Influx
I recently had an unexpected influx of several new and deep Eurorack modules, along with one simple but clever module that's quickly become a favorite.
A week before Christmas I decided to treat myself to a new Eurorack oscillator. I'd been wanting something to beef up my ambient drones, especially since I recently sold my Matriarch, which was quite the drone machine. I usually base my Eurorack drones on the E352 Cloud Terrarium, a dual morphing wave table oscillator, and I wanted another layer to add to it.
While researching modules suitable for ambient drones, I came across two modules I previously wasn't aware of: Magerit Laniakea and 4ms Ensemble Oscillator. Both of them have unique takes on oscillator voices. After watching some demos, I decided the Laniakea sounded interesting enough to be my first choice. But it was out of stock in the US. My second choice, the Ensemble, was available at one of my favorite shops, so I ordered it.
While waiting for the Ensemble Oscillator to arrive, a plot twist occurred. A used Laniakea became available locally! I immediately grabbed it! The Ensemble arrived a few days later, so instead of one new oscillator module to play around with I had two. Both are deep modules so they will take some time to master.
But wait! There's more! In another twist, that same week a local person pinged me on Discord wanting to buy several modules from me that I had been trying to sell for a year. He offered several modules in trade, and I ended up with two more new and deep modules: 4ms Spherical Wavetable Oscillator (SWO) and Malekko Voltage Block. The SWO is yet another wave table oscillator with lots of modulation points for droning and built-in LFOs. It was on my radar a few years ago when I bought the Cloud Terrarium instead. And the Voltage Block is a well known CV sequencer I've always wanted to try, but it was never a high enough priority for me to buy one.
So in the course of one week between Christmas and New Year's I suddenly had three new, deep oscillator modules, plus a sequencer. Lots to learn!
These are all deep modules. I keep using the word deep, which means they have a lot of functionality, lots of knobs and jacks, menus of some sort or perhaps some hidden button combinations, and manuals that need to be read to understand the subtleties.
Quick first impressions
Laniakea: I've made some of the most interesting sci-fi sounds I couldn't even imagine, as well as some dark drones, but I have no idea how I made them or how to make them again. This is a complex module I don't understand yet, and I haven't been able to make it work in conjunction with my typical tracks. It may be best as a stand-alone oscillator, or in less traditional musical contexts.
Ensemble Oscillator: The sounds are beautiful with interesting variations. I've already used it in my first recording of the new year, not as a drone, but as one of the lead voices. This module brings much happiness.
SWO: I've only played with it briefly. The sounds are wonderful, with a ton of on-board functionality. I'll have to study the manual and watch some tutorials to make the most of this module.
Voltage Block: I haven't even tried it yet since I wasn't really in the market for yet another sequencer. Soon, baby, soon!
And this leads us to the final module I obtained during this rapid influx: the Pet Rock. It's quickly become a favorite, and I'll talk about it in my next post.