#125

Curious, since i have my stages at home and can´t try it out.
Can it function like a mixer or volume control for cv´s and not only gates?
Can i use my Stages as a middle step between modulation source and target, to use the sliders as level controls for the signal before i pass it on?
I have a Zadar and Pamela but they are so fiddly to adjust depth/levels in when “performing”.
I´m thinking maybe like a 6ch Shades or similar? Is that possible?

#126

No, the module doesn’t work as a mixer or as an attenuator. This kind of function doesn’t go well with the core logic of the module, which is one segment = one function independent from the other segments, or one segment = one element of a chain of segments, active one after the other.

#127

Alright, thanks for the explanation. :clinking_glasses:

#128

Does the firmware update procedure requires calibration afterwards, when using a wav files generated this way? Or the factory calibration data won’t be destroy this way? Thanks! /cc @pichenettes

#129

Calibration data is not destroyed by firmware updates.

1 Like
#130

I compiled a modified firmware for Stages that let me enter and exit the “ouroboros” mode (the harmonic oscillator easter egg) at runtime, while the module is powered on, by long-pressing any button for 5 seconds.

35

You can download the firmware here and load it following the official firmware update procedure.

Please beware! I only tested it with a single non-chained module, and without chaining the module itself. I’m quite sure it will behave very strange if chained. Obviously I’m not responsible for any issue you might encounter.

For those interested in the code changes I made, here they are. Any fix or improvement is welcome.

13 Likes
#131

Nice ! I did similar but not happy yet with chained modules - can only test on two and am a little concerned if there are any overhead/timing considerations on rt and left communication - I know there are memory limitations meaning only 6 can be chained… so wouldnt be happy releasing code yet for multiple chained configurations :slight_smile:

#132

Great! I would suggest to make the “secret handshake” a little more complicated so that it doesn’t get activated by accident. Maybe something like: press buttons 1+ 6 for 5 sec

#133

Yeah, I was the one nagging you here about updates :grimacing: At the end I took a better look at the source code and I realized that maybe I could try myself, also given the Vagrant image made the development environment setup trivial.

I didn’t bother digging to much into the chaining mechanisms since I only have one, and to be honest I really didn’t understand how it works at all! Hope you’ll be able to sort that out!

#134

I don’t know, 5 seconds is quite enough to avoid accidents. The GIF is sped up, 2x or more. Consider I also decreased the long-press time for enabling loop mode on segments, from 1s to 0.4s.

#135

Oops - didnt know what you meant about nagging until I scrolled up on this thread !!! Apologies - I didnt see it !!! :frowning:
From what I’ve tried it’s essentially an overhead on the communication right and left which increases the packet size a little… I’d really want to check it on a large chain of modules before I let it out :slight_smile: Good news is I’d love 84hp of stages :slight_smile:

#136

Lol, no problem! So, are you trying to make it works so that any module in ouroboros mode in the middle doesn’t breaks the chain but passes the messages to the neighbors as if itself was “out” of the chain? Sounds complicated :thinking:

#137

Yes - switches all modules to ouroboros or !ouroboros - not too complicated - just needs a boolean adding to the right and left packets essentially with a bit more wrapper code. I need to test it properly though on several modules at a time…

#138

to explore my new Marbles and Stages modules,
Ive created a “Krell” patch, sticking as close as possible to the Todd Barton “recipe”

(I posted a video in the music section if anyone is interested)

this means Im using Marbles in a very limited way to generate “random” values for pitch and attack/decay on stages - I clock off an “End of Cycle” from Stages so that the values only change once per cycle.

to do this, I set up Stages as follows

ramp, ramp, hold (slider zero), hold (slider non-zero) , hold (slider-zero) (so / \ - - -)
this gives me an AD , which I modulate the AD time from marbles.
the main output goes to veils for the VCA
I take the second hold output, as the EOC trigger (to clock marbles, trigger plaits, rings, elements etc)

note: Im not using loop segments, rather using EOC to re-trig, this is because I need EOC for other purposes (to clock marbles etc)

this all works fine… but feels inefficient, as I’m using 5 segments
(id like to use as few as possible, so have more modulation/s&h elsewhere)

I found I need 3 holds because , the first hold is required so the D ramp, comes down… the second hold is the trigger … and then the final hold returns the env to zero…
I think I could theoretically drop the 3rd hold, as I guess an envelope always starts at zero when triggered? (assuming a ramp is the first segment)

a slight annoyance is also that the main output gets a little blip at the end due to the trigger hold… but thats not too bad, I can ‘tune this out’ by getting the right level and settings on veils.

thoughts? is this the best way to get EOC from stages?

note: its not a ‘big deal’, I recognise I can implement Krell very differently, with Marbles doing most of the work, but Im using this as an ‘educational’ patch to learn stages, so just wondering if Im missing a trick.

(Im currently patching up another Krell implementation where Marbles takes centre stage, and stages is simply a looping AD, and the other segments are used for S&H off Y, with various clocking approaches to get more “random” values from marbles )

#139

What happens if you just use 3 segments (ramp, ramp, hold with the slider set to 0 and a short duration on the pot), and get your EOC from the third segment’s output?

It’s not because the level of the hold segment is 0 that a gate of amplitude 0 will be emitted on the third output. The « auxiliary » outputs always start at 8V, and decay to 0V over their duration, they can be used as triggers!

2 Likes
#140

Nice! I told myself I was going to play with the Easter Egg when I move all my modules to a new case in a few weeks, but now I don’t have an excuse to procrastinate. :grin:

Modulating the different levels with the new Tides is fun, as self-patching for AM.

Any chance you could build a version that also includes the slow LFO mod? :smiley:

#141

works perfectly :slight_smile:

ah, excellent, yeah, id incorrectly thought we were getting that part of the envelope out of the aux output - the actually behaviour is much more useful :slight_smile:
thank you for the help.

#142

First time on here. Something fun I figured out today with stages.

Clock : Gate 5. (2stage AR) Short Attack / Short Decay.
Output Gate 5 ->VCA a nice narley bass VCO. Just get a little beat.

Key : Gate 2. (3stage ASR) I’m using a ADDAC304 Manual Gate to trigger hold.
Output Gate 2 -> Gate 5 Time/level CV.

Now you can get a nice swell and a sustain boom of Bass. Get a nice release and the beat will reemerge.

I’m sure with something like a Tetrapad/ pressure points, you can have a nice bass line going up and down with manual swell.

Reverb it up!

Enjoying this little trick.

#143

This should do it.

stages_ouroboros_slow_lfo.zip (276.6 KB)

6 Likes
#144

Thanks! :sunglasses: