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Ambient/Post-Rock/Textural bass playing thread

#18,243
I use a RME UCX as my main interface. If I need 8 extra inputs I have an old Black Lion modded MOTU 828mk2 for 8 more channels. I also have RME’s ARC remote control which has proven quite useful.

But… for home stuff I’ve been experimenting working outside the box to record, and for that, I’m just using a 1010 Bluebox. Everything you heard from me the past month or so has been Bluebox, then I just take the microSD over to my computer and drag it into Logic for levels and rendering.
 
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#18,245
JES said:
@steubig i feel you on the mixer thing. I wound up with a Bluebox but have ordered a controller for it.

EssenceFM is tempting, but how is the filter on it? Utilitarian or interesting? How is the (musical) distortion?

Right now I’m thinking I’ll stick with ID700 for digital FM, but it is on my radar for a polysynth.

After my complex LFO adventures, I realized I had a few too many “pre-decisions” in my Eurorack, so I swapped in more utilities and basic modules which allows for greater improvisation.
Click to expand...

Sounds fun :) I like the filter and love the new morph function. I find the distortion very musical, personally. I dunno, I’m really into the EssenceFM synth, but if you don’t need a hardware FM synth, you don’t! I just happen to really love FM

steubig said:
which brings up what people use/recommend for mixer/interface.
Click to expand...

About 3 years ago I bought a nice Crest 16 channel mixer, thinking it’d be awesome to mix/eq modular and whatnot since it has direct outs. I’ve never taken it out of the box :)
My interface is a Lynx Aurora (n) 16 TB with a couple expansion cards. It was stupidly expensive and no reasonable person should get one, but it is really awesome :)
So the Lynx has 8 very clean preamps, then I have 8 modded API outboard preamps from when I used to have a commercial studio. Killer little setup, but there are very nice setups for a fraction of what that costs.
I guess I’m recommending what you shouldn’t do :)
Happy New Year!
 
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#18,246
steubig said:
the answer is to polish less and be more impulsive.

:eyebrow:

i go through phases: oh this is okay, this is going nowhere, finally a breakthrough, ugh it’s complete crap, okay not bad, it’s done, put it out and hope for the best, nice, hate it, not horrible, i like it, trash …
Click to expand...
I think I'm getting there (if you were referring to my post). Even if you weren't, I'm getting there. I'm gonna sit down tonight with fresh ears and try to concentrate on the mix, not the content itself.
 
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#18,247
For the modular nerds on the thread, here's what I've done:
modulargrid_1792293.jpg

The "starter" sound sources are the Atlantis and the Drone Commander. The basic idea is 2 voices, 3 if I really need them, and lots of options for FM. Freak Shift is the only effect. The starter complex LFO is Maths. But then....Plaits and Dixie and Filter 8 can all be VCOs or LFOs depending on the patch. Peaks and Maths can be LFOs or Envelopes or other stuff, and everything can be synced to the Vector, which also can control iPad synths and the eventual incoming poly. And of course the Filter 8 is also an extra filter if I need it, and I can also run into the Drone Commander's filter and bypass one of the oscillators, or I can take its oscillators and bypass its very distinctive filters. I am not 100% I need the Wogglebug since I can already mix in noise from the Atlantis, but it's fun to run CVs through it, so it's there until I find I need something else more in its place. The preamps and Tallin can both add distortion, which smoothes out CVs as well as audio signals.

Vector has a Launchpad Mini hanging of its USB-A input, which is really an extension of the module. The Linnstrument can go into the FH-2 or be used to play monophonically into the Vector in real time. The FH-2 also allows CV to MIDI, which I will eventually implement.

Output sounds go into my Bluebox, which then goes into the Transmit 2, which can go to speakers or (more often, we are living in an open apartment in a pandemic) my headphones.

Already this has led to much more improvisational patching. It's a little tight for 6U 126hp but I spaced things so that knobs wouldn't abut other knobs. The only menus are on the Vector. Everything else is knob-per-function (ok technically not the Peaks but fight me).

It's stupid that I have enough Eurorack in the closet to swap out 1/3 of my rack (Ensemble Oscillator and Clouds and some other stuff were in there before), but I guess that's what happens when you try to perform with a Euro setup in your band and then decide it's a terrible idea and put the extra modules in the closet. I need to sell off more stuff, though my wife says "don't sell anything you might want to use one day." I might build an auxiliary FX rack or something.
 
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#18,248
JES said:
For the modular nerds on the thread, here's what I've done:
View attachment 4524822
The "starter" sound sources are the Atlantis and the Drone Commander. The basic idea is 2 voices, 3 if I really need them, and lots of options for FM. Freak Shift is the only effect. The starter complex LFO is Maths. But then....Plaits and Dixie and Filter 8 can all be VCOs or LFOs depending on the patch. Peaks and Maths can be LFOs or Envelopes or other stuff, and everything can be synced to the Vector, which also can control iPad synths and the eventual incoming poly. And of course the Filter 8 is also an extra filter if I need it, and I can also run into the Drone Commander's filter and bypass one of the oscillators, or I can take its oscillators and bypass its very distinctive filters. I am not 100% I need the Wogglebug since I can already mix in noise from the Atlantis, but it's fun to run CVs through it, so it's there until I find I need something else more in its place. The preamps and Tallin can both add distortion, which smoothes out CVs as well as audio signals.

Vector has a Launchpad Mini hanging of its USB-A input, which is really an extension of the module. The Linnstrument can go into the FH-2 or be used to play monophonically into the Vector in real time. The FH-2 also allows CV to MIDI, which I will eventually implement.

Output sounds go into my Bluebox, which then goes into the Transmit 2, which can go to speakers or (more often, we are living in an open apartment in a pandemic) my headphones.

Already this has led to much more improvisational patching. It's a little tight for 6U 126hp but I spaced things so that knobs wouldn't abut other knobs. The only menus are on the Vector. Everything else is knob-per-function (ok technically not the Peaks but fight me).

It's stupid that I have enough Eurorack in the closet to swap out 1/3 of my rack (Ensemble Oscillator and Clouds and some other stuff were in there before), but I guess that's what happens when you try to perform with a Euro setup in your band and then decide it's a terrible idea and put the extra modules in the closet. I need to sell off more stuff, though my wife says "don't sell anything you might want to use one day." I might build an auxiliary FX rack or something.
Click to expand...

That’s a very well thought out rack! I’ve had several of those modules and still have a Filter8 and that Takaab Dual LPG (if I’m seeing it correctly). I currently have too many VCO’s and filters and not enough modulators, but am hoping to sort that out soon enough. Current setup in the rack is pretty much this:
DA70807E-24DB-48F3-BFB7-E8592072D4F1.jpeg
 
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#18,249
steubig said:
which brings up what people use/recommend for mixer/interface.
Click to expand...

I don't necessarily "recommend" this, but it's what I use at home: Interface is an old MOTU 2408 which connects via PCI card to an equally old Mac G4. I have a Lucid AD9624 converter feeding the 2408 via S/PDIF for gozinta, and a Yamaha 01V digital mixer being fed from the 2408 via Lightpipe for gozoutta.

For mobile recording my interface is a Tascam US-1641 which connects to a laptop via USB. But I only use that rig for capture, never editing or mixing or processing, so I can't really speak to the versatility of that interface.
 
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