Molten Music Monthly - December 2018

A yummy selection box of new releases to talk about this month. Things like Chronoblob 2, Arturia Pigments, Prok Drums, Complex-1, Elephant and Chameleon, Mr Typo, CRAFTsynth, Voltage Modular, SampleTank 4, TRK-01 Play and Behringer.

Intro - 0:14
Arturia Pigments - 1:50
Chronoblob 2 - 16:59
Modal CRAFTsynth - 19:31
Mr Typo - 22:01
Voltage Modular - 23:56
Elephant for Surface Dial - 26:50
SampleTank 4 - 29:45
Prok Drums - 34:48
TRK-01 Play - 36:07
Complex -1 - 38:36
Modularism 2 - 43:48
OP-1 and OP-Z - 45:41
Behringer - 49:50
Coming up - 54:19

[ericperry]

Robin, it’s the first time I’ve written you. I watch and listen to your videos often...for several reasons. I like your style, you make me laugh. But you also have a very interesting way of explaining processes with modular that I truly understand. This stuff doesn’t come easy to me....but some how after watching you over and over ...and even going to sleep at night listening to your voice it sinks in....does that sound crazy or what....well it’s true.
Next, I’m a commercial photographer in Detroit. Been in commercial automotive advertising for 30 years. Yes, I get so tired of launching products but it is what keeps my kids going to college and puts food on the table for it isn’t easy. Like you said, everyone wants to be invited to see the lastest product before the public...
I myself like being invited to shoot a vehicle coming out in I jump at the chance to photograph is our ego wanting to be the big dog.
In closing I just want to say...after 30 years in my biz I’ve discovered that I had to play a game for a long time, take the pictures everyone wants to see., Really the last 5 years or so I’ve started marching to my own drummer and stopped being something for do you know what happened. client list has grown and I’m even happier social media world your ( we ) are in the middle of isn’t is a fine line we must have to walk. I like you and your channel because you are entertaining as well as have a gift to chat and really dig in....keep doing that ....in my opinion, your true viewers will continue.

[adrianrabbage]

A Very Happy Christmas to you and yours, and a Happy and Prosperous New Year!

[Stevethesearcher]

No beer Robin? I like when you are having a pint and talking about music.

[SouthpawShorts]

I’ve been playing with the OP-Z for a few days now. I think you’re right about the lack of demos but I think TE think of themselves more as much as a design company as a music instrument company so maybe they’re not quite sure how to go about doing demos in a “high end design” kinda way. Cuckoos stuff is good and in depth but his style isn’t for everyone. The unit itself is pretty nifty. I think they put a lot of time into the usability of it and the integration with DMX and Unity is really smart. If you compare it to other things in the price range (mother32, Dreadbox, Minibrute2) its features should make it pretty desirable to a lot of people. The other stuff is great, analog, fat sounding synths but you can’t stick them in your bag and sketch out full tracks with them.

[AndyVonal]

"It's just gear, innit?". That's got to count as "Quote of the Year"!!!! Looking forward to the live stream...it's in the diary now, after I got told off for being late to the last one! Hope you get sorted domestically before the festivities and that the floor goes down without any hitches - always a worry when you are having things like that done! Have a lovely Christmas.

[Stuart-AJC]

Arturia Pigments: I tried to watch five or so 'review' videos of Pigments, yours was the only one I watched to the end, because it was the best. By far. I've now installed the trial version, and may well buy it it January. €99 if you have another Arturia product.

[dillipphunbar]

Loved the existential crisis! Made me laugh. It is all marketing. Obvs. Keep keeping it real ; )

[markwilliamson]

One thing I would say about software instrument reviews - I agree you are likely guaranteed something good - the thing you can't see easily from the makers demo videos is how _playable_ it is - I'm after instruments not just raw technology. I think that's where people like yourself can add real value

[skunksmisery]

good month.... missed the chronoblob coming out. happy hohos!

[alanc]

Its great that you are an influencer now Robin and get to join the big product launches, boost your channel etc. The thing about the Arturia carpet bombing ad campaigns is to some people (maybe just me!) it feels like that they are ramming their adverts down my throat. The week prior to the launch their pigments advert was running on everything, before and during videos and then the same cycle when you watch another video, over and over. Then on the launch day i click on my subscriptions and loopop, You and Bobeats had videos which normally would mean something interesting, cool and entertaining. Three different videos about anything. But Arturia had hijacked you all. Everybody is doing the same thing at the same time. The three cool videos that you guys would normally put out replaced with Arturias marketing.
None of this is very serious and its also quite interesting. If the marketing guys have already worked out that 99 people will think its all cool and exciting and 1 person(me!) thinks "FFS not another pigments promo" and switches off, this will be great marketing. What i did find interesting though was when you search Arturia Pigments on youtube a whole list of videos comes up all uploaded at around the same time. One video stands out of the pack of thumbnails. The Andrew Huang video makes no mention of the product name in his video. He came at it from another angle and wanted to differentiate himself from the tsunami of uploads. This is interesting and i think he is number one youtuber in this music niche?
Anyway these are just my opinions and i have not even seen the advert in full or watched any pigments videos. I know nothing about it!

