Thanks for the interview with GIrts! The DB-01 is one of my favorite synths, it's a joy to play and has such an aggressive, beefy sound. So much versatility and control in this little unit. You can tell Girts and his team really put a lot of thought into performance and playability as well.
Really enjoyed this. I bought a DB-01 in 2020, it's a great machine, the sequencer is so creative. I sent an email to the support team requesting a change to the LFO cycle, and a couple of months later it was implemented in a firmware update. Great companies act on customer feedback.
The updates have been excellent. The LFO changes added a lot of capability and the last one with 'Move start point" made the randomizer much more useful.
Just watched Richard’s intro video to the DB-01, and by half way through I’d ordered one and it arrives tomorrow :) Been looking for a bass synth that went heavy on its own and easy to use sequencer, and the DB ticks those boxes and then some. I’m aware it may lead me down the dark path to modular but its worth the risk lol
Does the DB-01 risk a descent into modular? Maybe. It certainly plays well with modular stuff especially as a mono sequencer. Once you get used to all the functions it can do a brilliant job even at unlikely things like generative ambient sequencing: Randomize a 64-step pattern locked to scale, then select random playback mode. Or by accepting pitch CV in using the oscillator for wandering strangeness. Using it that way could save buying a few very expensive modules.
I love my Erica Synths eurorack modules and would buy the DB-01 and LXR02 without any concerns! Their Perkons needs work however needs more voices and some other features that drum synths like Rytm and Jomox have.
The recent Perkons update added a new noise source and also chromatic playing of the voices, so that makes it an impressive drone machine now. There's still a few unused slots in there which I'm sure will be gradually filled.
Great interview Richard. Girts is an absolute legend and one of the worlds best synth manufacturers. Happy birthday DB01 and long live Erica synths. 🤘🏼👽🤘🏼
Wonderful interview...nice to get some insight into how the DB came to be. (Also cool to put a face to the voice, Richard). Part of me is disappointed they don't plan on doing a V2...just because it would fun to see how they might tweak it. OTOH it is pretty damn near perfect! Maybe they'll come out with additional firmware tweaks like the one that allows you to change the first note. If I had my druthers I think one thing that I'd tweak is making those chiclet step buttons into QWERTY-style chunky buttons, similar to what Erica has on their modular drum sequencers. But at the end of the day I feel like this device is only limited by how much time you're willing to put into it, and master it. Like Girts alluded to, that's the hallmark of a true live instrument. Richard, do you have a Perkons on the way? It'll be interesting to see how the DB pairs with the sounds of that machine.
Thanks Kent. I know what you mean about a version 2. Part of me would like something which had more complex FM control or even a second oscillator, but then it would be a totally different machine and when you pass a certain degree of complexity then the no-presets thing starts to bite. I found that with the Matriarch: it was complex enough that I felt reluctant to move on from a good sound. At least with there being no version 2 in the works the risk of feeling 'left behind' by a new version will never happen :) I'm with you on the buttons thing too. They usually work fine but like being pressed in a certain way. OTOH that's one thing that could be tweaked without calling it 'version 2'. The new BBD chip version might also be interesting, could really alter the flavor of the detune perhaps? As for appearing on video - I would rather have stayed anonymous - but everyone I asked said it'd be weird if I did an interview and you couldn't see who was asking the questions. And the Perkons, yes I'm on a waiting list like many others. I was really excited about it since the first day. I absolutely love the concept. I know some have commented that (based on the demos) its too gabber-style hardcore or limited, but I think the specs say otherwise. Just the potential for four drone channels turn this into something deeply weird, especially if each channel has its own custom effect via the send-return jacks. Then you have four visible lanes with ratchets, parameter lock and lane length! The only thing I wish is that it was standard-issue Erica black ;) Seems more in character.
Richard, i'm back again haha. Dude you've been responsible for about 3 items on my live set rig update. Just pulled trigger on Bassline this morning. Thanks for making brilliant content!
