Xaoc Belgrad

[lamouette/rck]

Clearly we're not good with spreading the hype. Actually we recently started to abhor all that "teaser" and "hype" marketoid crap. Still, we totally suck at quite indispensable things as video demos etc. Hope to improve ASAP.

We're really happy reading your comments here chaps. Belgrad's development too us quite a long time, because we wanted it to be as exciting as you see it now.

Keep this spirit, good product don't need to hype or avertised, they are just good !

[bobbcorr]

Clearly we're not good with spreading the hype. Actually we recently started to abhor all that "teaser" and "hype" marketoid crap. Still, we totally suck at quite indispensable things as video demos etc. Hope to improve ASAP.

We're really happy reading your comments here chaps. Belgrad's development too us quite a long time, because we wanted it to be as exciting as you see it now.

Keep this spirit, good product don't need to hype or avertised, they are just good !

Agreed - good products speak for themselves, great products get people to speak for them!

[vibralux]

I have spent some more time with Belgrad now and have studied the manual in detail and I can honestly say, that this is my favourite filter ever. I will post some audio examples soon.

[BaloErets]

Yeah, throw us some audio/video clips. I would love to hear what others are doing with this crazy thing.

[DJ Wrong]

TITO

[DJ Wrong]

See the Marshall got ID'd previously. Soz. The demos on this are making me question my certainty on my next filter purchase being the Sara VCF. Sounds and looks amazing.

[mantiwhore]

See the Marshall got ID'd previously. Soz. The demos on this are making me question my certainty on my next filter purchase being the Sara VCF. Sounds and looks amazing.

While Sara is wonderful, it is also something very different than Belgrad. GET BOTH!

[Speculum Speculorum]

I'm considering tossing my Pittsburgh filter and just hopping on this train. It was described to me as "The Batumi of filters" and I do love my Batumi, so...

[Seaweed Sound]

Obviously this is unique but does it compare tonally or derive from any well known filter circuits? Multimode SVF makes me think SEM but diode ladder style res says TB-303..

[xaoc_tech]

Obviously this is unique but does it compare tonally or derive from any well known filter circuits? Multimode SVF makes me think SEM but diode ladder style res says TB-303..

Of course the overal structure of the filter is not unique, it is based on classic textbook state variable scheme (times two), and also borrows some ideas from the Electronotes series. However, there are few tweaks added, and the cross-modulation arrangement is probably a novel thing in the context of a double filter. These small details, combined with CV control over balance and span of the resonant peaks make it a little different, and we are very happy to see users appreciating it.

Sonically, there may be similarities to several aggressive filters from vintage synths, however the nonlinear effect is achieved in a different way, so it is rather hard to point any particular ancestor or sibling. Also, please note, there is a big variety of frequency responses you can get from different settings of the span and balance of peaks, as shown in the manual.

[richc90]

Any thoughts on how the Belgrad compares to the Epoch Twin Peak Filter, especially with respect to pings?

[BaloErets]

Any thoughts on how the Belgrad compares to the Epoch Twin Peak Filter, especially with respect to pings?

Don't have a Twin Peaks, so I can really compare, but I did record a short clip awhile back pinging the Belgrad. It's uploading now, but just so we understand, it was never meant for the public I'll send a link when it's up.

[BaloErets]

Et Voila.

[video][/video]

[BLogic12]

Any thoughts on how the Belgrad compares to the Epoch Twin Peak Filter, especially with respect to pings?

Don't have a Twin Peaks, so I can really compare, but I did record a short clip awhile back pinging the Belgrad. It's uploading now, but just so we understand, it was never meant for the public I'll send a link when it's up.

id say its pretty comparable judging by the excellent vid above!
i think the tp has a bit of a different enough tone to justify having both
the tp as a more wooden sound to my ears.
judge for yourself (uzala's demos):
[soundcloud url="https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/225693801" params="color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false" width="100%" height="166" iframe="true" /]
[soundcloud url="https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/225558830" params="color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false" width="100%" height="166" iframe="true" /]
more of uzala's TP demos here: https://soundcloud.com/uzala/sets/klang ... eak-filter

[Bane]

Et Voila.

[video][/video]

Amazing video! My current small setup just went million times improved with thisPicture file

[xaoc_tech]

Here is a modest attempt at demonstrating the sounds of pinging Belgrad in musical context. The Tito switch was flipped to XM mode most of the time.

[soundcloud url="https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/297190116" params="auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true" width="100%" height="450" iframe="true" /]

[fourhexagons]

Those rhythms that uzala got are amazing! I definitely need to start pinging Belgrad. What I first dove deep into with Belgrad was some standard filtering and dirtying up the sound of Rings going through Kamieniec. Those three modules (Rings > Kamieniec > Belgrad) gave a really nice guitar-like tone that I could sculpt in different ways, plus pushing the level and adding XM allowed me to get some wild sounds that remind me of partying creatures. I also had Kamieniec self-oscillating a lot and it was great to use Belgrad in HL mode to get what sounds to me like tiny creatures skittering around.

