New kids on the block...

[Razmo]

yeap I 2nd analog's statement, I think its great that you have a hobby that you enjoy and that now and then we get to hear the labours of love.

Same goes for commie too and for anyone else that has something to show us, its all good and theres always someone that appreciates it just as much (if not more) than you do im sure chris's statement wasn't meant in a bad way anyway I would imagine he's the last person in the world to depreciate people following hobbies, look at how far his own went and just how much of himself he put into it .. we ALL get to glean the satisfaction out of that either via the DVD or our own personal memories of actually being at these events... can understand why he isn't quite so enthusiastic as maybe he once was though, bit of a bank breaker from what I understand.

Still .. memories, all 64k's worth

Just to clear things, it was not Chris' comment that made me write about "bragging"... I'm normaly not a person that likes to make too much fuzz about myself, but I end up making it anyway because of an overly fondness of writing stuff about stuff that I like... It's my own thoughts, that this writing about new gear by some COULD get misunderstood as bragging... but it's nice to know that others can see that it's just a passion... and all it is. ... sometimes I just think too much about peoples reactions... it's part of being oversensitive... which I happen to be.

[Chris Abbott]

I was just writing about what I dreamed of when I was buying equipment, and how hard it was to subsequently find the time to do anything with the equipment I bought. I always loved pleasing people with my music, so envisioning other people's reactions was always part of my motivation: it was never about fame, just about pleasing an audience. Not solely about that, but about finding the skills to deliver something which would deliver happiness. That's just how I'm built, but I wasn't trying to project that onto anyone else.

I like seeing photos of exotic equipment, and I don't feel annoyed or jealous that Razmo is enjoying it: I just know what it's like to collect stuff and then not find time to use it properly.

[Razmo]

I was just writing about what I dreamed of when I was buying equipment, and how hard it was to subsequently find the time to do anything with the equipment I bought. I always loved pleasing people with my music, so envisioning other people's reactions was always part of my motivation: it was never about fame, just about pleasing an audience. Not solely about that, but about finding the skills to deliver something which would deliver happiness. That's just how I'm built, but I wasn't trying to project that onto anyone else.

I like seeing photos of exotic equipment, and I don't feel annoyed or jealous that Razmo is enjoying it: I just know what it's like to collect stuff and then not find time to use it properly.

I did not read your comment as a projection onto anyone either... I rather took your comment as a general projection, which led me to think a bit about myself, fame, glory etc. and reflect on it.

I'm actualy quite like you when it comes to the reason for having a hobby like this... i once had a dream about making music, earning something from it, and feeling that people like what I do with music (well... we were all young once, thinking we could conquer the world right!?), but I just had to give that dream up years back for personal reasons.

Today I still have the urge to please people with creative stuff, but I have no desire to earn fame og money from it anymore... it's when these two things combine (fame and money), that the fun goes away for me, and make composing tiresome and boring because you have to "stick to it" like a job, even if you basicaly have lost all interest in a given project.

In your case, the obstacle seems to be time... in my case the obstacle is concentration because old projects bore me (before they are finished) and new ones tempt... sometimes it's really a curse, because you still really want the feedback from a finished project... and honestly... sometimes it makes me depressed that I cannot finish as much as I really would like, but it has been going on like this for so many years now, that I've come to terms with it...

For me the curse is, that I got all the time in the world, and I actually sit in front of it all almost 24/7... still, I get nothing done execpt on very few occations, and on these occations I've have had to REALLY push myself to get them finished. THAT feels like a curse to be honest, and I really HATE the feeling, when I look around my studio, seeing all that great gear, and thinking about how little I really accomplished with it.

Sometimes I get really confused... do I have a hobby to please me, others or both? ...

[Commie_User]

For me the curse is, that I got all the time in the world, and I actually sit in front of it all almost 24/7... still, I get nothing done execpt on very few occations, and on these occations I've have had to REALLY push myself to get them finished.

