Pamela's NEW Workout: a SHALLOW Dive Tutorial - an uncomplicated look at the basics. 

Thank you so much! Yep! I'm all for a deep dive here and there, but sometimes I just don't want to get that far into things, and maybe leave a little bit of room to figure out things for myself. I'm sure there are others who feel the same way! Also, I don't know if you noticed but I just put out a second part of this tutorial. Hopefully you can check it out too! Cheers!

such a succinct & apt comment!! "super snorkel"... hahaha!!

Cheers! I had a lot of fun making this video. Still learning new things about this module too. Part 2 is slowly being worked on! That is for watching and commenting!

Thank you, no problem! I did a part 2 tutorial as well in case you were interested. It just looks at a few other things that I skipped over in this one. Cheers!

No problem! Glad it was helpful. I'm not sure if you checked out any more of my videos, but I did a part two to this tutorial. It's a bit more scaled down, but there were a few things that I didn't really think about in this video that I addressed in the follow up. If there's anything you want to know, go ahead Thanks again!

No problem! I did a second video looking at a few other functions of this module. Just a few things that I didn’t really think about in this video. Either way though, thanks again!

Really glad I could help! It all seemed a bit daunting to me at first. But as I said in the video, I think I was overthinking the whole module which was my first mistake, hence my making of this video. These are just some of the ways that I personally use it. Hopefully you can take that and apply it to your own creative needs. Thanks again!

No worries! I appreciate the feedback! As I've said to others, I made a less flashy follow up/part 2 to this video that just goes over a few other things that I didn't think to do in this first video. Check it out if you feel inclined. Any questions, go ahead. I'll try and help. Cheers!

Thank you very much! Part two is much more low-key but hopefully just as helpful in a companion to part one kind of way. If you have any questions then go right ahead. I'll do what I can to help. Cheers!

No problem, and thank you! (Not sure if you noticed, but I did a second part that covers a few more things that I missed in this video)

Well, thank you very much! That's very flattering! I pretty much made this video because I thought that a lot of other tutorials, not just for this module but basically almost every other module out there, was needlessly complicated. A lot of people just assume that we newcomers already know a lot more than we do. More shallow dive tutorials on the way. I've been a bit unproductive of late due to a whole lot of small, unimportant reasons. I'm about ready to get back into the swing of things though. Either way though, glad you enjoyed it and found it helpful! Cheers.

No problem! And thank you for the kind words! In case you hadn't noticed, I did a part two of this tutorial more recently just looking at a few more aspects of this great module. If you have any questions though, go ahead. Thanks again!

Thank you! I had a lot of fun doing it. It's such a great module, and it can seem pretty complicated but it really isn't. I just kind of wanted to put something out there to try to take away a bit of fear or confusion about what it does and how it might be able to help people in their own personal workflow. I am slowly putting together a second part that will address some of the features that I either just glossed over or didn't even look at it all. Thanks again!

@@thedigitallost Sure, I think this kind of length is great for a tutorial video. I wanted to learn more about one of the Instruo modules, but their 'introduction' video was 2hrs long... Not exactly a snapshot of what it can do!

Oh yeah. I've had the same issue also with Instruo! Great looking gear with a couple of things I'm genuinely interested in, but they almost scare you off. Like, with modules that deep, yeah, there's a lot to show. But maybe break up the tutorials a little!

Thank you very much! Yep, it's a really helpful module. Not sure if you noticed, but I did follow this video up with a part two which looks at a few other features of this module. A few things that I just glanced over or didn't even look at at all. Either way though, thanks for watching and commenting! If you ever have any questions about the module go right ahead.

Thank you! Glad I could help! Not sure if you noticed, but I did a part two to this tutorial that just looks at a few things that I didn’t get to in this one. It’s not as long or as flashy as this one, but hopefully might help out a little bit further with things. Thanks again!

Thank you very much! I really appreciate it. If you hadn't noticed, I made a part 2 video as well that looks at a few other things. If you have any questions go ahead! Thanks again.

