the watmm GAS thread

Ensoniq asr 10 has poly at

Yeah, a lot of Ensoniques do and the MPC I have does and some Korg controllers from the 90s do but they're all large keyboards, and that's not an option even if I had space, because it has to be something I can easily carry in one hand or on my back.  I was more saying it's poly AT that got me looking at alternative controllers again.  Anyway, it's a long way off,  I'm going to try to put aside $100 a month but even that is a stretch these days.

  On 8/6/2018 at 9:55 PM, modey said:

Yeah, the mobile version is great, but I'm more inspired by the GBA version. I find it much quicker to get ideas down using buttons than the touch interface. Also, the pattern storage is a lot better for live use imo.

Yeah I couldn't get on with the mobile version, although I appreciate that it can play samples now. Buttons rule for handheld beat making... when you get the feel for it it's like playing a video game, which is why nanoloop, LSDJ, and LGPT are awesome (and the POs feel a lot like that too).

  On 8/6/2018 at 1:47 AM, modey said:

Yeah the Axoloti route is another one I've thought about. I do quite like the sound of the Nord's oscillators/filters/effects though; that's probably the one thing I'll miss about it. That said, I'll keep my original Nord Lead forever, so will always have that Nord sound at hand. Maybe I'll just replace the Modular with a Micro, as most of my patches are all self-contained anyway and don't use polyphony.

 

I have the Digitone so am familiar with the new sensitive encoders. They're a pain, but I'll either get used to them or Elektron will address it (I assume they will at some point).

 

I wouldn't be against just getting another (new) OT mk1; I can tell things are starting to show signs of failure in my current one so would rather just replace it than try to fix it up. It's got a bit of cosmetic wear as well so it'd be nice to have a shiny new one :P

Another thing to be wary of with the MKII: more people are starting to report urn-in on the OLED screen.  Another Elektronauts thread about it today: https://www.elektronauts.com/t/mk2-burn-in/60552

Personally I avoid OLED like the plague, it isn't nearly mature enough for me to trust its longevity.  LCD has about a 40 year track record, every issue it can have is well known and almost always fixable.  OLED is still a gamble.

True.. but the mk2s are the way forward, like it or not. I suppose I could see if I can send it to Elektron to get serviced and then maybe pick it up when I'm visiting in October lol.. would Elektron even do a full test/service on a machine?

I caved and reserved a neutron. Picking it up tomorrow. Ugh. But also secretly not so much ugh.

I scored a clutch of medium-duty polymer cases for free last week, but now I need things to put in them...

If all goes well, I am selling my old MicroKey and Launchpad today. The money I get from that is probably close to nothing but it feels good to get rid of extra gear. I have had the launchpad for the longest time, but I figure that if I ever need anything like that I go get the small version instead.

In case someone wants to blow their retirement fund, here's some archived AKAI MPCs and E-MUs.

https://tokyo.craigslist.jp/msg/d/akai-mpcs-and-samplers/6666020470.html?lang=en&cc=us

Yikes.

I paid $100 for a blue MPC2000xl with a card reader, a flawless display and brand new data slider, pads and pad sensors 9 years ago.

After 17 years of piano rolls (and many, many years using Numerology as well), I've just bought a Renoise license. 

Feels like a nice, refreshing challenge, and quite a logical move actually : the KB centric workflow is what got me.

The transition shouldn't be too steep hopefully : relying a lot on 2/3 softsynths I'm especially looking for a fast, efficient way to sequence them, more than Renoise's deep sampling abilities. I've already figured out how to use macros, LFOs and instrument automations (I've been relying on such features a lot for years), now I just have to learn what I need to as I go.

I have some WIP in Live I'll try to recreate, should be a nice start.

Any tips for a tracker noob?

  On 8/15/2018 at 8:29 PM, Nil said:

After 17 years of piano rolls (and many, many years using Numerology as well), I've just bought a Renoise license. 

Feels like a nice, refreshing challenge, and quite a logical move actually : the KB centric workflow is what got me.

The transition shouldn't be too steep hopefully : relying a lot on 2/3 softsynths I'm especially looking for a fast, efficient way to sequence them, more than Renoise's deep sampling abilities. I've already figured out how to use macros, LFOs and instrument automations (I've been relying on such features a lot for years), now I just have to learn what I need to as I go.

