monome norns review // community soul in a music computer // 10 scripts explored

[@loopop]

Hi! A recap of the versions of norns... (1) The $800 fully built stock norns by monome, plug and play, aluminum enclosure, white screen, more audio IO, no ethernet - not currently in stock as of the writing of this comment (2) The updated norns shield reworked to solve noise issues on the input - sold for $280 directly by monome - yellow screen - easy to assemble, no soldering, but you'll need to buy a raspberry pi model 3b+, sd card, USB cable and 2A+ power supply separately (3) The full DIY version - monome does not sell this, you have to source all of the parts yourself including the PCB and enclosure, and solder it together yourself or with the help of a builder - you choose the screen color - yellow or white. IMPORTANT: if the PCB you buy says "191106" on it (November 2019) like the one in the video, it's the open-source OLD version, before the input noise re-work - PCB should be at least 210330 (March 2021) when monome open sources it - not currently available as of the making of this video (4) The DIY "Fates" version - not sold or supported by monome - also fully DIY, no longer offered by the original designer, not part of the officially supported firmware (a "fork") so there's some risk to it not being supported in the future, source the parts and solder yourself or have a builder make one for you.

[@rushess]

Thanks Ziv! I've ordered the kit from Monone. Can't wait. When will this PCB/chip shortage end?! I am waiting for a plinky too.

[@loopop]

@@rushess thanks hopefully soon but it’s not looking good for now

[@brumd]

Looks like another great candidate for a near future DIY project. Your video certainly sparked my enthousiasm. Do you know if the PCB requires any SMD partd Or is it all through-hole soldering?

[@loopop]

@@brumd indeed there is surface mount soldering in the full diy version - thanks for your support in patreon btw :)

[@Lokua]

So what is available for purchase by monome right now has a known noise issue? Confused by the "not currently available as of the making of this video" as this video seems to have just been published, but March 2021 was some time ago, and for all I know you made this video well before you published it.

[@jedgould5531]

You know, I was just thinking that modern synths are not complicated enough.

[@cooloutbeats]

I just noticed there's also a Norns script that can load Organelle patches (up to OS2.1). It's called Norns Mother. The community surrounding this device is impressive.

[@smacksalad]

And they're a lovely bunch of people. The company itself are stellar in my experience.

[@hyprballads]

I think the Fates version of Norns can run orca scripts

[@LeonTrimble]

Norns mother is a hack that gives you a boot menu. It screwed up my updates so I wouldn’t bother with it.

[@marcocelis2104]

@@hyprballads Yes , Orca is available for Norns.

[@nerdswerth]

@@hyprballads all versions can...it's fun!

[@CaidicusProductions]

This feels like entering a whole new world of music production. Thank you, as always, for the excellent presentation, Loopop. You are HANDS DOWN the best on KZbin.

[@deanivan3951]

Turns out this little box was what I have been looking for over 38 years, just Gorgeous.

[@synth-o-matic1168]

I recommend to everyone ARC and Grid in diy version, rather simple to do with a little patience and knowledge of electronics. Norns shied with the current crisis of electronic components is more difficult to assemble, as raspberry pi 3 b + and dacs are practically impossible to find anywhere. I own a shield and two fates, I would like to build more for my performances but finding all the components is more and more difficult. Congratulations on the video.

[@microfx]

I don't find any information on ARC and Grid in DIY. Could you tell how to? Where to? What to?

[@roninmbattousai]

You are gonna give monome such a bump they might not have had in a while. The norns is a wonderful system and a great community of helpful members

[@mikeexits]

I would've loved to see a white screen option for the easy-build version.

[@cooloutbeats]

SOLD! Never have I ever reached for my credit card so quickly. I haven't been following the Monome community in years, but remember when Norns was first announced. The idea of standalone Monome apps was cool, but it seemed a bit too much of a splurge for me to justify. The price on the shield however is just right, as a already have a Launchpad mini, usb mini to CV converrer, and plenty of usb midi interfaces/devices all sitting here collecting dust. This thing is like a Korg NTS-1 times 10. Well worth $315.

[@smacksalad]

Cannot recommend the Shield highly enough.

[@foodstampz]

Same

[@edwardfletcher7790]

Beautiful little device. It seems very well thought out and organised. I love the DIY option ! This is the Golden Age of DIY Electronic music 👍

[@AdiGoldsteinComposer]

Thanks for sharing!! I've been waiting for Loopop's Norns review for years! ❤️❤️

[@doctorauxiliary]

I have been in real need of this demystification. while I definitely do need more, this tipoff is deeply appreciated. thanks bunches, ziv!!

