Intellijel uScale - Why so Hard to Use?

[Gilo]

using CV to change through a bank of user scales is really easy on this thing

Woah. I didn't even know that was an option. Back to the lab!

This has lowered my desire to own this module.

For me, even its simplest use case (giving it 1v/oct and choosing which notes are in the scale) is worth the price of admission. Nothing else does that, as far as I know, and I'd probably be disappointed with any other quantizer.

Agree with that - the interface is really good for dialing in a single output quantised sequence and for knowing where you are. Its just all the other stuff which is a bit clunky. And the manual is a nightmare - which is the case with a number of Intellijel models - mutamix manual anybody? I would say producing a completely new manual for this instead of an updated firmware might be more useful to people.

[jasev]

Made a short video about my struggle with the uScale module, the A & B outputs and how they are created:

Beauty! Just what I've needed for 18 month . Cheers

[atrostor]

For me, even its simplest use case (giving it 1v/oct and choosing which notes are in the scale) is worth the price of admission. Nothing else does that, as far as I know, and I'd probably be disappointed with any other quantizer.

Penrose and ADDAC quantizers also work this way.

[atrostor]

Silly double post when trying to edit.

[L.C.O.]

For me, even its simplest use case (giving it 1v/oct and choosing which notes are in the scale) is worth the price of admission. Nothing else does that, as far as I know, and I'd probably be disappointed with any other quantizer.

Penrose and ADDAC quantizers also work this way.

Yes: Penrose has replaced my uScale for the simple manual control.

Honestly, so many modules have quantizer capabilities anyway, that I find myself reaching for the actual quantizer module less frequently.

What uScale had to offer (the two outputs, the extensive manipulation of the relationships between them etc.) that was unique, is implemented in such confusing way (or under explained) that it made it almost impossible to use routinely. Combined with the unit always needing to be reset on startup is just too problematic for me.

IF the SAVE/RETAIN settings after power cycle is ever implemented, I might consider buying uScale again.

Meanwhile, TipTop quantizer is interesting also!

[Triglav]

For me, even its simplest use case (giving it 1v/oct and choosing which notes are in the scale) is worth the price of admission. Nothing else does that, as far as I know, and I'd probably be disappointed with any other quantizer.

Penrose and ADDAC quantizers also work this way.

Yes: Penrose has replaced my uScale for the simple manual control.

Honestly, so many modules have quantizer capabilities anyway, that I find myself reaching for the actual quantizer module less frequently.

What uScale had to offer (the two outputs, the extensive manipulation of the relationships between them etc.) that was unique, is implemented in such confusing way (or under explained) that it made it almost impossible to use routinely. Combined with the unit always needing to be reset on startup is just too problematic for me.

IF the SAVE/RETAIN settings after power cycle is ever implemented, I might consider buying uScale again.

Meanwhile, TipTop quantizer is interesting also!

As far as I can tell, the Tiptop one has to be saved manually too, which is a bummer. I might just get a second Penrose.

[wonkychris]

Great videos junkyard_kahrs!

Strange timing as I was thinking of doing something very similar myself just a few days ago.

My module had a fault when I got it so it wasn't putting out 'in tune' quantised voltages, is a C is out out wasn't in tune with a C from anything else. This was obviously bad but after a trip back to Canada it got fixed. Since then I have slowly got deeper into the module and like it

I'd say I most like pairing it with an A-148 dual sample and hold. Using different gates to s+h the outputs of a and b gives even more interesting results as you can effectively have different intervals overlapping each other so they aren't fixed.

I must now go and spend some time saving my own scales and CV shifting them as still haven't done that (but did it a lot on the flame tame machine)

[L.C.O.]

As far as I can tell, the Tiptop one has to be saved manually too, which is a bummer. I might just get a second Penrose.

Yes, you save it (new TipTop) manually, BUT (and this is a crucial difference to me), once you save, next time you power down/up, it will start up with the most recently saved state.

And that is the complete state of the device with all controls etc.

THAT is what is missing from uScale.

Penrose is one of the few modules out there that saves the settings automatically, each time you make any change to the device, so it always knows how to start up. Really cool in that regard.

[Triglav]

As far as I can tell, the Tiptop one has to be saved manually too, which is a bummer. I might just get a second Penrose.

Yes, you save it (new TipTop) manually, BUT (and this is a crucial difference to me), once you save, next time you power down/up, it will start up with the most recently saved state.

And that is the complete state of the device with all controls etc.

THAT is what is missing from uScale.

