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

[cryophonik]

Bought a Matrixbrute (again).
2nd hand but what the hell, I've only got two hands anyway.

OMG werp is back!

I've been keeping an eye out for a deal on a Matrixbrute or Polybrute (even though I don't have nearly enough studio space for either one ).

[Shabdahbriah]

The wavefolder on the WP is smoooth. I like it a lot more than the 0-Coast one -- I always liked the one in the Double Helix and this sounds a lot like that did. Shame there's no slope generator onboard though.

I'm telling myself I don't need it, between Aalto and Minibrute 2S and having a bunch of Euro stuff that already goes all the way west. But if I had a spot for it I'd be really tempted.

As an addendum to my response on page 83:

This is the latest, and sounds so cool! I really had convinced myself I do not 'need' another oscillator, and that remains true... but then, this thing ticks sooo many feature/sound boxes. and then. and then. Using it with the soon-to-be re-release of the Dreadbox Erebus eurorack, which is the full desktop version downsized this time, instead of the previous cut-down version... oh my. I may cave.

As many of 'us' know too well, that's the super cool and kinda sucks bit about 'modular'... it's not 'just' THE THING, it's the intimacy with which we can 'intuit' where and how the thing integrates, and plays well with the other kids, that constitutes the whole instrument.

[werp]

Bought a Matrixbrute (again).
2nd hand but what the hell, I've only got two hands anyway.

OMG werp is back!

I've been keeping an eye out for a deal on a Matrixbrute or Polybrute (even though I don't have nearly enough studio space for either one ).

Space is def an issue, I have a stupid amount of gear and my wife (who has this thing for antiques) has completely filled our house up so much that she can't physically fit anything else in...except jewellery. Preferably wif diamonds innit...Sapphires, emeralds, rubies (?), tourmalines and pretty much any other expensive stone would be acceptable now I think about it....

The Matrixbrute was relatively cheap because the rate knob for the arp/seq isn't attached. Well, half of it isn't. It still works though. I have a new encoder for it but there's two weeks worth of removing knobs and screws to do in order to get to the stage where a soldering iron will be required..

I have a Polybrute as well...(sorry). Think this way though, if you put the pair of them on a two tier stand, they look cool and you don't use quite as much space as if they were both free standing. Use the Polybrute keybed to drive the Matrixbrute and raise the matrixbrute panel to vertical to bring everything within reach...I do need to install an LED over that 'paper' screen though. I can't read it.

The only thing on the back panel of the Polybrute, is a sync in and a sync out so I could just use the rate knob on the Poly to drive the Matrix brute...or my Selah Quartz V3 for the Matrix clock until I get drunk enough to remove everything on the front panel before starting on screw removal on the back panel....Arturia's Tech notes inform me that the entire encoder replacement procedure should only take around 25 minutes.
Hah!

I may have had it completed today but I've blown 25 minutes attending this party...

[elxsound]

Got my 2nd Dot module in. I had justified buying this because I was going to sell off Running Order, but I forgot that Running Order has its own clock, the Dots don't.

That pushed Squawk Dirty To Me, into storage until I build out that Filter POD later this year.

The new Dot feels a bit flimsy compared to the first one. The encoder feels a bit cheap too. The link cable was missing from the newer purchase. I don't know if that's an oversight or just the way they're selling it but might want to ask your vendor if buying online.

Luckily I found my link cable from the first one and have them working nicely.

[vurt]

ooh nice little set up

[elxsound]

ooh nice little set up

I had to buy another desk for work, but work gets put away in the drawers and then there’s all the extra space for other uses (that the missus thankfully tolerates).

[pekbro]

Got my 2nd Dot module in. I had justified buying this because I was going to sell off Running Order, but I forgot that Running Order has its own clock, the Dots don't.

That pushed Squawk Dirty To Me, into storage until I build out that Filter POD later this year.

The new Dot feels a bit flimsy compared to the first one. The encoder feels a bit cheap too. The link cable was missing from the newer purchase. I don't know if that's an oversight or just the way they're selling it but might want to ask your vendor if buying online.

Luckily I found my link cable from the first one and have them working nicely.

Hmm weird about the DOT build quality. Are the front panels PCB? I have the silver ones, which are aluminum. Mine are both great.

Btw: very nice indeed.

[elxsound]

Got my 2nd Dot module in. I had justified buying this because I was going to sell off Running Order, but I forgot that Running Order has its own clock, the Dots don't.

That pushed Squawk Dirty To Me, into storage until I build out that Filter POD later this year.

The new Dot feels a bit flimsy compared to the first one. The encoder feels a bit cheap too. The link cable was missing from the newer purchase. I don't know if that's an oversight or just the way they're selling it but might want to ask your vendor if buying online.

Luckily I found my link cable from the first one and have them working nicely.

Hmm weird about the DOT build quality. Are the front panels PCB? I have the silver ones, which are aluminum. Mine are both great.

Btw: very nice indeed.

Panel is aluminum. Sorry should have clarified since I used the word flimsy. The buttons feel different and that encoder is really throwing me off. It makes a plasticky grinding noise when turning. That’s not at all how my first one is.

[pekbro]

Got my 2nd Dot module in. I had justified buying this because I was going to sell off Running Order, but I forgot that Running Order has its own clock, the Dots don't.

That pushed Squawk Dirty To Me, into storage until I build out that Filter POD later this year.

The new Dot feels a bit flimsy compared to the first one. The encoder feels a bit cheap too. The link cable was missing from the newer purchase. I don't know if that's an oversight or just the way they're selling it but might want to ask your vendor if buying online.

Luckily I found my link cable from the first one and have them working nicely.

Hmm weird about the DOT build quality. Are the front panels PCB? I have the silver ones, which are aluminum. Mine are both great.

Btw: very nice indeed.

Panel is aluminum. Sorry should have clarified since I used the word flimsy. The buttons feel different and that encoder is really throwing me off. It makes a plasticky grinding noise when turning. That’s not at all how my first one is.

Hmm, that's a bummer. From what I have seen, I would have given them great marks on build
quality.

[elxsound]

The wavefolder on the WP is smoooth. I like it a lot more than the 0-Coast one -- I always liked the one in the Double Helix and this sounds a lot like that did. Shame there's no slope generator onboard though.

I'm telling myself I don't need it, between Aalto and Minibrute 2S and having a bunch of Euro stuff that already goes all the way west. But if I had a spot for it I'd be really tempted.

As an addendum to my response on page 83:

This is the latest, and sounds so cool! I really had convinced myself I do not 'need' another oscillator, and that remains true... but then, this thing ticks sooo many feature/sound boxes. and then. and then. Using it with the soon-to-be re-release of the Dreadbox Erebus eurorack, which is the full desktop version downsized this time, instead of the previous cut-down version... oh my. I may cave.

As many of 'us' know too well, that's the super cool and kinda sucks bit about 'modular'... it's not 'just' THE THING, it's the intimacy with which we can 'intuit' where and how the thing integrates, and plays well with the other kids, that constitutes the whole instrument.

This is a much better video than the first one I watched. The enthusiasm doesn’t hurt either. Im pretty sure I’ll add this one.

[WatchTheGuitar]

Just about got my keyboard rack sorted now the extra arms are fitted. There are still things to find a home for - I'll be selling the Analog Four and may swap the MS-101 in there and use the extra space for either my Korg MS-20 Mini or a dedicated sequencer rack. Long term I want to sell my 49 key Hydrasynth and the 88 key Nektar MIDI controller and replace them with a Hydrasynth deluxe, then that would free up space on the top for other stuff like my TD-3 and Microfreak.
The main thing is getting a stand of things that work well together especially if I'm jamming into a loop on record it's nice to have options.

synths 2.png

[WatchTheGuitar]

The BIA arrived and I've been mucking about with it. Sticking a couple of different LFOs into MATHS and summing them into the Skin/Liquid/Metal is producing some fun results.

[foosnark]

Between the "goals" thread here and a "help me finish my rack" thread over on MW, I had a thought.

Among modular types there's this common idea that a rack can be "finished." You win the game when all the spaces are full, or more likely, when you have the perfect combination of modules and never need to change anything again. And then usually, you start a new rack or get a bigger one...

Does a similar concept exist for pedalboards? Or do guitarists just accept that a pedalboard is a container for a changeable collection of stuff, and there is no end goal?

How about studios as a whole? These tend to be more flexible in terms of how much stuff you can fit. It might depend on shelf/stand space or mixer inputs. I've rarely seen people say "my studio is finished" even though declarations of not buying more stuff are common (usually due to cost, or enough wisdom to avoid GAS).

[WatchTheGuitar]

Not sure, still trying to perfect myself as a human being.

[vurt]

nothing is finished till i am.
may get to a point where "for now" it's done, but who knows what will get released, that could replace or add to the current bits?

im at a point, where there are things id like to add, but if they don't come, it's not the end of the world.
i have plenty of range to keep me busy, just other bits that would be fun and enhance, would be nice.