Modular Noise

[Jeep]

So, for the modular noise crew, I need some help and advice: in your opinion what is the best module(s) in eurorack to process a shaker box with contact mic? I tried some (euro Noiseswah, Plague Bearer, Random Source Res. EQ), and the results, at least for me, wasn’t much satisfactory like I expected.

[marciume]

So, for the modular noise crew, I need some help and advice: in your opinion what is the best module(s) in eurorack to process a shaker box with contact mic? I tried some (euro Noiseswah, Plague Bearer, Random Source Res. EQ), and the results, at least for me, wasn’t much satisfactory like I expected.

I have tried many combinations. It depends on what you have at your disposal and I wouldn't buy a specific module just for that. I especially like to split the signal and send it to different destinations, create feedbacks and so on. I usually go into a MI Ears (also use the envelope follower!) or a VCA for boosting the signal and then use the Noise Engineering Terci Ruina to colour the sound (if I haven't already used a distortion/fuzz pedal before getting into the modular), VCAs, ring modulator, delay (I like the Nostalgia delay by Dreadbox for this applications), phaser, etc. At some point I also like to use the Wasp Filter.
Anyway, I usually prefer to keep it way more simple: shaker with kill switch into high gain distortion or fuzz and then distortion. One of the very few applications I find for noise gates in "noise" is exactly with shakers: the MXR Fullbore Metal is a good solution.

[Crimesofthecrown777]

So, for the modular noise crew, I need some help and advice: in your opinion what is the best module(s) in eurorack to process a shaker box with contact mic? I tried some (euro Noiseswah, Plague Bearer, Random Source Res. EQ), and the results, at least for me, wasn’t much satisfactory like I expected.

Well it all depends on what results you are looking for. So what are you looking for?

[Jeep]

Thanks for share your experiences Marciume. My shakerbox is connect to some to pedals before modular (Boss odb3, behringer clone of Boss hyperfuzz and and Boss g7 EQ in serie, then to Pittsburgh Inout for extra boost). The ideia is to process the signal further with some modules and Cv.
Crimesofthecrown777: Let see if I can explain, the results I am searching for are sounds of scrap metal and feedback moving in a very fast and chaotic way, with lots of high and lows. I know this words does not help much, but think Merzbow from 90’s (Noisembryo, Tauromachine, Eletric Salad, etc), and you get the idea.
Actually this sounds will layer with the other voices of my system, a Hertz Donut mk2 in red mode and samplers playing by tip top one and tip top one tg.
I don’t wanna have more than 3 or 4 pedals in my setup, that’s why share the contact mic processing task with modules interest me, even knowing I will spend much more money to do that. Convenience and not much gear to carry on and set around are a very import thing to me.
There is someone selling a Qu-bit Prism in my country for a reasonable price. Any idea if worth to get to do what I intent for?

[marciume]

Thanks for share your experiences Marciume. My shakerbox is connect to some to pedals before modular (Boss odb3, behringer clone of Boss hyperfuzz and and Boss g7 EQ in serie, then to Pittsburgh Inout for extra boost). The ideia is to process the signal further with some modules and Cv.
Crimesofthecrown777: Let see if I can explain, the results I am searching for are sounds of scrap metal and feedback moving in a very fast and chaotic way, with lots of high and lows. I know this words does not help much, but think Merzbow from 90’s (Noisembryo, Tauromachine, Eletric Salad, etc), and you get the idea.
Actually this sounds will layer with the other voices of my system, a Hertz Donut mk2 in red mode and samplers playing by tip top one and tip top one tg.
I don’t wanna have more than 3 or 4 pedals in my setup, that’s why share the contact mic processing task with modules interest me, even knowing I will spend much more money to do that. Convenience and not much gear to carry on and set around are a very import thing to me.
There is someone selling a Qu-bit Prism in my country for a reasonable price. Any idea if worth to get to do what I intent for?

