The Noodlevolt Fidget Spinner Prototype Version is a unique module that adds a mesmerizing touch to your Eurorack setup. This manual LFO features a vactrol-controlled attenuator, which offers organic modulation and gritty FM tones. What sets this module apart is its analog circuit, which responds differently compared to similar designs that use digital light or distance sensors. With the Noodlevolt Fidget Spinner, you can achieve audio rate modulation and create gritty FM tones by simply spinning the spinner. This module is entirely custom and has been carefully hand-wired and tested for the highest quality.
Joining the Noodlevolt Fidget Spinner is the Mosaic Hi Hat, a DSP drum voice that takes your hat sounds to the next level. With this module, you can morph your cymbal sounds from the familiar to the far out, thanks to its macro control over timbre, decay, and noise. The Mosaic Hi Hat also offers CV control over these parameters, allowing for even more sonic exploration. Additionally, it features a trig button for manual Hi Hat triggers and an LED sound indicator for visual feedback. If you're looking to add unique and versatile cymbal sounds to your Eurorack setup, the Mosaic Hi Hat is a fantastic choice.
To bring sequencing and control capabilities into the mix, we have the Malekko Heavy Industry Varigate 8+. This compact sequencer and control station are designed to be the ultimate tool to create songs and live performance material in your Eurorack modular system. With eight gate channels and up to 16 steps per channel, you have plenty of room for creative sequencing. The Varigate 8+ also offers two independent CV outputs, allowing for custom scale quantization. With 100 channel presets and a song mode, you can easily recall and arrange your sequences. The Varigate 8+ also includes random functions, mute functions, and a variety of other features that make it a powerful tool for Eurorack musicians.
Last but not least, we have the ALM Busy Circuits Tyso Daiko, a dual 12-bit digital wavetable drum voice. This module offers full voltage control over its twin voices, which are independently triggered and output. The Tyso Daiko excels at creating a wide range of drum sounds, thanks to its swept wavetable oscillator and analog EQ output path. One voice is output through a voltage-controlled analog tilt EQ, which allows you to emphasize upper or lower frequencies. The other voice is output through a digital wavefolder, adding increasing timbre complexity up to noise. With accent input, independent voice control, and a range of modulation possibilities, the Tyso Daiko opens up a world of possibilities for percussion sounds in your Eurorack setup.
To further spice up your sound palette, we include the Patching Panda Particles module. This module provides four channels of trigger modulation and pattern variation design. With a combination of features, you can mathematically variate and manipulate your patterns, transforming rhythmic ideas into complex and groovy patterns. Whether you're looking to create intricate breaks, evolving percussion sounds, or unique arpeggios, the Particles module has you covered. You can shift and scramble outputs, repeat triggers with different time signatures, mute channels, and much more. The possibilities are only limited by your imagination.
With this Eurorack mashup, the combination of Noodlevolt Fidget Spinner, Mosaic Hi Hat, Varigate 8+, Tyso Daiko, and Particles modules, you can dive into a world of spinning, morphing, and grooving sounds. From gritty FM tones to morphing cymbals, intricate sequencer patterns, and a wide range of percussion possibilities, this combination of modules is sure to inspire your creativity and take your Eurorack builds to new heights.
Example Usage
In this beginner-level usage example, let's explore how you can create a dynamic drum pattern using the Noodlevolt, Mosaic, Varigate, and Tyso Daiko modules in a eurorack setup.
- Connect the Noodlevolt module to your eurorack power supply using the provided power cable. Mount it securely in your rack using the included screws.
- Set the Noodlevolt module to a lower frequency range to use it as an LFO (Low-Frequency Oscillator).
- Connect one of the Noodlevolt's outputs to the CV input of the Mosaic module.
- Take the audio output from the Mosaic module and connect it to your mixer or audio interface to hear the generated sound.
- Use the Varigate module to sequence the Mosaic module. Connect the gate outputs from the Varigate to the trigger inputs of the Mosaic module, and adjust the gate length and timing as desired.
- Experiment with the Varigate's features, such as probability, repeat, and delay, to add variation and complexity to your drum pattern.
- To add further depth and character to the drum sounds, connect the Tyso Daiko module to your eurorack power supply and mount it in your rack.
- Trigger the Tyso Daiko module using the gate outputs from the Varigate. Adjust the pitch, envelope, and other parameters of the Tyso Daiko to shape the drum sounds to your liking.
- Connect the output from the Tyso Daiko module to a mixer or audio interface to hear the dual drum voices.
