Twenty Moog Subharmonicon Patches

[@noiseentropy]

Plenty of useful patches. Thanks for sharing 👍

[@riotbell5365]

My pleasure!

[@maikvanrossum]

Thanks for sharing! 🙏🏻 Patches like ‘hot fuzz’, ‘harbors’ ‘haunted castle’, ‘sfam’, ‘goblin’ and ‘chaos zipper’ really demonstrate the more broader sound capabilities of this unique #synth, too 👌🏻

[@riotbell5365]

Thanks for taking the time for a thorough listen. It's a synth that can be cajoled into making all sorts of fascinating sounds, just takes a bit of effort and more than a little patience!

[@Mumbojumbo20]

This is a synth that definitely needs a quality reverb after it

[@riotbell5365]

Definitely. It sounds pretty dry otherwise.

[@inkfingers]

I’ve been struggling to incorporate this machine into my music. It’s a weird but interesting synth. Your patches are very inspiring. I love Asimov!

[@riotbell5365]

Thanks! It's a really quirky machine. I think it works best to treat it as an explorative device. Start fiddling around and see what happens and proceed from there. I hate the "happy accident machine" label, but it's not too far off base.

[@ModArch]

Asimov straight up sounds like a "Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will"-era Mogwai song! Dope.

[@riotbell5365]

That's kind praise. Haven't listened to that album in ages.LOL.

[@adamdean2923]

I've been wanting one of these since they came out and I finally ordered one today. This is good stuff and it's making me super excited to start playing❤ all that aside good work and thank you for your contribution. I used to have a super famicom I love the reference

[@riotbell5365]

Glad you finally got one. It's really an extraordinary synth. Just expect it to be much more fidgety than demos make it out to be. It takes a bit of effort, but it's a fun puzzle to crack. Glad you liked the Super Famicom reference!

[@Q-BOT]

These are are pretty nifty, but I feel like you really tapped into a deep analog synth soul with the goblin patch. That one is high quality and fairly original. I can imagine the string machines and an oberheim backing it up in a movie opening sound track

[@riotbell5365]

Thanks. That's definitely my favorite as well. Probably the best thing I'll ever coax out of this quirky synth. It truly has a mind of its own.

[@MyVideos-fm7ug]

That’s what I was thinking. Most of the videos I see of guys using these, as well as the MFAD, and whatever the other two units are (I forget) … they’re playing like techno rave shit. I was worried that that’s what these were made for because if them and their limited sounds Another are the soft ambience players that sound like metallic clanks, mostly of those ridiculous Euro synths, which are mostly digital I believe

[@SaintDatura]

Riot wizard! Thanx for sharing inspiration. Personal fav was 'Cosmic Horror', all beautiful thou!

[@riotbell5365]

Thanks! It was a fun endeavor. Would love to try another patch set one day.

[@jon_gee]

Great patches. I had a SubH for a couple years….these are really cool. Cosmic horror and blankets were highlights. Those envelopes are so fun to play.

[@riotbell5365]

Thanks. I really wish they had included a patch-in for the VCF EG. I guess they figure it's basically the same as the Filter Cutoff? IDK, But it's the most fun thing to fiddle with by hand.

[@azathothdreams]

17:09 Goblin is definitely my favorite but they're all great!

[@riotbell5365]

Thanks! One of my favorites too.

[@BubbaSatori]

Thanks for the demo and the tip about Moog Subharmonicon patches.

[@riotbell5365]

No problem. I had a lot of fun making this video.

[@edrift3d]

Love these! Having just got a Sub in December, I’m still wrapping my head around it. Thank you for the head start!

[@riotbell5365]

It's a fascinating synth. Very deep, but very easy to get discouraged and frustrated. If you're looking for more inspiration, I would highly recommend moogsubharmoniconpatches.com. I think the owner has an ig and a youtube also.

[@edrift3d]

@@riotbell5365 awesome thanks!

[@JakeTheCake254]

sfam kept reminding me of The Becoming by NIN. Very awesome stuff.

[@riotbell5365]

Thanks! The Subharmonicon shaped these patches more than I did, but it's cool people are hearing all sorts of genres.

