Organelle

I'm surprised there is no mention of this on the forum at all.. Anyone got one?

 

 

I'm pretty keen to get one after seeing this video:

 

 

Seems like it could be set up in a way to sync my OP-1 with nanoloop, pocket operators etc. Plus, being able to load/edit PD patches on the device seems like it could be like a super version of a Nord Micro Modular or something..?

Edited May 2, 2016 by modey

Whenever I get gearbuyitchitus looking at these funky hipster commercials, I ask myself do I really need it? How would it benefit the workflow..

..maybe some psychological itch, projecting better creative output with a next new tool .

 

You can get a good laptop, run a bunch of software/pd + tidy midi controller doing everything and moar for the same money of these two combined. Dutch stinginess ftw ;) .

Yeah but it's like saying you can do everything that an op-1 can do with ableton. The thing is, it won't be an all in one unit. Of course I could do all of my minimal tech live stuff just using a laptop without having to worry about syncing various bits of gear, but that's not fun imo!

 

Also I've *never* been able to achieve the super low latency of dedicated hardware using a laptop, even my macbook pro has enough latency to be noticeable.

 

Also fuck having a laptop onstage when playing live :P I just find myself using mouse too much when I'm playing with a laptop.

Edited May 2, 2016 by modey

Sorry to be a buzzkill, If you need it go for it, I wasn't thinking about live play necessarily, isn't my forte.

Two counterpoints...

 

  On 5/2/2016 at 9:45 AM, Djeroek said:

You can get a good laptop, run a bunch of software/pd + tidy midi controller doing everything and moar for the same money of these two combined. Dutch stinginess ftw ;) .

Can you really get a good laptop for <$450 USD (Organelle cost minus MIDI controller cost minus software cost)?

 

 

  On 5/2/2016 at 2:59 PM, modey said:

Also I've *never* been able to achieve the super low latency of dedicated hardware using a laptop, even my macbook pro has enough latency to be noticeable.

Is the latency really better on the Organelle? It's just an ARM processor running Linux and PD, right? There's nothing special about it (besides the cute interface) that a raspberry pi won't give you afaict.

I haven't played it; I was just talking generally about hardware. Though, be honest I don't know a thing about low latency linux audio.. I'm sure it's possible to do all this with a pi but *for me* it's not worth the fucking around, not to mention having to get an audio interface, controller, enclosure, usb hub etc. Portability is a concern for me!

The portability thing I could definitely get behind. Also it's cute as heck.

I'd love to try it out, and the PD engine running everything would make everything pretty smooth, but I'm just wondering how much of it is a glorified Raspberry Pi with a fancy case.

Does anyone say that about the Nord Modular though? Technically that's just Reaktor running on a computer in a fancy enclosure?

 

I agree somewhat, don't get me wrong.. but yeah, it's 100% about convenience and portability for me.

ooh, a tiny screen

  On 5/3/2016 at 3:06 AM, Entorwellian said:

I'd love to try it out, and the PD engine running everything would make everything pretty smooth, but I'm just wondering how much of it is a glorified Raspberry Pi with a fancy case.

Yes, exactly. And don't get me wrong, silly as it sounds, that's actually kind of a draw for me. On the portability tip, I would've purchased one already if only it was battery powered. They've solved juuust enough annoying problems with it that solving just that one would've pushed me over the edge.

 

  On 5/3/2016 at 3:17 AM, modey said:

Does anyone say that about the Nord Modular though? Technically that's just Reaktor running on a computer in a fancy enclosure?

 

I agree somewhat, don't get me wrong.. but yeah, it's 100% about convenience and portability for me.

Yes people have said that. However the consensus is that the Nord's algorithms are bitchin' (see the Ask Autechre Anything thread). Also, on the latency tip, it's pretty hard to beat as far as digital modulars go. It is also cute and tiny. Furthermore, it's 96kHz/24 bits. That said I rarely play with mine anymore because it's pretty annoying to plug the patcher MIDI into my interface and fire up Wine just to run the editor.

Woah, I didn't even know that it's not battery powered. Not sure if it's a total deal breaker, since my setup isn't entirely battery powered, but it does make things a bit less convenient.

  On 5/3/2016 at 3:43 AM, sweepstakes said:

However the consensus is that the Nord's algorithms are bitchin' (see the Ask Autechre Anything thread). Also, on the latency tip, it's pretty hard to beat as far as digital modulars go. It is also cute and tiny. Furthermore, it's 96kHz/24 bits. That said I rarely play with mine anymore because it's pretty annoying to plug the patcher MIDI into my interface and fire up Wine just to run the editor.

 

Yeah, I was actually kinda tempted to get a micro modular, but am turned off for the same reason (unsupported editor). Organelle is the same(ish) price as a second hand nord, and my small machines setup isn't exactly the most high end in terms of sound, so the 96/24 thing would be lost on me.

