Eowave Quadrantid Swarm - review and demo

In which I show the possibilities and quirks of the Quadrantid Swarm Synthesizer I was send by Eowave to review in exchange for their Metalik resonator speaker (hence "paid promotion"). This synth offers a wealth of sound and inspiration in a compact package and has found a place in my heart and rack, in spite of a few things that I, as a member of the club of very big knobs and 50 pound oscillators, have trouble tolerating. Stil, I am happy that I can now finally answer your question "which synth should I buy first" with "the unpronounceable Swarm thing from France".
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[@eowavemodular]

Nice review, thanks ! In case you are wondering for the enclosure, it's in aluminium with a sanded powder coating ( it's better for scratches), Regarding the panels, we are going to make some wood pannel acessories for the ones who would like to change them :) ( They might be in black MDF to fit with the current aestetic) :)

[@Hainbach]

Cool, thx for the clarification and sorry again a hundred times for messing up the name. Just got stuck in my head, too much Star Trek.

[@JureJerebic]

I'm looking to get one of these myself, how come the release time doesn't change? Timestamp 21:05

[@Hainbach]

I got "Quandrantid Swarm" instead of "Quadrantid" stuck in my head for whatever reason when recording this. Sorry Eowave, that was dumb. Please forgive.

[@eavids128]

This is the channel I come to when I want to hear sounds that I've never heard before, great content!

[@InFamousProductions]

Welcome (Hain)Back. I just got one, thanks to your review. I have a ton of big synths , and maybe I could work to get the same that this will do, but when I hear and watch the demos and reviews, it's insane.

[@scottasin]

What I love about you is that, yes, this is the perfect first synthesizer for the music you make, but for most other styles of music there would be significantly simpler and more practical choices. A lot of people would lean towards something with presets and keys and playing Synthesizer like a piano or organ, despite the fact that Synthesizer is truly its own instrument and need not be restrained by such thinking. Nah, you aren't gonna practice scales on this... but you ARE going to truly explore sound.

[@josemurcia9315]

Excellent demo! Indeed this is a lovely, little toy. I love the spring reverb. The ambient sounds you got with the Tempus are absolute bliss. If fact, everything you hooked up to this gadget sounds wonderful. What a collection you have! Thank you for sharing. I will pass it on to my collective of electro musicians.

[@jeanbonnefoy1377]

Have several eowave modules and synths. They strongly remind me of the Greek Dreadbox ones.🤘💗with a touch of MakeNoise for the architecture and design. Powerful mix!👍

[@lovedeathdisco]

4:38 hainbach is secretly one of "THE RESIDENTS" 👁

[@lancepage1914]

If I had to do it again Mr. Heinbach, i would have to 100% agree with you that this would be the first synth I would get. It's hands on, you can dial in a great sound in seconds. You can use it as a techno machine or like a regular synth plus it's polyphonic with a step sequencer. That's really all you need to start with.

[@UNSCPILOT]

Kinda wanna grab a Soma Lyra-4 and one of these and just, have fun, I have next to no musical training yet the idea of just messing around with these and seeing what I can make sounds really appealing, and I already have Soma Ether V2 and some SDR radio equipment if I want samples to play with or get ideas from. Thanks for sharing this neat bit of hardware!

[@scowlsmcjowls2626]

The reverb spring makes it sound analogue. Thats clever

[@jasonguthrie9114]

Spring reverbs are analog, it also has analog filters, things that are analog happen to sound analog. square wave analog oscillators are actually outputting digital signals, the only real difference with analog oscillators is they’re commonly out of tune across all octaves, the only music advantage with analog oscillators is that sine waves are much smoother and full, which would be impossible to tell on the internet because no overtones, also since it’s no longer analog...

[@scowlsmcjowls2626]

@@jasonguthrie9114 thanks for the rainy day smart arse troll comment almost a year later

[@No.0.o.0]

I love melodies created by the filters. Reminds me of spending hours fine tuning them on my DS10.

