the watmm GAS thread

Getting into the home stretch on an E.A.S. Mind Reader (MS-20 input/pitch-to-CV Eurorack clone).  Making the mounting bracket was a pain.

Can never find the DIY thread with search so I'm putting it here.

  On 5/21/2020 at 8:19 PM, chim said:

Full bank dumps too? And which one? I saw a couple of them blacklisted at one place. 

Oh, sorry, I have no idea about bank dumps. I’ve been using the 4x4 anniversary edition. 
What works for me is using a m4l device that sends sysex to machinedrum (not very efficiently as I made the device...), sending updates and samples to the md, receiving backups (guess this would be a bank dump?). Volca fm and evolver also receive/send sysex just fine through this interface. 
 

If you’re doing bank dumps have you tried adjusting the rate and interval etc on whichever program you’re using to take the dumps? (That was intentional, sorry) 

  On 5/21/2020 at 8:41 PM, TubularCorporation said:

Getting into the home stretch on an E.A.S. Mind Reader (MS-20 input/pitch-to-CV Eurorack clone).  Making the mounting bracket was a pain.

 

 

Can never find the DIY thread with search so I'm putting it here.

 

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 I didn’t even know there was a diy thread. Perhaps it would be appropriate to initiate a fresh one? 
 

  On 5/22/2020 at 12:09 AM, user said:

I didn’t even know there was a diy thread. Perhaps it would be appropriate to initiate a fresh one? 

it would more appropriate to build an entire new forum from scratch in which to then create a truly DIY thread.

Yeah, it's called "DIY Crew In the House" or something similar and it's pretty long.

Meanwhile, the old Mother32 my neighbor sold to me for $300 a couple years ago was just sold back to him for $150 plus an Intellijel Planar 1 and some 12" patch cables, so somehow we've both managed to come out ahead by selling stuff for less than market value.

EDIT: n.m. found it.  For some reason when I search for variations of "crew in the house" on here I never find it, but if I do a domain limited Duckduckgo search for "DIY crew" it's all top 3 or 4 results every time.

  On 5/22/2020 at 12:09 AM, user said:

Oh, sorry, I have no idea about bank dumps. I’ve been using the 4x4 anniversary edition. 
What works for me is using a m4l device that sends sysex to machinedrum (not very efficiently as I made the device...), sending updates and samples to the md, receiving backups (guess this would be a bank dump?). Volca fm and evolver also receive/send sysex just fine through this interface. 
 

If you’re doing bank dumps have you tried adjusting the rate and interval etc on whichever program you’re using to take the dumps? (That was intentional, sorry) 

 

 

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It's difficult to generalize as devices send different sets of data of differing sizes. I've tried various byte packet reduction methods and can't exactly slow down the Matrix's internal data dump which clued me in to a deeper problem. It did manage to transfer about 30 lines of data (monitored on the computer) before crashing once, which is considered a give-away that the device can't do it. Complete sysex strings always end with F7 so it's obvious when they're not. Midi Ox quickly returned a sysex memory insufficiency problem, and even trying to run 2 byte packages with 1 second delays proved impossible. However, mod matrix parameter changes are packets of three lines which and always update instantly without problems. I've emailed the manufacturer about this as a last resort, but as they're out of office under current circumstances it's difficult for them to get into and duplicate my situation. What's suspicious to me is that they don't have, on-hand somewhere, the sysex data transfer capacity of their most sold midi device. The keyboard itself updates its own firmware via a sysex dump so I'm not convinced it's physically impossible, just insufficiently organized or coded. Seeing as they called my attempted setup "exotic" it doesn't look high on the priority list.

Funny thing is the keyboard's OLED display glitches out like an aphex live set backdrop when it crashes from too much sysex. 

  Quote

 I didn’t even know there was a diy thread. Perhaps it would be appropriate to initiate a fresh one?

Dunno about y'all but I like this as a general hangout for purchases and current setup projects. 

Woohoo, Sweetwater shipped my model cycles. 

Mindreader is almost working.  I haven't calibrated it but everything except gate is OK, for some reason the gate voltage is +5v high, +7v low instead of +5v high 0v low.  Weird. 

Something pretty unique here at 9:00 in the video, real time convolution of 2 live channels in the modular hardware realm. Hear the sound of vocals convolving over drums, somewhat like vocoding.. but not. Weird.  

Had a dream about MPC1000 tonight, it was weird and had soft pads on it's sides but I guess I am cursed now. Thanks @sweepstakes.

  On 5/24/2020 at 11:40 AM, thawkins said:

Had a dream about MPC1000 tonight, it was weird and had soft pads on it's sides but I guess I am cursed now. Thanks @sweepstakes.

I used to have MPC dreams all the time, both before and after getting one. It's got a real je ne sais quoi to it, maybe that even though it's simple, it's also limitless in a way. And the pads are the egg for the Betty Crocker mix.

Partly because of this thread I've been using mine again lately and it's been satisfying, it's a real workhorse. IMO the 1000 is the most reasonable choice of the MPC line besides the stuff that came out in the last few years. There's less myth associated with its converters or swing or whatever, the UI is mostly a breeze, it has solid timing, and JJOS is excellent. And it's heavy but it doesn't get in the way (but isn't too cramped either).

I very nearly bought an mpc1000 as a few have popped up on gumtree/facebook in the past couple of days. 

I think I've decided on a Squarp Pyramid though. I haven't been too inspired controlling my Nords and other non-sequenced devices using Elektron gear, so maybe the Pyramid will help me to use them a bit more..

I bought an OB6 several months ago and it has KILLED my productivity. Every time I sit down to make music, I end up just making patches on the OB6 because I can't get over how good it sounds. I just end up noodling on the keyboard and getting ASMR tingles from it because it does some kind of weird shit to my brain. Now I'm just a shitty synth noodler type.

