MOD Device (Dwarf/Duo/Duo X) owners' club - Tips, Ideas & Patches

[SamIAm]

Having mucked around with the MOD Audio (MOD Devices) open source ecosystem (Which is rather amazing IMO!) on a raspberry pi + hifiberry sound card ... but was not getting the audio quality I hoped for, I managed to find a good deal on an 'as new' unit (Here on BC of course) and hope to collect it at the weekend.

 

It would be great to hear of the pedalboard/effects that any MOD users here on BC have found to work well (or not so well), controllers that do/don't work, tips, tricks, niggles, workarounds, etc ...

 

Edit: 31-Dec-2023

For those of you yet to discover the MOD system, here is a cool video of what it can do ... "All of the backing instruments and the guitar tones were generated from the MOD Dwarf -at the same time."!

 

Sam x

 

 

Edited December 31, 2023 by SamIAm

[tauzero]

Experimenting with the Dwarf and Duo is something on my to-do list, after some other projects are completed. 

[SamIAm]

Anyone interested in buying a MOD Dwarf ... I've just seen one on Reverb for £320.

 

S'manth x

 

[SamIAm]

On 26/01/2023 at 19:30, tauzero said:

Experimenting with the Dwarf and Duo is something on my to-do list, after some other projects are completed. 

Which do you have ... Dwarf or Duo (or both)?

S'manth x

[tauzero]

I've got both - saw a Duo for sale on Ebay a while back and got it, then more recently picked up the Dwarf from Thomann as B-stock but didn't get rid of the Duo.

[SamIAm]

Bass stuff on a MOD Duo ... tho it should also work on a Dwarf.

 

[tauzero]

Lots of reverb IRs now available - https://www.guitarworld.com/news/mod-audio-reverb-plugin-convolution-impulse-response

[tauzero]

Release 1.13 came out a week ago.

[SamIAm]

On 16/03/2023 at 19:34, tauzero said:

Release 1.13 came out a week ago.

I've seen a number of users who have experienced increased CPU load with 1.13.

S'manth x

[tauzero]

There's a 1.13.1 fix release out. Just updating the Dwarf now, it's taking ages.

[tauzero]

I don't know why the Dwarf auto update was unsuccessful (I left it running for an hour or so) - just updated it manually, no problems. The Duo is an older one so I also needed to do a kernel upgrade, which I've now done and which went smoothly once I'd overcome my inability to read instructions.

[SamIAm]

MOD ...

 

We are proud to present the AIDA-X, a neural model player developed by AIDA DSP, capable of loading realistic amp (and also other gear) neural models for live playing using the Dwarf, Duo X and Duo.

AIDA-X is an Amp Model Player, allowing it to load models of AI trained music gear, which you can then play through! Its main intended use is to provide high fidelity simulations of amplifiers. However, it is also possible to run entire signal...

A big thank you to @madmaxwell and @spunktsch for the effort and love put into AIDA DSP.

Some of you might be familiar with this technology, as it has been popularised by Neural DSP, with their Quad Cortex, as well as IK Multimedia’s ToneX.

 

https://forum.mod.audio/t/mod-presents-the-aida-x-and-dives-into-neural-modelling/9465/2

 

Smanth x

[Woodinblack]

So, Mod dwarf, I am interested in it at the moment.

 

I see the reviews on youtube, some useful, some less so, I see the position of the company etc, but also see if the company go bad, I can run open source effects on it so I could write my own.

 

What is the processing like on it, as in, how often do people get to 100% processing? I know it is hard to quantify these things, but if for instance I was running a stick through it, two channels independantly, one with a guitar amp, compressor, reverb, echo, eq - would I be pushing it or not? If I then added a synth or something?

 

Just looking at what is the realistic level of work it could do - I did see on one of the videos they got to 100%

 

Obviously I need to spend time justifying it to myself, they are pretty expensive, and even assuming I sold the HXFX, I would need a couple of hundred more for this and then have to source some more midi pedals too (unless I used the footpedals...)

[Baloney Balderdash]

On 19/04/2023 at 13:27, Woodinblack said:

So, Mod dwarf, I am interested in it at the moment.

 

I see the reviews on youtube, some useful, some less so, I see the position of the company etc, but also see if the company go bad, I can run open source effects on it so I could write my own.

 

What is the processing like on it, as in, how often do people get to 100% processing? I know it is hard to quantify these things, but if for instance I was running a stick through it, two channels independantly, one with a guitar amp, compressor, reverb, echo, eq - would I be pushing it or not? If I then added a synth or something?

 

Just looking at what is the realistic level of work it could do - I did see on one of the videos they got to 100%

 

Obviously I need to spend time justifying it to myself, they are pretty expensive, and even assuming I sold the HXFX, I would need a couple of hundred more for this and then have to source some more midi pedals too (unless I used the footpedals...)

Well, the specs says quadro core processor and 8GB ram (in comparison the Line 6 Helix Stomp only got a duo core processor, also the Dwarf is much more flexible when it comes to the signal path), so I would think it would be able to run quite a few effects and parallel paths at the same time without struggling.

 

Though of course that will depend on the specific effects used and how they were programmed.

 

When I at some point gets to upgrading my Zoom B1Xon it will most likely be for the MOD Dwarf.

 

Edited May 3, 2023 by Baloney Balderdash

[SamIAm]

1 hour ago, Woodinblack said:

So, Mod dwarf, I am interested in it at the moment.

 

I see the reviews on youtube, some useful, some less so, I see the position of the company etc, but also see if the company go bad, I can run open source effects on it so I could write my own.

 

What is the processing like on it, as in, how often do people get to 100% processing? I know it is hard to quantify these things, but if for instance I was running a stick through it, two channels independantly, one with a guitar amp, compressor, reverb, echo, eq - would I be pushing it or not? If I then added a synth or something?

 

Just looking at what is the realistic level of work it could do - I did see on one of the videos they got to 100%

 

Obviously I need to spend time justifying it to myself, they are pretty expensive, and even assuming I sold the HXFX, I would need a couple of hundred more for this and then have to source some more midi pedals too (unless I used the footpedals...)

If you are using a number of IR or the new AIDA-X DSP plugin it will consume a fair bit of CPU.  My current board only chews up about 31%.

The need for additional footswitches is certain (IMHO) ... I bought a £30ish MVave Chocolate from Amazon and it is ... OK, but I'm in the process of building a DIY pedal in the space of ... think Morningstar! that is not going to cost more than about £40 for parts (Will do a build diary at some point).

And Thomann have a 30day return, so you could have a careful pplay for 3 weeks and then decide if you get on or not.

S'manth x

[Woodinblack]

Yeh, I just bought a MVave pedal as I saw it (mine was £20, but same thing), as I have a use for it anyway, so that either works or I will stick one of the feathers I have around here (or pi 2080?) and use that.

 

Just got to either pluck up the justifcation to get one, or find a used one cheap!

[Woodinblack]

4 hours ago, Smanth said:

And Thomann have a 30day return, so you could have a careful pplay for 3 weeks and then decide if you get on or not.

 

True - I just missed out on the last one Juno had at £417, there don't appear to be any reasonable second hand ones around at the moment so I will sit on it for a bit and see if I forget about it in time (maybe will have a go at making an LDV2 plugin to see what it is about).

[SamIAm]

11 minutes ago, Woodinblack said:

 

True - I just missed out on the last one Juno had at £417, there don't appear to be any reasonable second hand ones around at the moment so I will sit on it for a bit and see if I forget about it in time (maybe will have a go at making an LDV2 plugin to see what it is about).

If by any chance you have a Pi 4b (or even a 3b) and a HiFiberry ADC+DAC you can build something similar to a MOD using MODEP (This is a slightly modified version of the MOD OSS host & ui and is what I started with about a year ago) All control would have to go via MIDI, but you could give it a really good 'kicking' and see if you like it.

S'manth x

[Woodinblack]

I have a pi 3b, and an audio interface that is currently a synth player, and also a couple of other things that make synth stuff. What appeals about this is the pre-built hardware with most of the rough edges already taken out. I have loads of boards and homebrew stuff, but I don't want to gig those, I want something robust.

[SamIAm]

6 hours ago, Woodinblack said:

if for instance I was running a stick through it, two channels independantly, one with a guitar amp, compressor, reverb, echo, eq - would I be pushing it or not?

Unless you have loads of power hungry effects (eg IR) or huge numbers of plugins I'd expect it to deal nicely.  Just the other day a person on the MOD forum was asking about parallel processing chains utilising the pair of inputs for their stick.

Here is a pedalboard from an other user, described as

No astonishing effects, just searching for a "jazzy" sound, soft and warm for the dual channel Chapman Stick. Dynamic controlled by compressors, simple eq to make melody strings "sing", to make bass string fuller and to avoid thin harpsichord-like sound. Reverbs are adding light ambiance, Both are sent to both outputs to have best sound if sent directly to a PA mixer or to have two identical mono signals, one for amp and one for mixer. Crossover helps to have chorus only on the higher strings of the bass side of the Stick for a steadier bass sond. Mono Tiny Gain is controlled by right footswitch to add gain during jazz solos, left footswitch assigned to chorus. Knobs are controlling final gain, reverbs, eq and mono gain for last moment live adjustments.

 

Using a 128 frame sampling size (the lowest latency) it's using about 31% CPU and 30% RAM.

S'manth x

 

 

S'manth x

[SamIAm]

8 minutes ago, Woodinblack said:

I have a pi 3b, and an audio interface that is currently a synth player, and also a couple of other things that make synth stuff. What appeals about this is the pre-built hardware with most of the rough edges already taken out. I have loads of boards and homebrew stuff, but I don't want to gig those, I want something robust.

Totally ... and that is why I've ended up with a Dwarf, but the playing I did on the Pi+MODEP made me realise it was the unit for me!

S'manth x

[Woodinblack]

So today I can join your club, found out that bass direct sell them so picked up one there, a bit cheaper than thomman (and most of the used ones on the net). Great size, if this does everything i think it can do I can downsize my pedalboard a bit although obviously you have to consider space for  the needed footswitches to make it actually useable!

 

Looking forward to using this tonight!

[Woodinblack]

Might be short lived though - I tried it after work and plugging it in I was greeted by a nice loud buzz through everything. Same sort of buzz you get when you have a digital and analogue effect on the same power supply, the sort I used to get with various things before I got an isolated power supply. Not very promising if I get it when nothing else is plugged in.

The effects that are built in seem pretty good, although plugging in the usb lead provided failed to enable me to get to any user interface - they really could think of the finishing touches couldn't they - there is a piece of paper that thanks you for getting it, and gives you a web address you can manually type in to get to a quick start guide, and when you get to that,  and have scrolled down far enough it actually says how to get started, by showing you a picture of the web address you have to type in your browser to get to the device. Really smart guys - a link too tricky, or you just want to add inconvenience?

 

So no, I did't manage to get to the gui - I guess I have to do some reading to get this to work, but then even if I do, the buzz isn't useable in an effects pedal.

Somewhat dissapointed

[SamIAm]

Sorry to hear of the noise issue, thats a major bummer in a new gadget, MOD have a noise troubleshooting page that may bear some fruit.  

On the Dwarf User Guide page (definately worth reading and rereading), there is a section Accessing via USB Cable with two clickable links (http://moddwarf.local/ or http://192.168.51.1).

 

S'manth x

[Woodinblack]

thanks for the link - that was the page that the photo on the quickstart guide pointed to, it didn't mention the dwarf user guide!

 

I will try the noise things in that page, I tried to find a page like that, found threads, but didn't see that, so thanks!

Not sure it is an earth loop, as that is just connected straight - but I do have a few things with DIs, so I will try that, and maybe if I have other power supplies around.