Intellijel Shifty

circuitburst · Post by **circuitburst** » Fri Jan 20, 2017 1:00 am

I'm starting this new topic for the recently announced Intellijel Shifty module. Danjel from Intellijel discusses this module for a couple minutes in this Sonicstate NAMM video (from 5:50 to 8:05):

As I understand, the module accepts a CV sequence as an input and has 4 CV and 4 Gate outputs. The CV outputs can be routed to oscillator 1V/Oct inputs. Each oscillator takes a turn playing the next step in the sequence.

Danjel says the estimated price is $159.

From the video the module looks to be around 6-8 HP.

I'm really interested in this module and looking forward learning more about it.

MossGarden · Post by **MossGarden** » Fri Jan 20, 2017 4:54 am

This module caught my attention too, looks to be a really cool idea and would work well in a small system to spread a sequence across many modules. Color me excited

Plumbstone · Post by **Plumbstone** » Fri Jan 20, 2017 6:25 am

Looks great but doesn't Ornament n Crime's copiermaschine do this already? I do like the switches for direction/random/number of outs etc though. Seems like they would make it more playable which is always a good thing.

circuitburst · Post by **circuitburst** » Fri Jan 20, 2017 10:20 am

Plumbstone wrote:Looks great but doesn't Ornament n Crime's copiermaschine do this already?

Ornament and Crime definitely has an ASR, which is described below. However, it has only 4 outputs instead of Shifty's 8 outputs. So with Shifty I think you can get 4 CV and 4 Gate outs simultaneously, while that's not possible with O+C.
https://github.com/mxmxmx/O_C/wiki/Orna ... ermaschine

I don't own O+C, so maybe someone who does can provide a comparison to Shifty after watching Danjel's demo.

intellijel · Post by **intellijel** » Fri Jan 20, 2017 11:03 am

In voice allocate mode (VOICES 2-4) the direction switches are for UP, DOWN, PINGPONG and RANDOM

In Shift Register mode (SR) the directions are UP, DOWN, TOGGLE (via reset) and SCATTER.

Firmware updateable by USB so if there are some interesting alternative modes of functionality or special features we will be open to adding them.

6HP
$159

YouTube · Post by **Kent** » Fri Jan 20, 2017 11:50 am

I still don't understand how this thing is intended to be used and of service in system. Can you give us an example at some point in time?

Perhaps when you are back and settled in from NAMM, you and the team can knock out an explanatory, non-Richard-Devine-style, demo or two. He's a good musician but his demos don't shed much in the way of light.

Deathlehem · Post by **Deathlehem** » Fri Jan 20, 2017 11:55 am

intellijel wrote:

6HP
$159

Looking forward to the availability of THIS module! Shall be my 1st Intellijel.

Post by **Paranormal Patroler** » Fri Jan 20, 2017 12:15 pm

SewerBadger wrote:I still don't understand how this thing is intended to be used and of service in system. Can you give us an example at some point in time?

Perhaps when you are back and settled in from NAMM, you and the team can knock out an explanatory, non-Richard-Devine-style, demo or two. He's a good musician but his demos don't shed much in the way of light.

It's exactly how a midipal has that app where each note can be spread out to a different midi channel and therefore to a different synth voice. With this each note can go to a different oscillator + vca pair. It is a quadruple T&H so it makes your monophonic line into polyphonic line, like an ASR or whatnot.
A pair of CV & Gate inputs, four Gate & CV outputs. Each incoming gate triggers a switch to the next voice, while the last voice holds the note it played. Fairly simple I would say, no ?

If you have an 8 step melodic line that goes C D E F G A B C the first voice would go C G, second would go D A, third E B, fourth F C. And then you have other ways of going about the notes depending on the second switch setting.

slow_riot · Post by **slow_riot** » Fri Jan 20, 2017 12:21 pm

SewerBadger wrote:I still don't understand how this thing is intended to be used and of service in system. Can you give us an example at some point in time?

ASR example:

[video][/video]

Post by **Paranormal Patroler** » Fri Jan 20, 2017 12:37 pm

slow_riot wrote:
SewerBadger wrote:I still don't understand how this thing is intended to be used and of service in system. Can you give us an example at some point in time?
ASR example

I think he (KFW) infamously used a Max/Min module for the Generator pieces. No ?

WIZARDISHUNGRY · Post by **WIZARDISHUNGRY** » Fri Jan 20, 2017 12:38 pm

Ah, I'll be not getting a Doepfer A-152 for my system built around the synthesis tech quad morphing terrarium

Bigsteak · Post by **Bigsteak** » Fri Jan 20, 2017 12:41 pm

SewerBadger wrote:I still don't understand how this thing is intended to be used and of service in system. Can you give us an example at some point in time?

Perhaps when you are back and settled in from NAMM, you and the team can knock out an explanatory, non-Richard-Devine-style, demo or two. He's a good musician but his demos don't shed much in the way of light.

I believe you send your gate and 1v/oct signal into shifty and then it distributes it to each gate/cv output sequentially, which is connected to your modules. So every note would go to a different oscillator.

WIZARDISHUNGRY · Post by **WIZARDISHUNGRY** » Fri Jan 20, 2017 12:44 pm

I'm already getting greedy and longing for CV control over order

chapelier fou · Post by **chapelier fou** » Fri Jan 20, 2017 12:45 pm

That's funny, i just made this exactly with Teletype.
I love the concept.