I have some WIP in Live I'll try to recreate, should be a nice start.

Any tips for a tracker noob?

any video by Dune/Brothomstates is a good start !

  On 8/15/2018 at 8:29 PM, Nil said:

I've already figured out how to use macros, LFOs and instrument automations, now I just have to learn what I need to as I go....

Any tips for a tracker noob?

Although you already figured out some basics, have you seen this channel? ; https://www.youtube.com/user/LearnRenoise/videos?disable_polymer=1

As a tip I'd say dl tracks, xrns songs wherever shared (Renoise can also load oldschool mod's, xm's from trackers of the past) and dissect how people tackle different genres. There are tons of ways how you can handle particular styles. 

Besides the demo songs that are supplied with the install, the Renoise forum has a download section; http://forum.renoise.com/index.php/files/category/5-songs/   

update to my GAS situation:

• About to sell 0-coast
• JV1080 still for sale
• Swapping Reface DX for CP soon
• Monomachine stays for now
• Purchased a Max subscription and a Roli Lightblock to hopefully restart my custom sequencer ideas

  On 8/15/2018 at 8:29 PM, Nil said:

relying a lot on 2/3 softsynths I'm especially looking for a fast, efficient way to sequence them, more than Renoise's deep sampling abilities. 

...

Any tips for a tracker noob?

I suggest you try its multisampling feature, to create sample-based instruments out of your softsynth presets. Even if it means baking LFOs etc into a sample.. there are so many great things that you can do with sample sequencing in Renoise. But then again, I come from an oldskool sample tracker background, so tracker effects like portamento, vibrato etc are essential.

^curious to hear about the custom sequencer ideas if you ever wanna blab about them or you get them running and wanna show them

I'll definitely make some videos. I have an idea for basically a clone of nanoloop for the lightpad; not sure if it'll be practical to make something like that for it though. From there I'd like to expand it further with generative stuff like pattern/parameter morphing, euclidean pattern generators, etc etc.. Basically what I started last year with pd but then ran into a wall because I never developed any pattern save/reload features.

Also there's an idea I had about saving pattern data as a PNG, being able to edit in Photoshop (for example) and then loading it back in to manipulate patterns in weird ways.

Man. Renosie has the most inspiring sampler. My fav renoise version, the one I use, is 2.8.2. Love the interface there. Kind of hated the upgrade after that.

The sampler, how it takes up the whole screen, it just makes you think that sample is the most important thing in the world.

Haven’t actively used remoise in almost 2 years but it’s an amazing thing.

Yeah, I haven't used it much in the past year (apart from on the Teledildonix release) as I haven't been doing much meticulous/prog stuff, but I hope to get back to it someday.

  On 8/15/2018 at 11:59 PM, modey said:

Purchased a Max subscription and a Roli Lightblock to hopefully restart my custom sequencer ideas

Hell yeah, I just started getting back into Max a couple days ago. I was hoping to make a thing to scrape the parameters from a VST (specifically Microtonic) so they could be discovered and then automated with some MIDI gear. I didn't get super far but I ended up with a thing that modulates the tempo from like 10-999 BPM and it grabs the last control you've turned and modulates that too. Pretty wacky.

I got to the point (always do with Max) where I realized that about I could implement 80% of the patch way faster and in a much more maintainable format in code. I've got to find a fast way to set up a JS base to bounce off of; seems like a good way to work.

  On 8/16/2018 at 2:11 AM, sheathe said:

My fav renoise version, the one I use, is 2.8.2. Love the interface there. Kind of hated the upgrade after that.

 

The sampler, how it takes up the whole screen, it just makes you think that sample is the most important thing in the world.

 

Haven’t actively used remoise in almost 2 years but it’s an amazing thing.

Thanks for pointing this out; I have kind of been in denial about how much more I liked 2.x over 3.

I still like Renoise occasionally for sample editing, yeah, super inspiring. Its sequencer feels kind of flat and bland to me now (no polyrhythms, probability, knobs, etc.) but I'll always have a soft spot for it.

There's a MPC1000 for sale where I live, cheaper than what I paid for my MPC500 6-7 years ago.

