what gear do i need to make noise ?

"i know there are a lot of threads in the internet but i want to ask the experts of watmm ;)"

so i would like to make noise, power electronics, ambient kind of music but with "real" gear ,i can create this kind of sounds very easy in DAW but i dont think its the real deal.

I´m thinking of contemporary noise artists like wolf eyes, prurient, pharmakon, and so on...

whats the cheapest way to start ? i always see casette players, a mixer, pedals, microphone....

Mixer, jack splitter, multi fx pedal, synth/filter box, and then just make some feedback loops with that stuff.

Microphone, power tools, amp

(or normal tools, such as sandpaper)

oooh you know what actually - guitar pickup, baking tray, amp

Rather than buying gear specifically to make noise from surely it'd be more fun to work out how to get noise from whatever gear you're using, as you could probably get noise from whatever you use. Especially when using effects. Maybe grab a multi fx pedal/unit and a mic. Maybe something with an option to loop/sample.

I have a kaoss pad (kp3). It and a mic go hand in hand and you can get some pretty extreme stuff going, especially with the ability to sample/resample, tho the sampling capabilities are fairly limited.

I'm no expert but I have dabbled in this a few times and here's what suits my tastes, similar to th555's as far as I can tell:
(all as compact as possible)

- A mixer with at least one send, e.g. a tiny Behringer

- For each send, an effects chain (preferably with some type of filtering and some type of delay) e.g. a Korg mini KP, whose output is connected to one of the mixer channels and therefore capable of feeding back into itself

- A signal with a warm, analog quality, e.g. radio, turntable, VCR, contact mic

- A signal with a crunchy digital quality e.g. gameboy running LSDJ, some DIY hipster arduino synth, circuit bent junk like thrift store kids' toys

- A looping device that can capture these signals, maybe connected to a send or alt output of some or all of the above, e.g. Korg mini KP

- A recording medium that responds well to hot inputs, e.g. 4-track cassette

  On 10/24/2015 at 9:57 PM, QQQ said:

Rather than buying gear specifically to make noise from surely it'd be more fun to work out how to get noise from whatever gear you're using, as you could probably get noise from whatever you use. Especially when using effects. Maybe grab a multi fx pedal/unit and a mic. Maybe something with an option to loop/sample.

Yeah, this. It'll make you think about them differently.

"Hardware" is overrated. "Hardware" is non-flexible and limiting. "Hardware" does not necessarily produce better sound quality than computers ("hardware" is computers anyway). "Hardware" is outdated. Autechre use software while people comment they have an "analog quality" to it while asking what kind of "hardware" they use. The people have no idea what they are talking about. Learn how to produce properly on PC and save yourself tons of money. If your production suck on PC, it will suck on "hardware" too. I regret buying an MPC. My 2 cents.

All true but I do think working with real hardware feels different, if only because it's not the same machine you're using for getting on the internet.

  On 10/24/2015 at 10:09 PM, Jev said:

Learn how to produce properly on PC

but he just said he wants to make noise...

I mean, wasn't Merzbow using a laptop for a while? Not trying to play devil's advocate to every single post but let's not go crazy with the assumptions, OP said he wanted to make "noise, power electronics, ambient kind of music" with "real" gear, for cheap.

I saw a noise artist once that had this tinfoil tambourine instrument thing that he banged against his bald head, lol.

Enjoyed the show anyway because the audience was mostly like middle aged women who came to see an artsy show and then tried to escape the place when the shit got real. It felt like the walls would come down from the sound pressure.

Fart into a microphone, then toy around with the sample in audacity for a bit.

To each his own but hardware is also more flexible than software, in different ways. Don't see the need for fanboyism in either direction.

Pickups and contact mics are loads of fun, too.

  On 10/24/2015 at 10:35 PM, th555 said:

To each his own but hardware is also more flexible than software, in different ways. Don't see the need for fanboyism in either direction.

 

Pickups and contact mics are loads of fun, too.

  On 10/24/2015 at 10:14 PM, sweepstakes said:

All true but I do think working with real hardware feels different, if only because it's not the same machine you're using for getting on the internet.

True but I am not sure if it's worth the money.

  On 10/24/2015 at 10:42 PM, Jev said:

 

  On 10/24/2015 at 10:35 PM, th555 said:

To each his own but hardware is also more flexible than software, in different ways. Don't see the need for fanboyism in either direction.

 

Pickups and contact mics are loads of fun, too.

Care to elaborate in what way?

 

Mostly in how pieces of gear can be combined, e.g. you can literally wire any two electrical things together and it will still function according to electrical laws, same thing with acoustics/vibration. This also goes for digits of course, but combining softwares can be a big hassle IME.

  On 10/24/2015 at 10:47 PM, Jev said:

 

  On 10/24/2015 at 10:14 PM, sweepstakes said:

All true but I do think working with real hardware feels different, if only because it's not the same machine you're using for getting on the internet.

True but I am not sure if it's worth the money.

 

You can get some pretty fly hardware for the cash you save by not buying/upgrading a pc every couple years :P

thx alllot for the fast responses but damm jev either youre stupid or trolling ....

  On 10/24/2015 at 11:34 PM, Kavinsky said:

thx alllot for the fast responses but damm jev either youre stupid or trolling ....

What? Why?

  On 10/24/2015 at 11:24 PM, th555 said:

  On 10/24/2015 at 10:47 PM, Jev said:

 

  On 10/24/2015 at 10:14 PM, sweepstakes said:

All true but I do think working with real hardware feels different, if only because it's not the same machine you're using for getting on the internet.

