KASTLE DRUM 1 (Beats and Noise)
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- Опубликовано: 22 июл 2024
- The Kastle Drum from Bastl Instruments is based on their original Kastle semimodular synthesizer - but it's really a very different sort of device. In this first video about it I discuss the Drum's design, some of the fundamental sounds and grooves, and also delve into making different types of noise with it. Thanks for watching!
TIMELINE
00:00 STARTER
This is an overlay of two 1-wire Kastle Drum patches (I don't have two, btw, just the magic of cinema...). The beats patch is just the CLK into the DRUM MOD. The noise patch is the DRUMS audio out into the DRUM MOD (covered below). I'm using the Korg NTS-1 for reverb (Plate on the drums, Space on the noise).
00:22 INTRO
00:50 FIRST... A FUNDAMENTAL BEAT PATCH
I feel like this one patch sort of explains the entire Kastle Drum (i.e. take a Kastle 1.5 and think about how you could modify it to get a flexible percussive groove).
02:08 SIDE BY SIDE
As per above, I think a lot can be learned about the Kastle Drum by comparing it to the Kastle 1.5.
05:39 MORE ABOUT BEAT PATCHING
Just some of the basic features and functionality for rhythmic patches. I start using the "ears" here (audio out of the I/O with DRUMS out on the I/O LEFT, NOISES out on the I/O RIGHT. As pointed out in the video, watch the volume doing this (getting a simple inline attenuator is super helpful - search "headphone volume control" or something along those lines).
14:00 A SLIGHTLY MORE COMPLEX BEAT PATCH
Another beat patch, this time varying the timbre and envelope of the sounds with DECAY.
18:13 NOISE... AUDIO FREQUENCY LFO AND TWO BASIC PATCHES
I guess an audio frequency LFO isn't quite what I think of as 'noise', more of a wave - BUT, it is important to think about using the LFO/TEMPO very high to get noisy behavior (again, watch audio levels doing this). The two patches are 1) NOISES to PITCH MOD and 2) DRUMS to DRUM MOD.
23:22 A SLIGHTLY MORE COMPLEX NOISE PATCH
This one is sort of a round robin of the device. It's CLOCK to PITCH MOD and NOISES to DRUM MOD. Add some FX and this is like a whole video or show...
27:12 OUTRO
Setup for the next part.
30:25 RAINDROPS PATCH AND A VARIATION
If you stuck with the video this long (or jumped to this part) then here's something kind of different: a patch that really doesn't make any "sense" but is actually interesting and super easy. It is TEMPO MOD to DRUM MOD. Tons of cool sounds. I'm using the Korg NTS-1 for the reverb again. The tempo circuit has enough of a voltage fluctuation at the modulation patchpoint to trigger the drums in a sort of chaotic way (kind of a raindrops or dripping water motif). I spotted this patch when I made 50 random patches using my Kastle DNA software (see video of about 6 months ago) modified for the Drum (really just some label changes since it's the same faceplate). There is a logic to not strictly following logic in this sort of thing. Then, a variation on this Raindrops Patch that uses the LFO into PITCH MOD. The nice thing about this is that the fast, drippy, percussive hits from the first wire are independent of the LFO, so the LFO can be used for a slower modulation. You might also want to try slowly modulating the DECAY parameter this way too.
LINKS
bastl-instruments.com/ 
Видеоклипы
do those patch cables come with the unit?
I can't recall what I showed in the video🤔. My Kastle Drum shipped with some small-ish gray cables, maybe 8 of them? They are nice, and I use them all the time. If you want longer cables (can be nice. the extra length is messier but it's less likely that moving one end causes the other end to pop out) or different colors (easier to see what you've done) then you can search online for "dupont cables, male" and can get a lot for little $.
Thanks for checking out the video!
Been waiting for this one! Great video.
Thanks very much🙏🏼!
I recently got a Kastle Drum and haven’t been able to stop messing with it. Super fun little noise maker. Thanks for the cool videos, Dr.
Thanks for taking the time to dive deeper into this box o' fun...you sparked some ideas that I want to try out. Looking forward to more!
