea of the rough cost outlay to get to a point where you are ready to populate your Eurorack with modules. ie, Eurorack Wooden finished Case, Power supplies and connections etc. Any ballpark figure in Sterling or Yen would be appreciated! Thanks so much again and I really like the delivery of all of the videos, very informative, but not too serious and decent humor! (particularly the dealing with Cluster B vids)

[@freemovementarts]

It might not be “distortion” in the way you’re thinking about it, but a wavefolder module is highly recommended - an amazing timbre sculpting tool, and can get as nasty as you want it to!

[@jessemcinturff1268]

Zvex fuzz factory modular for a distortion box. It sounds great on everything and can be another oscillator it’s self

[@DivKid]

indeed - kzbin.info/www/bejne/mHK9p6GoZsZ-ppI

[@LukeKillen]

I love this conversational format. You may be well aware already, but you share voltage from one modulation source with a stack cable that you intend to use for accurate pitch on one module and perhaps variable modulation on another, then might be better using a Buffered Mult. This will mean that voltage drop will be avoided from the voltage source and you'll end up with a accurate copy of the voltage source for each destination. It's a good use case for buffered mults over Stackables or unbuffered mults. if it'a about the feel rather than a well tempered VCO then Stackables are excellent.

[@glyngoll]

Distortion has to be the 100GRIT by Schlappi Engineering

[@mgscheue]

The RYO Optodist is a nice distortion module. DIY, but an easy build. The XAOC Drezno is a D/A A/D converter that lets you mess with the bits in-between, so great for distortion, among other things. And pedals! Your Intellijel IO module should be good for getting things out to and in from pedals. Mutable Warps, too. Ring mod, wavefolder, crossfader, vocoder, frequency shifter... . Can be used as quite a nice oscillator, also.

[@AynenMakino]

It might be good to dedicate an episode to trying different things with the setup you've already got. We get a lot of explanation on what you're adding each week, but I think it's important to spend more time familiarizing ourselves with the existing modules and the various ways to use them before moving on. To put things into perspective, of this 14 minute video, only 1 minute and 15 seconds are spent playing with the modules you have installed so far. That's not a lot of time to really get to know them. That's not to say these videos are bad, far from it! I love them! It's just going a wee bit fast for me.

[@tarnishchris]

Love it as always...but..dont post when your on holiday...because your on holiday..we are all grown ups..we can handle it

[@jeremyhollobon1723]

Unless you really want to, of course. Which - given the extent of your modular affliction - seems quite likely.

[@claycowartisamazing]

You're* , You're*

[@JureJerebic]

Metasonix for distortion - if it's good for Trent Reznor, it's good for Christian Henson

[@FostersLab]

For some very, very harsh tones, check out the WMD Geiger Counter :)

[@audioneiromancer2790]

A semantic correction, Christian. When you talk about “modulating” something, it seems you mean effecting the sound e.g. “the reverb modulating the audio”. Strictly in synth terminology, modulation is the variation over time that Sandy was talking about, for example, with an LFO modulating filter frequency cutoff. I only correct you because it’s an important differentiation when reading about patching etc. Tl;dr: modulation means changing a value over time, reverbs etc. effect, or process, the sound.

[@moritz.schaller]

Hey Christian. You mentioned your Fuckbox and I remembered that you were using the RME Babyface Pro when you were using it on the road. I wanted to ask you about your opinion on that Interface. Did you find the TotalMix software to be too complicated and hindering creative flow? I'm looking for a mobile solution right now and I think it's between the Babyface Pro (lost of features, but more complex) and the Apogee Duet (very few features, but elegant simplicity). I'm torn. Any advice from a composers perspective?

[@thescreamingwing5068]

3.17 Christian you are wasted on this composing lark. You were meant to be a 70's game show host's assisstant. Some beautiful gesturing there. You cant teach that.

[@TheCrowHillCo]

I knew had yet to find my calling, now get me some long legs and a time machine and we're all set.

[@ModLifeCrisis]

As I get on in years I find I'm becoming more interested in intentionality in music as opposed to randomness. I want to hear compositions. A bit boring I know but I can't help it. From what I can see, modular seems to be more about happy accidents. Patching in some cables, twiddling some knobs and seeing what comes out. But I want to hear what musicians have to 'say' to me, what they intended, not what they happened upon and thought sounded pretty good. Can modular do that? I'd be interested to know what people think.

[@johnnymidnight2982]

You can, but my suggestion would be to get a semi-modular all-in-one synth for starters. The Minibrute 2 or the Moog Grandmother have solid patch bays and everything you need without a eurorack. For composition, the main thing you will want is control and the above semi-modulars will take care of that aspect. Where eurorack comes into play is personalizing what you already have; making it a unique instrument (or series of instruments). Eurorack have many sequencers, drum machines, controllers and "Swiss Army" modules that will allow you to compose entire songs. Many of these modules have digital elements to them (like the 1010 company) which provide record and recall of what you composed so you can call it up again via SD card or USB. So, yes, you can do more with eurorack than be a John Cage or Morton Subotnik cover band. If you purchase the right modules, you can even record without using a DAW. Much of the noodling you'll find on KZbin are merely demonstrations or tutorials for a specific module, so that's why you may find much of the output lackluster or limited.

[@keegandewitt]

I'd offer up the Eloquencer as a better option for sequencer. It's less tactile (no sliders) but controls up to 8 voices rather than just one.

[@jdsc100]

Why do you have 4 4ms row powers? Can’t one power 2 rows each?

[@refrakt8283]

There have already been some awesome recommendations of the Zvex Fuzz Factory, XAOC Drezno, and WMD Geiger Counter, which I also recommend, but my favorite is the Retro Mechanical Labs EFCCV Eurorack. It's wicked. Fun Fact: It's made by the same guy that makes the distortion filter box that Jacob Shea talks about in his Creative Cribs. Retro Mechanical Labs Site: www.rmlfx.com/ Jacob Shea Creative Cribs: kzbin.info/www/bejne/pYOtnXSKbayhp5Im17s

[@patcupo]

I think pedals win over Eurorack when it comes to distortion (though I may be biased since I work for a pedal company). Check out the ALM006 - S.B.G by ALM Busy Circuits. You can connect your modular system to your pedals in a Send/Return setup and have the best of both worlds. I know Strymon also made a module for this purpose too but I haven't tried it yet.

[@ARCMusic97]

I wonder if Arcade Fire had a similar set up for their song 'Creature Comforts' aha!

[@vinnieRice]

I think overdrive can be more useful in a Mod situation rather than straight distortion. You can drive and compress but still retain the note. Have to recommend xaocdevices.com/main/tallin/ Lovely VCA with 2CV per channel and amp-like distortion. I'll also use an AxeFX on the output of the whole rig for compression, overdrive, speaker sim. reverb etc.but that's probably 'cheating' in the context of this vlog.

[@dadoe]

Cool placement of yourself in that arch.

[@synkrotron]

Metropolis! Great addition to any system :-D

[@bluedyeno1]

.. wait, is Sandy in Connecticut too?!

[@daleturner]

So many bugs crawling on the ground! Yummy!

[@TheCrowHillCo]

You eat bugs?

[@daleturner]

The ground (peach-colored pavers) in the opening footage has BUGS crawling all over the place! I'm viewing on a large screen. Quite striking :-) INSECTUM!

[@robertsyrett1992]

Do you want to stop calling an LGP a VCA? Optomix is a filter, and not a VCA. It can't do Audio rate amplitude modulation, and I wouldn't send a mix through it. It does make analog oscillators sound amazing though.

[@felipsfroughly9666]

That was fucking great! Subscribed!

[@Unifono2012]

very well made videos!

[@Gregorovitch144]

With my YT recomendations filled with modula synth stuff since I started watching this series I have come to the conclusion that modular synthesis is a very expensive and timeconsuming hobby that has one single potentialy useful practical outcome: occasionally managing to program the thing to play itself such that it produces a performance, or even a snippet of a performance, that no musician of sound mind could reasonably be expected to have dreamed up themselves in a month of Sundays but still sounds incredibly cool. Occasionally. But what use is that really if you can't reproduce it on demand? Forgot to press the record button? Screwed up the levels? To be honest I have limited appetite for interminable technical details and mindfuckery, and even less for forking out somewhere between £5k and bugger the Ferrari, until this question is answered. That's what I'm tuned in to this journey for anyway.

[@RDillonMusic]

I understand and agree with your point: it is difficult to find an interesting sound and there is no way to save it for later recall. This is why I stay with synths such as Phobos rather than move to modular. Spitfire - like all companies that produce sample libraries - has a problem: the challenge of producing new content. What does one do when sales slow down, as they must? People will only purchase so many string libraries. There is a need to create new products and that is getting harder to do. Innovation becomes exponentially more difficult over time Christian is looking at the bigger picture - a new product. He is giving us a look into his thought process as ideas ferment and effervesce.

[@AnthonySternstein]

RML - Electron Fuzz Custom EFCCV

[@RLeaguer_Saint]

Feel like I’m sticking with this out if respect for and loyalty to Christian, but still not really getting it. For now, it’s entertaining enough to just witness Christian ‘s enthusiasm, and be intrigued by where he’s eventually going, but have to admit to skipping through some of the in depth technical stuff. Is it too naive to ask though if this will only ever likely to be of interest to EDM genre fans, or does it go broader than that?

[@midnightmix2692]

This is not really an edm channel. If you don't like the technical aspects of modular synthesis then just don't watch these videos. If you are into EDM I recommend you watch channels like zen world, sadowick productions.

[@MACEASY2]

It's fine to skip what doesn't interest you, but I would think that learning about the basic principles of modular synthesis and the possibilities which it opens up could be very applicable to EDM. It's about the sounds - if they excite you and you want to break away from conventional synth sounds - then it is worth getting into. If not, you can always return when they do. It is still at the baby steps phase.

[@ProducedByTroyNo]

I would seriously consider looking up Lightbath on youtube to get an idea on what eurorack can do. That will lead you down an eurorack rabbit hole. The possibilities with eurorack is absolutely endless and tbh eurorack is not even that popular in edm music but popular in experimental, noise and extremely complex electronic music.

[@RichardLacyMusic]

As a long-time modular user, who doesn't really do EDM, I'd say stick with it. The sound design possibilities alone should hopefully be worth following, even if you don't pay much attention to the techy bits. When you mix bits of modular with more conventional instrumentation, it gets very interesting. Hang in there!

[@RichardLacyMusic]

Until the camera is switched off...