East Beast is released, West Pest isn’t.
Not long now though - as of yesterday their site says:
West Pest has landed and is being checked in. We expect to be shipping it in Europe, the Americas, and Australia this week.
Looking fwd to ordering
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I finally managed to find a few minutes to play around with the West Pest and was suitably happy with quite nasty roaring bass I got out of it. Next step, run it through my eurorack / distortion setup. 
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Any chance you have East Beast to compare it with?
I was watching product demos from Sweetwater with Roger Nicol from Pittsburgh Modular where Roger says it’s the same oscillator but with wave forms “massaged differently” before hitting the wave folder.
I’m just curious if it’s noticeably different before hitting the next stage?
It’s not important that they’re different, but I’m just curious.
Im very happy I picked up East Beast. The extra oscillator was my main reason for getting it but it has lots of extra features that makes it fun to have.
I want West Pest too, but likely a purchase for me later this year or next.
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Just watched that Sweetwater demo again and then for curiosity’s sake ran the Beast waveforms through the Pest and vice-versa – yeah, ‘massaged’ is a pretty apt description without overstating anything.
Edit: Nothing drastically different, no.
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I’m guessing nothing drastic?
I don’t think it matters much. It’s a versatile oscillator and having two would be good for me.
I’m still impressed by what they squeeze in for the price, feature-wise.
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Please help! A month ago I bought a Cre8Audio West Pest but had to return it because it did not work with any of my MIDI controllers (chronic note/pitch hanging). Last week I bought a second WP from a completely different retailer and…this one is also unusable with any MIDI controller. Have I been extraordinarily unlucky to have bought two faulty models in a row? Or, in fact, is the West Pest MIDI interface broken? I suspect the latter - and that’s a shame because it sounds unique and the built-in sequencer/arpeggiater is a lot of fun. Does the WP require any further patching beyond connecting a controller via the MIDI-in jack/adapter? Is there some configuration I may have overlooked? I’ve tried various controllers, cables and even MIDI adapters but it is still impossible to play any sort of melody in real time.
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Door number three ?
Which MIDI TSR adapter are you using ? There are two incompatible “standards” A and B. Could there be a MIDI channel issue ? What else have you tried.
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I am using the midi adapter that shipped with the unit. I have also tried using the MIDI adapter that shipped with my 0-coast. Still no luck. I have tried with different MIDI cables and several different controllers (including M-Audio Oxygen8, Roland PC200mk2 and even a Novation Circuit Tracks). I am using the default MIDI settings and my controller/s is transmitting on channel 1 (toggling through the other MIDI channels on the WP simply kills the connection entirely, as to be expected). As is, When I release a key on my controller, the West Pest does not release the gate/pitch I have triggered with that key. Even with the decay envelope set to its shortest/sharpest on the WP and even with note-latch off (yellow button+D) and EG retrig on (white button + D) , it is still impossible to play any sort of melody or notes in succession.
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So it makes sound, but doesn’t have a note off? Could it be that it has the hold switched on?
Do you have the latest update?
No. I do not have hold switched on. I have the latest firmware version as of this past Sunday.
Have you tried a factory reset yet?
(Hold Octave +, Octave -, and C2 for >5 seconds.)
My East Beast was set to MIDI channel 4 from the box.
So, it’s either an error on the synth or an error on how your controller is set. Have you tried to use a different controller? Have you tried to contact Cre8audio for this?
It strikes me that as it’s a ‘west’ coast flavoured synth it may well be a configuration or knob settings issue. Approaching a patch that it will have similar normal behaviour to an East style may result in a droning tendency. You’d imagine the manual would have a few vanilla patches and perhaps it might help for a user here to post a viable knob position and/or additional patch cables as needed which can be a template to help rule out if there’s actually an underlying midi glitch. It’s hard to say much based on not knowing the hardware or seeing its settings. It’s piqued my interest for the WP if it does force you to approach its architecture differently.
Also, just email the manufacturer direct or ask on social media.
This seems very odd. I used my WP with a Keystep without any issues. Neither just playing with the keys nor using Keystep‘s sequencer or arp gave me any hanging notes or other unexpected behavior. And I also just used the included Midi adapter only to control it.
This can sound incredible, just scoured a few demos. It looks like it should be able to behave itself without leaning on patching, but I noticed the reference to midi velocity influencing decay. Could there be an internal setting which is keeping the LPG open. Maybe try modest release settings and reduce transmitted velocity to see how it influences proceedings. I’d also check your midi isn’t resulting in doubling, so keep the wiring simple to begin with.
Love the growly boings this thing makes, wonderful.
Edit: A few more demos in … Doesn’t look like it can accidentally hang (or appear to) based on settings alone. Something funky on the midi axis seems more likely. Quite a performative device too
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I have tried three controllers: M-Audio Oxygen8 25 keys (2005), Roland PC200mk2 (late 90s) and a Novation Circuit Tracks (2022). Yes I have contacted Cre8Audio directly about this. @avantronica Even after deactivating velocity sensitivity on my controller, the problem persisted. I give up. I’ve now reboxed the unit and am returning the unit to the retailer. Very sad as this could have been my gateway drug into modular.
That sucks. Try the 0-Coast instead. That thing is flawless and really is a gateway into modular, though I’ve so far resisted that pathway.
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Do you expect the replacement to be faulty as well? That all of them are coming off the assembly line broken?
I would think the odds are good that the replacement will be in good working order.
Funnily enough, I bought a 0-Coast a month before the West Pest. I absolutely LOVE the 0-Coast which has worked perfectly right out the box. I was hoping to make that leap from semi-modular desktop to fully modular with the WP but alas no. Back to the drawing board. Westcoast semi-modulars are few and far between and beyond the 0C and WP, eye-wateringly expensive.
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Have you tried a different midi cable?
I do not mean a different midi adapter