modey

Yeah, this was what I wanted when I bought the PC. Sadly it also comes with a whole lot of fucking around in order to get things to work reliably; I lost a lot of time last week trying to diagnose my PC's problems—time I should have been spending on my uni work. I know it can be done, since I have friends who use Windows professionally for video editing, audio, etc., but I just don't have the patience anymore. I thought Windows could have got to the point where it was relatively transparent but it doesn't seem to be there yet. Also, little aesthetic/design nerd things like the UI font and being able to press option+shift+minus for an em dash instead of having to remember a code ended up being more important than I expected ?

I tried with Voicemeeter but had to run everything through it, including the internally generated audio, which resulted in latency from things like websites, which is a big nope for me, because I'm working on my browser based stuff and any latency keeps making me think there's something wrong with my code. Not anymore with the M1 architecture. I get what you're talking about but some things are just deal breakers for me, and I didn't realise until I tried to switch. Doesn't help if I want to plug multiple multi-track USB audio devices in at once that don't have individual analog outs. Haven't touched it. It's stock. I did open it not long after I got it to try disconnecting the garish front panel light, but reconnected it again because it somehow removed all lighting options from the software. It worked fine until only recently though.

I'm getting them daily on the new PC, even after a reinstall of the OS. Something's definitely wrong with it. Even without the blue screens, I can't live with the way audio works in Windows. I've been spoiled by aggregate devices and native low latency in macOS.

Latest GAS is for a new studio computer. Back in March I was experiencing some major crashes when streaming or editing video on my iMac, so I impulse purchased a PC, thinking enough is enough, I want an actual modular computer that I can repair / upgrade one part of and not have to throw the whole thing away / pay Apple to repair it for me. Turns out the PC was an endless source of frustration for me in terms of getting audio working to even close to the standard I expected from Apple computers, and then it started randomly freezing followed by blue screen errors that I couldn't diagnose after days of research. Bottom line is I don't want a computer that I spend more time configuring / troubleshooting than actually making music / uni work with. So back to Apple I go. Don't care how much cheaper it is to get a PC, and before anyone recommends things like Voicemeeter or ASIO4all, yes I've tried all of that and various things about them frustrated me. Anyone have experience with the new M1 range? Specifically the Mini? The only downside (apart from some software stuff) I've seen so far is that Bluetooth can be a bit flaky.

I have Wavebone Gemini monitor stands and they're awesome. Not my photo: They clamp to the back edge of the desk so there's tons of room underneath.

Cuckoo tutorials on youtube.

It was more like they lowballed him on the rights to use the Devilfish name/design, he refused, and then they (evidently) went and did it anyway.

Yeah, I've noticed it's mostly Australian people who are really pushing it in more innovative directions, unless I just don't get to see the innovative stuff that people from other countries are putting out. Two more Australian ones for your collection, while we're on that subject: https://dotay.bandcamp.com/album/you-re-better-at-this-than-you-think LSDJ tracked out to tape, mixed and mastered at a 100% analog studio. Dot.AY is someone who I see as at the forefront of electronic music genre diversity, mostly from his radio shows where he manages to find some incredible micro-genres. He really has a great ear for consolidating a ton of different styles into a unique sound, something I aspire to. https://theythemmusic.bandcamp.com/album/flat-moon-society My collaborator in Nanoloop2 duo THE GOTH"S. Claire is one of the few people who is on my level when it comes to messing with audiences not through overwhelming them (as is the usual case with chip music), but through minimalism. This album was made with Nanoloop Mono and is almost SND-like in terms of how much space there is. (I've probably mentioned both of these here before but they deserve all of the reposts)

The sign of a truly good chiptune synth is its ability to go beyond typical chip sounds. I'm glad it's capable of stuff like that. So many of us chip musicians are trying to push the boundaries of what's possible on the hardware, meanwhile tons of synth companies come out with shitty "8bit" products that are only capable of the stereotypical bleep bloop sounds (e.g. TE's PO-20).

Anyone else into the new Cannibal Corpse album? Bit more thrashy than their previous stuff, some actual sick riffs and melodic parts among their usual impenetrable dissonance (which I do also love). fuck I'm not sure if I'm ready to experience Portal again. I saw them live a few years ago stoned out of my mind (thanks to a friend's edibles that were way too strong for me) and it was too much lol. I definitely want to listen to them again at some point though.

Honestly all of my gear with built in rechargeable batteries makes me anxious. My Gameboy Micros barely last an hour until they show a low battery indicator, which means I've had to retire them from live shows. I'd much rather have a set of rechargeable AAs that I can replace and keep the device going than a built-in one that deteriorates after a few years.

edit: in reply to @TubularCorporation And? If Elektron suddenly start making products I don't like, I'll stop buying them. Again, they don't owe us anything. I'm probably the biggest Elektron fanboy on this forum but it's only because they make gear that I enjoy using. If they suddenly become like TE or Apple or whatever, I'll say "ah well, that sucks" and move on. Yeah, but there are people complaining that they were misled or whatever, when it was well advertised from the beginning what the device would look like, and that it would take AA batteries.

lol that guy didn't want one in the first place, and just bought one so he could shit on it even more. He's going out of his way to post it in as many places as possible. I'm surprised he hasn't posted here. I don't get why people are so passionate in their hate of this product. Just.. don't buy it? Elektron doesn't owe us anything. They've already made several amazing devices that won't suddenly stop working now that they've released a battery handle that isn't rechargeable.