Thanks very much for the feedback🙏🏼! ps always enjoy your IG posts👍🏻
Always the most informative videos, calm and concise, and it doesn't hurt we share
some the same equipment to really get these things to stick.
Thanks very much, I really appreciate it🙏🏼!
Really love the format of this video, it’s the best one I’ve watched on the structure and signal flow on RUclips 👍🏽🙏🏽🇬🇧
Hey, thank you very much for the feedback🙏🏼!
I hope this follows on to be a series of tutorials. This seems much easier to understand that your Kastle DNA videos!
@@trevormalcolm4328 Yes, at least one more (next or very soon) about hooking it up to other stuff. Understood about the DNA series - I guess that was more of something code-related that I wanted to do, figured I'd make videos in the process - but this one (and pending) are certainly all about the device itself. Thanks much for letting me know👍🏻
Really handy video, thanks man!
Thanks for checking it out!
This box is amazing, love mine. Had some utter filthy hardcore rave sounds piped out of it. Now pleased I can watch you do your usual thorough run through so I can learn as much as possible
Awesome, thanks for checking it out🙏🏼 Let me know how it goes👍🏻
ps I've learned quite a few small things since this series and put them on Instagram (dr_nim2014). Take a look if you get a chance.
you are some man
thank you for this
Hey, you are very welcome, thanks for checking it out🙏🏼
Every time you present a new device, I'm itching to buy it :-)
Well, as I mentioned, the price is right on this one (as synths generally go). Thanks very much for checking out the video🙏🏼!
This was great! in depth and very informative... I liked the raindrop patch the most... it sounded very tamed and not super 8-bit.
Thanks man! I liked that one too, sort of an esoteric origin (random patching). Thanks for checking it out🙏🏼!
you are the Bob Ross of synthesis!
I need some custom knobs shaped like trees🌲! (Thanks for checking out the video🙏🏼)
NICE VIDEO, Dr.🔥
Thanks for checking it out, man🙏🏼!
Cool ideas!!
Thanks for checking it out🙏🏼!
I always come back to your videos.... Mine is in the mail rn..
Awwsome! Let me know how it goes😀!
Sorry to keep clogging up your comment sections, but I really enjoy your videos. Your demos and walkthroughs are some of the best out there. You and I have several of the same devices, and I think we probably share some similar aesthetics about music and sound, in general.
Regarding the KASTLE Drum, I bought one recently to add some percussiveness to my meandering drones, so I was eager to watch your videos about it. To tell you the truth, I was not immediately taken by the Drum. As much as I love noise and randomness, I found the low-bit grittiness you often encounter with the Drum a bit too grating. So much so that I wondered if there might be something wrong with my unit. I got to the point where I painstakingly paused yours and one other RUclipsr’s video numerous times to duplicate patching and knob positions to make sure unit made the same sounds as what I was hearing on-screen.
At this point, I think I am fairly confident my unit is behaving “normally,” but it’s still grittier than I would prefer. I pretty much apply some reverb all the time to “sand down” the grits a bit. For me, rather than wild knob turns, an extremely light touch is more successful chaos and order are only a hair away from each other on the Drum.
At some point, I may or may not get to where I can post some of my noodling here on the Tubes of You. I‘m afraid for me, the experience of making noise with electronic music devices is completely stream of consciousness. I have no actual "playing" skills, and I basically twiddle knobs with no plan as to where things will end up and just try to follow the ethereal flow the best I can. For me, it is akin to how I thought about programming when I did that. Often, the experience was like walking through a pitch-black, unexplored cave. I have a flashlight and I can see ten feet in front of me and ten feet behind me, so I can make limited decisions about where to go next, but I almost never have an overarching view and understanding of what I am doing as a whole.
Anyway, keep up the good work! 😊
(BTW, regarding a previous post. I bought an attenuator cable from Amazon and I can now record into my TASCAM DR-07 without having to set the output level knob on the mixer to just a hair more than completely OFF. Now I must try to form the habit to record EVERYTHING.)
Hey, that's great about the attenuator for the Tascam!
I understand about the Drum - it's pretty intense. I feel like reverb, maybe a little filtering, is the way to go. I still really like the Drum for the "alien" ways that it behaves. Maybe the result of Bastl fitting a new functionality into an existing device format?
Anyway, I completely understand about the knob-twiddling. Exploration is such a huge part of it all. I spend a lot of time, no ideas whatsoever, just sort of letting the gear lead the way. Even at the point of actually setting up and making a video I still record a lot that never sees the light of day. Best of luck with it all👍🏻!
Can you please leave a link for the attenuator?
Amazing in depth video! Also I'm up for the #1wirechallenge.
Thanks so much🙏🏼! Hah, I kept thinking "wow, seems like I'm using just 1 wire a lot for this🤔" - it shipped with like 10 wires, I wouldn't know where to start😂.
That last patch with the reverb is great! Soundtrack for SETI.
Thanks very much🙏🏼!
It makes a good friend to the Volca Modular
Hoping to show some of that in the next video👍🏻 Thanks for checking this one out🙏🏼!
@@undulations
I´m sure, you will bring some awesome patches
Thanks.
You're welcome👍🏻!
Great fun, especially for the money, i think thats more fun than a benjolin, i also got bored of the DFAM after two hours and passed it on but this is great.
Hey, thanks for checking out the video! I agree - Kastle Drum (and the Kastle synth) are pretty amazing for the price. I've always wondered about a DFAM - sometimes stuff that's super-powerful can be kind of limiting, if that makes sense - I guess no constraints to push against.
Great video
Would it be useful to connect original kastle with this one?
Yes, absolutely, I'll be talking about that a lot in the next video👍🏻 Thanks a lot for checking this one out🙏🏼!
I just started tweaking with my B Drum. Seems like the output is fairly noisy much of the time. At first I was concerned, but you reassure me that it’s a feature, not a bug.
Well, agreed. You can try different stuff to clean it up (like listening to the Drums output directly, careful with the volume though). But I think a lot of it comes down to the synthesis modes. I think the very first one (so Drums at minimum setting, maybe use clock to trig in to listen) is the cleanest, but the pitch has to be up some to get a pure tone, also a longer decay (on the clockwise side) helps make it seem cleaner too. That said, I guess it is meant to be kind of dramatic and glitchy/noisy - uploading a new video with more about it today/tomorrow, btw👍🏻.
Wonderful tutorial. Thank you. The device seems to be lacking a volume control... is this correct?
Hey, thanks a lot for checking out the video🙏🏼! Yes, exactly, it's frustrating. I feel like the signal can be pretty hot (and my Kastle 1.5 is even hotter). So, I ended up buying an aux (TRS, i.e. 3 conductor) cable with an in-line volume control (they are less than $10, i think). There are two kinds: male-male and male-female. The m-f lets you plug in headphones (and you can use a typical aux cable to turn it into m-m for recording or going into a speaker or fx). Hope this helps. Thanks again for watching!
@@undulations that's a nice tip
Loving this! I didn't even know these guys existed. I'm hearing a lot of short wave radio static in these sounds. KInda my thing in noise terms. The drum seems more versatile than the 1.5?
Many thanks for checking it out🙏🏼!
I'm hesitant to say that the Drum is more versatile than the 1.5 - the Drum has a ton of fresh sounds and I love the truly "alien" interface, but the 1.5 can go really deep with the 6 different synthesis modes and a very open (albeit more standard) interface. But I think it mostly comes down to taste and what you want to do with it. I have a pretty good variety of solo 1.5 clips on my instagram (dr_nim2014) - especially pre-Drum (so 2020, 2019). For noisy 1.5 also be sure to check out boop_e_ on there too. Thanks again!
@@undulations Thanks for the speedy reply. Yes, it's probably the case the 1.5 goes deeper but I guess the Drum jumped out immediately as what I was looking for relating to mangled drum sounds and more obscure beat generation. I also like that these are analogue. I've been struggling with digital drum machines and their inevitable sub-menus which just drive me insane. I can see I'll buy more into the Bastl range for a more textured approach to music generation. I've subbed to your account as I like the clear analysis you provide and insight into granular synthesis in general.
