2021: A Year in Gear (What You've Bought or Want to Buy in 2021)

[justin3am]

Found some time to finally get modules loaded into my MDLR case...


I'm going to need to rearrange some things (ES modules and Banana converter should be on the left) but I'm really happy with this case. I still have room for a few 1u modules, the last 12HP are reserved for a Sport Modulator V2.

[elxsound]

Dot arrived today. I only got as far as swapping it for Running Order, but (@pekbro) I see what you meant about having two.

I didn't realize you could chain them together via the back panel. I'll be set for a while, but once I move QD to the pod, I'll look at picking up a 2nd Dot (if they're still in stock) and then selling off Running Order.

[elxsound]

Found some time to finally get modules loaded into my MDLR case...


I'm going to need to rearrange some things (ES modules and Banana converter should be on the left) but I'm really happy with this case. I still have room for a few 1u modules, the last 12HP are reserved for a Sport Modulator V2.

How do you like Twincussion? I think you have the DRM1 too if I remember right?

[WatchTheGuitar]

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[justin3am]

How do you like Twincussion? I think you have the DRM1 too if I remember right?

It's my most versatile drum voice, I think. It seems pretty simple on it's face but unlike most drum modules you get multiple outputs for the oscillators, noise source and envelope generators, in addition to all the CV inputs. This make it great for self-patching. It can be used as two simple drum voices but I mostly use it as one complex voice. It does some really nice snare sounds and all sorts of percussion effects.

Yes, I also have a DRM1 MK3. Which also sounds great. Obviously can't be modulated like the Twincussion, but it's very responsive to velocity and the individual outputs are actually insert points, so you can run each drum voice through an FX pedal, before it hits the panner/mixer section.

[elxsound]

How do you like Twincussion? I think you have the DRM1 too if I remember right?

It's my most versatile drum voice, I think. It seems pretty simple on it's face but unlike most drum modules you get multiple outputs for the oscillators, noise source and envelope generators, in addition to all the CV inputs. This make it great for self-patching. It can be used as two simple drum voices but I mostly use it as one complex voice. It does some really nice snare sounds and all sorts of percussion effects.

Yes, I also have a DRM1 MK3. Which also sounds great. Obviously can't be modulated like the Twincussion, but it's very responsive to velocity and the individual outputs are actually insert points, so you can run each drum voice through an FX pedal, before it hits the panner/mixer section.

That's great to hear (about TwinCussion)... I was watching videos that didn't cover too much sonically, but the feature list seemed like it should do more. I'm going to keep it on the wishlist for the eventual expansion.

[justin3am]

I will say that the Twincussion benefits from some external attenuators/mixers/VCAs. The nice thing about the 1U rows is that I can put more of the utility stuff in there.

I was hoping to fit this new case in my existing studio configuration but before I ordered it, I realized that was never going to happen. I have a lot of 48" wide surfaces but I needed something wider to have the cases side by side like that. I think I needed a bit of a studio upheaval anyway... I need to make the things that I use frequently, more accessible.

[lnikj]

Nice rack. How are you finding that 6equencer? I might die of old age before a Steppy becomes available.

[justin3am]

So far, I like it. I haven't spent much time with it yet but it was easy to get the basics right away. I was worried the buttons might be too small but it's okay. Remember to save before turning off your synth, lol

[lnikj]

So far, I like it. I haven't spent much time with it yet but it was easy to get the basics right away. I was worried the buttons might be too small but it's okay. Remember to save before turning off your synth, lol

I forget to do that with my O&C and Zadar all the time.

Thanks. Strongly considering it.

[foosnark]

I'm thinking about a couple of possible paths:

- Drop Phonogene and Portal for a Verbos Harmonic Oscillator. I've always been intrigued by it, love what people do with it, and have tried a few times to imitate it (or at least most of the architecture) with various other things, though nothing else really captures the magic of it. I have plenty of amazing oscillators, and yet I kind of feel like I might not be satisfied until I finally try it. (But then, will it be a letdown? Argh.)

- Drop the Phonogene and put in... dual Warps! I've been playing a bit with two of them in VCV Rack, and it can be a fun, wild combo. I expect cross-modulation and feedback is different in the real modules than in 100% software, but now I'm kind of eager to try it. And I like that it's an unconventional thing to do.
-- and then maybe also drop the Portal and put in a Tides, because Tides + 2x Warps is even more fun.
I like the idea of coming full circle back to where I started with modular.
On the other hand: if I just want this for cool drones, I can make the cool drones in VCV Rack, or similar stuff with Bitwig Grid. On the "replaceable with software" scale, Warps and Tides are about a 8.8 out of 10 and VHO seems like a 1.3....

[pekbro]

The Zoia is basically Bitwig's Grid in a box, not as complex, but not far from it as one might think. I find that pretty interesting.

[lnikj]

@pekbro - I have bought a lot of gear in the last year and the Zoia I have had for about 9 months but have yet to get fully to grips with it, having a ton of other stuff to learn, and have just been chaining effects in it. I note that there is a very healthy Patchstorage community for it now.

@foosnark - I have been making do with Stages (the Qiemen firmware is incredible) but the Verbos is tempting. I will have to try your Tides+Warps tricks in VCV.

I picked up a Disting Ex this week (have a Mk 4 already) and have a Panharmonium incoming. For the last couple of days I have been configuring the 1.2 firmware for the ES-9. The new mixer functionality is amazing and I now have a standalone 8:2 mixer with two mono sends/stereo returns (slightly adapting a config in a Modwiggler thread), all controlled with my trusty old BCF-2K. I'm pretty stoked about that TBH

[zakufan]

Just bought an MKS-50 which is the same as Alpha Juno. It sounds awesome, and the playability is much better than my other 4 voice synths. But I have never owned a synth this old, now how do I load presets into it

I guess you already know the information that follows, but others might find it interesting ................

Its very easy to load presets into these old hardware synths using the free software editor found at Ctrlr.org. (https://ctrlr.org/). Using the dedicated panel for your synth, patches can be loaded quite easily. And of course there are a number of software editors for the i-pad that also do the job.

Patches can be found at http://llamamusic.com/mks50/mks-50_patches.html

Thanks for the tip, I have not heard about ctrlr.org
I am planning to use ipad as an editor, but I need to get a midi interface for ipad first

[rob_lee]

Anderton's pre order just now, looking forward to getting my hands on this. Also have an unopened RD-8 waiting for his bro