Synthlust! (Or, how to make music without your computer)

[DVYDRNS]

beautiful!!!

[screwdriver]

http://instagram.com/p/pzZlxITPaK/

anyone id what the thing with the pads in front of atticus is ? I don't recognize it.

[DVYDRNS]

http://instagram.com/p/pzZlxITPaK/

anyone id what the thing with the pads in front of atticus is ? I don't recognize it.

Maschine Studio.

[screwdriver]

Maschine Studio.

ah, in retrospect obvious

thanks!

[Leviathant]

My journey away from the computer continues. I just cut a check for a Sound Workshop 1280b mixing console, with super EQ and meter bridge. The price was better than recent eBay history, and it's been fully recapped and upgraded.

Because I'm a crazy person.

[Conan The Barbarian]

Jesus. I'm just on a laptop using toontrack programs cutting demos. You guys make me jealous

[jmtd]

G'damn. So I finally started messing with my Novation Xiosynth, since I've moved house, but I can't convince OS X Mavericks to pick up the line out when I'm using it as an audio interface. (My first task is to try digitising some vinyl). From what I can tell, it's a compatibility issue with Mavericks. I might have to use a VM with Windows or something to use the audio interface aspect of the Xio. [ Edit: I realise this is not really 'making music', and is not really 'without your computer' either. But it is about a hardware synth! Kind-of. ]

[DVYDRNS]

Fricking sweet dude. that is a nice desk. A LITTLE jealous right now.

My journey away from the computer continues. I just cut a check for a Sound Workshop 1280b mixing console, with super EQ and meter bridge. The price was better than recent eBay history, and it's been fully recapped and upgraded.

Because I'm a crazy person.

[Leviathant]

Fricking sweet dude. that is a nice desk. A LITTLE jealous right now.

Some details from the craigslist listing:
* has the Super EQ / 'API 550a style' on the main 8 channel
* has an updated Acopian 'A' series 18v external power supply - the internal ones barely provide the current needed for the channels, and a new one is supposed to really increase headroom and help get the S/N ratio down to dead silent. At the moment, the internal PSU is connected, but the external is very easy to get re-connected.
* has all of the line input jacks steel (API style) transformer balanced! I found the chassis room to install balanced 1/4" jacks and mount 12 freakin huge API style 10k:10k line input transformers.
* everything is COMPLETELY recapped! all electrolytics have been replaced with the same size and spec cap on all channels. any non-electrolytic tone caps (for the EQs, among others) are stock to retain the hand-selected matching tolerances that the board was built with. High quality Nichicon japanese caps were used.
* everything is COMPLETELY rechipped! the preamp and driver IC's are, stock, 4541's, which are very, very, very slow slew rate chips, and at first, the board sounds sluggish and high frequencies are very, very harsh if boosted at the EQ's. They're upgraded to TL074's (the same chips used in Neotek Series I/II boards - which the 1280b schematics look VERY close to in theory!), and things got very hi-fi, yet due to the Beyerdynamic mic transformers the board is legendary for and, now, the API-style line input transformers, there's that magic blend of bigness and clarity.

The price was right, and there's no way I'd do all that work myself.

[Jinsai]

Pretty sure this belongs here

[icecream]

Does anyone own a Korg Microkorg? I'm seriously thinking of getting one. I have the Korg Volca Bass and can't put it down so I'm looking to make my next synth purchase. Would the Microkorg be a step in the right direction or are there other synths I should have in my collection before making the jump? Are there others like the Microkorg but better value? It's overwhelming reading about synths after only been interested in them for a few months.

[Jinsai]

Does anyone own a Korg Microkorg? I'm seriously thinking of getting one. I have the Korg Volca Bass and can't put it down so I'm looking to make my next synth purchase. Would the Microkorg be a step in the right direction or are there other synths I should have in my collection before making the jump? Are there others like the Microkorg but better value? It's overwhelming reading about synths after only been interested in them for a few months.

