Musikmesse 2009: Jomox introduced the MBase 11 Analog Bass Drum Module.
According to the company, the Jomox MBase11 can do only one thing, but it does it right: Phat kick drums!
It generates analog bass drums, from extremely powerful to soft and covers the whole range from 909-style to 808-fashioned. And much more…the LFO has 8 different waveforms including true sine that can be used to create very different envelopes. The resulting sounds are not simply *kicks*…this turns out to be a bass drum *synthesizer*.
If you’ve used the Jomox MBase 11, leave a comment with your thoughts!
Details:
Like the XBASE 999/888, the MBase11 has a compression parameter to vary the thickness of decaying sound.
And…it offers a variable gate time to to create very different sounding attacks.
And…it also has a metalize parameter to have hundreds of variations on the attack noise.
For more intuitive editing, we have added an analog potentiometer that works alternatively to the parameter editing when scrolling the data wheel is too hard.
The MBase11 purposefully sounds a bit different to the XBASE 999/888, making it a great sounding expansion for our other drum products and other analog percussion.
The kick sets in very precisely and the attack sounds very snappy at all kinds of sound variations.
The MBase11 can also be used as a real bass with some limitations. If decay is cranked up it is long enough for tones and the pitch can be played on the keyboard in semitones over three octaves.
The kick drum can be triggered by an external analog trigger input. This is especially useful for live drummers who want to thicken up their live drum kit. The trigger input works with regular piezo pickups or audio signals.
Last but not least: one of the most convincing arguments for the MBase11 is the price: This is an inexpensive tool that helps you to create great kick sounds, without the timeconsuming searching accociated with mostly not satisfying samples. You save time and energy while reaching the sound quality you always imagined…
Tweak the sound you need. Everything is REAL.
Bass Drum
Although the MBase11 uses almost the same principle or block schematic for analog sound production as the XBASE999/888, the technology is different and results in a slightly different sound.
- Tune Varies the pitch envelope of the VCO
- Pitch Basses as low as 10Hz reach up to 175Hz
- Decay Up to 2 sec
- Harmonics Enrichment of harmonics of the VCO – for the hardest kick drums on planet earth
- Pulse Change of the pure pulse part of the attack – gate time affects this parameter also
- Noise Change of the pure noise part of the attack – gate time affects this parameter also
- Attack Level of the mixing of Pulse and Attack
- EQ Filters the bass drum with a low pass filter – for soft and 808ish kick drums
- Gate Varies the gate time from 0.1ms to 16ms
- Compr Compression of decaying envelope – for slim and clicky kicks and all the depth that is needed
- MetNze Metalized noise. A complex digital multitone pattern of 255 different combinations feeds the attack noise
Midi
The midi controllers of the MBase11 are identical to the XB09/X999/X888/AB/JB. All parameters including LFO can be remotely controlled by midi. The MBase11 is also compatible with our midi editors and templates in the bass drum department.
LFO
The MBase11 has an LFO that works on the pitch of the bass drum.
The LFO speed can be edited in BPM or be syncronized by midi clock. As on the XB09/X999/X888/AB/JB, the LFO can be synced by a note trigger or might run free.
Another feature is: we have implemented a one-shot LFO function that serves as an additional envelope.
The wave forms are:
saw up, saw down, sine+/-, triangle+/- and rectangle+/-.
Specifications
- Instrument Bass Drum
- Presets 110 (10 User RAM, 100 FLASH)
- Sound Engine Fully analog with storeable parameters
- Envelopes Analog
- LFO 8 waveforms: Saw +/-, Sine +/-, Tri +/-, Rect +/-, modulates the pitch, midi syncroniseable
- Display LED 7-segment 3 digit
- Midi Midi In, Midi Out
- User interface 1 data wheel, 1 potentiometer, 5 buttons, 16 LEDs for parameters and functions
- Outputs 1 mono out 1/4″ RCA jack
- Output Level About 0dBu
- Input External analog trigger, sensivity adjustable
- Supply External wall wart 9V DC
- Weight About 0.5 kg, 1.1lbs.
- Size 145x155x35mm
What is the price of this gem? I want to demo this now. I will need this.
St. B – it’s not out for a month and they didn’t announce a price yet.
I’d bet it will sell for around $300 – that’s what the Jomox MBase was going for.
I agree, I’m guessing $300-$399 range.
I want it, I want it, I want it….
It is a great sounding unit, i think the best part about it is you can play it like a synthesizer versus other drum synths. It's great for DnB and other electronic music. The only downside is there is only 2 knobs, but you can easily assign a midi controller two it and mapp out all the parameters.