Luca: Any new audio gear that you’ve purchased? ( if nothing new, then the most recent)

Martian Arts: I am mostly using the eurorack modular now and the latest addition to that are the Make Noise DPO (Dual Prismatic Oscillator) which is a tri-core, dual VCO that utilizes vactrol circuits for its characteristic sound and the RYO Optodist.

L: The Make Noise DPO is kinda like the “poor man’s” Buchla 258.
Martian Arts:There is the, relatively, new breed of eurorack VCOs that are called “complex oscillators” mainly because they involve creating rich timbres from using linear and exponential cross modulation (frequency modulation) of a pair of VCOs and a waveshaper. Internal VCAs allow for dynamic control of such timbres and allow you to play with the harmonic content of the sound, before you even patch out to the filter module.

The RYO Optodist is an overdrive/distortion module that employs two optocouplers and allows for VCA/LPG type response. And the limiter circuit on it is a fantastic bonus.

L: What motivated you to select this particular product?

Martian Arts: I got the DPO cause I’ve never had a complex dual VCO and the amount of CV (control voltage) control that comes with it, had me thinking just what I could do with it in terms of coming up with new FM patches, that my current modules and synths, could not possibly, achieve.
I also use a Virus and a Nord Lead which are great synths for FM patches, but their architecture is fixed, meaning there is a constrained modulation matrix that you cannot break away from. And I wanted to break away from that. Obviously they are digital synths and whilst no analog synth can do the wavetable FM patches, the Virus can, no digital synth has the vactrol sound, or has the same tricks the DPO has up its sleeve….nor does it have that pure sound, or allows the CV control.

RYO Optodist I got cause I’ve been using analog guitar pedals for distortion, but they are noisy as f@ck and there is no CV control over the gain stage.

L: Which features do you like most about this product?

Martian Arts: Make Noise DPO, the controlled (not always!) harmonic mayhem.
RYO Optodist, the fantastic face-melting distortion and the CV control over the gain stage.

L: How has this product helped your music production/live performance?

Martian Arts: It actually derailed the production, as in the finishing of tracks. I sit hours in front of it getting sucked in and tweak it to no end. Lately I’ve been reminding my self to press record and do that. Then take parts I like and put them in the track.
I don’t take this stuff on stage. Modular cases are too big to take to on the airplane cabin and there is no way I am checking it in as luggage.

L: Any feature would you like modified or included?

Martian Arts:Better tracking of one of the VCOs of the DPO, which is something I am going to sort out some time soon by getting it calibrated properly.

L: Your all time favorite audio-gear?

Martian Arts: My modular.
Its the whole “how deep can you bleep?” aspect of it.
There are no limits to what you can come up with.
Your mind is your only limit.

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This

Share This

Share this post with your friends!