XAOC Devices - Batumi

[@jerod-s-rivera]

Bit of a late post here, but just picked up this module today and wow, never has my system breathed so much life. Debated between this and Maths for many years and finally decided on this one. I was not expecting all the interesting polyrhythms you can get out of it. The Phase mode is incredible and love the tips here you suggested!

[@DivKid]

Great, cheers Jerod.

[@eduardozayn3735]

InstaBlaster...

[@seantunn]

This video convinced me i needed a Batumi in my rack....now I've got one and it truly is awesome!!!

[@DivKid]

Hey Sean, glad to help that purchase along. It's a great module.

[@PatrickOBrien]

I've had this module for over a year and didn't know half of what it could do. Especially the press and hold, and the jumper adjustments. Nice vid and will reference it often!

[@DivKid]

nice one, doing my job right then :D

[@Flohr]

Love the quadrature and phase modes. So sweet! Great demo as always.

[@DivKid]

Flohr I think the Phase mode and Divide mode (with external clock) get most use from me.

[@kempertodd]

Great as always! I can't for the life of me understand why anyone would give a 👎 on any of your vids. They are all top notch!

[@DivKid]

Cheers Todd, I don't know either. I guess having a hater means what I'm doing is working? haha.

[@sunilsolanki]

Just became one of your Patreon members! Thanks for all that you have already taught me Ben. Really appreciate it.

[@DivKid]

thanks a lot, really appreciate that! :)

[@switchyard2456]

Thanks for this, excellent and in depth. This is a masterclass in how to do a module review.

[@cybchris]

Kudos on the really thorough, but even more importantly musically interesting, demo.

[@DivKid]

+Chris Meyer cheers Chris appreciate it.

[@DivKid]

@Evan Sugerman ... I can't tag you or reply but the voice are simple oscillators into VCAs and just using the LFOs for VCA level. I think it was four Intellijel Dixie oscillators (but for this sort of patch could be anything) and the oscillators are tuned to the intervals you are hearing. The VCAs if I remember right were from a Bubblesound VCA4p.

[@xpump876]

Excellent LFO and another great demo!

[@DivKid]

xPump thanks!

[@canecreek00]

Another module on my shopping list, great video.

[@DivKid]

cane creek You won't regret it!

[@sysexstudio]

Thanks for the great demo. A few shops just finally got these in over here in the states. I'm definitely going to have to get this one and the POTI for it.

[@DivKid]

***** I think the Poti is essential. If you never clock anything and really don't want to then maybe not but for me I'm not into having jumpers for anything on the back of modules. Having the expander is great for having different shapes on offer and clock or reset.

[@sysexstudio]

DivKidMusic I'm the same way about jumpers on the back of modules. I'd like to have all options available from the front panel, or in this case, the expander.

[@0Metatron]

Hi Ben does that mean you can't clock the Batumi without the expander? Thanks

[@sysexstudio]

badaszewski You can choose to either clock it or tap tempo (with manual gate) with the jumper set to SYNC mode or reset the LFO cycle to zero (hard sync) with the jumper set to RESET mode. The expander just lets you throw a switch to change between these two options without unscrewing the module from you case to set the jumpers on the back. You could also make your own expander if you know how to.

[@0Metatron]

***** cool thanks

[@WimDaans]

great demo, teaching me a few new tricks too .... gonna have to put it on my shopping list now ;-)

[@DivKid]

Wim Daans great to hear. Thanks Wim.

[@jinx1401]

Just picked up one of these on the strength of this video.

[@DivKid]

+Justin Blackwell nice one, cheers Justin and enjoy the Batumi. Did you grab the Poti expander?

[@jinx1401]

+DivKidMusic Not yet but it's on the list (along with several other modules you've demoed) Analog rytm arriving tomorrow so skint for a while yet however.. Do wish people wouldn't make odd hp sized modules though.

[@threeinitiates8260]

that sequencer next to it is pretty

[@DivKid]

yep

[@DualNatureMusic]

excellent demo!

[@DivKid]

thank you

[@TerekkiTerekki]

Excellent vid as per usual

[@evansugerman6031]

Wonderful demo! Thank you... Would you be able to explain a little about how the 4 voices you are using at 6:00 are constructed?

[@daughtersofdivorce6803]

God damn. Having two of these just for use if both the Quadrature and Phase modes feels well worth it...

[@DivKid]

I can definitely get behind "more LFOs" as a concept.

[@stevenstavropoulos8858]

thank you man

[@DivKid]

cheers

[@thisisprisma]

to my list! really well explained, another great video! :)

[@DivKid]

+thisisprisma thank you you won't regret it.

