BitBox MK2 | Advanced Sample Processing
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- Опубліковано 24 січ 2023
- In this quick and dirty video I'll focus on granular processing and sample
slicing. I never used those before but they turned out to be amazing little features. The slicer is great, the granular processor has limited modulation capabilities but can still be a strong asset when you tweak manually.
Nice to see a westlicht getting some love, save the cable tangle and midi it up to the 1010 - works a treat with my 1010 BB :)
Best demo of Bitbox2 I’ve seen… please do more examples!!:) 🙏
Just ordered a micro yesterday... perfect timing
still learning this bad boy. The big limitation with the granular mode IMO is that you can't control grain density or have asynchronous grain scheduling. It's odd that you can't target grain spread as a modulation target, but at least you can fake it by modulating the start/loop positions.
As someone with far more lipsticks (or pairs of shoes, my real vice) than synthesizers, I think your influencing is working just fine. :)
Westlicht Performer + Bitbox looks like it could do a lot of heavy lifting in a small rack, even thought (or maybe because) they're chunkier modules. Maybe they'd be a good place to start for someone more familiar with sample-based workflows
Looks great! If only the mk2 were in stock anywhere! On their forums they said might be available Q3 this year...
Got a bb micro already and recently added the blackbox because i like the workflow and "easyness" so much. Appreciate the bigger screen there. Would not complain if they add various CV modulation options and a few features but already very satisfied. Still struggeling sometimes with Loop Syncing tho
Grains & loops .. it does seem like there's alot to discover, here, like you've done. My first looping pedal, back some years .. the accidents I had with it, ended up being the most musical of outcomes.
Same hometown!
What is that trigger sequencer you are using ? looks like a perfect combo.... my only case sequencer I have is the drum sequencer by erica synths and that is dedicated to my LXR.
That's the mighty Westlicht Performer with 8 gates and 8 CV tracks. Still my number #1 sequencer. Unfortunately its DIY built, so you'll need to find a good builder (e.g. on Reverb). They're also super affordable. I am afraid the drum sequencer will go when you have the WestLicht. It can do an ever changing one hour gig all by itself and you can configure CV lanes as synced modulation lanes with all kinds of shapes. There's just nothing like it.
Nice demo ! Any power jumps on the BitBox micro with the CV Bus ? I'm on the fence of getting one, since I'll be using 1340mA in total...
If I am correct the CV Bus case can handle 1500mA. Never had any problems with it, not even with BitBox, Toolbox and FxBox in the same case, together with lots of other modules. I am confident it can handle the Micro, but it depends on the module combination. Only one way to find out...
@@CinematicLaboratory I trust your expertise on this !
😂 You keep doing this: I was literally looking for the MK2 last night. Seems to be pretty hard to source right now and prices have spiked 😞
Not intentionally :).
Cool timing: I just saw your video from last year on the Bitbox Micro and noticed more recently you've been using the Mk2 a lot. I want to ask, what has drove you to the Mk2 over the Mircro? I'm leaning that way myself, but curious your reasoning. Things I keep thinking about in the Micro are flexible inputs/outputs, and midi out for multisampling (though I prob won't do much of that).
I got the Micro for an allround small drum machine source, containing over 10.000 samples. It's a superpower and it has very clever I/O options. But the MK2 serves my muscle memory and I absolutely love the 16 dedicated pads, 4 EXT inputs and four outputs. Both are very similar, but I simply prefer the larger size and the bigger display. You can't go wrong on any of the two.
@@CinematicLaboratory thank you for your thoughts, and inspiring content!
FYI: Loopop did a great video comparing the Micro with the MK2
@@symbiat0 Yes, thank you for the suggestion. I've watched it quite a few times actually, but I keep getting stuck at the decision. I'm really leaning toward the Mk2 as I think I'll appreciate the full size long term. This isn't the same kind of purchase as cramming in another small utility!
do you ever have issues with gain staging going into the module?
