Today I'm going to make a tiny Buchla Music Easel-inspired modular and show you how to patch it from scratch! SKIPPABLE TIMESTAMPS & LOADS OF FURTHER READING BELOW. Subscribe now and hit the ((🔔)) to get future Suggested Systems vids when you need them the most, friend. ⚡ IF YOU LIKE THIS PLEASE SUPPORT ON PATREON: ⚡
CHAPTERS:
• Suggested System Series Concept Introduction = 2:23
• Buchla Music Easel System - Limitations/Issues we'll face = 4:26
• Real Buchla Music Easel Panel Design/Features Explanation = 6:47
• My Suggested System Design Walkthrough = 10:08
• Sound Design/Basic Patch from Scratch, building up to mad FM noises = 18:26
• Sequencing 'Velocity/Loudness, creating groove = 30:22
• Introducing the MicroFreak/external CV keyboards and making tuned sounds = 34:16
• MicroFreak sequenced riffs/noises = 41:41
• MicroFreak Arpeggiator jam (turned out pretty amazingly as I'm more of a 'sequencer guy') = 42:45
• AM modulation between oscillators = 46:00
• Techno jam with DrumBrute Impact = 47:31
• Sum up/Closing thoughts = 51:17
REFERENCES AND LINKS TO CHECK OUT:
• Intellijel Palette case:
• Arturia MicroFreak:
• Here's the system on ModularGrid:
• 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:
• You can support Todd's teachings on Patreon here:
• Here is my bonus research skype chat with Todd (obvs ya gotta be a Patron! Todd also has it on his too):
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:
SEQUENCER
I used:
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 (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: 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:
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:
I used:
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:
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:
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:
Any small mixer will do. Mutable Veils is a great one as you get VCAs to boot! Bigger tho.
ATTENUATOR
I used:
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:
Makenoise Optomix, LxD, Rabid Elephant Natural Gate - or make one from VCA, Lowpass filter and an exponential curve Envelope Generator.
SPRING REVERB
I used:
Intellijel Springray looks nice too. Gotta be a real spring.
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