Definitely the most comprehensive hardware setup I’ve had. 4 part synth, 8 tracks sampling, midi sequencing, verb & delay. Really loving the pedals from Meris.
And here’s a real quick jam. Been mainly making very short pieces lately, min or less in length so as to fit within the time limitation of an Instagram square. Great community of musicians over there doing short jams. This one is a hair longer than a min though, hence the YouTube version.
Its a tight setup man. I can see that being super productive. Not hating on big setups, because who wouldn’t love an out of control gear budget? But there really is something about being able to really focus in and making the most out of just a few pieces of gear and squeezing every last ounce out of each piece–I feel like that is wear the “magic” came from in the dance music of the the late 80’s to the mid 90’s. It was that punk rock aesthetic brought to dance music–make due with what you have.
Thanks man. Yeah I totally hear you there. My problem is I find one little problem with a setup and I can’t see past it. Really trying to not do that this time. I was realizing this evening as I was working on this that my gear problems are so “first world.” Like literally not even problems at all, just stupid shit I make way too big a deal of. That’s the curse of learning on software so many years ago. You train yourself on infinite possibilities. I really have to make myself think differently when working out of the box.
I don’t think you are the only one guilty of that. Defo frustrating when you want to so something simple and then realize your setup can’t pull it off w/o another piece of gear.
When i was younger i’d see Tristram Cary step into his shed smoking his pipe amongst all these amazing vintage machines and think thats what i want to do one day.
My working day is that long i hardly get anytime to make music, i own some beautiful machines that hardly get used, I’m also aware that i’ll probably retire in 15 years time and once I’ve retired i’d like to spend the rest of my life making music, one of the reasons i keep buying gear.
I’m trying to put up shelves where i can (trying as i have no space) to store gear and grab them when i want to use them, even though my modular is quite big i usually select only 2 or 3 modules that session to patch and see what i can get out of them.
i was amazed how i had what sounded like an 60’s organ out of a portishead track with only a turing machine and cyclebox two items what should never of made that sound.
Basically I’ve got quite a lot of gear but when i do have time in the studio i only select a few items, at the moment my love is recording synths into the tascam 4-track, probably because i never owned a 4-track the first time around.
Yea, that is a good method I think. I wish I would have had more experience when I had more gear, I was so guilty of trying to use everything I had in every song b/c I paid for it god damn it so I HAD to use it all. Every song became more an exercise in getting all the pieces to work together than coming up with an interesting track.
if i was trying to fit all my gear in just to justify it i don’t think id ever get anything made but i can understand your point, I’m not bothered if a piece of gear doesn’t get used for a decade i’ll still keep it, my access virus C is a prime example didn’t like it at all when i bough it only ever made 1 track with it, then 14 or whatever years later i’m now in love with it.
Ive always disliked my Moog little phatty, I’m not sure i actually like the moog sound but you never know might fall in love with that one day. , i like the sound of the filter just the overall sound of the synth does nothing for me, nothing it does make me want to put it in a track.
Haha, yea having seen photos of your setup I know that wouldn’t even be practical. It hardly was practical when my setup was at its biggest.
As for Moog, I’ve only owned a Mother-32 and I really did love the sound of it but I thought it had really beautiful mid-high to high end frequencies of all things, though I think I remember reading it wasn’t a “traditional” Moog as far as its sound goes. I’d like to try another some day, people seem to love the simpler ones for simple bass patches.
Oh yea, I’m not knocking the M32 at all. Wish I still had it : ) The DFAM isn’t really for me. I can certainly see why some people would want it–and it would be the modular aspect. I had some some C/V interaction going on when I had the M32, MS20 mini and the A4, it wasn’t inspiring to me and was more work than it was worth. YMMV
So true… Back in the day… Some live input through a couple of mics, a reel-to-reel with slap back echo and a mixing board could blow peoples minds! But you had to go with it… The equipment would lead you down a path of discovery. Put an overhead projector with some colored oil between two pieces of clear plastic and BAMMM! Psychedelia was IN THE ROOM!!! BOOM!!!
My grass is in a terrible state, thats what happens when you get a new build the turf is freshly rolled and things look lovely, then a year or 2 later it all starts dying when the roots reach all the toxic soil they used as landfill.