[@kaecake9575]

"[…] it might rely heavily on electronics, tapes, I can kind of envision maybe one person with a lot of machines, tapes, and electronics set up, singing or speaking and using machines." - Jim Morrison 1969

[@DivKid]

Great quote, it was already happening around that time too in terms of people exploring electronics and tape.

[@kaecake9575]

@@DivKid the 60's we're experimenting the sounds we hear in disco. We are running out of main stream music. This generation has seen just about everything but these machines and so far. Indie music and indie experimental music is wanting that illusion of sound. Japan is a image of this synthesizers and the CRT-TV Guitars... And the Bar Code Music...it's amazing how I can see the music change like it did in the 1960s movement. And the Rock n Roll ban of The 1950s.

[@schmooster]

on the list

[@sunilsolanki]

Oh bugger, you just made me want to buy another module! ;)

[@DivKid]

haha my bad!

[@VagPoop_]

still a classic

[@DivKid]

yeah absolutely

[@7177YT]

Awesome video, but hey did you try and break some speed reading record? You tear through that demo at around 180.000 words per second. (:

[@JubileeGiggles]

slow the playback speed

[@Wheel333]

Nice ,thanks. What was that little inline attenuator you used ?

[@leatherdeath]

How exactly does one get it to cycle at a 28 hour interval?

[@DivKid]

if I remember right you go divide mode, set the frequency on channel one as low as possible and then use another channel to divide that down even further.

[@WillFehlhaberMusicOfficial]

DivKidMusic do you think you would give a tour of your complete modular and how you organize things?

[@DivKid]

Will Fehlhaber Music when I get time I plan on doing some sort of system run down and also some more beginner focussed video series but I just don't have time with how in demand (which I'm really thankful for) the videos are for module overviews with manufacturers. Also my system isn't laid in a particularly nice way as things are all over. I try to keep manufacturers bunched up together the best I can so that in the videos if it's an XAOC devices video there's other XAOC modules that I have next to it. Promoting the brand as well as the single module sort of idea. I'm happy to talk about it though so maybe email or Facebook? What's best for you?

[@WillFehlhaberMusicOfficial]

DivKidMusic I am a patient guy. I just bought a Doepfer Dark Energy 2 as I do not have the full enough income to start into modular. but I like the Eurorack format because it is space efficient. I look forward to the future videos.

[@DivKid]

Will Fehlhaber Music ok cool, be good to chat anyway. Always good to chat synths. I nearly bought a dark energy a while back.

[@oldsoulsound]

Sorry to resurrect this old post. Ben in the beginning :37 you say "...each new note triggers a gate." How exactly were you doing that? Battumi to attenuator to quantizer, sending pitch info to oscillator. Where does the gate come from?

[@DivKid]

Quantizer generates a trigger on each new note.

[@oldsoulsound]

@@DivKid Thanks Ben, Still trying to figure out how to do this. I'm using a O_c in Quantermain mode. My understanding is that I would only get pitch CV out from that. Sorry still learning.

[@rdomain]

Looks like a worthy addition! Is there any way to skew the wave forms like on the QPLFO? Or the lesser likely, do a one shot? Thanks for the vid!

[@DivKid]

no waveform shaping on board. I like running CV through the Abstract Data ADE-10 Reactive Shape or wave folders though which is good fun if you're looking for some CV wave shaping. They don't do an envelope style "one-shot" either. There's way to patch up something that would "one-shot" but it would be a big elaborate patch with many modules.

[@rdomain]

+DivKidVideo OK. Thanks for the info. I was hoping it could replace the QPLFO as I like to use that as the EG for drum synthesis. This still looks like a worthy addition tho.

[@DivKid]

does the QPLFO do single cycles?

[@RyanKunkleman]

what voice are you using in the phase section its really nice

[@DivKid]

The sounds from the phase section are sine waves through a VCA that's got a little clipping and character to it. Judging by the date the video went online (as I really can't remember 100%) that's 4 Intellijel Dixie mk1 oscillators with their sine waves into the individual channels of a Bubblesound VCA4p. Using the LFOs to modulate the levels of each VCA. Oscillators just turned up to an LFO.

[@bigkingsha]

I think I heard another LFO in the background - a Law Frequency Officer

[@kempertodd]

Hi Ben thanks for this. Where can I find the inline attenuverters you are using? That would be great to free up some VCAs.

[@DivKid]

RYO Airtenuators were at THONK - www.thonk.co.uk/shop/ryo-airtenuator/ - but no stock currently. They might have the DIY version if you look.

[@mantrasoul]

+DivKidVideo great tutorial, i am very much thinking of getting this with the expander - what are the drums you are using, are those also generated by the modular or samples - if so, coming out of which device etc.?

[@DivKid]

Can you link me to the timing of where the drums are and I'll listen and tell you.

[@mantrasoul]

hi-hat kzbin.info/www/bejne/ZnqWm6Jul9WZi5om48s -- clap kzbin.info/www/bejne/ZnqWm6Jul9WZi5om2s

[@timothynewman6062]

falling saw in phase mode would be super lovely to use as triggers for some super musical exponential VCAs - do you need the POTI to make that happen?

[@aliasghar907]

Is that the best lfo module in your opinion or...? ...or Fourmulator is better... or any others u prefer?

[@DivKid]

I think "best" doesn't exist. It's too subjective to say outright something is the best. What are you looking for in an LFO module? Then we can be specific and cutting down the options to best suit you.

[@aliasghar907]

DivKidVideo wuz worried ud say that..good honest answer nonetheless.. hajajehe

[@DivKid]

haha well Batumi is fantastic and I'd recommend it for adding LFOs to your set up. Abstract Data Octocontroller is also very good for LFOs and Random / Clocks etc. Plus 8 outputs. They function differently though. So what are you wanting LFOs for? Sometimes you want CV over the LFO so a feature packed one is better other times just lots of LFOs is a good way to go.

[@MattRozema]

Given the option of Batumi or Stages to modulate an Elements, which would you choose? Both look amazingly capable. I'm interested in which way your experience would steer your decision.

[@_jurk]

Question: @ 3:28 in the video (quad mode); if rate is controlled by the first LFO do those other 3 faders control the depth of LFO's 2-4. Thanks!

[@DivKid]

If I remember rightly there's a mode that changes the phases of the LFOs relative to the first and another that changes the clock divisions of the LFOs relative to the first. Just checked the manual "2. QUAdrATUre lfO MOde Click the central button until the yellow, quad LED lights up. The first LFO is a master con- trolling the frequency of all the remaining LFOs. Each subsequent LFO generates a wave that is 90° shifted in relation to the preceding one (90°, 180°, 270°). In this mode, sliders 2-4 and the CV inputs control the respective channel’s am- plitude. The reset/sync 2-4 inputs allow for additional control described later in this manual."

[@milk_bath]

What reverb are you using here? It sounds like a spring, it has a nice drippy quality.

[@DivKid]

Hard to say but sounds like it was the v1 Music Thing Modular Spring Reverb or the Doepfer A-199.

[@terryvergos6365]

Thanks, very explanatory. Just one more q: What's the LFO's rate? Also where can we find this handy attenuator? Ta

[@DivKid]

Hi Terry, what do you mean the LFOs rate? The fastest and slowest range do you mean? The passive in line attenuators are RYO Airtenuators available through them direct and Thonk.

[@terryvergos6365]

yes i mean the range, sorry...

[@DivKid]

no worries. Range is 28 hours (yes more than a day per cycle) to 500Hz

[@rustlewoodz9700]

holy moley

[@DivKid]

:)

[@radiokoala]

Cool footwork @ 11:10

[@DivKid]

radiokoala the wonky kick? Sort of a like a dodgy ankle spasming over the foot pedal :)

[@radiokoala]

DivKidMusic yeah, some nice rhythms to be had with this cross-patching, I can imagine!

[@raggamuffin2349]

great vid! whats the oscillator / audio source at 2:55?

[@DivKid]

Hello, that sounds like the VFOF mode on Mutable Instruments Braids. Plaits will get similar with it's vocal synthesis too, or you could find some vocal tone wavetables and load those into a wavetable oscillator. Hope that helps.

[@GuitarsAndSynths]

Would you care to share some patch examples for us newbies to modular? Been really loving mine.

[@MeinNameisHase]

Why is it called "tap tempo"?

[@ekoboydj]

can u use it without the poti and still sync and use it as a clock mult/divider too?

[@DivKid]

Hello, yes the settings are set with 'jumpers' on the back of the module. So you can set it up as you like then forget about it. POTI simply offers a way to switch these things quickly without removing the module from the case.

[@ekoboydj]

@@DivKid Thnx for the quick reply Ben. However is it poss to use it as a replacement to a typical clock? say a time wizard?

[@DivKid]

yes you cause LFOs as clocks. Best thing is to take the square wave out and use that as the clock signal.