I love the 500 but it's gathering dust right now. I think stepping up to the 1000 could mean more comfort of use and thus help me use the MPC all over again.

2nd prices for the MPC Renaissance are also very low but this one looks quite bad imo.

kept my gas under control for about 6 months but after making some money this summer is coming back.. I'm thinking of the thyme and I'm thinking of the sh01..

  On 8/16/2018 at 1:20 AM, modey said:

I'll definitely make some videos. I have an idea for basically a clone of nanoloop for the lightpad; not sure if it'll be practical to make something like that for it though. From there I'd like to expand it further with generative stuff like pattern/parameter morphing, euclidean pattern generators, etc etc.. Basically what I started last year with pd but then ran into a wall because I never developed any pattern save/reload features.

 

Also there's an idea I had about saving pattern data as a PNG, being able to edit in Photoshop (for example) and then loading it back in to manipulate patterns in weird ways.

Cool cool, definitely hope to see where you get with all that.

  On 8/16/2018 at 7:06 AM, MIXL2 said:

kept my gas under control for about 6 months but after making some money this summer is coming back.. I'm thinking of the thyme and I'm thinking of the sh01..

The thyme sure looks interesting and weird but after watching a bit of stuff with it I'm just not sure how much most people would ever use it. Obviously for some music it would be perfect but it's pretty wild, just not what I usually use or want from my delays/effects.

So I'm definitely gonna drop my TG33. I like some of the sounds and the sounds it's capable of are very interesting, but I just really can't get into the editing of it. Old mushy buttons and old screen you have to look at directly, silly fucking menu structure, and I'm just not good enough programming complex FM stuff to know my way around the sounds and how they interact to take away that layer of difficulty in programming, so all of that together just kills it for me. Really wanted to get on with it but I can get better sounds out of Ableton 90% of the time, with like 3% of the effort. Just not for me.

So I will at some point be in the market for a new poly I guess. If there's anything hella cheap I might bite now, but I'm glad to listen to suggestions of out-of-the-way stuff, old/new/digital/analog doesn't much matter. Something 'unique' is ideal, something versatile is necessary. Sampling is okay but I'm not looking for a sampler, synthesis is my main bitch. No software control of hardware shit (not downing that at all, just not currently interested in it for me). I'm currently thinking of getting either a Blofeld, an Elektron A4 mk1, or a Nord Lead Rack, but I need to start delving into my spank bank mental GAS list. Cost and size are always an issue with me so cheaper and smaller the better (why Blofeld is at the top of the list). Just fielding ideas for now, may not be buying anything for quite some time, but I've seen interesting suggestions pop up around here so I'm throwing it out there.

  On 8/16/2018 at 9:47 AM, auxien said:

 

  On 8/16/2018 at 7:06 AM, MIXL2 said:

kept my gas under control for about 6 months but after making some money this summer is coming back.. I'm thinking of the thyme and I'm thinking of the sh01..

The thyme sure looks interesting and weird but after watching a bit of stuff with it I'm just not sure how much most people would ever use it. Obviously for some music it would be perfect but it's pretty wild, just not what I usually use or want from my delays/effects.

I suppose what I enjoy w hardware is really to get the weird stuff and see what comes out..

If you're thinking of the blofeld but have a better budget, look for a Microwave Xt. other than that, the A4 is amazing! although I never think of it as a polysynth, it's a one stop shop for anything.

  On 8/16/2018 at 1:20 AM, modey said:

I'll definitely make some videos. I have an idea for basically a clone of nanoloop for the lightpad; not sure if it'll be practical to make something like that for it though. From there I'd like to expand it further with generative stuff like pattern/parameter morphing, euclidean pattern generators, etc etc.. Basically what I started last year with pd but then ran into a wall because I never developed any pattern save/reload features.

 

Also there's an idea I had about saving pattern data as a PNG, being able to edit in Photoshop (for example) and then loading it back in to manipulate patterns in weird ways.

PNG is a bit tricky because it is a compressed file, editing in photoshop might mess up whatever structure you got set up. However, if I recall correctly, BMP should allow for uncompressed formats, so you can load/save both your sequences and the stuff you do in photoshop without too much fuckery.

There was another video where the guy actually made a working tunnel visualization thing by just drawing correct stuff in Paint, but I can't find that video anymore.