[@visisydandthevoid]

This looks like an amazing little device full of creativity to be explored

[@Nik.leonard]

i was thinking just yesterday on getting a Norns Shield. I have a spare RPi3b+ and some knowledge on programming (not in Lua) and with this video I'm already ordered one. Wish me luck.

[@smacksalad]

You wont regret it, the Shield is fantastic.

[@smacksalad]

Norns Shield is an incredible thing. I love it so much.

[@martingoldmannmusic]

Fore some time this is the first synth that seems quite interesting to me. Thanks for the review!

[@bonaventura_AKA_ben]

Loopop’s videos often lead me to two things. First to pause the video and look up all the links. Then to reconsider the credit card offers I’ve been getting. The monome site is literally the candy store for this kid. Good stuff.

[@UNSCPILOT]

Given the shield only cost 280 and I have a Pi 3 B+ sitting around I'm actually quite happy to buy this outright. "Some assembly required" always makes things more fun

[@georgeolivergo]

Norns is amazing, and so are your reviews loopop! Next level!

[@NinoJoy]

Yes! In process of building a diy norns shields, grid, and arc. Can't wait to begin the soldering !

[@digitaldobbie]

I think that the videos you make are brilliant Mr Pop, it helps satisfy my curiosity on certain synths and on a few occasions I have bought a synth on the strength of your rundown without disappointment. Cheers good buddy!

[@ohboy6971]

Thank you for the review on Norns. Norns is one of my favorite pieces of kit, and you are you are my favorite reviewer. Xmas came early this year for someone!!

[@seanephram]

incredible, the community behind this makes my heart jump. can't wait to put one together thanks again! hadn't heard of this before

[@smacksalad]

For anyone put off buying a Norns Shield because of the hum or background noise... The board has been revised and the latest revision has removed all background hum. My Shield had this problem making the input, and intentions to use it as a sampler, completely unusable. The latest revision has removed all the hum problems.

[@doctorauxiliary]

when you say "revision," are you talking hardware, or...? (I need to check mine & see which version of the board my build has. while I don't recall any noise issues, I haven't gotten much use out of my norns shield as I'm easily stumped my technology that's what remotely mysterious. so I've yet to mess with any of its sampling capabilities. the community has been great the few times I've reached out. just gotta spend more time noodling & exploring, reading up on stuff, & asking more questions, I guess....

[@Jason75913]

is there an aluminum alternative to the plastic casing?

[@nerdswerth]

@@Jason75913 not sold by monome but plenty of people have made their own cases and share designs for free...i've seen all materials (wood, various 3d prints, metal) there's somebody in belgium selling aluminum cases in batches based on demand

[@hostprods8059]

I was super pleased to see the announcement that you'd made a Norns video. I got hold of one about 4 months ago and I absolutely love it. In fact my Zoia is complaining of abandonment since it turned up. I don't use Arc or Grid but have not felt any shortage of interesting scripts because of that. I also found that you develop an intuition of what knob or encoder will do what, and where you are in the menus pretty quickly. I find it very easy to navigate. While Loopop shows much of its bloopy, loopy gorgeousness it can handle rhythmic sequencing and beats just as well. For me, out of all its competitors, it wins hands down in the shield version. Half the price of a Zoia and much easier to use for the novice, and way less than half the price of the Organelle.

[@smacksalad]

I considered a Zoia for a while, and some other similar devices, all desire for any of them has gone now I have a Shield. The versatility, and sheer amount of scripts and ideas available on it are amazing. The community is amazing, Monome themselves have been stellar in my experience too. And yes, once the initial confusion wears off, it becomes very intuitive what the knobs and encoders do, surprisingly so.

[@edwardrapley]

I've fallen in love with the sense of creative community around this ecosystem.

[@smacksalad]

Yes, the community at the monom/lines forum are an amazing bunch, as are Monome themselves, in my experience.

[@hyprballads]

Me too. Teletype and Norns are my favourite things to play with

[@doctorauxiliary]

I'm about as tech challenged as functioning musicians can get. I was perplexed but mystified by the norns, so I got a shield. I'm still perplexed & mystified, & am not getting as much use of it as I know I can & will once I put more time in with it. but the immediate reception & support that I felt & received on the lines forum was pretty friggin' amazing(!). yaaaaay!!

