Has it really been five years since Expert Sleepers released the disting EX Super Alpha? Eleven since the first incarnation of the disting? Time certainly moves quickly, but I'm not sure it outpaces the speed at which technology moves. Comparing the disting MKI to the newest evolution of the disting series, the disting NT (what does the NT mean?!), is like comparing apples to satellites; and it's worth stating that while tech has advanced greatly since the first disting's inception, all distings still work great and are valuable tools in any rig.
Still, the disting NT is its own breed. While the previous disting's were related, built up from some of the same code and algorithms as their predecessors, NT was built fresh: new code, new algos, new tech…NT? This new approach has meant that NT has the years of testing and playing that has gone into its design, incorporating a more streamlined approach in places (bigger screen!), and a larger scope of possibility than its forebears. According to Expert Sleepers, the direction NT is going to take will be determined in large part by user feedback, and it's nice to know that somewhere in the world your voice, your vote will count towards making this world (or at least your modular) a better place. Speaking of better…while EX is/was great, and has a decent screen, NT is like seeing a movie in the theater compared to on your old Sony Ericsson phone. There's still the understated, sparse layout of the controls that is consistent with all of Expert Sleeper's digital modules, but it's much easier to navigate and parse out information because of the bigger screen, along with the larger footprint of the module. Let's be honest, the small or non-existent displays were always the only thing holding back any of the previous distings. Not any longer. Though the screen isn't anything luxurious, and tired eyes still wish it could be a bit bigger. Either way, I couldn't wait to dig in and figure it all out, and while earlier distings could only run one algorithm at a time (EX could do one or two), NT can run a bunch at once—separately, or stacked on one another, and along with the screen, this is the biggest change.
Usually, the size of a screen on a module is a good indicator of its complexity, and that is the case here. NT isn't necessarily weighed down with controls; it has only three pots, two endless encoders, and four small push buttons (along with twelve inputs and six outputs), but within that combination there is a lot of possibility and a lot to learn, as witnessed by the 268 page disting NT manual. Granted, each algorithm gets its own page or more of explanation/navigation, but that's a lot of words…and a lot of work, on both ends. Usually this equals a bit of a headache, and there were some, for sure, but NT makes things as easy as it could be by putting its screen, knobs and buttons to good use, melding them nicely with one another. The screen is, of course, the key here; configured to show what each control will do, with the functions more or less located directly above said control, and there is a built in redundancy to configuring the functions, parameters, and routing, so that one has various ways to get somewhere, and can find the method that works best and go that route. You can configure things via fold out menus (menu diving!) or use the single line of menu text at top of the screen, depending on what screen you're currently in. There are other "tricks" for streamlining NT's operation, and I can only imagine that getting more familiar with it in time will open up more little menu shortcuts and a much quicker workflow. The menus are pretty intuitive, even for those who are menu averse. There's nothing to decrypt; on the contrary, it's only the navigation of the whole thing that truly needs figuring out.
Maybe it's because I was already familiar with EX's functionality, but still, I was surprised how quickly I was able to get started with NT and get deep with it, tweaking and setting things up. This was all done mostly with ease, though there was definitely some random panic pushing of buttons trying to get to a specific screen or submenu. Again, NT is forgiving here; I never fell off the proverbial cliff during my push button panic attacks and I think overall it's quite a bit easier to get around than the former versions. The larger screen really does make a huge difference, both in navigation and confidence in navigation.
The ability to stack algorithms is perhaps NT's greatest strength as you can do it all in-house if you like, and with some fanciful routing, turn NT into a fully fledged synth. Starting with a sample, you can trigger it via internal CV, and then thread that sample through various effects, eqs, utilities…you name it. While patching in an effect was pretty easy and straightforward, dialing in a sample took some time to get going. You have to load the sample, route the gates, triggers, and outputs, set the notes (if you're sampling an instrument), etc. The first time I did it, I felt like there was a lot of scrolling and setup, accidental button pushing and re-doing of things. The second time, it was much easier, and the third—all starting from scratch, of course—and NT's workflow and ideology started to sync.
In terms of features, if there's something you want, it's probably in there, and if it isn't yet, it's probably going to be soon. The word is that eventually all the past disting features will be added to the NT, adding to the vast uses NT already possesses. One thing I always felt a little pressured by, especially with EX, was to use any of the distings as something more than say, an attenuator. They're so powerful, it always felt a bit like a waste to use either the whole module (like with the early distings) or one half (like on EX) for something basic and utilitarian. With so many options—six on board outputs—I don't feel that way. If I need to use an adder or something on a patch, I don't feel like I'm wasting all of this potential with NT, and that feels like a big deal. With the six outputs, it's possible to use all six as dense effect/utility/sound source/etc., at least until you run out of processing power, which is displayed for each algorithm that's running on the main screen.
As you would imagine, NT has extremely flexible routing, and channels can be mono or stereo, you can edit, save, recall, tweak, import and play samples, and do any of that sort of stuff to any of the algorithms. You can even use a C++ API to write your own plugins and load them into NT.
Once I figured out the way NT works, it was mostly smooth sailing, though again, some things took time to configure correctly. I ran into some gain staging issues, where I had to tame some incoming signals into NT so that my signal wouldn't clip, but that's more user issue/error than anything else, and understanding signal flow helps with this. I wish that every algorithm that processed an incoming signal had an input and output level control, along with the mix control, which they have. Sometimes, when I'd be running the bitcrusher through the phaser through the delay through the reverb, I would have distortion and artifacts (not caused by the effects) from my gain staging issue, and though it was usually happening in the reverb, it still took a minute to track it down and recalibrate everything.
One of the elements I really like about NT is that you can easily audition the position of effects in your effects chain by moving things around. You have to do some menu diving for this, and I do wish it could be even easier (drag and drop? I know, I know…it's not a touch screen!), but this is a pretty strong feature overall. NT is so versatile, and it works with so many things; Spin FV-1 programs, MIDI devices, user written code, and you can add some of Expert Sleepers' to NT as expanders of sorts—it already comes with the 2HP TMB (Tiny MIDI Breakout module)—adding extra CVs, MIDI connections, inputs, gates, etc. for certain algorithms. There's really nothing that NT doesn't reach, or is built to reach in the future.
This is a deep module that is going to get deeper. I still think the older distings have a ton of value and I find use for them in my rig all the time as utility gaps, for whenever I need something that I don't have a dedicated module for, or need another instance of something, but NT pushes this concept even further, to an almost absurd degree. The reverbs and delays sound great, the utilities are useful, it's got polyphonic sampling, MIDI control, expandability, a decent screen, is vastly configurable, and so much more that I haven't even touched on. With user feedback contributing to its functions, a future-built platform, and a company with a longstanding history of continually adding value to its products, disting NT promises to be around for a long while.
Price: $699

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