MicroFreak (Vocoder/Synthcoder)

[@stevedidj]

gonna be trying this with didgeridoo as soon as I get my hands on the MicroFreak.

[@undulations]

I bet that's super cool😀!!!

[@scarabeobop]

Great tutorial! Really enjoyed your "vo-coast" piece.

[@undulations]

Thank you very much for the feedback🙏🏼! I was kind of surprised with how that turned out - seemed like some familiar sounds, but not ones I was used to hearing from the 0coast. Thanks again!

[@yannlevottrucksandcoyotes7677]

As always you took the necessary time to explain in very depth, thanks a lot for this. Was a great help to start using the new MF vocoder.

[@undulations]

You're welcome! Thanks much for the feedback🙏🏼!

[@foxholeartist]

This video covers more topics than title says. Amazing stuff, as always

[@undulations]

Thank you🙏🏼! Thanks much for watching!

[@foxholeartist]

@@undulations tommorow is gonna be craft synth-microfreak-volca drum ambient session, so thank you for ideas)

[@undulations]

Antony Ilyin Those are a great combo👍🏻

[@expandingknowledge8269]

Glad your covering this, as I have a micro freak! Love your coverage of Synthesis my friend! Expanding Knowledge 🌎

[@undulations]

Awesome! Thanks a lot for checking it out!

[@AM-ui9mc]

Love the calmness of this

[@undulations]

Many thanks for the feedback🙏🏼!

[@ShawnBrandon888]

More great info. Thanks. We all hope to see a Model Cycles data managment video. Such a wealth of knowledge.

[@undulations]

Thank you! Yes, definitely a Cycles data management video soon (maybe combined with Samples, not sure) . Planning to do MicroGranny video first, then that👍🏻.

[@Enchantedgoddess]

thank you so so so so so much for this video!

[@undulations]

Absolutely! Thanks a lot for checking it out🙏🏼!

[@reasons4171]

Thank you as always for these videos. Lots of helpful information

[@undulations]

You're welcome🙏🏼! Thanks for the feedback!

[@peter-hassett]

Another great one. Thank you.

[@undulations]

Peter Hassett Thanks a lot for checking it out🙏🏼!

[@andrewjadowski4112]

I would love to see the patch schematic for the O-Coast in this video! Love your videos x

[@undulations]

Thank you! The patch is as follows (using terms from the manual): 1) CLOCK OUT to GATE (I've tapped a pretty slow tempo, as you can see from the Contour light. I'm using the normalled connection to just have the Contour signal open up the Dynamics for sound out. Note: I'll give all of the knob settings below.) 2) STEPPED RANDOM OUT to MATH:INPUT 2 and 3) MATH:OUTPUT 2 to 1V/OCT (Scaling down the Stepped Random Out, gives a different base pitch each time the clock signals) 4) SLOPE to LinFM (The Slope auto-trigger is on, so this gives some of the chirping. The normalled Slope to Multiply is still in effect too.) knob settings: MATH(3:00), PITCH(10:30), LINFM(3:00), OVERTONE(11:30, varied?), MULTIPLY(max), MULTIPLY ATTENUVERTER(min), RISE(12:00), FALL(3:00, varied), SLOPE SHAPE (max, varied?), ONSET(1:30), SUSTAIN(min), DECAY(3:00), CONTOUR SHAPE(10:00), BALANCE(min to max, varied), DYNAMICS(max). The Contour is giving the main "pulse" of sound at a steady tempo, and then the Slope is giving the shorter timescale chirps (via lin fm) and also changing the waveshape (via the normalled Slope connection to Multiply); I change the timing on the Slope cycle along the way. Then I'm controlling the overall sound with the Balance knob by feeding the vocoder input less harmonics (Balance low) and more harmonics (Balance high). I tried to pick a reverb decay that just barely filled in the gap between the Contour pulses but not much longer than that (so things didn't get too blurred or washed out). Hope this makes sense. Thanks a lot for watching!

[@andrewjadowski4112]

Undulations Thanks so much for going to the effort of writing that out! Have a great day

[@improziv]

The 0-coast / vocoder combo at the end was worth the whole video for me. Deadly good. Which machine was was moving/sequencing the pitches around ? I could see your hand on the keyboard of course but there was additional moment it seems. Thanks again!

