Messages

1

SYNTHESIZERS + SOUND-MAKING HARDWARE / Re: Nord Modular/Modular G2

« on: June 04, 2013, 02:54:48 pm »

Yeah the Nord is great…I can't even bring myself to price up something versatile in an analog form, but I am sure one day I will do just that.

I was lucky enough to be lent on a permanent basis (so far) a 303 at the start of this year. Classic story of it being in a box somewhere and hardly used…anyway…I was never a big fan of these machines creatively, and having borrowed it a few times before when I was 16 and 18, I always found I barely used it. I had other analogue gear at the time an preferred that for various reasons. Anyway, the point of this story, was on being leant it again, now in a studio mainly of Nords and Akai and no real analog synths, me and Lucia where blown away by the beautifully high and clean frequencies of it. It was just so sharp. I guess over the years my ears have gotten used to the sound of laptops and various other machines, but it was clear it had something special within its sound. Something I have found similar in some ways to the difference of say when I switched from lots of separate gear to a more computer based system.

Obviously both have their uses, and the Nord Modular being a good example of that in-between that works so well, making it such a great machine.

Having used the G2 demo, this certainly opens up a whole new world of possibilities, kind of scary actually haha. A small and well understood system is preferable for me too. Still, the Nord G1 seemed like a whole lot of confusion the first time I used that.

2

SYNTHESIZERS + SOUND-MAKING HARDWARE / Re: Nord Modular/Modular G2

« on: May 31, 2013, 05:39:12 am »

Forgot the link to the player, it's in test so not as a link.

Here it is:
www.mono-log.org/_player

M

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SELF PROMOTION / Mono-log.org now has a player

« on: May 31, 2013, 05:37:24 am »

Hi all

A small but exciting addition to the www.mono-log.org website…it finally has a player.

You can know listen to all 423 (so far) uploads creating mainly on the Nord Modular G1 (and the occasional old odd box or two) without having to get up out of your chair to change the browser…ahh but then thinking, don't we all listen to music while sat at our computer anyway???

Still, it is a feature many of you have mentioned over the time mono-log has been running, so hopefully it will be a popular one.

You can try out the test version here: www.mono-log.org/_player

Thanks

M

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SYNTHESIZERS + SOUND-MAKING HARDWARE / Re: Nord Modular/Modular G2

« on: May 31, 2013, 05:32:35 am »

Hey Pug

Oddly enough I have never actually compared a patch in the Nord G1 to its real equivalent. I feel that's a dangerous road to go down when thinking of the bank balance haha…I will almost certainly mention it to Lucia…get us thinking.

I think my interest is knowing how incredibly high and clean the frequencies can go with analogue, something that the G1 although good, just doesn't make me shiver in quite the same way. It would be good to explore that sound, perhaps re-creating a patch in an analogue system, and taking the time to judge reactions of random people when playing them.

I have always felt the real modular systems, specifically the Doepfer, always sound electronic, and by that I mean actual electrical sound as apposed to the genre. I have heard, albiet online, the more expensive systems, and felt they have less this feeling of electrical signals. Perhaps it is just me.

Polr, Taylor's release, one of my all time favourites, has a hint of this edgy, slightly scary electrical sound, like it might accidentally have blown a few tweeters in it's creation haha. I really like that, and as much as I love the G1, for it's own sound is truly just that, it would be nice to hear it compared to real modules.

Having said that, a dusty MS20 can't be bad

Your selling your G2 and keeping your G1, know you have to tell me more about this decision. I have never used the G2, but hear they do differ in sound a fair bit, but your going to sell it?

I am sure I will keep my G1, even if I do get a G2 in the future (££ depending), although I was eyeing the G1 keyboard the other day…I think it looks amazing, and I know I would use it even more if it looked that tasty, plus having a keyboard version would be a good addition and change the patching that little bit.

On a side note, my blog now has a player. It's in testing phase at the moment, and it probably needs a shuffle function, but you can know listen to the uploads without having to get up and change the record…coughcough…I mean browser page each time.