A lot of people love the Microkorg, so I can't really say you shouldn't... still, for me, I never got why it's so ubiquitous. The vocoder isn't anything to get too excited about, especially if you're happy with the software vocoders in Logic and Ableton (which I am). The synth engine isn't anything amazing (it's basically a virtual digital MS2000). The interface is horrible... if you like designing sounds with menu diving, maybe it'll work for you. Also, the itty bitty keys are unplayable for me. If you already know how to play keys, it might just drive you insane.

People love it though... and its a classic synth, so there's that. So many huge artists have used it, and it's not a bad thing for the price.

Still... For the same price range (or maybe a bit more) you can find some stuff used that blows it away in my opinion. Here's a used original MS2000 for a bill more than you can get a Microkorg for

There's also the Korg MS20, which goes for 600 new, but you can find it used for around 450.

If you already have a controller keyboard though, then for that price range I would actually steer you towards the Dave Smith Mopho. http://www.sweetwater.com/store/deta...mhDhoCod7w_wcB

On a side note, I'm thinking of buying one of these before they become impossible to find

[icecream]

A lot of people love the Microkorg, so I can't really say you shouldn't... still, for me, I never got why it's so ubiquitous. The vocoder isn't anything to get too excited about, especially if you're happy with the software vocoders in Logic and Ableton (which I am). The synth engine isn't anything amazing (it's basically a virtual digital MS2000). The interface is horrible... if you like designing sounds with menu diving, maybe it'll work for you. Also, the itty bitty keys are unplayable for me. If you already know how to play keys, it might just drive you insane.

People love it though... and its a classic synth, so there's that. So many huge artists have used it, and it's not a bad thing for the price.

Still... For the same price range (or maybe a bit more) you can find some stuff used that blows it away in my opinion. Here's a used original MS2000 for a bill more than you can get a Microkorg for

There's also the Korg MS20, which goes for 600 new, but you can find it used for around 450.

If you already have a controller keyboard though, then for that price range I would actually steer you towards the Dave Smith Mopho. http://www.sweetwater.com/store/deta...mhDhoCod7w_wcB

On a side note, I'm thinking of buying one of these before they become impossible to find

Thanks for all the links! I'll be sure to research them all. I was thinking to make my next purchase in the next month or so. The Werkstatt looks really cool, I'll have to look at them more.

[Leviathant]

I've got a Halloween show that I'll be performing entirely on my Tempest. Feels good man. Mind you, my wife/bandmate will be singing and playing an electric Mandocaster, so it's not a purely electronic show, but I'm really looking forward to the performance. We had kind of a test run for this sort of thing in the summer at a pub in Connecticut, and it went over better than I'd expected. I'm building a rig around it that admittedly takes a few cues from Coritini's NIN rig. I have an old Roland TD-7 that I bought from a friend a few years ago and promptly never did anything with. I'm going to take three of the pads & the drum brain and set them up so that I can do some stick-driven improvisation over the course of the set. Yesterday I plugged a pad into the brain, and the MIDI out from the brain to the Tempest, and everything just worked. That's what it was supposed to do, but it sure was nice to have that instant satisfaction.

In unrelated news, I've been casually looking for a sequencer, leaning most strongly toward a Yamaha RS-7000. If I were all about step-sequencing though, this hack of the $200 Behringer BCR2000 is pretty fucking killer.

[Jinsai]

bad news... Mutable instruments is discontinuing their DIY line to focus on manufacturing eurorack modules. http://mutable-instruments.net/shruthi1

There's some great stuff here. I think I 'm going to grab a midi pal right now

[Jinsai]

OP1 emulator app for iPad w/ tactile interface.

holy shit

EDIT: Nevermind, this, like many other cool things, in not actually happening.

[Leviathant]

Performance mode, engage!

[DVYDRNS]

Why isn't it happening??

[Jinsai]

Why isn't it happening??

I guess because it's not actually endorsed by Teenage Engineering, and they've responded by saying that it's not going to happen.

Maybe if they modded their "emulation" enough so that it wasn't an obvious replication of it, they could get away with it?