[@undulations]

Hey, thank you very much for the feedback🙏🏼! I really liked how that shot turned out - I felt like it was sort of collage of some different types of "soundtrack" sounds. I think the movement is mainly coming from the 0-coast's Slope module (basically a cycling envelope similar to the one on the MF). I was able to modify the intensity of that envelope's effect on the overall 0-coast sound (knob near the bottom), and then I was able to change the rate/shape (knob near the top). My hand/arm blocks it a little but there is a pulsating green LED that goes with the Slope envelope - looking at that can kind if help "decode" the sound. Thanks a lot for checking it out!

[@improziv]

@@undulations I’m on the production team for a horror audio drama for this Halloween and so you can imagine how it peaked my interest. Looks like a great source for endless horror/suspense ambiances.

[@sjkentucky]

Excellent video as usual. Microfreak just keeps getting better. Do you ever think about getting a Empress Zoia? I feel like it would be right in your wheelhouse.

[@undulations]

Thank you🙏🏼! YES! I've really, really thought a lot about getting a Zoia! It looks like such a versatile piece of gear. Maybe sometime🤔?

[@joebara9668]

Thank you!

[@grandmasterjo1]

Great tutorial. I know it’s a year old but I just got my MF and need assistance. How do I get the line out of my ext synth sampler to go into the MF as I need to vocode the incoming audio. I’m a bit confused as the ext line out is a line signal and the MF IN is a mic signal. What type of audio cable is used from line out of ext synth to mic in via the TRRS splitter ? Thanks 🙏

[@undulations]

Well, I was originally going to try to solve this with an 'attenuator cable' that I had on hand: it takes line signal level down to mic signal level (useful for plugging a synth directly into a camera that has an external mic jack). BUT, Arturia took care of this with the mic/vocoder gain/attenuation setting. It is down in the main settings menu (can't recall if it is a global setting vs. a local (per preset) setting?). So you can start with it set to low gain (or max attenuation) , may not hear anything, and then turn it up to where it sounds reasonable. I'd also start with a fairly low signal on your audio input (and would not use audio directly from a modular synth setup, unless it is specifically a system output). I hope this helps. The connector itself, as you say, is TRRS. Which I understand better since i made this video. The TRR part of a TRRS is equivalent to the right/left/ground of a TRS (aux) plug. Then the S part of the TRRS is the mic (so the mic of a TRRS plug just gets grounded in a TRS jack). Sometimes that S has a DC voltage on it that powers capsule mics ("plugin-power"), and I don't think the MF supports that. So some mics won't work (capsule), but others will (dynamic). Anyway, best of luck with it, and if it continues to be an issue, just lmk, and I can break out the MF and look at the details (I need to update it anyway). Nim

[@JohnPaulsonJohnisaStegosaurus]

imo the most interesting thing to use with vocoder is drums/percussion.

[@undulations]

Ahh, cool, I need to check that out👍🏻!

[@drum33697]

Hi - I truly love the way you explain your equipment - recently got a MICROFREAK as I loved the sounds it can make. You , out of all the tutorials I’ve watched makes me want to keep it. I’m new at synths - so it’s not as easy as I thought - however your explanations and teachings, and details make me now want to keep it & keep going .... I’m wondering have you played with the Roland JDXi ???? Anything you can tell me , I’d truly appreciate - you really tell a LOT more than the others .. I really must tell you , you are so great at this. I’ve learned so much from you - Cheers friend Danielle

[@undulations]

Hey, it means a lot to hear this, thank you very much🙏! I haven't played with the JD XI but a friend of mine has a similar Roland, I've played it a little - I'm sure the JD XI is very full-featured! I've got a 404-sx and an SE-02, so I'm familiar with the Roland quality. Anyway, as for the MicroFreak - glad you want to keep it! The more I use that thing the more I continue to be amazed at what it can do. Make sure to update, if you haven't already, because the new oscillator modes are great (uploading a video about the new features in the next week or so, btw). But I've been having some thoughts about the MicroFreak lately (while I was making a clip for the next video, uploading in a couple of days). I just wonder needs some sort of support (maybe your Roland?) - and it probably depends on what sort of things you want to do. If you want to do ambient music then some sort of FX really bring out a lot of the MicroFreak's potential. A reverb pedal? Or maybe the Korg NTS-1 (it's a very straightforward diy kit and FX are so easy with it)? On the other hand, if you are wanting to make tracks/beats with the MicroFreak - I feel like a Pocket Operator would go nicely with it. Or a Volca. Those things are portable and can easily sync with the MicroFreak - a lot of potential from just one more voice. Another route would be to layer different MicroFreak sounds (even percussion) in some sort of looper or on the computer. I realize I'm not really answering a question that you asked, but I'm just sort of thinking out loud about starting out in synths with the MicroFreak. It can make so many different and wonderful sounds! Anyway, thanks a lot for checking out the channel!