  On 5/3/2016 at 5:39 AM, modey said:

 

  On 5/3/2016 at 3:43 AM, sweepstakes said:

However the consensus is that the Nord's algorithms are bitchin' (see the Ask Autechre Anything thread). Also, on the latency tip, it's pretty hard to beat as far as digital modulars go. It is also cute and tiny. Furthermore, it's 96kHz/24 bits. That said I rarely play with mine anymore because it's pretty annoying to plug the patcher MIDI into my interface and fire up Wine just to run the editor.

 

Yeah, I was actually kinda tempted to get a micro modular, but am turned off for the same reason (unsupported editor). Organelle is the same(ish) price as a second hand nord, and my small machines setup isn't exactly the most high end in terms of sound, so the 96/24 thing would be lost on me.

 

Organelle seems very future-proof. PD isn't the belle of the ball but it's got a robust community and huge library of patches; it's not leaving the scene anytime soon. It was wise of C&G for many reasons to choose it as the core of the Organelle.

 

I thought the 96/24 thing was silly audiophile stuff too but on certain patches (e.g. raw square waves) you absolutely hear it. You know how the Monomachine sounds a little mushy and aliasy when you hit high notes or open the filters all the way on the FM or subtractive machines? Yeah, you don't get any of that on the Nord unless you're really trying to. Sometimes I crave razor sharp waves and start lusting for eurorack but my little Micro can do most of that.

Ha, my earliest electronic influences came from the Amiga demoscene; I consider digital aliasing to be as pleasant as analog warmth :D

Oh dude, old tracker mods taught me most of what I know about working with samples, and I always turned the aliasing off for maximum enjoyment :) It's just sometimes you want a nice silky smooth or razor sharp wave. There's a time and a place for all of it!

I'm still considering this.. but also thinking that maybe what I really need is a USB MIDI host, so I can sync my OP-1 to my monomachine (and possibly have a channel on the monomachine dedicated to sync pulses for nanoloop/pocket operators). The iConnectMIDI4+ is almost half the price of the Organelle though..

  On 5/7/2016 at 4:31 AM, modey said:

The iConnectMIDI4+ is almost half the price of the Organelle

I need to get my MIDI controller project to a deployable spot cos that shit is ridiculous.

yeah, I'm surprised there aren't more devices like that on the market. There's also the oplab, which is tempting, but again, expensive. Then there's the Kenton USB MIDI host, which would be perfect, but I can't find it anywhere, and it's still $200AU. It's almost cheaper to just get a shitty dummy laptop as a pass-thru device.. but it just adds unnecessary bulk to my setup.

 

Of course, I'm aware that it's something I could do with arduino/Pi, and while I have an arduino, I don't really have the time to learn how to program for it, and then buying the USB host shield, MIDI ports, enclosure etc will still get expensive.

  On 5/7/2016 at 4:48 AM, modey said:

Of course, I'm aware that it's something I could do with arduino/Pi, and while I have an arduino, I don't really have the time to learn how to program for it, and then buying the USB host shield, MIDI ports, enclosure etc will still get expensive.

Yeah, totally. The Pi is great but I'm not aware of any decent MIDI-oriented programming environments unless you want to learn PD. It's just a little too complicated, too much commitment for the casual MIDI enthusiast who just wants to plug in their USB-equipped gear to their DIN- equipped gear. And if you want to skip GUI or monitor you're out of luck.

 

Plus it's not really the most immediate thing if you're working with hardware and you have all these nice arpeggiators and sequencers with dedicated knobs and buttons, and suddenly you want to bring in the computer for fancier stuff and you have to deal with a mouse and crap.

I currently spend lots of work time writing various automation and UI scripts for Raspberry Pi and the temptation to get one home for music making is strong, but there are so many possibilities I don't know where to start. A custom drum machine, a sampler, a sequencer, some weird ass digital synthesis thing?

Edited May 7, 2016 by mokz

Yeah, true. Although, for someone like me who likes to completely switch their setup around quite often, that's a positive thing..

Mokz if you're working with the Pi regularly, and a musician, you really should try something with it. I've tried to brainstorm some ideas on how they could be implemented and designed, but I've got zero programming/tech experience with something like that. I'm slowly learning Max, but far from ready to create my own programs for a Pi.

 

The ideas I've had for the Pi tend to be manipulative of MIDI/light audio effects and would rely on lots of conditional triggers. I think there's a whole world of untapped possibilities for music creation tools that rely on interesting/intelligent programs brained by a Pi. I've seen one or two devices out there on Kickstarter and private companies, but nothing that really piqued my interest.

 

sent using magic space waves

Just bit the bullet on a Pi; I figured I might as well try to get it working as a PD machine, even if only as a sync/sequencing controller. I may come back here in a few days complaining about latency :P

Edited May 9, 2016 by modey

So there's a new version now that runs off 4 AA batteries. Also it has a faster processor and dedicated MIDI ports. Extremely tempting.