How I patch my Verbos System - Making a techno track.

I received quite a few messages over instagram asking about some of the Verbos modules so I decided to do a sort of tutorial/demo of how I usually go about patching my system. I start with not much apart from the angled cables I almost never unpatch and make a little techno track piece by piece. Hopefully that explains a few things and you're not too bored with me taking ages in between words.
The video quality is a bit crusty, I only have an ancient digital camera. Probably will update soon :) Also the (music) audio has a mini delay at the very end but I was too lazy to redo the export.
It's only me talking for the first 5minutes or so, then I keep talking but there's some good music bits sprinkled here and there.
Don't hesitate to shoot questions if you have some !
Lucas
PERFECT CIRCUIT AFFILIATE LINK : tinyurl.com/3ejns9wn
/ l.marchal
cosmicwaverecords.bandcamp.co...

[@ChaiBaba]

Almost every time I listen to small tracks, loops or snippets created by you, I feel suddenly at a well known core of techno in a very essential way. When everything becomes one and goes full forward. Accessible also in daylight with headphones on and a clear head. ;) It means a lot to me what you do and it seems that I can learn a lot by that video. I will look at my Modular in a different way. Thank you.

[@LucasMarchal]

Thank you very much, your comment is very much appreciated. I'm glad you can feel this way :)

[@telkmx]

@@LucasMarchal Dope content for sure dude :) Show your modulargrid current setup if you can that would be nice

[@LucasMarchal]

@@telkmx Thanks ! Here's the current modulargrid : cdn.modulargrid.net/img/racks/modulargrid_1137484.jpg

[@telkmx]

Lucas Marchal dope. You own almost all the verbos stuff. What is your favorite piece of kit from them ? I want to get some verbos but only thing I’m really missing is the bark and the delay which really doesn’t exist in other modules in euro. But I have enough quality filters and osc. Oh yeah the vca also seems nice I like the tone. Plenty of cool vca but the verbos is sounding really good. I love that their modules are big it’s easier to work with

[@LucasMarchal]

@@telkmx Yeah the size is really perfect. I'm not sure I have a favorite, but when you think about it there are quite a few Verbos module that don't really exist anywhere else : HO, Delay, Bark... I mean even the VCA/filter/saturation/LPG combo is not that common and it's one of the best sounding of it's kind I think. The Bark is much more than a filter, and the delay more than a delay. They are great sound design tools.

[@aaronjenkins385]

Great work on this, and very inspiring. Has already impacted how I work with my system, and I don’t even have any Verbos modules. Always a pleasure to hear what you produce, one of my favourite modular artists. More videos like this would be great, particularly focusing on how you use delays and gate patterns.

[@LucasMarchal]

Thanks a lot for the compliments :) Yeah I'm sure a lot of these "techniques" can be used with any other modules, a sequential switch is a sequential switch ! Not too many sequencers have gate per step output though. I'll probably do more of those as I quite enjoyed doing this one. Gotta buy a decent camera at some point though.

[@el_dani]

Very interesting to see your modular and creative development

[@eddraper]

Thank you for taking the time to do this. Very nice!

[@LucasMarchal]

You're welcome 😊

[@goose_music]

Amazing information and incredible music, thank you so much for sharing your knowledge

[@LucasMarchal]

thank you :)

[@noisevector]

This is great stuff! I like your style.

[@clementbertrand1012]

Vraiment excellent mec :) Les explications et le son, trop top.

[@LucasMarchal]

Merci !

[@djsyndicate0001]

fantastic video man! thanks for sharing!

[@LucasMarchal]

Thanks for watching, cheers :)

[@sopalen]

I'm building sound absorbents to my studio and you came on, this is awesome keep it up man :) wel worth a sub

[@LucasMarchal]

Thank you !

[@therosskonian2579]

Nice video, I enjoyed the walk-through and the music.

[@LucasMarchal]

Thanks !

[@machineouverte6947]

Very nice explanation, really inspiring! Thanks

[@LucasMarchal]

Thank you, glad this can be inspiring :)

[@markusspitz9368]

Thank you very much for another awesome Video. I am blown away, learned so much and every time enjoyed the sound. Really love it. Maybe some day we can play live together. I already started to rearrange my system to Verbos only. Love the Low end balls of the Complex as well as the Bark Filter. Always enjoy new Videos. Keep it up. See you

[@LucasMarchal]

Yeah the CO is super powerful, great low end. Thanks again, see you :)

[@fleuwsburrow8868]

Awesome work dude 🕺

[@LucasMarchal]

Thank you !

[@albionpatterns3986]

Now that is a gucci modular!