[@TristanBaldi]

Hahaha incredible I was running it at .25 speed and was thinking "Woah that grit on the Famicon patch is insane!!" before I realized... Nice patches anyway :p

[@riotbell5365]

Thanks! Crazy to think I made these over a year ago.

[@annedeoedipus7849]

Rad-I just slowed it down and it sounds like my Elmyra 2 (which is super fun to play with the subharmonicon too)

[@nolake]

Goblin is sweet. Nice demo !

[@riotbell5365]

Thanks! I really like that one too.

[@goingmodular]

Nice series of patches. Funny, I found that Goblin was reminiscent of Mussorgsky's eponymous piece from Pictures of an Exhibition. At least in spirit.

[@riotbell5365]

Thanks! Haven't listened to Pictures of an Exhibition since college. An odd comparison for sure, but I'll check it out.

[@goingmodular]

@@riotbell5365The tune is very different obviously, but it gives off the same feeling of a loud and clumsy creature striding. Sort of ...

[@riotbell5365]

@@goingmodular I'll check it out. Mussorgsky is always a treat.

[@dougwferg]

Thank you so much for this! Nice work.

[@riotbell5365]

Thanks. I hope people find some useful ideas here.

[@supa76]

blankets is so nice wow

[@riotbell5365]

Thanks! I feel like I couldn't recreate any of these blind. I hate the "happy accident machine" description, but it really is.

[@78thandSynth]

Yessir. Another thank you. Huge edu.

[@riotbell5365]

Thanks for the encouragement. I hope folks find some of these ideas employable in their own patches.

[@hummingrhizomes]

Lovely stuff! Subscribed:)

[@riotbell5365]

Thanks!

[@DVDFRMN]

oh sh!t. i just realized what the subharmonicon is. it's a 21st century 'musical box'.

[@riotbell5365]

You could certainly describe it that way. It's the most "does its own thing" synth I've ever worked with. Lots of great sounds, but very constrained according to the perimeters of its design.

[@DVDFRMN]

@@riotbell5365 I like the idea of using to start off ideas, but then i think i could just sit at my Nord with a Rhodes sound, delay and reverb and hit notes and get something more and faster. don't get me wrong, i have the URGE, like i have the URGE when i look at a Moog ONE (allcaps) but i will never need 64 oscillators or whatever it has

[@DVDFRMN]

i still want one of these weird hellraiser pandora's boxes...

[@andrewnancarrow]

At 13:35 Tinkerbell patch is exactly why I am struggling so hard with Subharmonicon. It’s that cheesy, chip-tune, silly sounds it makes. I bought it because I thought it would be “experimental” and dark. But it really isn’t. It’s just “pretty” in an almost trite way. I struggle to get it to sound darker and more experimental and abstract.

[@andrewnancarrow]

The other thing about the subharmonicon that I struggle with, and isn’t readily apparent in this patch compilation demo is that each patch is so repetitive that in an actual song composition they would be boring. The video gives you just enough before you get tired of the patch. Subharmonicon’s aren’t super “playable” to give an evolving variety to the patches to keep them interesting without being overly repetitive.

[@riotbell5365]

@@andrewnancarrow Sounds like maybe the subharmonicon isn't exactly what you need. If you're looking for something experimental and dark, the Lyra8 or the Strega are far wilder options (though both present their frustrations as well). I also think the DFAM is grittier and more musically employable if your committed to the Moog sound.

[@andrewnancarrow]

@@riotbell5365 yea I have DFAM and Strega. I end up patching SubH through the Strega to distort and darken it. I’m trying to find ways to make it work for me. But it’s definitely different than what I had originally hoped

[@riotbell5365]

@@andrewnancarrow Same here. I sold my first Subharmonicon because I was surprised by how caged in the sequencers felt. I really wanted it to be a bit more open and explorative. Definitely helps to patch it up with other things.

[@andrewnancarrow]

@@riotbell5365 so what revelation did you have to cause you to buy it again? Any other advice to get more out of it?

