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

[moremagic]

i would wait and see on that many 2hp modules: find out how much you like playing them before getting so many
also you may want something more like a serge VCS style envelope (function, swoop, a-171-2) instead of the boring old ADSR, it could even double up as a filter when you need one

[cptnal]

Wondering whether you really need to devote so much hp to quantisation. A uScale, perhaps paired with a buff mult? That would free up some space for more VCAs.

And my Module of the Moment is Warps (with Parasite) so I must recommend it to anyone and everyone, regardless of their intent.

[Tristana]

Wondering whether you really need to devote so much hp to quantisation. A uScale, perhaps paired with a buff mult? That would free up some space for more VCAs.

And my Module of the Moment is Warps (with Parasite) so I must recommend it to anyone and everyone, regardless of their intent.

Mind explaining what I'd want more VCAs for? I've heard time and time again that you can never have too many of them, but I'm struggling to see what I'd need them for in this context.

The one I put in was with the intent that it could give the E352 some shape, and there's another extra one if I wanted to control something else with a source like the Ears env. follow. My thinking was that sounds from the uClouds and Morphagene would already have shapes given that they are derived from already shaped source material. The two Mix's would control the balance between each sound generator/processor.

[cptnal]

Mind explaining what I'd want more VCAs for? I've heard time and time again that you can never have too many of them, but I'm struggling to see what I'd need them for in this context.

Sure thing, but I'll refer you to the master who taught me...

[Tristana]

Mind explaining what I'd want more VCAs for? I've heard time and time again that you can never have too many of them, but I'm struggling to see what I'd need them for in this context.

Sure thing, but I'll refer you to the master who taught me...

hahah, I actually had this running while I was perusing things last night.

Thing is, by their nature, both my Sloth/Super Sloth & Wogglebug aren't going to be very static in their output. I could actually see how VCAs might allow me to introduce more *structure* to my patches- such as in windowing the chaos/rand with LFOs or Envelopes- but I'm not so certain that creating more inter-modulation chaos by pitting my current mod sources against each other would be necessary.

[Bob Loblaw]

- Rainmaker
- Erbe Verb
- Z-DSP
- Clouds
- Black Hole DSP
- ADDAC Mel9
- Music Thing Chord Organ
- Bitbox

All of these or a combination of are usually in action when I make ambient stuff.

[cptnal]

Mind explaining what I'd want more VCAs for? I've heard time and time again that you can never have too many of them, but I'm struggling to see what I'd need them for in this context.

Sure thing, but I'll refer you to the master who taught me...

hahah, I actually had this running while I was perusing things last night.

Thing is, by their nature, both my Sloth/Super Sloth & Wogglebug aren't going to be very static in their output. I could actually see how VCAs might allow me to introduce more *structure* to my patches- such as in windrowing the chaos/rand with LFOs or Envelopes- but I'm not so certain that creating more inter-modulation chaos by pitting my current mod sources against each other would be necessary.

OK, "pitting" is quite a telling word to use. Consider instead something like vibrato that sweeps in and out... I'm still exploring this stuff myself, but the key as I see it is that modulating modulation is an extra dimension you can use to defeat stasis.

[peripatitis]

WITHOUT VCA YOU CAN ONLY SPEAK LIKE THIS! with vca's you can do everything in between and use modules to control that in time..

[natureclubcassettes]

have:
clouds
erbe verb
shapeshifter

can recommend:
DLD
SMR
ER301
o_C
morphagene

always wanted:
modcan dual delay

[Tristana]

WITHOUT VCA YOU CAN ONLY SPEAK LIKE THIS! with vca's you can do everything in between and use modules to control that in time..

I see your point, but this somewhat conflates amplitude with loudness when other parameters can influence it as well ;-) My thinking was that spectral-shaping modulation would lend me most of my dynamics / sonic sculpting- where the timbre itself controls the loudness based on its frequency density- but I can see how amplitude control would further assist with that.

[js213]

I see your point, but this somewhat conflates amplitude with loudness when other parameters can influence it as well ;-) My thinking was that spectral-shaping modulation would lend me most of my dynamics / sonic sculpting- where the timbre itself controls the loudness based on its frequency density- but I can see how amplitude control would further assist with that.

VCAs aren't just for audio. You can use them to bring CV in and out as well.

[wsy]

All I do is pretty much ambient / drone / Krell, so here's what I've found.

Personally, I think Clouds (even with Parasites) is overrated. It's got a decent reverb but the Erbe-verb's is MUCH MUCH more
powerful and uh... mutable; the EV has walls with gain and spectral tilt and first reflection delay all CVable separately.

Meanwhile, Clouds sounds like a reverb. Period.

Yes, I have both, and to be honest, Clouds does not belong in my #1 rack unless I plan to use the granular processing AS GRANULAR
PROCESSING. If I'm not doing slapback pitchshifted echoes, or other far-edge stuff, I'd be better off with something else taking up
my HP and $$ and attention.

I will definitely upvote the Chronoblob as it is one of the few devices I have seen (ok, two, and I designed the other) that does pitch shifting
nicely on a continuous signal.