- Finally, use the Particles module to modulate and manipulate the patterns from the Mosaic and Tyso Daiko modules. Experiment with the various trigger inputs and features of the Particles module to create dynamic and evolving drum patterns.
By integrating these modules into your eurorack setup and experimenting with their unique features, you can create intricate and expressive drum patterns that bring your music to life. Let your creativity flow, and explore the endless possibilities that these modules offer.
To create an intermediate-level eurorack setup using the Noodlevolt, Mosaic Hi-Hat, Varigate 8+, and Tyso Daiko modules, follow these steps:
- Connect the output of the Noodlevolt module to the CV input of the Mosaic Hi-Hat module. This will allow you to use the Noodlevolt's manual LFO to modulate the timbre, decay, and noise parameters of the Hi-Hat module, adding organic and evolving textures to your hat sounds.
- Use one of the gate outputs from the Varigate 8+ module to trigger the Mosaic Hi-Hat module. This will synchronize the triggering of the hi-hat sounds with your rhythmic patterns.
- Connect one of the CV outputs from the Varigate 8+ module to the pitch input of the Tyso Daiko module. This will allow you to control the pitch of the drum sounds generated by the Tyso Daiko using the sequencer of the Varigate 8+.
- Take advantage of the Varigate 8+'s gate channels to trigger other percussive modules in your setup, such as snare drums or percussion synthesizers.
- Finally, use the Particles module as a trigger modulation tool to further manipulate and vary your patterns. Experiment with the various features of the Particles module, such as shifting and scrambling the trigger outputs, repeating triggers with different time signatures, and muting channels with clock divisions, to create complex and groovy percussion patterns.
By combining the Noodlevolt, Mosaic Hi-Hat, Varigate 8+, Tyso Daiko, and Particles modules, you can create an intermediate-level eurorack setup that offers a wide range of sonic possibilities for your drum and percussion sounds.
Further Thoughts
In this Eurorack build, we will combine the Noodlevolt Fidget Spinner Prototype Version, Mosaic Hi-Hat Black Panel, Malekko Heavy Industry Varigate 8+ Black Panel, and ALM Busy Circuits Tyso Daiko modules, with the Patching Panda Particles module to create a unique and dynamic modular setup. Here's how we can utilize these modules:
- The Noodlevolt Fidget Spinner Prototype Version module will provide us with manual LFO modulation. By spinning the spinner, we can generate organic and evolving modulation signals. We can connect the LFO output to various modulation destinations, such as the Mosaic Hi-Hat's timbre control or the Tyso Daiko's pitch input, to add subtle or drastic changes to our drum sounds.
- The Mosaic Hi-Hat Black Panel module will be our main drum voice generator. With its ability to morph cymbal sounds from familiar to far-out, we can create unique and expressive hi-hat patterns. By using the CV control over timbre, decay, and noise, we can dynamically shape the characteristics of our hi-hat sounds. Additionally, the module's trig button will allow us to trigger hi-hats manually, providing even more hands-on control during live performances.
- The Malekko Heavy Industry Varigate 8+ Black Panel module will act as our ultimate compact sequencer and control station. With 8 gate channels and 2 CV channels, we can program intricate rhythmic patterns for our drum voices. The per step probability, repeat, delay, and pulse width controls on the gate channels will enable us to add subtle variations and intricate grooves to our sequences. The CV channels' voltage and glide controls will allow us to modulate parameters on other modules, such as controlling the Tyso Daiko's analog EQ or the Noodlevolt's spinning speed.
- The ALM Busy Circuits Tyso Daiko module will provide us with dual 12-bit digital wavetable drum voices. These voices can be triggered independently and outputted through either an analog EQ emphasizing upper or lower frequencies or a digital wavefolder adding increasingly complex timbre. By utilizing the module's accents and choke features, we can add dynamics and variations to our drum patterns. The module's voltage control, including a V/Oct pitch input, will provide us with extensive modulation possibilities, allowing us to create expressive and diverse drum sounds.
- Lastly, the Patching Panda Particles module will serve as a trigger modulation and pattern variation designer. With its various features, including repetitions with different distribution times, shifting and scrambling outputs, muting channels, and more, we can add intricate and evolving patterns to our drum sequences. By integrating the Particles module's triggers and outputs with the other modules, we can create complex breaks, organic-evolving percussion sounds, and even bass line grooves.
By combining these modules, we can create a Eurorack setup that offers extensive possibilities for sound design and performance. Whether you're exploring experimental sounds or crafting intricate rhythms, this mashup will inspire creativity and take your music to new heights.