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Ambient/Post-Rock/Textural bass playing thread
- Thread starter ttasselm
- Start date
Thoughts on the Explorer vs Desktop models? I’m not much of a keys player, but I’m also not a huge fan of learning another push button layout.
The Desktop’s extra knobs and screen layout look nicer. The CV in/out also is looks good too.
The PolyAT keyboard of the Explorer is interesting. I can’t find a ton of uses for it as a midi controller. There’s MPE stuff out there but I’ve read that PolyAT is a little different and not as common. Still, it could be a nice attribute to have and the Explorer keys might be easier to use than the Desktop pads. I feel like I might be more inclined to plug in the Explorer and play it than I would be connecting the Desktop to a sequencer or external keyboard.
sure:
poly at is great cause you can route it to all sorts of things in the extensive modulation matrix. if other synths can accept as a mod source, you’re good. you can also drive it to the cv outs, iirc.
the desktop pads are poly at (iirc)
imo, the push-button menu stuff is not crazy (more mac than pc).
the sonic possibilities are very good. you can go crazy, but you don’t have to. however, if you’re looking for super “old school analog goodness,” you can approximate stuff (using stuff on the voice page), but it won’t be exact.
microtonal/alternate scale possibilities are very nice to have.
explorer had battery power capability.
they share the same engine; the desktop’s extra knobs make things a little quicker.
Dang. I was all geared up for a Hydrasynth and then Perfect Circuit dropped a sale price on the Frap Tools Brenso complex oscillator.
I had been watching Hydra videos to get my head around what it does and how so I could hit the ground running with a little momentum. I’m definitely interested in it but I haven’t fallen in love with anything I’ve heard, and Perfect Circuit doesn’t have a floor model to demo.
I keep an eye on Frap Tools stuff though it’s usually a little pricey, cramped and opaque with controls. When I saw the Brenso sale I decided to watch a demo video and I immediately heard sounds I wanted to explore. The Brenso oscillator alone is the price of a Hydra complete with keys and effects and filters and modulators. Yet somehow my ears and brain are distracted my the oscillator.
Fortunately I’m not in a rush to buy anything. I’ve even still got lingering thoughts about the Fourm and a few soft synths I have trial versions of, like Pigments and Serum.
On the plus side, I’m pretty GAS free for basses and effects pedals. I have been eyeing the TwoNotes Opus, the HX Stomp, and Darkglass Anagram. The demos haven’t convinced me the hardware is better than laptop DAW plugins, but I’m still curious. Has anyone here Kicked the tires on an Anagram?
I had been watching Hydra videos to get my head around what it does and how so I could hit the ground running with a little momentum. I’m definitely interested in it but I haven’t fallen in love with anything I’ve heard, and Perfect Circuit doesn’t have a floor model to demo.
I keep an eye on Frap Tools stuff though it’s usually a little pricey, cramped and opaque with controls. When I saw the Brenso sale I decided to watch a demo video and I immediately heard sounds I wanted to explore. The Brenso oscillator alone is the price of a Hydra complete with keys and effects and filters and modulators. Yet somehow my ears and brain are distracted my the oscillator.
Fortunately I’m not in a rush to buy anything. I’ve even still got lingering thoughts about the Fourm and a few soft synths I have trial versions of, like Pigments and Serum.
On the plus side, I’m pretty GAS free for basses and effects pedals. I have been eyeing the TwoNotes Opus, the HX Stomp, and Darkglass Anagram. The demos haven’t convinced me the hardware is better than laptop DAW plugins, but I’m still curious. Has anyone here Kicked the tires on an Anagram?
All still here, I see. I need to stop by more often.
So much catching up to do... @monsterthompson - not like you need my endorsement with @steubig and his long-standing love of the Hydra, but lemme also give it a ringing endorsement. Since I've been doing the live stuff with synth shows, it's a constant in it. Those poly AT pads are just amazing. I hardly ever use it with a keyboard. The only thing I think that could be better is the reverbs and delays, but they're still quite usable.
So it's been a nuts year for me, as somehow, without my permission and knowledge
, I'm getting regularly booked synth gigs in the Boston area. Like, really good shows. I somehow managed to make great contacts with two of the more well-known artists and producers down there over the last year, and am somehow doing some really good shows. I did one at the Cambridge Foundry that was full-capacity a few months ago, and last month one of the producers invited me to his private party... 14 acts and 7 hours, on the third floor of an old coffin factory. It gets into the sequence stuff around the 4 minute mark. Going for a more cinematic/Berlin vibe than my gray drony stuff.
