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 Forum index » Clavia Nord Modular » NM Classic (NM1 or G1)
How do you use the Modular live?
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Tusker



Joined: Feb 03, 2005
Posts: 110
Location: Texas

PostPosted: Thu Feb 03, 2005 3:28 pm    Post subject: How do you use the Modular live? Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Wonderful community here. I've been lurking and this is my first post.

I've had this modular (rack) at the home studio, but I've never taken it out to play with in a live context. I'm wondering if any of you could share how you use it give me some ideas.

I wouldn't use it as a primary synth, but primarily for textures, leads, and occasionally running rompler sounds through it (like sampled drum loops).

For example, I'm wondering how many sounds I should plan to play in a song. Since the patches take a moment to load I wouldn't want to change patches in mid song typically. It would seem the choice is between monotimbral performance (which would allow me to set up 4 slots in advance for 4 songs) and multitimbral performance under reduced polyphony. Given the trade-off, I assume I will use it monotimbrally most of the time. Is this how most of you use it? (I'm using monotimbral to mean one patch, although that clearly isn't a true synonym.)

Also wondering if any of you use sysex or program change commands (instead of the interface) to load things up.

Thanks,

Jerry
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mosc
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Joined: Jan 31, 2003
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Location: Durham, NC
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 03, 2005 8:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

welcome Tusker

I used to play the NM in live performance (I traded mine for a G2), both solo and in ensembles.. In both cases I used just one slot and played it for what it was worth through the 18 knobs. But there is not rule or even best way to use such a powerful and flexible instrument.

The primary limitation is that the knobs don't get reset when you change patches. You have to get some methodology to deal with that. Using the knobs in hook mode works sometimes. Sometimes you need to take the time to set the knobs using the lights on the front. Other times, just let it rip from where ever the settings might be randomly. That gives you a lot of excitement. As I got more experience, I used the last method. Things are never boring that way. Very Happy

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Kassen
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Joined: Jul 06, 2004
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PostPosted: Fri Feb 04, 2005 1:50 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

I used to use it with four slots, each holding it´s own loop or loops and those would be synced to the internal clock. I´d start one loop, morph and tweak it untill I was bored with it, then fade it out while fading the next in (they would be synced so that´s like dj-ing except easy). After the four slots were spend I´d play some pre-made musical paterns from md that would be at the same bpm while loading the next batch. I used to use a Ensonique dp/2 on out 3/4 looped back to the two inputs and midi controled from knobs on the NM.

Sometimes there´d be a SPL Vitaliser over the outputputs for some extra thickness.

This setup worked well for my minimal noisy techno style at the time.

These days I use it over some extra outputs on the laptop; synced to Live´s midi clock. It´s primarily doing effects that need to be dynamic and morphable and bringing slight amounts of randomness so the whole thing sounds more lively.

With the disco -erm- "band" I play in I hook it up as both a effect and as a synth and controll it using a EMU Launchpad and a homebrew thereminin controler. There it´s doing midi synced but improvised sound effects, the occasional synthline and extra dubby drums when the mood fits. Most of that stuff is relatively conventional but with the nord I get to use my interface like I want to and there´s no need to bring seperate boxes for drums, synths and effects.

Welcome on board too!

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Wan



Joined: Mar 31, 2004
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Location: Netherlands, Ugchelen
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PostPosted: Fri Feb 04, 2005 2:44 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

I've used a rack for several years live, but now my whole rig has been replaced by a G2X.

Still got the NM1 though and sure will keep it, it may return live as an expander to the G2X when i'm ready to set it up that way.

I used the rack as a conventional expander for my masterboard (motif 7), using 1 slot for keyboard type sounds (synths, brass, e-piano etc.). I set all patch-changes in the motif so this slot was switching with my motif and i didn't have to pay any special attention to it.

The other 3 slots i used for my voice, one of them containg a vocoder patch, one of them a weird vocal-fx patch and the last one a clean/produced vocal patch. By switching slots on and off i switched between the sounds very fast live, especcially my vocal sounds.

For me the integration of my voice in my setup is extremely satisfying, i can't sing very well Embarassed , so i can soup it up with the vocoder/fx of the G1 and now the G2 (this part of the setup is still the same) Very Happy

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Wout Blommers



Joined: Sep 07, 2003
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PostPosted: Sat Feb 05, 2005 4:16 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Yesterday Rob, Kassen, Lise and me visited Wan's gig and we were impressed. Personally I don't have much affection with Zappa's music, but it is to a keyboard player the music you want to play and perform. (My piano teacher was also in the audience Smile The G2X is very well to use in this music. The E-piano sounds and the Leads are prominent in the over all sound. Special effects are poped- up by the push on a button. Wan uses the Vocoder, which takes care of the higher parts of the vocals, a lot. Important is the Vocoder doesn't sound like 'Autobahn' from Kraftwerk.
It is a joy to see Wan rushing over the keys. He admits the G2X keyboard has a different feel as the G2 keyboard.
Unfortunately I wasn't able to look on the keys itself, so I couldn't see what Wan was doing with the two extra ModWheels. Maybe he will explain Smile
Wan chooses the right sounds at the right places in the songs.
This gig proves the G2(X) is a real stage beast...

Wout


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mosc
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PostPosted: Sat Feb 05, 2005 8:56 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Judging from the patches Wan contributes, I'm not at all suprised the music is great. I really wish I could have been there. I do love Zappa's music. Congrats, Wan.

I'm not sure the G2X is a real stage beast, but I am sure that Wan is... Cool

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Wout Blommers



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PostPosted: Sat Feb 05, 2005 12:04 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

mosc wrote:
I'm not sure the G2X is a real stage beast, but I am sure that Wan is... Cool


I'm sure he is! He was the one who bit me... Wink

Wout


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Wan



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PostPosted: Sat Feb 05, 2005 12:10 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Thanks Wout and Mosc for your compliments, i feel honoured by them. It was very nice to see some fellow G2 users at the gig, thanks again for comming guys.

As for my "beast"-factor Very Happy I am not very much jumping around and tearing things down or such, but i do like to make a lot of noise now and then. The G2 is very capable of that.... so i guess it's the combination of us that is making it worthwhile...

The Zappa music indeed leaves a lot of space for the synth parts so that's why i do enjoy this band so much.

As for the global wheels on the G2X - i use wheel 2 as an extra pitchbend, but now with a stable range of 1 octave. With that i can glide to an octave higher/lower and land precisely on the octave. That's something the pitch stick won't do, i've tried it once, but there is a bug there (Clavia is aware of this). Otherwise the stick is very expressive and i'm getting used to it, i do love its direct pitch manipulation behaviour.

Wheel 1 is used for several applications, on some sounds it acts as a feedback effect (going to a higher octave a bit like a guitar), on others it controls the envelop attack times, others have it control the timbre. Hurray for the morphs... Cool

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Tusker



Joined: Feb 03, 2005
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PostPosted: Sat Feb 05, 2005 9:20 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Wow, people, thank for making me feel welcome. And for sharing your live experiences. I'm feeling a little intimidated by this synth and your stories are helping. Even little tricks (like keeping four slots synced together) are helping me understand the possibilities.

Mosc, my father was fond of a certain Rudyard Kipling poem, and recited bits of it to me from time to time. To my chagrin, now that I have a son, I find myself doing the same. Smile Expecially the part about treating "those two imposters the same".

Wan, I feel that we have a lot in common in taste though I admit that I am ignorant of FZ's work. (I've heard a couple of tracks and enjoyed their sophistication and self-deprecating humor.) I do enjoy a lot of the jazz meets rock meets experimental, from Eno to Shakti, with modern stuff like Bela and some early stuff like 70's prog. The pitch and modulation selections you mentioned make emminent sense for the kinds of voicings, I would like to develop. Basically treating the synth as a nuanced instrument that can be played live with keyboard idioms, but also stretching the tonal palette somewhat beyond the norm.

I think the G2X sounds very interesting. I haven't seen one around here, but if the keybed is anything like the Electros, it's a very playable instrument. Not very hard resistance, but musically responsive nontheless. Would that description fit?

Thanks again,

Jerry
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Wout Blommers



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PostPosted: Sun Feb 06, 2005 5:02 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Tusker wrote:
... but if the keybed is anything like the Electros, it's a very playable instrument. Not very hard resistance, but musically responsive nontheless. Would that description fit?


No, the Electro is slightly heavier then the G2X, but the latter is heavier then the other Clavia synths.

Wout
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nescivi



Joined: Mar 23, 2005
Posts: 94
Location: Montreal

PostPosted: Tue Mar 29, 2005 3:51 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

I suppose I could say a few words about how I use the Micro Modular live.

I have been using it during the past years as my main sound engine. A live set would consist of a couple of patches, that I control with selfmade midi-controllers: some knobs and buttons, but mostly sensors.
I have also used some acoustical instruments and filtered the sound of that with the MicroMod, or triggered things. These acoustical instruments have ranged from a piano, to bells, to psalteries, and other string instruments.
Additionally I used some lo-fi electronics, such as voice samplers and light-powered synths.
All in all, I have been very happy using it, and it is quite possible to create a complete live set around that little thing.

Off late, however, I found myself in need of more complicated mapping of sensor data and got myself a laptop and started with SuperCollider. However, I'm still using the MicroMod, just controlling it with Midi from Supercollider now.
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