The Hardware Megathread

#3224

Slick update. Sending the Tb03 a pulse for clock from the sequencer allows me to create alternate patterns/syncopation. Makes 16 steps go a lot further when it rarely lands on the one.

#3225

I fucking love MOTU. I dust off my MIDI 128 XT patchbay, flip on my preset and shit just works. Fucking brilliant. No computer needed.

In other news, I’ve got my new setup almost all ready. I’ve got to hook up the TD-3 to my computer and check the settings with the software but I even got it to make noise tonight using the random pattern generator.

I also have the Warm Audio Tone Beast up and routed. I’m getting a noise (not a hum and not just white noise) at about half its output gain. So, I’ll have to track that down. I’ll also have to go back and double check the manual and adjust things some while reading but I do think it ads a distinct “that something” to the synths I’ve run through it so far. It kind of lets you hear all the harmonics and movement in the patch in a more distinct way. It is hard to describe.

It could be the way I have things set up by the TD-3 seems quite quiet.

RD-8 is less of a mystery.

Final thought, The Numark 4 Channel DJ mixer I bought is indeed a kind of crappy lol. There is some bleed between the cue/master on the headphone monitor near a 100% cue or master. In practice for my purposes I don’t think I’ll notice most of the time. Anyway, if I like working this way, I’m just selling both my DJ mixers and will get a 4 Channel Allen and Heath ideally.

#3226

I just got an XT myself, I needed a USB to midi interface for my PC anyways and the patchbay/preset functionality was a big plus for me. I have it working for all my hardware, not yet tested with my DAW. Very impressed for the price, I got mine for $150 or so.

#3227

You should get it working with your DAW no problem. MOTU has always done what it says on the box for me. It was a revelation when it came to myself and MIDI. Great piece if gear. One of those boring purchases that keep the fun things playing nice lol.

#3228

Got in today. Waiting on Amazon to deliver more audio and MIDI cables today as well. My MPC500 should be here late next week along with a Tascam DP-008 that I really have no use for (the guy selling the MPC is just throwing it in). What kinda sucks is that I’m going to have to buy a small mixer in order to get everything into the Tascam 428 unless relent and buy a Tascam FW-1082 firewire interface/control surface. I think I’ve spent enough money at this point so unless I can catch one for an insanely good price like I did with the 428, I’ll just cop a small used mixer and call it a day.

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#3229

Last night I played around with the Koala Sampler app. That is the fastest and funniest sampling app I ever tried, feels like a Sp-303 but sleeker

#3230

Next project sorted out. Just debating dropping the coin, even tho it’s not terribly expensive.

#3231

Behringer: we painstakingly recreated the twue analog nature of the TR 808

Also Behringer: you have to upgrade you USB port drivers, download three software programs and plug the RD8 into the computer to update it.

#3232

Nothing is ever easy…

So I get to playing with the DR660 today and the data encoder barely works and some of the pads double-hit as if the roll was on them. Contacted the seller and he told me he’ll swap it for another known working unit they have in stock.

#3233

That is a sincere bummer. Ive not had too many woes with buying used. Hope it gets sorted quickly for you.

#3234

So the Behringer RD-8 has a great feature, unsure if the original TR-808 had this, but if you aren’t in Step + Record mode and add trigs to the sequence while it is playing, it plays the additional trigs once through then deletes them. Makes it really easy to improv fills and variations w/o modifying the pattern. I will be abusing the shit out of this.

#3235

yeah, I’ll have it out in the mail tomorrow morning. They’re going to ship out another one as soon as they get this one back.

#3236

That’s not very faithful to the original. It’s awesome.

#3237

Despite my complaint about updating it. And whatever an original sounded like (I think the RD-8 sounds better than Roland’s ACB digital having owned a TR-8 and TR-8S). The RD-8 is a good balance of old and new.

The swing sounds pretty sweet. Accent “vocie” as well.
I haven’t decided yet if I am mad/glad patterns don’t store voice settings.

I am also kinda shocked how short the bass drum decay is at max. But again, not an expert on these kinda specifics in the original. I actually feel kinda uninformed at this point.

The master output transient shaper type FX and filter can really dial up the voices. Defo useful from subtle to “i can hear it”…extreme settings start to break things up in a nasty way…maybe useful on occasion. With HP or LP filter w RESO there is a tad more sound shaping than the original 808. The master fx is on a send and you can choose which voices to send. Individual outs bypass the master fx as expected.

Some complained about the tone/reverb on the clap. I think it sounds great. Dunno if its accurate to the original but good.

It all sounds good.

Honestly. I am impressed. Build quality its way better than TD-3.

Also…the Novation Monostation through the Warm Audio Tone Beast is a true thing of aural beauty. I was hoping for something a little less subtle but am more and more impressed how it highlights and polishes the natural qualities of the source material.

The Monostation has pre filter overdrive, three flavors of post filter distortion that + the options in the Tone Beast leave a lot of room for subtle texture shaping.

I am being a bougie cunt but I kinda want something in the saturation/distortion arena for the Digitakt. But shit stereo is expensive.

#3238

I feel your pain. It took me ages to get mine updated. It took 2 desktops and a laptop to get it to install in the end.

#3239

@relic; all that is awesome to hear man!

I wonder how close something like the Strymon Deco would get you? Not trying to compare it to your tone beast just trying to think of a cheap solution that might get you, I dunno, 50% of the way. Not to be redundant but there’s also always the good old Analog Heat. Seems it’s either those two pieces or a Fusion Box is what you’re left with, lol.

#3240

I know it’s an ancient machine but the MPC2500 w JJOS is blowing my mind.

I bought it off of a friend who needed $ due to medical expenses (USA! USA!) and it had been briefly used on and off before I settled back into my Ableton-centric workflow.

I pulled it off the shelf to develop this HW based stream I was invited to perform. Aside from getting it talking to my wee little modular, I’ve began a deep dive (like reading the manual whilst my partner watches TV on the couch), the capabilities that JJ has built into this OS are incredible.

Since it’s a 64 track sequencer, one has the ability to use loads of tracks to dedicate to “empty programs” (programs containing no sample content) where pads can send CC messages @ specific values allowing for CC automation tracks.

It’s not elektron style p-locks but I think it’ll go a long way.

Being productive working from home is going to be difficult today…

#3241

15-20 years ago Behringer made a tube pre/comp. maybe get one cheap?

Also ART PRO-VLA…

#3242

Don’t you wish your drum machine was hot like mine :rofl:

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#3243