Peaks alternatives

terrymccann · Post by **terrymccann** » Thu Sep 29, 2016 2:41 pm

Helpful to know that a lot of you don't use it as an ADSR. I think for my purposes the ADSR will do the job. I'm also just after a multi function module that's somewhat intuitive and doesn't cost the earth in $ or HP. Peaks it is!

baleen · Post by **baleen** » Thu Sep 29, 2016 2:50 pm

terrymccann wrote:Helpful to know that a lot of you don't use it as an ADSR. I think for my purposes the ADSR will do the job. I'm also just after a multi function module that's somewhat intuitive and doesn't cost the earth in $ or HP. Peaks it is!

I had no problems using the ADSR on Peaks and found it perfect for what I was using it for...nice long times at 5p, response was snappy.

bobbcorr · Post by **bobbcorr** » Thu Sep 29, 2016 4:14 pm

Love my Peaks, but would love to know if development on DMC is "ended". Curiously, I think my Peaks will complement an O+C nicely (looking for a builder now).

Spartacus · Post by **Spartacus** » Sun Oct 16, 2016 6:32 am

How about the Intellijel Dual ADSR?

starthief · Post by **starthief** » Tue Dec 06, 2016 10:35 pm

Sasahara wrote:I never use peaks for envelopes. Or LFOs for that matter. Only drums. Drums from it and the clarity and control over sounds is amazing.

Envelopes are probably my #1 use for Peaks, though tap LFO is a close #2. Turing Machine mode in DMC is #3. I almost never use it for drums, not with a jillion drum samples in my DAW.

pirxthepilot · Post by **pirxthepilot** » Wed Dec 07, 2016 1:10 am

I use Peaks for many different things, but almost always use 1 channel for ADSR duties. I do like its snappiness and the overall response is pretty good to my ears.

baleen · Post by **baleen** » Wed Dec 07, 2016 7:36 am

just posting up to say I finally got around to using the Trigger delay/shaper
Trigger stream randomizer and damn those are good stuff too. might just have to score another Peaks...

chysn · Post by **chysn** » Wed Dec 07, 2016 7:44 am

I write new firmware functions for Peaks to help me create generative music. It's pretty much irreplaceable. Two triggers with buttons, CV out, four knobs, open source. A lovely thing.

Every now and then, it's an EG.

guestt · Post by **guestt** » Wed Dec 07, 2016 8:02 am

chysn wrote:I write new firmware functions for Peaks to help me create generative music.

Care to share?

No pressure and certainly no obligations to provide support or anything like that, but a hint or two about how you are using this would be interesting to read.

chysn · Post by **chysn** » Wed Dec 07, 2016 8:30 am

Baddcr wrote:
chysn wrote:I write new firmware functions for Peaks to help me create generative music.
Care to share?

No pressure and certainly no obligations to provide support or anything like that, but a hint or two about how you are using this would be interesting to read.

Happy to share, it might be good to get it out of my bubble at some point. My current project is called Palimpsest, and it's a sequencer that allows sequences to be a built with triggers, as previous iterations of the sequence decay. If you find the right balance of settings, you get patterns that build up over time and evolve without much intervention. I made a crude video showing how it works:

and my GitHub fork is here:

https://github.com/Chysn/eurorack

and if it seems interesting and you want the built OS WAV file, PM me for a link.

Of course, even without doing this, Peaks if worth the two hundred bucks. But if you want a small platform for which you can write your own software, without having to build the hardware, it's just amazing. I wish more companies took Mutable's approach.

guestt · Post by **guestt** » Wed Dec 07, 2016 8:48 am

That's really quite interesting, thank you for sharing

10/10 for adapting MI modules, I keep meaning to do this, but time always seems to be against me - basically I need to earn a living, have some fun and then there's the million and one other things on the list - one day

Brockalicious · Post by **Brockalicious** » Wed Dec 07, 2016 8:16 pm

I've made my mind up anyway... peaks is going in!

starthief · Post by **starthief** » Fri Mar 10, 2017 2:45 pm

After a few months with Peaks, I kind of want to replace it. I always use it in Expert mode, and usually as 2xADSR, 2xLFO or one of each, occasionally getting into a couple of the DMC modes. Almost never for drums.

I don't know how many times I've lost where I was because there's no visual cue, messed up one channel's settings while trying to edit the other, or switched modes on the wrong channel. And after months I still can't really deal with DMC's LED patterns without a cheat sheet.

So I'm thinking Ornament & Crime. While it's bigger and channels can't be split between different functions (*), the OLED + encoders won't get me lost the way the pots on Peaks still do. There are four channels rather than two, the envelopes are much more fully featured (and even have the Euclidean stuff) and the other modes are pretty interesting.

