the watmm GAS thread

  On 2/14/2020 at 11:58 PM, modey said:

It's got sequencers and an arpeggiator. Not quite a TR/Elektron style sequencer, but you can definitely make auto-playing patterns with it. That said, it's basically temporary pattern storage rather than something where you can store hundreds of patterns. 

Oh... Right. Really only see guys on youtube jamming on the keys.

Well, I took a risk and just bought a really clean looking, powers-on-but-not-tested Fostex Model 80 on eBay for about 20% of the usual price (not quite Volca Beats price but pretty close). There was a good photo of the head stack and the wear is really low, so even if it's broken I can flip that and some other parts and make a good profit (but I bet it works fine).  An old friend of mine had one of these and they're tiny for what they are, smallest 1/4" multitrack I've ever seen, so I've been GASing for one for like 10 years (nearly had one for next to nothing when I got my $20 Otari back in 2009 but the guy decided to keep it at the last minute), and ESPECIALLY since I sold my old Tascam 388 to a friend I play with a lot.  We were doing some recording on it last night and it was just so much better than working on a DAW when I saw this thing I couldn't resist.

Also got a free Tascam Porta02 MKII last night that I'm going to mod with an erase head bypass switch and use for lo-fi cassette loop fuckery, and another friend is going to trade me a working mid 80s Tascam 8x4x2 mixer of unknown model soon that should pair with the Fostex well, so all in all it's shaping up to be the best gear week I've had since I got that entire small home studio (a couple preamps, an 80s reverb, a 60s 1/4" tube deck, and a couple nice cassette decks - everything but the portastudio the guy had done his tracking on on) for free a year or so ago.

Pretty psyched.

Found a new rabbit hole in tracking on the MSX. Think; 

Bought a music module + fm pac cartridge and a MSX2+ , nerding outta control  .
 

Now that I am waiting for a M-Audio Profire 2626, it is the time to think about all the cables I will also need to buy to make all the connections I can make, which is basically just to get dedicated stereo inputs for all my super amazing gear. I am completely sure that This Time it will be good not like all the Other Times when I have bought gear that I later regret. I suspect this time it could be that I need features which are only available if I connect it to my old laptop and I also need some obscure adapter cable that is 50€ because apple. Also there will be a ground loop.

The good part (if everything works out) is that I get 8ins 8outs hooked up over ADAT to my existing interface.

It was really seamless setting mine up as an ADAT expander when I got it, although I DEFINITELY needed to install it as a Firewire interface so I could use their editing software to do the initial configuration (just turning off the master volume control completely and setting up the ADAT sample rate and routing I wanted).  Was a one time thing, I've never plugged a Firewire cable into it since but that's the one roadblock I could see coming up with one of these, if there was some kind of compatibility issue with a modern OS and it came to you with some kind of weird routing setup saved in it.

That and the breakout cable for MIDI and S/PDIF can be a bit hard to find if it didn't ship with one (mine didn't). Only relevant if you need those features.

  On 2/22/2020 at 2:18 AM, TubularCorporation said:

It was really seamless setting mine up as an ADAT expander when I got it, although I DEFINITELY needed to install it as a Firewire interface so I could use their editing software to do the initial configuration (just turning off the master volume control completely and setting up the ADAT sample rate and routing I wanted).  Was a one time thing, I've never plugged a Firewire cable into it since but that's the one roadblock I could see coming up with one of these, if there was some kind of compatibility issue with a modern OS and it came to you with some kind of weird routing setup saved in it.

 

That and the breakout cable for MIDI and S/PDIF can be a bit hard to find if it didn't ship with one (mine didn't). Only relevant if you need those features.

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I got it off Reverb and the listing promises all the cables and drivers I will ever need so hopefully fingers crossed it will be OK.

It would be extremely nice to be able to send MIDI stuff through the optical ADAT too so I could gain a physical MIDI out that way, but I doubt this is how it works (even though the data overhead would be almost nothing).

However, now that I have 3 pieces of Rack Gear, it may be time to think more seriously about getting an enclosure or something.

  On 2/22/2020 at 7:55 AM, Stickfigger said:

So Elektron are releasing something this week. Speculation is rife on elektronauts but conjecture is converging around it being a Models format digital drum machine.. @modey what inner circle gossip do you have?

My expectations are really low! 
MD, Mnm... never again! 

M:S? Remember?!
 

  On 2/22/2020 at 7:55 AM, Stickfigger said:

So Elektron are releasing something this week. Speculation is rife on elektronauts but conjecture is converging around it being a Models format digital drum machine.. @modey what inner circle gossip do you have?

Refurbished Echocord and Echolette at http://www.vintage-guitars.se/index.php#E. About 600eur each. The Echocord has price hiked by a factor of like 2000% since the 2000s, maybe a wise investment if you can keep those tape heads intact. I long for a good surf rock rig but don't really have the space for now. 