What caught my ear was the Raindrops example. I've been looking at a way to recreate this from a previous analogue/handmade instrument that's since died which I was able to coax just such a sound from. The issue I know I'm going to face using modular (my first step into this as I come more from a guitar/pedals background) is having to 'get' to the sound. It's easy in a studio with editing but in a live setting I've always found the knob twiddling and 'unwanted' bits you inevitably have before you arrive at the sound you're after a tad annoying as it diltues the impact by taking away the surprise element of the sound since you can hear it getting there, if that makes sense. I guess this where prepared samples and tape loops come in but I'm not there yet. I'm liking the look of the Microgranny. So, early days for me but glad I've found your page.
@@manmaas I understand what you're saying about the Kastle Drum - many great sounds and grooves to get out of it! Very true that with modular sounds tend to "migrate" from one set of parameters to another. Various modules can mitigate this: the MakeNoise Rosie output module has a sort of A/B setup, almost like 2 turntables, where you can adjust one side in your headphones while the other side is playing, and then crossfade between the two. Then another module by MakeNoise, Pressure Points, can act as a keyboard (4 notes), but also as a sort of modular "preset" device, allowing quick jumps between 4 settings of 3 different parameters (the last part of my latest video shows an example of setting this up, plus a demo of it). Anyway, modular is a whole other sort of thing - i do feel like the MicroGranny has been a real favorite of mine, just has a nice, almost retro, sort of playability. Best of luck!
@@undulations Ah! That's useful information. I need to look more closely at what's around. Thanks again.
Hi!
Great vid!
How to sync kastle drum to kastle?
Thanks a lot!
Hey, thanks for watching🙏🏼!
well, the vid after this one discusses in detail (KASTLE DRUM 2 connections), but the short answer is that you need to patch minus to minus to ground them together. then, if you want the 1.5 in charge then patch its SQR lfo to the Drum's CLK IN. this may only sync the Pattern LFo but leave the other Drum lfo's free, depending on rate/tempo settings. OR if you want the Drum in charge then patch CLK to lfo rst on the 1.5, this syncs Stepped but again, it can depend on how close rate and tempo are to each other (best to at least set up with them similar). Hope this helps!
@@undulations Thanks for the reply but still doesn't work..
I love this device so much but sometimes I regret to got it..
@@hellf.o well, i would like to help. if you are up for it, i want to start with a grounding test. try this:
- turn on Drum and turn on 1.5, turn all knobs down all the way. then...
- turn TEMPO knob (on Drum) up halfway.
-turn PITCH MOD knob (on 1.5) up halfway.
- patch MINUS on Drum to MINUS on 1.5.
- patch PATTERN on Drum to PITCH MOD on 1.5.
- Listen to the main OUT on the 1.5.
Do you hear a melody playing?
Let me know👍🏻.
So, are they, ultimately, the same hardware with different front panel and software? Or are they physically different machines? If you buy one of these can you flash the firmware to be either a Kastle synth or the Kastle Drum?
I haven't done it, but I think that's the case. The externals are certainly exactly the same.
@@undulations Thanks. Certainly makes it more interesting if the same hardware can become either of these devices.
@@synaesmedia If you end up trying that I'd love to hear how it goes👍🏻
I’m quite tempted by the Kastles but have to say that the interface of the Volca Modular is the lower limit of what I can handle. The Volca looks huge compared to the Kastle.
Well, I'm a big fan of both but completely get what you're saying. When I got the Kastle 1.5 there was no VM. Many people seem to prefer the Kastle sound to the VM sound, but I feel like the VM can make great sounds with the right patches (see Chris Lody's YT channel for a ton of cool VM patches for classic synth sounds). And if you want to make music, songs, from a single device? Hand's down the VM because the sequencing and motion-sequencing is very powerful on it - you can actually get a melody and a harmony out of it, also some noise, all at the same time. A VM and some sort of effect device (Korg NTS-1 comes to mind, easy, another voice, 3.5mm jacks) - this enables a LOT of musical potential.
I don’t know about the Volca Modular but the Kastle 1.5 and the drum
Cont… randomness is way out cool. I’ve never watched a Volca modular video where it doesn’t sound “polite”
Here’s a tip, use the drums lfo chip in the original kastle , that way you get a third iteration of the unit.
