Caustic Song file (optional):
This tutorial will show you how to extend Caustic's "2 Insert Effect" limit. It assumes that you know the basics of Caustic and have a general understanding of the the Modular Synth and its various modules.
The tutorial is rather long and repetitive, so be forewarned. But if it gets you to try something new with FX routing and mixing in Caustic, that's what matters.
Caustic is an extremely cool and powerful music-creation app (http://singlecellsoftware.com/caustic). Once you're familiar with the interface, it becomes easy to create music quickly. One of the real gems in the instrument rack is the Modular Synth. Designed to look and function like a vintage analog hardware modular synth, it can create some truly unique, pulsing arpeggiated tones.
But it's also great for processing other tracks. By using Modular's Machine Input module, you can assign any other track as Modular's Input Source. In this tutorial, I'm simply using Modular to route the pre-fader / post-insert FX audio from another track into Modular and through its mixer channel. This allows you to add more than 2 Insert FX to a track (the original track's Insert FX plus whatever Insert FX are used on the new Modular track). The Modular "track" really isn't a new track at all, just another track's post-Insert-FX audio being routed through Modular via the Machine Input module.
The idea really isn't that complicated, but I hope it might help you view the Modular Synth as something that's very practical and not intimidating at all. When you have a better understanding of how audio can be routed within Caustic, it might help you come up with some really creative mixes that you might not have considered before. Give it a try!
Cool concept and visual explaination.... A good addition to what the Builderz Project is all about
http://www.eipso.com/?q=node/49
And this (DSP ToolBox Free)
http://singlecellsoftware.com/node/6582
Thanks for this tutorial amazig is what I was searching amazing. I still dont know of the real modular power. Excellent.
Never dawn your level, always try to get HIGHER!!!!!!!
Suscribe to my YOUTUBE CHANNELL: http://m.youtube.com/channel/UCl_LyrlTJcKSDcooklb1L4w
Thanx!! I'm glad u do the tutorial video. I will study this. And learn what i can
As power as the modular is and what all u can do. With these other machines...... it is a high commodity of tutorial videos. After watching the sampling in pcm and i still didn't get it..... idk how i did so. But i stunbled on creating a sample. Sooo more tutorials please. I do watch them. Thank you.
Excuse me!! I watch this video and if y decided "to use".... another machine input what then? Would u have two use another machine slot?
Or..... what else could u do with the modular after u create fx chain?
I mean, there's alot of open space!!!
edited txt.
like, i've done alot of watching this forum of the past 10 months. And since i've had this app and work with it. I was thinkin' one dimensional as how i work caustic around my ideas or use caustic with my ideas.
but of late, with the mod-exciter, Mod-o-pan, and sampling the pcm two get more out of the keyboard length for dbl the use!!! Is all intense two me. Especially with all the extras the modular has under the hood.
What all can u really do with this extra space?
Hi derrtiblu - Thanks for watching the video. You're right, there IS a lot of "open space" and there's much more complex processing that could be done within each of the 2 Modular Synths (LFOs, Filters, Arpeggiators, etc). But I intentionally used only a single Machine Input module in each, to keep it simple and to show how Modular can simply be used to route audio from other tracks. The main goal of the tutorial was to show how you can use more than 2 simultaneous Insert FX to process your tracks.
You can also create busses (soon stereo support), but I've also created several splits, for example creating a Hammond console model running through 4 AuxBusses, and then split into a few other busses for power amp and leslie rotary effects....
But my most popular models going around now, are guitar preamp, power amp, and cabinet rigs.... it is so fun to do, anyone can make them, starting with jfMIDI's startup methods as shown at the OP...
But would those multi-fx chains effect say..... u puttin' a mod-o-exciter? Or a mod-apreggitor? Using the modular two create a fusion of lfo's with the subsynth or t he bassline oscillator?
Cause currently.....
u can't over add in this way unless you mirror two (2) tablets or two caustic running devices. It would be sooooo much simpler en won device. :(
Thank you for such a rapid reply.
That looks awesome Jason. I definitely have to check that out. Thanks for sharing!
How is the modular plug in two the subsynth? I thought u plug other machines in two the modular! Huhhh????
No you don't need two devices to do the things you mentioned, DerrtiBlu..... you can manipulate just about anything, not as difficult as you think, sir.
