2023: A Year in Gear (What You've Bought or Want to Buy in 2023)

[Moe Shinola]

Purchases in 2023 so far:

Korg SQ-64 sequencer(also a little stand for it, off Etsy)
Korg Volca Sample
OG Novation Circuit(and a laptop stand for it, off Amazon)

It's shaping up to be a good gear year. Last year I bought an Elektron Model: Samples,
a Behringer Crave and 2 Volcas(Keys and FM), as well as a Kaoss Pad Mini-KP. A real nice setup is taking shape. The next thing I buy this year will be a 4-Volca stand from KVgear, off Reverb or Ebay, and little stands for the Crave and the Model: Samples. I'd also like to get a Volca FM 2(for the 6 voices) and a new recording computer. A cheap refurb desktop would be ok.

[WatchTheGuitar]

Released a track which I recorded tonight. I thought about spending days or weeks polishing it and then remembered the last time I did that I made it worse so rather than add multi layered this and that and adding different chords here and there I just stuck it out so I can move on to the next thing.

[justin3am]

I just got a great deal on a Radial Key Largo mixer. I need a small mixer with a strereo effect send/return for some upcoming performances. I'm surprised that there are so few small format mixers like this. I'm still interested in OTO Machines' Bébé Chérie but it won't be available by the time I need it.

[elxsound]

I just got a great deal on a Radial Key Largo mixer. I need a small mixer with a strereo effect send/return for some upcoming performances. I'm surprised that there are so few small format mixers like this. I'm still interested in OTO Machines' Bébé Chérie but it won't be available by the time I need it.

I don’t know this one, but I’m also interested in OTO Machines' Bébé Chérie.

After deciding on the racks and new modules I’m going to wait a bit before ordering Bébé Chérie. I don’t perform, but I can see the advantage of the size for it. Lots of character is what interests me.

[justin3am]

It's there in the upper-right corner. This thing doesn't have any character but it's very clean and handles the output from the Double Knot just fine. It has balanced outs and ground lift, which are nice to have.


Bébé Chérie has more channels and but I wish there was a way to make the mute buttons just act as Sends for the Alt out, without actually muting the channel. I guess you could set the effect's wet/dry to work around that. It still sounds really cool on paper. I'll have to check it out when it's available.

[elxsound]

The 2nd case arrived along with Utopia.

Still missing SSF Steady State Gate, an Ears clone and a couple 1hp blanks.

Otherwise, it’s just about there, or until I find good prices on Echophon and Erbe-Verb, but that’s not a priority for a while.

[justin3am]

Looks great!

[elxsound]

Looks great!

Likewise! Love your setup! Is that what you’ll use to perform?

Setup should be pluralized because you have several and they’re all amazing.

The bag to house the two racks gets here next month, so I’m hoping I don’t mess things up too much when it’s not in use.

Unfortunately not 104hp, but it’s the right size for the place and I love that I can leave the cables in when storing this.

[vurt]

The 2nd case arrived along with Utopia.

Still missing SSF Steady State Gate, an Ears clone and a couple 1hp blanks.

Otherwise, it’s just about there, or until I find good prices on Echophon and Erbe-Verb, but that’s not a priority for a while.

nice!

[Shabdahbriah]

Very nice!

[justin3am]

Likewise! Love your setup! Is that what you’ll use to perform?

Setup should be pluralized because you have several and they’re all amazing.

Thanks! Yes, this is the setup I'll be using at the show tomorrow and on April 8th. It's all self contained, so after opening up the lid, I just have two audio cables and a power cable to connect and I'm ready to go.

I can easily integrate this with the rig with my main mixer, the small Serge modular case and the Octatrack and A4 case. The sets I'm doing now are only like 20 minutes max, so I haven't had a chance voltron them together but I have a longer set lined up for the summer, where I'll be using them all together.
Each case is self contained and intended for minimal setup. Performing with one modular system requires a lot of planning... performing with more than one requires mental illness I think.

The bag to house the two racks gets here next month, so I’m hoping I don’t mess things up too much when it’s not in use.

I've really come around to having cases for my synths. My studio is freaking covered in cat hair, so it's nice to be able to store things away when they aren't in use.

[elxsound]

Likewise! Love your setup! Is that what you’ll use to perform?

Setup should be pluralized because you have several and they’re all amazing.

Thanks! Yes, this is the setup I'll be using at the show tomorrow and on April 8th. It's all self contained, so after opening up the lid, I just have two audio cables and a power cable to connect and I'm ready to go.

I can easily integrate this with the rig with my main mixer, the small Serge modular case and the Octatrack and A4 case. The sets I'm doing now are only like 20 minutes max, so I haven't had a chance voltron them together but I have a longer set lined up for the summer, where I'll be using them all together.
Each case is self contained and intended for minimal setup. Performing with one modular system requires a lot of planning... performing with more than one requires mental illness I think.

The bag to house the two racks gets here next month, so I’m hoping I don’t mess things up too much when it’s not in use.

I've really come around to having cases for my synths. My studio is freaking covered in cat hair, so it's nice to be able to store things away when they aren't in use.

Voltron: Great reference!

I still can’t imagine performing with these, but with the current setup I can finally explore more self-contained sounds, with drums as the exception. I want to lean heavier on Digitakt, or at least this is the plan.

Ziggy sheds crazy amounts of hair! That didn’t happen as much with Tango, or little Marley, but the vet says he’s healthy and that it’s normal for some to shed often. The RackBrute bag can’t come fast enough.

And I realize I can’t leave the wires in because it’ll become a play toy for Marley.

[elxsound]

Thank you Shabdabriah and Vurt. I couldn’t be more excited about having a functional setup.

[ghettosynth]

And I realize I can’t leave the wires in because it’ll become a play toy for Marley.

I find this to be freeing. Let go of your attachment to the patch, and start again. It promotes fast patching and thinking actively about your ideas.

[whyterabbyt]

I like the look of the new flight of harmony Facehugger; the Kickstarter for it just opened. Will probably wait till its 'on shelves' in the UK though.