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MiRack. SHOULD I CARE?
So. I'm pretty fluent in synthesis.
I'm generally a live player rather than a sequencer.
MPE is my jam.
I'm enjoying Synthmaster 2, and recently Tera Pro, and I'm relatively conversant in Drambo.
I don't have a lot of knowledge of CV or Eurorack systems.
Am i actually missing much that might be interesting or pivotal in Mirack?
Comments
Not even a little, based on what you've said are your interests.
... but ... you should broaden your interests. 😂✌🏼
MPE isn't practical in miRack. Even polyphony, while recently made possible for some things, requires jumping through some hoops.
(Don't get me wrong. I'm fairly well addicted to miRack, but I'm also the kind of person that would rather build a guitar or a midi controller than buy one, even though both cost more and I end up with lower quality.)
Lol. My interests are pretty damn broad. I'm actually trying to reign then in as much as possible so i can actually make music. 😂
I think what I'm getting at is that I'm gravitating more and more towards the big synthesis engines like SM2, Tera Pro, and Drambo and trying to be comfortable enough with then to do anything. Other than granular (which i use WaveCloud for) im not finding many holes in my options. Does MiRack offer much that I'm missing? I consider it to be also one of the big synthesis engines.
I recognize that every synth sounds unique. Im mostly curious though if I'm missing synthesis STYLES.
This is good information, thank you. It's also why i passed on Mela.
I think that modular's strength is to get away from fixed-function styles. Specifically, most non and semi-modular systems are based around each section doing a specific thing and only that thing. I.e. the oscillator section, filter, envelope, amp, etc. based on the type of synth.
With a modular synth it matters less what each module is stated to do, functionally. For example, pass a sine wave through a comparator to create a square wave from it. Or, do that with a function generator or slew limiter. It doesn't really matter what the module is "supposed" to do, just what it is capable of doing. Some people enjoy being free to focus on the signal at that level...whether you would get any new sounds from it is another story and mostly up to how far you want to really dig into it.
It might be worth checking out VCV Rack, which you can get for free, before deciding if MiRack is a good addition.
Thank you. I'll be real, $20 is not a hardship so I'm not too concerned about try before buy options, but thank you. If I'm 100% sure i won't use it then that's a different story. Honestly i would throw $20 at a developer if i knew I'd spend 2 hours playing, but it seems i won't.
miRack is worth having even if you only mess with modular once in a while. It works as AUv3, and even if you don't get much out of the synthesis portion, it works as a pretty slick effects rack in apps that have limited effects slots.
If you have Tera Pro and Drambo, you already have all the components to make just about any kind of synth you can imagine. You don't need miRack to make better or radically different synth sounds. You can get deeper into tinkering with miRack in some ways, but it'll probably come at the cost of tons of wiring and months and months of trial and error or watching YouTube videos. And forget MPE. Even Polyphony is a challenge.
Honestly? It doesn't sound to me like it's for you based on what you've posted. All the rest of that was just me trying to clarify that miRack is still fantastic even while it isn't for everyone.
No. You're really not.
If you get a hankering for making generative stuff or just wild-ass experimentation with modulation and shit then go for it, but based on all you've said, I betcha you'll put it aside after awhile**. If you ask me there are plenty of other synths such as ID 700, Factory, Hilda, Ripplemaker, and Nambu that'll get you into different styles far more directly than dinking around with miRack.
Totally my own uninformed and unwarranted opinion though! You're well advised to ignore me!
(** Though you'll learn a ton in the process, and that'll help with understanding other synths better.)
Modular synths can give you more control over synth textures, e.g. you can layer oscillators and your own (noise) samples within the same envelope and do a lot of those parallel processing things and decide on where you filter etc. which can elevate your sound.
I use Drambo to cover those needs, MiRack is just too much with all the wiring.
I think my earlier reply to this didn't address what a great answer it actually was. Thanks a lot, you really highlight here what makes modular unique, and interesting.
This is likely what will get me hitting the buy button one day. I don't know if I'll ever truly be a modular guy, but that entry point seems fun.
That might be the same for me. Doesn't stop me from looking every so often and wondering tho...
Thanks for keeping your answers real and focused on specifically what I said I'm interested in. I don't think there's any doubt that mirack is a phenomenal app, but yeah, probably not what I'm after currently.
Realistically, I need to put my wallet away for a bit and get deeper with what i already use. Also realistically, I'm now going to explore all these other synths you mention since i only own Hilda. 😉
No worries, glad to share!
+1 for Nambu, it's really good. I find I haven't used a lot of other iPad synths since picking that up.
I'd suggest to go through the list of modules in miRack and see which ones ring your bell.
My own favorites are modules from Audible Instruments, Geodesics, NYSTHI and Purr.
Not that I'm using miRack a lot, but playing with it some times can be fun and inspiring.
@Tentype, you are not missing anything. 😌
Designing a custom synthesizer is just a small part of what you can do with a modular system.
If you want to understand the logic behind modular synthesis, watch and listen to prolific artists like Colin Benders.
BTW, I love miRack! Here is a list of just a few sequencers you can find in the miRack.
It would never occur to me that someone “fluent in synthesis” might for any reason not be interested in a decent emulation of the core technology and techniques behind their chosen art.
Well, who knows. Maybe somebody wants to challenge my fluency? A pop quiz? Thesis defense? 😉
To be clear I'm quite interested in all things synthesis, but as i said i don't have a lot of practical experience with CV and Eurorack. All my CV experience comes from Drambo and I'm conversant there but far from a master.
I needed to know a bit about what I'm missing
by not owning MiRack right now because i don't have hours to devote to something new (that will undoubtedly take hours) right now unless it fits in with my current style.
Likely in 6 months I'll be ready again to throw hours into anything that catches my eye regardless of how it "fits".
I gotta say it's been quite a nice, informative, and considered conversation after my post title that was clearly designed to find some strong opinions. Such relaxed pros here. Love it. 💕
I've had a substantial Eurorack system for over a decade. I find miRack difficult to penetrate.
Anyone who has fallen down the financial abyss of modular can tell stories about buying a few modules at once and never properly learning any of them.
With miRack you instantly have a huge library of modules. Many of them have adhered to the design limitations of hardware, but many are "Homer cars" overstuffed with functionality, little buttons and dials, and a jungle of jacks. To use them in a complex patch takes study. For my part, working with virtual cables in miRack is a buzz kill.
That said, what I find compelling about iOS music is working with AUM as a modular audio environment where I manipulate bits of field recordings I've grabbed using Koala, or randomized patterns I capture in a granular app and then dial in to find interesting textures to explore. When I need conventional synthesis (e.g. for a bassline) I tend to gravitate toward apps that emulate simple analog layouts. I've never been inspired by grappling with software control signals.
I wouldn’t challenge your fluency. I observe, though, that a lot of people who are very skilled with modern synthesizers have no experience with their modular antecedents, where it all started. It’s a natural consequence of the longevity of the form, of course. And if one’s primary activity is performance, as opposed to sound design, technology, or (admittedly nerdy) history, then there’s no particular reason they would spend much time exploring what is now largely considered either obsolete, esoteric, or musically un-useful.
But I do also think that if one is really into it, it’s not even a question. You explore everything, and see where it leads you, that you might not expect.
I had a similar experience with VCV Rack, and although I don't have miRack I think the issue applies in the same way. I found, despite having a lot of eurorack experience before downloading VCV, that the sheer amount of stuff that was immediately available made it hard to really get deep into it. I've also been staying away from virtual modules that don't adhere to hardware design principles, since there are plenty of standalone and AUv3 apps for that.