that's a demo video. it's basically a 16x16 step sequencer ie 16 layers of a 16 step sequence. you can also use that as a block and have 16 of them so plenty of room for different patterns and stuff.
i find it fascinating. it's built around the same premise as the monome (www.monome.org) but is more user friendly at the start and can be used as a standalone instrument (tho' the monome looks excellent too).
someone called norman fairbanks has already created a whole album on it which is free for download from his site (7 days microsleep, i think it's called)
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Eschertron
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Re:skills and gear - 2008/01/13 03:56I looked at the video. Pretty cool! I've seen some software programs that use a matrix-based scheme, but the HW is sweet. All the sounds are onboard?
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Gary Fox
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Re:skills and gear - 2008/01/13 06:42Ah gear, I love gear. There was a similar thread to this about a year ago, so I hunted for it to see what I actually said, and what is different. I have juxtaposed my response from last year with my response this year. Interesting what has changed...
I just got Sonar 7, so it remains to be seen if I can conjure good sounds from it. (garbage in, garbage out Gary, a bad workman blames his tools)
I use drum loops for my percussion since I am a horrible drummer. (I have expanded my loop collection, and if I can ever figure out the MIDI thing...)
I go direct to the hard drive on my computer. (an HP with lots of RAM and storage space) ((Now I have even more RAM 'cause it's really freakin' cheap!))
I use an Echo Audio Gina 24 sound card/interface. I use a small Beringer mixer and an ART tube compressor pre-amp. (Yup still do)
For mikes I use a Shure KSM27 condenser mike, a Nady ribbon mike and the old workhorse: a Shure SM57 (Still the same, love the ribbon mike)
Amp: Bedrock copy of a VOX AC 30, and an old Crate 15 watt tube box with a 10" speaker. (this year I might even get new strings!)
GTRs: Les Paul, SG, Tele, a strat knock-off, a couple of acoustics and a copy of a P-bass. (nothing new here, except a great story. I got the Les Paul back in 1994 for about $450. It's a wine red '79, all orginal hardware. It's a much better guitar than I am gtr player. I was in a music store in midtown (nyc) this summer where I saw an almost cloned version of my gtr. It's running for about $2500. Story of my life, something worth a lot of cash that I couldn't bear to part with. Meanwhile I eat Ramen Noodles...oh well)
For guitar picks I use...just kidding
Now, if I can find some talent, I may have something.
Cheers,
Gary
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thel1195
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Re:skills and gear - 2008/01/13 07:47OK, we can talk hardware, or software. I just like ware.
PC is AMD processor with a 1GB of RAM - home made w/ 3 hard drives.
I have a M-Audio 1624 audio card, and a M-Audio MiniBox using USB.
I use Acid for loops, but for the real work, I'm using Pro Tools LE. So many loops - in the neighborhood of 12,000. Like Gary, I don't drum, so a wide variey of beats, drums, and percussion is essential. Also, gotta have ear candy, those little noises that fill up the dry places in the mix.
I stopped using my AKG C1000S for main vocals and pulled out the Audio Technica AT4060 tube mic. Clear and warm. But I mix in a Shure 57 or a Marshal V67 for some variety on the backing vocals.
The Bass is a Curbow by Cort run through a Line 6 Bass Pod directly into the Mini Box. Funkenstein lives!
My Guitar is a Yamaha Pacifica. Cheap. But I have a few killer boutique effects like the Nano Clone reverb, Vox distortion pedal and Keeley Fuzz head.
Headphones, was using Sony 7506 forever, but I found beyerdynamic DT770 granted me a truer mix.
Got more stuff in the closet, but this what I use today. Got a head rush, need to sit down.
Post edited by: thel1195, at: 2008/01/13 07:52
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Bryan
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Re:skills and gear - 2008/01/13 16:56I think this is one of my favorite things about this challenge....I love to read about everybodys set up....
This year I will be using.....
Korg D1200 digital recorder
2004 reissue Mexican Fender Tele Deluxe (Strat neck on a Tele body with two Humbuckers)
1967 Gibson Dove Acoustic
2007 Seagull Acoustic
1962 Gretch Drums (These were my Dad's...Great set of drums!!)
2004 American Fender Jazz Bass (It was in a flood, and I bought it for 50 bucks!!!)
Mandolin (I can't remember the brand....But it was a gift from fellow RPM member, George Brown)
Various mics, pedals and percussion....
I can't wait to get started!!!
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dvanderwall
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Re:skills and gear - 2008/01/14 01:21I love gear talk as well. I'm more toward the "modern" side of things, but here's what I will use...
DAW = MacBook Pro, Pro Tools LE 7.4, Digi 003r w/ Presonus DIGIMax pres over lightpipe, and Focusrite Voicemaster and TLAudio FatMan pres over S/PDIF.
My guitar is a Variax 700, bass is an Ibenez EX 5-string, drums are Roland V-Pro, keys are either a Novation X-Station and/or the soft synths in Reason 4. Main vocal mic is an se Electronics Z5600a, but I also use an Oktava MK-219 and of course the ol' SM57 and 58 standbys.
I'm really looking forward to the challenge this year!
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I've got a MacBook and an M-Audio FastTrack USB interface. And a Sennheisser e815s mic (dynamic).
A Yamaha FG-400 A acoustic (£100 20 years ago) an Aria semi Acoustic a Hondo Mandolin (£30 in a second hand shop) a tambourine an old fermenting Jug a couple of Hohner Harmonicas, and a bean pod from an Indian Bean tree.
Ready To Rock
EDIT whoops I've got a Telecaster made by the local Fekker company, handbuilt from a worldwide selection of parts. and a Marshall 50W amp that I've hardly ever fired up.
Post edited by: Gumbo, at: 2008/01/14 01:41
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iMac running Logic 7; in through a Focusrite Saffire LE M-Audio studiophile monitors / Audio Technica monitor 'phones.
a couple Sennheiser "evolution" mics
Epiphone Emperor Regent (Johnny Smith style archtop) Unrecognizably modded peavey strat copy (sustainer, scallops, wierd wiring, etc) Craptacular squier p-bass (hopefully defretted by the time February ends and I need it) 3-string electrified cigar box guitar (WILL BE SHOWING UP) M-Audio ProKeys 88 Mesa Nomad 45
'63-'64 Reynolds Contempora Bb Trumpet (Abilene tone ring and appearance but pre-Abilene serial number ... wierd. Plus they apparently didn't ever MAKE the trumpets in the Abilene factory) '57 Selmer Paris Bb Trumpet (really cool horn, no lacquer left, great mellow sound, bore's too damn small for me so I don't play it as much)
Brother with clarinet skills and a fancier instrument than all of mine put together. (might be guesting if I can persuade him)
Generic, crappytire electric kettle. I painted my teapots and mugs myself at this place in Ottawa called The Mud Oven. I free leave various blends.
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Billy Butler
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Re:skills and gear - 2008/01/14 03:50I am using only my Yamaha CP60M acoustic/electric piano and my voice. Not sure if I am going to record on my computer yet. I have an old 4-track cassette deck that I may use and then I'd master it on my cpu. My computer is a Dell with about 2 gigs of ram. If I do use my computer I may use either Sonar or an old version of Cool Edit Pro.
B.Bitter
Post edited by: billybitter, at: 2008/01/14 03:53
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Keblo
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Re:skills and gear - 2008/01/14 05:11I've got an Ibanez Soundgear bass, Ibanez Gio Guitar, and an Ibanez amp. I know it sounds like I'm an Ibanez fanboy, but I just go to the store and play everything in my price range and I seem to always end up with Ibanez stuff. I'm recording using a Lexicon Omega setup attatched to my HP laptop. It's really not much but it's the best I've got.
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Raleigh
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Re:skills and gear - 2008/01/14 19:08Outdated versions of Sony's Acid Pro and Cakewalk's Music Creator. Thas it.
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ajbrewer
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Re:skills and gear - 2008/01/14 19:29Lets see, gear to be used: Peavey Raptor (cheap strat knockoff, surprisingly good though, course a lot of original stuff has been replaced I believe), Yamaha FG30S acoustic, little Marshall valvestate amp (practice amp basically), Boss distortion pedal (maybe once or twice, when I want something different from the gained Marshall amp distortion sound), crybaby, behringer mixer, Nady SP-1 dynamic mic (cheap but pretty good actually), MXL V63 condensor mic (I think I got that number right), Music Creator 3, Creative Labs Audigy sound card, and whomever has drums and bass and is willing to lend a hand (still working on that)....should sound better than last year, when I had the audigy card and Music Creator, but was running everything through one of those cheap little condensor mics they bundle with most computers in existence straight through the mic input (although the sound wasn't half-bad, I was somewhat surprised).
Post edited by: ajbrewer, at: 2008/01/14 20:22
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tfrooney
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Re:skills and gear - 2008/01/14 20:02OK, I skipped this thread last year cuz I wasn't sure what I would use.
5 yr old Toshiba laptop held together with baling wire, literally.