[@peladoclaus]

Best demo I've seen of that box so far!

[@chiralll]

Great review and what a fantastic synth ! Loving eowave synth and modules.

[@LittleZdy]

The Eowave Quadrantid Swarm has Hainbach magic in it.

[@edwardfletcher7790]

It's a mini BBC Radiophonic workshop 😆

[@silkyglimpses7686]

Just what I thought I have more fun my swarm than my syntax That also goes for Hikari monos With the swarm and monos a ring modulator and a old echo you have a great small set up for those early sounds in electronics I like switches and knobs more than patching machines. Apologies I’m babbling now 😁😂🪐

[@daerschoi]

I just wanna say, I would definitely listen to Hainbach as an audiobook, just to go asleep. Kisses

[@daerschoi]

I mean imagine him as a Benjamin Britten like synth explanator. kzbin.info/www/bejne/l3nKgJ6po6yWedU

[@PaulBoos]

This is a very surprising pick Hainbach. I love my QS (I was a Kickstarter backer), but that was because i thought it sounded really unusual and experimental... Just would never have ever thought of this as a first synth for anyone. I have never gotten to using this without using its own sequencer as it is really fun. Tons of cool bass sounds for example or haunting sounds.I just tend to get lost in it. Looks like they changed the casing from the Kickstarter - I have wonderful wooden sides and I think mine is metal for the bottom casing.

[@6or7breadsticks]

"more to be had in the finer values" I TOTALLY AGREE! Have you ever tried to hot glue a toothpick onto a control knob to give you a longer turn circumference for finer control? (but still removable and non-damaging!)

[@scottasin]

great idea

[@drpibisback7680]

This thing looks potentially great for Power Electronics/Death Industrial.

[@jangbi08]

You are not allowed to use anything but MS20

[@drpibisback7680]

@@jangbi08 Fair point.

[@mistercheetah9717]

Don’t listen to him, this would be killer for P-E

[@neuzethmusic131]

@@jangbi08 🤣

[@FluxFreeman]

I want to create experimental IDM, I assume this is the way

[@daneguitarist1]

god damn it i love synths to much

[@thesynthblog3743]

To me this seems like a fairly straight competitor for the Make Noise 0 Coast. I'd be interested in seeing a vs.

[@nicodenitto5780]

What about Make Noise - Strega?? I wanna see a head to head, for sure.

[@thesynthblog3743]

@@nicodenitto5780 ME TOO!!! Strega actually wasn't out yet when I made this comment!!!

[@nicodenitto5780]

@@thesynthblog3743 have you gotten either yet? My friend has a Strega and my Swarm is coming Tuesday. We may have to make that vid! lol

[@marcussmithereens-smithert5409]

12:36 - Jump scare warning!

[@tiadiad]

Hahahahahahaha:))

[@drkakophanos3013]

I wish I was a poet.......just imagine poetry spoken over these soundscapes....man instant Hawkwind

[@edwardfletcher7790]

It's a really lovely design with the orange LEDS under the touch pads. It would take a few months to learn to play tho'.

[@marcozaccagni1813]

POV: you wake up tied to a chair

[@susanneratzer2281]

You took it out of the case and into eurorack, which I think I shoud do as well. The video about that was very fast so I could not find out how to do it realy. I was croudfunder for this and have the weatherdrone as well.The swarm is an very inspiring instrument.

[@Hainbach]

It is really simple: unscrew the sides, unscrew the faceplate, take out the power supply cable, use a flathead screwdriver to take off the reverb tank (just taped) and then plunk it all into the rack.

[@susanneratzer2281]

@@Hainbach Thank you very much. I just do that.

[@genepozniak]

Whoa! 5:47 !!! THAT's the ticket, as we say. :-)

[@jawoody9745]

This is a thing of beauty...