[@submarineradio_]

I’ve awaited a looppop Norns review for ages now!! I’m finally satisfied!!! If anyone was wondering btw imo Norns over organelle. I have both and I Deff like my Norns shield better.

[@nacs]

I'd heard of this Norns before and really wanted to try it but thought there was either the $800 option (a little pricey for me as a casual) or the full DIY option (too difficult for me). Now that I know there's the Norns Shield option for much less I'll have to try it. Also this video demystifies all the things it can do and makes me want to get it even more now. (Looks like the Norns shield is now sold out right now though probably because of this video) :)

[@miketreanor8859]

Huge norns fan, also a programmer. One con to this that wasn't stated is that the documentation for the apps is not great. Scrolling through the lines forum to learn what's up is definitely not something that people who aren't developers would do or enjoy. Heck, I know what I'm doing and it is not fun. But, I love my norns and think it is great. Having a hardware Orca is what brought it to my attention. So cool!

[@RizzlinHD]

Major OP-1 vibes from some of those graphics displays. Makes me wish TE had open-sourced the sound engines on the OP-1 and let the community run wild with it.

[@zbsfm]

that would be awesome, i wish it would ever happen but it's just a totally different business model

[@CinematicLaboratory]

Monome makes such insanely cool stuff!

[@brade42069]

Just wanted to pop in and say the Norns has been the center piece of my live setup for about a year and a half. It's a wonderful tool.

[@lawr.h]

Any example video / audio clips?

[@fuzzpope]

Probably the coolest piece of music gear I acquired this year. Enormously satisfying and crammed with a ton of awesome apps that sound incredible. My huge modular collected dust for months.

[@UNSCPILOT]

Somthing I find hilarious is that I have a Pi 3 B+ that needs a job and I want this something fierce, looks like I know what I need now!

[@smacksalad]

This is a great review. Even as a user of the Shield, this was very informative.

[@ChrisLeeW00]

It's perfect for gigging musicians who want something to plug their midi instrument into. And that's just one possible use case.

[@audiblevideo]

@loopop thank you for highlighting this wonderful device.

[@checktheneck]

13:17 Background hum, sort of common problem with Norns shield. On Lines forum, you will be advised to buy a better power supply and cable, but I got tired of looking for silent options and just resigned myself. They also shared links to "quiet" adapters, but they were all with american plugs, while I need a european version. I tried to buy a thick cable, connected ferrite cores to it, but the quietest result is a short cable from a Xiaomi power bank and power supply from a Xiaomi phone (5v-3A).

[@checktheneck]

​@@loopop The noise can be more or less depending on the script (In the video, it is noticeable that the noise increases when you zoom in on the selected area, according to my experience I would say that the changing noise level depending on the screen menu is also quite typical), so everything is quite confusing when it comes to finding its source, but I'm not the only one who complained about background noise.

[@edwardrapley]

If this is from the latest batch of norns shield then the noise floor has been reduced by tweaking the circuit itself.

[@smacksalad]

The latest version of Shield has had some refinements in its circuit board layout. My first Shield had hideous noise on the input that I tried everything I could to get rid of. It literally made the input unusable. I have the newer revision of Shield and all noise problems have gone.

[@hostprods8059]

I've never had a hum issue on mine. Its as quiet as a mouse.

[@smacksalad]

@@hostprods8059 You mean it squeaks? :) Apparently the hum issue was only with some individual units, but the revision means these noisy units are no longer going to happen. Sadly mine was noisy as hell. Latest revision is even quieter than a mouse tho and resolved all the issues I had :)

[@jedfriesen]

Just incredible soundscapes at end of vid. We’ll done sir!! Compelling.

[@zbsfm]

oh, quick correction at 4:05: the stock aluminum norns *does not* have wifi. You have to use a dongle.

[@Tibbon]

This is really cool! I've got the first Arduinome in pieces somewhere here, and this makes me want to put it back together and try it with this.

[@hypnaton]

did you make it? does arduinome works with norns?

[@v47_music]

Also there's a fourth option, called Fates, it's a DIY version with button/knob layout same as on original Norns + an optional additional encoder.

[@smacksalad]

Fates is no longer in development or being made sadly, tho I think the software branch for it is still supported.

