I think there are so many videos of Microcosm on synths out now that you can get a quite good idea how it sounds. I think it sounds perfect for your use case. It adds ambient (wash) to everything if you want to. But it can also add subtle rhythms that play along with more percussive melodies. And you will stumble upon happy accidents all the time. It is not that customizable though and it definitely has its sound - while there are lots of different algos and options, you won’t get it to do stuff it is bot supposed to do, at least from my experience. Also hard to grasp the effect on a sound before sending the signal to it, although that gets a lot better after some time. I really like that I don’t have to setup much in advance on it or activate and stop loop functions for it to do its thing.
I would recommend the Microcosm. ZOIA and Beebo have community patches you can get but how they work can be difficult to dissect. Each person has their own workflow and way of making patches, which can be a real head scratcher at times.
I have found 2 or 3 I like and that make sense to me for ZOIA. I’ve tried like 30 though, so that’s not a great ratio (for me at least). I’ve ended up making my own. Which I enjoy but I really have to set aside time for it. And after a month even I forget sometimes how I set it up.
Beebo is similar, but easier due to the screen. I haven’t tried many community patches but it’s going to be the same type of mystery as to what the author was thinking when they made the patch.
The MC is great for happy accidents and mangling. I use it on on every instrument in many genres of music. You can hear it in action handling the vocal stutters on the latest release from my pop duo Idylmind, it’s called Take My Time (Slowly). idylmind | Instagram | Linktree
Excellent question and honestly I don’t know since I haven’t tried that out but it’s a good test case. I bought it for recording modular quickly without a computer and mixer to capture happy accidents on modular. I need to try it. I did update the firmware on the Bluebox and like the new feature to punch in and punch out and select where to playback a recorded sample. I’m wanting a second Bluebox it’s that good. Well I’d like a TX-6 now that you can record samples and use as an audio interface as well as mixer.
Very talented mate! I’m just a newcomer to this world and late to the party (I’m 45) and it’s just a hobby to relax to really, I love it, I have a couple of tunes I tried to record and put on Soundcloud, but not the best. plus the quality isn’t good.
Well I’ve ordered the Bluebox (just now), I just need to source the right cables to go to my Digitone, Digitakt and Typhon Dreadbox now, I’m based in the UK.
I’ll spend some weeks learning it (apologies for any questions) and this gives me time to look at choosing 1 of those 3 pedals, but the MC does look good.
Nice! Have fun with the Bluebox and take a look at the cables I linked above. J3RK linked an Amazon option as well.
Some lovely gear you have
thanks
What a lovely setup too.
very nice photo.yes I use it as a fx send and sometimes as synth too using the octatrack midi
These are working well for me so far
HNY!
Well my Bluebox has arrived and I love it. Once thing I can’t seem to workout is sending the Midi clock from the Digitakt to the BB. The only Midi port I have free on the Digitakt is the Midi Thru Sync B which I’ve attached to the Midi In port on the front of the BB.
I was hoping I could send the clock. My Digitakt is also the clock for my Digitone and Typhon Dreadbox.
Any ideas how I set this up would be great.
Not sure about your setup, but usually it’s easiest if you use DT output to connect it to the first device in your chain and then only use MIDI thru on all devices after. E.g. DT out to DN in, DN thru to Typhon in, Typhon thru to Bluebox in. And set each device to receive clock via MIDI (on some devices you have to specify whether it is coming from DIN or USB MIDI or both, don’t know about Bluebox).
Typhon doesn’t have a dedicated Thru. But if it’s set to receive clock from external and transmit clock, it should work.
I see. If Bluebox has thru, he could use that and put Typhon at the end of the chain.
Yep, or use the Digitone MIDI out to Bluebox. I think clock would come along
DN should work in the same way if you go to MIDI Config, Sync and enable Clock Send.
I’ll try that thanks, what do I need to do on the BB side?