You can't force things, they have to come naturally. And having no bigger project makes it all seem pointless sometimes. We've all been there.

My rig's now the best it ever was but it may as well just be a museum stand right this moment. But I enjoy even that - having all these lovely things, all networked up, spruced up and ready to go. If you've nothing to do then just leave it. It's still beautiful isn't it.


I've given myself a bit of a holiday these last couple of years, doing very little, but enjoying what projects there are very much. Art comes in fits and stops. And if you just kick off your shoes during the low points, you may find even richer inspirations come during the activity stages.








And if you're stuck for inspiration then get out and buy a bunch of old records. Even if classical's not your style, you can still get ideas. (Also run 'em fast, slow, backwards......)

Or tape some dialogue from television and convert the melody of speech to MIDI. And as you know, different instruments can inspire different improv' styles. And there's been plenty of software like Music Mouse or MIDI Mirror to bring other stuff out.

Or draw patterns into your piano roll and hear how they sound. Or do something 'concret'. All this lot is valid for me and I'm sure there's been a lot more.

[Razmo]

@ Commie User

yeah... I know you're right, but sometimes it's just so easy to forget it... even after all these years it took me to realise it (close to 20 now)... it's so easy to forget, especialy with a world like this, that races past you, never stops, and produce "things" quicker than we can use them... you can easily get lost in the belief, that you have to "join the race"... though I know, that for me to even try, is futile...

[Razmo]

Just got my Revision 1 Smallstone today, and holy s*** that made a difference to the unusable NANO Smallstone I bought recently... now it's the real deal (- Eminent 310U unfortunately he he).

Here is a demo of the R1 vs. R5(Nano)... quite a difference... the later simply stay WAY too long time in the upper bright sweeping area... useless for Jarre sweeps:

It's the first part in the demo that is the R1 version.

The "310U imitator" is an Oberheim Matrix-1000.

Now I just need to find a power supply for the R1 that will run 6-7.5volts which Jarre did with his to make it run at a slower rate (the rate you hear in the demo is actually it's lowest setting on 9volts).

Anyways... the unit I got looks as if it has had better days... it looks rather used to be honest. Inside the device a kind of foam that was put there to separate the print from the casing was so old it practically crumbled when I touched it, and a lot of it had stuck to the printet curcuit board because of heat... that had to be cleaned as well as the battery connector that was beginning to "green" because of a leaking battery inside the unit.

Has been cleaned up now, and is in good working condition, though I could have wished for at more mint looking specimen to be honest... it looks as if it has been in a sandstorm, but f*** that... it's the sound that counts! ... or the "Mojo" as it is in guitarist terms i guess

[Commie_User]

Putting some battered old bus back on the road's sometimes more gratifying than merely maintaining a decent-looking one. Keep them running for as long as the manufacturers presumed they might. Nice soundscape demo you made with it too. Love that quality.



I've got an idea. If you're stuck for business, how about we get something together right here? What about a little synth and drum 'jam' between us?




This little doodle shows the kind of place I'm coming from:

Fancy tacking some synth work on? Anything will do, just for fun. Doesn't even have to be on this track.

Nice bit of fun with the Alesis DM5. Its own sounds are good but MIDI-linked to my studio network and I have a whole expanse of samplers and keyboard synths to get into!

drummy.jpg (71.96 KiB) Viewed 9747 times

[Commie_User]

Now I just need to find a power supply for the R1 that will run 6-7.5volts which Jarre did with his to make it run at a slower rate (the rate you hear in the demo is actually it's lowest setting on 9volts).


Surely it's the frequency which does your oscillation and things. From my experience, drop the voltage too far and operation becomes unsteady before the power goes out. (Or if your PSU is regulated, the draw may be affected as you drop the voltage maybe. )

[Vosla]

The problem is always that while you're filling in your credit card details, your head is filled with the sweet sweet sound...

... of someone running off with your creditcard details... (enter diabolical laughing here)