[@stackenblochen666]

Hi Lucas, thanks for this awesome demo! Could you explain a bit more in Detail how you created the Bassline? Is it sequenced also from the Multistage? Thanks ✌️

[@owenjaymalta]

Very cool

[@modul8tr]

We really should get a Verbos Zoom group going!

[@LucasMarchal]

I'd join :)

[@modul8tr]

Lucas Marchal Sweet! 😃 Let me collect a few more users and see what we can get going. I’ll hit you up on Instagram

[@lilskullymane4057]

would be down as well 🙂

[@owenjaymalta]

@@modul8tr I would be interested also.

[@jla9096]

Hey man this video is super helpful, especially the idea of just experimenting and seeing what does/doesn't work. That's something I always wondered about techno -- whether some artists have a clear preconceived idea of how something should sound vs. experimenting and seeing if it sounds okay. One question I had was how can someone with just access to Ableton recreate something like this? Do you know if most of these techniques apply to a DAW or of any VSTs that allow for something similar?

[@LucasMarchal]

I guess it's different for everyone but I'm definitely in the experiment and see what sounds cool camp. In ableton you could maybe try VCV rack which is a modular in vst form, with recreation of plenty of existing modules. Also Aalto is a very good "complex oscillator" vst. Max for live probably has devices that mimic modules too.

[@jla9096]

@@LucasMarchal cool. Thanks, I'll have to check that out!

[@indiqiqi8954]

Hey man, really loving the sound you get out of your system ! Especially the swell at around 22:20. I did not quite catch the explanation (I don't have a sequence selector), so I just cranked the feedback up on the multi delay and, yeah, it sounded liked a pitch shift. Would you care to explain how you did it ?

[@LucasMarchal]

Thanks . Yeah if you turn the pitch shift or reverb knobs without patching anything into the inputs what you'll get is just feedback from the last tap (8) through pitch shift or reverb. The three inputs are actually a mixer so the idea of the patch is to send back one of the delay outputs (taps) or preset mixes back into the either the pitchshift or the reverb inputs. It the effectively bypasses the FX but you can get cool feedback that way. You don't need a sequence selector, any sequential switch will do; or even just a vca. The idea is to only have little bursts of feedback. Take one output of the delay, put it in a vca, open the VCA with an enveloppe and take the output of the vca back into the input mixer of the multi delay. Adjust to taste. If you're using a sequential switch it will replace the vca/enveloppe combo, that's it.

[@CloudTwo1]

Hey Lucas, I've been loving your videos. So many useful ideas and great results. Lots to learn from thank you! Can I ask what case you are using? (The 12U). I love how robust it looks

[@LucasMarchal]

Hey, thank you ! Glad you liked the videos :) The case is an MDLR Performance case. It's quite robust but also very heavy once full so not ideal to carry around.

[@CloudTwo1]

@@LucasMarchal Yes very much so : ) Thx for the info. I'm looking at taking the plunge soon so this is helpful. I'm also considering something like a single 7U to start, and then can always add another one later if needed (lets face it, it's probably inevitable lol)

[@LucasMarchal]

​@@CloudTwo1 I had a 7u (84hp; I'd recommend 104) and they are amazing cases. if you feel like you'll use the 1u row then it's a great option.

[@GauthierM]

Hello, je nai pas rout regardé mais utilises tu un autre sequenceur que le erica synths ? j'en ai entendu beaucoup de bien, mais j'hésite encore avec un trigger riot ou metron pour tout ce qui est random triggers. en tout cas super techno et très bon choix de modules. Gauthier

[@LucasMarchal]

Hello, pour ce qui est des triggers non c'est le Erica qui gère tout. J'ai le Verbos VMS et XAOC Tirana II pour le cv. J'aime beaucoup le Erica, très agréable a utiliser; j'aime beaucoup les divisions par track et probabilité par step. Très utile. Je m'en sers pour déclencher et clocker toute sortes d'évènements, pas que des modules de percussion. Autrement je pense que le Metron doit être excellent aussi, même si je trouve l'interface un peu miniature.

[@ggkan9169]

Glad to subscribe to this channel !!! Proper techno plus usefull tutorials

[@LucasMarchal]

Thanks a lot ! This a a fairly recent version of the CO, so no vactrols.

[@fosferus]

woah.. when you brought entity back in at 26:56, it has a lot more low end energy.. i believe you said you added saturation to it. that was just compression/saturation from entity and autodyne? it almost sounds like a separately sequenced bass voice. fuckin sick man, i love you did this. love to see more if you're inclined to record it.

