Description
Twin detunable waveform generators: blend between pure sines and erratic, complex eBow guitar strings • Three independent distortion types under LFO and envelope control for moving, shifting, evolving harmonic spectra • Perfect for high-energy, aggressive synth sounds, or subtler tones with an unusual, airy edge
Uproar takes the classic subtractive synth architecture, turns it on its head, beats it up and calls its mother nasty names. The principle behind it is simple: instead of taking a complex, harmonically-rich waveform and progressively filtering it, Uproar starts with smoother waves and progressively distorts them – messing them up with saturation, distortion and bitcrushing modules until they reach whatever point of complexity you want. In doing so, it imparts a whole new character to ‘typical’ synth tones, and drifts easily into territory that a typical subtractive synth can’t really reach.
Uproar uses as its starting point two waveform generators. Because these are the cornerstones of the sound, we’ve given you a lot of scope right here. The Impurity dial blends between a pure analogue sine-wave and a far more complex, uneven waveform that we created by eBowing the strings of Mongo’s Telecaster. An eBow is a little doohickey which uses an oscillating magnetic field to stimulate a guitar string directly – no plucking required – and using it yields an infinitely-sustaining but pleasantly erratic tone that we sampled for over a minute for each note, randomising the start points so that no two notes you play sound quite the same. With natural detune between the sine and the eBow waves built in, each wave generator gives you a lot of character right from the off.
But it’s the next bit that’s really fun. Instead of giving you filters and filter envelopes, we give you distortion, and distortion envelopes. Distortion amounts, drive levels, even bit depths, are all under the control of ADR envelopes and freely variable LFOs, so you can create pulsing, monstrous, progressive, evolving sounds with really cool cyclic distortion effects. Running Wave 2 through its bitcrusher and tying in an LFO will cycle from 1 bit to 16 bits at whatever speed you like; combining that with a gritty Distortion circuit that’s slowly building its gain over a nice slow Attack creates all kinds of exciting sonic mayhem. Then layer in Wave 1, add some Noise, and if the result needs a bit more low-frequency power, why not dial up the Sub oscillator? When you’ve got something that sounds cool, drive it even further into the Dark Side with the master Drive control (that’s the big knob in the red panel) and limit the output to glue the whole thing together (and protect your eardrums).
Uproar excels at aggressively powerful tones: dial everything to the max, and you’re straight into snarling monster-rock territory, with sounds that have a distinctly electric-guitar edge and can cut through a mix like an acetylene flame through butter. But perhaps surprisingly, this raging machine can turn its hand to softer, subtler, atmospheric sounds too; and what’s neat about these is that they sound distinctly different to similar patches created in the traditional subtractive manner. Because there are no filters to remove the high frequencies, Uproar tends always to have a sheen of air over its sounds (and you can really accentuate that with a gentle reduction in Wave 2’s bit depth). This lends it a unique, breathy sonic fingerprint that can work wonders on otherwise ‘trad’ synth sounds, beds, washes, and textures. If you want your patches to stand out from the crowd, this is a great way to achieve a very different signature sound.
In terms of control, you have full ADSR amp envelopes for the two base waveforms; Wave 1’s amp envelope also controls the Noise and Sub-oscillators. Wave 1 runs through a Saturation circuit and thence to the master Drive control and the output limiter. Wave 2’s signal path starts similarly but then progresses through a much more aggressive Distortion module, and a Bitcrusher. All the distortion circuits – Saturation, Distortion and Bitcrusher – have LFOs and ADR envelopes so that they can impart their own movement and evolution to the sound. Hearing a cyclic pulse of saturation sculpting a raw sine wave is really very satisfying 😀
Round the back we have Chorus, Reverb, Delay and a hand-picked Amp Cabinet simulator, which compresses and contains Uproar’s sound and gives it a more vintage vibe. This can help embed Uproar in a mix more easily: it gives a more traditional vibe to the sound, though it also dials back some of the characteristic high-frequency energy that gives Uproar its sheen of air. Try it for more classic mixes, though, and it might be exactly what you need.
