Scrotum Lab - Radio Music v3.1

batchas · Post by **batchas** » Sat Dec 15, 2018 12:37 am

DickMarker wrote:Mine just arrived, along with Tresses.

Many thanks Robert!

batchas · Post by **batchas** » Sat Dec 15, 2018 1:12 am

I mentioned in a recent post the fact that I modified the Chord Organ alternative firmware, so it can work on the Radio Music v3.1 module.

I'm updating the first post with links to the firmware files and important comments & instructions.

BTW I'm waiting for dip switches and small pots to finish making the modules.

T. Jervell · Post by **T. Jervell** » Tue Jan 08, 2019 1:28 pm

Quick and dirty video of the Radio Music I received yesterday.
DDSR triggers the Radio Music, and one of it’s CV outs is modulating the stations and one modulates pitch. Also, I hooked my Intellijel Planar to my Bugs for the first time in this patch. CV out to CV in on the PT-Delay and the other axis CV out to the filter of the DRM2. It was SOOO much fun, so I of course realized that I’m gonna be all over Tom’s joystick once it is for sale!!!
Well take it as it is, raw footage of someone enjoying themselved immensely

[video][/video]

batchas · Post by **batchas** » Tue Jan 08, 2019 2:45 pm

Thanx a lot for sharing

It's a really nice BugBrand system you have here.

T. Jervell · Post by **T. Jervell** » Wed Jan 09, 2019 2:31 am

Thank you Batchas! Yes I’m very happy with my system. Love the sounds and how «playable» it is. The Radio Music is a nice addition bringing in both the potential for percussive sounds, but also longer samples. Watching the video today I realize that it might not show the potential of either the module nor the system, but. I guess it somehow does showcase the enthusiasm from the user

batchas · Post by **batchas** » Sun Jan 20, 2019 8:19 am

Thanx for your comments. Very cool.

T. Jervell wrote:Thank you Batchas! Yes I’m very happy with my system. Love the sounds and how «playable» it is. The Radio Music is a nice addition bringing in both the potential for percussive sounds, but also longer samples.

Indeed very playable.
Often I power on the system and choose antoher bank. Maybe set a different tempo or a different pattern on Grilles and it's immediate fun.
Yesterday I didn't even changed anything. I powered the system on and I heard this:
[video][/video]
Link:
It was a surprise because the day before I was testing the "pitch=0" variable, so the pitch knob/cv selects the start point of the sample, not the pitch, so what came out was of course totally different (no change of pitch). And I forgot that I did put back "pitch=1" in the text file of the SD Card before leaving the studio.
Remarkable is that the drum loop was sortof playing in rhythm, no matter how the sample was changed.

Oh. Changing subject... I updated the first post in the thread and the links to firmware files in hex format, because this morning I also adapted the code of the Telharfauxnium alternative firmware, so now it can work with the Radio Music v3.1:
[video][/video]
Link:

pustule · Post by **pustule** » Mon Feb 04, 2019 4:50 pm

really awesome Batchas! Any chance you'll ever make any in Buchla format?

batchas · Post by **batchas** » Tue Feb 05, 2019 2:24 am

pustule wrote:really awesome Batchas! Any chance you'll ever make any in Buchla format?

Thank you pustule!!!
Actually the first RM I built was for my Buchla system.
I gave up at some point because of the panel I wanted to be perfect. Exactly the same, mostly silkscreen & brushed alu. Paid a lot for something I was not totally happy with (not the panel I'm showing here but the one I did for the Flopseq).
Today I know a bit more about DIY, circuit, production, but I took a some distance with the Buchla system...
Plus TBH I'm too slow to make all the things I think would be cool to be done on Buchla and Serge.
Before moving to other projects I need to finish the few things I started. Still waiting for panels or PCBs.

pustule · Post by **pustule** » Tue Feb 05, 2019 9:48 am

Wow, that really looks/sounds great if you ask me ;-) But I know how it's easy to get discouraged with DIY stuff.
I'll just hope that you someday revisit your work with this for the Buchla! I think it'd be a really nice addition.

T. Jervell · Post by **T. Jervell** » Wed Feb 06, 2019 5:24 am

Nice videos and sounds, Batchas (a per ususal

)

werock · Post by **werock** » Thu Feb 14, 2019 9:44 am

Here's one in Black with minijacks, thanks to Robert for a great module

batchas · Post by **batchas** » Sun Sep 22, 2019 10:08 am

I was testing 2 new Radio Music sequenced by Grilles the last day and randomly selecting samples, the result was fun

[video][/video]
Link:

The end of the jam session while adding more elements is more... ... ... weird

[video][/video]
Link:

batchas · Post by **batchas** » Tue Sep 24, 2019 6:44 am

This was the end of the session. More chaotic

syncretism · Post by **syncretism** » Fri Nov 01, 2019 8:53 pm

Any other RM users, here? I'd love to hear some more feedback.
I'm told the RM has a few different behaviors, depending on the firmware installed. Is the 3.1/3.2 version here essentially "one-shot" samples? A "trig" in suggests that there's no sustain and it likely doesn't read loop points. This is all well and good; I'm interested in it more as a one-shot thing, and the .ini-style directives suit me just fine. I'm looking for ways to bring my location recordings into the modular while freeing up those BugBrand dual amplifier channels for other uses.

