The sounds of Microcell from Grayscale (MI Clouds Clone)

[@MarvelousMixinMiguel]

Thanks Omri. Great job on show us what this modular does. More companies should hire you to feature their products. Plain and simple video. Start with a sound then slowly change it. Simple but so many other youtubers video don't do that. They clutter their demo with so many sounds that you can't tell what's going on.

[@OmriCohen-Music]

I appreciate it, thank you!

[@kekevil]

I really like the design on the large blank panel, it is really beautiful.

[@OmriCohen-Music]

Yeah, it's a nice one :)

[@wes2819]

I really like these cloud clones. I ordered my supercell. nice showcase btw, thnx.

[@OmriCohen-Music]

Yeah, Supercell is great, I use it a lot in VCV Rack.Cheers!

[@InvertedPopesMusic]

Very interesting of course at 20:20 was were I really got me interested. Another one for the bucket list.

[@OmriCohen-Music]

I wonder if there will be a Clouds2 once...

[@antfactor]

this is the kind of setup I was thinking - audio processing station for live stuff. cheers and good health.

[@OmriCohen-Music]

Yes, it's so much fun. Cheers!

[@FrankPSF]

I’m sure this is a powerful and extremely useful module. However I wish the videos I’ve seen displayed the variety of its musical capabilities more clearly.

[@cardboardmusic]

Yes me too. It looks/sounds wonderful, but it would be great to find a sort of close look at Microcell to understand how it varies from Beads and Clouds.

[@Val_Cla]

Pretty great Omri ! really nice sounds and the starting piano sequence was great

[@OmriCohen-Music]

Oh yes, granulation is a beautiful thing :)

[@tebi1kurieudidon172]

Thank you! I am about to get a Typhoon and your video is the most useful one I found on yt while waiting for it to arrive...

[@OmriCohen-Music]

Glad it was helpful!

[@bobbfett.musiclab]

Fantastic microcell session. I see that you got the es-9. I bought it instead of es-8 and a new soundcard, and I luv it, it’s so great to have everything In the rack, and I run my synths through it too. There’s no reviews on KZbin. Keep up the good work

[@OmriCohen-Music]

Thanks! So you're using two interfaces at the same time? How about noise in the main ES-9 outputs?

[@bobbfett.musiclab]

No sorry for my not so clear explanation, I use es-9 as my only soundcard for everything now, and luv it. It’s such a great euro solution.

[@OmriCohen-Music]

@@bobbfett.musiclab Oh ok, that's great! You don't have any noise issues or anything?

[@bobbfett.musiclab]

Not that I know of, I will check it further. I am using the balanced out through a passive jbl nanopatch attenuator to my monitors, and I had to lower the volume a bit in the internal mixer on es-9, because it’s euro rack levels, even on the balanced outs

[@bobbfett.musiclab]

The other thing I did was to turn DC-blocking filters of on channels 9-14, so I get the right cv values for cv in, so I use 1-8 for audio, and 9 to 14 for cv. I will do some more tests for the noise tomorrow, I don’t think all mixers can handle that high volume out, but it is easy to change in the mixer on the online settings page.

[@mattiass9929]

Very nice demo. I love Clouds.

[@OmriCohen-Music]

Thanks so much!

[@YTNUKLR]

Thanks for making this, Omri!

[@OmriCohen-Music]

Cheers!

[@joethompson5619]

Nice work Omri!!

[@OmriCohen-Music]

Thanks!

[@wilschobeiri]

What's the source of the pluck at 7:15?

[@OmriCohen-Music]

That's an FM voice from VCV Rack I believe

[@NaySeven]

Hello Omri, i like the first part, and I'm also curious about the blank panel, my daughter makes exactly the same kind of drawing, what's the origin ?

[@OmriCohen-Music]

Thanks! Yeah, it's just a print of a picture I found but all this zentangle thing is great!

[@NaySeven]

@@OmriCohen-Music ok, thanks for the answer, here a link to her sold drawing ;-) www.etsy.com/fr/shop/TheLiloStation/sold

[@Kkidzz]

Omri, I'm putting together my first E.R. build( 2x140hp). and came upon your vid which has almost exactly the same modules I've laid out on Modulargrid. Two questions; how much overlap is there between the arbhar and the microcell: certain functions each does the other does'nt? Similar question re: the Mimeophone and the Magneto: do you find they are different enough in delay functions that warrants both? Any opinions much appreciated. Thx!!

[@OmriCohen-Music]

Oh nice, your in for a hell of a ride :) About the Arbhar and Microcell, Arbhar is more or less like Microcell in Granular mode (which is Clouds in Granular mode), but Microcell has 7 more modes you can try, each one unique in its own way. My favorite is Beat Repeat for example. That said, Arbhar sounds better, in my opinion, than the Granular mode, and it has different features like randomly playing the grains backward, and also adding pitch deviation which can add a lot, especially to unpitched samples. Also, Arbhar has a built-in condenser mic that you can use. I'm not using it most of the time because of feedback issues, but it can come very useful. About the Mimeophon and Magneto, I actually don't look at them as delay effects but as instruments by themselves. Both can be also loopers (Magneto has a longer buffer though), and each has totally different sound and color. Magneto is more low fi I guess, and the Mimeophon is more spacy. Both can self oscillate also by the way so you can use them as a voice, with v/oct and everything. Magneto is pretty expansive though, but it's worth every cent. It's amazingly built, it sounds amazing, and you will love it. One thing though, if you're looking for a delay per se, then the Mimeophon is the way to go I guess. I would also recommend looking at the Chronoblob 2 from Alright Devices, I'm using its VCV Rack version (which is free) and I absolutely love it.