I made a suite of four pieces with this setup and released the live performances on YouTube (on my new channel, Lightbath), and as a condensed, edited single track on Bandcamp. I also included the live performances as extended versions on the Bandcamp release. It's a name your price album on Bandcamp, so Happy Holidays to all the Wigglers interested in downloading.

And by the way, it looks like today is super-Xaoc-maker (mantiwhore), Marcin's birthday, so be sure to wish him a Happy Birthday today!

[bandcamp width=350 height=470 album=2510563390 size=large bgcol=ffffff linkcol=0687f5 tracklist=false]

[video][/video]

And I'll continue to share snippets on my Instagram over the next couple weeks.

Enjoy!

[Bane]

breathtaking!

[vibralux]

OK- so here is a loooong review in Polish for those who cant wait. I will post an English version within next few days - here I am showing self oscillation and then I go over each mode with same sound examples - drumloop, bass, and synth bass.

[video][/video]

[giftculture]

Those rhythms that uzala got are amazing! I definitely need to start pinging Belgrad. What I first dove deep into with Belgrad was some standard filtering and dirtying up the sound of Rings going through Kamieniec. Those three modules (Rings > Kamieniec > Belgrad) gave a really nice guitar-like tone that I could sculpt in different ways, plus pushing the level and adding XM allowed me to get some wild sounds that remind me of partying creatures. I also had Kamieniec self-oscillating a lot and it was great to use Belgrad in HL mode to get what sounds to me like tiny creatures skittering around.

Enjoy!

Sounds beautiful, as always!

I've been working through the best way to film tweaking on my modular and still get good quality sound - are you running the audio directly into your camera, or are you recording it separately and then adding it in post?

[jzwoopwoop]

I've been working through the best way to film tweaking on my modular and still get good quality sound - are you running the audio directly into your camera, or are you recording it separately and then adding it in post?

I'm going to take a stab at answering your question, even though you obviously didn't direct the question towards me. And in answering it, I'm also going to make some assumptions about your setup. But I do video production stuff for my worklife, so that's where I'm coming from in answering your question...

I would absolutely recommend recording audio separately and then adding it in post. Here's why...

I'm assuming that whatever camera you're using to film your modular, that it does not have a great audio card and/or an easy way to send a stereo mix directly into the camera (those are typically saved for more expensive cameras). If that assumption is not true, then my recommendation may not apply. I'm also assuming that, since you're into modular, you DO have the ability to record high-quality stereo audio into a computer.

Given those assumptions, importing audio into a non-liner movie editing program should be very easy. And a lot of movie editing software these days have very easy and convenient ways of syncing audio tracks in post. To do that, you need to record a reference audio track with the on-board mic to your camera. And you'll often need some kind of audio clue that's more identifiable than just your music, since you're probably aiming to have the music be consistent from take to take. So if you just speak something like "take one" and follow it up with a hand clap, and that audio gets captured by both your reference audio AND your polished, recorded audio, then your movie editing software will have enough to go on to properly sync both audio tracks.

Make sense?

[fourhexagons]

Thanks for the continued support, giftculture. What jzwoopwoop said is totally on point with what I do. If I'm making a patch as a keeper for YouTube (and not just a quick-n-dirty Instagram vid), then I'll go out of the modular into my 8-channel audio interface. I'll almost always use all 8 channels so that I can get some nice stereo imaging. Sometimes, I'll mult the out of the VCA before it hits an effect like Clouds so that I can run the effect at full wet and have the dry on its own track and the wet on its own track (or stereo pair).

This allows me to do as much post-production as necessary to get it sounding good. Some patches just sound pretty good right away (Supermoon Preparation) others, like this recent one, required a lot more production. I actually spent a couple weeks in post on this recent project mixing, working with (and learning more about) multiband compression to get the right balance of dynamics across the spectrum, and learning about loudness levels and the -16 LUFS standard that digital distribution tends to use.

Doing so also allowed me to create a studio edit of the pieces where I could crossfade pieces by highlighting just a few elements at a time (not having to commit to the full mix all the time). This studio edit is the first track on my Bandcamp. If you compare it to the extended versions, which have no such editing, you can pick out the differences.

So yeah, about the camera. I send a mix out of my audio interface to my camera's audio in. I'm using a GH4, which is not known for the quality of its audio input, so that recorded audio is only used for syncing in Premiere, which I use for editing. I do the sync by hand.

To sync it, here's my workflow:

1. Hit record on the camera
2. Hit record on Ableton. I've routed Ableton's metronome to output to the camera (along with the mix of audio from the modular), so that the count-in metronome gets recorded to the camera's audio (the metronome stops after the initial count-in).
3. I do any post-production sweetening with compression, eq, convolution reverb, etc, and then bring the video into Ableton. I use the metronome clicks at the head of the file to visually align it with the multitrack audio and then zoom in all the way to accurately align the samples, comparing anything easily recognizable.
4. Then I export the audio from Ableton using the time range that begins with the very beginning of the video file.
5. I then import the audio and video files into Premiere and align their start times and voila, they're in sync. I then cut it making sure not to lose the alignment.

