Скачать или смотреть First Play: CZ-VCO & Strakal Brulu

First play with these two modules, also testing whether the camera still works. CZ-VCO'S EASTER EGG IN THE DESCRIPTION.

PATCH NOTES

Clocked and sequenced from Ableton Live using the Arturia MicroBrute as sound source and as CV interface for the CZ-VCO.

The two voices go into the Optomix (used as dual VCA) and on into the Pittsburgh Modular MIX3, which isn't more than a buffered mult to feed the two inputs on the Tiptop Audio Z-DSP.

The Z-DSP is my end-of-chain reverb and running the Valhalla card, obvs.

Maschine and Mutable Instruments Peaks supply the drums (the latter being sequenced from the Beatstep Pro).



VOICE 1: CZ-VCO

MicroBrute Pitch Out → CZ-VCO 1V/O
CZ-VCO Out → Optomix → PGH MIX3 → Z-DSP
Mutable Instruments Tides → CZ-VCO Mod Index

DSP Modular's CZ-VCO houses their own CZ1 chip, a phase distortion oscillator reminiscent (or even a proper clone?) of Casio's CZ synths.

I could only get it to track in about two octaves and it does behave rather weirdly, but I did manage to make it play along.

Even with 10V the CV Mod Index didn't sweep the whole index range I can get at with the knob, which is odd. Plus it went silent at times, maybe mine is somehow damaged, something to sort out later.

As for the easter egg: The module has a simple on-board digital VCA, which really only works with gate signals I presume. But - and this is great - right on the threshold between switching on and off the output goes bonkers, total digital glitch out. In the video, this starts at 4:10.


VOICE 2: TouellSkouarn's Strakal Brulu

MicroBrute → Strakal Brulu → Optomix → PGH MIX3 → Z-DSP
Doepfer A-143-4 triangle LFO → Strakal Brulu CV

I had built the Strakal Brulu recently, but didn't test or play it until now, hence this dirty double feature.

This voice's source is simple, though - the MicroBrute starts as a filtered down pluck sound, in the course of the track the filter opens and the envelope lengthens to give the Strakal Brulu more to chew on.

The change CV into the Strakal Brulu has given me was minimal, this might be due to calibration at this point, so the LFO doesn't really do much.

The Strakal Brulu is immensely playable, ironically the CV input is the least effective bit about it, while the other knobs offer a great expressive range of distortion.