[@ekoboydj]

@@DivKid i imagined that was the case but is great confirmation coming from you :) thnx man

[@DivKid]

happy to help

[@JapanoiseBreakfast]

Around 11:04, it sounds like one of the modules is triggering when the light on the rightmost slider goes *out* rather than fully lit. Is that normal? I'd expect the light to be highest when the square wave's just moved up, but it looks like the opposite.

[@pe00000001]

LEDs on sliders indicate the sine wave, not square.

[@toml6535]

how to compare this to an ADE-32?

[@DivKid]

I can't really offer much other than what you can find just looking at both modules. This is four channels ADE-32 is eight. ADE-32 will do more per output mode but those are a button press or so away (still fast and very much NOT menu diving). They are different in HP. This is sliders per channel function and four modes, ADE-32 is shared knob control and LED feedback for settings. What is it you want to do?

[@MrFreaksfreak]

during the very first example, how do you get a gate for each cv note outputted by the quantiser?

[@DivKid]

ADDAC 207 quantizer has trigger outputs for evertime a new note is generated. Really useful feature. Also trigger in so you can tell when to quantise if you don't want it free running.

[@RolfJacksonDK]

Great video. Question: The inline attenuator you use, where can I get one of those?

[@DivKid]

RYO used to make Airtenuators. You can get Mutant Modular attenuators here though - bit.ly/mutantmodular There's a video looking at some of what they offer (new bits since then) here - kzbin.info/www/bejne/iqnHknmlg9trfLM

[@danielgrace7887]

Where can you buy the RYO Airtenuator (in the UK) ?

[@DivKid]

Thonk sell kits if they still have them in stock.

[@danielgrace7887]

DivKidVideo I guess such devices are not really in the spirit of modular, but popular with some semi modular owners or those with no spare rack space.

[@JuanAMatos-zx4ub]

Is the Poti necessary to sync to a clock?

[@DivKid]

Not at all. Just change the jumper setting on the back.

[@DavidWangMochipet]

What is that attenuator cable thing you are using? Thanks

[@DivKid]

RYO Airtenuators. Thonk have kits, really easy to solder, even my useless soldering skills didn't get in the way.

[@DavidWangMochipet]

DivKidVideo thank you! Almost all sold out but I found a kit on synthcube if anyone wants one. Thanks for the great videos !

[@DivKid]

Cheers David.

[@myecoute]

Hey Divkid! I'm missing good LFO modulation in my system (just started) and I know a lot of people who love this module, but I'm wondering if it's still a good pick or if there are other things that have come along since that are updated in any crucial/interesting ways? Would really appreciate any suggestions!

[@DivKid]

This will definitely be a great LFO for you. Four channels, multiple outputs per channel, influence over the LFOs with CV. Good stuff.

[@myecoute]

One more question if it's not a bother, before I drop the $change - wondering what you think of Mutable Instrument's Stages (if you've played with it yet) as another option?

[@OttookkowumbeFM]

Hi, wich Attenuator do you use?

[@DivKid]

+Ottookkowumbe FM no idea what I used in the video. But it really doesn't matter. An attenuator is an attenuator. It brings the signal down from full signal strength (whatever you put it) to 0 and everything in between. I have a Thonk AT AT AT which is good, the RYO Airtenuators are great for putting something between cables. I probably used Airtenuators in this video. Sometimes I use a VCA with bias/offset/gain control and just use the manual level to attenuate signals without actually modulating the VCA.

[@chemicalBR0]

I'm torn between this and the Erica black octasource (no room in current rig for both) has anybody tried both and if you could have only one of them which would it be?

[@DivKid]

Not tried the Octasource but with Batumi doing all it does, especially with new firmware I think that would be my choice.

[@chemicalBR0]

thanks for the reply... I ordered a batumi today from matttech :) eventually the nice layout swayed me. (there's nowhere near enough flashy sliders in my rack ;)

[@NutritionalZero]

Batoomeh!

[@DivKid]

batoooooooooomi. toooomi like mooogy

[@unkyherb6505]

If there is Anyone in the World I would want to chill with and pick their brain, it's Divkid 😉👈

[@teknobryan]

is that "voice" VCO Braids?

[@DivKid]

which part? The vocal formant sounding bit is Braids.

[@Ureallydontknow]

I really don't like it > 100 Hz. the sin becomes garbage. even if you mix them. they all have the same low sample rate. this is why I only use batumi for 1Hz sines.

[@pe00000001]

It is still pure sine up to 500Hz, check on scope.