Moskwa + Ostankino V2 - Great lead sequencer, cool beatmaker.

Version two of the XAOC Moskwa sequencer came out roughly two years ago considering the launch video wave. I think I must have ignored it because of its 8-step appearance and I was looking for something with more channels. Building a live system has always been a challenge for me because after 10 minutes I always get a 'what's next' feeling. And then you just can't repatch, change modules and program a few new melodies and patterns. I have deep respect for people who drive an interesting patch for an hour. Moskwa doesn't seem to be of much help here, but the exact opposite is true. It's made for endless live improvisation and generic music that actually sounds like a real soloist. WMD's Arpitecht also shines with this, but Moskwa offers way more control and interaction. But still, it's can drive just one voice.

The Ostankino Expander adds tons of extra CV control to expand your generative capabilities, but the coolest addition is the gate pattern that fires at every stage. A cool beat doesn't need much, so the Ostankino can be a great minimal drum sequencer. The steps aren't steps, they're stages where each stage can have a lot of settings, even a microsequence. It supports eight presets and you could also load your own scales with the USB port (I was unable to get it to work). The 'bitmap patterns' are great for making breaks and counter-beats.

It's been a lot of fun to make this video and at the end I decided to get a second Moskwa+Ostankino combo. It's a lot of HP for just two voices, but it can help you make music for hours and hours, and amazing beats where the tweak of just one knob can change everything. It's not a review and definitely not a feature demo, but I can highly recommend it.


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