I think you need a second conventional-ish VCO as well. I'll suggest a Kermit because it does double duty as a wavetable LFO.
Also as a multiplier/divider. And does FM. And is two oscs in one 10HP unit, for under $300; it's pretty decent just as a utility; think
of it as a REALLY TINY VERSION of a Makenoise DPO.

I will say I am really liking my Mutable Blinds (four combining channels of polarizing mixing four-quadrant VCAs). Think of it as four
channels of VCA when you patch the outputs and as a VCAMIX if you patch only the last output and it's also four channels of ring modulation
if you want to get really kinky. I prefer one Blinds over two MoDemods or maybe even over an Optomix.

MATHS is worthy. Really. So is an Ultra Random and so is a Turing Machine.

Finally, I will mention the 4MS SMR (Spectral Multiband Resonator) - it's six parallel Q-twitchable filters that can be servoed
around individually, in parallel, or spread out and slid around. Can become a one-trick pony (for the Chimes of Doom) if you let it,
but it's more worthy than that.

- Bill

[Tristana]

Will have a listen to all of those.

Yes, I have both, and to be honest, Clouds does not belong in my #1 rack unless I plan to use the granular processing AS GRANULAR
PROCESSING. If I'm not doing slapback pitchshifted echoes, or other far-edge stuff, I'd be better off with something else taking up
my HP and $$ and attention.

I was fully intending to use Clouds for the granularity of it- are you saying that there are other granular modules you'd recommend over Clouds? As far as space goes, I've been eyeing µBurst/µClouds which take it down to 8HP. In terms of the moneys, once I'm more comfortable with SMD soldering the gorgeous magpie black sandblasted panel + PCB + components + JTAG programmer should be around $100-125ish.

[peripatitis]

WITHOUT VCA YOU CAN ONLY SPEAK LIKE THIS! with vca's you can do everything in between and use modules to control that in time..

I see your point, but this somewhat conflates amplitude with loudness when other parameters can influence it as well ;-) My thinking was that spectral-shaping modulation would lend me most of my dynamics / sonic sculpting- where the timbre itself controls the loudness based on its frequency density- but I can see how amplitude control would further assist with that.

If you want to have control over whatever parameter in the modular space your systems affords you, you need a vca. If not you are just going gorilla throwing a -5, 5 volt signal or 0-10v signal and hope the result works well to your liking. So in reality for anything open and modular-like and not esoteric and closed within itself you need vca's, mixers and offsets..In reality it is not about amplitude vs loudness it is about having control or not.

[Tristana]

If you want to have control over whatever parameter in the modular space your systems affords you, you need a vca. If not you are just going gorilla throwing a -5, 5 volt signal or 0-10v signal and hope the result works well to your liking.

That's why I selected some attenuverters? >.> Though, yeah, I understand a VCA will offer control over gain over time which can be more musically useful than just limiting a voltage's range or changing its polarity.

[wsy]

Will have a listen to all of those.

[....]

I was fully intending to use Clouds for the granularity of it- are you saying that there are other granular modules you'd recommend over Clouds? As far as space goes, I've been eyeing µBurst/µClouds which take it down to 8HP. In terms of the moneys, once I'm more comfortable with SMD soldering the gorgeous magpie black sandblasted panel + PCB + components + JTAG programmer should be around $100-125ish.

Quite the opposite - if you're doing granular, then Clouds is no doubt one of the better contenders. I will say that sometimes
it gets out of control - maybe I accidentally switch it into another mode or something.

And definitely, if you can get it in 8 HP, it's probably a good thing, especially since you have a lot of experience in granular.

- Bill

[Tristana]

I will say that sometimes
it gets out of control - maybe I accidentally switch it into another mode or something.

In my experience with designing my grain synth, I found that you can very quickly get into nasty digital clipping territory when too many grains start overlapping due to a short inter-onset time or long grain length. It's definitely not as easy to tame as some other synthesis/sound-processing methods.

[captjrab]

Not really clear on the term “ambient” I guess it means long swelly washes with lots of reverb
I use the SMR, DLD, Phonogene, Clouds, Rings
However,
Of course you want to modulate and attenuate all that, so theres a lot going on under the hood to make ambient sound scapes.
Also, really digging the KOMA Feild kit for mashing up real world sounds.
Working on contact miking a fountain and putting it thru Clouds and sequencing the water drips, for instance.

[Tristana]

Not really clear on the term “ambient” I guess it means long swelly washes with lots of reverb

That, sure :p More broadly my aim is creating sounds that are lush yet lacking a clearly defined tonal center, coupled with incidental rhythms that are subtle and atypical to usual human rhythmic conventions- the aim is to create moods, atmospheres and spaces rather than clearly defined musical structures. I want to create timbres that are suggestive rather than explicit. I realize that's a bit up to personal taste.

Also, really digging the KOMA Feild kit for mashing up real world sounds.
Working on contact miking a fountain and putting it thru Clouds and sequencing the water drips, for instance.

Awesome! I thought of a fun idea for a small garden setup along those lines- mic and process a fountain with something like Clouds, then modulate that with something like an Instruo Scion.