Great! Thank you! Yeah, as I say in the video, the worst thing you can do with this module is overthink it. It does so much but is so thoughtfully laid out that it's really easy. The only somewhat annoying part is the update procedure. But follow ALM's direction and video exactly and it'll be fine. It's WELL worth updating to the current firmware if you don't already have it installed. Lot's of helpful features are added. You'll need a mini USB (NOT micro) that can transfer data. Take your time and enjoy it! And feel free to ask any questions. I'll try and answer. I'm currently working on a 2nd video that will cover a few things that I only briefly looked at or just completely skipped in this video. Thanks again!

No problem! If you look at my other videos you’ll see a part two as well which dips into a few things I didn’t look at in this video. Either way, thanks again!

Thank you! Glad I could be helpful! Part 2 that covers a few other bits and pieces should be coming in the next few weeks. Sadly, these things can take a while to film and edit. It's a seriously cool module though. As I always say, the worst thing you can do is overthink it! If you have any further questions at all, ask away. I'm happy to try and help.

Thank you! I'm glad I could help! I made a part 2 as well that touches on some things I didn't look at here if you're interested. Either way though, thanks again!

No problem! Glad I could help. I did make a second video on this looking at a few other functions that I skipped over in this one in case you still have a couple questions. Either way, thanks again!

@@thedigitallost cheers I've added it to my list to watch next, thanks again :-)

Thank you! I'm glad you got something out of it! I am also pretty new to modular. I had to go through the usual, annoying steps of buying a few modules quickly at first that now I realize that I absolutely do not need or want. Pamela's New Workout really brought a lot of things together for me. Helped me understand how a lot of these things work. I am actively working on part two of the video. As I type this reply I'm playing around with a few of the settings that I did not look at, or I only briefly glanced at, in this video. Thanks again!

Prepare for the pain! I just sold all my synths for a modular rack that I based around Morphagene. Such a compact box for all that money!

Great! Thanks for watching! Yeah, as I kind of said in the video it really does do a whole lot, but a lot of people just seem to use it like a simple LFO. Which is fine if that's what works for them, but it really is one of those modules that can do so much if you're willing to just really play around with it. I also tend to like to use things a bit differently as well. But it's all just so simple: setting some rules and sending out voltages. Nice. But yeah, I'm normally so adverse to programming and menu style things, but the menu diving is minimal and it's all laid out so thoughtfully that I find it actually a joy to use. I will cover a few other important basics in the upcoming part 2. Thanks again!

@@thedigitallost It would be really neat to try using Pam in combination with the Malekko Voltage Block. I wanted to add the VB to my system, but I think it would draw too much current in my system, unfortunately.

PNW really is just what you make of it. That's where its strengths lie. Voltage block looks interesting. Tho it would take up way too much space in my little system! Already I'm thinking of expanding....but that's a dangerous road to go down.

No problem! Glad I could help. In case you hadn't noticed, there is a second part to this tutorial that covers a few things that I didn't really think about for this first video. If you have any questions go ahead and ask and I'll try and answer them, otherwise thanks again!

Wow! That's awesome! Thank you! Just remember, this module does a whole lot more than what I look at in this video. Don't be too afraid to experiment. Also remember to check that you have the current firmware. A lot of what I do in this video is done because of that current firmware. It really does add a lot of great features. As I say in the video though, it's a bit of an annoying process to do that. It's not enough to follow the directions in the manual, you really have to watch ALM's official video on how to do it because there was maybe a printing error in the manual. The video makes things a lot more simple as well. You also need a mini, not micro, USB cable that can transmit data which is also a bit annoying. But again, follow ALM's video directions exactly and keep the manual handy for assistance and it should be fine. A second part to this video is something that I'm working on but it's still a few weeks away easily. It won't look at every single feature, just a few of the things that I didn't get to in this video. But if you have any questions, go ahead and ask. I'll do what I can to help. Thanks again!

@@thedigitallost Thanks mate

@@thedigitallost Much appreciated, thanks so much for the info. the Module came in the mail today, your video got me started with no worries at all :) can't wait to do some deep experimenting with it ;)

Glad to hear it! Have fun!

@@thedigitallost Thank-You

Awesome! Thank you! I have not really looked at, or read a lot about, the Boss Bow Two. I must say, though, that the couple of other ALM modules I have are rock solid. I have the mmMidi: a MIDI to CV converter that works well with PNW. I'll be looking at that in the follow up video. And I also have the SBG which is the external effects pedal interface. Both modules are really nicely made and I'm a big fan. I'm looking quite seriously at their MUM M8 filter. For budget reasons though, that's certainly something that will be long down the line, so I'm just trying to put it out of my mind for now. So be it. Thanks again!