(*) this might lead me to two O&Cs, or an O&C and Batumi, or something like that. I definitely want more modulation at the moment, but I can't guess how much yet because I have some other stuff coming or planned that will change things.

Varthdader · Post by **Varthdader** » Fri Mar 10, 2017 2:51 pm

I find standard firmware in Peaks about as complex as I can handle.

Have not installed DMC just because of this interfase complexity.

Standard Peaks is still a favorite for smaller cases.

starthief · Post by **starthief** » Fri Mar 10, 2017 3:13 pm

I kind of wish there was a one-channel Peaks (and, sure, DMC) in 4hp. I would happily have two or three of those.

I suppose that's the ground Disting covers though, more or less.

Orange · Post by **Orange** » Fri Mar 10, 2017 3:37 pm

Peaks is one of the modules that can turn your small modular into a hybrid rack. Well, that is my plan at the moment

I have filled 92 hp of my 6U 84 hp rack. Together with Braids and Rings I have also four drum Voices. So putting in the Octocontoller or Pam's workout together with some random or a switch gives me a nice drummachine too!
No extra space required and no extra

.

Zymos · Post by **Zymos** » Fri Mar 10, 2017 4:34 pm

My progression was Peaks-> 2 Peaks -> 2 Peaks + O+C -> 2 Peaks + 2 O+C

I could possibly see parting with one Peaks, but it's way too useful to not own at least one. Definitely helps to have a cheat sheet for DMC, but the stock FW is pretty obvious to me at this point.

starthief · Post by **starthief** » Fri Mar 10, 2017 5:56 pm

Eh... I'll decide whether to keep Peaks after I pick up Mod Tools, Disting, O+C, and probably Frames.

terrymccann · Post by **terrymccann** » Sun Mar 12, 2017 8:21 pm

Now that I have both Function and Peaks I see what people were getting at with the envelope, I certainly prefer the snappiness of the Function.

Though having recently taken the time to actually understand the LFO/TAP settings of Peaks it's super useful in that respect. I almost exclusively use if for LFOs and the occasional kick drum. I have the LFO settings of the manual on display next to my setup which helps.

I was almost ready to sell my Peaks for a second Function but I'm glad I took the time to understand it as keeping it will offer more and it makes a nice companion to the Function.

starthief · Post by **starthief** » Sun Mar 12, 2017 8:24 pm

My favorite envelope right now is the Contour generator on my 0-Coast. If I could put a dual one of those in my rack I'd do it in a heartbeat.

Auto Da Fe · Post by **Auto Da Fe** » Mon Mar 13, 2017 5:06 pm

starthief wrote:After a few months with Peaks, I kind of want to replace it. I always use it in Expert mode, and usually as 2xADSR, 2xLFO or one of each, occasionally getting into a couple of the DMC modes. Almost never for drums.

I don't know how many times I've lost where I was because there's no visual cue, messed up one channel's settings while trying to edit the other, or switched modes on the wrong channel. And after months I still can't really deal with DMC's LED patterns without a cheat sheet.

I definitely agree with this. I really wish the parameters on the peaks were cvable, and that there was better visual feedback. I recently got the octocontroller for my LFO needs, so I'm counting on the peaks as my primary ADSR generator, and it hasn't really clicked for me.

Having said that, I do love my 2 distings, but more or less use one in tape delay mode and one as a precision adder, so I'm not scratching my head about what state they are in.

I've been eyeing the Intellijel quadra as an envelope generator...

jgoney · Post by **jgoney** » Mon Mar 13, 2017 6:31 pm

Peaks really surprised me, actually...I picked it up because I wanted more "vanilla" modulation sources, but it just continues to surprise me by how much it can do. The crazy-ass LFO shapes alone make it a must-buy in my opinion.

Case in point: the other day I was playing around with it in sequencer mode. I had two separate 4-step sequencers going (expert mode, remember), and I was triggering/resetting them at random with Branches. Boom, just like that, baby steps into generative music. (I know this isn't terribly impressive in and of itself, but I'm new to this

)

subdo · Post by **subdo** » Mon Mar 13, 2017 6:47 pm

Peaks is my go to LFO. I've used the drum modes and they are good but I have a mini case with Dinky's and Entity that it can't really touch. I think I'd use it for envelopes more if it had an AD+lin/expo mode. I've gotten used to the function generator thing more as time goes on.

tuj · Post by **tuj** » Mon Mar 13, 2017 7:12 pm

I like the drum sounds in peaks. Still trying to get used to DMC.

EG's I use PEGx2, A143-1x2, A142 and Maths x2.

Accent · Post by **Accent** » Tue Mar 14, 2017 12:55 am

The only thing better than Peaks is 2x Peaks. Add in Branches, and you've got a stew going, baby. It isn't WYSIWYG, but it's heaps less complicated than a Disting or an Octatrack IMHO.

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Peaks alternatives