[@brownmoney27]

Had I seen this video before buying it I might have been put off. Not a diss to this guy at all, just a demonstration of how versatile it is, and the ease of seeing a video and thinking "that's what this device does"

[@Lauke101]

So many lovely sounds in this demo, very inspiring. Please keep being you, Hainbach :)

[@InFamousProductions]

I've had mine now for a few days, and last night I figured it out perfectly. I don't know if it's my unit, or if it is what it is, but the touch pads really suck. I think mine is not so good, I got it used . But not that big of a deal, I am putting midi to it, and I sent gate out from my TD3-MO and it's killer! Thanks for the vid

[@destroy_television]

To be fair.. touchpads on most modules suck, in my opinion. I've had 2 different MakeNoise Rene's that had awful touch pads. I'm going to test one of these out on Saturday, and probably pull the trigger on it. The pads might suck, but I'd probably you it the same as use and feed midi into it anyway. 😃 Edit: I suck at grammar.

[@izzzzzz6]

Get your order in time for Halloween!

[@martintaylor9205]

Hi Hainbach looking forward to this review I’ve just got Swarm but so much to get head around and what sockets are ins or outs Great admirer of all your artistic endeavour s in Sonic sculptures🎶🎶🎶🆒⚡️🕸🌟🇬🇧

[@mishadoumnov]

Great video, meine Freund - excellent music too :) one question - the quantization of the pitches in the oscillators - is it possible to use different tuning systems or is it E.T. only? thanks a lot. Subscribed

[@eowavemodular]

Hi Misha, The sequencer and keyboard work on a classical chromatic scale. However, with the pitch cv input, you can use externals modules to create all kind of scales and tuning ( this is the joy of modular :))

[@mishadoumnov]

@@eowavemodular thanks a lot :)

[@regplasma7906]

Always love your vids and your attitude .Keep 'em coming Hainbach.Reg Plasma .

[@enteroviaform1319]

hi, I've been trying to figure out whether to get this or a 0-coast. I'd be controlling this from an external midi &/or cv device as well as the builtin keyboard/seq I know this review is 2 yrs old, but I don't quite understand your point about the decay/release on the envelope generator(s). Can you clarify a bit? Is it relating only to the builtin keyboard or ... ?

[@scottarmstrong8585]

Been waiting several years for them to finally release it... Yay!! Hopefully they will re-release the Weather Drones too.

[@eowavemodular]

Hehe, in fact, we never really stop producing weather drone,we just make it as a kit in small batches :).

[@FlatFeetMusic]

Is there a way to recognize the inputs or the outputs in the patchbay?Thank you!

[@zipnone1996]

really nice review

[@jonskili]

this thing is soooo cool

[@Sousless]

Nice t-shirt!

[@Dogboy73]

I want one 😍

[@xisotopex]

any other modules similar to this?

[@somnambulantable]

Where's that metallic resonator video? :)

[@ocktawianofficial7582]

Hi mate .....how are You .? I have a question..about The QS.... How can I send my QS Midi Clock from logic? ..I've tried several times and I can't get the sequencer to start ...with the vable midi to cv .. Is there any trick or option to get it to start..... thank you so much ...🙏

[@Ian-gw2vx]

I am just about to pull the trigger on the Syntrx II but why does this little synth excite me more ?

[@rivella99]

How does the integration with a DAW like Ableton work?

[@eowavemodular]

There is a M4L device for easy control over midi parameters if you want, you can get it here : www.eowave.com/members/Quadrantid%20Swarm/quadrantid%20Control.amxd

[@rivella99]

@@eowavemodular Cool, that sounds promising. Does this also include controlling the BPM i.e. syncing with the DAW?

[@eowavemodular]

@@rivella99 yes you can sync it with midi ( then the clock knob is a divider of the midi clock)

[@rivella99]

@@eowavemodular Thank you very much!

[@Nosoultosell]

If I send midi notes to this does that override the pitch knobs on each step?