[@LucasMarchal]

There is compression and saturation but what sounds like a bass voice is indeed a bass voice :) It's the foundation oscillator going through the bark filter; keeping just the lowest band. I'm mentioning it at some point.

[@fosferus]

@@LucasMarchal ah, missed that part. i was feeling like i missed out on some really cool trick :D

[@kpinutero]

Thank you for going into so much detail. How are you clocking the voltage multistage?

[@LucasMarchal]

You're welcome. All the clocks come from the Erica Drum Sequencer which is the master clock here.

[@kpinutero]

Are you sending a trigger / gate into the advance Input on the multistage ?

[@LucasMarchal]

@@kpinutero indeed, straight 16th triggers but you can send any pattern you like and then further modify it with the VMS switches. The VMS will advance every time it receives a trigger.

[@kpinutero]

@@LucasMarchal Thank you for clarifying! Helps a lot.

[@LucasMarchal]

@@kpinutero no worries :)

[@modul8tr]

I think I understand what you mean, but, could you explain a little more how you have the sequence selector clocked? You mentioned something about probabilities.

[@LucasMarchal]

The main idea is to have it clocked irregularly so that it doesn't advance on every step. This way anything you patch into the selector/switch has some chance to happen, some of the time. Since I'm clocking it with the Drum Sequencer I've used per step probability to achieve this, but if you have say, Pamela's new workout, an euclidian pattern would work equally well. You need to fine tune the clock depending how much/how little you want your events to happen.

[@modul8tr]

Lucas Marchal That’s what I thought, wasn’t sure if you were dividing/multiplying/nudging or using more exotic patterns. For clock modules I have a Tempi, Maths, or Wogglebug Mkii, to do Euclidean patterns I could send cv from Ableton though. This will be fun. Thanks for the explanation :)

[@SamMcEwin]

Thanks

[@LucasMarchal]

thank you for the support !

[@talkingmachines6425]

Au top :)

[@LucasMarchal]

Merci :)

[@saren6538]

enjoyed this, do you have modulargrid links? thanks

[@LucasMarchal]

Thank you ! I don't have a modulargrid for this system anymore, but feel free to ask if you're wondering about a module in particular.

[@hefeng5338]

Still have questions: why every voice sounds in tune or in scales(they match each other perfectly). especially the complex vco lead and the function vco bass. you said you don't use the 1v/oct input and also use the fm modulation, so how can these two voice(complex and function) get in tune and in scales. Also the DFAM, the pitch knob has such a big range, and you also made it sounds perfectly together with other voices. how you made that. My personal thoughts: is that because the complex vco lead and DFAM percussion they are all one or two notes, so even the oscillators are not in tune and with fm, they are still SOUNDS in scale.

[@LucasMarchal]

I never tune my oscillators and basically have zero knowledge about scales. All of those sounds are relatively atonal, and like you say most of the sequences are short, with just a few notes, that may explain it. My only advice would be to listen and move the knobs until it sounds good, that's how I do it :)

[@hefeng5338]

@@LucasMarchal Thanks！and how you sequence your foundation VCO for bass? You said it in the video but I can't hear it very clearly and I can't see it in the video.

[@LucasMarchal]

@@hefeng5338 It is sequenced by the XAOC Tirana II that is right next to it (the green leds)

[@hefeng5338]

@@LucasMarchal Thanks！waiting for the bark filter tutorial hahahahahah

[@ablex7]

Feel like it might be way too late to ask this question but do you tune your oscillators? I don't see any quantisation either. Your channel is so inspiring!

[@LucasMarchal]

I didn't then, and still don't do it now :) Honestly with techno playing it by ear is 100% fine

[@ablex7]

​@LucasMarchal great, thanks for responding! One more question, do you use the pan and scan much in this video? You don't really mention it. How useful do you find it for this style?

[@LucasMarchal]

@@ablex7 I've sold it since. It's a good little mixer with some quirks. The plus are definitely the huge amount of gain you have on tap. It's quite versatile too but not super precise in terms of panning and levels.

[@ablex7]

@@LucasMarchal Thanks, this was really helpful. I had one more question, what's triggering the multienvelope that is opening the lxd lpg? Edit: and actually, I notice that even though the Tirana is only a 4 step sequencer, the foundation pitch varies over a couple of bars - is the tirana being mixed with something else?

[@lo_rez]

Sounds great, which module are you using for the Kick?

[@LucasMarchal]

it's the SSF Entity Bass Drum.

[@lo_rez]

@@LucasMarchal nice, thanks

[@ChocPretz]

Hey is your rack on ModularGrid?

[@LucasMarchal]

Afraid I don't have a modulargrid for this setup anymore, but let me know if there are any modules you can't recognize.