2025: A Year in Gear (What You've Bought or Want to Buy in 2025)

[seafire]

Kobol Expander just arrived. Had a quick check, factory reset, all good. Virtually mint. Well chuffed.

[andy4trance]

[quote=Kevin63101 post_id=9123479 time=1756365759 user_id=179644]
Added to my Linnstrument and ERAE collection.

5 Linnstruments 2 ERAEs - Kevin63101 20250828.jpg
[/quote]
Wow, that's a lightshow! What settings / mod is on the leftside linnstrument? I want to have a split with the left side to be cliplauncher(Abletin style) and they right the keyboard, but now clue how.

[Kevin63101]

5 Linnstruments 2 ERAEs - Kevin63101 20250828.jpg

What settings / mod is on the leftside linnstrument?

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5 Linnstrument 2 ERAE stand setup top view - Kevin63101 20250828.jpg

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The lower left LinnStrument 200 is set up primarily as a custom 128 note drum map on split and an untested loop idea on other split. I'll discuss this at some future point on Roger Linn Design KVR forum. Only got this set up recently, so still a work in progress. Both splits are set up are non repeating note #, which MIDI allows 128 note #s, so would need to be run on separate channels.

Lower right LinnStrument 200 is default tuning with a split and bottom row relative change CC controls.

Upper 3 LinnStrument 128 units in vertical orientation as pictured act as a single 24 column unit in "Harpejji mode" with whole step intervals between columns. Great for playing with 2 hands piano style.

There's a detailed discussion thread on LinnStrument Harpejji mode in Roger Linn Design KVR forum here:
viewtopic.php?p=9124385

The ERAEs (original v1 version) are gonna be used by me as global XYZ pads or for switches and faders.

> This is only one evolving physical layout with one preset on each unit. There are so many other possibilties, including a MPE quintet with 5 performers.<

Yes. Lots of color. Lots of fun and incredible expressiveness with way more control than a standard MIDI keyboard can offer.

(I'm a keyboardist and use standard dual manual 61 note keyboards as well for piano / drawbar organ / etc).

[foosnark]

I'm hoping that microtonal quantizing can be added, but even if not this thing is going to be able to do quite a bit. I have some trust that the interface isn't too fiddly.

[Constructed Identity]

New interface came today ...

Updated the firmware and set it as default. Here is an interesting feature, you can set what resistance your headphones are.

Choices are < 50 Ohm, 50-150 Ohm, >150 Ohm
I also like mirrored outputs on the front for effects loopback.

[pekbro]

NZ Plugin developer, EndeavorFX designed a guitar, interestingly...

https://endeavorfx.com/sweet-spot.html




*Which seemingly explains why they haven't worked on their plugins in the last, I dunno 5 years or so.

[elxsound]

Gave in and ordered one of these. Tracking shows it is on the way

I also ordered the scope, but it’s a pre-order. The scope is listed for $60 at BH, but with tariffs, I don’t know for sure it’ll make it here at that price.

[Shabdahbriah]

Oooo... That's gorgeous! and very ambitious. Cool for you.

[vurt]

what is it? it looks fun but scary at the same time

[elxsound]

what is it? it looks fun but scary at the same time

Fancy breadboard with the power components for interfacing with eurorack built-in.

Ghettosynths bought one of these earlier. His wallet is puckered super tight, so naturally I kept thinking it’d be worth a shot.

Also, watching all the synthux people sharing their designs has got my DIY interests up.

[vurt]

what is it? it looks fun but scary at the same time

Fancy breadboard with the power components for interfacing with eurorack built-in.

Ghettosynths bought one of these earlier. His wallet is puckered super tight, so naturally I kept thinking it’d be worth a shot.

Also, watching all the synthux people sharing their designs has got my DIY interests up.

cool! well have you starting your own module company next!!!

[dark water]

Picked up a couple of fully serviced, second-hand Marantz PMD520 hi-speed / normal-speed dubbing tape units.

img_6486395d68cc7-1434273441.jpg

Obviously not in the same class as top level R2Rs, but still great-sounding cassette tape devices - and very affordable - which are easy to operate (and hopefully won't require too many repairs in the coming years, touch wood...)

[Starsickle]

I'd like to swap/upgrade my TR-6S to a TR-8S. Here's hoping I can earn some commissions or somehow earn it!

[elxsound]

Well, this arrived today:



Yes, I paid too much to get the little scope. I have a much (much) better scope in my shop, but that isn't what this is about, so, I paid for the scope.



Need is a heavy word here. I have all of this stuff in my shop. I have been using breadboards for decades and have signal generators and all of the toys. However, what I like about this is that I can take a simple design and bring the whole thing out of my shop, sit it in front of my modular and work with it. I like that you get a temporary panel with controls and jacks solidly mounted. If you've ever experimented with this sort of thing you know what a pain it is to either 1) deal with jacks and controls on short pigtails, or 2) have jacks and controls on small boards take up too much space on your breadboard.

Of course I didn't need the extra parts kit, nothing new there for me, but I got it anyways because that's what was available. Shout out to Analog Haven for super fast shipping. The price wasn't great and I don't know if that's just the way it is in the U.S. or what, but, I didn't want to deal with international shipping and they had both parts in stock.

I've got a question for you. My board came today, but one SMD Capacitor in the power supply is hanging on from glue? and there's a deep gouge on the board.

Is the SMD capacitor an easy enough fix, or is there more to consider? And the gouge is seemingly harmless, but seems like a b-stock one made it to the regular stock pile.

IMG_2025-09-06-000652.jpg

IMG_2025-09-06-000616.png

[ghettosynth]

Well, this arrived today:



Yes, I paid too much to get the little scope. I have a much (much) better scope in my shop, but that isn't what this is about, so, I paid for the scope.



Need is a heavy word here. I have all of this stuff in my shop. I have been using breadboards for decades and have signal generators and all of the toys. However, what I like about this is that I can take a simple design and bring the whole thing out of my shop, sit it in front of my modular and work with it. I like that you get a temporary panel with controls and jacks solidly mounted. If you've ever experimented with this sort of thing you know what a pain it is to either 1) deal with jacks and controls on short pigtails, or 2) have jacks and controls on small boards take up too much space on your breadboard.

Of course I didn't need the extra parts kit, nothing new there for me, but I got it anyways because that's what was available. Shout out to Analog Haven for super fast shipping. The price wasn't great and I don't know if that's just the way it is in the U.S. or what, but, I didn't want to deal with international shipping and they had both parts in stock.

I've got a question for you. My board came today, but one SMD Capacitor in the power supply is hanging on from glue? and there's a deep gouge on the board.

Is the SMD capacitor an easy enough fix, or is there more to consider? And the gouge is seemingly harmless, but seems like a b-stock one made it to the regular stock pile.


IMG_2025-09-06-000652.jpg
IMG_2025-09-06-000616.png

It is a reasonable fix if you have SMD soldering skills/tools. You could just tack on a through hole part for testing. The gouge probably doesn't cut traces, but it might.

Here's the thing though, doing that means that you're taking on risks. I wouldn't attempt to fix that, I would return it. If it were used, old, unobtanium, then I would give it a go.

I would send that back, it's either been used or damaged in manufacture/transit.