SoftPop 2 Review // A Refreshingly Original Semi-modular Synth // Tutorial, vs OG Bastl SoftPop
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- Опубліковано 13 чер 2024
- Get extended versions of the intro and outro jams, the forest patch walkthru, as well as the ideas, tips and insights from this video and all my others in my ever-expanding book of electronic music ideas, tips and tricks here:
► Patreon: / loopop
Check prices here (affiliate links help the channel)
► Perfect Circuit: bit.ly/SoftPop2
► Search on Thomann (I didn't see it in stock when I added this link, but if you buy something else it does support the channel): www.thomann.de/gb/search_dir....
Other gear in the video:
► Effects: X-Time by IK Multimedia, TAL Chorus, NI Raum reverb
► Volca Sample 2
► Befaco Noise Plethora
► DNIPRO KRAIT
► Modules are in a UNCPROP case
► Arturia KeyStep 37
► MIDI and 90 degree cables by www.designacable.com/
► Scopes by Melda: www.meldaproduction.com/
Other places I hang out:
► Instagram: / loopopmusic
► Facebook: / loopopmusic
► Twitter: / loopopmusic
► Web: loopopmusic.com
My music:
► Bandcamp: loopop.bandcamp.com
► Spotify: bit.ly/LoopopOnSpotify
► Apple Music:bit.ly/LoopopOnAppleMusic
TIMELINE:
0:00 Intro
2:15 Overview
4:45 Why it’s original
7:25 Oscillator
7:50 PWM
8:55 Quantization
9:30 Filter
10:25 Pop/Pixel
10:45 Env/LFO
11:20 Scales
12:30 Sequencer
13:35 Step seq
14:55 Chains
15:15 Scale seq
16:10 Play modes
17:25 Temp FX
17:50 Clock sync
18:45 The Orb
PATCH IDEAS
19:20 Sidechain
19:55 Pop envelope
20:35 Rate push
21:10 Env osc sync
22:00 Mod thru scale
22:40 Seq length
23:10 Extra seq track
24:35 XY as xfade
25:00 “Krell” patch
26:15 vs OG Softpop
27:45 Pros & cons
30:35 Outro
Submit review and video ideas here (sorry I don’t offer 1x1 sessions/setup/purchasing advice):
► Ziv (at) loopopmusic.com
NOTE: Occasionally I’ll try out affiliate marketing and include affiliate links. This means that I may earn a commission when you click on or make purchases via affiliate links to stores like Amazon, Sweetwater, Thomann and others. The content of this clip is entirely my opinion, and was not paid for or dictated in any way by the company creating the gear. Without addressing the particulars of products shown here as they might be under NDA, gear shown on this channel may be either sent by the manufacturer, on loan for review or bought at a discount.
The most flattering list of CONs you could have made
In a world of clones and remakes, kudos on making such a lovely sounding, original, well thought out and inspiring synth! I tried to say as many bad things as I could find :)
It sounds amazing - but I want to play it with a keyboard. - I guess I could experiment while recording and then slice-to-pads?
I can't tell from this video but does it have the same liquid character as the first one or is it a whole new sound engine?
@@Kablehead oh it totally can! head to the bastl youtube channel for more such examples :) the sound engine is very similar yet very refined and a lot more flexible
@@brentgreeff1115 you can connect a keyboard via MIDI
So nervous about this!
Yeah me too I’ve been waiting for years for this
Oh man you know how loopop is. The guy just hates well designed instruments, this is going to be a bloodbath!
@@superultrathanksmom3845 lol
No need to be nervous. Looks like an immediate success 🤓
Diy version maybe !??
What a great run through/synth tips/demo/review. This box looks like hours of fun and actually really useful.
Nice work 🍸
Both this and the 2nd generation loopsynth seem to have taken your original recommendations to heart, and made even better products because of it. Awesome!
Fun to watch Loopop get swept away by the bubbly undercurrents and unconventionality of the SoftPop 2, proving that Bastl + Casper have outdone themselves by bettering my favorite synth.
I really liked the battery power and built in speaker on the first one. It is really fun to take it to inappropriate places and randomly make crazy sounds.
Great overview. The forest sound… so cool!
This is so cool, never knew there was a previous version of this device. Very interested in this
Happy and healthy 2022 to you and your close ones :) Brilliant review!
Love the bastl philosophy :) Maybe a bit to pricey for me but it's on my
short list of wants in 2022
Great review, glad to see you start uploading again, I've always liked your videos.