Awesome! And thank you! Remember, this isn't a strict how-to, it's more just enough to get you going. Hopefully, it's enough to give you the confidence to start experimenting with it on your own, because there sure is a lot to explore! If you hadn't noticed, I have done a part two follow up to this video that addresses a few things that I didn't get to in this one. Thanks again!

As a newbie, I guess my question now is, do I need to keep my Turing Machine and AMS clock divider? Seems like PNW can do all that and a lot more?

I've never actually used those modules. I think Pam's covers a lot of the same territory, but maybe just wait until you have played around with it and see if you prefer how it does things over those other modules. I've learned to never get rid of things too hastily.

Thank you! Yeah, it really does a whole lot. If you hadn't noticed, I made a part 2, follow-up video. It's a bit more low-key, but looks at a few things that I didn't really get to in this video or just plain forgot about. Check it out! If you have any questions, go ahead. Cheers!

@@thedigitallost thank you, just watched the second video. Indeed, it is a very flexible machine and it would cost tons of money if you'd want to replace its functionality with dedicated discrete modules.

Absolutely. Right now I'm working on a video that looks at the current state of my eurorack rig. It's a follow up to a video I made a year back when I first got into all this. Pam's has been a consistent module in any reconfiguration I've done since I have owned it, and it's not going anywhere!

It sure is!

Well thank you very much! That's quite some praise! I really appreciate this kind of thing. Regarding being a noob, I still consider myself to be a noob! I only started with modular about one year ago, and less than a year before I made this video. I'm glad you enjoyed it and found it helpful. This is a two-part video so if you haven't seen the other one, it should be in my video list. Currently I'm working on my next shallow dive tutorial which will be for the 1010Music Bitbox Micro. And I'm considering maybe doing a part 3 for Pamela's New Workout as well. We shall see. Thanks again! If you have any questions, go ahead. Cheers.

@@thedigitallost you're most kind, sir. I do greatly appreciate the open invitation to ask about modular stuff(s) & also all your thorough efforts here with these vids... so helpful, man. as for 1010music... I love 'em. I have the blackbox, which I've spent some time with & the bluebox, which I--somewhat shamefully--have spent zero time with. I dig what that company is up to quite a lot.

Nice. Yeah, loving the Bitbox Micro. I thought about getting the Blackbox but chose something that would fit in my rack. I'm sure I'd be happy with either of them though. And the Bluebox?? Well, I just received one today! Haven't tried it out yet though. I'm very excited about this one.

@@thedigitallost I'm sure it won't take you nearly as long to get to it (the blue box, that is) as it has me. & I'm even more sure that you'll learn it faster than I will. (I'm a real slow burn when it comes to this technological shizz...)

Thank you! It really is a cool and handy module. Hopefully you enjoy yours as much as I enjoy mine. Cheers!

It's been awhile. Today I got back to this video and took it to heart and worked up some semblance. Great video. Shallow I had to get back there.

Thanks! Not sure if you noticed, but I made a follow up video addressing a few further points regarding the module. If you have any questions, go ahead! Cheers.

@@thedigitallost plan to watch it as well

Ha! Nice. Thanks again!

Thank you very much! If you hadn't already noticed, I made a follow up video addressing a few further things that I didn't get to in this video. Either way, thanks for watching! If you have any questions, go right ahead. Cheers!

@@thedigitallost thanks mate, I'll check it out! Just trying to get my head round the basics of modular at the moment, it can be pretty overwhelming! It feels like you have to know everything before you can start choosing components. If you had to pick a handful to get started, what would you recommend?