(I think I will be adding up a patch in Doepfer world this weekend…what have you done to me ha )

M

5

SYNTHESIZERS + SOUND-MAKING HARDWARE / Re: Nord Modular/Modular G2

« on: May 30, 2013, 05:44:39 am »

Hey Taylor

Thanks, pleased to hear you drop by the blog

I think for me it's more the challenge to getting it as close so a sound as I can, mainly to learn and be useable, than having the original sounds emulated. I totally agree with you.

It's quite fun being able to use a sound such as the 808, and see what can be done to get into that area with less CPU and so more potential for altering, adding etc.

I have had to use iSpectrum (it's not great) to see the sounds more while I tweak them, and having this quick visual feedback while emulating a sound, has cemented some sound creating techniques that little bit more, which is great.

Ultimately it seems to be two stages with the Nord Modular for me, a learning stage, and then a pure music creating stage. I think that's always what was the problem using this machine before, trying to find that balance.

On another note, I keep seeing images of your's and others growing modular set-ups, me and Lucia are always so tempted to start on that road…£££ though

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SYNTHESIZERS + SOUND-MAKING HARDWARE / Re: Nord Modular/Modular G2

« on: May 29, 2013, 04:32:47 pm »

Just an added point.

Todays upload at my blog uses the recent Nord G1 TR-808 patches. A quick listen can decide if they are your thing or not.

Enjoy.

http://www.mono-log.org/blog/snd_423

7

SYNTHESIZERS + SOUND-MAKING HARDWARE / Re: Nord Modular/Modular G2

« on: May 29, 2013, 03:07:40 pm »

Today I tidied up the Roland TR-808 Drum Machine patches for the Nord Modular G1 and uploaded all three to my blog. You can get them here in 808-v2.zip: http://www.mono-log.org/patches

The hats are a real nightmare to get right…I still haven't got it, but these are not bad and perhaps more useable. I opted for using one patch that can be changed to suit needs, as both the hats and cymbal use pretty much the same circuitry, so could be easily tweaked.

I would love to hear what people think, how they might use them, change them, or even hear some recordings with them.

As mentioned before, they are based along the idea of low CPU primarily, so to allow more flexibility being able to tweak them, with all main settings assigned to dials already.

If anyone has any trouble opening the files, I find the old 'open with' on the file itself works ok.

Let me know if any troubles.

Enjoy

8

SYNTHESIZERS + SOUND-MAKING HARDWARE / Re: Nord Modular/Modular G2

« on: May 29, 2013, 03:01:23 pm »

whenever i think about selling my nord modular g1, you come along with a post like this. 

Haha that is too funny.

If you keep it, you will thank me for it.

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SYNTHESIZERS + SOUND-MAKING HARDWARE / Re: Nord Modular/Modular G2

« on: May 28, 2013, 06:33:57 pm »

I will sort out the new updated 808 patches tomorrow. I was going to upload them today, but forgot I accidentally adjusted the cowbell and so had to do it again…took me a good few hours.

The aim was to mostly get as close to the 808 as possible, but with the least CPU, and additionally as with all Nord patches, the best part is making it sound more interesting than that original Roland box.

Actually, as I mentioned in my blog post, Daniel Miller said he didn't like the 808 when it came out as it was basically a box full of presets compared to the gear they used before. I have always found that when using iconic machines, they really try hard to get their users to use them iconically too. The 808 is shouting out, "make electro with me, or some classic electronic music". Still, the obvious challenge is to use it differently and not succumb to the route that delivers something classic…not that there is anything wrong with that of course, nor is it any less of a challenge I suppose.

My rambling is in thinking that the Nord Modular environment, really allows a way into the sounds more than I had ever had previously. For example, I never really noticed quite how much noise is used in some of the tom sounds on the 606 and 808, or how much of it really is just clicks and tones. At the same time we always probably knew this, but no sooner do you pull the sound appart, or try to re-create it in the Nord, it never sounds the same again. It actually opens the sound up for further possibilities, and remove that iconic power over the machines user that slight bit.

