2024: A Year in Gear (What You've Bought or Want to Buy in 2024)
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- KVRAF
- 12234 posts since 7 Sep, 2006 from Roseville, CA
I really wasn’t planning to buy another mic, but stumbling upon a basically new C414 XLS for under $600 was too good to pass up. I owned an XLII for years, but found it too bright for female vox (which is mostly what I record), and I always wanted an XLS as a secondary mic to complement my Mojave MA-200.
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Logic Pro | LUNA Pro | OB-X8 | Prophet 6 | OB-6 | Rev2 | TEO-5 | Pro 3 | SE-1X | Minitaur | Deepmind 12D | Slim Phatty | TR-1000 | Analog RYTM mk2 | Digitakt 2 | TD-3 MO | TD-3 | Maschine+
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thecontrolcentre thecontrolcentre https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=76240 - KVRAF
- 37262 posts since 27 Jul, 2005 from Scottish Borders
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WatchTheGuitar WatchTheGuitar https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=440193 - KVRAF
- 13256 posts since 30 Apr, 2019
Nice. Was on my list until I got a cheap deal on a Neumann, the C414 is the same mic that Alex Ball uses in his videos and they always sound good.cryophonik wrote: Sun Jan 21, 2024 8:43 pm I really wasn’t planning to buy another mic, but stumbling upon a basically new C414 XLS for under $600 was too good to pass up.
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- KVRAF
- 12234 posts since 7 Sep, 2006 from Roseville, CA
Right? I put it through the paces today and everything works perfectly/sounds great! I still can't believe the deal I got. I think the seller was pleasantly surprised that I just paid his asking price and didn't try to haggle him down even further.
Woohoo! I'm almost caught up to vurt!
Yeah, I really like how smooth it sounds. As I mentioned, I owned the XLII years ago and it was a great mic, but just a bit too hot in the highs/sibilant zone for the singers I work with. The XLS sounds much more balanced, but very clear and detailed. I've got a recording session coming up later this week and I plan to use this mic, so we'll see how it goes...WatchTheGuitar wrote: Sun Jan 21, 2024 11:06 pm Nice. Was on my list until I got a cheap deal on a Neumann, the C414 is the same mic that Alex Ball uses in his videos and they always sound good.
Logic Pro | LUNA Pro | OB-X8 | Prophet 6 | OB-6 | Rev2 | TEO-5 | Pro 3 | SE-1X | Minitaur | Deepmind 12D | Slim Phatty | TR-1000 | Analog RYTM mk2 | Digitakt 2 | TD-3 MO | TD-3 | Maschine+
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- KVRAF
- 13138 posts since 7 May, 2006 from Southern California
I use a matched pair of 414 XLIIs mainly for acoustic instruments. I tend to prefer a FET or tube condenser mic for most vocals, though when I was at school we had a 414 B-ULS that sounded nice on some voices.
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- KVRAF
- 12234 posts since 7 Sep, 2006 from Roseville, CA
I owned a B-ULS for a few years as well. I bought it from a guy 20-ish years ago, just after we moved to California. He had been David Gates’ (Bread) soundman for decades and was still friends with him. He had some pretty cool stories, photos, etc. I sold that mic shortly after I bought the XLII,… and still regret it.
Logic Pro | LUNA Pro | OB-X8 | Prophet 6 | OB-6 | Rev2 | TEO-5 | Pro 3 | SE-1X | Minitaur | Deepmind 12D | Slim Phatty | TR-1000 | Analog RYTM mk2 | Digitakt 2 | TD-3 MO | TD-3 | Maschine+
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- KVRAF
- 11337 posts since 18 Aug, 2007 from NYC
Finally ordering one of these and paying full asking price to experience that new feeling 
It's expected to ship out in May, which should be enough time to retool where things go. Moving Hector to a portable case would make the most sense with my current setup with the Moog trio, Make Noise Trio, B2600 & P23.
I will need to play around, but I like the idea of moving both Hector & uo_C to a pod. Lots of power in a minimal box would be fun.
It's expected to ship out in May, which should be enough time to retool where things go. Moving Hector to a portable case would make the most sense with my current setup with the Moog trio, Make Noise Trio, B2600 & P23.
I will need to play around, but I like the idea of moving both Hector & uo_C to a pod. Lots of power in a minimal box would be fun.
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- KVRAF
- 8082 posts since 9 Jan, 2003 from Saint Louis MO
Icy local weather has delayed my shipments (some of which were delayed on the other end by the previous round of weather). So hopefully the Alia, Wave Packets, and Cluster will all arrive tomorrow...
(What annoys me is they said it was too hazardous to deliver my packages, but had no problem putting junk mail in the mailbox.
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(What annoys me is they said it was too hazardous to deliver my packages, but had no problem putting junk mail in the mailbox.
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- KVRAF
- 13138 posts since 7 May, 2006 from Southern California
I’ve really been missing the Morphagene from my old Shared System, so I got a Tape & Microsound Sytem over the weekend.
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- KVRAF
- 8082 posts since 9 Jan, 2003 from Saint Louis MO
Two out of three ain't bad. Still waiting on Wave Packets (at least they finally updated the "expected Monday by 9PM" estimate and switched merely to "it's late").foosnark wrote: Tue Jan 23, 2024 12:53 am So hopefully the Alia, Wave Packets, and Cluster will all arrive tomorrow...
Cluster is just what I'd hoped.
The Alia I bought was Manis (this is my THIRD time supporting pangolins) but after a quick play I put Cursus on it, and I'm not disappointed. I do like the module a lot better than the plugin version of this one.
