Razmo's Gear Rant Thread...

Razmo

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Re: Razmo's Gear Rant Thread...
« Reply #400 on: August 09, 2017, 12:22:27 PM »
Huge patch libraries and complete MIDI control used to be priorities for you. Now that you're giving up patch storage and complete MIDI control, have you considered just getting a single modular system?

I know it seems crazy... but I feel this is the right thing for me... I guess I just lived out my "MIDI/Preset Period".

No... actually I have not considered a modular system because what I need is limitations, since that is what I work best with, and if I start building a modular, I'll be constantly hoarding modules and not making any music... it's hard to describe this "attitude" to people who do not feel the way I do about this, so I won't try to :)

I have though, considered getting the tiny case from Doepfer a few times, but that would be only to make small selfcontained synths that I need (one I've had in mind is one with a simple sample playback oscillator like TIPTOP audio's "ONE" for this), but I'd prefer hardwired semi modular synths with few controls, and that is why the Dreadbox'es have my attention.

In fact, it's a relief for me, that I NEVER have to think about creating editors in SoundDiver, never have to hoarde presets and sort them, never have to use hours and hours creating presets with hundreds of parameters.

Basically what I'm doing is making the editing process a part of the composing now... earlier I created presets and sounds as one job, and composing as another... now every sound will be tailored from the ground up, to fit the piece I'm working on... but to do this intuitively, few controls are essential, especially when there is no memory.

I'm not sure it gives any meaning to you guys, and I do not expect you to... but it gives meaning to me, and I just feel this is what I should have been doing A LONG TIME AGO :)
« Last Edit: August 09, 2017, 12:24:40 PM by Razmo »
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Re: Razmo's Gear Rant Thread...
« Reply #401 on: August 09, 2017, 03:28:09 PM »
No... actually I have not considered a modular system because what I need is limitations, since that is what I work best with, and if I start building a modular, I'll be constantly hoarding modules and not making any music... it's hard to describe this "attitude" to people who do not feel the way I do about this, so I won't try to :)

I get that. It's absolutely a common trap for modular enthusiasts. I've been able to stick to a hard 144HP limit for over a year, and I feel like I'm making progress in learning things and making music, despite my modular being "limited." No, I don't need a new case, thank the MuffWiggler guys very much.

Quote
I have though, considered getting the tiny case from Doepfer a few times, but that would be only to make small selfcontained synths that I need (one I've had in mind is one with a simple sample playback oscillator like TIPTOP audio's "ONE" for this)

Don't even bother with that. The semi-modular route works for you, and you can get like two Erebuses for the price of filling out one of those ridiculous little things. There's a level at which functionality is too minimal to justify any financial outlay at all.

Quote
Basically what I'm doing is making the editing process a part of the composing now... earlier I created presets and sounds as one job, and composing as another... now every sound will be tailored from the ground up, to fit the piece I'm working on... but to do this intuitively, few controls are essential, especially when there is no memory.

It's interesting, because our paths sort of intersect at some point. Sound design as integrated with composition. "Patch storage" means a Longaberger basket full of cables. Except after sixteen months of doing nothing but west coast style modular synthesis, I'm starting to rethink sampling, and the possibilities offered by a modular/Ableton hybrid instrument, which involves some form of pre-composition sound design in the form of creating clips and applying effects.

Always a pendulum with us, right?
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Re: Razmo's Gear Rant Thread...
« Reply #402 on: August 09, 2017, 05:22:18 PM »

I know it seems crazy... but I feel this is the right thing for me... I guess I just lived out my "MIDI/Preset Period".

...

In fact, it's a relief for me, that I NEVER have to think about creating editors in SoundDiver, never have to hoarde presets and sort them, never have to use hours and hours creating presets with hundreds of parameters.

Basically what I'm doing is making the editing process a part of the composing now... earlier I created presets and sounds as one job, and composing as another... now every sound will be tailored from the ground up, to fit the piece I'm working on... but to do this intuitively, few controls are essential, especially when there is no memory.