They could easily bring the granular mode closer to morphagene/clouds/beads territory with an update - not sure why they don't. I still shy away from Morphagene because of no screen, button combinations and the whole thing is only one track compared to 16 here.
I understand what you mean. The granular mode is closer to Arbhar, but it also features slicing a sample and looping parts, so you can easily make it sound like a sliced morphagene. You can CV sample start and size but there's no 'smear'. I think BitBox can handle two granular tracks with 4 voice polyphony max. Still way more powerful than any other eurorack module. Morphagene excels with hands-on westcoast sample mangling. I never really missed a display but the user interface is a nightmare at first. But you'll get used to it fast.
Rest in peace beautiful piano sounds😪
But that thing sound really amazing and powerful.
Also the cental station sounds great. What mic did you use?
I used the Sennheiser Ambeo heaset for iOS so I can record secretly, and my ears are used for binaural earshells. Sound quality is absolutely stunning. But they should have made an Android version without the upload to the Cloud bullshit before you can access your files.
@@CinematicLaboratory I would not have expected them to sound that good, I guess they are worth the extra trouble and if you can connect them directly to the phone saves you the cost and the trouble of recorders.
But it also makes me wonder if that sounds so good their Ambeo Vr mic must be even better and really very good.
i tried the Rode version and i was not that impressed despite them having the rights from Soundfield.
I also liked the piano sound so much that I was a bit disappointed to hear it disintegrate into grains, but it was for a good cause.
@@peterpeper4837 The VR mic isn't binaural, it has four mics pointed in 4 directions. The Rode works the same way and it's intended for moving in 3D space like in a game so the sound moves in sync with your headset. A binaural mic always needs modelled earshells and - preferrably - a head. The mics are where your eardrums would be. If you compare the Sennheiser headset to the reference Neumann KU100, you'll be even more amazed how good this headset is. But there shouldn't be any wind :).
@@CinematicLaboratory As far as i know if you have the B format from the ambisonic mic you can decode it also in binaural with the right software. In that case the human head is implemented virtually by a mathimatical model.
Still i think a big difference, if i understand it correctly, is that ambisonic like dolby atmos is made to be used on a fixed listener point not for walking around like you can do with binaural earphones.
Maybe you should use some wooly hat on top of the earphones to cut donw the outside wind
@@peterpeper4837 Holly wood - wooly hat - pizza hut ! Im too funny for my hat -
Does it also have recording/sequencing without quantization?
Yes, you can also use clean unquantized loops without the time stretching artefacts or set the bitbox project to the same BPM as the loops so you can still sync them without 'destroying' them.
It's a sampler, not a sequencer. It can also sample CV. Not sure what you mean.
@@CinematicLaboratory I mistakenly thought it had a sequencer, thanks though this cleared it right up.
When tweaking that piano sample at 2:00 were you able to save that in any destructive or non-destructive way?
I am not sure what you mean, but I played/recorded the original sample myself so it's safe :). Furthermore, you can internally record whatever is going on inside BitBox, so you could grain a piano, record it and save it onto SD. The resulting project is Ableton compatible so it's super easy to stay far away from the PC when you're creating new sounds.
@@CinematicLaboratory From your reply I understand you can record live whatever you're tweaking as a sample which is great. Part of what I meant was if it's also possible to save the settings - in this case the granular settings you've set for this pianosample - and recall this setting including the sample you applied it to.
@@KPsTboy Indeed, all settings, tweaks and fx will be saved in the preset. As I wrote in the video, it'a a bit like having a laptop in your modular case :).
@@CinematicLaboratory All this sounds very tempting 🤤
I believe the Squid is mono only ?
I am not sure, I only know it by name and many people seem to like it. But mono is just not for me.
Monolake hongkong vibes
Bitbox and Micro are two of the worst power hogs in Eurorack. Even worse that the Expert Sleepers wall heaters. I want one, but it's getting dedicated power if I get one.
I use granular in the past, but now I don´t like it