Any drum modules that don't clone old classics?

[ringstone]

Elby Designs does a version of Ken Stone's Cynare drum synthesiser.
Blair

ooohh nice, that looks awesome.!

All though it looks like you can only trigger one sound at a time from it? But no matter, it looks like a very tweak-able drum synth which would make a great addition to any modular.

Be aware I don't think its quite out yet as a built module.

It's listed now on the Elby site, may not have made it to any other retailers yet. http://www.elby-designs.com/contents/en ... lator.html

Cheers
Blair

[bouzoukijoe1]

Thanks some useful info in this discussion, can you clarify a few points made here:

1. Dr Octature - nice sine, 1V/oct

Can you explain in more detail why you recommend the Dr Ocature for drum sounds? Its a filter/lfo right? I understand you can make kick sounds from filters but haven't experimented yet so interested to know what methods I should try. And why in particular would this filter be your filter of choice?

Dr Oct can actually act as a VCO and generate one of the sexiest sine waves in analog eurorack. sine waves work very well for a base tone for various drum sounds. and the fact that it is multifunctional is the real bonus. when you don't need to use its sine wave, you can use it as a VCF, LFO, etc. (there are many other modules that have sine waves that are perfectly fine, I just think the Dr Oct is really cool).

2. Vcnoiz - poised to be one of the best noise modules ever?

So I guess noise modules are good for percussive sounds, that seems like an obvious sound source, but why this particular module over others?

same reason as the Dr Oct, because it's multi-functional and feature-rich. and sometimes you may want to modulate your noise color, and this will allow you to do that. not all noise generators let you control the color (pitch).

3. uVCA - great variable response curve for percussive sounds

So is this a more 'snappy' vca and therefore better for percussive sounds or do you mean something else?

I would use the word "punchy" instead of "snappy" I guess. snappy is usually used to refer to response speed in envelope generators. punchy is more about the rising curve of the amount. anyway yes, the punch is the factor. the nice thing about the uVCA is that you can control the response curve so that you can use in-betweens. other VCAs will only let you do either linear vs. exponential, but not in between. there are other reasons too, like how clean the uVCA signal is.

4. Quadra - the more ADs the merrier

Excuse my lack of knowledge but am I correct in thinking that ADs are preferred to ADSRs for percussive sounds? If so why is this? Can a ADSR not achieve the same results if you just ignore the 'Sustain' and 'Release'? Or is it that ADs are generally speaking, snappier and therefore better for percussive sounds?

either AD or ADSR can work for drums, but the nice thing about the quadra is that there are four channels that you can use for kick, snare, tom, etc.

5. Optomix - that vactrol thing

I've read lots on here that people swear by LPGs for percussive sounds, would like to know more on this subject so will definitely consider getting one, how does the Doepfer one compare?

not sure, I've never tried it. one day...

[vanwulpen]

I love making them from scratch and then usually record variations and use them as samples mostly as it winds up taking up many modules I want to reuse for something else.

I have a couple of the emulating modules and when using them it's mostly in terms of interesting sequencing etc type of ideas which can't be done easily otherwise or as a more percussive/transient source of modulation.

Or pretty much when I want to noodle and have some (often simple) beat with just the modular alone and no other gear.

If you happen to have a collection of vintage drummachines I bet it's harder to justify...without that some of them are quite good and for some that may be justification alone. In fact down the road when I need to make more space (want to that is) I think of moving those modules and some basic sequencing into a separate case which would be pretty much a steroids-drum-machine.

[hexinverter]

Since this is on topic with this thread, here is a new demo video of vcNOIZ that I shot. I created some pitch modulated hihat sounds this time around.

[video][/video]

[silversurfer]

a sampler/wavetable module (like the a-112), you can sample your drum sounds, still have pitch control over cv and map all sounds to a wavetable and use a clock sequencer with attenuators to trigger them

[bouzoukijoe1]

damn that Vcnoiz sounds like a fun module. I bet you could even compose an entire track with just that as a tone generator handling all the parts.

[Soy Sos]

Not sure if it was mentioned, but...
Here's a bunch of Pittsburgh Generator percussion demos I did
when it first came out. You just need a trigger of gate source and an envelope.
https://soundcloud.com/soy-sos-sweet-so ... assy-kicky
https://soundcloud.com/soy-sos-sweet-so ... percussion
https://soundcloud.com/soy-sos-sweet-so ... percussion
https://soundcloud.com/soy-sos-sweet-so ... percussion

[futuresoundsystems]

Have a look at the FSS Convulsion Generator as a bass drum source

[ZoeB]

Kick drum source? Send your ADSR envelope generator's output to the input of your oscillator, and listen to its sine wave. No attack, and adjust the rest to taste. You could probably combine the envelope generator with a regular keyboard pitch, if you'd like a pitched kick drum.

For example, I'm pretty sure I didn't use any standard percussion modules in my cover of Korobeiniki, just regular noise and oscillator modules and so on.

[bctrack]45693763[/bctrack]

[hexinverter]

damn that Vcnoiz sounds like a fun module. I bet you could even compose an entire track with just that as a tone generator handling all the parts.

Glad you like it!

Yes indeed! That concept would be the basis of a lot of chiptune/C64 songs!!! I plan to do that and record a little demo of it eventually ^__^

[lorenzovektor]

BL asteroid kick sounds cool but I'm not a fan of it's build quality

A borg filter with a couple of oscillators with FM and an envelator makes great drum sounds, maybe add a ring mod, overdrive or a plague bearer to add some grit

[pi69y]

That vcnoiz is really interesting for sound design. I feel like I could spend a couple of months just shaping that source!

[silversurfer]

vcnoiz does interest me!
Is it the same as the doepfer dig noise module?