Yeah there is a lot to figure out and unfortunately you kind of have to commit to spending money on a few things that you may end up not wanting at all. What would I recommend? Difficult to answer because we all have different needs... But! I look back at things that I purchased but decided that I didn't really need or want. Like, everyone in modular goes on and on about VCAs. And yeah, I have one but I've just not really had any need for it. And I guess that's when you get to different schools and styles of modular. Like, there's that traditional style bleep bloop modular where, yeah everything is pretty bare bones and you need all those modules like VCAs, etc. But if you get into the Mutable Instruments (And I'm sure other brands) stuff, that's almost not needed. And then it also depends on where you've come from musically as well. Not just where you want to be. Like, I come from a guitar background so I tend to want to treat things like linking up guitar pedals and that kind of thing. Apparently that's not the way it's done! But it's also true that Modular is what you make of it and there are no rules! So in saying all that and giving a very non-committal response, I would personally get a Mutable Plaits, 1 or 2 effects units that just handle your bread and butter effects like delay and/or reverb, and of course Pamela's New Workout! I say this because Plaits will get you a ton of different sounds where you don't really need VCAs, plus it has plenty of points to modulate. And I say a bread and butter affects, whatever effect you want really, just add a bit of variety and color. Try not to spend too much money here. Look at the Erica Pico or Dreadbox Chromatic stuff. That's all really well priced and really good quality. And then I say Pam's because, as hopefully I demonstrated in this video, it really can do so much as far as triggering and modulating. Play around with these things and hopefully it might open up some avenues or doors for ideas and direction. And that's ignoring having to get utility modules like power and sequencing. So much you need to get before you can even get started properly! Again, a very non-committal response because there is just so much to choose from. This is just what I would do now, knowing what I know now versus what I knew a year or so back when I started all this. Just try to go slowly and cheaply at first!

@@thedigitallost this is so incredibly helpful, thank you so much for taking the time to write such a thoughtful response. PNW and Plaits / Braids seem to come up an awful lot in conversations about essentials so I might dive in and see what they have to offer! I too come from a guitar background but my band (Phoria) is more synth driven, and primarily I'm looking for ways to expand my Moog semi-modular setup, and also some 'generative' modules to kick out surprising sequences and chord progressions. Any recommendations on this front would be greatly appreciated! Jeb

I mean, Pam's will help with some of that generative stuff. But look at Marbles by Mutable Instruments. I don't have one, but that seems to be that classic and standard generative signal module. If you're looking at sound modules, and we mentioned Plaits, if that's something you're interested in, I'd probably bypass Braids. At the end of the day, it's just kind of an older and outdated version of Plaits. I mean, they're not the same module, and nor do they share any DNA or exact algorithms it or parts, but Plaits is definitely the spiritual successor to Braids (as people say). Sure, there is a screen and apparently a few extra menus on Braids, but Plaits will do all the same sounds but with fewer knobs. Everything's just streamlined, plus, apparently, sound quality is better. I would avoid any of the small clones as well. I had one and I wasn't a huge fan. Aside from the build quality not being great, those tiny knobs are very hard to dial in accurately. I think the same could be said of all Mutable clones. Upgrading to a legit mutable module from a small clone was like night and day. The Mutable Instruments genuine module is beautifully made and sounds great.

No problem, and thank you! I recently put out a second part to this tutorial that looks at a few things that I just kind of skipped over or didn't look at at all in this first video. Hopefully you were able to check that out too, and hopefully you might find it also helpful. Thanks again!

@@thedigitallost Super thank you, I just bought Pamela's new workout, next week it will be there and gonna try your idea's :) Your tutorial made a click that this module was the missing link in my setup :) Happy new year! xx

Well thanks again! Yeah, I had a similar moment with this module which is why I made the video. It helped make sense of quite a lot of things for me. Things that, being quite new to modular, I didn't quite understand. It's a simple and helpful module that may seem complicated, but it really isn't complicated at all. I am always really happy when a video I have made has helped someone, so thanks for watching and commenting! If you have any questions, go right ahead. I'll do what I can to help. Cheers!

@@thedigitallost Exactly, it is a great module and I'm very happy you made this video! I recently changed my modular from drum/synth to a FX/synth modular. Now with my delays and Rainmaker etc I will have way more timing options with Pamela, I can't wait till it arrives! :) Keep going with your channel, your calm tutorials are very helpful.

Again, happy to help! I've just checked out your channel and subbed. Hopefully when you get familiar with Pam's you can get some videos up showing off what you can do with it! (I am currently editing my next video, a pretty basic jam made after windows update basically strangled my "ancient" laptop rendering it useless for audio work.... hopefully temporary, but we'll see.)

Thanks, glad I could help! Check my videos for the part 2 which looks at a few other features I skipped in this video. Cheers.

