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Make a BUCHLA MUSIC EASEL in Eurorack Modules: Suggested Systems 1

mylarmelodies 106,121 5 years ago
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Today I'm going to make a tiny Buchla Music Easel-inspired modular and show you how to patch it from scratch! LOADS OF FURTHER READING BELOW. IF YOU LIKE THIS PLEASE SUPPORT ON PATREON: http://www.patreon.com/mylarmelodies ⚡ CHAPTERS: 00:00 Intro 02:23 Suggested System Series Concept Introduction 04:26 Buchla Music Easel System - Limitations/Issues we'll face 06:47 Real Buchla Music Easel Panel Design/Features Explanation 10:08 My Suggested System Design Walkthrough 18:26 Sound Design/Basic Patch from Scratch, building up to mad FM noises 30:22 Sequencing 'Velocity/Loudness, creating groove 34:16 Introducing the MicroFreak/external CV keyboards and making tuned sounds 41:41 MicroFreak sequenced riffs/noises 42:45 MicroFreak Arpeggiator jam 46:00 AM modulation between oscillators 47:31 Techno jam with DrumBrute Impact 51:17 Sum up/Closing thoughts REFERENCES AND LINKS TO CHECK OUT: • Intellijel Palette case: https://intellijel.com/shop/cases/4u-palette-eurorack-case/ • Arturia MicroFreak: https://www.arturia.com/products/hardware-synths/microfreak/overview • Here's the system on ModularGrid: https://www.modulargrid.net/e/racks/view/1003292 • Many many thanks to the amazing Todd Barton for his inspiration and the resources on his site which I have shamelessly pilfered in this video: https://toddbarton.com/ • You can support Todd's teachings on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/synthtodd • Here is my bonus research skype chat with Todd (obvs ya gotta be a Patron! Todd also has it on his too): https://www.patreon.com/posts/30310920 WHATS IN THE RACK/BONUS MODULE THOUGHTS/ALTERNATIVES Someone asked me to list what's in this system and alternatives. Again, here's the system on ModularGrid: https://www.modulargrid.net/e/racks/view/1003292 SEQUENCER I used: https://www.modulargrid.net/e/ladik-s-142-4-step-seq You really want a sequencer capable of 3, 4 and 5 step sequences and especially gate sequences too, a massive and essential part which I did not have at all (I cheated and used the MicroFreak sequencer). Any sequencer that can do that would do, but Ladik S180 plus one of the S180 family knob expanders would be ideal as they are cheap, and pair them with a Clock Divider for sequencer reset at 3/4/5 step (I love the 4ms Rotating Clock Divider), and you'd be in business. But they are deep and wide collectively. Ladik's S184 uses faders, highly appropriate! RANDOM VOLTAGE SOURCE I used: https://www.modulargrid.net/e/make-noise-richter-wogglebug-2014 as it gives randomness with vibe, and much much more. I think it's worth experimenting with using slow/medium speed LFOs (NOT white noise - too random) fed into Sample and Hold generators in order to create 'randomness with personality' from scratch, something I need to try. Apart from this you should check out the Doepfer A-149-1 and probably the Richter Noisering. Also the Turing Machine, of course! Goes without saying. ENVELOPE GENERATOR I used: https://www.modulargrid.net/e/alm-busy-circuits-alm008-pip-slope I would absolutely loved to have shoehorned a Make Noise MATHS in there (snappiest envelopes in the business), but any Envelope generator with an Exponential curve to their response is what you're looking for. And a 'gate'/held input as well as a 'trig' input. And CV control of the A & R time! VCO 1/2 I used: https://www.modulargrid.net/e/feedback-two59-vco I used: https://www.modulargrid.net/e/intellijel-dixie-ii- Any decent VCO will do. You do need a sine wave output on one, and look at the Easel Panel for which waveforms you also need. VCA I used: https://www.modulargrid.net/e/intellijel-dual-vca-1u Any fast, clean VCA will do. The more the merrier of course, since you can use voltages to control the amount of voltage you're feeding to other voltages... WAVEFOLDER I used: https://www.modulargrid.net/e/steady-state-fate-ultrafold There are lots of wavefolders and they all wavefold with a slightly different tone. There's one in the Disting too. But I must say, tonally, the WMD Ultrafold is one of the best I've heard. MIXER I used: https://www.modulargrid.net/e/2hp-mix Any small mixer will do. Mutable Veils is a great one as you get VCAs to boot! Bigger tho. ATTENUATOR I used: https://www.modulargrid.net/e/intellijel-quadratt-1u Abstract Data ADE60 is another good one I own, didn't have enough room for it. You just want one that will output voltages with nothing plugged into the inputs. LOWPASS GATE I used: https://www.modulargrid.net/e/future-sound-systems-p-o-c-a-vac1 Makenoise Optomix, LxD, Rabid Elephant Natural Gate - or make one from VCA, Lowpass filter and an exponential curve Envelope Generator. SPRING REVERB I used: https://www.modulargrid.net/e/doepfer-a-199

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