For the most part. The mod-exciter is dope!! I have less need for over doing my drums my original cumbersome way. Ok.
But i still desire my ghost note bi - rhythm sooo i would use at least 2 beatboxes!! Maybe still 3 depends on what i want highlighted in my trk.
I would wanna create 5 mult-fusion oscillator(s) plus fx chain and apreggiate and drop the apreggiation. And bring it back in settle control. Sooo far... i think i'm using about 6 machine slots. Now.....
if i wanna create another rhythm. A 3rd rhythm. Is crazy two ask for. But not totally crazy. Cause if similar. And not the exact song. I would wanna mute certain machines thru the other song. As more or less scoring a bigger project than just one song.
one song is just not enuff for what i have in mind. And if u can't pre-load. Then why not do all of 2 or 3 songs within the same trk!!
If i'm wrong. Show me!!
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i know i am asking alot for a mobile app. But i ask equally as much from my person daily no setbacks full thottle!!
dbl edited txt.
i'll be interested in a rhythm with not so much as a loose loop rhythm but a simple tight slightly changed rhythm for theming 3 songs two-gether.
i doubt my person two doing this cause.
I over complicate my rhythms as my txt are. Show me. Prove there's more than enuff room. Will stop alot of heads as two what all caustic can really do.
Only way two make the 14 machine slots enuff is if u add 2 fx to the machine input it self as it's add not from the fx panel but from the modular it self.
And i could do alot more with what is herre. On my end. No blockages until i hit a brick wall of my ideas.
Then you probably need to step back a few steps and go a simpler route Derrti, you want to keep your sanity, or youll lose the spirit of your song project....
Using the Modular this way isnt for every situation, heck even I dont go that crazy, but find the most efficient way to get the biggest sound from my work with the app, much like the OP video walkthru, which I think was a very straight forward way to set up extra FX chains.... Watch it a few more times, and give it a try....
Oh geez, my manners.... Welcome to SCS jfMIDI
We did break him in kinda ruff. Lol thanx i will re-watch it. Cause it was awesome!!!! But, idk. With bpm set too idk if my ideas r really worth much but in my dreams. Thanx for helping me. But i'm still gunho about creating dat many songs on one trk on a mobile app.
Thanks Jason. This is a great forum. Lots of really good advice. I've been hooked on Caustic for about the past month or so. I'd really like to get into creating more video tutorials. Another reason I like Caustic so much is because I can work on the same projects on my iPad, iPhone or my PC. And for doing tutorials, it's a lot easier to do video screen captures on my PC than on my mobile devices. The fact that Caustic is cross-platform and the interface is consistent regardless of which device I use - that's a huge plus.
You can also use the modular for new york compression. Skarabee did some vids on this a while back. After using the modular to expand sounds from other machines I dont see myself not using it on just about every tune. It really helps to fatten things up or process different frequencies individually. You can spend months playing with the modular and still not push it to the limit.
NewYork Comp? Thats the 3-band right?
Not sure what you mean J. Are you wondering which effects rack from Skarabee is the NY C one? I dont remember honestly.
I think the NYComp is the multi-band comp that Skarabee tried to emulate in the modular rig setup... Takes one Master Synth and three Slave Modulars to pull it off... He made a 3-band comp using 3 modulars as AuxSends....
In the end scheme of things, Caustic in itself is just one big modular machine. Once you understand that, you can create just about anything....
You can somewhat achieve NY compression with only one modular if the source machines all have compression on them. You just add as many machine inputs on the effects modular as needed and run that modular dry or with very little compression. The limitations on this setup are you don't get multiband but it does sound better, and achieves a fatter sound overall. You can also play with the state variable filter on each machine input to only fatten a selected frequency range. Rej really opened a virtual can of worms by giving us the modular, so much fun to play with.
In reality there are no real rules on how you get the tone shaping that pleases your ears the most, that's the beauty of this setup, is that you can experiment and make crazy sounds and effects chain any way desired....
Yeah I like the SVF module, and use it for alot of things, along with the K35
Cool video! Even though I do what you showed all the time it kind of re-synced me to the idea of automating one part of two doubled tracks. The modular is so awesome! It's really cool of you to open the doors up for users.
One thing I stumbled on recently was adding an arpeggiator to machine input doubled machine, it added a "broken" note feel, like when you bend notes on a guitar thru distortion and reverb.