Next month, I'm the featured artist at some ambient tea lounge thing, I managed to get on an electronic music festival in Brattleboro VT and I have a few other things in the works, too. It's been kind of strange, as I never set out to perform, I just was going to be a recording artist. I've switched over to ableton, which has made things a bit easier. It's a lot of work to put together a 30 min or hour long seamless set, but the more I do it, the better I'm getting at it.
The synth scene is so diverse... lots of heavy stuff and noise, mostly modular folks, but every event I've played, all of the artists have been welcoming and even some of the artists who play the brutal stuff have been watching and complimenting my set. I was a bit worried about that whole aspect being an ambient guy and a guy who also uses keyboards and chords and all that, but if anything, I think people appreciate it because it's not as common as the modular stuff. It's been hard reworking my recorded work into a live context (unless I just wanna put them in and put a few things over them, but I don't wanna do that). I've been using the opportunity to do more sequenced/Berlin School and cinematic ambient stuff, which is the direction I've been moving anyway. Only downside is Boston's a 3+ hour drive for me, but if I'm only doing it once a month and playing great shows, it's worth it. One of those artists mentioned doing a small northeast tour so hopefully that pans out, too. Exciting time for me, even as the world goes to crap.
How you all doin'?
So much catching up to do... @monsterthompson - not like you need my endorsement with @steubig and his long-standing love of the Hydra, but lemme also give it a ringing endorsement. Since I've been doing the live stuff with synth shows, it's a constant in it. Those poly AT pads are just amazing. I hardly ever use it with a keyboard. The only thing I think that could be better is the reverbs and delays, but they're still quite usable.
So it's been a nuts year for me, as somehow, without my permission and knowledge
, I'm getting regularly booked synth gigs in the Boston area. Like, really good shows. I somehow managed to make great contacts with two of the more well-known artists and producers down there over the last year, and am somehow doing some really good shows. I did one at the Cambridge Foundry that was full-capacity a few months ago, and last month one of the producers invited me to his private party... 14 acts and 7 hours, on the third floor of an old coffin factory. It gets into the sequence stuff around the 4 minute mark. Going for a more cinematic/Berlin vibe than my gray drony stuff.Next month, I'm the featured artist at some ambient tea lounge thing, I managed to get on an electronic music festival in Brattleboro VT and I have a few other things in the works, too. It's been kind of strange, as I never set out to perform, I just was going to be a recording artist. I've switched over to ableton, which has made things a bit easier. It's a lot of work to put together a 30 min or hour long seamless set, but the more I do it, the better I'm getting at it.
The synth scene is so diverse... lots of heavy stuff and noise, mostly modular folks, but every event I've played, all of the artists have been welcoming and even some of the artists who play the brutal stuff have been watching and complimenting my set. I was a bit worried about that whole aspect being an ambient guy and a guy who also uses keyboards and chords and all that, but if anything, I think people appreciate it because it's not as common as the modular stuff. It's been hard reworking my recorded work into a live context (unless I just wanna put them in and put a few things over them, but I don't wanna do that). I've been using the opportunity to do more sequenced/Berlin School and cinematic ambient stuff, which is the direction I've been moving anyway. Only downside is Boston's a 3+ hour drive for me, but if I'm only doing it once a month and playing great shows, it's worth it. One of those artists mentioned doing a small northeast tour so hopefully that pans out, too. Exciting time for me, even as the world goes to crap.
How you all doin'?
Also got a fretless 5 from Cliff Bordwell coming in Feb... Coffee Table Bass Trigger Warning,
So you’ve got the desktop with pads. That’s good feedback to get. Do you ever use the CV controls?
No, but only becase I don't really have any modular stuff (yet- I've met a great ambient modular person down there who may help me build a small rig). Maybe @steubig has? Sound design on it is really easy due to the workflow.
I'm going to do a "No New Gear Year" in 2026. GAS hasn't really been a *problem* as such, but I'm treating this more like an opportunity to get to know the gear I have better. Some of it I do know quite well, and some of it deserves a lot more exporation and deeper familiarity.
It's not going to be absolute, but here are my limits:
- Eurorack: maximum of 1 new module in 2026. I'm allowed to sell ONLY Xaoc Katowice to make room for it.
- Other hardware/instruments: no.
- Software synths: max of 1 new plugin.
- Software FX: max of 3 new plugins.
