Studio Pics

I thought about pitch control and direct outputs but it sounds like they don't work too well for some of the sounds because a lot of the samples in ROM are actually two sounds interleaved in some way (all of the samples that can't be played simultaneously), so the individual outs and pitch controls are more for groups than for individual sounds, and I guess at least some of the sounds have to be tapped before their VCAs, so you don't actually get the proper envelope - so, like, the cymbal will just be a full volume sample with a hard cutoff, instead of decaying naturally.  I'm a bit fuzzy on the specifics because I looked in to it years ago before I got rid of my first 505 and decided that it wouldn't be useful enough to make it worth the trouble for me.

The 626 has both but from what I've read its MIDI implementation isn't that good, I guess the 505 is arguably the best of the original x0x machines for using as a sequencer even though it's one of the worst as a standalone box.  What I was thinking of doing is adding the board that gives you three more banks of samples, not a huge change but enough to make it a lot more flexible and IIRC you can easily swap in your own EPROM sample sets too, if you can make them.

Anyway I wouldn't really recommend a 505 as a standalone drum machine for most people, but for $150 or so (which is what they still seem to go for in the original box these days, even less loose - at least last fall they did when we were figuring out a fair trade for the one I have now) they're a nice drum sequencer to pair with other gear.  I got a Roland MT-32 for a few dollars years ago and using that for the drum sounds with the 505 as the sequencer gets into som ereally great, mid-fi late 80s EBM/industrial/synthpop territory really quickly.

  On 1/25/2020 at 4:07 PM, 714681746476436 said:

It's the most versatile synth I've ever owned. It's my go-to recommendation when people ask me what synth to buy. Wonderful thing

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Cool, I have a Samsung Microwave, but I only use it for popcorn.

Roland R8 drum machine - wicked piece of kit.

instant AE: 

Why is it always that gear in demos and anyone else's hands sounds lush and interesting as hell, and when I get the same piece of kit, then the sounds turn bland, it becomes uninspiring and boring? This is extremely depressing!

Couple of possibilities; your expectations are too high, you’re too critical of your own work, you need to work harder/make more effort, give yourself more time to get to know the gear and get better at what you’re trying to do, it’s the person and not the gear after all. 
Also if you like what you’re hearing in a demo maybe it sounds bland and uninspiring because you’re doing what you heard in the demo? 

These are just a bunch of thoughts that occurred, nothing meant in a harsh way or anything. 
 

Noticed with myself I feel slightly better when I don’t watch synth demos and such. I think for me it’s easy to get sucked into the whole music/synth consumer subculture of music making because my brain gives out all kind of rewards for watching entertaining synth vids, doing tons of window shopping and “research” that mostly starts of well intended but I end up with an even bigger list of gear to check out and maybe a 1 or 2 tidbits of actual info or new knowledge. This is how I feel rn, could be different tomorrow 

  On 2/4/2020 at 1:13 PM, thawkins said:

Why is it always that gear in demos and anyone else's hands sounds lush and interesting as hell, and when I get the same piece of kit, then the sounds turn bland, it becomes uninspiring and boring? This is extremely depressing!

Maybe you're just a bad musician and that's why. 

I'll be honest I do want a 707 for nostalgia purposes plus it was one of the Chicago House drum machines. I do like the sounds too. I think the cowbell is ace. I think 400 isn't too bad for what you get!

Lol nah I just want one. I got a 505 which is pretty nice. Personally I think the whole 707 vibe is nice. 

  On 2/4/2020 at 9:05 PM, user said:

Couple of possibilities; your expectations are too high, you’re too critical of your own work, you need to work harder/make more effort, give yourself more time to get to know the gear and get better at what you’re trying to do, it’s the person and not the gear after all. 
Also if you like what you’re hearing in a demo maybe it sounds bland and uninspiring because you’re doing what you heard in the demo? 

These are just a bunch of thoughts that occurred, nothing meant in a harsh way or anything. 
 

Noticed with myself I feel slightly better when I don’t watch synth demos and such. I think for me it’s easy to get sucked into the whole music/synth consumer subculture of music making because my brain gives out all kind of rewards for watching entertaining synth vids, doing tons of window shopping and “research” that mostly starts of well intended but I end up with an even bigger list of gear to check out and maybe a 1 or 2 tidbits of actual info or new knowledge. This is how I feel rn, could be different tomorrow 

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All good points. I think this is what's happening:

1. Always have thought everyone else has their shit together way more than I do. Looking at another person's creative space (like the photos in this thread) gives me visions of "fuck yeah this looks cool, I bet they make cool stuff with this, wish I could" even if it looks like a scruffy laptop on a bunch of stained pizza boxes. I think this works the same way with looking at others' creative processes and workflows - everything looks cool from the sidelines.
2. I do this thing where instead of getting the precise same gear that is demoed, I get a used piece of gear that I convince myself "could do the trick if I spent enough time with it". This turns out bad for two reasons mostly: first, the bargain bin alternative does not "do the trick" because who reads stuff carefully anyways, and - more importantly - I actually end up not spending enough time with it. 
3. I actually end up making lush stuff and I enjoy playing around with my new gear. Even if the initial joy and euphoria fades out, I do occasionally end up with nice accidental surprises and all that. I think it's just not possible as a part time hobbyist to spend enough time tinkering and doing in order to discover all the cool tricks and knob moves so it eventually happens that you see someone making absolute magic with similar gear and you go home crying thinking "I could have been like that". But maybe it's just that he discovered one magical path in the lush forest and you are on another, equally magical path that maybe looks shit to you but not to your audience.

