297 or 285e?

[dkcg]

I may be able to squeeze one more module out of my wallet before the holidays. I narrowed it down to these two.

Pros and cons for both?
Which would you choose and why? Both is not a possibility due to space and finances.

[Malekko]

without hesitation i say 297!!!

[ndkent]

Since they aren't that comparable and you aren't sure, maybe the best advice is to wait until there's something you really feel you must get.

[Guidotoons]

297. No question.

THE coolest phase shifter out there, IMHO!

I have a pair! Arghh!!!

[dude]

i am not an owner but that 285e sounds fantastic. i got to mess with dougs a bit here and there a while back and really enjoyed it, much more in fact than the phase shifter. seems like way more fun than a phase shifter to me. i don't know why but the 285e has always struck me as being the most attractive of the offerings. and you can save patches with it.

[cbm]

Ask yourself: Glorpy or Klangy?

[dougcl]

i am not an owner but that 285e sounds fantastic. i got to mess with dougs a bit here and there a while back and really enjoyed it, much more in fact than the phase shifter. seems like way more fun than a phase shifter to me. i don't know why but the 285e has always struck me as being the most attractive of the offerings. and you can save patches with it.

In my opinion you didn't have enough time with the 200e.

[dougcl]

Ask yourself: Glorpy or Klangy?

Well put. The only other thing to consider is that the 285e has a couple of VCO's in it. So if you are short on VCO's (you aren't as I recall), then perhaps the 285e could have the edge on those grounds.

[cbm]

The VCOs in the 285e aren't brought out to the front panel though, so they aren't generally useful other than their intended use of driving the 285e.

[dude]

i am not an owner but that 285e sounds fantastic. i got to mess with dougs a bit here and there a while back and really enjoyed it, much more in fact than the phase shifter. seems like way more fun than a phase shifter to me. i don't know why but the 285e has always struck me as being the most attractive of the offerings. and you can save patches with it.

In my opinion you didn't have enough time with the 200e.

sure, i can still have a preference, it just may be based out of ignorance. you can save patches though, of that much i am sure

[dougcl]

it just may be based out of ignorance.

No shame.

[slipperysoles]

I have had both modules and in the end I let go off the 297, the 285e is more fun for me. But of course it all depends on personal taste and the type of sounds you want to make.

[dude]

it just may be based out of ignorance.

No shame.

i will gladly give it another whirl if you'll have me over! i would in fact very much like that. that way i can try to influence more peoples module decisions with yet more ignorance 8_)

[dougcl]

The VCOs in the 285e aren't brought out to the front panel though, so they aren't generally useful other than their intended use of driving the 285e.

Sure they are brought to the front panel but I suppose usefulness is in the eye of the beholder.

[cbm]

Sure they are brought to the front panel but I suppose usefulness is in the eye of the beholder.

I must be missing something. All I know about is the outputs from the frequency shifter and ring mod.

[dougcl]

Patch the balanced output into the signal input. Turn the timbre full CW. Put the reference to internal. Now you have a VCO with an attenuated pitch input and a freq knob. You can do the same with the FS side, but it works best to mix the up and down together and feed it into the FS signal input.

Not sure how well that will track for you. I don't spend too much time testing such things, so I could be wrong here, but I think by running slight attenuation of the pitch input it will track the other oscillators pretty well. Also, the pitch goes lower than the other oscillators, FWIW (not much). I actually like the sound of it as a VCO. I've got several examples up on youtube, just search "buchla 285e" if you're curious.

[mr big]

i don't know jack. but it strikes me that as an older design (i'm assuming it's older) the 297 has a better chance of disappearing from the catalogue. that might be a consideration.

[xpander]

i had to make the same decision but the 285e sounded weirder to me and i didn't know quite how i would use it--- that made it more attractive so i went for it. no regrets. if you saw that 222e ring video i posted a couple weeks back, there's a lot of 285e processing being controlled by one of the rings.

[Kent]

I've wrestled with this question more so than with any other module choice in the system. I'd have to ditch a VCO in order to squeeze in both of them.

In the end, I decided upon the 285e for all of the reasons mentioned here, plus the fact that I'm a bit of a guitar pedal whore and phasing has always been one of my favorite forms of modulation. Thus, I've got a metric shit-tonne (<--- see? Metric!) of phasers and the ever-so-handy Little Labs PCP Distro. This should get me by for until I start the next case

[ex_dead_teenager]

I've never used the 285e so I'm heavily biased but the 297 is really a sweet module if I ever sell my euro and go all buchla I'll be getting both if I can.

you can use frequency shifters to make phasing sounds (or s I'm told) but I don't think it would hold a candle to the sheer glorpy power of the 297.

[Kent]

<- 297 Glorp

[dkcg]

Glorpy vs. Klangy is the perfect description. I've been thinking I can get Klangy enough through FM, but I miss having a ringmod/freq. shifter. But I also miss having a phaser. And never had one that sounded like the 297 which I played with at NB. The other system was being used so I didn't have a chance with the 285e yet. I have about a month to think about it before I order, but I'm leaning towards the 297 right now. The envelope follower may have closed the deal. The env follower in the 227e is more a hassle to use than I thought since it's mic input only. The resonance in the 297 sounded really nice.

How do you guys use these modules in your systems? Any non standard uses? I used to use my euro frequency shifter as a panner spatializer, but the 227e has that area more than covered.

[prototek]

I've been on the fence about getting the 297 or not as well.
Can't help loving the fact that it looks cool as hell. I have always wondered though... What will it do that all of the guitar pedal phasers I have wont? The Moogerfooger comes to mind as a phaser with substantial CV control. I know there are certain intangible qualities of having a great phaser in Buchla format, but besides that can somebody please hip me to what makes it stand out from all of the other phase units? Very curious.

[thetwlo]

as a 285e owner, i'm thinking the 297 is more special, the 285e isn't really impressing me much over other freq shifters. I'm still new to it, and have never really like phase shifters in any way... so now i'm curious about the 297.

[ndkent]

as a 285e owner, i'm thinking the 297 is more special, the 285e isn't really impressing me much over other freq shifters. I'm still new to it, and have never really like phase shifters in any way... so now i'm curious about the 297.

Since Serge isn't making their external carrier model , as far as I know the Buchla is the only external carrier (= non sine wave) FS currently made. There is a possibility that you only like the sine carrier or don't have a need to shift frequencies for that matter, but it's a far from common feature on a not that common effect.