[@eowavemodular]

Nop, if you are in mono mode, it will transpose the sequence

[@MaxDissent]

@@eowavemodular ahh I see... ok thanks for your reply! Appreciate it! =]

[@surf_machine]

hi there, is there a way to control the clock/length without any modular clock unit? my setup is: TR8S, DFAM through Analog Heat, Subharmonicon, Crave, Nubass and Eowave through 707. or do i have to replace my 707 to get started with modular? :

[@eowavemodular]

You can control the clock speed via midi, external clock sync or with the clock pot speed for standalone clock :)

[@tonystephen6312]

it's a good sound but a fairly hefty tag!

[@neuzethmusic131]

Very nice synth with character indeed, thanks for showing Stefan! The Swarm sounds quite "thick" as well... and that build in reverb though... But you can get similar sounds out of a Arturia Microfreak or the Modal Skulpt for half the price, if your are on a budget! Both of them are really nice for not so mainstreamy ambient / lofi music.

[@SoundAuthor]

I think this is more suitable for cinematic sound designers interested in strange textures and bizarre atmospheres.

[@Hainbach]

Which is kind of the people that ask me what they should buy after they step away from plugins. I have a very perculiar audience :-)

[@kostantinosmag2986]

Very nice Work!!!!!!!!!!!! Super!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@muerto_vagabundo]

And what about controlling and external gear? Im choosing between 0 control or maybe this guy to be a CV sequencer for my 0 coast and the ability of CV sequencing 0 coast and routing audiosignal back through the spring reverb would be a cool thing including the fact that with the spring reverb I will get a fully buchla style keyboard is a winner combination! But is it really worth it? To clarify: I'm going to control 0 coast via midi sequencing it with mpc1000 (0 coast can be some kind of duophonic if you control it via midi and CV at the same time) so the flexibility of sequencing is not the biggest issue, but if I will be able to play the buchla style keys simultaneously with the midi sequencing, that would be a gamechanger for me). Would be very helpful if you could help me to clarify this.

[@bloopbleepnothinghere]

When changing the spread it sounds like the pitch changes. I know I'm probably wrong but what is going on there?

[@eowavemodular]

hi, the spread change the relative space between the oscillators. Fundamental frequency stay the same while but it can be sometime perceived as a pitch change

[@sunofslavia]

Too bad I can‘t be in Berlin tomorrow to hear the sultry „Hi, I‘m Hainbach“ live.

[@johnpaullovetek1809]

Mr Hainbach eu estou interessado em comprar esse sintetizador. Qual é o preço? Queria te dar os parabéns por teres um estúdio singular, fantástico, parece aqueles submarinos da união soviética no bom sentido

[@LYFoulidis]

Can’t wait for some more métallique..!

[@ronanwhit]

Is there any chance of you doing a video on your Onde Martenot gong speaker? I've been crazy after one of these for years, but trying to get any solid info on them is very difficult...

[@jamiesmith823]

So this is a stand alone music box with certain sounds/beats all ready to go and be manipulated ? But you can use pocket operator ko with it

[@henryhill92]

I think you've sold me on this. I may have missed it, but can you use the spring reverb independently with other Eurorack gear? I'd love to patch it into my Matriarch signal path.

[@Hainbach]

Yes, there is an in!

[@henryhill92]

@@Hainbach Great, now I just need to figure out how to get one to Australia...

[@ParkJouha]

Unbelievable, so coooooool!!

[@prayingelephants]

can i sequence and play a strega with this?

[@demianakira]

What is the best way to record the Swarm in the box?

[@rismosch]

Wait, this thing was supposed to be an ambient synth? I kinda enjoy how mylarmelodies saw this and thought: "yeah, I'm gonna make techno with that" 🤣

[@inf0tr8r]

it's a synth it doesn't come with a required genre ffs

[@brownmoney27]

Daft

[@tomoflis5338]

I bought it for techno, when i saw mylar play with it

[@entertaintech4374]

I like how this confirms these are instruments, everyone approaches them to make the music they want to and are meant to create. You instinctively adjust the parameters to make your own music.