I don't really need it. I bought a tiny battery pack that holds 4x AA batteries not long after I got my Samples, and then got a USB to barrel adaptor which allows it to be powered by a powerbank. I'll likely use the battery handle now that I have one, but especially not having a stable income, I couldn't really justify buying one.

It doesn't rest on the connector. It clips onto the enclosure without needing the cable connected and doesn't put any stress on it at all. I was a beta tester for the handle and while I wouldn't have bought one; I found it a lot less goofy than it looks. I don't mind that it takes AA batteries, I have tons of rechargeables from years of using gameboys to make music so

But any machine would be useless with a dead CPU? Surely it's still under warranty.. it's a bit ridiculous to think "ah well, screen's broken, it's useless, better just throw it away". Faults happen on even the most high end machines. There's always something that can be done about it, especially if it's not even a year old?!

Wait, it didn't have arp/slide (portamento)/gate (note cut) before? Or were they previously available as other commands? Those three are kinda essential for a tracker imo.

so is everyone just getting this to flip, or..? I can't imagine it'd be even practical to sit and listen to on vinyl. Is this physical bitcoin?

Valid. There's something good about an all-in-one unit. Please post some videos when you get it!

There's a somewhat incomplete manual here. If there's something missing (or you have a question), jump on the Discord and request it; someone should be able to either help you out or update the manual accordingly. No conditional triggers as yet, but there is the CHA (chance) command which can either be applied to a note (trigger chance) or parameter (chance the parameter is triggered). Also, there is the RAN command, which repeats the last command with a random parameter, within a specified range. Those two together can get close to making some generative stuff, as well as using tables in 00 speed mode (table will only advance when a note hits). If you're wondering what tables are, consider it like a little sequencer per instrument that can run at a division (or multiplication) of the tempo, or the aforementioned 00 speed mode where it acts almost like a sample and hold, but any commands can be placed in the table, so it can get pretty complex. Yes! I've used it with the TouchDesigner patch to stream, and stream USB audio into my DAW. I've also used it to control my QY70, NS5R and some other things. And controlled it with my Keystep + RK006. It's pretty solid as a MIDI sequencer. You get 10 automatable CCs per instrument instance. It's not 100% there as a live playing synth/sound module though. Its primary use is as a sequencer, so currently there's no release phase on the envelope, for example. Or polyphony, unless you use something like the RK006 to split polyphony into different MIDI channels. Yes, trash80 is very prolific with features. It's being updated constantly, with the most recent firmware released yesterday. There's a Trello board (can't find the link but it's somewhere on Discord) showing the roadmap, but jump on the Discord and have a chat if you've got something in mind. I'm not sure if he's planning on implementing Link but the MIDI sync/position implementation is getting pretty robust. Yeah, once I'm not completely overwhelmed with uni stuff I want to get really stuck in to making some M8 tunes, either standalone (it's actually mindblowing what it's capable of internally) or with aforementioned sound modules like the QY70/NS5R for those lush pads.

Interesting idea, and maybe more convenient, but it's probably cheaper to get genMDM + GENajam + an actual Megadrive/Genesis.. Still, keen to see how you go with it.

That's like saying it's easy to rip the encoders off the board on Elektron products if you try to remove the caps using a hammer. The only issue I've seen with a pre-production M8's keys is from someone trying to remove the spring that makes the click sound (which, for the record, many of us have done successfully); they accidentally broke part of the assembly. I use it at home mostly. It's a good couch device. It's also not really comparable to the Digi/Model series Elektron gear in terms of sequencing (I know I mentioned sound earlier), in that it's definitely designed more for writing detailed "songs" rather than techno style pattern iteration (though its live mode is good for that, and the instant song file switch while playing is an awesome feature for live playing). I definitely get more into a composition mindset due to it being a tracker, not that everyone uses it like that, but that's just how I feel with it. It's also the most detailed hardware sequencer I own, except maybe the QY70, but I never went too deep into that. I did think this at first as well, but now I find it pretty comfortable to use, either handheld or on a tabletop. It becomes pretty quick once you get a sense of the screen map and common button combinations. I find it much easier to use than a gameboy d-pad+buttons.

The keys are pretty low profile and quite solid. The switch actuators are wider than they are tall, but I guess the stems on the caps could be broken off with enough force. I think trash80 is looking into including a basic case/pouch type thing with it. I use some kind of passport travel pouch with mine, it's actually perfect for it.

Yeah, M8 is definitely aiming for ultraportable. It can't really be compared to a phone either, because.. have you ever tried using a tracker on a phone? Even Sunvox is cramped as fuck on a phone. M8 is a device capable of producing full, polished songs. It's not a sketchpad. It's a workstation.

It's the best thing to show people who say it's not worth the money because it's "just an eight mono track sequencer". Obviously not everyone is going to be able to pull off what Ess did here, but it's super flexible for being able to do this kind of stuff.