That’s awesome!!! Surely the musical productivity and creativity will benefit from this even if it’s not happening immediately. Most of the positive changes in life are gradual and might take some time until it’s noticeable but also they will begin to happen almost automatically once the circumstances are optimal. Guilt is rarely a good starting point.
I’ve been learning more about the gear I’ve got during this month than the last 6 months combined, and the good thing about learning to use Elektron gear is that often times music is being created as a side product since you can always save the project and it’s not just disappearing into the ether once you shut down the machine.
I sold my Perfourmer today and feel very good about that. I’ve almost sold it a few times but have always panicked at the last moment thinking it’s a terrible mistake.
edit: What kind of setup are you going for? What are the main ingredients?
That’s great man, pleased for you That’s my plan for February…
I’ve got OT, Rytm & Virus Ti set up on the desk at the moment, the music room feels much better without the previous big pile of gear (there are pictures upwards somewhere). Also the MPC which I haven’t really started learning yet, but I use that on the sofa, table, bed, wherever - completely standalone for now.
Going to try making some jungle I think, got plenty of jungle samples, and I think Rytm will be great for heavy kicks and devastating baselines
Oh yes, now I remember!! That sounds like a very capable and nicely compact setup indeed, and likely mentally easier to spontaneously power up than a massive space ship.
Isolating one piece of gear from the setup really helps, especially if its a new thing.
Octatrack is still that way for me, too vast to be combined with anything it seems.
There is no shortage of bass with Rytm, the DVCO is insanely beefy and surprising in a very satisfying way.
Haha yes, I’m sure I don’t use more than 10% of it and probably understand less. But, OT & Rytm is the killer combo for me, and Virus is seemingly capable of any sound imaginable!
I think keeping it small and focused like that will let me learn each machine better, then to change things up, all I have to do is switch Virus for something else from whatever id left of the gear hoard!
e.g. Rytm, OT, modular is something I’ll try in the future
Well, I’ve bought three synths in 2022 already, but I’ve also sold two, so I’m only up one. Planning to sell another, and acquire the M, so I might be able to do this with everyone after all. If we’re talking NET amount of synths rather than sales transactions. The plan is to stay with one Elektron, the M, Hydra Deluxe, and Grandmother. (and an auxiliary acid machine currently filled by TD-3-MO.)
Of course I’ll have varying stashes of self-built-modular, but that’s a separate endeavor, and also a side job.
We’ll see. I’ll certainly give this a try though, now that I’ve kind of settled on what I actually want to make music with for a while.
Let’s be careful not to make this another ‘what’s next for Elektron’ thread but if there’s a new Elektron box that brings something new to the table, I’ll want to give it a shot for sure. I’ve had most Elektrons and liked them all (with one exception), and my NGNY setup is very Elektron-heavy as well. But like you, I buy all my gear 2nd hand so even if the Syntakt dropped next Wednesday, I’d still be cool to wait for the remaining 11 months for the 2nd hand prices to come down a bit.
In other news, I’ve just been playing the piano for two nights straight and it’s been really cool! I did record some bits but for once I’m not gonna shoot them straight into the Current sounds thread. Posting unpolished bits on the internet can be nice but once I post something, a switch in my brain goes “done” and makes it difficult to expand/change that piece of music. When the reality is one hour spent on a pattern with some mutes and small tweaks done live doesn’t scratch that itch of making an actual song. So I guess I’m now in writing mode.
The mythical status of the Syntakt is growing each day, as it would be almost impossible NOT to buy one when released.
A new Elektron device will of course be interesting. But today I spend two hours finetuning a beat on the DT by just adjusting the tone and envelopes of the samples and by tweaking some compressor settings. It can sound really nice and there are so much nuance possibilities!
So no interest in Syntakt, I’m happy with what’s on my desk now.
I looked at my bank account this morning pleasantly surprised and my first thought was what should I buy >.<
This is from a guy with no pension and freelancing so no stable job either!