[@StormBurnX]

TouchOSC + Ableton Link on a rPi-powered device is absolutely delightful in ways I can't even begin to describe. And while an $800 'finished product' version from monome is absurdly overpriced, that is the norm with their equipment, and it's equally delightful to see them opening up to the DIY crowd so much. I would consider buying one secondhand for ~500-600, but a DIY unit for half that cost or less is just a tantalizing temptation...

[@nerdswerth]

yeah, the lower costs (and easy kit) have really helped expand the user community but monome has always encouraged diy versions of their gear embracing diy not new for them

[@just-John]

Great vid on one of my favorite companies! If you find yourself not using the Arc4, send a message. I would take it in a heart beat. Thanks for all you do

[@sclr]

so glad i picked up mine already! good luck finding one now. thank you for the review!

[@osixoonesevenone4665]

You can also run Orac 2 (The Technobear) and switched between Orac 2, Norns, and standalone PD patches. You can patch Orac live on the device, including aweome Mutabele Instuments modules like plts and clds.

[@osixoonesevenone4665]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/i5zdlGaNlNGWoM0

[@jaysilence3314]

Can confirm that getting into programming the scripts is not that hard. I implemented the Midi Start/Stop feature for Awake recently, and it was the first time ever I programmed something in Lua. One lazy Sunday afternoon.

[@astridrondero]

Sounds great, can you share it?

[@jaysilence3314]

@@astridrondero Made a pull request and the maintainer already approved it. So it is already in the official repo.

[@seniorbeatbox]

Ooh I like this.. I’ve been looking for a generative type sequencer to supplement my Deluge which I find lacking in this department. I was thinking the Ndlr but Norns looks more interesting 🧐

[@cloudcitydigital]

If you are somewhat handy with solder iron, you can build a whole Norns for about $150. The trickiest part is the SMD processor, but there is a trick for doing it with flux...

[@sergiorodgorostizaga5238]

Great work as usual , thanks a lot ! I hope that one day you can give us the whole Nerdseq ecosystem :) as being one of th most powerful and important sequencers in eurorack :D

[@leonmanzanares9275]

This is a great and inspiring review, congrats! Hope you can do one with NORNS.

[@myeline]

Huge fan of Monome - lots of videos on my page if anyone here is new and wants to hear it in action. The community is incredible - since buying mine this year there have been a dozen new scripts and all have been fascinating and musical. My favourite piece of music gear right now.

[@filo1210]

I thought I’d finally got my watch loopop videos insta-buy under control …… nope 😂 Great video as always 👌

[@CyberCreeper22]

I have an organelle... and I will totes build one of these

[@billodonnell4322]

Regarding the open source nature of Norns, it might be worth noting the underlying operating system. If it runs lua scripts, I assume it's Linux (like the Organelle), but I could be wrong.

[@UNSCPILOT]

The Raspberry Pi's are very much at home with Linux so it deffinitly makes sense to use as a base, saves a lot of unnecessary work

[@mudsh4rk]

I have a hard time believing that the fully DIY Norns Shield is only 30% cheaper to build than the presoldered version, though. That display would have to be REALLY expensive, because I've looked at the PCB layout and there are maybe $20 of parts on there, and that's assuming you spare no expense on the encoders, jacks and buttons. PCB is about $15. Laser cut acrylic case is about the same depending on where you have it cut (a lot less if you have a local maker space or other access to a cutter).

[@madmac66]

How viable is SMD for a home hobbyist solderer

[@n0n0peration32]

Great video, question for you, can you load pre-recorded audio into the tracks / buffer from the Norns instead of using the input in to record audio?

[@roninmbattousai]

Definitely jealous of your Arc 4

[@friederikestricker7261]

Hi dear! Great video - thank you so much. I really would love to have a step by step recipe to change ( I am an ABSOLUT BEGINNER) - what you have been doing - the AWAKE script (top bottom level) - this is super cool !!! Would that be possible? - even how to do a back up/or is it possible to save it as an extra script ?? Thank you for the support, R.

[@thenoiztemple]

So great to see you make a vid for norns! Cool that you had Cheat Codes on there but ya didn’t mention the grid orientation. 😝 Anyhow…I guess you could say I’m a power user being that use three full norns, grid, arc setups…but…I am absolutely not a programmer. Just a percussionist noizician using such a bizarre noiz weapon. 😝

[@philippegiron4094]

Potential buyers, beware of buying a pre built Norns Shield from private sellers. I did and it was not a good move : after just a few hours of use, it started behaving strangely and eventually, I literally saw smoke coming out of the enclosure. It turned out it was the DAC that melted out.. (those DAC's are of now impossible to source by the way) The Shield had been built in Belgium and was housed in a metal casing (cool but potentially troublesome) and the seller said it had always worked before, but obviously I have my doubts. Anyway, after this debacle, I bought a Shield straight from Monome (and swallowed the £360 tough pill), and the good news is it's been working just fine, it's not got any hum and I absolutely love it. Mention to Dan Derks at Monome who was an absolute gentleman!! PS : What is the OSC controller used with the phone in this video?

