The Ornament 8 looks interesting like most of Soma’s catalogue…
but videos only show its connection to the Lyra (Gassing) and the Pulsar (Also Gassing).
Can it be used on other devices? Does anyone have experiences using it with random synths, drum machines, etc.
It’s quite expensive for a sequencer, but then again it’s not your average sequencer.
You can use the Pulsar-23 connection points to send 10V triggers to anything that takes them. It has no way to send any CV that controls pitch though (it is designed to trigger each of the Lyra’s voices through a fairly esoteric voltage set up, and you have to have already tuned those voices on the Lyra to the note you want them to be) so I don’t see any scope to use it on non-Lyra/non-drum synths. I could speculate that you could use the Lyra patch points to trigger gear expecting S-trigs, but I’m not 100% on that and, to emphasise, there is no way to sequence pitch with it.
It’s possibly an interesting source of triggers/modulation for a Eurorack system, but to be honest if you’re into that kind of sequencing and have a modular, you have a ton more options to generate this kind of CV that won’t take up a big chunk of your desk. The main selling point (beyond the Soma-y, freely patchable, clock divider-y part) is that it makes one specific synth that is unsequenceable (the Lyra) somewhat sequenceable. I wouldn’t recommend it outside of the context of having a Lyra and/or a Pulsar personally.
I’m driving my Lyra with the Adapter and an SQ-64. The SQ-64 only works in S-trig mode, so I assume the Ornament produces S-trigs. IIRC, most gear expects V-trigs, so budget for 8 channels of S- to V- trig conversion.
I forgot that the Onament itself has an inverter on every channel.
The Lyra patch points (x8) send S-trigs, the Pulsar patch points (x8) send V-trigs.
I use it a lot, with a pulsar and with modular.
It’s a fun thing and it gets you very easily into sequencing unconventional rhythms.
I too think that’s it is not very ergonomic and that it takes a lot of space for what it does.
For anyone without Soma gear, I think that one can achieve very similar results with doepfer modules (and avoid those alligator cables…).
(But in the end it would not be a cheaper solution)
It’s very pricey compared to Ornament8, but after a long intense research on unique and complex approaches to sequencing I only found the FLUX to be a great alternative to the Ornament8:
It definitely has a steep learning curve since it is a totally different approach to signal processing, but definitely rewarding.
Other than that there is also the route of the Leipzig Subsystem of XAOC that has also a fair amount of complexity when it comes to CV sequencing.
Flux is the centrepiece trigger sequencer in my set up and it’s truly amazing, I don’t think there’s anything else like it. Once you know your way around it it you can quickly dial in rhythms that would otherwise require a huge, complicated patch on a modular or hours of careful microtiming programming on a traditional sequencer.
I really want one and here in Germany it is about 800€ due to post Brexit UK/EU tax situation…but it is truly amazing, I had a quick session with it at my friends studio and it is very rewarding
You can definitely use it for other gear. I’ve been trying it out with my modular system:
