the watmm GAS thread

[peace 7]

Well, it's running a bit behind schedule so it won't be here until tomorrow or Thursday, but a little over a week ago I finally found a low enough price to put my many years of wanting a 90s video switcher, and will soon have a Sony VFX-100 taking up way too much shelf space (for the price of 3 or 4 dinners at a local Indian place, or as many cab rides across town).

 

Well worth it for something that will let me do all kinds of public access grade wipes and keying, and also make my apartment feel just a bit more like a spaceship.

 

 

 

The price of analog video equipment on eBay compared to reputable dealers is just as insane as ever, if not more so.  Cheapest I could find one of these from an actual dealer was over $2600 USD, but on eBay even an overpriced one is well below 10% of that. I paid a little under $80 for one about as clean as that photo, that is allegedly fully tested and from a seller who offers returns.  I've seen some great inputless-mixer glitchy video stuff done with similar switchers, they have a great look especially if you have two of them to feed into one another.

 

Holy shit, that looks great.  It makes me realize that such equipment could be used as housing for drum machine mods, where all the drum machine buttons and display could be routed to the case buttons and display(s).  Or just totally redo the electronics to make MIDI controllers that look nothing like obvious MIDI controllers.  *post saved for future reference*

[modey]

oh shit that's a great idea. Gut it, chuck an arduino/raspberry pi/axoloti in there and turn it into a sick drum computer

[psn]

Looks awesome, RSP. If you're running out of space in your home, just get a cheap, used analog broadcasting bus!

[Guest Chesney]

Often thought about doing something similar but not with one of those, that looks amazing! You could easily build some arduino controller inside and setup CC's for any gear and use live.

I designed a monster synth like the waldorf wave to house a blofeld but of course, I have not gotten around to it and my laser engraver caught fire so I cannot etch the faceplate anymore.

[peace 7]

I designed a monster synth like the waldorf wave to house a blofeld but of course, I have not gotten around to it and my laser engraver caught fire so I cannot etch the faceplate anymore.

 

#IDMproblems

[Guest Chesney]

Ha, innit!

[xox]

Combined md and mnm v2, pls

[TubularCorporation]

There's a comparable Panasonic on eBay right now untested, $65 + $20 shipping, for anyone who seriously wants to make something out of one.

 

Also this one would need a new joystick and one of the buttons looks messed up, but the layout would be really good for a DIY drum machine or something.

 

 

Videonics brand stuff seems to be the easiest to find under $100 but doesn't look as cool.

 

I'd love to see one of you turn one of these into an instrument.

 

 

I'm telling you, though, this is the golden age of 90s analog video equipment cheap.  If you can find it locally it's usually free-if-you-pick-it-up type deals.

Edited March 8, 2017 by RSP

[TubularCorporation]

Another thing I was looking at that would be VERY cool for a DIY project but was prohibitively big and expensive for me was the Snell and Wilcox MAgic Dave system.  The actual video processing happens in a kind of general purpose rack unit and there are different control surfaces that you would add on for different purposes

 

For a DIY project, the control surfaces on their own could be a really good option and they look amazing.

[TubularCorporation]

Not nearly as bulky or heavy as I expected, just slightly bigger than an MPC-3000.

 

Down side is the battery for the memory is dead and I can't seem to even find it in there.  Leaving it powered on to charge for half an hour like the manual recommends but for now, none of the buttons actually respond although it will pass video fine so hopefully it works other than the battery.

 

I don't have much faith in a 20 year old rechargeable battery being usable though, so I might have to drop the money for a download of the 1000+ page service manual that I couldn't find on any of the usual free manual sites.

 

Hmmm.

[modey]

Is it a rechargeable battery, or a super slow discharge capacitor? My mind was blown when I realised that the SY22's user patch memory is powered by a capacitor and can hold charge for months..

[TubularCorporation]

Success, I just accidentally loosened a ribbon connector when I was looking inside for the battery. Fixed that and it works perfectly now, and the battery seems to be charging fine.

 

 

This thing is going to be really fun.

[modey]

nice! be sure to put up some youtube videos when you get stuff going.