[localtechnique]

About the Arturia thing, I think it's just sensory overload when there's a flood of new product demos/reviews popping up all at once. I noticed it with the Impact too. Obviously everyone had their videos done and just had to wait for the embargo to lift so they all seemed to show up at once. And if you want to grow your channel then you want to be one of the first to get all those juicy clicks so I can understand not holding off until the dust (and/or hype) has settled. But maybe Arturia should rethink the YouTube blitz tactic as it may get more pushback if they keep it up.

[allen]

Hi Robin, another awesome diatribe, about virtual and some not so virtual hardware stuff (although apparently in preproduction) from across the pond. Like you we have had the builders in, although we have the floor down at last. Wait a minute, that floors got to come back up in the new year, so the plumbers can change the pipe work again! Great to have more space but trying to make some tunes with hammers and drills going bish, bash, bosh. But wait this could lead me into an industrial sound revival. So before I get the extension miked up for a spot of builder sampling. Have a great Christmas and maybe your dreams of a rich benefactor will come true. One word of of caution though "Beware of rotund men wearing red and riding about on flying sleighs.🔔🔔🔔

[zoundsic]

Don't really think it matters as long as you keep it honest, if your not people remember your bad advice. Your approach won't suit everyone, there's other reviewers to hear from for a more general view overall, but good to hear from people like yourself who look at things in their own unique way.

[XiXora]

I wonder if they would modernise the OP-1 hardware a little if/when they start the next batch.
USB-C like the OP-Z would be nice so that you can use the same cable.

[MatthiasHeil]

The uniquely playful approach you took in your Arturia clip raised my interest in the product - and I'm greatful for that and dearly accept your star rising in the comfy Modular YouTube niche. - Despite its entertaining qualities, I nontheless hope and pray you may sooner or later have good reasons to broaden your utterly negative, almost Hobbesian anthropology - or was that just for fun?

[AndrewAHayes]

Robin do you have any plans to build a Midilar unit to control virtual moduar?

[AI-Heaven-Hell]

Hi Robin, I really enjoyed watching your comment on Pigment and how elegant you struggle with it. How you think about a product is important to me. I trust you will not become a review machine who praises everything that passes by. I trust that for every product you select there are 5 others that didn't make it to the review phase. The reality of these times is that there are so many products created and promoted that it's not feasible to make the right choice every time. There's always this nagging feeling that you overlook something that is much better suited to my musical aims. And right now that happens almost every time I purchase something; in the week that follows that purchase, I'll almost certainly come across a product that would have been a much better choice. That's where you come in: you're saving me from buyers remorse, which is a very unpleasant feeling. Also: I'm not a reviewer but I can imagine that when reviewing new gear you must feel a sense betrayal towards the old wonderful stuff you've reviewed in the past. It seems that for every new love you have to abandon an old love (;-) That's true for both relationships and music gear. (:-).

[kickstartmotorcyclemedia]

I don't mind all the reviews, I watch certain people for certain opinions and prefer to listen/watch to reviews from chosen channels. I had already watched Andrew Huang review pigments, otherise I would have watched yours but I chose not to watch other reviews. It's simple, just don't press play and watch other vidoes on the channel you love. You work hard to teach and provide experience, you deserve some recognition from manufacturers. 'ave a good crimbo

[attichatchsound-bobkowal]

Not to burst your bubble, Mr. V - but I too was sent a Pigments demo and I am REALLY a nobody!
I'm guessing Arturia sent EVERYONE on their mailing list a demo ( which is new-worthy onto itself).

[DanFingermanOctopus]

Hi, regarding the pigments thing, I think that people can accept the 'branded' content if they know that it is from an influencer. This is why people like Andrew Huang can shell/sell stuff all they want. I regard you as a journalist and not an influencer. If you release something that 20 influencers also release at the same time, while being positive about it, it will look as if you are biased. So, I think that it is mainly oversaturation of the Youtube space, but also the connotations that come with being positive over the software in that saturated market. Cheers.EDIT: ah, yes, you touched on this in the video.