I'm note sure if this is what you are after, but if you want to go for scrap metal and feedback, go for scrap metal and feedback hehehe! Just experiment with different pieces of metal in conjunction with distortion and EQ. For feedback, modular is awesome and you can build crazy feedback cycles. However, I would start with the basics and experiment with a "normal" mixer. Do not also underestimate using an amplifier+cab or a combo. That's where the real fun is!
Considering you have 2x Tip Top One (I don't, so I don't have a direct experience), try to send the audio to several VCA channels with different LFO's and/or envelopes and pan the sound over the stereo field. I guess you can get the "fast" effect also by CVing the sample selection.
I've never owned a Prism but it seems very versatile and rich of features. However, as I already said, if you want a crazy filter, I'd suggest the Wasp Filter by Doepfer. It's cheap and behaves very badly hehehehe.

[Jeep]

Thanks for share your experiences Marciume. My shakerbox is connect to some to pedals before modular (Boss odb3, behringer clone of Boss hyperfuzz and and Boss g7 EQ in serie, then to Pittsburgh Inout for extra boost). The ideia is to process the signal further with some modules and Cv.
Crimesofthecrown777: Let see if I can explain, the results I am searching for are sounds of scrap metal and feedback moving in a very fast and chaotic way, with lots of high and lows. I know this words does not help much, but think Merzbow from 90’s (Noisembryo, Tauromachine, Eletric Salad, etc), and you get the idea.
Actually this sounds will layer with the other voices of my system, a Hertz Donut mk2 in red mode and samplers playing by tip top one and tip top one tg.
I don’t wanna have more than 3 or 4 pedals in my setup, that’s why share the contact mic processing task with modules interest me, even knowing I will spend much more money to do that. Convenience and not much gear to carry on and set around are a very import thing to me.
There is someone selling a Qu-bit Prism in my country for a reasonable price. Any idea if worth to get to do what I intent for?

I'm note sure if this is what you are after, but if you want to go for scrap metal and feedback, go for scrap metal and feedback hehehe! Just experiment with different pieces of metal in conjunction with distortion and EQ. For feedback, modular is awesome and you can build crazy feedback cycles. However, I would start with the basics and experiment with a "normal" mixer. Do not also underestimate using an amplifier+cab or a combo. That's where the real fun is!
Considering you have 2x Tip Top One (I don't, so I don't have a direct experience), try to send the audio to several VCA channels with different LFO's and/or envelopes and pan the sound over the stereo field. I guess you can get the "fast" effect also by CVing the sample selection.
I've never owned a Prism but it seems very versatile and rich of features. However, as I already said, if you want a crazy filter, I'd suggest the Wasp Filter by Doepfer. It's cheap and behaves very badly hehehehe.

Once again, thanks a lot Marciume. I will try the methods you sugested, now is time to prepare some samples and see how it goes. actually, modular system as an effect machine is getting my attention these days.

[Crimesofthecrown777]

Crimesofthecrown777: Let see if I can explain, the results I am searching for are sounds of scrap metal and feedback moving in a very fast and chaotic way, with lots of high and lows. I know this words does not help much, but think Merzbow from 90’s (Noisembryo, Tauromachine, Eletric Salad, etc), and you get the idea.
Actually this sounds will layer with the other voices of my system, a Hertz Donut mk2 in red mode and samplers playing by tip top one and tip top one tg.
I don’t wanna have more than 3 or 4 pedals in my setup, that’s why share the contact mic processing task with modules interest me, even knowing I will spend much more money to do that. Convenience and not much gear to carry on and set around are a very import thing to me.

I mean if you want the sounds of fast moving metal and feedback, i'd just suggest recording those types of sounds or sourcing them and loading them onto say like a Nebulae and speeding up the playback, sending random to the 1volt input and have a stuttering gate hitting the file input. That way its constantly shifting and moving. I take on more of a sample approach with eurorack so this is how I would do it. Not gonna say its the right way or the wrong way but its my 2 cents. I don't really know how to incorporate shakers into euro/modular, haven't figured it out quite yet.

[Jeep]

Crimesofthecrown777, thanks for the tip.
Definitely I need to get my hands on a Nebulae. Sure the files playing in Tip Top One can get some modulations, but that’s not the main reason for this module, it works more like a sample playback for one shot samples (sure it can also loop). Nebulae and Morphogene are more the right sonic tools for mangling and twisting sampled sounds.