[@vinylloops2216]

🔥🔥🔥 patches. I love Blanket. Dope!

[@riotbell5365]

Thanks. Really appreciate the feedback!

[@vinylloops2216]

@riotbell no problem at all. Hey do you have an ig account?

[@riotbell5365]

@@vinylloops2216 No ig account at the moment. Just youtube. Maybe I'll start one in the future. I've taken a break from making videos for the holidays but hope to get back into it in the next couple of weeks.

[@DirtyPlumbus]

It's an odd synth. You've done well working with it. 👍

[@riotbell5365]

Thanks. It's a unquestionably the trickiest synth that I've ever worked with. Feels like starting from scratch every time.

[@DirtyPlumbus]

@@riotbell5365 yeah, I feel like it's in charge whenever I mess with it. Lol

[@mixmcinfrarave]

I have 2 Moog Mother 32 ❤

[@MrHihowryou]

Blankets. 👍

[@riotbell5365]

Thanks!

[@DoctorRevers]

Keep working at it. You’ll get there.

[@riotbell5365]

Perhaps one day...

[@rthe0]

what effects where you using at 11:39?

[@riotbell5365]

Oto Bam hall reverb on all patches. Some with light chorus modulation also from the Bam. Any long big sounding reverb should probably work just fine.

[@rthe0]

@@riotbell5365 very nice

[@riotbell5365]

@@rthe0 Glad you like it.

[@MyVideos-fm7ug]

So this unit can essentially turn, for example, a SUB 25 and a little phatty into a model 10? I realize that it might not be “exactly” like one of those 20,000 dollar units… but maybe close enough? If so, I ream,y need to get me one of these… I’ve read mixed reviews about the subharmonicon… but judging by a few of these sounds I’ve heard so far, my guess is that the negative reviews are probably from the techno rave / dance / digital DJ pretend knob turners community… those reviews would be meaningless to me anyways

[@riotbell5365]

I don't know if I'd say it can turn a Sub 25 into a model 10, however it can really add an array of powerful oscillators to a Grandmother or Matriarch. I'd say most of the criticism of the Subharmonicon comes from the somewhat quirky limitations of the unit. The very limited step sequencer (which is fundamental to its conception) can make it feel like something you're constantly trying to "jailbreak" in order to make it behave more like a conventional synth. IMO, it's a unit that takes an extreme amount of patience, which may or may not be something you want to devote to a rather limited side piece in your setup. Hope that helps!

[@MyVideos-fm7ug]

@@riotbell5365 that makes a lot of sense, actually. I have a little phatty and a SUB 25, the 25 being my first synth. And there is still so much that i do not know about it. The operators manual is terribly written, as it’s written in such a way that “assumes” the user already has an in depth knowledge of synthesizers and the terminology. The system used for saving patches and “hidden features” is very confusing Actually, saving patches is simple. It’s when you enter various parameters and set you modulation to track the filter, the envelopes, and such … THATs where the 25 and 37 will get you. You can lock yourself in a parameter that you can’t get out of, and even lock up the entire unit rendering it useless Then you have to call moog and have them walk you through the process of unlocking the unit. And I don’t like the way the LFO functions on the SUB. However, the pitch bender is very responsive and has a nice springy tension to it. The main filter is solid and very pronounced. But the oscillators and envelopes attacks have subtle effects on the overall sound Since i got my little phatty, which is a much easier synth to use, but navigating through the parameters can be tricky. Because of the phattys digital readout that tells you what it is you’re setting, it’s helped me learn more about the SUB 25

[@Ameer-Akbar]

resonant stations sound like a Drake song.

[@riotbell5365]

Thanks. Haven't listen to Drake in a bit.

[@DavidSanchez-dn9bc]

I really like that too, but it looks like you patched two outputs together!

[@riotbell5365]

@@DavidSanchez-dn9bc Agh! I did. How embarrassing. Nice catch, I believe I intended it to go into the cutoff, which would obviously change the entire character of the existing patch. Happy accident machine indeed.

[@DavidSanchez-dn9bc]

Sounds great! I catched it because I was trying it on mine... Good work! 👍👍🔥🔥