[@loopop]

Touch osc

[@papaya160]

Sad to hear that! Dacs are not that hard to find tho, you should really consider repairing the dacless one or sell it.

[@philippegiron4094]

@@papaya160 well it certainly has been a running discussion on lines, and aside from ordering from dubious Chinese sites, I believe that it’s been pretty much Impossible to find those chips. But feel free to enlighten me with a trusted link!

[@audiblevideo]

I love my 4th option "Fates" a DIY project which preceded the monome DIY version. IMPORTANT now no longer available -- if you see "new" ones on Reverb buyer beware (at least investigate) because the person (okyeron) who did the PBC etc no longer has any for sale. Just get the monome shield.

[@toitoitoy]

Somebody should resurrect Fates

[@DuckAlertBeats]

Makes me think of Electroplankton on the DS! Not saying it's anything like it, just reminds me in some ways ;)

[@mechatomb2921]

KZbin Algorithm provides . Was just looking at DIY projects like this and “headless” M8 tracker

[@exdeecee]

always dependable information from you Ziv...

[@jpmudkip1870]

Unfortunately it seems like due to parts shortages Monome recently discontinued Norns Shield 😢. You can still build your own from scratch, but they no longer sell the kits or fully assembled versions

[@hiding_my_name]

This is so cool. I'm sad I'm only learning of this now.

[@smacksalad]

But rejoice in what a glorious fun filled Norns future you have in front of you (until the apocalypse properly kicks in of course :) )!

[@pangea2003]

First class review as usual!! A++ I got two questions: 1- can the ableton push 2 be used with norns instead of the launchpad? 2- Are the I/O's and converters different between the norns premium version and the shield or are they just cosmetically different? Thanks

[@loopop]

Thanks! 1. It should be with midigrid, but I've not tried it; 2. that's a question for Monome - please email them and comment back here? I know the Shield's IO has been improved relative to the DIY version, but not sure about the specs compared to stock norns.

[@BobCharlotte]

Hi! This is by far the most explanatory video about norns IMHO, thank you so much! A question for the users: do the loops recorded on scrpts like Otis, oooooo, larc or compass are saved automatically? I mean, are they still there between power cycles?

[@dualtrx]

This was needed. Good job.

[@loopop]

My pleasure!

[@CarlColglazier]

Love my Norns Grid! I have a video on my channel if people are interested in some of the default scripts not covered in this video.

[@FuZZbaLLbee]

Reminds me that technobear was/is working on using the push2 and a raspberry pi to run those same scripts.

[@kernel-panic-override]

Sadly he’s not using Norns anymore so project was abandoned somewhere in 2019.

[@marcocelis2104]

Wonderful video as usual, thanks a lot for your invaluable contribution. What is the name of the app to control Norns? Btw: who can honestly dislike these videos?

[@loopop]

Thanks! It's called Touch OSC, and a free template is available on the lines forum I think for control of general parameters. The dislikes? Who knows... people against free apps and open source?

[@Nonpartisanmusic]

This makes completely norns sense

[@stephenspackman5573]

That's just lovely. A pity that to integrate with Eurorack there's so much random interfacing to be done!

[@luke2141]

Crow is a pretty elegant solution. Monome previously had a Norns precursor called aleph that had CV I/O, and it was more expensive than a shield+crow and had functionality issues. The euro integration, especially with modules like just friends (which can be sequenced as a 6-voice poly synth with a lot of monome stuff) and ER-301, is pretty extensive and well documented

[@coolo73]

There’s also CVPal, which is an older Mutable designed usb-to-cv interface. It’s class-compliant,usb powered and works well with Mac, ipad, and Norns. 4 CV outs that can be used in various ways, The originals are a bit rare, but you can find clones for around $40-60 with DIY kits even cheaper. A fraction of the price of Crow.

