LZX 3rd Generation: 2020 and beyond

The quote is from the current LZX newsletter. I always update the link here:
https://community.lzxindustries.net/c/news/24

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I’m surprised about some of those, like Passage and Staircase. Those two are pretty useful, as shown in the 3 Patches videos which show them being used in almost every patch. While it’s a little sad to be at the end of the Expedition era, I’m even more excited about what’s coming next!

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As an Orion series preorder customer, I am really interested in the current state of LZX as a company. I appreciate all of the challenges they have encountered, but there has also been quite a delay bringing the Orion series to a stable place.

For me, it’s important to consider not only the pending release of TBC2 but also the untimely release of firmware updates for modules like Diver and Memory Palace.

As a Chromagnon preorder customer, I can understand the impact that the global pandemic has had on their supply chain. But when examining the slow discontinuation of nearly the entirety of the current conception of the Expedition series, it makes me wonder about the future. I appreciate the ambitious commitment to different production goals, but what I have seen as a customer is that LZX generally has a beautiful forward facing vision that is not necessarily realized until many months beyond their projections.

As much as I have confidence in the successful future of all the goals outlined in this post from 2019, it does worry me as a legacy customer that the the completion and full realization of an Orion series preorder placed in 2018 may require a willingness to dream till the beginning of 2021. Certainly in the case of Chromagnon, I am absolutely prepared for the deliverables to arrive at the end of this year or in 2021. (It’s probably relevant that even the Vidiot preorder was subjected to significant delay.)

There was a thread a month ago from a new user feeling awkward about building a system in the current market of LZX equipment. Another user astutely mentioned that:

the most important module in video synthesis is patience.
the most useful module is knowing what you are trying to make.

And as a conclusion I guess I have to agree that indeed the most important and available video synth modules when deciding to support LZX through patronage and preorders are a willingness to accept things as they are and when they come because, what else are you going to do? Cancel your preorder in exchange for giftcards to purchase what’s available now?

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Thank you for the link :+1:t3:

There are a number of reasons for discontinuing modules. The first is to replace them with something better. LZX is a story of experiments, inventions, and discoveries. From the early Visionary modules to Chromagnon is an enormous step in refinement. Unlike audio Eurorack modules, there isn’t a playbook for how to package video circuits for commercial availability–LZX is a process of figuring out how best to do that and LZX users participate in that process.
Another reason for discontinuing modules is to eliminate the disappoint that many feel with the pre-order wait. LZX is working toward being able to offer products that can be purchased and shipped immediately. Having fewer products has to be a part of that, since the production team is small and can only work on so many things at once. So combining Cadet and Expedition lines, using concepts and parts present in Chromagnon makes sense. The plan is to eliminate gaps in production.
Landing the Orion mission has been tough. It was an ambitious plan that is on the cusp of being delivered. You have to remember that LZX is very small and is inventing things that don’t otherwise exist. There isn’t a team of engineers and programmers and hardware designers. It’s just a few people wearing multiple hats.
The state of the company is actually excellent–stronger than ever. The goals put forth in the OP still stand–and would be much closer today had the global pandemic not happened. LZX Industries isn’t the only industry still overcoming the effects of the pandemic. Companies much larger and better established are struggling to deliver their products. LZX is making progress. Is it as fast as we would like? No. Is it still good, important progress? Yes. We will get there and enjoy making video art together.

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Huh. Didn’t seem to receive this newsletter via email… Have always received them in the past.

(But was able to find it here.)

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Wow, didn’t expect so many modules to be canned. I expected Staircase at least to survive given it’s constantly touted as the best value video module out there, and it feels like Topogram has only just arrived on the scene. Now that’s a limited edition!

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:frowning:

“So combining Cadet and Expedition lines, using concepts and parts present in Chromagnon makes sense.”

Perhaps I’m reading too literally into the above sentence but will the next DIY range affectively be a merger of the (soon-to-be) discounted #Expedition modules & the #Cadet line? Recently I briefly read that the forthcoming DIY range will be smt based (smaller components, higher density potentially means more power), am I getting warm or am I way off track?
& is their a codename or project name for the cadet replacement line?

What about the proposed Expedition modules like Tower, Loom, Marionette and Hourglass, will they go into production? These are incredible modules that need to go into production for people that have large systems. They really are missing pieces to complete the Expedition Line along with the Timeline sequencer lfo thingy.

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I wondered about this too, Hourglass in particular was described as Expedition’s “missing piece”

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If you are after the animation timeline function that the Hourglass mock up showed, you can certainly do this with non-LZX gear that’s already out there.

Essentially you just need a slow rising ramp waveform synced to a division of the frame rate and comparators tied to different evenly spaced specific thresholds which are then used to gate AD envelopes or whatever. So as the ramp goes from 0V-1V at whatever length you need, evenly spaced animation events can occur. A LZX native 1V format version would be ace but don’t let that stop you if you already have some other modules in your system that perform these functions.

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Hey @ringer :wave:t3:
I only discovered the #Tower module concept a couple of weeks ago after stumbling across it & the other 4 modules that included the #Topogram on a Muffwiggler thread. I asked about it on the Facebook group page and was told that it basically has been implemented in Diver. Someone else created a thread on here a couple of months ago that I found after all this. There’s definitely other people interested in some of these modules. I guess a kick starter might be an option, for a super limited edition range. A production run of 25 or 50 for instance.

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Good suggestion! Maybe we do a survey for each of these 4 modules plus the Timeline and see how many people want them. Hopefully, the numbers are strong enough and financially feasible for LZX to produce them or do a Kickstarter to gauge interest.

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Thank you for the suggestion. An LZX native module would be far easier and elegant to deal with.

Number one reason for Tower, from the MW post.

Tower (frontpanel WIP) is an H/V ramp regenerator with integrated ramp generators. Rather than different waveshape outputs, you get 7 different rotated angle combinations of H & V ramps. It can also be a processor, or a redistribution bus for your Cortex ramps (or any H/V waveform pair) that will give you fixed rotations of the inputs. So think of it kind of like 7 Navigators frozen in place. Feed this with ramps rotated by Navigator and you have a supermodule concept… Windmill! So could also be thought of as a Navigator, Cortex, or Diver expander. 8HP

I am sure people would want one or two them in their systems.

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it has been discussed that towers functionality got folded into diver i believe

we have to breathe and remember when prototype designs get posted they are potentially just that prototype designs.

take a look at the original chromagnon render it has changed tremendously since it first showed up

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I just checked & that other thread I saw about Tower was actually on here :sweat_smile:
Here a link:

& just in case, a screenshot.

Agreed, there is only so much time, possibilities & resources. I wrote to LZX about such a module with various phase outputs about a month ago before becoming aware of the Tower and other prototypes like the Loom. I may foolhardily attempt to DIY my own one if I can get my head some the Cadet IV Ramps Generator module & then figure out the phasing. But I’d much rather put my money into a kick starter, the 3³ range where only 27 modules are produced or the 4³ were the run is limited to 64 modules.

Lars mentions Visionary MKII in the OP. The line is expected to feature modules similar to the Cadet series, but SMT (available built or DIY). In addition to the modules mentioned in the OP, there will be a ramps module and inexpensive video encoder and decoder modules.

For those worried about losing Staircase. Chromagnon is the answer. It also rotates ramps!

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