ａｍｂｉｅｎｃｅ (your fav 'verbs, delays, granulators, and more)

mdoudoroff · Post by **mdoudoroff** » Tue Dec 05, 2017 7:57 am

Unless you want to get into experimental (cv manipulation) use of reverb (i.e., not for reverb), then I’d also say go for pedals. A Strymon Big Sky, Eventide Space or OTO Bam will generally run circles around any of the Eurorack reverbs for actual reverb duties. In my experience, this is equally true if you want to take a basic synth voice and completely transform it into something ethereal with DSP before returning it to your patch. You’ll want to be able to attenuate your modular signal going out to pedals. (Note that some of the digital effects modules on Eurorack also require attenuated input.)

Delays as modules makes more sense to me, because you’re likely to want to be able to clock them conveniently, and many of the Eurorack delays have cool cv-enabled features.

For example, the 4ms Tapographic Delay should be on your radar. It comes out in three days and does some very unique stuff that crosses over into granular texture effects. (See the various Youtube demos by Mattias Puech: https://www.youtube.com/user/mqtthiqs/videos)

nectarios · Post by **nectarios** » Tue Dec 05, 2017 9:48 am

Josef_K wrote:
nectarios wrote:https://soundcloud.com/nectesting78/ser ... back-patch

Serge Resonant EQ, self patched and into a nice reverb makes nice drones

https://soundcloud.com/nectesting78/ser ... back-patch
Wow, that sounds great! What reverb did you use?

Just the standard Clouds reverb.

khyber · Post by **khyber** » Tue Dec 05, 2017 12:02 pm

For delay I like the Chronoblob and also the Erica Pico DSP has done some surprisingly good things for my rig.

Wasn't so hot on the WMD/SSF DPLR.

As for Mutable Instruments, of course there's Clouds (and you can get them for cheap now with the uBursts taking over the scene), but also I'd look into Warps with Parasites firmware. Adds a ton of features, many in the vein of effects (waveshaping mostly but also some delay and phaser type things).

However, my take on eurorack effects is, as mdoudoroff stated, unless I need to do something complex or heavily modulated, I stick with external audio processing as opposed to using eurorack effects. The except for my rig is the Pico DSP (it's so tiny!) and the Chronoblob (which sits in a case outside my primary rack but can do lots of cool unique things).

a100user · Post by **a100user** » Tue Dec 05, 2017 2:11 pm

Tiptop ZDSP
Valhalla reverbs and shimmer cards
Tiptop spring waves
Etc, etc

CV Control over parameters

mirth23 · Post by **mirth23** » Tue Dec 05, 2017 2:25 pm

With OP's request for modules that can 'create spaces' in mind, I think that Rainmaker is the most noteworthy reverb in Eurorack. You can't find anything like it elsewhere because of its innovative hardware architecture. The amount of control that you can exert over the space is fairly mind-boggling. This includes detailed control of panning, pitch shifting, filtering, delay, and a number of other options on a per-tap basis. You can feed it a barely audible kick every 4 beats and end up with it creating an incredibly detailed texture that feels like a space.

Erbe-verb also offers some interesting CV options and some controls that aren't generally found in pedals. It's more immediate than Rainmaker and can lead to unusual spaces.

I like Clouds but in my experience it tends to lead more to coloration and effects rather than space creation. I do probably need more practice with it, I frequently get mixed up about the controls.

yeatsvisitslincoln · Post by **yeatsvisitslincoln** » Tue Dec 05, 2017 3:06 pm

Have another vote for the Erbe-Verb. I use it and the DLD together quite frequently. When you start CVing Erbe-Verb, you can get some fantastic focused/pitched noise. And the DLD just extends it. You can also get some cross over in the DLD to something like the Morphagene when you start using triggers or gates on Hold and Reverse functions and using CV on the other parameters.

Those are the only two I have great experience with, though. I have jammed with a friend who has a Morphagene, and that's definitely on my list somewhere down the line.

High Wolf · Post by **High Wolf** » Wed Dec 06, 2017 6:10 am

nectarios wrote:
Josef_K wrote:
nectarios wrote:https://soundcloud.com/nectesting78/ser ... back-patch

Serge Resonant EQ, self patched and into a nice reverb makes nice drones

https://soundcloud.com/nectesting78/ser ... back-patch
Wow, that sounds great! What reverb did you use?
Just the standard Clouds reverb.