@@RichardDeHove I was going to buy a MAM MB33 but someone wanted a whopping £300 for it on reverb! So I thought may as well get the DB-01 for a more futuristic dirtier sound as im making modern electro and techno. The MB33 would of fit nicely on the last space on my pedal board though. Pairings, Digitakt for sequencing help maybe or i may use onboard sequencer, definitely for PC Changes though. Distortion wise im going to see how it gets on with onboard drive. Ive recently purchased a nice chain for digitakt/syntakt drums. EQ2 by Source audio to split the chain and offer different routing options for paralel, the RML EFC Mini, and a subdecay harmonic antagonizer pedal which im super excited about! Antagonizer idea came up yesterday after messing about sending drums into my Pod go guitar pedal, I figured i could test some digital versions of guitar pedals on drums before choosing and buying. They had an antagonizer replica on there, which is drive and reactive oscillator/envelope followers. Man! On drums!? You get some cool synthesis from it that reacts to everything you do with the drums and the drive sounded great, looking forward to seeing how the analog version behaves when it arrives. Other things: Bastl Bestie to sub mix the Hydrasynth, Typhon and DB-01, Also to submix Syntakt Synths, Im doing some tricks with Left and Right Panning on digi and syntakt so they act as Dry/Wet Routings. Meaning i can send signals down different paths (syntakt synths (L) into bestie, Syntakt Drums (R) Into Digi / Digitakt L/R For Dry path and Distortion path). Im going to do a series soon on here explaining all the decisions and tricks ive found :)
@@jamesorvis_mixhackers A whole lot of interesting ideas and gear in there - had to look a couple of them up :) Really like your plans for dry-wet especially given the several beautiful filth devices you've got. That Harmonic Antagoniser looks good - got to love the name too. Looking forward to seeing the results.
@@RichardDeHove Ah yes the name Harmonic Antagonizer along with the fist graphic made an instant purchase! haha I cant wait to test on drums, the digital version was absolute magic and I already think this pedal is overlooked as I havent seen anyone paring it with electronic music. Will demo and send examples soon :)
Love the DB-01 It needs an upgrade though, new version where it's easier to access functions. My only gripe is saving and deleting patterns. It's cumbersome.
Deleting could be easier (but not so easy that it happens by accident) In pattern mode press the up+down octave buttons then select the pattern and press gate/enter. It is a bit messy. But the save is super-simple: shift+rec buttons does an auto save of whatever you're on.
So cool . I Love your vídeos And you are one of thé main resons whos i bought erica synths . And youre vídeos help me só much . Tô se an interview with the boss of erica os very cool . Congratulations . Love from Portugal
I exchanged the Arturia Minibrute 2S against the DB01 and never regret it. Fantastic would it be if this Bass Synth would combine a drum synth and pad synth in one box
@@DayflightTrok There are only a handful of Perkons' out so far and I haven't used one, but from the demos and specs it seems to be capable of both drums and dronish-atmospherics. But if you've found a machine to prevent further acquisitions you've done well.
Thanks this is great. I will soon be buying one, but I do have a question, which I have been trying to understand for some time - even though I have watched some of your videoes, product demonstrations, tutorials, etc. I am confused about what a pattern saves? What is considered the sound (not saved, right?) and what is the pattern? If the DB-01 has "parameter locks" or other step-related automation, then it has some of the "sound" saved? Are patterns only containing notes and notelength? Hope you understand my question. 🙂
Perhaps the easiest way to think about it is that anything controlled directly by the front panel knobs is NOT saved with the pattern. All the stuff accessed and programmed via the Shift+button options IS saved. So the knobs control filter position, resonance, amp level envelope amount, FM amount, noise, sub-scillator etc. All that is NOT saved. But stuff that you program per step like accent, pitch envelope, filter modulatuion amount, gate length, probabilities, pitch etc IS saved. Just to make it confusing there is also a per-bank save. So the LFO shape and mode can be saved per bank, but not per pattern.
@@RichardDeHove Thanks a lot. Great to finally understand which is which, but yeah, your two last sentences made it a little less straight-forward and logic again. I am getting too old for non-intuitive stuff, illogical interfaces, submenues, too small displays with no overview, etc. This and some of the other non-intuive things aren't a dealbreakers for me, but they might be a hassle after some time on a shelve, then I probably need to Google and watch a tutorial to move on (like a display showing SOR for square or Lcl for local on/off or similar). Thanks for the reply and getting closer to understanding this beast. 👍🙂
Really wish you would have asked him what the BPM in ARP does, or was supposed to do , cuz it's seems to do nothing. Also, a firmware update to allow 2/2 step cycle instead of just 1/2, etc....
Yes that BPM arp control is a bit of a waste. I suggested ages ago for more arp patterns, and more recently for a scale-quantized FM function, but you know what it's like waiting for firmware updates... I do have some hope the 2/2 thing will happen though since it was added to Perkons.
