Your favorite Random Module

DonKartofflo · Post by **DonKartofflo** » Thu Jan 10, 2019 8:47 pm

For me, it has to be marbles.
It can go from subtly evolving, quantized and clearly rhythmic "tame random" to full "no pattern to either voltage or timing whatsoever" with very modest patching.
Also, at any point, it is as controllable as you want it to be, you are always in a position to pick out a part you liked and develop it, something that frustrated me about other random modules before.
It also doubles as a shift register, quantizer, noise source and drum sequencer so pretty much 10/10 from my POV

reekster · Post by **reekster** » Thu Jan 10, 2019 10:00 pm

FRAPP Tools Sapel is really versatile. Two separate of conjoined random modules in one, plus various noise outputs, Blue, White, Pink and Red. You could use 8 variations of random voltage outputs, plus clock in and out and all 4 noise sources simultaneously. That’s. Lot of fun in one module!

deke · Post by **deke** » Sat Jan 12, 2019 9:04 am

I'm jumping in late here as a newbie, but while the MN Wogglebug gets a lot of recommendations, I'm worried it might be a little difficult to understand and use. Is there a random module that is hands on + versatile?

magneteyez · Post by **magneteyez** » Sat Jan 12, 2019 9:26 am

DonKartofflo wrote:For me, it has to be marbles.
It can go from subtly evolving, quantized and clearly rhythmic "tame random" to full "no pattern to either voltage or timing whatsoever" with very modest patching.
Also, at any point, it is as controllable as you want it to be, you are always in a position to pick out a part you liked and develop it, something that frustrated me about other random modules before.
It also doubles as a shift register, quantizer, noise source and drum sequencer so pretty much 10/10 from my POV

+1. Unbelievable versatile module.

knotakt · Post by **knotakt** » Sat Jan 12, 2019 10:42 pm

my favorite one is the wogglebug version 2. because its the only one i have and have tried

what makes its extra exiting is that i have no idea what it actually does or how it works so its all guessing/trial and error. i guess thats another level of randomness/unpredictability right there.

BTG · Post by **BTG** » Sat Jan 12, 2019 11:46 pm

Sapel is awesome in the abstract but in the real world just had a lot of friction to usability. Poor jack locations, tiny switches, hard to read. And pretty huge current draw.

I replaced mine with Marbles and also a-149-1 and a-118 which get little attention by provide a lot of the great SOU flavor. I also have a URA but almost never use it since it’s not very intuitive,

cackland · Post by **cackland** » Sun Jan 13, 2019 12:04 am

I have only had marbles in my system, so can’t comment on the others discussed here.

I’ve been tempted to get the cwejman RG-6

knotakt · Post by **knotakt** » Sun Jan 13, 2019 12:23 am

intuitive?? look at the wogglebug. lol. no matter how long you look at it it does not make any sense at all. i think its my most confusing module by a factor of 10 or so. i dont know but maybe that is what makes it good. its like a puzzle.

JakoGreyshire · Post by **JakoGreyshire** » Sun Jan 13, 2019 12:27 am

I have a Malekko Noisering.... It's cool.... It happens to be the first module that I'm going to take out of my case and shelve it for a while...

Foghorn wrote:~snip~

PS I will have to save this so I can post it in the next "What is your most favorite random module" threads. The last one was 2 months ago.

Yep, me too...

motorhead412 wrote:Wogglebug / NLC Hypster

I've been getting into NLC modules lately..... Shoot, there are some cray cray chaos modules and a bunch of new and old stuff that seems to be right up this random vibe... Need to get more time exploring NLC... Super good stuff..

Anyway, I also have an Erica Synths RND which has not been mentioned in this thread yet.... Love IT!! If you need a small random module that gets used in every patch .... Check it out...

[video][/video]

chiavere · Post by **chiavere** » Sun Jan 13, 2019 12:59 am

For size + density of CV outs, another +1 for the SSF Ultra Random Analog.
I'm not sure why some folks find it hard to use, or not intuitive - to me it has always seemed very logically laid out, and densely functional. There is always the possibility to, ahem, RTFM, too...

Also, I know people slag off on Sputnik (for good reason), but the West Coast Random Source, while an hp hog, is extremely dense, and provides heaps of great random.

Of course, almost all of the many great random modules out there are some variation on, or implementation of, the Buchla 266 – so IMO none of them are all that different (except Marbles and Chance, perhaps)....just comes down to which implementation works best for your aesthetics, approach, ergonomics, etc...

chachi · Post by **chachi** » Sun Jan 13, 2019 1:34 am

i’m surprised there’s not more noisering love. my favorite for throwing into the fourth bar of a pressure points sequence. so musical.