[hexinverter]

vcnoiz does interest me!
Is it the same as the doepfer dig noise module?

Hi there!

Thanks for your interest in vcNOIZ

To answer your query:

No, it is quite different from the Doepfer digital noise. The Doepfer A-117 is an 18bit shift register, whereas vcNOIZ is 32bits. That is sort of a minor detail that only affects the sound character, but where the big difference is is that the A-117 is just a noise source. It is effectively only 1/3rd of vcNOIZ's functionality.

vcNOIZ is a noise source, exponentially voltage-controlled clock source (which drives the noise generator) as well as a clock divider to make sub-octave divisions of the noise output (which have their own character).

You could probably make something similar in a patch with the A-117, but you would also need a square wave VCO (running above audio frequency) driving the clock input of the A-117 as well as a clock divider to get close to the same functionality.

Funny enough, but I just skimmed over the A-117 manual and it even suggests patching that up exactly! Hah!!!

Also, I cannot tell for absolute certainty from the A-117 photos, but I think it probably uses a microcontroller for the random noise source. I think that's what the 8pin DIP is on the PCB there. vcNOIZ uses only CMOS logic chips, so there is another fairly big difference. I think it would not be economical for Doepfer, which is selling hundreds of modules, to use esoteric (and slightly hard to find) parts like the CD4006 used in vcNOIZ! It would be a lot easier/cheap to just use a microcontroller.

[matttech]

i really like modular percussion - LPGs, and short heavily exponential-enveloped blippy FM sounds, produced by envs like Maths or the PEG

but the whole hardware-based 909/808 stuff just leaves me cold. it just doesn't cut it for me any more....it has its place in retro electro productions, but i think that people have become much more accustomed to hearing shit-hot samples, where the source material (maybe based on a 909/ 808 or similar) is layered with other sonic textures, or cut up breakbeat hits, in order to add some interesting grit to the proceedings. often these libraries have also be extensively processed through choice outboard (Distressors, quality tape machines, neve preamps, valve saturation and expensive or vintage EQs) until they sound ready to sit in a modern production with little or no additional work.

that suits me just fine, as i've lost years of my life battling with bloody roland-based drum sounds, trying to make them sound more unique or characterful. for me, it's just not time well spent, as i could be getting on with the real "meat" of the production, rather than obsessing over minor timbral adjustments to drum sounds that the average listener will not notice in a million years.

i love mixing, but i now leave drums to those who are naturals at it...and that quite often goes for actual loops too. i struggle getting convincing, up to the minute drum parts that have groove, and a suitable combination of sounds. get a decent smaple pack and it's all there - the drums all work with each other, and there are many variations on similar drum hits, so you can program in interest without it sounding like the drumkit has changed completely three times a bar!

horses for courses though, and if you love tinkering with envelopes on sinewave kicks, be my guest!!


right - off to get wankered!

[NS4W]

No-drums by Gieskes is something new...

[UMBRA77]

Metalbox built me a Cynare that is by far my favorite percussive module. And its pretty patchable...you can get into the filter and VCA. 6 tunable oscillators. So many sounds are on tap with this module!!

[visible cow]

I really like that track (and kick sound).

edit: that was to Mr. Noble

[reson8]

i would love if someone cloned one of the channels of a Pearl Syncussion, not sure if that's possible though...

[zilaihong]

No-drums by Gieskes is something new...

totally recommend those!
however, the "drum" here shares the same meaning as in "plumbutter is a drum machine".

check out my soundcloud for a demo recording.

[hexinverter]

I recorded a demo of a percussion kit created using only vcNOIZ and a VCA for percussive volume envelopes.

No filtering or anything else was used after vcNOIZ in this track. All percussive elements are straight from vcNOIZ and recorded as samples for this short and simple arrangement.

http://soundcloud.com/hex-inverter/hexi ... net-vcnoiz

[Kytopia]

Time to necro this thread. 2 years have passed since the last post and I think quite a bit has happened when it comes to drum modules.

I'll start by adding Buranelectrix Dredrum to the list. dont own it yet but it seems like something that fits the profile.

the Leploop Multicassa seems like it will be enjoyable when it comes out.

anything else?

[Kytopia]

To help it along, here's a list of modules that might fit the profile.
Rather than restarting the discussion of whether or not to buy a drum module vs patching your own, lets just list the modules that would not per se be classified as an 808 or 909 clone?
if you know of any, just copy/paste the list below and add the ones you think should be on this list. thx!

Cwejman BLD
hexinverter Mutant Bass
hexinverter Mutant Clap
hexinverter Mutant HiHats
BL asteroid kick
vcnoiz
Gieskes No-drums
Leploop Multicassa
Buranelectrix Dredrum

[gottberg]

The Basimilus Iteritas is very cool and does not imitate the old classics.

[StoneLaw]

Braids is one of my favorite percussion modules. Lately a great sounding 808 kick and snare model were added (clones still) but there is also an 808 cymbal osc that can get non-808 sounds pretty easily, various flavors of voltage controlled noise, built in envelope/vca action, etc.

Also, the mutants are actually 808 clones (except the mutant machine which is a 909 clone) but they do go far beyond the rolands for manual and cv control and external processing etc. and can get quite non-roland sounding. The mutant machine really goes beyond... it's a 909 snare clone but goes so far beyond that it can also do 909 toms or kick pretty well and a whole world of glitchy non-roland sounds.

There is also the Jupiter Storms/Galilian moons combo, and really either or both would go well in a percussion-centric rack. I think Noise Engineering also have a tiny vca+AD envelope module, and if im not mistaken harvestman have a two channel VCA+envelope? Plus the optomix or really any LPG are good for percussion.