[Crimesofthecrown777]

Crimesofthecrown777, thanks for the tip.
Definitely I need to get my hands on a Nebulae. Sure the files playing in Tip Top One can get some modulations, but that’s not the main reason for this module, it works more like a sample playback for one shot samples (sure it can also loop). Nebulae and Morphogene are more the right sonic tools for mangling and twisting sampled sounds.

I will say this. If you want fast and aggressive changes and mangling, get a Nebulae. The morphagene is a bit slower, a lot more subtle in its changes.

[Remi]

Personally I use a Radio Music. Straight to the point.

[NoGuard]

I second the radio music idea. That triggered by a Pam’s New Workout could create some fast mangling of samples.

[dertodesking]

Hey! Got sucked into modular about a year ago on the advice of a friend. I already had a couple of semi modular synths but always ended up underutilizing their capabilities because I didn't know the basics of repatching them and all the opportunities that it would open up.

So when a got into modular it really forced me to understand the ins and outs of each modules I bought to make good use of them. It was a lot of trials and errors at first but thanks to my friend who got me into it, I was able to have a specific goal with my case and even try out different modules that he would lend me to see if it fitted my tastes.

So my main goal was to have a sound processing case to destroy the living hell of what ever source I'd feed it. I tried many modules in the past year. Some MI, schlappi, dreadbox, FoH, NLC, Random*source, malekko, 4ms and the list goes on. I got a good sense of what I like and what I don't now. To me, I realised that the tone/color that a module gives me is more important than crazy super advance capabilities you see in modules these days.

I have a deep love for vintage analog synths. The way that they have a somewhat unpolished/raw/unstable quality about some of them. It's something that I have been struggling to find in modular. I find that a lot of module manufacturers focus more on stability and super high precision than instruments that are "viby" and have a life of their own. Maybe I'm just looking in the wrong places haha!

Currently I'm working with a 4u 62hp palette case and a 48hp pod. I'm having a lot of fun with the Lyra-8 FX, Random*Source Serge Res Eq, Malekko Quand LFO and the AI synthesis Matrix mixer.

I recently decided to stop buying gear and just focus on what I have. So the modular is just one piece of my set up. I usually pair it with my Octatrack and Analog Rytm and that way I've got a pretty capable and ferocious thing that will keep my creative juices flowing for a good while haha!

[dertodesking]

Hey, quick question. I've been tinkering with feedback and self patching modules as of late and i'm having a lot of awesome results. I've gotten some great results with the Lyra-Fx, Tip-Top Fold Processor, AI Synthesis Matrix mixer and Dreadbox Antidote so far. I can see that some modules are more keen to produce crazy glitchy feedbacks than others. Do you have specific modules in your rig that stands out more than others for that type of patching?

Thanks!

[Remi]

Feedback is my main way of patching, mostly because I've hardly touched my Euro rig since went 4u a year ago. I don't have any oscillator in my current boat (it should change soon) so I push cycling envelopes into audio rate, I make my filter go resonant, I make my Res EQ feedback (I believe the R*S euro version doesn't do that), and I also create chaotic feedback with the Wave Multipliers.

The Wave Multipliers is great for chaotic feedback because one of the waveshapers has two outputs. Once you have a module with two outputs, you can more than likely feed one of these outputs into an other input, whether it's an audio or a CV one.

Using stackable cables or multiples may help creating feedback and/or disrupting sound sources too. Just plan your signal path carefully in order to not plug the output of module into the output of another module of you go that way. You might end up frying something.

Also, the Res EQ is incredible as a sound shaping device. I play everything through it, even external sound sources.

Offset modules in the signal chain of the feedbacking modules are great as well to add extra shaping and control over the chaos. Matrix mixers are great too but I don't like the Euro one I have. I guess I'll build a 4U one at some point. For what it's worth, Thomas Ankersmit use some custom-made matrix mixer built by Hinton Instruments, and the regular version already seem amazing for feedback patching.