It's quite a bit of work, but I do love making these videos, so it's worth it. I would assume that something like Plural Eyes would do it for me without having to go to so much trouble. Or maybe Premiere's sync clips function (there is such a thing, right?) works just as well? Any tips from jzwoopwoop are appreciated.

I hope this wasn't too much of a hijack from Belgrad. If necessary, we could start a new thread for video-syncing tips.

[jzwoopwoop]

To sync it, here's my workflow:

First off, totally agree with giftculture and other posters that commented: your vid with the Belgrad sound absolutely stunning, fourhexagons!

Then before continuing on, a premature apology to other readers of this thread, for getting further off topic. I'm super, super interested in the Belgrad, and am currently deciding between that and the Epoch Twin Peak as my next filter. They're both such gorgeous filters, it's gonna be a really tough call. Ok, onto specifics about video post production.

1. Hit record on the camera
2. Hit record on Ableton. I've routed Ableton's metronome to output to the camera (along with the mix of audio from the modular), so that the count-in metronome gets recorded to the camera's audio (the metronome stops after the initial count-in).
3. I do any post-production sweetening with compression, eq, convolution reverb, etc, and then bring the video into Ableton. I use the metronome clicks at the head of the file to visually align it with the multitrack audio and then zoom in all the way to accurately align the samples, comparing anything easily recognizable.
4. Then I export the audio from Ableton using the time range that begins with the very beginning of the video file.
5. I then import the audio and video files into Premiere and align their start times and voila, they're in sync. I then cut it making sure not to lose the alignment.

fourhexagons, your workflow is really solid, and obviously the proof is in the pudding: your videos look and sound great. So far be it from me to quibble with anything you're doing. That said, I cannot believe that you have Premiere and are NOT using its built in audio sync features (what Premiere calls Merge Clips).

I don't do much regular video editing for my dayjob anymore, though have worked full-time as a video editor. I made the jump from Final Cut 7 to Premiere after Apple retired FC7 for FCX. Premiere is awesome and THE movie editing program to use, as far as I'm concerned. The Merge Clips function is super handy, and for the most part, does a great job at syncing up audio and video tracks. That said, I know Final Cut X has a similar capability, and I wouldn't be surprised if more prosumer programs (like iMovie) have something too.

In your case, your use of a metronome is fulfilling the same purpose as the traditional hand clap (aka the frugal man's clapperboard): it allows you to visually line up the audio waveforms in post production. That said, check out the Merge Clips function in Premiere. It's perfect for doing this work for you. Basically, you highlight your video clip (with the reference audio track married to it), and then also highlight your polished, mixed audio, then right-click and choose Merge Clips. In the Merge Clips dialogue box, then choose Audio as your Synchronize Point. It'll analyze the two audio files, and align them accordingly, and then spit out one master clip that has the video, reference audio, and mixed audio all married together. When you drag it into the timeline, you just have to be careful to mute the audio tracks that the reference audio are on, otherwise when you go to export, it'll export those audio tracks too.

EDIT: here's the relevant support page on Adobe's website for the Merge Clips function in Premiere: https://helpx.adobe.com/premiere-pro/us ... clips.html

As you alluded to, Plural Eyes is an EXCELLENT plug-in for achieving this too. However, Merge Clips function in Premiere should do it for you too, provided you do NOT do cuts in your video. Merge Clips cannot handle multiple takes at once: you have to re-merge the clip for each individual take and/or cut in video. That's where Plural Eyes excels, in that it can take a whole messload of audio and video clips and then spit out one timeline where everything is lined up accordingly. Plural Eyes is also not cheap.

I hope this wasn't too much of a hijack from Belgrad. If necessary, we could start a new thread for video-syncing tips.

I'm happy to exchange more post production tips in exchange for a Belgrad, if anyone is interested

Seriously though, I feel bad about hijacking this thread, and I've always been tempted to chime in with tips when I've noticed people asking about video production in the past. Modular is a hobby for me, but video production is my livelihood. Happy to pass on some of that knowledge for fellow wigglers, be it in this thread or a new, separate video production tips thread.

[fourhexagons]

jzwoopwoop, this was very appreciated! I'm self-taught when it comes to video, and so it's easy to miss these sort of things in the learning process. I'm totally going to check out Merge Clips. Thank you.

Additional thanks to all the followers of this thread for entertaining our tutorial session.

And now, back to our regularly scheduled programming...

[giftculture]

jzwoopwoop, this was very appreciated! I'm self-taught when it comes to video, and so it's easy to miss these sort of things in the learning process. I'm totally going to check out Merge Clips. Thank you.

Additional thanks to all the followers of this thread for entertaining our tutorial session.

And now, back to our regularly scheduled programming...

Thanks jzwoopwoop and fourhexagons for the video tips! Sorry for the thread hijack, FWIW, I think that Belgrad sounds wonderful and it is definitely on the contender list for my next filter!!!!