Haha, that's how I feel about my Nord Lead, and possibly the Digitone as well. I don't make many tracks with either, because when I sit down with them, I just get lost in making and playing lush patches. I guess that's kinda nice though

It must be amazing to discover that you've got an instrument you actually like to play, not just "make tracks".

That's how I feel too now with my Tidal centric set-up.

Since my last post I made another little track with the MPC. The track itself was nothing special, but as I was making it, I was really shocked how little it was getting in my way. Select track, choose program, bang on pads to find good sounds, record that, repeat until the pattern is done. Copy the pattern, empty out some of the tracks, record some new stuff into them. It doesn't get much simpler.

My neighbor texted me earlier and said he'd straight up give me a Polivoks filter clone for free tomorrow, unprompted.  Pretty sure it was DIY when he was first learning so might be sloppy, but he's been using it for at least two years so it must work fine.

  On 5/25/2020 at 12:40 AM, sweepstakes said:

Since my last post I made another little track with the MPC. The track itself was nothing special, but as I was making it, I was really shocked how little it was getting in my way. Select track, choose program, bang on pads to find good sounds, record that, repeat until the pattern is done. Copy the pattern, empty out some of the tracks, record some new stuff into them. It doesn't get much simpler.

Yeah I do this with Live too...

I accidentally a D-110. It was only 97,- shipped, should be here tomorrow. 
 

I’d been ogling jv1080’s for a few weeks but was kind of put off by how pricey the expansion cards are and knowing myself I’d start lusting after them probably within a few minutes of getting the synth. 
Had kind of forgotten I’d added the D-110 to my notifications but when it popped up this afternoon it seemed like the perfect thing to quel my thirst for a 90s rompler(esque) racksynth. 
 

Spent most of last night patching a m4l sysex controller for the quadraverb (which is coming along ok I guess but still haven’t found out how to properly deal with sending lsb/msb) so I guess when that is far along enough to be usable I can start working on one for the d-110

Damn u smart. I would just use that 8ccs max plug

Using those cc controllers would probably be more efficient and smarter... But I find it impossible to choose which things to assign, same thing with macros usually. I guess spending ages configuring controllers and such things is my way of getting to know my machines, usually when I'm trying to learn something to improve the way I think I want to interface with it I get stuck a lot on technical things but sometimes this results in some cool sound or sequence. It's the way to go if you have no musical skill or creative vision but still want to try. I'm a monkey bashing a typewriter with a rock.   

  On 5/26/2020 at 2:32 AM, user said:

I guess spending ages configuring controllers and such things is my way of getting to know my machines, usually when I'm trying to learn something to improve the way I think I want to interface with it I get stuck a lot on technical things but sometimes this results in some cool sound or sequence.

Yeah I'm like this sometimes as well. Sometimes I'm just more in a tinkering mood than a creative mood.

I bought a Pyramid btw. It's very nice, though the pad buttons are some of the worst I've seen/used, especially for a device of this price range. It's made worse that it's a second-hand unit in kinda dodgy condition, because some of the pads get slightly stuck in the enclosure when pressed. It's not a showstopper, as the pads still trigger properly, but they don't feel great.

As a sequencer though, it's a lot more modular than I expected, and I can imagine I'll eventually get to a point with it where I can bang out sequences very quickly.

lol I fixed the sticky buttons with moisturiser.. wonder if it'll last

  On 5/25/2020 at 10:42 PM, user said:

I accidentally a D-110. It was only 97,- shipped, should be here tomorrow. 
 

I’d been ogling jv1080’s for a few weeks but was kind of put off by how pricey the expansion cards are and knowing myself I’d start lusting after them probably within a few minutes of getting the synth. 
Had kind of forgotten I’d added the D-110 to my notifications but when it popped up this afternoon it seemed like the perfect thing to quel my thirst for a 90s rompler(esque) racksynth. 
 

Spent most of last night patching a m4l sysex controller for the quadraverb (which is coming along ok I guess but still haven’t found out how to properly deal with sending lsb/msb) so I guess when that is far along enough to be usable I can start working on one for the d-110

 

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I want to patch up a M4L controller for my Roland XV5080 but even starting this reverse engineering process is giving me the heebie jeebies (it's a really deep machine) so I usually stick to cc8.

  On 5/27/2020 at 2:20 AM, modey said:

Yeah I'm like this sometimes as well. Sometimes I'm just more in a tinkering mood than a creative mood.

 

I bought a Pyramid btw. It's very nice, though the pad buttons are some of the worst I've seen/used, especially for a device of this price range. It's made worse that it's a second-hand unit in kinda dodgy condition, because some of the pads get slightly stuck in the enclosure when pressed. It's not a showstopper, as the pads still trigger properly, but they don't feel great.

As a sequencer though, it's a lot more modular than I expected, and I can imagine I'll eventually get to a point with it where I can bang out sequences very quickly.

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Damn, that is slightly off putting, especially on something that you want to jam with. I had this with a controller once that was also not exactly super cheap but it only happened when pressing the button coming from a certain angle, after a while I got used to it. 

  On 5/27/2020 at 9:04 AM, thawkins said:

I want to patch up a M4L controller for my Roland XV5080 but even starting this reverse engineering process is giving me the heebie jeebies (it's a really deep machine) so I usually stick to cc8.

Yeah, I think there’s a limit to how many levels I can keep track of while putting together a controller like that, after a while it gets too complicated and I end up breaking some functionality after adding a new layer. One thing I haven’t gotten to work smoothly for example is updating/changing the parameters that are exposed on push based on context.