[@luke2141]

Great tip. The only thing is you lose i2c functionality (which crow has) which unlocks a lot of powerful stuff if you get more into that space. Definitely depends on your goals

[@aura8487]

From outside of this world )))

[@funckyjunky]

its about time !

[@davidroberts9458]

Now that you have done this .... please tell me a proper loopop treatment of the ER-301 is in the works :D :D

[@riueru]

Such a great video! So much screentime for arcologies

[@maramé.r]

I have a Norns shield pcb and a Rasp Pi 3 which I hoped to put together however none of the essential components seem available anymore, notably the DAC chip and oled. I tried Monome to see if they are able to sell a kit or the parts but alas they also do not have them for sale. Surely there must be an alternative way to get Norns up and running on a Rasp Pi using components e.g DAC and Arduino controller that are freely available but I’m afraid this beyond my technical ability. As it seems almost impossible to obtain a Norns unit it would be wonderful if someone found a way to run the whole thing on an iPad/iOS or laptop etc. There appears to be so many people who’d love to use the Norns scripts but are unable to get the hardware to do so. I’m not sure where others have managed to obtain a Norns but so far I’ve not been very successful which seems disappointing for such a community oriented music making thing which it would be wonderful to participate in

[@nkozi]

This made me wanna fire up mlr. Also I didn't know Oooooo had a grid component? Time to update

[@coreyriddell1759]

The oooooo grid controls are really great! Minimally documented, but add some interesting functionality to an already super powered script.

[@esaeelljae]

a very late thank you, & have you done anything comparing music programming languages & such?

[@loopop]

you're welcome and no I've not yet

[@AndreaCichecki]

I need a friend that solder for me too and a bag with money haha! Great video again, thanks for sharing :)

[@alexanderlane]

Hmm I'd heard of Norns but never really looked into it as it was so pricey. This shield has me GASing though... Have to wait a while though, just bought a (used) OP-1, my music gear budget needs a while to recover haha

[@JackApples182]

Not to be an enabler or anything but, I had an OP-1 as my first good piece of hardware. The Norns and OP-1 make an exelent pair. Loopop teased a super powerful sampler called "Cheat Codes". To simplify, recorded audio into a buffer gets distributed over 16 pads you can play, arpegite, sequence these pads. Here's the trippy thing though you can set the pads to also play notes on the OP-1 so as you're playing this sampler it will replace the audio in the buffer with what the OP-1 is doing. Really interesting evolving loop generation.

[@smacksalad]

Just give up something less important, like food ;P

[@mastaboog749]

wow didn't realize how insane these norns are.

[@richardcnrd8302]

Hi loopop any chance of a zynthian. Vs norns video?both raspberry pi ?thanks once again for an informative and entertaining review!!your videos are essential to electronic musicians

[@loopop]

Thanks and yes, I do want to cover Zynthian at some point

[@mage2k]

Worth noting that there's a guy making and selling the Fates, the Norns clone that runs on RPi 4b and has 4 encoders (helpful with ORAC) on Reverb.

[@bjordsfjord]

Not anymore?

[@cymbolic_space1832]

Greetings! This seems like as good as any place to ask this question. The last major piece of the puzzle of my live setup is sample playback and manipulation. I need a player that can sample in vinyl and other sources, mangles the hell out of stuff, performable, loopable and can get into some glitchy idm type territory while being played live. My three considerations are the Norns + Grids, Mod Duo X, and the 1010 Black Box. would anyone care to weigh in or perhaps point me into a direction where I can look a little deeper? They all have pros and cons obvs, but I want to hear back from people who have had hands on experience with one, two, or all three of these devices in this capacity. thx and god bless

[@ghost_in_the_robot]

Have you considered a Bastl Dude mixer for FM synthesis (also could pair with Volca Modular for glitchy IDM) or Pocket Operators like the Office or Tonic which has retrigs for hi-hats if you're going for 32 step techno vibey feel. You could even get an Elektron Octatrack or TRS8 for track FX and control, ambient sound layers, etc. If you wanna stay small like the Dude mixer, there is the RetroKits MIDI calculator controller thing that just came out. Also the Korg NTS-1 is amazing for its user effects and oscillators/LFO with HP and LP filters, USB/MIDI connections... it's my favorite gear next to the Korg Kaoss Pad 3 with its looper/effects...