🤯
Yea , I only have the original kastle, so a got a couple of astiny chips and burnt the drum code on to them, at first I couldn’t get the oscilator code onto its chip, only the lfo , so I tried the drum lfo, with the original oscilator. Turned it into a different unit. But I suppose having one of each the same can be achieved. Also there are other drum samples/sounds available on git hub.
@@wul01 That's awesome! I haven't tried modding them at all, but I want to consider some of the possibilities, maybe do a video about that down the road. I really love that they are open source. Some of these open things (kastle, organelle, norns, korg nts-1, etc.) seem like an unlimited source of sound.
If ya could get one would ya get the synth or the drum 🥁
I think the Synth. The Drum is really cool, interesting to use, deep with the easter egg mode, and can make a lot of cool synthy and noisy sounds too, BUT some of that sound variety is kind of tricky to access: example, you _can_ make a groove of high-hats with different decays, pitches, and swung - but the thing is really more for a jam of hats, kicks, noises all together. BUT the Synth has the 6 clearly defined and selectable synthesis choices (3 modes X 2 oscillators). very different sounds. then the audiorate LFO stuff is much better on the Synth (see videos from this past Winter), so many great sounds from that. Synth can go twangy or percussive (not at the Drum's level, but still). Lastly, I feel like there's something really fundamental about the Synth's design: the Drum is great, but it's real appeal is that it's made to go with the Synth. Hope this helps!
@@undulations yes thank you for the information ℹ️
@@undulations side note both drum and synth have Easter egg modes ? And any thoughts on the micogranny monolith just came out final iteration. How would you say that compares to the Drum and synth I know they very different it being a sampler, but like pros and cons I know kastle drum and synth run of cv and analog clock and micro granny off midi but just curious?
@@SonicVibe idk about an easter egg mode on the Synth? if it exists, have never heard about it.
MicroGranny is one of those things that whenever it comes up I want to drop everything and use it. I did a video on it, sort of felt negative at first, but by the end positive, and then later use even more positive. in some ways it's not a "deal". for the cost, mono audio and monophonic (1 sample at a time), compared to something like Elektron Model:Samples it's not even close. but then it comes down to the usability and the Bastl aesthetic. MicroGranny (maybe any version of it, idk) seems sort of nostalgic, almost like a steampunk vibe. that said, the looping can go very tight to make synth sounds from samples effectively, it has automation (scanning), and so you can really do a ton with the MG (midi too, as you pointed out). so, vs. Kastle Synth, only able to have 1? probably MG - but it depends a lot on how you feel about samplers vs modular, synths vs sounds, etc. also, whether or not you want to deal with a computer (for at least some setup).
and also, a lot of this depends on your "ecosystem". Kastles work without a laptop, but ALL of these (Synth, Drum, MG) benefit strongly from (demand?) some sort of audio FX. especially, MG without reverb is like doing with one arm tied behind your back. (and in all cases i would pick Korg NTS-1 as a great fit, btw, for reverb and another voice). Fun to think about😀!
@@undulations thanks 🙏 for the detailed response
"Why so late?" Lol
Ha, thanks🙏🏼! I remember adding that😂.
Do a Kastle 1.5 synth vid next time?
Well, next one is also Drum, but I can do that sometime soon👍🏻
@@undulations im waiting for my Kastle to get here! My DUDE mixer comes tommorow im ecstatic 🤩 lol thank you for these videos.
@@DJbace1 You're welcome! That's exciting - the DUDE is so easy and batteries seem to last ages in it. I did a 1.5-related video way back that might be of interest (it involved hooking Little Bits to the Kastle, but some general info too). Thanks for checking out the channel👍🏻!
@@undulations i have a myvolts 9v adapter i bought for my Behringer TD3 that is compatible with the DUDE right?
@@DJbace1 Well, if it has a positive center-pin and it fits, then it should be all good. The main thing to watch out for are guitar pedal power supplies (also some small guitar amp power supplies) - those are 9v, fit the Dude, but are _negative_ center pins, so not compatible. I've never noticed any AC noise on the Dude or Kastles, but if that ever comes up then rechargable AA's work nicely for them.