Anyway…

I noticed the screen grabs of the early 606 patches have gone, thats my bad as I ported the website over to Statamic and the paths changed. I should mention, if I haven't already, that the actual patches can be found at http://www.mono-log.org/patches

I will be uploading the latest version of the 808 to this page tomorrow. It comes as three patches in total, and although some sounds do differ form the actual machine, the clap, hats for example, the basic structure is there so be fine tuned, I just haven't got around to it. They sound pretty nice at the moment anyway, with lots of possibilities with adjust snappiness, noise levels, noise envelopes etc

The bass drum doesn't even use a sineOsc, as I decided to use impulses into high resonance filters. I have used this technique on many of my uploads for a long time, and it works pretty well for the booooom of the 808 bass drum…actually the Nord Modular has a bass that I have not found in any synth or drum machine, incredible.

Right I have rambled on enough.

M

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SYNTHESIZERS + SOUND-MAKING HARDWARE / Re: Nord Modular/Modular G2

« on: May 27, 2013, 03:56:55 pm »

Some amazing sounds too Karl. I had another listen a few days ago and appart from the wonderful sounds, it reminded me of how much time has slipped by this year and how little Nord time I have had compared to last year.

I think I might correct that very soon.

I made some improvements to my 808 based patches, and started working on some CR-78 based sounds. Happy to share them on here.

Thanks for the mention and bringing the Nord forum back to life

Keep up the good work.

11

SYNTHESIZERS + SOUND-MAKING HARDWARE / Re: Nord Modular/Modular G2

« on: March 04, 2013, 04:31:01 pm »

Ok I have uploaded some Nord Modular G1 patches to share…finally.

If you haven't got a G1 and have a G2, you could still open these in an old editor and have a peek… you never know you might be encouraged to copy them to G2 format

So these patches are based on those pesky Roland machines, the TB-303, TR-606, TR-808 and TR-909.
The 606 and 808 are probably the best, the 303 is interesting and the 909 is…pretty err…yeah.

Anyway, I am sure there is lots to learn form all. Feel free to modify them and send them back to me, show me how I can improve etc.

I hope you enjoy them.

http://www.mono-log.org/patches

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SYNTHESIZERS + SOUND-MAKING HARDWARE / Re: Nord Modular/Modular G2

« on: March 03, 2013, 08:11:19 am »

Hey all

Thought I would share two things.

The first is I will sharing some patches on my blog from my Nord uploads at www.mono-log.org soon. These will be the emulation patches mainly, Tr-606, Tr-808, Tb-303.

Although I have used the original machines sound as a reference I would say they are more about making good sounds and variations more than accurately copying…although obviously the originals sound pretty amazing.

I will post back when they are up, I am to get it done today.

The second thing is for those who enjoyed following my blog uploads, which incidentally is still going, although using additional gear to the Nord G1…my partner (and future wife :D:D) is doing her own blog for similar reason as me, and is revisiting many of the uploads I created while she is back in Taiwan seeing family. During this time you can hear some of the more textured and tone like uploads created this time last year, but re-worked by Lucia using various software.

I think what she does to the sounds is incredible, and for those familiar with her sound, I think you can really hear that tense and building quality that nobody does better than her.

I think it's definitely time something happened with these more textured and tone based uploads, and this year will be the year it happens, even if it is me releasing it.

Have a listen, it's very Nord Modular sound, but tweaked within software.

http://smallmimosa.wordpress.com/

Thx

M

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SELF PROMOTION / Re: Lucia H Chung. (one half of Mimosa Moize) upload a day smallmimosa.wordpress.com

« on: January 20, 2013, 05:09:58 am »

thx Karl

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SELF PROMOTION / Re: Lucia H Chung. (one half of Mimosa Moize) upload a day smallmimosa.wordpress.com

« on: January 18, 2013, 02:45:00 pm »

Hey Darren

Thanks for your support, appreciated.

Hope your good?

M

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SELF PROMOTION / Lucia H Chung. (one half of Mimosa Moize) upload a day smallmimosa.wordpress.com

« on: January 17, 2013, 07:20:44 pm »

Hi all

I just wanted to share Lucia's daily upload project. She is a bit shy about sharing it, but it is really incredible and I want to give her all the support I can.

Much like my Mono-log upload, Lucia is creating/re-working small tunes for share each day, and writes an incredible post to support it.

I hope all of those who supported my blog, can drop by and have a listen to Lucia's.

Thanks everyone.

http://smallmimosa.wordpress.com/

Martin