[@cymbolic_space1832]

@@ghost_in_the_robot i have considered the octatrack but its far too expensive for the low sound quality. the kaos pad is quite interesting but then i need something to feed it samples. i have the mpc1000 but it doesnt sync properly with my A4 so its out of the question. i dont need any more voices either, i have all the synths i need. LXR-02, eurorack, zoia, and A4 plus a cirklon next year to control all the sequencing. but right now its all about getting something that i can midi sync to the A4 and has some performative options. thats why i am thinking norns + grids. playability and i can program my patch to meet my needs exactly if i have to.

[@bendickson3486]

Though this is such a fantastic tool, I’m more of a switch modular on and turn knobs n slide sliders kind of a guy. I’m very attracted to the outcomes of these systems, yet feel intimidated and slightly drained by the potential clicking and menus etc. I’m no programmer. Am I wrong to feel this way about these? Is there a Modular Monome experience that doesn’t involve having to be a coder/programmer?

[@smacksalad]

Will Loopop be doing a review of Soma's Enner or is it not your kinda thing? I just got an Enner thru the post today.

[@loopop]

No plans currently. Enjoy!

[@smacksalad]

@@loopop Thanks :D Its a wild device, would probably pair nicely with the Gecho Loopsynth, which was likely the first video I saw of yours when getting into hardware ( I went with a Softpop instead tho). Always been ITB up till then.

[@CengizArslanpay]

Very nice demo! :)

[@PriscillaGomez]

I really wish I had purchased an Arc 4 before they ended up discontinued! :(

[@TheDyingPlant]

Wow this thing is so cool I love it. Trying very hard not to impulse buy this lol

[@ThreeBeingOne]

Damn these community boxes and their infinite nature.

[@shannontravis2167]

This is off topic- But in your opinion, Which Drum/Beat Machine do you think fits Best for a Beginner..? (Both Controller & Stand-alone devices) Also, if this helps.. I’m a singer/songwriter btw

[@loopop]

I recommend research... it's not just about features. But overall with an increasing budget look at the volcas, tr-6s and tr-8s

[@jedfriesen]

I’m new to understanding sound quality and signal chain. To me, these sounds sound incredibly high quality. I usually Listen to my push play or m8 etc. are these sounds a high quality bit rate or ? Or is this your signal chain?? Or both?? Thx for help or maybe you can refer me to vid you’ve done on this topic:)

[@loopop]

Sound quality in the devices you mentioned will probably be a matter of whether people intentionally load up low-quality samples or apply lo-fi style effects as opposed to the signal chain, bit rate or overall converter quality. Just guessing though, I don't know which converters are in these

[@cizrek]

Question. With MLR being on the Norns how do you operate the sample inputs? I am use to the 40h so its been a long time for me. Seems like the old ways of running apps has changed.

[@FrancescoSaverioMilloni]

I would like a script acting like olafur arnalds’ stratus, to use it with synths, with different patters I can chose from or even edit. I send midi chords and he does his wonders…

[@zbsfm]

what's that case for the vcmc? is it powered by usb here? very cool and i'm glad you got your hands on these pieces, they're truly incredible :))

[@loopop]

It's a case Befaco sent me, and indeed the module is modded to run off USB.

[@zbsfm]

@@loopop Nice! Can you provide any details about that mod?

[@loopop]

@@zbsfm please contact Befaco - I’m sure they’ll help!

[@Digithalis]

very cool stuff, just amazing! can you also test "Matrix Piano" ? ;-)

[@teguh.hofstee]

You might be able to replace the PEC11R-4015F-N0024 encoders with the PEC11R-4215F-N0024 instead to get 24 detents per revolution to match the 24 pulse per revolution resolution. The datasheet suggests they behave the same otherwise.

[@loopop]

Thanks for the comment. I actually asked monome about that and they mentioned that part, but that it doesn't work as expected (at least not with the current firmware)

[@teguh.hofstee]

@@loopop Ah, bummer!

[@manuelsirotti9340]

Nice. The audio from 17.30 min is from the mc-101 ? The sound of mc is totaly different, i think there is a reprossesing in norns before the final result. Right ?

[@loopop]

Thanks - and no it's not the MC-101, it's a piano loop I recorded on my computer

[@adinet303]

Hi, Great video. I was wondering what the small dial controller is that you are using and where I could get one. Can't seem to find anything like it on line and its not listed in your gear used list. Thanks

[@loopop]

The 4 knob controller is called Arc, also by monome, and is currently discontinued. You might be able to buy used or "clones" of it on Reverb

[@adinet303]

Thanks for the info. much appreciated