A good day. I saw a T-resonator for sale locally - I’d panic bought one right at the end of last year (now returned). I wanted to buy it but made myself go and do something else (went out on my bike for an hour) and the urge went.
Later on I was poking around the internet and not for the first time this year, got bored of that (yes even this forum), having no new gear to chase. So I went upstairs and turned things on, and spent an hour fiddling with a track I started last year. It’s probably a good 2-3 months since I even switched anything on so that’s pretty major!
I definitely made the right decision downsizing. Sitting in front of 3 pieces of gear vs loads of it is much more pleasant, plus other issues I used to get tangled in - what MIDI channel for everything, mixer routing, what synths to use - are now non issues. So I spent zero time on that stuff as well as chasing gear/watching YouTube, and came out with some good changes to the loop.
I even know what I want to work on next time I go up there, develop the bassline (using the Rytm VCOs) and put the arpeggio into a multi on the Virus so I can pull another sound out of it, probably some icy pads, it’s an electro track. Maybe a sample or two on the OT after that and it’s on to an arrangement or scenes to practice a performance.
Progress, thanks in large part to this thread giving me the encouragement to make needed changes. More gratitude, and maybe even some clips of the track soon!
Best choice in the case of sudden GAS is always to give it some time. Possibly sleep on it, if that’s possible. Then when you go and have a second look, someone else has bought it already. Problem solved, gas-attack averted. Continue with your life.
At least in my case 95% of the things that cause me GAS are somewhat vintage and somewhat sought after pieces. Like for example the Boss SL-20 -pedal. I want one, but so does everybody else too. Whenever I see one for sale all I need to is give it an hour or two and the problem solves itself.
It’s the same in my shop. Someone brings me lovely Celtic Frost -vinyls. I want to take them home with me, but instead I give them a day or two. Suddenly someone walks in and buys them all. I don’t have to bother with them anymore.
I am not sure this is a first here, but I am gong to make a confession, BEFORE I relapse (or whatever we are calling this). Here’s what I am about to do: Trade in my Moog Mother 32 and Beatstep Pro (both in my closet, unused for months), to help soften the blow on a purchase of a Waldorf Iridium. Late last year, I started an offshoot thread called “If you could buy just one thing in 2022, what would it be?” I answered the question: “Waldorf Iridium.” Well, today, in another thread someone mentioned a one-day coupon at an equipment retailer here in town (not naming the thread or store here for obvious reasons). The coupon is just too much for me to pass up. With the coupon and the trade ins, I will be spending less than $2,000 on the brand new Iridium, which I have wanted to buy since Loopop did a video review. I feel weird, both excited and also guilty, since I know I am breaking my own commitment to myself and to this thread. Like AdamJay, this really is the one purchase I feared would make me break! Ahhhh!!!
It’s been a good weekend here too. I’ve been exploring the previously “scary and mentally exhausting stuff” (song mode, creative routings, midi loopback etc:) with the OT and some great revelations have been achieved. It’s like a honeymoon pt.2 I didn’t see coming.
If it wasn’t for this thread I’m pretty convinced it would have taken me years to actually start doing this.
how’s everyone doing on working on their current gear? I feel like I’ve been able to dive into my analog four & guitar combo pretty well this month. I have done a jamuary creation for every day of the month so far too which helps a lot and I’ve been working on the beginnings of my commitment to release something this year. I’ve also been pretty much a hermit with the COVID cases and such here in the states.
Also, I technically bought a guitar pedal in this year but only because I had a terrible hassle with a broken pedal and bad seller on reverb before the new year.
Enjoying it very much so far. It took a week or two to get out of the habit of checking reverb and such every day. Now every day I sit with a different module or Ableton or whatever and dig deep into places I haven’t been before. Loving it with no ragerts.
If we’re talking NET amount of synths rather than sales transactions. The plan is to stay with one Elektron, the M, Hydra Deluxe, and Grandmother. (and an auxiliary acid machine currently filled by TD-3-MO.)