[@nomadenview]

Can we use that to communicate with alien?

[@Hainbach]

I hope so!

[@eowavemodular]

Before being a synth, it's used to communicate both with aliens and intraterrestrials ( you can easily create a spacy pad to talk to people on Kepler-1649c and a growling patch who will reach the center of the earth by vibration and being the intermediate between this two oposite form of life who doesn't even imagine they live in the same universe) :)

[@silkyglimpses7686]

@@eowavemodular I have a swarm and its fantastic I get some great sounds out of it from radiophonic style early electronic music sounds ...abstract electronic bell metallic like sounds and percussive patterns ....I love the keypads the reverb mixed with my old dynacord echo sounds straight out of a 80s sci-fi film or strange bbc play from the early 70s

[@xisotopex]

anything similar to this in sound and capabilities? microfreak maybe?

[@adams.555]

I couldn’t find it anywhere. Link would be nice . Thank you

[@ravenouspathogen]

If this is for a beginner, why show it being used with other devices?

[@neversleeps1]

It's very nice, and that spring verb! But I think the asking price is way too steep

[@RabRabNZ]

better than 0-coast + 0-ctrl

[@TheScreamingFrog916]

I think I would rather have this, than my Lyra-8. A bit like my MicroFreak.

[@FawazK]

Can you tell me why? I'm considering one of them atm

[@TheScreamingFrog916]

@@FawazK I think the Swarm seems more versatile, than my Lyra-8 (which I built from a kit).

[@FawazK]

@@TheScreamingFrog916 thank you for the reply. The QS does indeed look a lot more versatile than the Lyra-8. I managed to snag a Lyra because the QS was sold out. That being said, it's definitely on my purchase list!

[@TheScreamingFrog916]

@@FawazK Enjoy. There is a lot to have fun with, in the Lyra-8, and fun to experiment with :-)

[@FawazK]

@@TheScreamingFrog916 thank you! It's truly a wonderful piece of gear!

[@extraterrestriallover1484]

I'd love to get the Swarm but I'm a bit afraid that I might not understand how it works.. Its manual is very laconic, not much info. I have no idea how to learn and understand this diabolical machine which sounds and possibilities I love!

[@eowavemodular]

Hi, we are working on a series of patch to better understand it. But the swarm is primary made to be played instinctively :)

[@songs481]

HAINBACH, what is that mixer you often use in the right side of the corner screen?

[@Hainbach]

Fostex X-28H

[@songs481]

Considering how much you use it, what do you like about it?

[@Hainbach]

Got it for free.

[@Dogboy73]

Wow! Some fantastic sounds here. I’d love one of these. Is it Euro rackable?

[@Hainbach]

YOu might want to watch until the end :-)

[@Dogboy73]

@@Hainbach lol. Yes, posted before I watched the whole video because I was so excited about the prospect of it possibly being rackable! :D

[@GradyNickel]

Hainbach, I absolutely love your videos. I need your expert opinion. I ordered a field kit fx. Now, I need to decide whether to get an oplab module for my op-z or the original field kit with expansion pack. I can't get both.....

[@Hainbach]

OG Fieldkit is amazing, especially with Sensors.

[@GradyNickel]

@@Hainbach Went ahead and ordered one. Now I have to figure out where to get some sensors. Everyone is out of stock on the Koma sensors. Thanks!

[@777merkaba]

Hardcore oscilator

[@mickolos]

Where can I buy this?

[@edwardfletcher7790]

It sounds like every weird European sci fi film from 1950-90 ! lol

[@eowavemodular]

have to make a krell with it :)

[@NETrevgadget]

Versatile? Yes. Beginner Friendly? Absolutely not. I can make cool noises for a few seconds with this thing before it becomes a mess unlike the DFAM I was able to pick up and just go. Gotta keep at it I guess... The moments when things line up and it produces an awesome sound are few and far between but when they do happen, so good.

