The Hardware Megathread

[misterjones313]

Well… It came. Got here yesterday. Now I have to do some repairs. One of its issues according to the Ebay listing was that it won’t power on because the battery is shot. Taking it apart and ordering a PSU for it and hoping for the best.

[relic]

I own an Xoxbox, i’ve never owned a real 303 so couldn’t compare but in the context of the mix i’m sure a dancefloor wouldn’t suddenly empty because an Xoxbox was used instead of a TB303

I’ve always been on your side of this argument when it comes to remakes vs. the real thing for sure. I was looking at the Cyclone TT-303 yesterday. But for less than the cost of the the TT-303 I can have the TD-3 and a Rat 2 distortion pedal (or something else) if I end up not liking the onboard distortion.

Edit: I bought a silver TD-3…fuck it…its decent to good sounding analog hardware at VST pricing. AND I know Ill have fun with it.

[misterjones313]

It’s taking everything I have in me to resist buying a Boss DR660. Wanted one in the 90’s, actually went up to Music Go Round in '98 to buy one but they had a Roland R8 with several cards on display for a few bucks more so I copped that instead.

[misterjones313]

one day I’ll learn to control these impulses when it comes to buying gear…

DR-660 should be here in about a week.

[Auto-meh-geddon]

Lol.

On the other hand while sitting on the toilet I decided that if my finances settle, later this year I’ll sell the MF and the Micromonsta and invest in a Korg Modwave. Even though having keys frightens me.

[jbvdb493]

That one does looks sick tho!

[relic]

Not really looking for a pat on the back or anything but finally started cleaning up the studio again (it always becomes the dump space if we work on some other project) and getting new gear plugged in. The SAD fog is clearing as the days grow longer but its still damn cold and Ive been feeling bad for the one feral cat we feed and shelter that desperately would love to come inside but we live in a tiny house w five adult cats already.

Defo gonna have to read the RD8 manual. As much as I thought I knew about old drum machines it doesn’t immediately work like you might think coming from electribes and elektron.

New Furman power strips are kinda exciting. Tone Beast still in the box but I have to decide on my small desktop rack or my freestanding two tier one on wheels which would be over kill (and I have to drag from a detached garage, through the house in the snow). Miiight have to break down the DJ setup for a while. No big deal on that.

TD-3 arrives tomorrow.

Sorting MIDI is the next step.

Having a a bunch of (new) gear is always exciting but I have a good feeling about this setup. Leaving the model:samples out of it for now I think. Gonna push the RD8 as far as I can and see what I can squeeze out of it. I feel like I don’t do that with gear enough sometimes. Back in the day people were making bad ass house music with a pile of records and an MPC, or like just one drum machine and a keyboard.

Probably finish setting up three days before the album writing month due date lol

[relic]

Well shit…FedEx is all up with the sun before my lazy ass is outta bed and delivered the TD3 AND our new mattress from Fig (no idea what that means really, the misses was in charge of that).

[relic]

Haven’t plugged the TD-3 in yet but as far as build quality goes I am not disappointed. I mean, you know its plastic before you pick it up and there is zero heft to it, but pressing on the face the plate doesn’t give much. A drop on hard floor wouldn’t be good but I don’t think it would totally destroy it. I had heard complaints about knob post wiggle but frankly I don’t think it is any worse than your average all/mostly plastic synth these days. Turning the knobs they are fairly stiff, they’ll be perfect if they break in a bit.

Also didn’t know this but the box says 16 voice poly chain. That’d be some THICK acid lines lol

[relic]

Hey guys. Thinking of selling my Rytm. Renoise is just so much easier to make good percussion with, and not just chopped up beats but even conventional pattern based stuff. I’m just not using it very much anymore. Seriously, what I’ve been doing lately is just recording individual sounds from it to drop into Renoise to seqeunce.

It’s a mk 1 and it’s in very good condition. Never been gigged with, non-smoking studio…what should I ask for it?

Yes, I’m aware I can research online for this type of thing, but I want your input.

Id say between 850-950 USD depending on how fast you want to sell. Not a comment on you or your gear because I believe you, but when dealing w strangers to me used is used. I don’t have expectations about how smoke free or non gigged a piece of gear is if I don’t know someone personally.

Not gonna lie… I always list my stuff as smoke free…but I burn herb in my studio. No one has ever complained.

Chain smokers can ruin gear for sure tho

[Geelist]

I hope you enjoy the TD-3 as much as I do!

[relic]

I hope you enjoy the TD-3 as much as I do!

I love the acid sound. I’m sure I will. I’m a little intimidated by all the talk about the sequencer being a PITA, but I’m planning on watching a walkthrough after work sometime today (or maybe at work tomorrow at my soul sucking retail job).

