Your next hardware purchase (non guitar)

[AnX]

8 gang surge protected extenstion lead.

[thecontrolcentre]

I need to get an A-frame keyboard stand to make things more ergonomic. I'm getting a bad back from tweaking some of my synths as things are.

One of these looks like it'd do the job ...

C__Data_Users_DefApps_AppData_INTERNETEXPLORER_Temp_Saved Images_12751252_800.jpg

https://m.thomann.de/gb/jaspers_3d_120_ ... 1486920203#

[JCJR]

I finally broke down and bought a MOTU midi express 128 8 in 8 out interface. For many years I used the old MOTU MTPII as a standalone router/mapper/merger between a few synths and one or two DIN cables into Computer. Just piggy backing on the 1 or 2 MIDI ports built-in to whatever smallish audio interface I was using. Wasn't really doing much heavy duty sequencing, just fooling around and rarely needed more than 1 or 2 discrete ports into the computer. And I liked that the MTPII does such a bang-up job as standalone front-panel programmable router that works regardless whether the computer is turned on, even if it was no longer useful as a MIDI interface.

But last year I got a Behringer XR18 digital mixer, which I like the sound and features but the MIDI in/out pair seemed too time-sloppy to use for recording tight MIDI tracks. I think it is because the XR18 transfers 18 channels of audio between mixer and computer on the same USB pipe where the MIDI has to share. MAYBE behringer even tries to "time interleave" MIDI with the audio buffers rather than passing on the MIDI "as soon as possible". Dunno. I'm not complaining, just that I could no longer do the old trick I relied on so many years. For a long time used a firewire Saffire Pro24 for audio and MIDI and the built-in MIDI seemed fairly tight. But firewire is pretty good for realtime, and the Pro24 typically only shared 2 or 4 channels of audio with the MIDI on its firewire pipe.

So the MOTU XT is not worth the money IMO for just adding a few offline presets, so I bowed to the need to run the computer in order to play my MIDI stack, and got the Midi Express 128. MIDI timing seems quite good so far with MIDI on the MEX128, audio on the XR18 and MIDI turned off entirely on the XR18.

[vurt]

fingers crossed for stock, hopefully tomorrow i will be ordering a)particle b)tensor and c)a possible deluxe memory man, the blue one with the 1100ms delay time.

also, looking at a couple of singing bowls

[vurt]

due to having to piss about with the doctor's tomorrow, ive held off on the above orders till tomorrow. im home all day thursday so will arrange next day delivery.
that is also when the klein bottle will finally be in my hands, got the customs invoice today and paid that so happy happy joy happy!

[RichieWitch]

So the MOTU XT is not worth the money IMO for just adding a few offline presets, so I bowed to the need to run the computer in order to play my MIDI stack, and got the Midi Express 128. MIDI timing seems quite good so far with MIDI on the MEX128, audio on the XR18 and MIDI turned off entirely on the XR18.

I have the MOTU XT, and would agree with you in principal, but I got mine on Craig's List for $125, so the price was hard to beat. And it sure is sweet to press the "Keyboard" preset and be able to layer multiple synths in real time. That preset sends only the keyboard info without any of the CC messages, so you can tweak filter and envelope settings, or even change presets, without impacting any of the other synths, while they all track the same keyboard actions together.

But yeah, I'm not using 1/10th of the functionality the XT offers.

[JCJR]

I have the MOTU XT, and would agree with you in principal, but I got mine on Craig's List for $125, so the price was hard to beat. And it sure is sweet to press the "Keyboard" preset and be able to layer multiple synths in real time. That preset sends only the keyboard info without any of the CC messages, so you can tweak filter and envelope settings, or even change presets, without impacting any of the other synths, while they all track the same keyboard actions together.

But yeah, I'm not using 1/10th of the functionality the XT offers.

Yeah, my expectations were just permanently blown by features of the Midi TIme Piece II and Midi Time Piece AV which are no longer made, and no reasonable substitute for them is still made by anyone so far as I know.

On the one hand I doubt if many people really NEED the SMPTE striping and timecode sync features of the MTPII, MTPAV, or the current XT any more. But its hard to believe that a box that will act as a MIDI interface and also easy front-panel programmable standalone for port-to-port routing, rechanneling, filtering, splitting and merging would not be found useful by modern customers.

So I wonder why they don't make a USB interface with an LCD and similar UI button features (or better) for setting up the standalone routing, but leave off the sync features that hardly anyone needs anymore now that standalone audio and video tape machines are dim memories for most of us.

