This video is the first in a series of tutorials about the Kastle Arp (a semi-modular synthesizer made by Bastl Instruments). This is a pretty long one! It starts slow but ramps up by the end, and it leaves us in a great position to do some complex patching in the next video of the series. I decided to do it kind of like an old series I did on the MakeNoise 0-Coast: constrain the number of patch cables. So, the first part of this video is with no cables at all, and then a lot of the rest of it is done with just 1 patch cable. This approach might be overly methodical, but it helps you understand exactly what effect the patch is causing. I'm trying so show some of the Arp's potential: different sounds, melodies, and quite a bit of NOISE. If you're new to modular synthesis then it might be worth watching, even if you don't have a Kastle Arp. I hope that even experienced synthesists and Arp users will get something out of it too. Thanks for watching!
TIMELINE
00:00 STARTER
One of the many noisy patches that the Kastle Arp can do. It's going through the Walrus Audio Slö reverb pedal.
00:27 INTRO
I hope the clip in this part doesn't give the wrong idea. The Kastle Arp sounds very "music box"-ish (tinkly major chord patterns) when you first hook it up. But that's just a façade. Also, I very optimistically thought I could do no cables, 1 cable, and 2+ cables all in this video. Nope. So now this series has become: VIDEO ONE Tutorial Part 1 (this video; no cables and 1 cable) VIDEO TWO Tutorial Part 2 (unlimited cables, hooking the Arp to other Kastles) VIDEO THREE Glitching the Arp (interesting niche cases) and VIDEO FOUR surprise.
03:46 INTERLUDE
I don't think I've ever paused the "Gary" clip before (our old snail's name, of course). It has a click in the repeat, but I feel like it sort of fits the video.
04:10 NO PATCH CABLES?
You can do the basics by hand - make a note, change that note's pitch, change that note's decay, and change that note's waveform. I also introduce a type of glitch here, setting the Decay at some sort of self-stimulation point. I don't fully understand it (and don't have to!). One thing, it seemed to depend significantly on the tuning of the Arp (lower seems better). See below.
14:58 SEEING THE SIGNALS (SCOPE)
Time for the Korg NTS-2 oscilloscope to shine
23:46 HEARING THE SIGNALS (tiMOD)
There is an inclination to start in with Note Modulation, but I decided that exploring Timbre Modulation makes more sense. It's a simpler continuous audio response that is directly relatable to the scope results.
30:46 MELODY & NOISE (nMOD)
This is pretty much the core functionality of the Arp, quantized notes on a chord across multiple octaves. It was sort of a tough decision to break apart nMOD and Chord in this video, because they really go together. But it will make the patches in the next video easier to understand. The basics of melodic variation. Some of the NOISE sounds are really nice!
44:30 TONAL DIVERSITY (CHORD)
And I'm glad that I did break them apart. I'm so used to thinking of the Chord patchpoint as a sort of note modifier and supplemental trigger source that I think I didn't fully understand it. Yes, it changes the arpeggiated chord's root in a I, IV, V progression framework. BUT, what are the notes that are actually triggered by changing the Chord's input? It's not just sending out root notes: i.e. patching the LFO to it doesn't just make it play C, G, C, F repeatedly, or something like that. The notes triggered by Chord input changes seem to depend on what the Note (plus nMOD) setting is, and it's not just parallel note, note+5th, note+4th sequences either. I'd say that it certainly triggers a note WITHIN the expected root chord, but in some complex way. I even wonder if it has a "direction of crossing" equivalent like the Note knob. So I'm saying the LFO causes (C, E, or G), then (G, B, or D), then the same (C, E, or G) as before, then (F, A, or C). It seem like something like G, B, G, A happens for some Note settings, and maybe E, G, E, F for others? I will try to figure it out for the next video.
55:04 TUNING & GL1TCH (BOOT MODE)
Boot Mode is pretty straightforward until it isn't (see below). This part also has the more fully-formed, automated, version of the 'thrumming' patch I showed in the Intro.
01:00:18 OUTRO
Just teeing up the Bonus part below.
01:01:37 BONUS PATCHES
This was an eye-opener, even while doing it. One thing to really appreciate about the Arp being used like this - these sequences are quantized and can be written down, used in DAWs, or on other instruments. A lot of this part comes down to auditioning the Pattern sequences and making your own choices about the sound. Any reverb-fueled melodic groove that makes me feel like I'm soaring through space is the right one. This clip has at least two of those, making all of the other fiddling around well worth it. Time to fly.