[Remi]

Also, while we're at it, I'm wary of modules that are too complex. It's especially the case in the Euro world where makers sell you pretty much full-voice modules or modules packed with so many functionalities or parameters to mess with it makes it harder to understand what it is that you're doing that's having an effect on what you hear. I often do that thing where I'll pick 3 modules and 5 or 10 patch cables and try to build something interesting with them. When I do those "exercises", I always try to avoid that point where one feels there's something random we can't anticipate that's having an effect on the signal path. If I can't guess what's happening or why it is happening, I unpatch the last cable I added to the patch and listen to everything again.

[dertodesking]

Also, while we're at it, I'm wary of modules that are too complex. It's especially the case in the Euro world where makers sell you pretty much full-voice modules or modules packed with so many functionalities or parameters to mess with it makes it harder to understand what it is that you're doing that's having an effect on what you hear. I often do that thing where I'll pick 3 modules and 5 or 10 patch cables and try to build something interesting with them. When I do those "exercises", I always try to avoid that point where one feels there's something random we can't anticipate that's having an effect on the signal path. If I can't guess what's happening or why it is happening, I unpatch the last cable I added to the patch and listen to everything again.

Yeah i've read your earlier posts in this thread and i think we're pretty much on the same page regarding modular. Your comment about Serge being like controlling electricity really spoke to me. It's weird because i get that feeling when i make feedback patches on a regular mixer but it's harder to attain with eurorack.

And yeah, i try to keep it simple as well. Yesterday i made a feedback patch With the Tip-Top Wave processor and the Bastl Kastle in the loop. I ended up shaping it a little bit in my octatrack but the results were incredible i find.

Also, the R*S Res EQ does feedback. I think it depends on the components you put in it. i built mine to have the maximum distortion and feedback and it can be an awesome noise source by itself. I just wish it had some cv inputs to modulate some of the parametres. It's still one of my favorite modules nevertheless.

Finally thanks for the advice on offsets. I haven't experimented with those yet. I'm gonna look into it!

Merci Rémi pour ta réponse, c'est super apprécié!

[Remi]

I think that's because eurorack focuses a lot more on complex sounds by default nowadays. Like,, it's the next step to be able to create an even wider palette of sounds after using regular hardware synths. Say, you have a Monopoly synth, and you want to get wilder, so you get into modular synths, and more than likely eurorack because e it's available, a cheaper modular format, and the possibilities and choices are immense. Serge, on the other hand, s basic functions with patch programmability pushed to the max. It can go really far but the ways to get there are different from euro where you'll just get a crazy digital module and you can just flick a few switches, add some extra CV somewhere and there you go, insane stuff happens. None of those two formats are better or worse than the other, they're just different, and you patch differently as well. And I find the bare nature of the Serge layouts and sounds more suitable to feedback patching because it sounds closer to no-input mixing soundwise, and probably in practice as well. I guess if you use vanilla Doepfer modules you'll get there as well, but if you use Mutable or Intellijel modules for that, chances are that the sound will keep some of that digital nature when feedbacking, still.

And yeah, I saw that the Res EQ could feedback depending on how it's built as well. I ve been wondering about how doable it'd be to build a diy version of it but add cv control on each filterbank. You'd need to have the right amount of lfos/vcos to control those banks too, though, so such an idea would take a lot of rack/boat space. And considering the current prices of vactrols when you find them, it'd require dying them I suppose. That'd be interesting but a big project. Maybe sending all the outputs into various VCAs or a module like the RxMx could be interesting to give us an idea of what could be achieved there.

And offsets are useful. I use my Serge Dual Processor all the time in my patches.

Et de rien, avec grand plaisir 😊

[dertodesking]

So by talking with Remi of Violent Shogun I've been rethinking my modules and approaches for making noise. I heard often that Buchla and west coast (additive) synthesis tended more towards harsher results than east coast (subtractive). So looking into the west coast approach on YouTube I stumbled right away on music that was noisier and dare I say, more experimental in nature. I know that there's no right or wrong way to make noise or music in general and that you can create harsh and annoying sounds regardless of the type of synthesis you're working with. I was just wondering if some of you experimented with some of the east coast ideas in eurorack to create noise music.