T. Jervell · Post by **T. Jervell** » Sat Nov 02, 2019 3:23 am

syncretism wrote:Any other RM users, here? I'd love to hear some more feedback.
I'm told the RM has a few different behaviors, depending on the firmware installed. Is the 3.1/3.2 version here essentially "one-shot" samples? A "trig" in suggests that there's no sustain and it likely doesn't read loop points. This is all well and good; I'm interested in it more as a one-shot thing, and the .ini-style directives suit me just fine. I'm looking for ways to bring my location recordings into the modular while freeing up those BugBrand dual amplifier channels for other uses.

I guess Batchas will chime in, but yes you can use the RM as a one-shot sample player. A few changes in the code will however also open up for playing samples as loops etc. And you’ve got control over pitch etc.

DickMarker · Post by **DickMarker** » Sat Nov 02, 2019 2:01 pm

syncretism wrote:Any other RM users, here? I'd love to hear some more feedback.
I'm told the RM has a few different behaviors, depending on the firmware installed. Is the 3.1/3.2 version here essentially "one-shot" samples? A "trig" in suggests that there's no sustain and it likely doesn't read loop points. This is all well and good; I'm interested in it more as a one-shot thing, and the .ini-style directives suit me just fine. I'm looking for ways to bring my location recordings into the modular while freeing up those BugBrand dual amplifier channels for other uses.

I've been using mine to get field recordings into the modular frame - works well, although as you have to raise the sample's volume to compete with modular levels, it works best with stuff that doesn't have a high noise floor that you can boost before loading on the SD card (unless of course you're not super concerned about hi fidelity!).
I'm using it with whatever the default firmware supplied is, which suits playing one shot samples. I used to have a euro version which was set up slightly differently but I think these parameters are easily changed. The pitch function is effing awesome - it replaces being able to start a sample from different points, which is very useful but I prefer playing with the pitch. I think Batchas did a post on how to switch between these two functions.

syncretism · Post by **syncretism** » Sun Nov 03, 2019 9:28 pm

Thanks for this. Another question for y’all: if you’re normalizing samples for modular use, what’s a good target loudness, in your experience?

DickMarker · Post by **DickMarker** » Mon Nov 04, 2019 6:18 am

syncretism wrote:Thanks for this. Another question for y’all: if you’re normalizing samples for modular use, what’s a good target loudness, in your experience?

I'm actually finding this a bit of a quandary - I think if you're using the RM for short, percussive samples, you can squeeze them right up to -1 dbfs (which I think was Tom Whitwell's original advice regarding normalization) and they'll sound alright, but with longer, more intricate stuff, this can compromise their quality. I also have a problem that my main device for field recording only records in stereo, and I then have to render clips as mono to play them on the RM, which can also not always sound good.

I'm still working out best practise but:
1. Record in mono wherever possible
2. Try to record as loud as possible to avoid having to do too much fiddling with normalization after the fact.
3. I use Audacity to convert audio clips to .raw files, but Reaper is my main DAW, that I work better in, so I do all preparatory work in Reaper (filtering, limiting etc) and then export to Audacity for conversion.

I made some pieces recently where I had normalized them to about -6dbfs and was processing them through the COF, which ended up working quite well.

This is just my experience thus far - it can be a bit trial and error depending on your source material - if any folks have other advice, I'd love to hear it!

syncretism · Post by **syncretism** » Mon Nov 04, 2019 9:05 am

DickMarker, your input here is invaluable. Thank you!
I’m expecting the same challenges - percussion, sound effects and the like will probably be quite easy, while the stuff I record in the wild (typically stereo) will require more work. I may just keep the stereo stuff totally separate and record mono sounds specifically for the RM. I guess I’ll see in a couple weeks!

DickMarker · Post by **DickMarker** » Mon Nov 04, 2019 4:16 pm

You're most welcome - keen to hear how you get on with it.

batchas · Post by **batchas** » Thu Nov 07, 2019 11:46 am

Back from Switzerland and reading posts from november only now.

Can't add much to the answers from T. Jervell & DickMarker. Merci les amis

Except maybe about the mono aspect.
Did you try with stereo files in .wav format?
Info on Github.
The files I'm giving with the SD Card on the RM are in .wav format and stereo (a few voice or effect samples might be mono, cause they are very old, but most are stereo).

syncretism · Post by **syncretism** » Thu Nov 07, 2019 11:59 am

Thanks, batchas! I hadn’t seen that. That’s great news; the stuff I collect with my handheld recorder can just get dumped onto the card with a little less work.

MUFF WIGGLER

MUFF WIGGLER

Scrotum Lab - Radio Music v3.1