Organelle

Other Gear
#1

So I’m very close to pulling the trigger on an Organelle. I know Ghostly and a couple of others have ventured into it.

Just wondered…worth it or not? I don’t know Pure Data but I’m willing to learn.

For me it’s either an organelle or a bunch of indivisual FX pedals. I’m leaning towards organelle as it can be anything you want!

My plan is to have a sort of two way conversation between the OP1 and Organelle, creating ambient soumdcapes and melodic sequences. Any thoughts?

#2

Organelle is cool as an idea, and the community is awesome !!
But IMO it lacks a proper interface.
Only 4 pots (not even encoders) and only one menu button is really poor for a 500€ instrument.
Going Pure Data is a good idea though.
You might build your own device with RaspPi and learn a few tricks in the adventure :wink:

#3

Really? ? I mean I respect your opinion and all as you’ve clearly owned one. But from impressions the point is the exploratory nature of it right? Experimentation. If you want encoders then surely you’d buy an actual synth? So how come you still own OP1 if only 4 encoders are an issue?

Also OT has multiple pages now in v3?

#4

As you know @lescour1, I love mine. It’s my favourite piece of gear.

Sure it could have more knobs, more buttons, more keys, etc. But it doesn’t and so you work with what you’ve got. I don’t have the time or energy faffing about with building my own custom boxes or raspberry pi code. I use external keyboards and my Nanokontrol when I need more hands on control. But most of the time I don’t feel I need to.

Personally I much prefer the feel of pots to encoders, and it certainly is easier to incorporate into patches.

#5
Really? ? I mean I respect your opinion and all as you've clearly owned one. But from impressions the point is the exploratory nature of it right? Experimentation. If you want encoders then surely you'd buy an actual synth? So how come you still own OP1 if only 4 encoders are an issue?

Also OT has multiple pages now in v3?

It’s not down to the ‘amount’ of encoders or pages. It’s more about how varied things are between patches. It’s the best thing about Organelle and also the worst thing.

Most patches are noticeably a lot less fluid to use than something that has been designed with both software and hardware in total unison from the ground up. Op1, OT etc. The hardware is built for the software. On organelle a lot of the time the patches are kind of fudged in to the interface however the patch designer sees fit.

Im a fan of organelle and think it bodes really well for future. But I haven’t used mine in a while and been using iPad for the kind of patches I was digging most on Organelle. Mapping Apps like idensity, Fieldscaper, soundscaper, soundfruuze, Tardigrain to a midi controller (wireless with nanokey studio), or to OT midi tracks, has kind of left my organelle on the shelf. Just down to me enjoying using interface of iPad + controller/ot a lot more. And there being no need for me to tweak patches just for basic functionality like sampling, midi sync, saving user presets and so on…

Keen to get back in to organelle soon though and see how the recent extended mapping functionality is working out.

#6
You might build your own device with RaspPi and learn a few tricks in the adventure ;)

Everyone keeps saying this, but I personally find Linux to be unbearable in terms of actually getting things to work. It took me nearly two hours just to install pd on my pi zero a few months ago, and since then I haven’t even used it, let alone tried to get latency low enough for real-time playing etc.


It’s an interesting idea, but sometimes I just want to make music, rather than messing around with an OS I only barely know my way around just to be able to produce audio… hence why I think the organelle is a nice middle ground between the two. I’ve never owned one, and don’t really plan to own one (yet) but it looks super interesting.
#7

Going to try out MobMuPlat for iOS which looks like lots of fun and almost a free version of the Organelle but with a less tactile UI. I believe you can use it with the Organelle to give more editing and interfacing options but I’ve not seen it done yet.

#8
u can also run pd right from iOS device.
pdparty


#9

If you want to go the hardware/graphic software route but with more options for knobs/switches look into the Axoloti Core - I’m having heaps of fun with the Mutable Instruments objects and the different granulators!

#10

Patches keep getting cooler but like dalai said, it could use one more button at least and like void said it does tend to sit around a lot. Def great community and great future prospects and cool looking sorta underground brag piece

#11
u can also run pd right from iOS device.
pdparty

MobMuPlat runs pd on the device too.

#12

^ ah didn’t know that. thanks

#13

Really? ? I mean I respect your opinion and all as you’ve clearly owned one. But from impressions the point is the exploratory nature of it right? Experimentation. If you want encoders then surely you’d buy an actual synth? So how come you still own OP1 if only 4 encoders are an issue?

Also OT has multiple pages now in v3?

The whole difference is that on OP-1 or OT you press one menu button and you use the encoders to change the parameters.


On Organelle lmnts patch, you keep switching from page to page (there are 5 iirc) with the sole menu button, and then you have to reach the position with your knob (as opposed to encoder that doesn’t have a rest position).
Makes a whole difference to me. It just kills my pleasure when I have to hit 5 times a button and come back to the knob position before I can change ie the reverb value.
This is IMO the big flaw in Organelle design. The interface is just not reaching nowadays Swedish standards.
Two octaves were unnecessary in my case, but at least 4 encoders instead of knobs and a bunch of menu button would have made a whole difference.

With the help of the community, the Pure Data part is relatively easy to get used to, I love it that you can program the device to do whatever you want.
And the Mutable Instruments patches were sounding extremely good.
#14

I guess that’s where controllers come in, my Nanokontrol is perfect for the Organelle. Much better than encoders - I’ll say it again, I hate encoders! Agree it should have more knobs though, 8 pots would have been perfect.

#15

Well, encoders are the thing when you need at least one level of menus.

Pots are best if no menus are needed.

The need for external controller reveals imo the weakness of the UX on Organelle.
Anyway, I just wanted to underline this particular point that made me send the Organelle back.
Well, this and the fact that I struggle to learn the Cirklon ways and couldn’t share my mind between it and Organelle.

I guess the best way to know is to try one. Despite the UX being in my opinion a bit too restrictive, it’s a very immediate instrument/FX :slight_smile:

#16

I hear you @LyingDalai on the UX weaknesses. It’s worth noting that the latest versions of the MI patches have MIDI learn, a preset system, and OSC remote control: http://forum.critterandguitari.com/t/kontrol-series-patches/2482.

#17

I love mine. I don’t know a thing about Pure Data but I don’t even have to: there are a bunch of crazy good coders (and C&G themselves) out there who always come up with awesome new patches. Indeed it is very immediate and never fails to inspire. Yes, the desing may have shortcomings here and there but guess this is so with every piece of gear, depending who wants what from a musical instrument. For me the Organelle is a keeper, has been since day one. Well, that’s kinda true for the OP-1 too. :slight_smile:

#18

I agree on points about the UX weakness too. When patches moved to multiple menus and hitting the aux button 5 times to get to a usable sound, I wasn’t feeling those patches as much. I like the simpler one- or two-page patches. But that is just a personal preference.

#19

So I finally got my hands on an Organelle and i have to say I’m deeply disappointed. Shouldve listen to Lying Dalai and the others!

Sorry Ghostly and I appreciate the support via PMS.

It just feels cheap and almost like a half finished school project! I guess that’s the whole point…but £400??

The C&G patches are very fun and do some crazy stuff, but ultimately not very musical. Just whacky.

The 3rd party patches are all amazing, but 90% are ‘work in progress’. The only supporting documentation is a load of babble from Shreeswifty, quoting some pretentions rubbish with absolutely no relevance to teaching the user how the patch actually works!

I know guys really dig Organelle so there has to be something that would click given time. But instruments have to give me that instant vibe, love at first sight (like OP1) or they’re gone. I’ve not got time to mess around trying to figure out what it does if I hit the aux button three times, stand on my head, whilst simultaneously scratching my bollocks and holding down middle C!!!

The main thing which frustrates me about the Organelle considering the open source format, is the lack of documentation for each patch, and info about what button does what.

Even stock C&G patches, you have to decipher an annoying YouTube video and figure out what the hand puppet is actually doing!

I’m reluctantly returning to store in the morning. I’m likely to start playing with PD on my mac instead and possibly build my own controller for about £50! Lol

#20

Well, soundwise patches like MI lmnts are incredible, so make sure you’ve tested it first.


About documentation… Well, I haven’t really felt the need for it, most of them are straightforward or at the very least inviting to experimentation. And MI real modules are well documented, so you can start from here :wink:

But yeah, accessing a specific menu with more than a click as become a deal breaker for me. Adios Blofeld and PreenFM, I love the sound but can’t bear the UX. I rather love Elektron or TE way in this regard.