I'm not sure it gives any meaning to you guys, and I do not expect you to... but it gives meaning to me, and I just feel this is what I should have been doing A LONG TIME AGO :)

You're a better man than I, though I do still keep a copy of SoundDiver around. Preset maintenance (on synths which might bear 1000 locations) should be an afterthought, but always easy and efficient.
Sequential / DSI stuff: Prophet-6 Keyboard with Yorick Tech LFE, Prophet 12 Keyboard, Mono Evolver Keyboard, Split-Eight, Six-Trak, Prophet 2000

Razmo

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Re: Razmo's Gear Rant Thread...
« Reply #403 on: August 09, 2017, 11:43:28 PM »
No... actually I have not considered a modular system because what I need is limitations, since that is what I work best with, and if I start building a modular, I'll be constantly hoarding modules and not making any music... it's hard to describe this "attitude" to people who do not feel the way I do about this, so I won't try to :)

I get that. It's absolutely a common trap for modular enthusiasts. I've been able to stick to a hard 144HP limit for over a year, and I feel like I'm making progress in learning things and making music, despite my modular being "limited." No, I don't need a new case, thank the MuffWiggler guys very much.

Quote
I have though, considered getting the tiny case from Doepfer a few times, but that would be only to make small selfcontained synths that I need (one I've had in mind is one with a simple sample playback oscillator like TIPTOP audio's "ONE" for this)

Don't even bother with that. The semi-modular route works for you, and you can get like two Erebuses for the price of filling out one of those ridiculous little things. There's a level at which functionality is too minimal to justify any financial outlay at all.

Quote
Basically what I'm doing is making the editing process a part of the composing now... earlier I created presets and sounds as one job, and composing as another... now every sound will be tailored from the ground up, to fit the piece I'm working on... but to do this intuitively, few controls are essential, especially when there is no memory.

It's interesting, because our paths sort of intersect at some point. Sound design as integrated with composition. "Patch storage" means a Longaberger basket full of cables. Except after sixteen months of doing nothing but west coast style modular synthesis, I'm starting to rethink sampling, and the possibilities offered by a modular/Ableton hybrid instrument, which involves some form of pre-composition sound design in the form of creating clips and applying effects.

Always a pendulum with us, right?

Actually I have a tiny hope that Dreadbox would make a synth with a digital sample oscillator, but I also know this is probably wishful thinking... It's just nice to have something to play weird looped acoustic snippets when doing Ambient music... like waves on a beach... howling winds... you get the point... an Erebus more would not allow this :D ... that is why I've been thinking of making such a small thing... I might also just get a KORG Volca Sample to fix this problem, and that is probably a lot more practical... and cheap.

And yes... that pendulum seems to have had an irritating resonance to it, in my case... on the brink of "selfoscillation" sometimes :D
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Re: Razmo's Gear Rant Thread...
« Reply #404 on: August 09, 2017, 11:51:01 PM »

I know it seems crazy... but I feel this is the right thing for me... I guess I just lived out my "MIDI/Preset Period".

...

In fact, it's a relief for me, that I NEVER have to think about creating editors in SoundDiver, never have to hoarde presets and sort them, never have to use hours and hours creating presets with hundreds of parameters.

Basically what I'm doing is making the editing process a part of the composing now... earlier I created presets and sounds as one job, and composing as another... now every sound will be tailored from the ground up, to fit the piece I'm working on... but to do this intuitively, few controls are essential, especially when there is no memory.

I'm not sure it gives any meaning to you guys, and I do not expect you to... but it gives meaning to me, and I just feel this is what I should have been doing A LONG TIME AGO :)

You're a better man than I, though I do still keep a copy of SoundDiver around. Preset maintenance (on synths which might bear 1000 locations) should be an afterthought, but always easy and efficient.

Well... I'm making sure I do not have any synth that is digitally controllable, and has no MIDI output... then I will have absolutely no use for SoundDiver :) ... SoundDiver IS a marvelous program, but it's hopelessly outdated ... I've had so much focus on this program, it became part of my studios "heart", which only showed all the limitations all the time... I had to constantly research any synth I wanted for compatibility, and just a simple checksum could ruin any chance of creating an editor for it... memory locations that had different functionality depending on other memories contents was impossible (typical of effects parameters to do this... one memory dictated the FX type, and then a bunch of data memory locations defined the FX parameters, but with different meaning depending on which FX you choose).

And then the sorting... some synths have thousands of presets, and they had to be sorted in categories, and if you wanted to fill your synths internel user memories, you'd have to spend hours deciding which ones to keep, and which that had to go... I've been doing this for YEARS... actually tens of years, and I simply hate it now... been there, done that, NO MORE! :)
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Re: Razmo's Gear Rant Thread...
« Reply #405 on: August 10, 2017, 03:54:15 AM »
Actually I have a tiny hope that Dreadbox would make a synth with a digital sample oscillator, but I also know this is probably wishful thinking... It's just nice to have something to play weird looped acoustic snippets when doing Ambient music... like waves on a beach... howling winds... you get the point... an Erebus more would not allow this :D ... that is why I've been thinking of making such a small thing... I might also just get a KORG Volca Sample to fix this problem, and that is probably a lot more practical... and cheap.