The Serge Res EQ sounds so good, I have one myself, the Random Source. I see from the picture on the soundcloud page that you use MK2, which has, contrary to mine, cv in...so desperately lacks on my version. Tempted to get this one as well just for that.

nectarios · Post by **nectarios** » Wed Dec 06, 2017 6:22 am

High Wolf wrote:
nectarios wrote:
Josef_K wrote:
nectarios wrote:https://soundcloud.com/nectesting78/ser ... back-patch

Serge Resonant EQ, self patched and into a nice reverb makes nice drones

https://soundcloud.com/nectesting78/ser ... back-patch
Wow, that sounds great! What reverb did you use?
Just the standard Clouds reverb.
The Serge Res EQ sounds so good, I have one myself, the Random Source. I see from the picture on the soundcloud page that you use MK2, which has, contrary to mine, cv in...so desperately lacks on my version. Tempted to get this one as well just for that.

Nope, I have the mk1, no CV inputs just manual tweaks.

1960strat · Post by **1960strat** » Wed Dec 06, 2017 8:33 am

I use the erbeverb, Valhalla and chronoblob inside the case but route to outboard. I have Ursa Major Stargate 626 & 282, a pair of lexicon primetime 93's, an eventide FL202, eventide h8000 and a cyclosonic panner.

Tumulishroomaroom · Post by **Tumulishroomaroom** » Wed Dec 06, 2017 8:49 am

I really like the tiny DPLR. As other have stated, it's not for every taste, it's pretty gritty. The stereo is great and you can really push it to crazy extremes.

Also I've recently bought a phaser (XAOC Kamienec) and it adds a considerable mojo to everything. I really like it ! I have yet to try to push it in more sound-design territories, but I'm sure it's quite capable too with the included LFO and the screaming resonance.

Plus I often run all of the above into El Capistan and/or Space, two pedals that are hard to beat in their form factor.

questron5000 · Post by **questron5000** » Wed Dec 06, 2017 1:05 pm

Erbe-Verb has become essential in my rack for two reasons. 1. Sending an LFO to the tilt and decay to create enormous swells. 2. The Eventide like Shimmer when you turn the depth up.

nso_music · Post by **nso_music** » Wed Dec 06, 2017 1:20 pm

These days I'm getting a lot of good results from using Clouds in pitch-shifter mode as a shimmer reverb effect. Favorite delay at the moment is Strymon El Capistan...lovely tweakable tape tones without having to spend loads of money on an actual tape machine that requires maintenance!

Tristana · Post by **Tristana** » Wed Dec 06, 2017 3:41 pm

Huff. I definitely want an Erbe-Verb now. Sweeping the size or depth is sexy.

The 4ms DLD seems cool, but I'm having trouble seeing how it could be taken into more abstract territories- though you can certainly make some neat, warped rhythmic chops with it. Perhaps modulating the delay times is the way to get more smear / rhythmic ambiguity?

Echophon seems fun, though not necessarily $400 fun.

The Verbos Bark seems like my favorite of all the resonators/filters/peaky-distorty things listed. A nice balance of harsh and smudged.

Don't think the ER-301 is my bag, extensive menu use is something I want to avoid even if it provides extra capabilities.

In direct hypocritical contrast to that statement, the Rainmaker still seems like my fav out of everything. I love how it can do anything from phasey washed out ambience to intricate polyrhythmic interactions.

Prolly still gonna go for a Clouds first given that I'm already gonna go broke on a case and I/O alone :p

yeatsvisitslincoln · Post by **yeatsvisitslincoln** » Wed Dec 06, 2017 4:09 pm

Tristana wrote:The 4ms DLD seems cool, but I'm having trouble seeing how it could be taken into more abstract territories- though you can certainly make some neat, warped rhythmic chops with it. Perhaps modulating the delay times is the way to get more smear / rhythmic ambiguity?

If you can set up some triggers and gates that aren't in sync with the DLD's clock AND modulate the delay times, it gets real weird real fast.

I've got some of that going on in the background here:

PatchMonger · Post by **PatchMonger** » Wed Dec 06, 2017 6:47 pm

Hi, I am quite interested into ambient these days.
Like a lot of people in this post, I use clouds quite extensively. You got quite a few different modes to explore in Clouds and that to me is one of the most powerful features.
Rings is also great and super versatile. You can use it as oscillator on its own but the most powerful feature (in my humble opinion) is when you send audio into process it, it becomes another great way to add textures. You can also use it as a chord machine in one of the alternative modes which is great for ambience
Because I record into ableton, I use Valhalla VintageVerb. I pretty much use it in every track and I really really love it, it is amazing that is only $50. One day I may get a Big Sky or the Erbeverb but for the time being it works for me (saves me some money!!!)
I have got coming a 4ms DLD which I am super excited and I think it will add a lot to my tracks, definitely check it out!!