Thanks! I didn't stop uploading :)
I just read an article about this, open UA-cam and this is the first video on my feed.
1 minute into the video and I’ve come to the conclusion that I need one of these.
Displaying the graphs up top was a great idea.
Top quality
What an amazing little machine. So many possibilities. And what a step up from the original. Wow. I want one.
I watch this over and over. Love the softpop 2. Sometimes I throw my hands up at it in frustration. Then i move a fader and fall in love all over again.
Got one for Xmas and this will probably be my interaction loop too lol. Fell in love with the SP2 while watching this video high as balls.
Thanks for the review! Nice outro)
I've been wanting a Bastl for a while now. The SoftPop 2 may finally make me pull the trigger.
just ordered so excited to hear this monster in it’s many forms. 😊❤️🎊🤟🏻🎧
Looks like a really fun synth! i predict seeing a lot more of synths like this in the future!
Great review and fun instrument. The first highlight of 2022.
I've seen this video at least 5 times already. I'm that curious about it, can't wait for end of this month!
That looks and sounds very interesting, hummmmm…. 😊 Thanks for the great review Loopop 👌🏻
woww that looks so cool!! cant wait for the video
I'm not even a musician but I find myself so fascinated by synths, especially ones like this. They seem like such amazing tools in the right hands, and they're so small! You can do so much with so little.
Great review man! ❤🎼
Nice outro jam! This is a very interesting little synth!
Fantastic demo/tutorial as usual. I did click on your Perfect Circuit link so you'll probably see some residuals from that at some point haha
Really cool synth and really great video.
this looks like amazing fun. great job bastl / peter
Geeez. Another synth you sold me on. This looks so fun and different in a great way. This is exciting. Thanks for the great video. ⚡⚡⚡🎛🎚
regular patch cables this time around, I'm in. such great sample material for any genre
Yes it is. I
x act lee
What a great extension of the original SoftPop concept... Might have to add this and have a SoftPop^2 system...
cool tricks in that sequencer!
that is an incredible synth! it's barely bigger than a PO and looks infinitely deep and entertaining!
this is a must have. i'm really jaw droping on the possibility that size offers!
I heard softpop 2 and my jaw has been sitting on the ground, had a full nerdgasm! im defiantly ordering the first and now this soft pop! this is beyond amazing!
Stunning what you can put in a box even smaller than a Volca.
Im still amazed that we fit so much in such a small package 😅
I like it. Love seeing new innovation like this..
The cool gear never ends.
Always drooled over the OG softpop but was never in the position to acquire one, and I was heartbroken when they were discontinued and prices skyrocketed. Now this! Beyond excited
Me too!
somehow it sounds very diferent and lovely. i like it!
graphic pattern looks dope! reminds me of an electrified Matisse's "Dance"
i see what you mean! That observation’s cute af 👏🏾
Wow! I wouldn't have seen that had you not said anything! Wow! I saw Dance II at the Hermitage and it was the best art viewing experience ever - the colours were way more vivid than any art I've ever seen!
@@MrTeanager weird, I've been to the Hermitage as well, but did not step foot in their Modern gallery, instead our tour guide took us on a whirlwind tour of the many rooms. I wonder if the work you saw is part of the infamous "Baldin Collection"
@@jlg0351 The Matisse isn't even in the palace - it's in the General Staff Building on the other side of the ploschad. They've got loads of cool stuff over there: Monet, Van Gogh, Kandinsky... I do feel kinda bad that I missed the Palace... Seeing the Matisse was worth the entire trip!
I like it consider me sold there,s some really nice sequencers going at the beginning of the vid
Thanks for the vid and your time.
Amazing I have no intention of buying anymore kit............
But your videos feed my addiction...lol.......
All the best......
please be great, so hyped
I'm in. I wanted V1 but couldn't afford back then. This one looks to be an improvement in every way. Love the stuff coming from Bastl, and this will be my first Casper synth.
Same. I missed out on Bit Ranger and Softpop v1. Did not even hesitate on this one.
@@mikenoface I seriously hope this one is made and sold for a long time. At least a few years. Wanted the original and the Bitranger (not to mention Kastl which is also not made anymore) but never got to. Bills (and the government's clever ways of siphoning much of our income through taxes and "hidden fees" as I live in one of the worst taxed US states) keep preventing me from getting new gear, plus these machines deserve the love we want to give them. I want to see them spread far and wide. Some gear being so limited is kind of tragic I think.
Congrats! I’m loving their Waver module rn. experimenting with more than one of them. my Manther, ModelCycles, and Mother32 should consider themselves on probation lol. Vaslov, Casper,’s non-denominational instruments are pro-conceptual curiosity, pro-midi, pro-hybrid setup, pro-modern, pro-collaboration. I don’t want to imagine eurorack without ADDAC System & Bastl 🤍
@@mikeexits just so you know, the kastle is indeed still available
Wonderful rundown. I just got a softpop2 at knobcon and haven’t had a chance to play with it yet. I’m interested in your book!
This instrument is a work of art.
OMG ❤ what a fantastic experimental beast 🔥😎 bday soon...so I want this as gift...😅...
Good sound and tutorial
SOLD. I just ordered one! Thanks for the amazing video and all the tips and insights into what this can do.
I saw a couple other videos on this and got interested but this video helped me make my mind up that I wanted to grab one. I was in the market for something that can make musical percussion. I was considering and comparing the Moog DFAM and the Moog Subharmonicon. I was thinking of buying both until I found this. It may not have the full analog warmth and fatness that a Moog will it has the strengths of digital controlled components, has the modular patch bay capabilities and experimental feel and approach I want but with what seems like a much more approachable workflow in comparison to either of the Moogs. Hopefully this gets me what I want and I won't need to drop a few grand in eurorack 🤞🤣
I'm glad there's still a psychedelic orb. Will try to cross patch it with v1. Will have to figure out proper grounding, whether connection to the same mixer is enough, or just always using 1 of the 3.5 to 3.5 options.
Just use the 3.5mm patch points on the V1 to share ground with the V2. plugging into the same mixer will also work
Just got mine!
very characterful little box
Whatya mean this ain't out yet?! LOOPOP BASTL LOOPOP BASTL ENGAGEMOMETRICS! HASHTAG SYNTHNERD CAVE PLAGUE HERMIT.
Looking fwd to this thanks for the vids.
Very exciting. Tbh, all it needs for me to be onboard is to sound like the original but have proper patch cables. Im all in :)
it does indeed cover the same sonic territory as the V1 👍
@@peteedwards9691 Instant purchase :) I'd bought one by 5.06pm :D
muy buen video saludos desde Baja California MEXICO
Me watching the review:"oh wow this sounds amazing and I've been wanting a cross mod synth for a while now" My wallet is sobbing in the corner as I think once I have the spare money I found my next hardware synth.
lollllll, same
I don't suppose you'd consider putting together a video of jams you made on the SoftPop 2? I really enjoyed listening to what you came up with on this video.
Thanks very much! Yes I already put two extended versions of the intro and outro up on patreon. I actually have way more material I’ll consider adding - just need to tighten it up a bit… perhaps I’ll post some nice “deleted scenes on Instagram too
@@loopop Hey Ziv!
I'm one of your patreon supporters and saw the tracks posted a while back.
Any chance you can share the forest sound patch notes?
I've been trying to work on making some organic textures with my 0-coast + dual strega set up, and pre-ordered this SP2 just based off that forest patch you demoed haha
@@AbyssalPantheon thanks and much appreciated! Added an overhead shot of all the patches and slider positions, as well as patch notes to the post on patreon!
@@loopop thanks Ziv! You're a champion!
The old one has somewhat sharp edges on the faders - not TOO bad, but could get tiresome to play after a while - are these the same or rounded any more? Thanks!!
15:40 ....WOW ... im in luw !
This is fun to analyze from a theoretical standpoint; probably some crazy control theory there.
This look like a great tool for writers block, i can foresee sequencing lots of happy accidents with this little guy!
Thank you again for a deep-diving review. Always inspiring to watch one of yours. But hey, what's that mini skiff that's housing the Noise Plethora and the Krait? Looks like a 20hp Moog case but can't be?
See description - it’s a diy project made to look like a moog case
welp, i'm sold
I'm probably in a small minority here, but I wish companies would ease off on the visually noisy, gratuitous graphics. Adjusting sliders against that chaotic background would really mess with my head (sensory overload). Things don't need to be bland, but just some basic attention to UI design for neurodiverse audiences... Awesome bit of kit otherwise and hearty thanks as usual to Loopop for some of the best synth content on the web.
I hear you, but I don’t mind it at all. A conservative box from Bastl would be disappointing. Plus the visibility thing is deceptive because of this demo’s bright lights and overhead shot. Watch Bastl’s own demo, it’s really not difficult to see the sliders.
@@marike1100 exactly. the pattern is actually silver and is reflexive only from certain angles
I like the visual design.
@@marike1100 Thanks for your reply, and I understand the aesthetic appeal for many. For me, it's not really a question of functional visibility but rather of too much visual stimulus. Even just looking at a static photo on Bastl's website triggers an unpleasant reaction for me. It's not something that bothers most people, I realize, but for those it does bother, the effect can be surprisingly strong-so much so that I would avoid buying this product because of it.
Switchable front panel overlays would be an ideal situation, but I realize that's extra cost and bother for the manufacturer. Fortunately, there's so much cool gear out now that we can all find something that works, musically as well as visually. Cheers -
Totally agree. Also think it should be a crime :) for synths to use flashing LEDs (especially blue ones) without offering a dim/off function. I'm in this game for relaxation, contemplation, mindfulness etc, not a migraine. YMMV
Bastl beast! 👌🏼👌🏼👌🏼
Genius saw wave patch
The first SoftPop is so fun to play with...so gnarly and seemingly with a mind of it's own. If this new one adds more control, I imagine it will be an absolute BEAST!
you're like the Carl Sagan of synthesizers
This unit speaks my language
I thought softpop was going to be a different whispery version of loopop!
thx guy
Wow! This is literally “eurorack-in-a-box”.
Extremely portable device with the most popular modules. Or good entry point to the modular world.
Great for folks like me that just want a tiny little setup to explore and experiment with, those bird like sound from the beginning really make it obvious that thus can be powerful for sound effects or soundscapes for a animation, game, ect too
This looks like my kind of thing
Was thinking of getting an Erica baseline and after watching this review at leaning towards SP2. Looking for a noisy take on 303 with CV that can pair well with Pulsar 23 for hard techno. I value your input. Liking the crossmods, scale quantizer, side chain envelope follower. My live set comes alive with a lot of live patching.
Interesting -- it looks like Bastl is breaking away from the mini-modular realm of the original Softpop (as well as the Kastl and bitRanger) and moving this into an actual 3.5mm patch cable format.
Eurorack probably makes them more money, and a better business decision honestly imo.
Im still a fan of mini patch cables but 1/8" is more accessible to more people, which was ultimately one of our big goals. bring the weirdness to the masses.
Hurrah!
@@peteedwards9691 I wish they still made Kastl and Bitranger. My Volca Modular could use some buddies. Yes I know it has a grand total of one eurorack input, but 1 is never enough lol.
@@sems seeing how well the 0-coast did why not? There’s a market out there
Embrace the cross-mods. My OG version is one of the few synths to inspire pure laughter over the ridiculously strange and wonderful time dependent noises, bubbles, squeaks, and screams it makes all in one patch. Another plus of the OG version is the small size and the fact that the patch points allow more than one jumper at a time. A bag of jumpers from an only retailer is pretty inexpensive, too.
The filter is very tasty sounding, is just a standard svf design or is there some additional magic going on there?
Its a standard SVF core with a heap of magic added to the distortion and resonance characteristics
@@peteedwards9691 Very cool. Rare that I get excited over a filter these days
Nice!
You can get a Moog Mother 32 for the same price. To put the price more into perspective. I honestly don't understand this price point.
Well it's pricey but I wouldn't want a Mother 32 for that price (I can get about the same sounds from other machines). No disrespect to Moog, obv the Mother 32 is a great synth. This does however sound like I can't get the same sounds out of another machine. So for me it's price point gets justified by the new-ness of it, and also by the small-business ethics of Bastl. Since I've saw the Cuckoo small documentary on them, I kinda like paying an extra price to support companies like them who really help artists.
*I wonder when preorders are going to ship*
Always appreciate the effort you put into your reviews! Out of curiosity, what are some examples of the "plenty of others" you noted.
Asking for a noob friend ;-)
Thanks! At which point in the video? If you mean "regular" semi modulars without crazy cross mods, Arturia, Moog and Behringer make quite a few
@@loopop In the Pros & Cons segment you say "There are plenty of other options...."
@@BCCartman ok answered :)
Let's go!!! :)
Did they fix the bugs you mentioned (sequence slow start, sequence last note, vca doesn't close)? I read through the comments & the description and didn't see any update on that.