 

 

 

fuuuck, the nord is so good. I can't believe I've gone so long without getting one. even just being the 4-voice version, the voice stealing is weirdly interesting and glitchy. I was running 4 channels into it via the octatrack lastnight and ended up crashing it by sending a bunch of 32nd note arpeggios to it on each channel lol oops.

 

I think I may actually end up getting a second one, maybe a nord rack 2/2x/3 just because the sound is so dynamic. Would it be blasphemy to sell/trade the JX8P for a nord? :P

Edited March 8, 2017 by modey

[TubularCorporation]

nice! be sure to put up some youtube videos when you get stuff going.

 

IT might take a bit but definitely.

 

I'm seriously considering recording a bunch of improvised video feedback bullshit, cutting it down to about half an hour, making some kind of off-kilter ambient soundtrack and doing a tiny (10-20 copies) VHS release of it as some kind of fake relaxation or newage meditation or subliminal/self hypnosis thing, kind of an homage to this sort of thing:

 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWP1Bfi_k-4

 

Edited March 8, 2017 by RSP

[modey]

that'd be fucking awesome, I love that kind of stuff, especially limited releases; my last one was limited to 15 copies, with unique audio/tracklist per copy, physical only, no download. It sold better than any of my other physical copies of releases lol

Edited March 9, 2017 by modey

[Guest bitroast]

that may have something to do with yur set being 

[TubularCorporation]

Ok, last one and then I'll stop with the video mixer suggestions.  If anyone is really serious about repurposing one of these for a DIY synth or controller, someone is selling a bunch of broken Panasonic "Special Effects Generator" rack units right now and they look amazing, kind of like a Mutron pedal and one of those 60s Acoustic amplifiers had a mutant baby:

 

 

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Panasonic-WJ-4600C-6-Input-Color-Bar-SEG-TV-studio-production-switcher/122367741980

 

I might have to nab something like this i working condition next time I get some side work, because crossfeeding signals between two switchers is where things really get crazy, and this one also has an external key input which is a BIG thing, because you can use a third video signal as a mask to overlay one signal onto a second one, which opens up tons of possibilities.

Edited March 9, 2017 by RSP

[psn]

That looks absolutely gorgeous.

[peace 7]

One good thing about living in Tokyo, is that when something is slightly broken, it's labelled Junk.  There's a store here called HARD OFF, and it actually has a whole floor that is for "Junk".  Due to me getting back into electronics for the past 5 years, basically the whole floor is a massively discounted superstore for me.  There are tons of stereo amps, speakers, video editing equipment (seriously), cassette tape stuff, a lot of 80's early 90's studio level equipment, guitars, monitors, rack mount effects, etc. etc.  I'm definitely gonna be looking at HARD OFF hardware with new eyes after the recent epic realizations in this thread.

 

After I put my dick in an old video editing unit, I might put a drum machine in one.

 

 

 

Oh, yah- I just remembered that I took some photos a couple months ago at HARD OFF:

 

 

The top one is an AV amp, $10 cuz knob is loose.  Bottom is a badass tape deck, $10 cuz reel ting is whack, prolly just needs a clean.

Edited March 10, 2017 by peace 7

[TubularCorporation]

New belt maybe.

[modey]

fuuuuck, I saw so much good stuff in those hard off stores in tokyo and kyoto. I want to go back to japan just for a suburban hard off crawl

[peace 7]

Yah, the only trouble is old gear- or much gearz- weighs a ton

[xox]

sheeee....i'm moving to tokyo!!!

 

peace, how bout other gear, like hw audio processors, comps and eqs? are those cheap too? 

[pcock]

after saying literally three days ago i would wait and see what came out in the world of drum machine with CV capability, just noticed malekko announced this badboy

 

http://www.factmag.com/2017/01/23/malekko-heavy-industry-manther-mr-d-bff-namm-2017-video/

 

[Leon Sumbitches]

God, RSP, those look glorious. I wound up bouncing a music video onto VHS for a mate's band last week and I've pottered about with bouncing audio onto it, but that's a whole other level. Over the years watmm has drilled a real appreciation of the aesthetics of old plastic kit into me. Lovelyyy.