Post by **Paranormal Patroler** » Fri Jan 20, 2017 12:49 pm

WIZARDISHUNGRY wrote:I'm already getting greedy and longing for CV control over order

You just posted that you won't be getting the module that has CV control

I'm not following.

brandonlogic · Post by **brandonlogic** » Fri Jan 20, 2017 1:06 pm

circuitburst wrote:
Plumbstone wrote:Looks great but doesn't Ornament n Crime's copiermaschine do this already?
Ornament and Crime definitely has an ASR, which is described below. However, it has only 4 outputs instead of Shifty's 8 outputs. So with Shifty I think you can get 4 CV and 4 Gate outs simultaneously, while that's not possible with O+C.
https://github.com/mxmxmx/O_C/wiki/Orna ... ermaschine

I don't own O+C, so maybe someone who does can provide a comparison to Shifty after watching Danjel's demo.

yeah from what i can tell, o and c or any four stage shift register plus a 1:4 sequential switch to handle gates/pulses (or some other gate sequencer) you could patch up similar basic functionality. more hp though of course.

mxmxmx · Post by **mxmxmx** » Fri Jan 20, 2017 1:33 pm

Paranormal Patroler wrote:
slow_riot wrote:
SewerBadger wrote:I still don't understand how this thing is intended to be used and of service in system. Can you give us an example at some point in time?
ASR example

I think he (KFW) infamously used a Max/Min module for the Generator pieces. No ?

i'm pretty sure it must have been an ASR ( ... or that's what i've believed when drawing up the first versions of OC in 2010 or so ... which was basically just code running on an ADDAC VCC, plan B model 23s being in scarce supply back then)

cryptogreen · Post by **cryptogreen** » Fri Jan 20, 2017 1:43 pm

Finally I can recreate an Oberheim 4-voice! (kinda)

Post by **Paranormal Patroler** » Fri Jan 20, 2017 2:03 pm

mxmxmx wrote:i'm pretty sure it must have been an ASR ( ... or that's what i've believed when drawing up the first versions of OC in 2010 or so ... which was basically just code running on an ADDAC VCC, plan B model 23s being in scarce supply back then)

I read it in two places, one of which was definitely in MW when discussing the Max/Min. Funny that the O+C was inspired by Keith though, so was the Turing Machine. Does that make Generators the best modular album we have right now ?

I'm not being glib here, it has inspired two great modules and to the best of my knowledge he made the album using "classic" composition methods (ASRs are quite standard in my book if that's what he used indeed) but the result is far from being stereotypical of the modular sound. The morphing between the different patterns does indicate something other than an ASR, at least to my ears and I've had great results using Max/Min to "merge" sequences.. Earlier photos show a Doepfer setup more or less. It's worth investigating. Thanks for posting this, you made me smile.

joem · Post by **joem** » Fri Jan 20, 2017 4:28 pm

Paranormal Patroler wrote:Funny that the O+C was inspired by Keith though, so was the Turing Machine. Does that make Generators the best modular album we have right now ?

For me, it was one of the main reasons I got into modular synths. I've been a fan of KFW since back in the Hrvatski days (even played at a few of the same shows in Boston back in the day), so I always check out his releases. When I heard Generators, I was blown away, had to know how he made it. Found out it was with modular synths, which until that moment I had been completely ignoring as something that probably wouldn't interest me. Now I can't imagine any other way...

Back to the Shifty, though... I'm into it. I've been considering all the different available ASRs for a while, but this is the first one that's really jumped out at me as one that I want. Between the size, the design (overall, not just graphic), and the features, it really does it for me.

joem · Post by **joem** » Fri Jan 20, 2017 4:34 pm

A small plea to Dan/Intellijel re: updatable firmware... Please don't release too many firmware updates. I'm no analog purist, but I hate having to constantly update software on my phone and computer, and really don't want to do that for my modular, too.

restlessboy · Post by **restlessboy** » Fri Jan 20, 2017 5:27 pm

This is a no brainer module for me, I think it'll do something I've been trying to figure out how to do with WMD SSM.

A question:

Say I've four VCOs being addressed by a sequencer via shifty. VCO 1 gets sent a voltage to play a C, then shifty moves to VCO 2 for the next note etc. What happens to the 1v/oct input of the first VCO - will it stay on C, or will it revert back to whatever voltage it would be set at if there was no input to be v/oct?

Or to put it another way, are the voltage outputs held at the same level until another trigger input is received?

Thanks

tuj · Post by **tuj** » Fri Jan 20, 2017 5:58 pm

restlessboy wrote: Or to put it another way, are the voltage outputs held at the same level until another trigger input is received?

They have to be (to play chords, etc), otherwise you could just mult the oscillators 1v/oct all together.

YouTube · Post by **luketeaford** » Fri Jan 20, 2017 6:52 pm

As a huge fan of my sequential switch and ASRs generally, this looks really exciting!

I have an idea for what I think would be a KILLER FEATURE, if I may: software can make the reset behavior alternate between reset and sliding the ORDER switch.

Ideally it should cap it at the selected stage so that if order is DOWN, reset just resets. If reset is UP, it toggles between UP and DOWN but does not change the stage, and so on.

I will pick this up either way! Great work!

Dcramer · Post by **Dcramer** » Fri Jan 20, 2017 8:03 pm

I've been doing these kinds of things with the A-152, which will support up to eight gates and eight CV outs and gives you clocked or CV control over stage.
Shifty looks cool though because it has several different modes and I believe it will hold the output voltages without drooping over time.

MUFF WIGGLER

MUFF WIGGLER

Intellijel Shifty

Intellijel Shifty