Penrose is one of the few modules out there that saves the settings automatically, each time you make any change to the device, so it always knows how to start up. Really cool in that regard.

Wow, I thought the uScale does that already. That's even worse.
I try to avoid modules that have states without a dedicated switch. (Even Maths is pretty annoying how it can't remember whether it was cycling or not.)

[wonkychris]

Heres an example with an A-148 on the A+B outputs of the uScale2. I change the shift destination a bit throughout.
A Tempi is triggering the A-148 with a /1 for one channel and a /8 for the other. A pressure points does the shift moved by a /32 output from the Tempi.
Sound source is 2x STO (one uses the Sub output as well as the shape output) into 3 Lo Pass Gates
uScale2 has Scale Shift on Pre, B Mode Diatonic with interval set to 7

[video][/video]

[BillyB909]

Made a short video about my struggle with the uScale module, the A & B outputs and how they are created:

Much respect for this - mines been gathering a bit of dust and been used for simple duties as opposed to more creatively. I think I half understood the think about semitones rather than scale intervals before but great to see it illustrated.

[BillyB909]

double post...

[chysn]

using CV to change through a bank of user scales is really easy on this thing

What do you mean by this? It sounds cool, but I'm coming up empty with the lousy manual.

[wonkychris]

using CV to change through a bank of user scales is really easy on this thing

What do you mean by this? It sounds cool, but I'm coming up empty with the lousy manual.

I think you do a long push (2 seconds) n the scale button and it goes into this mode. Then you can change between scales in that bank using a CV at the shift input. I tried it last night and it worked as expected....

[junkyard_kahrs]

OK, here's the third one-



-Bank and Scale selection
-Saving user Scales
-Scale select mode

I think I could do better with my desriptions and terms, my ums and ahs, etc., but hopefully these are clear enough to help others figure out this surprisingly tricky module.

jk

[chysn]

I think you do a long push (2 seconds) n the scale button and it goes into this mode. Then you can change between scales in that bank using a CV at the shift input. I tried it last night and it worked as expected....

Woah! Yeah. My mind is blown. This is going to change my LIFE! Or at least my weekend.

OK, here's the third one-

Thank you! It all seems so simple now.

[rutabaga40]

junkyard_kahrs

Great videos! I was inspired to do a mash-up of the uScale and new Tiptop QuantiZer.

[video][/video]

Quantizer Sundown Showdown!

I’m a longtime fan of the Intellijel uScale quantizer. It’s quirky, but if you massage it correctly, you can get some musical loveliness out of her. It’s all over my past albums.

Enter the Tiptop QuantiZer. Well, it sure is gorgeous looking! And I love the Circadian Rhythms, so let’s give her a go!

I’ll say off the bat that this is a little apples to oranges; the uScale excels at take a CV input and outputting 2 [TWO!] quantized cv’s that you can modulate and muck with in very “interesting ways” (as Danjel might say). It’s the ability to modulate the interval degree of the B output that is really cool.

junkyard-kahrs just posted some excellent uScale tutorials which prompted me to revisit this lovely. And coincidentally it’s right when I received the Tiptop QuantiZer.

You’re dealing with just one cv in and one cv out on the Tiptop, so everything is much more straight-forward. So if it’s immediacy you want, this might be the pick. But if it’s crazy musical melody interval madness you’re after: uScale. Or…the typical Muff’s answer: BOTH.

Patch notes:

I’ve been trying to get comfortable with the Moog Mother sequencer, so that is again my source here. I just muck about with playing the ‘keyboard’ while adjusting the cv attenuation going into the uScale. Output A from that is playing an Atlantis, and depending on the attenuation, you will get varying degrees of…NOTHING or the interval you’re after. I need to understand the voltage range of the uScale a little better…

Output B is the interesting part, to me. It’s playing a Rubicon/Polaris combo, and the SHIFT amount is controlled by Planar. This essentially allows you to toss the interval relationship between A and B all over the place, but always within the scale. It’s bloody brilliant! Or ‘Ace’, as some might say.

The Tiptop QuantiZer is playing a Cwejman voice. A Qu-bit Nano Rand is getting clock and then providing random gates to a Pressure Points which in turn passes her voltages along to the QuantiZer. I programmed three chords which correspond to the general Fmi7 vibe that is happening here. This voice just bobs along in a random manner behind the other three voices.

Tiptop Z-DSP with valhalla chip and Intellijel Rainmaker provide the ‘space’. Dubmix is the mixer.