A quick jam with what's theoretically "the lighter side of Noise Engineering"
https://starthief.net/mp3/quick_cursus.mp3
Cursus Iteritas Alia > Natural Gate > Deadalus delay for the main voice, Ataraxic Iteritas > Tallin > Roucha Legio > Desmodus for the noise bursts. Sequencing from 0-Ctrl, modulation from Function and Stages. (The supposed ratcheting is just Ataraxic having a base frequency below audio rate, and a simple pitch sequence.)
I feel like Cursus and Natural Gate are made for each other. (I was thinking it was Cursus that Rabid Elephant used to demo the NG when it debuted, but on reflection it was probably Mangrove. But it totally could have been Cursus. Anyway.) So this is just Cursus (main and sub saw outputs), Natural Gate, 0-Ctrl, Clep Diaz, with the Imitor plugin for the delay.
https://starthief.net/mp3/cursusNG.mp3
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WatchTheGuitar WatchTheGuitar https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=440193
- KVRAF
- 13256 posts since 30 Apr, 2019
Back on the eurorack horse just won a 104hp Erica Synths case on ebay.
Nice to have a reasonably deep case and it’s got a crazy number of power connectors for a 3u case, maybe 30 of them, perfect for a good number of 2hp modules.
Nice to have a reasonably deep case and it’s got a crazy number of power connectors for a 3u case, maybe 30 of them, perfect for a good number of 2hp modules.
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- KVRAF
- 8082 posts since 9 Jan, 2003 from Saint Louis MO
Tried all the available Alia firmware:
- Cursus is a favorite, I like it way more than the plugin. The plugin isn't useless but it's very... tranquil I guess. Somewhat different parameter controls available on them, and and a lot less of a bite. (From the sound of things, the Alia platform uses custom DACs that mimic the original Noise Eng oscillator modules, where the sample rate is related to the oscillator frequency, for intentionally tuned aliasing.)
- Incus is the other favorite. The wide range of sound from a few parameters reminds me a bit of 4ms Ensemble Oscillator though the specifics are very different. (Incus combines some simple wave morphing, additive, FM, saturation, and folding with a noise source for percussive attacks... you can get some pretty simple tones, weird phasy/wobbly stuff, recognizable FM, some kind of frame drum/tom sounds, great kicks, and really raspy crazy stuff.)
- Manis... I've owned the original twice before. I like it but feel like it's a once-in-a-while flavor. I need to compare Manis Iteritas Alia to the plugin and see what I think. I suspect I'm going to prefer the module version since it has a drone mode and I feel like it just has more weight to the sound. But either in plugin or swappable firmware form is a better situation for me than owning a dedicated module for it.
- Debel is decent but didn't immediately thrill me. I have a lot of FM options at hand, and this one doesn't seem at first glance to offer something I can't do elsewhere with more flexibility. But it deserves another chance sometime.
- Ataraxic sounds really close to the original module in an A/B test, or in stereo etc. Since I have the space, and I've been using it a fair bit, I'm keeping my original one at least for now.
- Basimilus, I think I just prefer the plugin.
Wave Packets is finally in "out for delivery" status and from the correct post office this time.
- Cursus is a favorite, I like it way more than the plugin. The plugin isn't useless but it's very... tranquil I guess. Somewhat different parameter controls available on them, and and a lot less of a bite. (From the sound of things, the Alia platform uses custom DACs that mimic the original Noise Eng oscillator modules, where the sample rate is related to the oscillator frequency, for intentionally tuned aliasing.)
- Incus is the other favorite. The wide range of sound from a few parameters reminds me a bit of 4ms Ensemble Oscillator though the specifics are very different. (Incus combines some simple wave morphing, additive, FM, saturation, and folding with a noise source for percussive attacks... you can get some pretty simple tones, weird phasy/wobbly stuff, recognizable FM, some kind of frame drum/tom sounds, great kicks, and really raspy crazy stuff.)
- Manis... I've owned the original twice before. I like it but feel like it's a once-in-a-while flavor. I need to compare Manis Iteritas Alia to the plugin and see what I think. I suspect I'm going to prefer the module version since it has a drone mode and I feel like it just has more weight to the sound. But either in plugin or swappable firmware form is a better situation for me than owning a dedicated module for it.
- Debel is decent but didn't immediately thrill me. I have a lot of FM options at hand, and this one doesn't seem at first glance to offer something I can't do elsewhere with more flexibility. But it deserves another chance sometime.
- Ataraxic sounds really close to the original module in an A/B test, or in stereo etc. Since I have the space, and I've been using it a fair bit, I'm keeping my original one at least for now.
- Basimilus, I think I just prefer the plugin.
Wave Packets is finally in "out for delivery" status and from the correct post office this time.
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WatchTheGuitar WatchTheGuitar https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=440193
- KVRAF
- 13256 posts since 30 Apr, 2019
First thing from this year’s NAMM I’ve seen and liked the look of.
It’s a boring old recorder on wireless MIDI controller steroids.
€149/$199 looks like a bit of a bargain even if you’re just after an instrument with MIDI breath control.
It’s a boring old recorder on wireless MIDI controller steroids.
€149/$199 looks like a bit of a bargain even if you’re just after an instrument with MIDI breath control.
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- KVRAF
- 8721 posts since 24 May, 2002 from Tutukaka, New Zealand
I didn't have a huge list of gear for last year and TBH got a bit behind on acquiring stuff. I was meant to get a Minilogue XD, which now goes onto the 2024 list. But this year's list is getting long already. UBXa, Jupiter, hopefully their Proton might get a release, VCS3 (hoping), and another 70HP desktop to fit in the 3-way stand with the Wasp & Cat (dunno what, just need something 70HP wide). Behringer are going to be the fkn death of me this year... 