[screwdriver]

Performance mode, engage!

oh man... this actually looks perfect for me right now... are you taking commissions? :-)
I'm working on playing some of my more electronic stuff live. if anyone happens to be around NYC tonight and wants to come check us out, we're playing at the Warper party at Delancey at 8pm.

[Leviathant]

oh man... this actually looks perfect for me right now... are you taking commissions? :-)

Heh, I would but I don't have the time really. I can give you the details of how it was made:
One On-Stage Z-stand
One heavy duty velcro roll
One cheap unbound rug from the Home Depot/Lowes (I think that ran us less than $10)
A can of Super 77 adhesive (Every home should have this anyway).

The following are the sizes I used, but you can obviously have variation here to suit your own needs:
Two flanges, two 90 degree reducing elbows, two five inch sections of 3/4" black pipe, one 18" section of 1" black pipe.
18"x24" cut of hardwood plywood (leftover from another project)

I had to wrap the pipe in ProtectoWrap to get the drum pads to grip. While there's 1.5" black pipe, that's not a reference to the exterior dimension, and it's too wide to use with standard Roland clamps. Ideally, I'd get some kind of rubber matting that I could cut up instead, but I didn't have any of that sitting around.

[screwdriver]

Heh, I would but I don't have the time really. I can give you the details of how it was made:
One On-Stage Z-stand
One heavy duty velcro roll
One cheap unbound rug from the Home Depot/Lowes (I think that ran us less than $10)
A can of Super 77 adhesive (Every home should have this anyway).

The following are the sizes I used, but you can obviously have variation here to suit your own needs:
Two flanges, two 90 degree reducing elbows, two five inch sections of 3/4" black pipe, one 18" section of 1" black pipe.
18"x24" cut of hardwood plywood (leftover from another project)

I had to wrap the pipe in ProtectoWrap to get the drum pads to grip. While there's 1.5" black pipe, that's not a reference to the exterior dimension, and it's too wide to use with standard Roland clamps. Ideally, I'd get some kind of rubber matting that I could cut up instead, but I didn't have any of that sitting around.

thanks dude, between that and your awesome pic descriptions, I could prob recreate. :-) I wanna see some action shots!

[Leviathant]

thanks dude, between that and your awesome pic descriptions, I could prob recreate. :-) I wanna see some action shots!

Here are some taken with a flash - it was actually quite dimly lit, in mostly red light. I know @sick among the pure was snapping pics too, and I'll be posting those when they come around

[screwdriver]

Here are some taken with a flash - it was actually quite dimly lit, in mostly red light. I know @sick among the pure was snapping pics too, and I'll be posting those when they come around

rock on! this looks awesome. thanks for sharing.

[EDIT]
shot from last night's debut show (properly posted here, notice lack of computer)

[Leviathant]

My Sub 37, pre-ordered in late April, arrived today. I wasn't sure where I was going to put my MS-2000, but as it turns out, I have a new keyboard stand that's juuuust right.

[screwdriver]

My Sub 37, pre-ordered in late April, arrived today. I wasn't sure where I was going to put my MS-2000, but as it turns out, I have a new keyboard stand that's juuuust right.

it warms my heart to see the er-1 still sitting proud

[sick among the pure]

Here are some taken with a flash - it was actually quite dimly lit, in mostly red light. I know @sick among the pure was snapping pics too, and I'll be posting those when they come around

Any pics or vids I send you on social media or "private" on youtube, feel free to share wherever btw. I only ever list those things as "private" sometimes because I want you to have control over how widely it spreads (if you're like "oh god drummer face" or anything).

I should have some pics and vids up in a week or two.

[screwdriver]

TRENT STAHP!

http://instagram.com/p/vpXOI5TPSY/

anyone id what the modular looking thing under the voyager xl is?

[Leviathant]

anyone id what the modular looking thing under the voyager xl is?

That's an Oberheim four-voice, with two sequencer modules. So, kinda like two of these. Here's a similar model.

[screwdriver]

That's an Oberheim four-voice, with two sequencer modules. So, kinda like two of these. Here's a similar model.

grazi!
http://www.vintagesynth.com/oberheim/4voice.php

learn something new everyday.