Linux Hydrogen, Ardour, Zynaddsubsyn(sp?), Rosegarden, Fluidsynth
PRS Standard
Zoom GFX707
Mackie vlz1202
$30 AT Mic I had to solder the element back in
A broken coffee mug handle
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mick
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Re:skills and gear - 2008/01/14 20:42-- Capturing Movement of Air-- Behringer Tube pre-amp Shure KSM109 mics Crown PZM - getting those low didj vibrations through the floor
-- 6-string things -- Yamaha acoustic Fender Strat Mako TB1
-- Termite hollowed tubes -- A# - on loan from JesusFreak D - awesome as hell C - Ok, lacks back pressure E - Sweet B - sucks ass Plus 3 PVC in other keys - play well but lack depth
-- Things to convert electrons to art (old but good)-- Korg DS-8 Yammmy FB-01 Kawai K1R
-- Things that go Boing, Rattle, whiree, and Krrittccshh -- Talking Shaker Tubular Bells Multi Guiro Rakatak Blacklock 26" musical saw (though not good enough yet to use it) Glokenspiel cow bell (more of it too!) Mouth harps Bar chimes
-- Things that hiss, tinkle, and ssssshhhh -- Casaba Nosiy Children ("Flame of the Forest" bean) Frog Rasp Kalimba Shekeres Tambourines
-- Things that go thump, bump, and bonk --- Gopiyantra Dumbek x 5 (metal, woods) Darabuka Djembes Dholak x 2 Bodhrans Alaskan Fire Drum Avaga x 3 Bata x 3 Ashikos (more then you can shake a didj at) Congas x 2 Claves & click sticks Cuica Timbal Tabla Sambar
-- Things that make me really sweat -- Ludwig 11 piece trap That crappy B-stick
-- Things that are necessary -- Lungs Diaphragm Lips, tongue, mouth (hybrid instrument)
-- One to Rule them all -- SLAM Linux system (DAW, Mixer, master, soft synths, you name it -- it's there)
-- Things I Wish I Had -- Oceanharp Takio Drum Talking Drum Ewe Barrel Drum Guduyudu Gaita Shakuhachi (and the ability to play it) Slit drum (Bamboo or otherwise)
So many of these were purchased by friends traveling overseas and sending them to me over the years. I thank them all. Some are of great quality some not so great. All are special and capable of something unique. Those I use often get floor space the others are stacked neatly, but lovingly, in the closet which I tear into more in February then any other time If fact, I only know this because I just inventoried it last night in preparation for RPM08.
That's a life time of acquisition. Man am I old.
Post edited by: mick, at: 2008/01/14 22:55
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Jay Durfey
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Re:skills and gear - 2008/01/14 22:11Great list Mick (btw, good to see you again!) That is quite the collection.
I have a bunch of oddities here as well, although I don't know what most of them are called...mine come form garage sales and fair trad stores that carry international goods..unfortunately, the employees don't seem to have any knowledge of them either...lol...the kids and I have a blast with them all though. mostly percussion and wind instruments.
As far as the main rig, I finally have been able to build up the system I have been wanting for years now.
M-Audio Fast Track Pro usb/midi interface
2.8g P4 w 2g of ram
Ableton Live 7
Acid Pro 6
Izotope Ozone 3
A slew of vst's and plugins
Korg Toneworks AX1500g guitar processor
Roland GR33 midi Guitar synth
Fender Stratocaster with GK3 midi pickup
Godin SD (custom) with GK3 midi pickup
1 beat up ol' brandless, hand me down acoustic guitar that sounds just right to me
1 crappy $15 mic, hopefully will be replaced with a decent condensor mic before Feb hits.
Sojing electric violin (this is getting even less use now though because of the midi capabilities of the guitar...as is my keyboard)
I doubt much else will make it onto this year's RPM cd, but who knows what Feb will bring?
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BrokenPromiseKeeper
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Re:skills and gear - 2008/01/15 15:52My take on gear has always been to focus on the results, not the tools. Not counting my computer, my total studio setup cost well under $1000. I think my results are comparable to what I heard from other setups costing much more -- could be wrong but don't have the $$$ to blow on toys, gotta feed the kids first.
- Music Creator 4 software (works just fine for me, though Sonar does more)
- J-Station amp emulator (my most important toy, gives great tone)
- Epiphone Special II electric guitar (as good to me as much more expensive axes I've played)
- Washburn 12-string accoustic with built-in pre-amp (newest toy)
- Squire Bronco bass (good enough, but I do wish I had a real P bass)
- Samson USB condenser mic (I learned from last year's challenge that better mics make a huge difference)
- SmartLoops drum loops (since last year, I bought a lot more patterns and think the '08 Challenge results will be much better for it)
- really good headphones (Sony something, they weren't cheap though)
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alota
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Re:skills and gear - 2008/01/22 02:54I'm sitting on a bunch of gear to use this year.
I got my tele, it's the only guitar I use anymore. Nothing to special about it, just the love the way it plays.
I got an Ibanez bass and a fender p-squire bass. Don't use the ibanez that often.
For other sounds I have my Line 6 KB37. It's a solid piece of machinery.
Then I also use my PODxt for the majority of my guitar work considering my neighbor will pitch a fit if I whisper in my room.
I've got my 1973 Takamine acoustic, it's amazing, don't play it hardly enough.
For recording I have the line 6 stuff and then I have the Korg 16XD and the Korg 32xd both have gone through there fair share of abuse.
I have a whole closet full of mics so I'm not even going to go into that.
Other then that, I think this stuff is gonna help me complete this year RPM. I went through sound engineering school and all that jazz so I have a general idea of what I'm doing.
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