Also yeah my expectations are high and I need to work harder, and read the god damned manuals.

PS my original post wasn't really 100% serious but I needed to let it out and motivate myself to play more with my existing stuff.

  On 2/4/2020 at 9:36 AM, Stickfigger said:

What's that black thing next to the 707?

yeah its an r8, such a powerful machine. the re pitching on it is second to none, adds a level of grit and character top the sounds when you repitch on it, idk how but it sound lushh. and the sequencer is unbelievably powerful, if not a bit of an arse to use 

  On 2/5/2020 at 12:26 PM, Stickfigger said:

  3 hours ago, Stickfigger said:

Get a digitakt and load up 707 samples though and make beats exactly if it were a 707 and see if nerds can tell the difference 

it would probably sound too good to be a 707  
the whole reason i bought a 707 was to escape the complexity of the r8 or software drum machines. its simple, full of character and so much fun to sequence alongside a 303, i just end up jamming out with it like its the mid 90s again

i wouldnt mind a 505 to play around with..

the bro will sell you his for 50 squid

  On 2/5/2020 at 2:25 PM, thawkins said:

I think it's just not possible as a part time hobbyist to spend enough time tinkering and doing in order to discover all the cool tricks and knob moves so it eventually happens that you see someone making absolute magic with similar gear and you go home crying thinking "I could have been like that".

Spot on. But I’m afraid there’s also another force at play: these pros are just *better* than you. There’s so many people doing this, for free, at a more or less competent amateur level you’d have to be exceptionally good to actually make a living at it. And because the pool if potential talent us so large, chances for truly freak of nature levels of talent to appear and be noticed are bigger as well.

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But maybe it's just that he discovered one magical path in the lush forest and you are on another, equally magical path that maybe looks shit to you but not to your audience.

Nah ... see above. You actually *are* shit.

  On 2/5/2020 at 4:36 PM, rhmilo said:

Nah ... see above. You actually *are* shit.

Some of the lushest shit that ever walked tumbled out of the turd pile, though. 

  On 2/5/2020 at 4:31 PM, BCM said:

the bro will sell you his for 50 squid

I actually bought it for 50 squid lol.

  On 2/5/2020 at 4:24 PM, mause said:

i wouldnt mind a 505 to play around with..

It's fun. I bought mine dirt cheap and it was in good condition!!!

50 squid!

Where's the Moog though, @TheBro? Where's the Moog?

  On 2/5/2020 at 2:25 PM, thawkins said:

All good points. I think this is what's happening:

1. Always have thought everyone else has their shit together way more than I do. Looking at another person's creative space (like the photos in this thread) gives me visions of "fuck yeah this looks cool, I bet they make cool stuff with this, wish I could" even if it looks like a scruffy laptop on a bunch of stained pizza boxes. I think this works the same way with looking at others' creative processes and workflows - everything looks cool from the sidelines.
2. I do this thing where instead of getting the precise same gear that is demoed, I get a used piece of gear that I convince myself "could do the trick if I spent enough time with it". This turns out bad for two reasons mostly: first, the bargain bin alternative does not "do the trick" because who reads stuff carefully anyways, and - more importantly - I actually end up not spending enough time with it. 
3. I actually end up making lush stuff and I enjoy playing around with my new gear. Even if the initial joy and euphoria fades out, I do occasionally end up with nice accidental surprises and all that. I think it's just not possible as a part time hobbyist to spend enough time tinkering and doing in order to discover all the cool tricks and knob moves so it eventually happens that you see someone making absolute magic with similar gear and you go home crying thinking "I could have been like that". But maybe it's just that he discovered one magical path in the lush forest and you are on another, equally magical path that maybe looks shit to you but not to your audience.

Also yeah my expectations are high and I need to work harder, and read the god damned manuals.

PS my original post wasn't really 100% serious but I needed to let it out and motivate myself to play more with my existing stuff.

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Cheers, it crossed my mind your original post was probably at least somewhat tongue in cheek and maybe my reply was slightly too serious. But I think there's worth in sharing these insecurities and doubts because 9 times out of 10 there's the reward of more interesting insights into others' minds and creative processes. For me the technical and mental/intellectual process part of any creative venture is (almost) as a big a deal as the raw emotional side of it. I'll try to stop sounding like some dude at an afterparty now.

  On 2/5/2020 at 9:23 PM, darreichungsform said:

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49 squids?

  On 2/6/2020 at 12:41 AM, yekker said:

  On 2/5/2020 at 9:23 PM, darreichungsform said:

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49 squids?

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I went through and counted three times

50 squid on my abacus:)

  On 2/5/2020 at 11:16 PM, user said:

Cheers, it crossed my mind your original post was probably at least somewhat tongue in cheek and maybe my reply was slightly too serious. But I think there's worth in sharing these insecurities and doubts because 9 times out of 10 there's the reward of more interesting insights into others' minds and creative processes. For me the technical and mental/intellectual process part of any creative venture is (almost) as a big a deal as the raw emotional side of it. I'll try to stop sounding like some dude at an afterparty now.

 

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Don't worry about being too serious, I got what I deserved for that post.  Always glad to talk about those subjects on this forum anyway. 

And it's perfectly OK to have doubts and insecurities because that's the thing that ends up making your music human and relatable. At least I personally need something like that instead of just huffing farts and thinking about how mathematically perfect that sidechained compression was on some tech house track.

Thanks for sharing a good track.