If you're talking about building a small eurorack system around TipTop One, then yes. I've considered One myself, and it's excellent if you want to add a sampler to a eurorack system. But I don't think it's worth building a system around, if that makes sense. After considering the case, power supply, support modules... a better option for a similar price would be a Toraiz SP-1. You get a gorgeous interface and a Prophet 6 filter, etc.

I skipped Volca Sample because it doesn't actually sample, and I know that I'd get annoyed using the app. For cheap sampling, I considered an Akai MPX16, but reviews consistently say it's slow to boot. The next step up is Boss SP-404, which I'd love to have. It's a bit out of my budget for now, but it might be my next instrument target. Meanwhile, I'm getting use out of a Roland MS-1. The reality is the Ableton is really all I need for sampling, but requires the computer to be set up.
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Razmo

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Re: Razmo's Gear Rant Thread...
« Reply #406 on: August 10, 2017, 04:36:42 AM »
Actually I have a tiny hope that Dreadbox would make a synth with a digital sample oscillator, but I also know this is probably wishful thinking... It's just nice to have something to play weird looped acoustic snippets when doing Ambient music... like waves on a beach... howling winds... you get the point... an Erebus more would not allow this :D ... that is why I've been thinking of making such a small thing... I might also just get a KORG Volca Sample to fix this problem, and that is probably a lot more practical... and cheap.

If you're talking about building a small eurorack system around TipTop One, then yes. I've considered One myself, and it's excellent if you want to add a sampler to a eurorack system. But I don't think it's worth building a system around, if that makes sense. After considering the case, power supply, support modules... a better option for a similar price would be a Toraiz SP-1. You get a gorgeous interface and a Prophet 6 filter, etc.

I skipped Volca Sample because it doesn't actually sample, and I know that I'd get annoyed using the app. For cheap sampling, I considered an Akai MPX16, but reviews consistently say it's slow to boot. The next step up is Boss SP-404, which I'd love to have. It's a bit out of my budget for now, but it might be my next instrument target. Meanwhile, I'm getting use out of a Roland MS-1. The reality is the Ableton is really all I need for sampling, but requires the computer to be set up.

Toraiz defies my new workflow... menu diving, and way too many options/parameters so that is out of the question... also I find it way too expensive for what it does.

The Volca Sampler is probably the cheapest and best considering what I need... yes it does not sample, and getting the samples into it is a tedious process, and what keeps me from getting it... no... it MUST BE hands on... no menus! ... few controls, just the basics... all I need is just a simple mono sample playback device, with the ability to set pitch manually and control pitch via CV/GATE ... a few things to manipulate the sample would be nice, and that was where the small modular idear came from... maybe an analog filter, some waveshaping module or the like just to manipulate the sample somewhat and to make it sound more analog...
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Re: Razmo's Gear Rant Thread...
« Reply #407 on: August 10, 2017, 05:30:45 AM »
all I need is just a simple mono sample playback device, with the ability to set pitch manually and control pitch via CV/GATE ... a few things to manipulate the sample would be nice, and that was where the small modular idear came from... maybe an analog filter, some waveshaping module or the like just to manipulate the sample somewhat and to make it sound more analog...

Those were pretty close to my desires, as well, so I'll watch with interest what you do.

My approach to CV/gate was to design and build this little box (picture attached). It has a CV in and a gate in, and it just sends a MIDI note (3-octave range) based on the CV value. I assigned consecutive MIDI note numbers to Roland MS-1 samples, and run the MS-1 into my eurorack audio path. Now I've got a eurorack-controllable sampler! Cost to build the box: $8, which includes one of those $4 CH340-based Arduino Unos.
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Razmo

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Re: Razmo's Gear Rant Thread...
« Reply #408 on: August 14, 2017, 11:09:43 PM »
The family is now complete... at least until MEDUSA is available in december :)

I am finally polyphonic again...

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Re: Razmo's Gear Rant Thread...
« Reply #409 on: August 30, 2017, 11:43:27 AM »
Finally, I've got the Dreadbox HADES home :)

This is some really characterful oldschool dirty analog synth, and I'd like to see a softsynth try at emulating this... I don't think they will succeed :D

I created a stringer like preset on it, and it started having some Jarre qualities, and thus I threw HADES and EREBUS in as well to spice it up a bit for testing purposes.

