At the 2015 NAMM Show, Tony Rolando was showing the Make Noise Shared System.
The Make Noise Shared System
The Shared System is an all-in-one modular synth, with a selection of modules picked by Make Noise founder Tony Rolando. This collection of modules has been utilized by all artists for the Make Noise Records Shared System Series – a series of recordings that explore what different artists do with the modular synth system.
According to the company, the Shared System brings together ‘all of our synthesis techniques into one system’.
Modules include:
- New School Sequencing: René
- Human/ Expression Control: Pressure Points
- Dual Analog Oscillator: DPO
- Voltage Controlled Pitch Shifting and Echo: ECHOPHON
- Dual Analog Control Voltage generator: MATHS
- Complex Random Voltage Generator: Wogglebug
- Dual Low Pass Gate: Optomix
- Balanced Modulation: modDemix
- Signal Distribution and fan out: MULT
- Voltage Controlled DSP (Digital Signal Processing): Phonogen
See the Make Noise site for details.
The Shared System is the coolest synth out there right now!
Nice that they are offering an alternative to East Coast style all-in-one modular synths. And while the System is a little pricey for my pocketbook, it’s within the realm of possibility for me, vs things like the Buchla systems.
I’d love to hear how Shared System owners like them and how they are using them.
Indeed I have one and love it. I had gone thru some 5U and a bunch of eurorack before I got my Shared System. It really is an instrument in a way that my other modylar fails to be.
I can use it by itself and be entertained for hours. Or, if I like, I can trigger it from my MPC and incorporate it into my larger setup as just another synth. It’s incredibly flexible but also delivers a unique sound from the DPO’s FM synthesis and multiple vactrols.
It can seem pricey but for an instrument capable of endless interesting sounds, I am one satisfied customer. Go to YouTube and check out all their videos to get a sense of how it works and what it can sound like.
I’m really considering one of these as my foray into euro. I do like the idea of a self-contained unit that can be expanded upon as the user sees fit.
One question tho…are these units very “musical” or more about “sound-experimentation”? Can you easily play notes with a CV controller keyboard?
The oscillators track 1v/o so you could play them with a cv controller keyboard… however if you are drawing a line between “music” and “sound-experimentation” then modular synthesizers may not be for you.
I would also recommend checking out the shared system series of records that is mentioned above, it will give you an excellent idea of what it is capable of by some of the better known members of the modular community.
these instruments can be whatever you patch them up to be. i.e. yes they can certainly be musical. if you patched, say, a Keith McMillen Qunexus ($150 CV keyboard) pitch CV into the DPO’s 1V/Oct and the gate CV into the Math’s trigger input, you’ve got a very playable synth (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjqBjBEIxA0). additionally, the Rene sequencer outputs quantized (musical) voltages. I mainly reside in the musical realm and the Shared System accommodates that perfectly. it’s very easy to keep things under control if that’s what you want. the flip side is that this system encourages experimentation so even though I usually stay quantized and musical, it’s lots of fun to relinquish that control and go into sound design territory, especially with the Phonogene and Erbe-Verb.
The make noise modules leans heavily towards the “sound-experimentation” side of things but they can totally be “musical” as well if it is patched the right way.
Here is a video showing how to patch the much smaller system 0 as a mono synth.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjqBjBEIxA0
It’s also worth noting that since this is eurroack and includes some empty space you could pepper in more traditional synth elements such as a filter, a wavetable, or an ADSR envelope generator.
I’m about to order one. Was waiting for NAMM announcements before I pounced. Cannot freakin wait!!!
it’s a groovebox prototype….
I’m also waiting for them to update the site with the new black/gold SS with Erbverb
the black and gold maths looks SWEEEET !!!!!!!!
I really wish modulars where more affordable i mean i would so get this but 4k? there is no way i can afford that : ( maybe one day!
you should get into DIY … all modules are just CV and GATE when it comes down to it
if you can get past the hype and concentrate on what you need to do
you can build a very good 84hp system for under $1000
Nice demo, we can’t heard any sound…
Lame video.
All talk and no noize from MakeNoize. I really like the modules that this company is making. But this video is totally lame. This is a musical instrument. Let us HEAR IT.