Ha! Cheers mate! Yeah, I actually live in the United States now. Honestly, I don't know if I could have afforded much modular gear had I still been in Australia! It's crazy how cheap some things can be found over here.

@@thedigitallost yeah dude. I just dived in the last couple of months. Picking up a Pamela this weekend, I think! U have an insta to follow you adventures?

Sounds good! No Instagram. I'd considered it, but then I just figured I spent so much time here on RU-vid It would just be another social media thing that would just waste too much of my time! I don't upload here as much as I want to. I'm trying to change that really soon though. Got a bit of a larger project that I'm working on that's been taking up most of my time. I have a backlog of about four videos that I have planned and written out, I just need the film them. It's been hot as all hell here in the Midwest United States and I do everything up in my attic which is not air conditioned so I've not really wanted to spend a whole lot of time up there! (How's all that for an Instagram worthy story!) All that, and I barely understand what Instagram even is! I'm such an old fart... But yeah, Pam's. Seriously nice module. If you hadn't noticed I also did a part 2 to this tutorial looking at a few things that I kind of skipped over or forgot about in this first tutorial. It's a bit more low-key than the first part, but hopefully it'll answer a few more questions that you or anyone may not even knew that they had!

@@thedigitallost awh lovely! I'll be sure to give it a listen; thanks for your IG story :P I know all too much how that damn heat in the studio feels like, as I am sure you remember Australian summers... the worst. I am hoping to move over to the US/Canada with a phD scholarship sooner or later; I guess we'll have to wait and see. Take care! I'll check out your other Pam videos!

Sounds good, my man. Been nice talking to you! If you have any questions about the module or my music or anything else, go right ahead. I'm always happy to help or chat. Cheers!

No problem!

Ha! Thank you very much!

Thanks again! I've been more than interested in ornament and crime. In so many ways I'm not a fan of menu diving, but if it's done well it really doesn't bother me. (Also, not sure if you noticed but I just did a part two of this tutorial that looks at a few things that I didn't really look at in this video.)

I wish someone would do an ornament and crime video as helpful as this one.

I know of the show, but I didn't grow up with it, so I'm not overly or immediately familiar. But I'll look it up!

There will definitely be more videos on modules coming! This was actually my first tutorial, not to mention my first video dedicated to a single eurorack module. I do play around with the uburst in the video that I mentioned and linked below in the description here. Kind of a long, droning piece buried in the latter half. I'm really, really new to this world and still finding my way but I'm loving it so much that I will absolutely be doing more module videos like this. Certainly, my next eurorack video will probably be the second part of the Pamela's New Workout tutorial! Thanks for watching!

Hello, and thanks! If you’re referring to the expander modules, I’ve never used either of them.

Hello there! Sorry about the delay in reply. I'm not sure offhand and I'm also not near the module for a little while to go try it out. Honestly, ALM make excellent manuals and the Pamela's manual will probably be your best bet for the time being. Maybe even email them. I've emailed them a couple of technical questions in the past and they got back to me almost immediately.

@@thedigitallost thanks so much. I’ll drop them a message. Great video BTW.

Thank you very much! I made a second part to this as well. Just kind of more low-key video looking at a few things I skipped in this video. Unfortunately I did not address your question in that video either! I'm mulling over maybe a part 3. We will see! Thanks again.

Hello again! Not sure I understand exactly what you're asking, so I'll give you my experience with the reset on this module. First of all, where are you resetting from? For me, if I hold down the program encoder while on the BPM screen, it takes me to the sub menu where I can choose things like PPQN, save, and reset. If I "ok" reset from there, it resets basically everything but the master BPM. So, any of the subdivisions or different waves or any other parameter changes on any of the individual outputs gets reset to their default. But the master BPM stays exactly how it was. Again, I don't know where you're hitting reset from, and I would also ask if you are using the current firmware. Maybe there are some differences there, but I don't know for sure. This is how my module works anyway. If there's anything else you want to know, of course ask away! But if you do contact ALM, I've had nothing but fast and great experiences with their tech help. And if you do figure it out, let us know! I like to think that the comments section here can serve as a bit of a running document on how the module works and issues and solutions that people might have with the module themselves.

