Rossum Control Forge and Satellite

[dip_registered]

With the CF, can you set up to Quantize incoming signal for 1.2v /octave?

You can program it to remap incoming voltage to something else, so technically yes.

That’s true. So awesome. I’m going to go about writing a program for it. Thanks

Edit: is that what the BUCHLA CV preset actually does?
Edit 2: Nope. Just a sequence of set buchla level values

[OHEXOH]

Frustrating quirk, if the screensaver is active then pressing either TR1 or TR2 will not fire a trigger / gate as expected, instead it will wake the module from it's screensaver setting (you'll need to press TR1 or TR2 again to send that trigger).

So if you're in the middle of a recording or live set and you're relying on the CF to manually send a trigger / gate to make something awesome happen elsewhere in your patch... remember to check the state of the module and plan accordingly.

[sandubogi]

Am I being dense by not buying a used Control Forge but instead buying a brand new Acid Rain Maestro instead for the same price?
I'm just loving the immediate playability of the Maestro (specifically MUTE!) and the 6in/6out structure.
But I know the Control Forge is much more dense and capable. Help, my GAS is conflicted!

[titaanzink]

If the constraint is either, then the choice is between one channel of insane programmability (CF) and six channels of hands-on immediacy (AR). What's most important to you....?

[sandubogi]

If the constraint is either, then the choice is between one channel of insane programmability (CF) and six channels of hands-on immediacy (AR). What's most important to you....?

Yeah, that's why I keep leaning towards the Maestro, for that immediate play functionality. But since you all know the Control Forge much better than I do I wondered if there were some glaring items in the CF that are "must-haves" in your opinion. These might make me re-consider.

[mritenburg]

If the constraint is either, then the choice is between one channel of insane programmability (CF) and six channels of hands-on immediacy (AR). What's most important to you....?

Yeah, that's why I keep leaning towards the Maestro, for that immediate play functionality. But since you all know the Control Forge much better than I do I wondered if there were some glaring items in the CF that are "must-haves" in your opinion. These might make me re-consider.

I don’t consider these modules to even be comparable. The Acid Rain Maestro appears to be a complex, looping LFO where as the CF is a complex arbitrary function generator that blurs the distinction between pitch sequence, LFO, envelope generator, clock, pulser, etc. The Acid Rain Maestro doesn’t appear to support pitch sequences, doesn’t appear to support all of the conditional decisions the CF can make, nor does it appear to support jump targets, it doesn’t appear to be able to apply non-linear transforms to input voltages, it doesn’t appear to be able to make decisions on input gate states, etc, etc, etc. I’d have to go back and read the CF manual in detail to point out all of functionality the CF has over the Acid Rain Maestro.

Ultimately though, the answer lies in your individual preferences. Immediacy and simplicity of the Acid Rain Maestro versus the vastly deeper functionality and flexibility of the CF. In this context there is no right or wrong answer, only what you prefer.

[dBVelocity]

I'll add that CF can quantize a CV/ play a sequence in relation to the input, add in subtle to extreme random to taste, offers far more shapes and linking programs for incredibly more steps, and also runs at audio rates.

It takes time and effort to get results but the rewards are there.
The best approach for me is to get a basic template of your modulation and save that, make changes to it and save in another slot and repeat. Then tie the programs together in interesting ways with conditional jumps and it really starts to shine.

[sandubogi]

Thanks! I appreciate the feedback. Indeed the Control Forge is a much, much deeper module.
But I do think for my needs the Maestro is the better choice. Of course there's no telling what the future will hold and I'll be keeping my eye on the CF for certain.

[mritenburg]

also runs at audio rates

Right! Totally forgot about that. I even made a demo video a few years ago: