Sonic Core Modular IV

kmmcdonald · Joined: Oct 08, 2005 Posts: 22 Location: USA Audio files: 1

What do you all think of this:

http://www.sonic-core.net/en/home/modular4.html

It runs on a DSP board, like the Nord Modulars (except in this case the board is resident in a PC or in an external module)

I have to start planning for the day when my G2 is no longer practical to use, given PC OS upgrades and lack of G2 support.

The XITE-1 platform looks very intriguing, but it is the most expensive piece of equipment that I have ever seen that uses a wallwart. Also, I really cannot tell much about these products from the web page (e.g. what DSP board is required to run Modular IV, how does it interface with typical sequencers such as Sonar, how it interfaces to a PC, where to buy in the US, etc.)

Keith

BobTheDog · Posted: Fri Feb 05, 2010 2:01 pm Post subject:

Hi Keith,

PlanetZ is a good place to ask questions, very friendly bunch there.

http://forums.planetz.com/

Cheers

Andy

wouter · Posted: Fri Feb 05, 2010 2:21 pm Post subject:

Last year I bought a Sonic Core Scope system PCI card (that's a previous generation card) with 2 16 channel (in&out) A16 Ultra converters. I'm using Modular 3 at the moment with Flexor modules (www.adern.com). The Scope system is a modular system where you can connect all kind of modules: mixers, synths, effects, ASIO devices (e.g. Cubase), external gear. All the processing runs on the DSP's of the card. You can connect anything with anything without any latency.

I really like the Scope Modular, it complements my G2 and Micro Modular. The sound of the G2 is digital, clean and surgical (which is a good thing) the sound of the Scope Modular is big and bold (which is also a good thing Smile

). Because I have the PCI card version the loading of patches is slower that on the G2 but on an XITE-1 they improved the loading times (from what I have read on the forums). There is a nice community over at http://forums.planetz.com/forums.html where you can download modular patches, new modules for the modular and other scope devices. It was the best music gear purchase I ever did Wink

buzzr · Posted: Sat Feb 06, 2010 3:29 pm Post subject:

5000 bucks. thats a hunk of change...

hurolura · Posted: Tue Mar 23, 2010 2:19 pm Post subject:

Yep, but you can taste the scope Modular 2 or III which often come with entry level 3/4/6 DSP used PCI boards (one can find this type of board for 100 to 250 €, which is much cheaper than the Xite-1).

Being a Scope and clavia Micromodular and G2 user for a few years now I must admit this two solution are more quite different whereas the principle is the same: old school analog modular spirit powered by DSP using a PC to manage patch and provide flexibility.

The only trick regarding the Scope platorm is that finding a PC motherboard with PCI is not that easy anymore and the old Creamware Software scope v4/4.5 only work untill Win XP or Mac OS 9. The new SonicCore scope v5 provide more up to date PC OS support but would not be found often on used cards.

Another great feature is that the whole Scope Modular III/4 range provide around 1000 (!!!) module including some commercial extra bundle provided by third party (Adern, Zarg-Music, SpaceF ...) and a bunch of freeware module provided by the Scope SDK developper community members.

Based on the 150 basic modules of Mod 2/Mod III, one of the smartest SDK developper has designed a lovely BCR/BCF control oriented set of module which offers direct "hardware" control, see here : http://forums.planetz.com/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=23648

If you want to have a look at the range of modules available just have a look at this fantastic web site: http://www.cwmodular.org/index.html

One more trouble is that integrating 1 small 3 DSP board soon gives you the wish for DSP expansion ...

The Xite-1 IS expensive but this unit provide 50x the DSP power of the old range 3-DSP board (the new DSP is the same as the one used in the UAD2 boards). The price per DSP is then "cheap" ...

Most important the sound is there (already with Mod III).
Mod IV new modules features some of the greatest synth emulation formely provided inside other Scope Plug-ins such as Minimax/Pro12 filters.
Besides, CZ osc are integrated ...

hurolura · Posted: Mon May 23, 2011 10:37 am Post subject:

Here you can find a few soundclip I made with the patches I built using Mod IV ...

http://soundcloud.com/hurolura/sets/a-set-of-sonic-core-mod-iv/

Just sharing this to show what is possible in a few hours with SC Mod IV.
I setup a modular dedicated system with 10 "old" model DSP which provide me roughly 4 voices polyphony on thoose patches.

Dry sound, no external FX ...

I have to spend time on my G2 Engine now and would eventually try to merge thoose two gears.

kmmcdonald · Joined: Oct 08, 2005 Posts: 22 Location: USA Audio files: 1

How does the Xite-1 interface to a host PC? I honestly cannot tell from the Sonic Core web page.

thanks

Keith

hurolura · Posted: Sat Jun 18, 2011 5:23 pm Post subject:

For communication with the host the Xite-1/Xite-1D package include a small PCI-Express interface card that have to be installed inside the PC host.
There is also one optionnal Express card interface for use with laptops.

If you have both a standard PC and a laptop you can easily unplug the Xite-1 from a standard PC studio and take it on the road to use it with your laptop ...
You just need to install the software on both hosts.
And as the software key is linked to the Xite hardware unit, you can use it with any of the two systems ...

23_PCIe-Karte.jpg

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PCIe card for classic PC host

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21_Express-Karte.jpg

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Optionnal Express card for PC laptop

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22_HDMI-Kabel.jpg

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HDMI cable to make the link between:
PCIe card and Xite-1
or
ExpressCard and Xite-1

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