Now that is what I call a fun synth. I want to buy a Behringer Neutron, a Softpop II, a bunch patch cables, and make spaghetti.
I got the Neutron a couple of years ago. My first monosynth, my first fully analog synth with no digital controls or presets, and my first eurorack-compatible synth (Volca Modular was my first semi-modular). If you like how it sounds - and look up lots of demos because just a few probably won't do it justice - go for it. Can't beat it for the price. Reverb has used listings for cheaper than the new price, plus you don't have to support Behringer directly that way if you don't want to. It's a fantastic synth and I usually find myself throwing like 15+ patch cables and stackables into its patch bay to turn it into the weirdest whackiest SFX generator possible. Stackables are your friend. Tiptop audio stackables really are higher quality and feel more durable than the cheaper ones btw. And Sweetwater has some nice colored 5-packs of eurorack cables of varying lengths which are also pretty good quality.
@@mikeexits wow, thank you for such a helpful reply. It would be my first in all the categories you mentioned too.
@@aptudo Hey no problem! Hope that it serves you well and provides lots of good times if you choose to get it.
@@mikeexits I could use some stackables for my own Neutrons
I hope we will see some loopop x softpop joke :D
I don't think I can outdo the last one, reviewing LOOPsynth and softPOP in the same video - this time it's just about you...
Oh god 1:15 sounds amazing.
Hey loop, long time watcher first time commenter here. What do you think is the best alternative in the $600 price range? I personally think $600 is steep for what this is. This feels like more of a used market (reverb) buy to me. Also getting a strong kit vibe on this (NTS1). Killer sounds though.
welcome ;) Not sure why you'd want an alternative at the same price? perhaps you meant lower? Anyway, no, there's nothing like this (except maybe the OG SoftPop, though not on the sequencer front)
As others have mentioned, it's about $100 away from a Moog Mother 32 in price. You could get about two Behringer clone synths/drum machines for the price of the Softpop 2. If you have all of that already, or want more than "bread and butter" sounds, or really like unique boutique synths, then the price doesn't matter.
(Oh, and the Hydrasynth Explorer)
...waiting :)
Now this is a Xmas present!
Damn always dream to have the first and now is there the second? Ouch..awesome
Is it me, or the tuning here is quite unstable? I hear some major fluctuations throughout the review, as in 13:42 for example.. (like it's not well-tempered?)
Still, amazing and very interesting synth. Thanks for a stellar review, as usual!
Does Thomann have an affiliate program? i'd love to support you that way.
Thanks for this! Yes they do have an affiliate program, but I didn't add a link because I didn't see SoftPop 2 in stock there. I added an affiliate link to the description now in case you want to buy something else, or if in the future it gets added.
im very new to modular synthesizing, will this be okay as my first purchase to get into it? my budget right now is around the price of this product but i dont know if there any other better options for this price
Look at the minibrute 2s.
Getting ahead of myself, but did anyone with a SP1 ever find a way to parallel the Led light to an external source? Having a larger version of that would be a trip. I think Peter Edwards does something during his live gigs.
i do! I plug the TRI, ENV and BPF signals out to a high watt tricolor led driver/led and viola.
@@peteedwards9691 Sweet. Does that also work on SP2? I didn't expect you to answer so that's why I asked about SP1.
Question! I’m dipping my toes into semi-modular/modular and buying myself a piece of kit. Between 0-Coast and Softpop, I prefer a lot of the sounds on the Softpop, but I was wondering if you can patch drum sounds out of the SP2 the way you can with 0-Coast. Would love to be able to create my own kicks, snares, etc
hmm intuitively I wouldn't think of either one as a drum synth, but obviously one can define that in a broad way - but since you're judging by sounds indeed go with what you prefer - both are excellent choices
you’ll definitely be able to create it on both . The SP2 might be quicker and has a dedicated faders for snappy envelopes… and the build in sequencer extended patch bay would allow you to get in my opinion much more versatility
I might have missed it. Are the scales all in major or can they switch to minor too?
at 26:15 for the jungle sounds were you triggering in anything via midi? or just floating as I cannot get mine to do this thanks
No midi, full patch notes are on my patreon - if you leave before the end of the month you don’t have to pay anything
Fantastic synth, glad it exists, too expensive for me unfortunately. Maybe one day.
Yeah, looks fun but the sticker shock!
At last a small battery powered portable semi-modular synth .
❤️🔥