[Geelist]

It’s quirky, not going to lie, but after a few days it gets easier and you will be listening to other acid tracks trying to think “how would I program that?”.
Something that I found that helped me initially (and I still do it from time to time) was programming a sequence using ABL3 and then copy each step onto the TD3. The benefit of using a software clone is that the sequence plays through as you program, something that you can’t do on the TD3.

[relic]

It’s quirky, not going to lie, but after a few days it gets easier and you will be listening to other acid tracks trying to think “how would I program that?”.
Something that I found that helped me initially (and I still do it from time to time) was programming a sequence using ABL3 and then copy each step onto the TD3. The benefit of using a software clone is that the sequence plays through as you program, something that you can’t do on the TD3.

Thanks, great tips. I have Troublemaker which is an iPad app. I’ll use that to help me out.

[relic]

Ok, sorry I’ve been dominating the thread but I’ve got an actual technical question for ya’ll.

So, I got myself a DJ mixer that only has stereo inputs. I tried using either just the left or the right input on a single channel but it doesn’t sum the signal to both left and right upon output.

So my plan is to send the TD-3 and the Circuit MonoStation to a small, powered mono line mixer, to the Tone Beast (mono pre amp), to a mono to dual mono adapter, then into the stereo input of the DJ mixer. This way I would get that mono signal on both the L and the R of the stereo channel on the DJ mixer. Will this cause any kind of issues with the signal? Do I need to but some kind of more expensive solution to turn the mono signal into a stereo signal to make the most of the both the synths and the pre-amp? I am worried because I’m sending two good sounding synths into a $600 pre-amp then splitting the signal with a $6 adapter lol.

I’m a near 40 year old former raver pot head with bad ears. Send halp.

[Artificer]

If I’ve got your signal chain right in my head then yeah, should work like you expect.

Check my math, I’ve got a head full of cold meds - you’re using the mono mixer to bring the two synth signals together, which gets output as one mixed mono signal.

Then into the Mono Beast. Is the preamp just to spice stuff up or add another gain stage? Shouldn’t hurt anything, but I doubt you’d explicitly need it unless the mono mixer isn’t hot enough.

Then the signal get split into ‘stereo’ (which is actually doubled mono) and into the DJ mixer. You may see a level drop from the splitting which is just a byproduct of sending some signal down one wire and some down the other.

Between the synths, mixer and preamp you should have more than enough headroom to turn things up. Just be careful (and/or play around) with your gain staging because you have several levels to pay attention to. Start low across the board, turn each up a bit at a time until you figure out what you’re feeding the DJ mixer.

I am worried because I’m sending two good sounding synths into a $600 pre-amp then splitting the signal with a $6 adapter lol.

I get the worry, but it shouldn’t be an issue. Remember, analog audio is just electricity, and all that adapter is doing is being a connection for the electricity to go through. Just like those twist-on wire nuts that hold the wiring in your house together don’t keep you from turning on the lights, that splitter isn’t going to stop the electrical signal from running down the wires. It’s $6 because it’s that simple (and probably cost $0.20 to make). The only real issue might be the aforementioned signal drop, or if the splitter’s shitty made and doesn’t make a great connection, in which case you maybe lose a little signal, in which case you turn the mixer or preamp up.

Another option would be a small stereo mixer (Mackie Mix8 or similar) would let you run whatever into it and cut out the extra steps, as well as another EQ stage and more inputs to play with.

[GomesR]

So, I have been showing off some of my jams just by filming with my cell phone but it’s obviously shitty… is there a good way to still film with an iPhone but record from a line in for some better quality sound?

[Auto-meh-geddon]

I’ve been using a 20£ Behringer sound card to connect to my phone and the free Irig recorder to capture audio and video. Maybe your actual sound card works too.
And a camera connection kit on your phone

[misterjones313]

Welp… The battery was gone from the DS330. Got batteries in the other day and the PSU came. Fired it up and it’s working just fine now. The DR-660 is supposed to be in on Saturday so I’m really geeked about that. I’ve already run out of space on my table so I’ll probably grab one of those folding TV tables from Wallyworld and stick the keyboard on it.

[relic]

Feel better!

And yes you got it. Here is a poor sketch

Thanks for the info. I suspected that signal drop would be possible. The pre amp is for saturation/spice things up, yes. I suspected while not ideal the splitter is short and simple as you suggest.

Ironically I have a MackieMix8 but it is in use for a drum machine with individual outs currently. I do also have a MOTU 828 mkii that doesnt work as an interface anymore but can be used as a line mixer, Ill look into that.

As always thanks for the thorough respone!