2022: A Year in Gear (What You've Bought or Want to Buy in 2022)

[bharris22]

I've got a Vongon Paragraphs on the way: https://www.vongon.com/product/paragraphs.

I haven't seen anyone talking about it here, but it seems very versatile and useful to me, and sounds great.

[foosnark]

I've got a Vongon Paragraphs on the way: https://www.vongon.com/product/paragraphs.

Their visual style strikes me as dead center between Mannequins and Endorphin.es.

[elxsound]

A production prototype of the next PGH (Pittsburgh Modular) synth using 4 or 5 feedback loops within the synth.

That’s very cool. Sounds like Vurt.***

Is this a desktop like the Lifeforms stand-alone?

Yes, it will be in a 'blackbox' like the SV-1, so it is eurorackable if desired.

*** Richard (Pittsburgh's founder) is a big fan of Éliane Radigue. (As am I).

She eventually broke away from her early musique concrète endeavors, and concentrated on tape loops and microphone feedback, as well as multi-speakered environmental soundscapes.

I’ll have check her out a bit more with the right headspace. I haven’t really got on with this style before but that’s bound to change as I experiment more with droning in modular. I’ve already done some meditative patchwork that I probably would never have even tried before.

[elxsound]

Sod’s law dictates the Mk II comes out a day after you buy the original.
I think the Digitakt is the best value unit they do, the only thing it’s missing is stereo sampling but if you really want it you can just create left and right samples and use two tracks. The sequencer engine is really good and you get 8 MIDI tracks you can sequence over and above its own tracks, Overbridge is pretty solid now so you can use USB to get the audio straight into a DAW plus you can bring external audio in one track of stereo or two of mono, apply effects and bring them into Overbridge too. I think it’s a good value machine overall.

I’ve just spent the afternoon rearranging my desk to get it and its friends available as I want to try sampling my eurorack and bringing that in to build songs with for when I don’t just want to jam.
studio_march_2022_cropped_v2.png

Digitakt: you’re probably right that it’ll get announced after delivery.
I’ll keep an eye out for a good used price. I saw decent price for one on offer from Hawaii. I read that the buttons were a bit stiff and that scared me away. Could be anything from a disturbing imagination to I’m guessing salty air that pekbro mentioned dealing with before.

Nice to get the friends together. I like how TCC has his setup too. Everything is within arms reach.

[WatchTheGuitar]

Elektron kit holds its value reasonably well so don't expect much more than £100/$130 off the prices you see in stores if you buy a Digitakt second hand. Of course, that's actually a good thing that the price doesn't immediately massively tank after buying one.

[cryophonik]

Digitakt:… I read that the buttons were a bit stiff and that scared me away.

I also had concerns about the buttons/pads before buying mine, but I wouldn’t describe them as stiff. They’re hard plastic and very clicky, like one of those big old-school accounting calculators. They’re not at all like the soft rubberized pads and buttons we’re all used to seeing on modern drum machines (e.g., Maschine), but they work surprisingly well IMO.

[bharris22]

I've got a Vongon Paragraphs on the way: https://www.vongon.com/product/paragraphs.

Their visual style strikes me as dead center between Mannequins and Endorphin.es.

Yes, true!

[elxsound]

Digitakt:… I read that the buttons were a bit stiff and that scared me away.

I also had concerns about the buttons/pads before buying mine, but I wouldn’t describe them as stiff. They’re hard plastic and very clicky, like one of those big old-school accounting calculators. They’re not at all like the soft rubberized pads and buttons we’re all used to seeing on modern drum machines (e.g., Maschine), but they work surprisingly well IMO.

I actually appreciate the description because it's a difficult thing to figure out and I do care how these things feel. I meant the used one I found... the seller says they're stiffer now than when he first bought it, but they say they don't know why.
That one is on offer for $640 before tax, but I see some were lucky to buy a used one for as low as $550. I'm guessing that's a unicorn in the wild situation, so I'm good for $650 in proper working order and hopefully in good condition.

I can get used to accounting style calculator buttons though. I mostly want the sequencing capabilities especially the retriggers. I've been watching videos and it looks incredibly easy to add in retriggers.

[MuzzleBreech]

im selling gear. I had quite a collection. recently sold a Gibson Les Paul. sad but that's life

I wish that I had a Les Paul. That way I could sell something that would be very easy for me to sell.

Alas, selling is such hard work, and buying is so easy.

So true. Especially when you like what you have to sell.

For whatever it’s worth, I’m wishing you well so you can get back what you let go plus more. It definitely sucks.

Thank you!

[foosnark]

I did the inevitable -- I bought a Strega

[elxsound]

I did the inevitable -- I bought a Strega

Congrats!

After hunting used offers, I just bought a new Digitakt. Time to hit the video tutorials.

[WatchTheGuitar]

Talking of Digitakts I bit the bullet on a Hexinverter Mutant Brain as a way to sequence up to 4 different music notes with corresponding gates at a time plus an extra 8 gate outs for drum triggers.

Not overly keen on a web based sysex editor, but I imagine there are only a few setups I’d want so shouldn’t be too much hassle.

[pekbro]

Mutant Brain is great, I've never even used the web editor

[WatchTheGuitar]

Was looking into drum voices and heard good reports around the 2hp modules, but just wondering if anyone knows is there some kind of power splitter option or do they all need a full eurorack power slot to themselves? Thinking if I clustered three together it’d be a stretch to power the next module along. I suppose they’re useful scattered around wider units instead?

[whyterabbyt]

Was looking into drum voices and heard good reports around the 2hp modules, but just wondering if anyone knows is there some kind of power splitter option or do they all need a full eurorack power slot to themselves? Thinking if I clustered three together it’d be a stretch to power the next module along. I suppose they’re useful scattered around wider units instead?

You could maybe use ribbon-cable based flying power leads...