A really REALLY nice synth if you like oldschool analog sound I'd say... but it has balls... it will not give you exactly what you want, but it'll give you something good you did not expect either I'd say :D

Here is the short demo:

http://razmo.ziphoid.com/ABYSS-EREBUS-HADES.mp3
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Razmo

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Re: Razmo's Gear Rant Thread...
« Reply #410 on: August 31, 2017, 06:12:14 AM »
Well... now I'll find out, if sequencing is something for me... if it is, the computer will be completely eliminated in my studio forever... somehow I like the thought of it, and hope it will be the case... and if, then I'll need three more of these and then build them together as one unit... then I'll use this "quad sequencer" for sequencing four synths, and my Roland A-70 which has 4 MIDI outputs will be connected to 4 synths that I'll play live on top of the four sequenced ones... then a simple drummachine, and a sample playback device will be the last stuff to get... except the system is open... I can buy new small desktop synths when something pops up that catch my attention, and just store away what I do not use in a given project... also had to up my mixer a tad, to get a few channels for individual drumsounds, so I bought a used Mackie ONYX 1620i for this purpose.
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Re: Razmo's Gear Rant Thread...
« Reply #411 on: August 31, 2017, 12:10:40 PM »
What would you use to record?
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Re: Razmo's Gear Rant Thread...
« Reply #412 on: August 31, 2017, 02:46:19 PM »
What would you use to record?

My computer as always... I have an RME ADI-2 for that and a RME AIO in the computer... these will still be here for just that simple purpose of 2-track recording and playback... but it will be moved to another table, so that it is not part of my studio setup anymore :)
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Re: Razmo's Gear Rant Thread...
« Reply #413 on: August 31, 2017, 02:47:15 PM »
New small riff with the four Dreadbox machines... nothing special, but I'm testing some things... the studio is in extreme makeover at this point :)

http://razmo.ziphoid.com/TESTDB.mp3
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Re: Razmo's Gear Rant Thread...
« Reply #414 on: August 31, 2017, 05:26:46 PM »
if it is, the computer will be completely eliminated in my studio forever...
I guess I took that a little too literally....  ;D
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Re: Razmo's Gear Rant Thread...
« Reply #415 on: September 01, 2017, 06:07:29 AM »
I've made a little test of my new Abyss synth using Moroder's "I Feel Love" bassriff... check it out... I really dig this synth :)

http://razmo.ziphoid.com/MORODER_TEST.mp3
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Re: Razmo's Gear Rant Thread...
« Reply #416 on: September 21, 2017, 02:25:18 AM »
Next family member is on it's way. A Doepfer Dark Energy mk1.

I really wanted particularly this version because it has linear FM of the filter, allowing for some unique playable timbres. The mk2 of Dark Energy does not have this feature, it has a state variable filter instead with morphable sweeping between the filter types. I actually plan on getting the mk2 as well, since they are very different, but an offer on the now rarer mk1 came my way, so I took the plunge when the chance came.

As should be clear by now, I've gone hands-on + small desktop ... easy to tweak... so I'm looking for these types of synths, especially those that does something unique... but it's hard to find any digital ones that are hands on... I'm probably getting a Waldorf Streichfett at some point as this fits the bill, and I'll try to find a few synths that have stereo output too, as this is not common on the analog ones...
« Last Edit: September 21, 2017, 02:27:32 AM by Razmo »
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Re: Razmo's Gear Rant Thread...
« Reply #417 on: September 21, 2017, 02:48:56 AM »
I have one of the mk1s, I think it is a neat little synth especially useful when connected up to a modular.


Razmo

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Re: Razmo's Gear Rant Thread...
« Reply #418 on: September 25, 2017, 09:34:30 AM »
The Dark Energy mk1 is home, and I've attached a pair of mahogany end panels to it to have the surface angled... works really nice.

In about a week I will be purchasing yet another analog desktop or rack synth with hands on interface (one knob per function)... I have several on the list, so I'll see what it will be :) ... I need to get accumulated a few more so I have enough to begin a small project.
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Re: Razmo's Gear Rant Thread...
« Reply #419 on: September 25, 2017, 10:52:49 AM »
I can't remember if you have or have had a Minitaur?

If you haven't might be worth a look...