[@brendonmoeller]

Wish I could find one for sale....

[@scowlsmcjowls2626]

We were born in the right age

[@setadriftonfishandchips]

16:19 THX

[@crolodon8024]

Good video but I’d give a beginner a Monologue instead! You rule Hainbach.

[@Hainbach]

Yeah I thought in more experimental terms, as those are the people that come to my channel. As a standard synth this is too weird, but Forman Open mind it is great

[@crolodon8024]

HAINBACH I feel you, and I think you’ve got a good point, if you had given this to me as my first synth I would have been hooked!!!

[@matthewcody1757]

The build quality is bad , mine came with a cracked side panel as well as the chassis was all bent out of shape , it's a bit of a slept on synth as the kids say, I ended up getting the side replaced but it was a bitch , soumd wise I love it

[@djformalin]

Thx....🎼

[@adams.555]

Is this stand alone synth?

[@djformalin]

Yes, Adam....but it can fit into a eurorack as well. I use mine to bring around....fits in a small bag or a big pocket. Greetings from Thailand 🎼

[@duncanthompson957]

10:18 The beginning of Let it Happen by TAME IMPALA.

[@Jasonweckard]

This demo scared my cat away😂

[@danpreston564]

Just as I read this comment there was a big tweak of the character knob and my cat also got up and left.

[@artemskliarov5987]

If you want to show sounds from the Quadrantid why did you use other devices to process it or add another sounds(never understand). At the end it is totally unclear demo how device sounds like... so it is better to don't mix it with anything if you want to make a demo of particular device

[@Hainbach]

You might want to skip to 8:40 where I run it solo for a good 12 minutes, the majority of the video. Else, context matters, so I always start videos with a device used in context with other instruments.

[@edgeeffect]

Metalic resonator?! Sounds a bit "Martenot" to me?

[@andykandolf1948]

7:10 big up

[@ukbloke28]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/jIuQiaScms-Eqas Oof, this part in particular sounds so amazing. May I ask which machine is making which sound? The low humming drone in the background? The bass line? The high pitched jangly riff?

[@Hainbach]

Bass is Liquid Foam, Rhythmic mettalik pattern the Swarm, the drone is swarm recorded to tape and played back

[@ukbloke28]

@@Hainbach thank you mate. its glorious. I could just listen to that drone on it's own, its so nuanced. I don't know much about this stuff, im just fascinated by it - are there other machines that could create something like that drone? is it possible to get to that digitally or only analogue?

[@macfrankist]

Das ist techno.

[@G4Nazarener]

Und ich dachte, der Haini macht jetzt Techno.

[@Hainbach]

Dafür hat er andere Maschinen: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mX7SZJuDqb6JftU

[@G4Nazarener]

@@Hainbach Naja, ist zwar cool, aber nicht so clubtauglich, wie man sich richtigen Techno vorstellt. Weiß nicht, ob das schon gesehen hast. Da wird der Synth als ultimative Techno Maschine gepriesen: kzbin.info/www/bejne/pKivoX-OpcuheLc

[@sp3k1974]

Quadrantid not Quandrantid

[@Hainbach]

Ooops. Corrected.

[@Hainbach]

Oh my I even say it all the time. I am so embarassed. Thanks for pointing it out.

[@sudbenzer6603]

Geil, Werbung in Werbung in Werbung. Muss man das nicht kennzeichnen?

[@celtislam]

Over priced hipster machine lol look!! You can get a behringer poly d same price and that will blow away this over priced junk lol

[@TheScreamingFrog916]

Sad troll, lol look! can't make a point without being a jerk lol

[@haitibenefits4786]

I wish

[@MUNRO13]

Lol look!

[@haitibenefits4786]

@@MUNRO13 yeah right I already ordered mine bro

[@haitibenefits4786]

Munro