For reference, I am including a link to my last video, so you can hear how some of this sound (its more melodic than abstract

)

itsritual · Post by **itsritual** » Wed Dec 06, 2017 6:56 pm

Yeah MI has some really great algorithms for ambiance. Between Clouds, Elements/Rings resonator, and Warps, MI should just sell a stand alone FX unit.

Clouds reverb knob and Elements space knob in particular are instant ambient gratification. Having stereo output definitely helps.

raj007 · Post by **raj007** » Wed Dec 06, 2017 7:29 pm

I was personally underwhelmed by Clouds...swapped it for an Erbe-Verb and have been much happier.

Wogglebug --> Erbe-Verb has produced some awesome results. Erbe-Verb can get wonderfully glitchy.

lobra · Post by **lobra** » Wed Dec 06, 2017 8:21 pm

Clouds get talked up a bit much IMO. I think when it comes to making a certain style of music it depends more on how you patch things together more than certain gear that does everything. All the modules mentioned are great but i cant help but to notice that everyone who makes ambient has close to the same setups.

excited to hear what you go with tho

Tristana · Post by **Tristana** » Wed Dec 06, 2017 8:46 pm

lobra wrote:Clouds get talked up a bit much IMO.

When I've gone out to synth events, it was one of the modules that was in the most racks while not being patched to anything, only 2nd place to Maths :p

Nonetheless, I am a sucker for granular synthesis, buffer shuffley noises, huge 'verbs and lo-fi sampling... it seems like a straightforward way to turn any signal into a lush soundscape. I like that it can be used both as a source or end-of-chain smear, and its ubiquity means that'll be easy to find secondhand after I break the bank on a case alone.

Sounds like the start of this vid go right into ASMR territory:

Circus of Mind · Post by **Circus of Mind** » Wed Dec 06, 2017 9:13 pm

NLC Triple Sloth is great for slooow chaotic modulation.

lobra · Post by **lobra** » Wed Dec 06, 2017 11:05 pm

Tristana wrote:
lobra wrote:Clouds get talked up a bit much IMO.
When I've gone out to synth events, it was one of the modules that was in the most racks while not being patched to anything, only 2nd place to Maths :p

Nonetheless, I am a sucker for granular synthesis, buffer shuffley noises, huge 'verbs and lo-fi sampling... it seems like a straightforward way to turn any signal into a lush soundscape. I like that it can be used both as a source or end-of-chain smear, and its ubiquity means that'll be easy to find secondhand after I break the bank on a case alone.

Sounds like the start of this vid go right into ASMR territory:

I notice that its a common misconception that you need a clouds ha. It sounds great. for me personally i just couldn't get away from the signature sound if that makes sense

nectarios · Post by **nectarios** » Thu Dec 07, 2017 2:53 am

Clouds is just a module that can be patched to sound like a endless washy drone and tight micro glitch hats and everything in between.

Most people prefer the long washy drone, that does not mean the module is not capable of *far* more than that. And this is only for the granular mode, the other modes are gold as well.

cptnal · Post by **cptnal** » Thu Dec 07, 2017 3:43 am

Not to bang on about Clouds too much, but nectarios is right. Example, if you're interested:

Drone 8 in my Soundcloud (link in signature - you don't have to listen to all 42 minutes

) uses Clouds' looping delay with a slowly modulated repeat time. So it goes from rapid percussion-type sounds to longer, drawn out sounds. For one input you get a quite radically variable out.

The short story is that for anything you put into Clouds you get repaid tenfold.

electricanada · Post by **electricanada** » Thu Dec 07, 2017 10:07 am

If you want to go outboard and you have an ipad or iphone, there are some incredibly inexpensive (less than a Starbucks in many cases) fx apps that sound amazing.

geh2oman · Post by **geh2oman** » Thu Dec 07, 2017 10:38 am

Tristana
Going to echo some of the thoughts around Clouds; it's definitely how you use it and if you like its character, because it's such a specific way of working with the sound material. A lot of people bought it thinking it could replace a reverb, or looper, or other types of effects, and that's really just not what it is. It's a granular processor that really gives you modular/hardware access to tearing up the grains, and is very unique in its working. I think it's absolutely killer on drones if you feed it the right material. For example, in this performance I did, it's the washy low tones that start it off, and that's just a frozen segment that I'm modulating within Clouds.

Gatherings May 20

I highly second the use of some kind of filterbank with modulation, the Bark filter from Verbos is a definite recommend. I also second using non-modular reverb, unless you plan on doing some really wacky or experimental things with it. The Audio Damage EOS may be the exception? I personally use an Alesis Wedge or my iPad.

MOD WIGGLER

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ａｍｂｉｅｎｃｅ (your fav 'verbs, delays, granulators, and more)

Euro and outboard