I guess maybe it wouldn't cut the manufacturing price very much just to remove the sync hardware features. On the other hand there are sub-$100 really nice MP3 players and such with nice color screens and more buttons and fancier UI than the MTP II had. So merely from manufacturing cost, they ought to be able to HARDWARE make money on a smart interface at a price point not drastically higher than the MIDI express 128, which probably contains hardly anything except a bunch of jacks and a couple of PIC chips or tiny microcontrollers.

[foosnark]

My spouse, in her enthusiasm to make an ambient drone Gothic bluegrass-synth duo with a punk DIY attitude, just bought a starter acoustic guitar, a starter A-style mandolin, a toy button accordion that has remarkably decent reviews and sound and can be modded, a penny whistle, and a bunch of accessories. Maybe also a violin, though she might have just chosen it to pick up later.

I can't complain because all of that together costs less than I spent on my last module.

So my next hardware purchases might be mics (I'm looking at the Digital Reference DRI100 since some people compare them favorably to an SM57 and they are dirt cheap, and also contact mics), a digital recorder (my old Zoom H4 is sad), a used Autoharp, or... a shitload of moonshine and absinthe maybe, I don't know.

On the one hand, I think she's kind of going nuts with this and should try one instrument at a time. On the other, she does write some haunting songs; I like the enthusiasm she's pouring into this and hope it sticks; I'm curious to see what we might end up sounding like. Even though she recognizes neither of us is going to be good at any of the acoustic instruments, she wants firsthand experience noodling on them to get a feel for it and it seems like a good instinct to me, if a bit ambitious. And I kinda wanted to play with a mandolin anyway.

[D-Fusion]

I just ordered a Behringer Ada 8200 since the Esi U168 XT Was a total failure and didn't work with windows 10 here (Tested on 2 Different pc's) so that was money down the drain.
Also ordered a Behringer D aswell

[justin3am]

I just ordered a Behringer Ada 8200 since the Esi U168 XT Was a total failure and didn't work with windows 10 here (Tested on 2 Different pc's) so that was money down the drain.
Also ordered a Behringer D aswell

You know that the ADA8200 won't connect directly to your computer, right? It needs an interface which provides ADAT I/O. I only mention this, as it sounds like you are looking at the ADA8200 as a replacement for the Esi U168 XT, which is not the case.

[D-Fusion]

I just ordered a Behringer Ada 8200 since the Esi U168 XT Was a total failure and didn't work with windows 10 here (Tested on 2 Different pc's) so that was money down the drain.
Also ordered a Behringer D aswell

You know that the ADA8200 won't connect directly to your computer, right? It needs an interface which provides ADAT I/O. I only mention this, as it sounds like you are looking at the ADA8200 as a replacement for the Esi U168 XT, which is not the case.

I know
I Already have a soundcard to use with the ADA8200 with 8 inputs but i needed 8 more and was hoping that the Esi U168 XT with 16 inputs was the one so i had everything in one box

When i ordered the Esi from the shop it stated no return on the bill which i found odd.
I am now setting up a Older PC to see if it is the fake usb 2 ports on the newer pc's that are the problem.
By fake usb 2 ports i mean they are branded as usb 2 but looking in device manager it only shows pure usb 3 controllers and the usb 2 shows up as composite device.

[jacqueslacouth]

After selling off all my hardware last year I am starting to get the itch again...at this point I am being seriously tempted by the Elektron Digitone.

[masterhiggins]

After selling off all my hardware last year I am starting to get the itch again...at this point I am being seriously tempted by the Elektron Digitone.

Just got one last week to go with my digitakt. Amazing.

[D-Fusion]

I just ordered a Behringer Ada 8200 since the Esi U168 XT Was a total failure and didn't work with windows 10 here (Tested on 2 Different pc's) so that was money down the drain.
Also ordered a Behringer D aswell

You know that the ADA8200 won't connect directly to your computer, right? It needs an interface which provides ADAT I/O. I only mention this, as it sounds like you are looking at the ADA8200 as a replacement for the Esi U168 XT, which is not the case.

I know
I Already have a soundcard to use with the ADA8200 with 8 inputs but i needed 8 more and was hoping that the Esi U168 XT with 16 inputs was the one so i had everything in one box

When i ordered the Esi from the shop it stated no return on the bill which i found odd.
I am now setting up a Older PC to see if it is the fake usb 2 ports on the newer pc's that are the problem.
By fake usb 2 ports i mean they are branded as usb 2 but looking in device manager it only shows pure usb 3 controllers and the usb 2 shows up as composite device.

What do you know?
Setting up my Older system and it works flawless under windows 10 Intel i7 6700.
Now i will have even more inputs when my Ada Arrives
Since i mostly use HW These days my Good old trusted 6700 is more than good enough for my use

[whyterabbyt]

Z-DSP NS... Finally pulled the trigger on replacing my ancient Mk1 Z5000.