Muff's Modules & More

Münster · Posted: Mon Nov 14, 2011 4:31 am Post subject:

@jenamu6: Try the dsiforum (you have to own an account there).
There you can find some really interesting demos and some of the them have a lot of punch!

SMS303 · Posted: Mon Nov 14, 2011 4:34 am Post subject:

Pym · Posted: Tue Nov 15, 2011 10:34 pm Post subject:

New beta OS posted in the Tempest forum. Adds such things as Reverse

jenamu6 · Posted: Wed Nov 16, 2011 8:02 am Post subject:

And punch?

I don't mean to troll......I listened and watched all the demo's but up till now, I can't find it.

And I want to find it, cause I'm lusting for this great sequencer/drummachine.

Pym · Posted: Wed Nov 16, 2011 2:23 pm Post subject:

One of the challenges I've found as I've started programming some basic drum sounds (if you haven't heard my set of all-analog kicks/snares you can check them out here: http://soundcloud.com/iampym/sets/tempest-samples/) is the freedom of the voice architecture makes it somewhat more difficult to dial in certain types of behavior while much more simple to do others. I think my snares could be a lot more punchy and will probably do another pass at it, that exercise was more trying to achieve a snare type tone and texture with just the analog oscillators, LFOs, Mods and envelopes (no digital samples, no noise) which is much harder than it sounds.

With 5 envelopes and a lot of precise control on the way parameters move around you have a ton of flexibility to add more 'punch', more sub, more click, more whatever. The envelopes are more responsive and quick than any of our previous products and when you combine that with the mod slots to create exponential curves on the envelopes, you get a ton of precision. Like anything else it's a matter of who is programming the sounds and beat. The arrangement changes the feel, the choice of sounds and the way you dial in certain parameters. As an example, the kicks I posted leave the highpass open whereas for my own beats I normally close the highpass slightly to remove the low end energy from the transient and first ~100ms or more to give more focus to the 'thump'.

There's no question in my mind that the box can do what you're asking but it may be a little bit before someone dials in what you're looking for. Wish we had more time to work the demos/presets out with more variety but it's out in the wild now. When I played a couple of my demos, unprocessed and dry straight from the box, on a huge set of well dialed function one speakers, there was no question in anybody's mind that is was punchy and huge.

If you can give me an example of an unprocessed (no external compression or EQ) sound that you think is particularly punchy I'll see what I can do to get a couple samples up. I was planning on doing another pass on my kicks to add some of the stuff I learned while doing the snares.

jenamu6 · Posted: Wed Nov 16, 2011 5:12 pm Post subject:

I listened to your kicks.....and some of them are very good....but some of them also seem a bit....mmmm too (it;s difficult to describe sounds)....tiddy (as in clean).

I don't know how to call it.....some sort of missing rudeness.....oomph....less friendly.
I've had loads of drummachine(sold them all....stupid me) and they all have a certain slamming character...... TOM, 808, DR55, LINNdrum, drumtracks....

Like they hit you in the face and stumach at the same time.
Up to now, .....to me the tempest sounds like a synth trying to do drums.

I appreciate your efforts.....but I'll probably have to hear it IRL to make a real judgement. I live next to a very big music store, but they don't have it yet.

If I hear feel the magic in the sound, I'll buy it instantly.......cause the sequencer is so very playable. (will it be possible to sequence other stuff with it?)

dan_p · Posted: Sat Nov 19, 2011 8:15 am Post subject:

I don't think I can hold off any-more, the GAS is getting too strong..........

jenamu6 · Posted: Sat Nov 19, 2011 9:31 am Post subject:

So dan_p ain't you worried about the sound?

All the demo's I've heard and seen, show a great sequencer with so so sounds.

drewtoothpaste · Posted: Sat Nov 19, 2011 5:47 pm Post subject:

It doesn't sync to MIDI hahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahah

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHHAHAH

CAN'T BREATHE

drewtoothpaste · Posted: Sat Nov 19, 2011 9:01 pm Post subject:

(THREE HOURS PASS)

hahaAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAhahahah

b3nsf · Posted: Sat Nov 19, 2011 9:04 pm Post subject:

I heard the new OS has midi sync, finally. anybody confirm? Guinness ftw!

Pym · Posted: Sun Nov 20, 2011 12:24 am Post subject:

Yes, MIDI Sync is working in the beta OS. We released it under a month after the production release and before all the pre-ordered hardware had even been shipped out.

I wasn't happy with the sync response and wanted to do a serious take on the code before releasing it which is the big reason we left it out of the initial hardware release. I have very high standards to begin with and even more so when it comes to the sequencer since I coded it from scratch and it has Roger Linn's name on it. High bar. I think most people would agree it was worth a few weeks without sync to make sure the timing was rock solid.

Pym · Posted: Sun Nov 20, 2011 12:32 am Post subject:

I was using an EXTREMELY limited palette to make those kicks... no digital oscillators, limited modulations. Clean sub bass is important to make sure they sound great on big speakers so I avoided a lot of effects and mods that I would normally use to add character to a sound to keep the sub clean. The big point of the exercise was to show that the fundamentals are there... you can make very clean, very powerful kick drums and from there you have tons of ways you can go to dirty it up.

Either way I plan on doing another set of kicks pretty soon. Those will definitely be dirty.

dan_p · Posted: Sun Nov 20, 2011 5:45 am Post subject:

jenamu6 · Posted: Sun Nov 20, 2011 6:02 am Post subject:

analog604 · Posted: Mon Nov 21, 2011 12:00 pm Post subject:

MIDI Sync in the 1.02 beta is working well.

I had this up and running with Ableton for a set on Sunday morning and played beats+sounds the whole way through. It remained synced as I changed the master BPM.

Thanks Pym!

analog604 · Posted: Mon Nov 21, 2011 12:08 pm Post subject:

Check out one of these up close, it has no problem with punch or volume at all and will cut right through the mix with the right patch programming. I had to turn the Tempest master volume down while playing alongside next to some of my mastered tracks.

I think all of the Youtube videos as much as I appreciate them need a whole shaker of salt! encoding is not so great.

jenamu6 · Posted: Mon Nov 21, 2011 12:14 pm Post subject:

Ok that's good news....how does it stand up next to your modular(if you have one) screaming goo yo

analog604 · Posted: Mon Nov 21, 2011 12:26 pm Post subject:

That I don't know yet, because my modular consists of mostly completed circuit boards not connected to power just yet.. : ) sooon, very soon.

Also I've had the Tempest only since last Wednesday so I had to learn it and then integrate it into a live performance in two days. I very nearly left it at home to keep it safe, but took the chance and all worked out well.

Bath House · Posted: Mon Nov 21, 2011 1:02 pm Post subject:

I've had my Tempest for the past half-week and I'm in love with it. I've previously used a Dotcom modular and a Vermona DRM1 mk3 for my drum sounds, and this thing really allows me to go above and beyond those guys. It's definitely got PUNCH - I'll be posting a few soundcloud samples tonight that are stupidly punchy and cutting - and it's so ridiculously deep. I will admit that most of the stuff I've seen people do with it online isn't really representative of what it's capable of and most of the preset sounds are pretty pillowy and weak (not hating - I'm just really into that raw Human League "Reproduction" vibe).