[@sakoner]

Hi nice demo!! I'm about to buy a mimeophon, but after i've seen your vid' i'm now hesitating :) Would you say that it could be a good first delay (as it's cheaper than mimeophon)?

[@OmriCohen-Music]

Thanks! Do you mean if Microcell is a better delay? Well, it has the Looping Delay mode which I really like, but there are all the other modes you can get lost in and use so I wouldn't say it's a better delay but it's a nice module to have in the case indeed. About the Mimeophon I absolutely love this module and it's so versatile. You can even use it as a voice by itself with v/oct tracking, a built in VCA, and even a filter and reverb. If you're looking for a "classic" delay, have a look at the Chronoblob 2, which is such an amazing module, and also the DLD. By the way, you can try Chronoblob for free in VCV Rack.

[@blerkh]

In the first segment, the piano sounds are samples running through the microcell?

[@OmriCohen-Music]

Well, I'm 'playing' the piano in VCV Rack and sending it into the Microcell, yes.

[@blerkh]

Omri Cohen I don't quite follow. There's a sampler "module" in VCV Rack?

[@OmriCohen-Music]

@@blerkh Well, yes, there are a few samplers in VCV, but there's also a module that allows you to use VSTs inside VCV so I could have an instance of Kontakt running and sequencing it within VCV. It's a beautiful thing...

[@Jin-Hu]

Sorry for commenting on vintage videos lol, but how does this compare to MI Beads? I have beads and have been offered MicroCell and wondered if this is worth a change up?

[@OmriCohen-Music]

No worries :) I still have Microcell and I use it, and I did have Beads for a short time, but I never really connected with it, and I ended up selling it. I felt like it's a simplified version of the original, and Microcell has so many great features. How do you like Beads? How do you use it?

[@Jin-Hu]

Hey, thanks for the reply, very interesting. I use mine in two most likely underwhelming way, one as the a voice using no inputs, two to add texture to input voices turning up and down the dry/wet to adjust the level of grains in the mix. I want to get more use out of it but a rackfull of nice modules means that I new to put the time into learning and understanding as you know better than most lol . Hmm food for thought though, I'll keep the uCell in mind, it does appear to be a fair bit more featured. I wonder if theres a version on VCV, I'll check that out@@OmriCohen-Music

[@OmriCohen-Music]

@@Jin-Hu yes, there's Supercell, which is basically the same, just a bigger version

[@mmhcreates]

Hi @Omri Cohen, thank you for sharing, really interesting sounds. Can you offer advice? I would like to experience hands on sonic manipulation, like your demonstration. Which granular Module would you recommend?, Microcell, Supercell, Arbhar, Typhoon etc. Any help is much appreciated.

[@OmriCohen-Music]

Hey, thanks! Well, I guess that Microcell, Supercell, Typhoon, and the others are pretty much the same because they are all built after Clouds. I can recommend 2 modules, that are quite different in their core, but both are super interesting and fun to explore sounds with. Arbhar and Morphagene. If it's granular you're looking for, I would go with Arbhar. If it's sample manipulation, I would go with Morphagene. Have a look here, I go through they features - kzbin.info/www/bejne/j6a1gZeYpq9-Y7c In any case, I would not recommend any Clouds clone for this purpose. I mean, it's fun and all, but not really hands on I guess, and can get quite repetitive pretty quickly. It's amazing for adding atmosphere and extra layers to a sound, but not really for hands on sonic manipulation. Let me know if you have any more questions :)

[@doak1694]

love that glitchy beet around the middle of the video

[@OmriCohen-Music]

Yeah, it's also my favorite!

[@JohnParkMakes]

Love this! Thank you.

[@OmriCohen-Music]

Thank you!

[@coltranius]

Beautiful!

[@OmriCohen-Music]

Thanks!

[@seymourleonardo2732]

nice demo! I just wanted to ask a question that i cant seem find the answer to...anywhere. (might be noobish) but, which button do you use to 'switch' between the superparasite-8-modes on your microcell, My guess is its the button next to output? or the two buttons below time/bank. It has a very different layout to normal clouds module.

[@OmriCohen-Music]

Thanks! Well, you have to press and hold the Time button for a second or 2, and then you can switch between the modes.

[@seymourleonardo2732]

@@OmriCohen-Music Thank you so much for your reply!! , truly have helped me out, much appreciated.

[@OmriCohen-Music]

@@seymourleonardo2732 My pleasure :) Have fun!

[@MisterNiles]

There is a Monsoon somewhere in the US on the way to my house right now. I didn't know about the Microcell until after I ordered the Monsoon. Of course. Story of my life. I would love a Supercell. Thanks for the video. Great sounds. I see some similar sounds in my future. The lighting isn't as good and the deck is more of a mess, but the sounds will se good.

[@OmriCohen-Music]

Yeah, I'm happy I found out about Microcell, but yeah, the sounds are the same. Cheers!

[@coachsteve.]

Sounds great! Do you find there is a lot of overlap between Clouds and Arbhar? I'm thinking about getting some hardware and wasn't sure which to go with.

[@OmriCohen-Music]

Thanks! Well, Arbhar can do (mostly) one thing, but it does it really well. It's pretty similar to Clouds in Granular mode, but again, it sounds better to me and has other neat features. That being said, Microcell or Clouds have other modes as well that can be very interesting.

[@oodoodoopoopoo]

Now departing Granulation Station: the "Indirect Express"