Finally, there’s a nice big Glitch button right there on the front panel so you can musically randomise the whole machine with one click – generate tons of unique, personalised patches by Glitching away and seeing what happens! Be warned – this is utterly addictive.
Uproar is built from the ground up to be experimental in all the best ways. Go on, ditch your filters for once – forget chewy ladders and squelchy resonance and get hip to the groans and roars of distortion taking your patches in whole new directions. Once you start you might find you can’t stop…!
JAMES (verified owner) –
If you think synths and samplers are too tame and too polite to cut through a mix, here is your library! I own two different guitar ebows and have heard more than one library that sample it, but this is a completely different chaotic monster with much more complexity. I love many of the great presets but, as always, the glitch function provides hours of entertainment and useful new creations. If you talk to it very nicely, The Beast is also capable of subtler sounds and gentle pads.
mightbeacoolusername (verified owner) –
Thanks to Rhythmic Robot and their marvelous Uproar, I discovered I had an addiction to rubbing against sandpaper, steel wool, and fiberglass. I have sought out a community of like individuals and am getting the help I need (I’m pretty sure Mongo is in another chapter of the same group, across the Atlantic). Essential to my recovery is frequent use of the glitch button, which provides the same lovely high without the destructive after-effects, and is rapidly lessening my attraction to solid roughness.
Today I was able to help my wife refinish a bar stool without hijacking the 80 grit and running off into a dangerous relapse. Thank you, Professor and Mongo, for saving me from a dermatological disaster and lifetime of debt to the abrasives dealers in my local home improvement store!
(If you’re still considering, just put it in your basket!)
Poesque (verified owner) –
What is all of this uproar about? Ahhh…
aqaraza (verified owner) –
Uproar manages to deliver something very handy: An instrument that cranks out leads as if leads were pasta and it was a pasta-maker; and also manages to make most of those leads seem like it is pushed to the absolute max and then pumped through your best vintage amp that’s on its last legs. Final performance type sounds.
Now – I say “most of those leads” because about 30% of the time, it manages to create something much more delicate, and that too is very handy. It is a door to a massive industrial workshop that swings open on rusty hinges, but not reluctantly: it swings open as if no amount of WD-40 will ever tame that massive door, and the expansive possibilities it reveals behind that door are just as raw as the door itself. Anyway, definitely a winner.
michael.topic (verified owner) –
This instrument was, for me, a surprise gem. When I opened it up, I didn’t expect much from it, but rapidly found that it was like crack cocaine for ears. Every sounds has something that seems to make you want to listen to it more closely. It’s industrial without being abrasive and always very usable. I think listeners could become addicted. All I can say is I’m very glad I took a punt on this one.
Monika Edvardsen (verified owner) –
I agree with other reviewers; beauty and brutality in one package. The sub oscillator can be a real weirdo: In some instruments it sounds like it’s got some pitch envelope or glide thing going, but I can’t see anything that explains it. Really dirty and disturbing. I love it!
One thing is missing here: Velocity! For noobs: Edit mode > Amplifier > Mod > Add modulator > External sources > velocity (volume), Turn it up to 70-100%.
The Chorus Phase and Rate knobs don’t work, but the Professor said he’s going to fix them soon.
The Professor (verified owner) –
I’m pleased to say we’ve sorted the issues Monika spotted with the Chorus knobs not behaving properly, and they now do what they’re supposed to! The revised version available for download – if you’re an existing owner of Uproar and would like a fresh copy, just drop us a line 🙂
mrianrjohnson (verified owner) –
Absolutely my favourite thing from RR – this just sounds so different from any other synth or Kontakt instrument. Within 2 minutes, you are basically churning our vintage Boards of Canada soundscapes with no effort at all. Beautiful!
joe barresi (verified owner) –
Man what a great discovery—so many good sounds with so little effort. thank you!
Scott (verified owner) –
This puppy is stanky good – oh wait, that’s Mongo!
But seriously – and you’ll rarely catch me being serious – this manages to find its way into a lot of my track windows. Layering one of the Prof’s presets alongside a grand piano vst can place you squarely in the prepared piano zone. Fun!