True but I am not sure if it's worth the money.

 

You can get some pretty fly hardware for the cash you save by not buying/upgrading a pc every couple years :P

 

You can get a computer that is cheaper than MPC and will serve you for years if you take care of it properly. You will get tons of processing power and flexibility you can only dream of with "hardware" boxes. Install Super Collider, Pure Data and you are ready to do wild stuff with a great precision and control. If you need custom hands-on control buy a midi-controller from Livid or similar.

  On 10/24/2015 at 11:24 PM, th555 said:

 

  On 10/24/2015 at 10:42 PM, Jev said:

 

  On 10/24/2015 at 10:35 PM, th555 said:

To each his own but hardware is also more flexible than software, in different ways. Don't see the need for fanboyism in either direction.

 

Pickups and contact mics are loads of fun, too.

Care to elaborate in what way?

 

Mostly in how pieces of gear can be combined, e.g. you can literally wire any two electrical things together and it will still function according to electrical laws, same thing with acoustics/vibration. This also goes for digits of course, but combining softwares can be a big hassle IME.

 

True. What I meant was a hardware usage without short-circuitry and cable abuse. For example using MPC for that "signature swing". Lol.

Noise with hardware is more fun IMO, its wilder and less controlled..I used to do a lot of this stuff on the lofi end. Don't underestimate a guitar's capabilities! Contact mics, circuit bent cheap gear, popped speakers, nails and metal files, and delay (essential!) are all good cheap shot to collect. Make a washboard with cut sections of cassette tape and run the cassette deck head over it with your fingers...go nuts :D

Or get one of those super expensive custom noise boxes, whatever floats yer boat

  On 10/25/2015 at 12:10 AM, luke viia said:

Noise with hardware is more fun IMO, its wilder and less controlled..I used to do a lot of this stuff on the lofi end. Don't underestimate a guitar's capabilities! Contact mics, circuit bent cheap gear, popped speakers, nails and metal files, and delay (essential!) are all good cheap shot to collect. Make a washboard with cut sections of cassette tape and run the cassette deck head over it with your fingers...go nuts :D

 

Or get one of those super expensive custom noise boxes, whatever floats yer boat

Sure, I should have written I did not mean microphones, guitars, tapes, damaged hardware etc.

  On 10/24/2015 at 11:51 PM, Jev said:

You can get a computer that is cheaper than MPC and will serve you for years if you take care of it properly. You will get tons of processing power and flexibility you can only dream of with "hardware" boxes. Install Super Collider, Pure Data and you are ready to do wild stuff with a great precision and control. If you need custom hands-on control buy a midi-controller from Livid or similar.

I was hoping that's where you were going with this. Noise with a DAW, not so fun, noise with modular audio software and a half-decent controller, and it's real as you make it. You might not miss hardware at all.

  On 10/24/2015 at 11:51 PM, Jev said:

True. What I meant was a hardware usage without short-circuitry and cable abuse. For example using MPC for that "signature swing". Lol.

Sorry you had such a bad experience with the MPC, but it can actually be great for this kind of a thing. It's garbage in, garbage out and there's no law saying you have to fill it with 808 kits and chopped loops of 70s soul with snares on the 2 and the 4. Try recording just about anything else, shortwave radio transmissions, field recordings, whatever contact mic'd circuit bent stuff one deems authentic for noise. I reckon in the right hands an MPC is a hell of a lot more interesting than your standard-issue piezo element and box of nails. Don't forget these are all just signal generators.

a monotron, an effects unit and an amp

ribbon keyboards are good for noise

  On 10/25/2015 at 12:22 AM, sweepstakes said:

 

  On 10/24/2015 at 11:51 PM, Jev said:

You can get a computer that is cheaper than MPC and will serve you for years if you take care of it properly. You will get tons of processing power and flexibility you can only dream of with "hardware" boxes. Install Super Collider, Pure Data and you are ready to do wild stuff with a great precision and control. If you need custom hands-on control buy a midi-controller from Livid or similar.

I was hoping that's where you were going with this. Noise with a DAW, not so fun, noise with modular audio software and a half-decent controller, and it's real as you make it. You might not miss hardware at all.

 

  On 10/24/2015 at 11:51 PM, Jev said:

True. What I meant was a hardware usage without short-circuitry and cable abuse. For example using MPC for that "signature swing". Lol.

Sorry you had such a bad experience with the MPC, but it can actually be great for this kind of a thing. It's garbage in, garbage out and there's no law saying you have to fill it with 808 kits and chopped loops of 70s soul with snares on the 2 and the 4. Try recording just about anything else, shortwave radio transmissions, field recordings, whatever contact mic'd circuit bent stuff one deems authentic for noise. I reckon in the right hands an MPC is a hell of a lot more interesting than your standard-issue piezo element and box of nails. Don't forget these are all just signal generators.

 

Thank you for your tips. However, I wasn't using MPC in a traditional way. I rarely ever use presets or libraries. I have my own collection of field recordings and do sound design a lot. The thing with MPC is that you cannot even set its delay FX to 100% wet in order to fuck with rhythms (this is an example of how much basic stuff is missing in that box if you want to do more than just sequence hip-hop). Poor routing capabilities, poor sequencing capabilities and the worse - horrible, slow, painful workflow. I will not spent $$$ for JJOS in order to have somewhat less limits yet with the same slow workflow. Mouse and keyboard for me.

Fair enough that the workflow wasn't for you, but not everyone looks that horse square in the mouth, for example: