Coffeeshopped developer Chadwick Wood has updated his iPad patch editing app, Patch Base, adding a patch editor and librarian for the Waldorf Blofeld.
Here’s what Wood has to say about the editor:
This new editor works for both the Desktop and Keyboard editions.
The Blofeld is a powerful digital polysynth, with 3 oscillators (with dozens of waveforms), 2 filters, 4 envelopes, 3 LFOs, 2 multi-effects modules, 4 control modifiers, 16 modulation routes, and a 16-step configurable arpeggiator (sort of crossed with a sequencer). And to control this beast, the synth itself only has a handful of knobs and buttons and a navigation screen.
So naturally, the Blofeld is a great fit for Patch Base.
This new editor puts all of those main patch parameters on one main screen, with quick switches to go between the multiple oscillators, envelopes, etc. You can get a much clearer picture of what’s going on with a sound this way, and create new sounds with great speed. And on the arpeggiator screen, you can go deep into the sequencing capabilities of the synth. A single arpeggiator line can provide bars and bars of melodic variation (and chords, too). Frankly, it’s nuts.
Patch Base is a free download, but support for specific synths is added via In-App purchases.
If you’ve used Patch Base, leave a comment and share your thought on it!
This is awesome. I’ve never had much luck with the other Blofeld editors. Wish a PC version was available.
IMHO the GUI for patchbase looks cluttered…. everything jumbled together with little visual separation.
I know that there are a lot a parameters covered in the layout, which is great but please design some colour separation between the different module sections, eg. VCO VCF VCA Envelope LFO etc.
i feel the layout is doable but it would certainly help to have subtle colors to distinguish major sections of the signal flow. i am sure this would be nicer, clutter wise, on a 12″ ipad
i am glad i paid for the unlimited device functionality for sure!
p.s. colors to distinguish the mod matrix as well, those 1-4 and so on seem to run together
Anything to unlock the potential of this synth is a good thing. I’ve had mine for a few years now but just can’t get on with the way you have to program it. I can’t bring myself to part with it though because of I know what it’s capable of and it sounds fantastic. Other Patch editors are available, some good some not so good, hopefully this one will do the business for some peeps
I’ve been using patchmorpher but seems it doesn’t get an update to 64bit thus will no longer work on iOS11.. This may be an alternative.
+1 for a little color to help with eye guidance. I like how much they’ve gotten into a single screen but could see the mod matrix and perhaps effects moved to a second tab. Do any of the patchbase editors use tabs?
Can you choose which filter an OSC is pointing at on the blofeld? I don’t see a way to do that here.