Gritty to sweet – there’s a lot to like in Uproar. Get you some!
Darrick (verified owner) –
Love this damn thing. Its gritty, Its nasty, and it still has great musical qualities.
Darrick (verified owner) –
I love this damn thing. Its always got some crazy gritty and just slightly left of center type sound that always has a place in my music. I constantly am getting asked “where the hell did you get that synth from, that shit sounds crazy” and I say, good ‘ol Prof and Mongo of RR. So hopefully I’ve spawned some new interest.
Only thing i would like to see across all these synths, is a SYNC button for any time based or LFO effects. I realize that, that may be part of their charm, (the fact that you have kinda have “feel it man”) but in all reality, having things timed correctly is a big part of the stuff I make. But regardless, amazing synth, amazing site, amazing creators. 7/5 would recommend.
Matthew (verified owner) –
From shifty and soft to gritty and dirty. The character in this virtual instrument is awesome! The glitch button is always a surprise! Most often the surprises are worth carving into a preset that’s worth saving as its own after some subtle further tweaks. Highly enjoyed this instrument.
SDM (verified owner) –
very cool sounding instrument! layers, dusty feelings & glitch madness
Richard (verified owner) –
Rivetheads are always looking for a piece of kit to add a new level of brutality to a track; something that will add a whole new level of audio chaos to its universe. Uproar is the Swiss army knife of this kind of gear. Load it up, turn the knobs and bam the creative audio juices begin to flow. If you need to push the sonic envelope, this is your bulldozer to get it done.
Jörg (verified owner) –
Already one of my favourites. Brizzly gritty sound with sparkles. 🙂
Luis Resto –
Uproar does exactly what I love a synth to do, get lost playing it, get inspired by it, search though its knobs and continue to get lost playing it. Between the frothing sound hitting your ears, the fx adding to it and the almighty glitch randomize button (at least that’s what I think it’s doing) it’s a fantastic musical adventure each time out with it. I keep the computer audio output in record mode and voila, instant clip of inspiration. Nice, thanks.
Niels (verified owner) –
Soaring and textural, Instantly useable and at a price that far from breaks the bank. No buyers remorse here.
Nathaniel Johnson Jr –
In todays land of “Sound The Same” synths, its nice to find one who is different. Good job guys! Plus the price is great 🙂
guido (verified owner) –
Nice gritty sound. Like the glitch button a lot which have given me many useable sounds.Since it is a Kontakt instrument it is easy to alter the sound by adding extra effects etc when you enter the instrument option. Great
Pascal (verified owner) –
Very inspirational, musical and organic with a lot of dirt when you want it!
Would work as well in a 80s classic movie as in Daft Punk’s Tron soundtrack.
It’s very easy to control, you get what you want fast. I also really liked the effects, particularly the chorus.
This is something I’ve been looking for a long time, I just didn’t know it until now.
Hamish (verified owner) –
Beauty AND a beast! Only used it for a couple of days but can’t get enough of it…essential addition to my Kontakt library and sounds dirty and different to most other synths.
Robert (verified owner) –
Far from being a poke in the ear with a sharp stick (though UPROAR can do that if you want it to), this instrument is VERY organic and musical. I was amazed at how it combines with analog synths, providing the organic stew into which synthetic tones blend so well. I have a vast collection of sampled instruments (many from RR), but UPROAR is completely unique and inspirational. Outstanding job Professor (oh, yeah – and Mongo too!).
John Milton (verified owner) –
The bad news: UPROAR is so fun and musical that I forgot about my casserole baking in the oven.
The good news: There is a preset of a backward instrument that allowed me the ability to play for ten minutes; thus rolling back the baking time long enough for me to pull my casserole out of the oven at the perfect time.
Bravo again to Professor and Mongo for perfecting sound and time manipulation!
Antoine (verified owner) –
Great synth with lots of gritty, noisy stuff. The ‘glitch’ button is very useful and in no time, you get a new preset. Highly recommended!
Dan (verified owner) –
Filthy and Essential – like Mongo’s Water Closet.
The RR Glitch Switch leads to far off places.. Rough sounding and still musical.
Five Stars!