Exceptions:
- I've already preordered Joranalogue Walk 4, Fancy K-Accumulator, and Aodyo Loom, and already have two modules up for sale... so those don't count.
- Beta testing is fine.
- Free plugins... permitted but I'll resist proliferation.
It's not going to be absolute, but here are my limits:
- Eurorack: maximum of 1 new module in 2026. I'm allowed to sell ONLY Xaoc Katowice to make room for it.
- Other hardware/instruments: no.
- Software synths: max of 1 new plugin.
- Software FX: max of 3 new plugins.
Exceptions:
- I've already preordered Joranalogue Walk 4, Fancy K-Accumulator, and Aodyo Loom, and already have two modules up for sale... so those don't count.
- Beta testing is fine.
- Free plugins... permitted but I'll resist proliferation.
Anyone here tried the Two Notes Genome amps and cabs software? I was looking at the Opus pedal vs ToneX and the Genome software comes with the Opus. After a few demo vids, I’m somewhat tempted by just the Genome software.
Good luck with the NNGY thing, I'm not having a lot of luck with that. I ended up starting a job with some good pay a few months ago, and I've been going on a GAS rampage, lately. Don't tell my wife.
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I also wanted to make myself a small ambient/chaos rig that could be not only portable but battery-powered. Here it is, it's awesome. I am replacing the DD8 with an Empress Echosystem, though. I'll use a small Keystep as a controller, and I'll also trigger sequences and such from an Ipad. I did this in part because I wanted something more portable and easy to set up so I can go to synth meetups - it takes me sooooo long to break down/set up the gigging rig (two keyboards, mixer, 4 hardware synths +Ableton), and it's kinda pointless to do that to go to some meetup and play a 10 minute set. I also wanted the NYX to get away from presets and out of my comfort zone. Plus it's semi-modular.
NYX spotted!
Is that the new rerelease? I’ve still got my original and thought about picking up the rerelease for silly nostalgic reasons.
Yes it is. The NYX2, apparently, did not sell well, primarily because they changed the crazy reverb. I would have like more patch points like the 2 but the verb on this is such a smear machine.
The dual filter design and THAT reverb pair up for some great sounds. I wish that reverb was stereo. I considered buying the Crazy Tube Circuits reverb pedal back in the day just to have that sound available for other instruments in my collection.
I could be wrong but I believe the reissue has stereo verb. I have left and right outs.
That’s interesting. I forgot it has the headphone out so the stereo out makes sense. I’m curious if the output is true stereo or dual mono. Looks like a mono path to the VCA then the reverb.
Hey all,
I’m new to delay on bass. I want something that can do strong psychedelic vibey things for soloing over a funk band, but also sound lush and pretty for ambient moments. I also want good tap tempo and expression control over (at least) delay time. The Strymon Brig seems great, and it’s small too. Is that the one to get these days?
I’m new to delay on bass. I want something that can do strong psychedelic vibey things for soloing over a funk band, but also sound lush and pretty for ambient moments. I also want good tap tempo and expression control over (at least) delay time. The Strymon Brig seems great, and it’s small too. Is that the one to get these days?
T Rex Quint exchanged for a Cadillac option. The new Boss XS-100.
www.boss.info
It is over my head, and more than I need. I almost went for the smaller XS-1, but I wanted a few options on the big boy. I’m not in love, and there are a few things I wish it did with smart diatonic harmony. Perhaps there will be a firmware update. I will say that it is better than the Quint. I’m starting to get the features figured out and there’s a lot to like.
I almost went with the Meris Hedra, but was frightened off by the monophonic tracking and complaints about the shift/alt functions. I considered a few other options like the Pitch Fork. Ultimately, I figured Boss would be good at this, and buy once cry once.
BOSS - XS-100 | Poly Shifter
XS-100: Poly Shifter - Unrivaled Dynamic Pitch Expression
It is over my head, and more than I need. I almost went for the smaller XS-1, but I wanted a few options on the big boy. I’m not in love, and there are a few things I wish it did with smart diatonic harmony. Perhaps there will be a firmware update. I will say that it is better than the Quint. I’m starting to get the features figured out and there’s a lot to like.
I almost went with the Meris Hedra, but was frightened off by the monophonic tracking and complaints about the shift/alt functions. I considered a few other options like the Pitch Fork. Ultimately, I figured Boss would be good at this, and buy once cry once.
I have the brig on my worship board and love it. The Mxr Joshua ambient echo is deeply discounted at the moment and is just as good. Maybe better. I grabbed one on sale and am still learning it.