Thanks for reading! Cheers!

[marciume]

I think that everything can become harsh. The West vs. East coast discussion is more of a construct or a philosophy than a fixed reality in terms of final result. For example, it is obvious that you'll get harsher sounds with a wave folded sine wave instead of trying to distort a square wave. Amplitude and frequency modulation are techniques that work regardless of which coast you lean to. Within modular, everything is fair game and the magic is in the sculpting and the movement.

[Remi]

I highly agree with Attila above. There's no better school to achieve harsher sounds and to be honest, I think a lot eurorack users use modules that draw their functionalities from the West Coast school without even noticing it (like Maths, if you use it for more things than a simple lfo for instance?) I use both euro and 4U extensively with a format jumbler so they can communicate with each other, and I mostly work with an East Coast mindset using West-Coast-like modules haha.

Yannis, I'm in an airport right now but I'll get back to you properly once I'm back from travelling.

[parasitenurse]

resurrecting this thread because i have some questions. considering reworking my case and incorporating a planar/planar2 as a cv source. i cant however seem to find many videos at all on the original planar and the planar2 is going for wild prices right now. i watched some videos on the planar2 and learned it can be up to 6 cv sources. can the original planar also do this or is this technique unique to the planar2? mostly looking to use this to dig around in sweet spots on my samplers and ditch some of the random cv sources i have going to them. i also know theres a bipolar mode on the planar2, is this the case for the og? asking here to save myself a lot of reading/youtube watching and get some first hand experience reviews.

[marciume]

Never had the original Planar. I suggest that you also check the Erica Synths Joystick (amazing) or the Doepfer one:
https://www.ericasynths.lv/shop/eurorac ... joystick2/
https://doepfer.de/a1744.htm

Both excellent modules. There are also other smaller manufacturers offering joysticks. Ideally, you could achieve the same results with fixed or smooth voltages plus a sequential switch, a VCA plus well-crafted modulation, etc. If you have a big rack, you probably already have an array of utilities which could give you sort of the same result.

[parasitenurse]

Never had the original Planar. I suggest that you also check the Erica Synths Joystick (amazing) or the Doepfer one:
https://www.ericasynths.lv/shop/eurorac ... joystick2/
https://doepfer.de/a1744.htm

Both excellent modules. There are also other smaller manufacturers offering joysticks. Ideally, you could achieve the same results with fixed or smooth voltages plus a sequential switch, a VCA plus well-crafted modulation, etc. If you have a big rack, you probably already have an array of utilities which could give you sort of the same result.

i posted this then hours later impulse bought the erica synths joystick 2. seems to be more what im looking for than the planar2 however i will say the planar2 is wildly more aesthetically pleasing for what its worth. so we’ll see how it goes.

[Happiness, forever]

I am just quietly patiently waiting for a Tetrapad & Tête from Intellijel to be available again at my local synf shop (where I have a stupid credit sitting waiting waiting….)
And forever now and three days for a Bionic Lester mkIII from IME, formerly The Harvestman. I just like saying their name like that. It’s been awhile now but every now and then if I hit the right show I’d see Scott IME lurking abt. He’s tall, naturally lurks at that height, not an insult (admiration of height is my thing yup)

[marciume]

Never had the original Planar. I suggest that you also check the Erica Synths Joystick (amazing) or the Doepfer one:
https://www.ericasynths.lv/shop/eurorac ... joystick2/
https://doepfer.de/a1744.htm

Both excellent modules. There are also other smaller manufacturers offering joysticks. Ideally, you could achieve the same results with fixed or smooth voltages plus a sequential switch, a VCA plus well-crafted modulation, etc. If you have a big rack, you probably already have an array of utilities which could give you sort of the same result.

i posted this then hours later impulse bought the erica synths joystick 2. seems to be more what im looking for than the planar2 however i will say the planar2 is wildly more aesthetically pleasing for what its worth. so we’ll see how it goes.

Good for you! I think that it is more versatile with the extra functions it offers.