Noisetheorem

I am at the airport, on my way to LA to build out a network there.
Yay fun. I hate the airport. I think its mostly because I am only
ever hear at ungodly hours of the morning after having very little
sleep and a complete disruption to my routine. But at least I found a
dunkin donuts here. Its the only thing keeping me alive at the
moment.

I will have 3 days in LA. two of which will be heavily weighted with
work, and the third (hopefully) free. I brought some music software
on the lapytop so maybe Ill get some tunes done. I forgot my good
headphones and portable soundcard. suck suck.

Oh, and dumb ass me didnt have a thing of lotion in a zip lock back.
I really dont get the difference between having it in a clear zippered
bag and a ziplock, but apparently there is a world of difference.
apparently, terrorists dont use ziplocks (a muslim thing?). So I lost
out on my after shave and was strongly chastised by a TSA agent who
looked a LOT like the stapler guy from Office Space.

so..whee.. what next?

Music doesnt come as easily to me as it once did. This is something I
need to accept. Few and far between are the tracks that just kinda
write themselves.

A big factor in this is just that I have higher standards than I once
did, and much higher expectations of myself. This means that working
on a track is actually *work*, and I have to keep playing with an idea
and build it to critical mass slowly, rather than basking in the glory
of instant gratification.

This would be geat, if I were a patient artist. I am not. I am sure,
therefore, that I throw a lot of potentially good material away just
because I didnt hit that spark fast enough.

So thats my big artistic task – learning patience.

————–

I should also mention that it looks like I have a band again! A guy
from one of my last projects and another guy are looking to get
something going since their project imploded. They have some tracks
all ready to go, and we are also going to revive some of the old
Cryostate/Carbon Haze material that never got released. I am
cautiously optimistic – my experience with bands has never been good.

Our plan is to work on some tunes, do some live shows and put out some
collections. We are probably going to completley skip the physical CD
stuff – its just not neccessary these days. Maybe we will do some
kinda low qantity run for hocking at shows, but thats only a maybe.

Futher to my post from yesterday, I should mention that there are some things I have in my rig that are unique and dont have software equivalents that I know of. These synths will be the keepers. Everything else will probably go.

FM8 does a great job of advanced FM, but it doesnt have the ability to mix FM with S+S synthesis the way the TG77 does. That synth is in its own class. Similar to that is Yamaha’s FS1r, which is much more about the formant synthesis and its great sounding filter and FX than it is about just pure FM. So they are keepers.

the V-Synth GT and Radias are also very unique in the way they mix VA with S+S. Most people dont give the Radias the credit it deserves on that front. I could probably build the Radias (or something similar) in Reaktor, but I doubt it would be as pleasant to work with or as good sounding. I am not sure though, there may be something out there I am not aware of that can cover its ground. Suggestions?

Between Rob Papen’s Blue and NI Massive, I think I can pretty much nail anything the Virus TI does. The same goes for the Z1 and Prophecy. The prophecy I will keep for sentimental reasons, however. Call it silly, but I have an emotional bond with that instrument. Really, it *was* the cryostate/carbon haze sound.

My two hardware samplers can also go. I dont know that there is anyone out there to buy them, however. they have such little value, its almost better to just keep them in the rack and see if I ever get the urge to use them (which does occassionally happen).

The drum modules, Roland R8M and Kawai XD-5 were bought with turnover in mind. As soon as I get around to sampling their internal sounds in their entirety (Ill get started on that tonight I guess) then they will go straight to e-bay. the MC808 (which I only just got) may also find its place back on the auction block. I discovered Ableton’s DrumRacks, like, the week after I got it and they just rock too hard…

That leaves me with the outboard FX. I go back and forth on that, but I think Ill keep them around. The analog gear I am getting into benefits from external processing, and since it seems impossible to either get an update for the Fireworx or find someone who will buy a 1.0 unit, then I guess I am stuck with it. The electrix stuff are classics, and honestly I need to make more use of them.

So I sell all that, and get what? Probably a Vermona DRMmkII and possibly a Prophet 08 rack. Or not. who knows. Definitely the Vernoma though – its sound was simple, but exactly to my liking.

Time to bust out the camera and get to work…

I have always been a proponent of hardware synthesizers. Lately, though, I have become much more agnostic – there is good software out there too.

Today, though, something happened, and I felt myself slip a little closer to the Darkside. While running the demos for a couple of synths that just didn’t run at all on my old computer, I realized that my Virus TI, Korg Radias, Z1 and Prophecy could all be replaced for about $200. And I’d loose the headache of all those cables too….

And its not just the quality of the software either. My SE1x and ATC-1 both have me thinking that hardware synths should be something special – either true analog monosynths, modular, or they should not have functional equivalents available in software. If I run the numbers on that, and if I sold off the equipment that I dont already have represented in software, I could get an even *bigger* computer + the start of my modular system…

well shit..

Thank you Karma.

As always, whenever I do something that I maybe shouldnt have done
that brings me a measure of joy, Karma sweeps in asking for a cut.

Our water heater started leaking probably right about the time I was
buying the SE1x at Nova. The leak is pretty bad, but we are very
lucky we caught it before it full on ruptured and took out the furnace
and everything else…

You may ask me how I *know* karma is involved. The cost to fix it is
*exactly* the cost of the SE1x (though some of that was paid for by
trades and such I was doing with my fellow shoppers). good times.

I am absolutely adoring my Studio Electronics SE1x. Its got with one
voice what usually takes a poly with unison mode to achieve.

Niall brought over his Schrittmacher and a new Vermona DRM mkIII.
Seeing him run the ATC1 and my SE1x while also running the Vermona
really has me thinking I need a step sequencer, and to write some
oldschool Front 242 EBM.

I absolutely fell in love with the Vermona as well, to the point I can
completely forgive the fact it doesnt have any kind of memory (track
it and forget it!). Its a very well thought out and well designed
piece. The fact the individual channel outputs are on the front means
you dont have to climb behind a rack if you want to patch it in. And
it just sounds really good for the price.

Yesterday I went to NovaMusik in Milwaukee and picked up a Studio
Electronics SE1x. the 3Us of white hot analog sex! one voice on this
synth is easily as think and punchy as any synth i have played in
unison mode.

And big major thanks to Tony at Nova. He really took care of us on
price, let us try out anything they had in stock (even if it was boxed
up) and was just generally an excellent host.

Ill be jaming all day with Niall, the SE1x and a Vermona DRMmkIII
which he puchased yesterday. Its going to be quite a hot day around
the studio!

This is the most AWESOMEST THING EVER!!!!

http://www.videofantastica.com/view_video/31903/

ok..maybe not THAT awesome, but it made me very happy.

crank up the speakers!

Apparently the gods have decided they have had enough, and that the
solution to 'The Human Problem' is copius amounts of white out.
Seriously. I cant see the building accross the street from our
office.

I am thinking I will leave early. I just *know* the train lines are
going to suck..

Ok, my trip to Nova is at the end of this week, and I am hoping to be
able to walk away with…something. Anyway, while I have had nibbles,
everyone seems to back away because of..whatever.

The Korg Z1 is in great shape minus one flaw – it has one bad button
(one of the cursor buttons) but it doesnt effect function, because you
can use the push buttons under the display to get the same navigation
ability. Everything else works perfectly. Shipped in an SKB hard
keyboard case. Asking $400 + shipping.

The Fireworx is only v1.04 software on it, and I cant find if its even
possible to update to V2.0. This unit is in great shape and has been
well loved. Everything works as new. Asking $650 + shipping.

Buy both for 1k and ill pick up shipping…