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

[foosnark]

I've decided against Xaoc Rostock. I was curious about it, about 70% for audio glitching and 30% for generative sequences and gate manipulation. But it doesn't have any outputs on its own panel, so with just Drezno/Rostock, I'd be unable to directly use its binary outputs. I don't want to buy two modules just to satisfy my curiosity.

So instead I'm thinking about Schlappi Engineering Interstellar Radio. It seems to have a reputation as kind of a harsh noise machine, but there are plenty of examples out there where it's more the kind of noises I am into. it seems to love reverb in particular... but I'm imagining it with Strega, maybe Spectraphon. If not through Strega, it still matches the aesthetic pretty well. I might hit the buy button today.

[elxsound]

I've decided against Xaoc Rostock. I was curious about it, about 70% for audio glitching and 30% for generative sequences and gate manipulation. But it doesn't have any outputs on its own panel, so with just Drezno/Rostock, I'd be unable to directly use its binary outputs. I don't want to buy two modules just to satisfy my curiosity.

So instead I'm thinking about Schlappi Engineering Interstellar Radio. It seems to have a reputation as kind of a harsh noise machine, but there are plenty of examples out there where it's more the kind of noises I am into. it seems to love reverb in particular... but I'm imagining it with Strega, maybe Spectraphon. I might hit the buy button today.

Couldn’t you get most of these sounds using modDemix?

[foosnark]

Couldn’t you get most of these sounds using modDemix?

modDemix does AM modulation/demolation (basically with two ring modulators). It has other uses too, as a distorted VCA (there's a weird little dead zone around 0V) and mixer etc.

I had the 1.0 version for a while and wasn't super thrilled tbh.


Interstellar Radio does FM modulation/demodulation, using two built-in oscillators and a PLL. You can use it with no input as a variation on a complex oscillator.

Honestly I think for what Walker was doing in that video, mD sounds better -- dirty enough to be a fun effect but not super harsh (but I could patch it with Blinds etc.) When IR does that it seems to be pretty brutal... but for other purposes I think IR is a lot more interesting.

[elxsound]

Couldn’t you get most of these sounds using modDemix?

modDemix does AM modulation/demolation (basically with two ring modulators). It has other uses too, as a distorted VCA (there's a weird little dead zone around 0V) and mixer etc.

I had the 1.0 version for a while and wasn't super thrilled tbh.


Interstellar Radio does FM modulation/demodulation, using two built-in oscillators and a PLL. You can use it with no input as a variation on a complex oscillator.

Honestly I think for what Walker was doing in that video, mD sounds better -- dirty enough to be a fun effect but not super harsh (but I could patch it with Blinds etc.) When IR does that it seems to be pretty brutal... but for other purposes I think IR is a lot more interesting.

I was happy having written it off as something I could already do with modDemix. I’m a sucker for the name/concept and noise.

Brutal definitely has it’s places.

Probably a good thing I don’t have space for it, but I have seen several used ones go pretty cheaply.

[foosnark]

I was happy having written it off as something I could already do with modDemix.

Heh, I know exactly what you mean

[vurt]

can't remember where we discussed it, so ill just add it here...
after switching out rene for spectraphon, im in agreement with those who aren't fans of make noise cases.
those bloody moving nuts for screwing the module in place

i do not like those.

[vurt]

didn't want to put a downer in the spectraphon thread

[foosnark]

those bloody moving nuts for screwing the module in place

i do not like those.

They are no fun at all. They're fiddly, and slow down the whole process of moving things around. The supposed advantage of being able to loosen them and slide modules around just doesn't happen enough to make up for it.

Also, some cases using M2.5 instead of M3 screws is annoying.

[vurt]

those bloody moving nuts for screwing the module in place

i do not like those.

They are no fun at all. They're fiddly, and slow down the whole process of moving things around. The supposed advantage of being able to loosen them and slide modules around just doesn't happen enough to make up for it.

Also, some cases using M2.5 instead of M3 screws is annoying.

yeah these were smaller screws, but luckily, i was taking four out of rene.
im definitely leaving the skiff alone now, nothing gets moved in that

[elxsound]

those bloody moving nuts for screwing the module in place

i do not like those.

They are no fun at all. They're fiddly, and slow down the whole process of moving things around. The supposed advantage of being able to loosen them and slide modules around just doesn't happen enough to make up for it.

Also, some cases using M2.5 instead of M3 screws is annoying.

I found this out the hard way (sliding nuts). The only thing that bothers me is Klavis face plates that seem slightly smaller than they should be, leaving gaps between plates.

I hate those gaps.

But as mentioned, it’s not worth the advantage.

[foosnark]

I might hit the buy button today.

Done, Interstellar Radio is on the way (thankfully only coming from Noisebug in California, not from deep space).

[vurt]

I might hit the buy button today.

Done, Interstellar Radio is on the way (thankfully only coming from Noisebug in California, not from deep space).

looks (sounds) cool!

[Shabdahbriah]

... landed.

QCD-Black.png

and ... 8 of these.

Passive Mult PCB and Panel.png

[pekbro]

You know you can buy those screw plate inserts and swap out the sliding nuts in those make noise cases. They are pretty affordable on etsy or the like.

[justin3am]

You know you can buy those screw plate inserts and swap out the sliding nuts in those make noise cases. They are pretty affordable on etsy or the like.

This is the way.
The Make Noise skiffs are particularly easy to disassemble and now that you can get M3 strips in different HP sizes, it just makes life so much easier. I used to only be able to get M2.5 strips in 84HP from Allied, it was a pain in the ass getting those to work in larger cases but still worth it!