@@thedigitallost Great big thanks for the reply. I guess I’m not looking for tech support from you 😬 I have firmware #207, so that’s up to date. I’ve tried the reset from both the individual tracks, and from the screen where there’s the main BPM/PPQN. No channel changes from either reset. Thx for the encouragement regarding the ALM support. It’s such a basic question, I didn’t want to really bother them. But I’ll go ahead and seek their input. Many thanks!

I don't think it does melodic stuff so much as set LFO waves and the random stuff I looked at here. I know that you can patch in an external signal that you can attach to any of the channels on Pam's, but at that point you might as well just be using a sequencer. I look at that in the part 2 video that I also did. I've never used ornament and crime. It looks interesting and I know that, certainly with the alternative firmwares, there are more traditional sequencer options built in but yeah, I've never tried one out myself.

@@thedigitallost That's great. I loved your video simply because it's the first one I've seen that actually tries to make music with PNW. Most of the videos, although interesting, basically use Pam's as a drum trigger module. Using the LFOs to make bass drum, snare etc, and then generate something using the random (and Euclidian) possibilities. Big thanks again.

Well thank you very much! I tend to use all music equipment in slightly different ways. Using Pam's to create musical patterns rather than just clocked triggers, etc, also makes understanding what the module is doing a little bit easier I found. I also made this video because I would just get annoyed about how most other tutorials kind of assume that the viewer already knows everything, so what's the point of the tutorial? Also, synth and related tutorials all tend to be the same! But anyway... Thanks again! Again, if you haven't checked out part 2 of this shallow dive tutorial then have a look. It just looks at a few things I skipped over in this one.

The 206 firmware? Yeah man. Anyone out there who hasn't updated this, best do it. It adds a whole lot.

@@thedigitallost there's now another update, 207, that adds logic options and another wave form

Oh wow! I didn't know that! Just had a look at the website and yep, there it is. Thanks for the heads-up!

@@thedigitallost it seriously doubles the awesomeness of an already great module

@@verifiedpersonae7332 oh. Snap

Yes! I had seen this too! I saw that someone on Reddit posted a customized Pam's module and, sorry I honestly don't remember this bit exactly, had either made their own different colored plastic cover plates or had ordered them from somewhere online. Regardless, yes, the LEDs on the display screen are not red and are very bright by all reports! I haven't taken mine off to have a look yet. But seriously, the red cover plate that they use as standard really is difficult to see. I've had a few people mention that it's difficult to see the screen in this video, but honestly it's pretty difficult to see it in real life when under bright lights. Either way though, thanks for posting this and letting us know!

Glad I could help! Check out part 2 as well, if you haven’t done already. Cheers!

@@thedigitallost Of course I already checked it out! 😂. It was helpful as well. I learned about wiring Pam’s into CV1 and using it to control itself. 💪🏾

@@jjbing3 Great to hear! Thanks for the feedback.

Yep, I totally get that. And for the most part I'm right there with you. I'm really not a fan of menu diving or multifunction units, which is kind of why I was so enamored with this module; yeah it does a lot and yeah there is a screen but it's all laid out so simply and plainly. For people with a small system like mine it's really perfect. If nothing else it gives you eight extremely capable LFOs that are all individually programmable. You could completely ignore all the other functions and still have a great unit with such a small footprint and for not a whole lot of money. But that's the beauty of modular. So many choices. So many different workflows. I love seeing how differently people can use their gear. Cheers!

@@thedigitallost Yes, i understand that. I am also new and wondered why i would even need a separate clock module, thought thats in the sequencer, and this is one of the most popular, but maybe you are right, before i get a clock module and a divider and multiplier i have spent more money and space. And still somehow feels like cheating, also eight lfos, yes but on my lfos i love to twiddle knobs all the time to make weird modulation stuff. Good video though, will have to think about this further.

Great! As with most of these things, they really are what we make of them. I'm glad we could talk and see each other's points of view a little bit better. Thanks again!

Nope! I mean, in all honesty, 90% of what I use it for IS clocks and LFOs, but it really can end up doing some delightfully random tunes as well!

It is

Thank you! I don't know though....I do like to take it slow... No need to rush...

@@thedigitallost (Again, intending to be constructive here.) I found myself skipping forward when you took a minute and a half to explain what the start button does. If you wanna hone your process, cutting stuff would help hold people's attention.