It’s all a little raw, but it was a fun exercise to use both Quantizers…

[Dcramer]

I think you do a long push (2 seconds) n the scale button and it goes into this mode. Then you can change between scales in that bank using a CV at the shift input. I tried it last night and it worked as expected....

Woah! Yeah. My mind is blown. This is going to change my LIFE! Or at least my weekend.

OK, here's the third one-

Thank you! It all seems so simple now.

Yup!

I make whole banks of user scales and CV through them to totally change up a patch automatically, like in this video:
[video][/video]

[jasev]

junkyard_kahrs

Great videos! I was inspired to do a mash-up of the uScale and new Tiptop QuantiZer.

[video][/video]

Quantizer Sundown Showdown!

I’m a longtime fan of the Intellijel uScale quantizer. It’s quirky, but if you massage it correctly, you can get some musical loveliness out of her. It’s all over my past albums.

Enter the Tiptop QuantiZer. Well, it sure is gorgeous looking! And I love the Circadian Rhythms, so let’s give her a go!

I’ll say off the bat that this is a little apples to oranges; the uScale excels at take a CV input and outputting 2 [TWO!] quantized cv’s that you can modulate and muck with in very “interesting ways” (as Danjel might say). It’s the ability to modulate the interval degree of the B output that is really cool.

junkyard-kahrs just posted some excellent uScale tutorials which prompted me to revisit this lovely. And coincidentally it’s right when I received the Tiptop QuantiZer.

You’re dealing with just one cv in and one cv out on the Tiptop, so everything is much more straight-forward. So if it’s immediacy you want, this might be the pick. But if it’s crazy musical melody interval madness you’re after: uScale. Or…the typical Muff’s answer: BOTH.

Patch notes:

I’ve been trying to get comfortable with the Moog Mother sequencer, so that is again my source here. I just muck about with playing the ‘keyboard’ while adjusting the cv attenuation going into the uScale. Output A from that is playing an Atlantis, and depending on the attenuation, you will get varying degrees of…NOTHING or the interval you’re after. I need to understand the voltage range of the uScale a little better…

Output B is the interesting part, to me. It’s playing a Rubicon/Polaris combo, and the SHIFT amount is controlled by Planar. This essentially allows you to toss the interval relationship between A and B all over the place, but always within the scale. It’s bloody brilliant! Or ‘Ace’, as some might say.

The Tiptop QuantiZer is playing a Cwejman voice. A Qu-bit Nano Rand is getting clock and then providing random gates to a Pressure Points which in turn passes her voltages along to the QuantiZer. I programmed three chords which correspond to the general Fmi7 vibe that is happening here. This voice just bobs along in a random manner behind the other three voices.

Tiptop Z-DSP with valhalla chip and Intellijel Rainmaker provide the ‘space’. Dubmix is the mixer.

It’s all a little raw, but it was a fun exercise to use both Quantizers…

Nice

[JonathanB]

Good news. New uScale video's.
Totally demystified! YES.

[chysn]

I make whole banks of user scales and CV through them to totally change up a patch automatically, like in this video:
[video][/video]

This is fantastic! Are there any recordings available of the entire 45-minute piece?

[davidjames]

Made a short video about my struggle with the uScale module, the A & B outputs and how they are created:

Good video

Yes, you're correct. Infact you can pick a transpose offset of +1 or -1 but you can't actually pick unison.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think you can just double tap on C when in interval select mode, that should give you unison for Output B. I believe the led turns red.

[wonkychris]

I think you do a long push (2 seconds) n the scale button and it goes into this mode. Then you can change between scales in that bank using a CV at the shift input. I tried it last night and it worked as expected....

Woah! Yeah. My mind is blown. This is going to change my LIFE! Or at least my weekend.

OK, here's the third one-

Thank you! It all seems so simple now.

Yup!

I make whole banks of user scales and CV through them to totally change up a patch automatically, like in this video:
[video][/video]

Great idea with using the switch to select voices to receive the sequence and then leaving the notes hanging. Nice

[chysn]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think you can just double tap on C when in interval select mode, that should give you unison for Output B. I believe the led turns red.

Y E S !!

This is officially the Best Thread Ever.

Also, as it turns out, double-tapping on any other button sets the interval to that number-of-steps-minus-one down.

[ProfessorRubik]

OK, here's the third one-



-Bank and Scale selection
-Saving user Scales
-Scale select mode

I think I could do better with my desriptions and terms, my ums and ahs, etc., but hopefully these are clear enough to help others figure out this surprisingly tricky module.

jk

Thank you very much for these videos! Really helpful!