  On 2/22/2020 at 7:55 AM, Stickfigger said:

So Elektron are releasing something this week. Speculation is rife on elektronauts but conjecture is converging around it being a Models format digital drum machine.. @modey what inner circle gossip do you have?

really hope for a digital drum machine (like everyone else I guess ?) but after the model : samples and the digitone keys... If it's a digital drum machine let's hope it's in a digitakt/digitone format and not an half assed model stuff priced at 500 euros...

  On 2/23/2020 at 9:14 PM, d-a-m-o said:

really hope for a digital drum machine (like everyone else I guess ?) but after the model : samples and the digitone keys... If it's a digital drum machine let's hope it's in a digitakt/digitone format and not an half assed model stuff priced at 500 euros...

I believe it’s an os update for digitakt with machines similar to what machinedrum had. Doesn’t make sense to make another hw when you have digitakt and digitone, which  are perfectly fine, especially now when overbridge is pretty stable (finally!!!)

imo

  On 2/24/2020 at 12:45 AM, xox said:

Doesn’t make sense to make another hw when you have digitakt and digitone

lol 

  On 2/24/2020 at 12:45 AM, xox said:

I believe it’s an os update for digitakt with machines similar to what machinedrum had.

naw it's too much hype for just an OS update. rumors suggest it might be 3 new things in fact, but who knows. something new for the Model: series seems most likely. i'm erring on the side of a digital drum machine, but i guess we'll find out in a few short days. doubt it's anything i'll be buying anyway

It's not 3 new things, they're just giving away 3 machines (not sure if it'll be the new one though) at the launch. 

  On 2/23/2020 at 9:05 PM, chim said:

Refurbished Echocord and Echolette at http://www.vintage-guitars.se/index.php#E. About 600eur each. The Echocord has price hiked by a factor of like 2000% since the 2000s, maybe a wise investment if you can keep those tape heads intact. I long for a good surf rock rig but don't really have the space for now. 

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I was gonna buy one six years ago but the seller suddenly raised the price. Guess I should have bought it anyway.

  On 2/24/2020 at 4:17 AM, modey said:

It's not 3 new things, they're just giving away 3 machines (not sure if it'll be the new one though) at the launch. 

the speculation i saw of 3 new pieces was related to the copyright filing stuff below. that plus the 'giving away 3 machines' and someone on instagram claiming 'modular but not modular' or something to that effect kinda all hinted that maybe 3 new related devices in the Model: line. idk tho, i mean i'm getting all this from Elektronauts so.... they're a bit silly around there lol

anyone know of a really good video on how to program the 505 ?

Ha, that elektronauts thread is ridiculous. Someone guessed it, but people have guessed every single possibility so that doesn't mean anything..

  On 2/25/2020 at 1:54 AM, yekker said:

anyone know of a really good video on how to program the 505 ?

TBH the manual covers it pretty clearly, and it's very easy once you know a few things to watch out for (can't switch between certain modes while the sequencer's running, how to adjsut pad volume, stuff like that).  For the most part you just choose tap or step and then start it playing and press the pads until you have what you want. The simplicity is the real reason to have one, the sounds are pretty basic but it's just about the most fun machine to improvise on that I know of.

I don't know of a video, sorry.  This is the closest thing I could come up with, but he doesn't actually explain anything and it kind of looks like he put the wrong inset clip over the main video:

  On 2/25/2020 at 1:55 AM, modey said:

Someone guessed it

i'm on it

  On 2/23/2020 at 9:05 PM, chim said:

Refurbished Echocord and Echolette at http://www.vintage-guitars.se/index.php#E. About 600eur each. The Echocord has price hiked by a factor of like 2000% since the 2000s, maybe a wise investment if you can keep those tape heads intact. I long for a good surf rock rig but don't really have the space for now. 

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Ive had both and they both sound incredible. I think they are the best tape delays out there. Just make sure they are properly serviced so many terrible techs out there

  On 2/25/2020 at 2:03 AM, TubularCorporation said:

TBH the manual covers it pretty clearly, and it's very easy once you know a few things to watch out for (can't switch between certain modes while the sequencer's running, how to adjsut pad volume, stuff like that).  For the most part you just choose tap or step and then start it playing and press the pads until you have what you want. The simplicity is the real reason to have one, the sounds are pretty basic but it's just about the most fun machine to improvise on that I know of.

 

I don't know of a video, sorry.  This is the closest thing I could come up with, but he doesn't actually explain anything and it kind of looks like he put the wrong inset clip over the main video:

 

 

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I'll just read the manual! Lol... I'm a visual learner, see.

Yeah, I like seeing stuff done too but the manual's pretty good for the 80s.

  On 2/25/2020 at 1:55 AM, modey said:

Ha, that elektronauts thread is ridiculous. Someone guessed it, but people have guessed every single possibility so that doesn't mean anything..

So you know what it is?! Y/N

i guess what ever it is it’s gonna cost 50 squid, or more

  On 2/25/2020 at 1:55 AM, modey said:

Ha, that elektronauts thread is ridiculous. Someone guessed it, but people have guessed every single possibility so that doesn't mean anything..

This elektronaut thread is the cringiest thing I’ve seen in a long time, those guys would buy anything elektron branded, what a bunch of pathetic fanboys...