Patchblock??? Any good??

Want to talk about music hardware or software that doesn't include Reason?
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Re8et
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Posts: 1512
Joined: 14 Nov 2016

10 Mar 2019

I found a Patchblock tiny module second hand for 30 euro, I have read that the developers have closed down, and their last post in fb is from 2016, the site won't let you download anything, but the editor which has an emulator and some ready made presets-blocks, it seems based on pure data and looks fun to edit around, but the lack of information on the most basic parts, like firmware update, or reset in case of some crashes... makes me hesitant on the buy...
Anyone can share some info on this little magic box???

There are only two tutorial on their youtube channel, both looks like pre-beta, then nothing else from 2013

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jam-s
Posts: 3036
Joined: 17 Apr 2015
Location: Aachen, Germany
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10 Mar 2019

Looks pretty much like pure data (https://puredata.info/). As you already pointed out... I'd rather use this directly instead of some abandoned hardware.

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Re8et
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Joined: 14 Nov 2016

15 Mar 2019

So I got it, it arrived yesterday, the guy wanted to sell two to me for 40 quids but I got one only...

I don't know if this may be of interest but here's my basic one-day review:

The software for writing patches works only on windows.
The software share many aspects with pure data, but it is not compatible. All modules have been rewritten into xml containers, there is one git-hub-er who shares some source code for writing this xml's, but as the editor got new updates with time, it has broken retrocompatibility with many olderr modules, thus, the latest and only available version for the
editor is broken into pieces. Some modules works in the editor, and not when uploaded.
To make things worst, there is no indication whatsoever that you are reaching the limit for the available memory
of your patch, when you will flash it to the module firmware. There's a console for debugging messages but no indication wether it come from

A nightmare.

But I got some working patches overnight. I have plugged-unplugged the mudule hundreds of times, because I had no other clue if the patch would have crippled the module or not.

To the end I'm happy with my working patch, it sounds nice and fatty.
I wanted to make it a multi fx for my portable setup, but just adding two delays in a single patch, will break the thing.

One complex patch in the preset, the techno preset works, so something tells me there's more avilable memory to play with, but it's like navigai'n a swamp in thick fog with an Irish wolfhound barking in the distance... not good...

I'm going to disassemble the thing.

sChhez.

Ah somewhere there is still a forum, but better not, it's a lost race.

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Zac
Posts: 1784
Joined: 19 May 2016
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19 Jul 2020

I've got one coming this week from ebay. Just tried out the windows software and it works fine demoing sounds without the actual block.

Bit disappointed there's only 5 effects patches as that is what I want it for but happy to make my own.

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