The Junglechrist · Post by **The Junglechrist** » Sun Jan 13, 2019 4:41 am

I just did a patch video with the Verbos Random Sampling if it might be helpfull for some if you to see it in action :

[video][/video]

It is indeed my favorite random module alongside the wogglebug. The Random Sampling is very dense and it is also a very good sound source.

I've never tried Marble but I'm quite sure it is one of the must instantly gratifying random module ever made by the look of it.

eremitalf · Post by **eremitalf** » Sun Jan 13, 2019 7:13 am

+1 for the ADDAC 501

ZenitSar · Post by **ZenitSar** » Sun Jan 13, 2019 11:44 am

For my uses the Turing Machine is the one. Don't need anything fancy, and I love the looping randomness that it does so easily with the twist of one large knob. Has scale/range adjust, and can be clocked, so it's just excellent for rhythm.

WiredCreature · Post by **WiredCreature** » Sun Jan 13, 2019 7:14 pm

Møffenzeef Deviant

TemplarK · Post by **TemplarK** » Sun Jan 13, 2019 7:28 pm

Cwejman RG6 brilliant module

rew_ · Post by **rew_** » Sun Jan 13, 2019 8:15 pm

I've only ever used the URA and (more recently) the Sapel. I think the URA is pretty clever but having more inputs than outputs on a random module felt a little out of balance?

I really like the Sapel, and would stress that having the four different noise outputs has changed my patching, they're so great.

I suppose the NLC Triple Sloths is more or less random. That module is like salt, you add at least a little of it to basically everything.

Multiverse_Eros · Post by **Multiverse_Eros** » Sun Jan 13, 2019 8:24 pm

Definitely Marbles! It's just so much fun, i find myself listening to some of the results for quite a while after the initial patch.

It also helps that it was a gift from my partner, I've got some bias!

kindredlost · Post by **kindredlost** » Sun Jan 13, 2019 9:15 pm

From a Sputnik WCRS and two Turing Machines to cobbled noise with S&H and it has to be MI Marbles so far.

DonKartofflo is right. Endless flexibility and musical results, which is the hallmark of Mutable Instruments.

Here is a recent piece which is generated entirely from Marbles...

http://soundcloud.com/david-ryle/requie ... ee-thought

FarmerPhilip · Post by **FarmerPhilip** » Sun Jan 13, 2019 9:39 pm

Qu-Bit Random and a couple of 2hp S&h (plus a couple of Doepfer random pieces, white noise all OVER the place....) here. But yeah: Random is lots of fun, no menus and everything synched to the same clock. It's a simple and yet complex starting point.

lisa · Post by **lisa** » Mon Jan 14, 2019 12:33 am

I don’t care much for noise and I don’t like it too random so Qu-Bit Chance is my goto random module. But I use PNW even more for controlled random stuff, like melodies and attenuated stepped random changes.

SinkWhole · Post by **SinkWhole** » Mon Jan 14, 2019 2:43 am

kindredlost wrote:From a Sputnik WCRS and two Turing Machines to cobbled noise with S&H and it has to be MI Marbles so far.

DonKartofflo is right. Endless flexibility and musical results, which is the hallmark of Mutable Instruments.

Here is a recent piece which is generated entirely from Marbles...

http://soundcloud.com/david-ryle/requie ... ee-thought

Nice

I really need to dig in to Marbles. Bought it recently at same time as a few other modules and been a bit overwhelmed due to lack of free time to learn them all.

Nice sounds in this track. What other modules were involved?

defalut · Post by **defalut** » Mon Jan 14, 2019 3:57 am

I need some randomness aswell, getting tired of doing everything with only my two hands - marbles seems like a good choice to me aswell, especially since it can be found as a smaller DIY version!

arthurdent · Post by **arthurdent** » Mon Jan 14, 2019 5:41 am

I have been using the Batumi with the expert firmware along with the Doepfer A-149 combo. I recently built the Turing Machine and the Pulses, Voltages, and Vactrol Mix expanders so I'm playing with them now. With the TM you can select a pattern and stick to it so you end up with a pseudo-random melody but you can still alter/de-select on the fly and select a new one so it can make for some interesting runs.

cptnal · Post by **cptnal** » Mon Jan 14, 2019 5:52 am

For me it's the humble sample and hold.

As others have noted pure random rarely sounds musical, so it needs to be constrained in some way. When you buy a random module those constraints are decided (to an extent) by the manufacturer, not the wiggler. In random, as with most things in modular, if you want control over these things you need to start with the basic building blocks.

So if we're looking for something specific I'd rather have a Stages than a Marbles...

...which I do!

MOD WIGGLER

MOD WIGGLER

Your favorite Random Module