[@mirage69]

I’m gonna try these concepts out with my microkorgs vocoder

[@undulations]

Excellent👍🏻 Thanks for watching!

[@enslavedbyvegetables3407]

Hello. Need some help here. I’m new at this. I just picked up the Microfreak and a Krog Volca Drum machine. What do I need to connect the two? And record on my computer? Please and thank you

[@undulations]

Well, one connection is pretty straightforward - use an aux cable to connect the "clock" on the MF (back panel) to the "sync" on the Volca. It can be clock-out to sync-in if you want the MF in charge or sync-out to clock-in if you want the Volca in charge. This syncs up the sequences and can be pretty helpful. The other type of connectivity - audio - can be done a lot of different ways. Me? I use an audio mixer (Bastl Dude commonly) to merge the two audio signals and then record that into a field recorder (something like a Zoom H4N or a Tascam SR-05) and then I can get audio onto my PC via the SD card. Then, many people use some form of "audio interface" - this connects to your PC by usb and you can send multiple audio inputs into the interface. So, you could record the instruments directly into a DAW like Ableton Live. I don't really use my audio interface much but I know there are plenty of youtubers that do, so would be good to search for reviews, etc. Note: the MF is mono (actually dual mono) and the Drum is stereo, so you have 3 channels of audio in all. The Bastl Dude is a mono mixer, so if I want stereo then I use a stereo mixer like a NADY MM-242, which is also pretty cheap. Last thing is MIDI. A 5-pin midi cable can go into the Volca and into the MF (using the adapter that came with it). The Drum only has midi in so you could have the MF control it (and sync using midi instead of the above method). More importantly, getting a "midi 2x2 box" (MidiPlus brand works well, pretty cheap) and two 5-pin midi cables would let you control both instruments from your computer (using a daw). You can send midi to the instruments and record audio from them, all at the same time. Best of luck!

[@enslavedbyvegetables3407]

@@undulations thank you

[@enslavedbyvegetables3407]

@@undulations I’m gonna give this a try on my weekend. Thank you so much for taking the time

[@Parayogi]

Ok, so I have a MicroFreak and was considering expanding with a BeatStep Pro and NTS-1, but unsure, 'do i need that second synth yet' now i know i have to feed the NTS-1 back into the MF's vocoder, I'm going for it :)

[@undulations]

I really feel like the NTS-1 is amazing and at such a fair price. There is a lot to try with MicroFreak. Vocoder, as you say, also syncing them, and especially processing the MicroFreak through the NTS-1 for reverb, delay, etc. No mixer required to combine their audio (aside: you can use the NTS-1 filter to reduce its own volume without effecting the external signal, makes fade ins and fade outs very easy). Enjoy it!

[@Parayogi]

@@undulations Thanks! I'm lucky enough that i picked up a used Korg M3 as first keyboard to practice on, and it has two line-in tracks with independent effect, so I've been using that to process the MF's dry signal (as well as for my Volca), and the NTS-1 would be for separate monophonic accompaniment. I have to say, though, the last 2 minutes of your VO-COAST really blew my mind, i have no words. I'd love to hear more of that!

[@undulations]

@@Parayogi Korg M3, very nice! I really appreciate what your saying about the video. I'm sure there is a correct technical term, "musical idiom" or "auditory trope" or whatever, but I felt like exploring that setup made some sounds that were familiar, yet completely unexpected (to me at least) - which does happen, and I made sure those were part of the clip I included. Thanks again very much🙏🏼!

[@Parayogi]

@@undulations the image i instantly got was that I'd need a whole wall of modular to get close to a sound that rich thanks for your work!

[@undulations]

@@Parayogi 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼

[@zj5894]

House of Leaves and Murakami

[@undulations]

I've read quite a bit of Murakami over the last 4 or 5 years, but House of Leaves is still on my "to read soon" list. Thoughts?

[@technodrone313]

you can still get the mic from bongwater sound for 30 bucks.