Can the er301 do this?

Hi

I would be purchasing this module for one single main function, as I can’t demo it, any feedback would be really helpful. I am trying to ditch my computer, and can’t afford an H7600, and not a fan of going the Vsig route.

Say I am sending in audio 4/4 at 120bpm, I need to be able to do the following.

Record for 4bars
after 4 bars immediately play back the recording, pitched an octave up, looping it twice.

As soon as it has finished playing, repeat the process.

Everything needs to be done by sequenced triggers, as my hands are continually in use elsewhere.
I also want the kind of pitch shifting where the time speeds up and slows down when transposing, not where the tempo stays the same. This is why the loop has to be played twice to fit the four bars.

I have watched the tutorial videos, (really great by the way) but am unclear if the looper can pitch shift.

Is this possible? Can the sampler module be used somehow with record and playback completely automated by triggers?

Thanks!

Leon

I’m a little bit remiss to say yes or no definitively without trying it out, since you’re saying that this is your sole purpose for purchasing this module.

The looper/recorder does not have a pitch or speed control right now.

The sample player does have both a speed and pitch (V/oct) control. Both of these change the playback rate, so they speed up/slow down the recorded material as they pitch shift. They essentially do the same thing but one is linear and the other is mapped perfectly to v/o (so easy to do an octave).

The looper and player can share an audio buffer such that the player can be playing back what the looper has recorded.

The looper has CV control over punch (record) and reset (jump to beginning of buffer), and engage (whether the looper is running). That can be from internal or external CV.

The player has CV control over trigger. If your buffer is un-sliced, this just causes it to jump back to the beginning of the buffer.

I think this could probably be worked out. I might be persuaded to try an experiment for you if I understood a bit better what it is you’re trying to do. Very high level I get it but I guess I feel like I’m lacking some context as to why you want to do this… what source material would sound good this way?

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The simple answer is yes! And just to clarify Joe’s explanation slightly and give the concept in a nutshell:

  • Create a 4 bar (plus a little) buffer and assign to both a Sample Recorder and a Sample Player (i.e. share the buffer).
  • Every 8 bars, record 4 bars of audio into the shared buffer using a Sample Recorder unit by punching in and out via a trigger.
  • Every 8 bars but offset later by 4 bars from the recording triggers, send two triggers spaced 2 bars apart to fire off the Sample Player which is set to play at double speed.
  • Mix your live audio with the output of the Sample Player.

The only hard part is arranging for the various triggers to fire at the proper time. You can use an external sequencer, or, record triggers manually beforehand into WAV files (using the ER-301 if you like) and play them back internally using Sample Players.

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GREAT!!! Just ordered a peoples choice.

Thanks for clarifying, and also many thanks for creating such a great musical device. I am sure I will find a multitude of other uses for it. I have a Doepfer Schaltwerk so triggers shouldn’t be a problem. I love the idea of internal sequencing also though, will definitely explore that option too.

To be able to finally make my music without firing up the laptop……so far I have ben using Max and Usine.

Thank you Joe for answering this also. It is just the basis as I expand and elaborate the patch somewhat. I actually create two, and offset them so I get continual sampling and playback. I then duplicate the whole thing so end up having four in total, equaling 2 continuous streams, usually at different lengths, but “quantised” to16th’s.
I then send these two streams through volume gates that I control with foot pedals, or is sequenced, I tend to use bars of uneven length and long durations, 13 bars and 1 quarter, or 21 bars in 7/8 and other odd signatures. So I end up with a kind of constantly shifting matrix or Kaleidoscope. I also transpose to exact amounts to help create precise rhythmic ratios,6/7, 8/9 etc. Finally everything goes through a long delay, usually set to 11 13 or 17 bars. I think of it like stepping into an audio hall of mirrors……

It has to be autonomous as I am processing a grand piano and playing everything live.
If this all sounds a bit abstract here are a few pieces that use the patch!

and

thanks!

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That’s wicked! Much cooler than what I had imagined something like this could sound like just based on your initial description of what you wanted to do.

Welcome to the ER-301 club. :slight_smile:

Really nice stuff!

Wow. AMAZING work !!!

Agreed. AMAZING, all caps :slight_smile:
Welcome!

thans for the warm welcome!

looking forward to ripping into the 301.

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wow! good stuff.

Any way to buy cds/files from these ?

That’s great Leon, some of the most inspiring modular work I’ve heard. Looking forward to hearing what comes out of your ER-301!

Cheers!
Chapellerfou, glad you enjoyed, I will put some wavs up on soundcloud. When the suite is finished it will be self published on Band camp.
Thanks sixnon, they are not fully modular however, the sounds all come from the piano.

These are from a planned suite of 12 pieces, I will finish the rest soon hopefully, but as nothing is sequenced they are time consuming to create, takes about a week to practice before I can play them fluently. I compose them in my spare time, which I don’t have much of as a father of 2…

The modular handles filtering, compression, ringmod, eq and delay, 8 homemade microphones taking the sound from the piano. As my hands are on the piano constantly I use foot pedals and a breath controller for modulation (a Steiner parker masters touch). The computer handles long delays and pitchshifitng.

I have been looking for something like the er301 for a long time. I have no problems navigating menus. Once you learn where all the doors are its no problem running around the corridors of little glowing LCD worlds. The er301 UI is the best I have seen.
I don’t know why the Laptop interrupts my creative flow so much, but a big chunk of my practice time seems to be spent fighting it, even when doing very simple things.

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Yes I understood that, and should have been clearer. I meant I rarely hear/see the combination of traditional instruments and modular interact so well.