Motorcycles. Zombie Movies. Music. Guy Stuff.

The new Gentoo EP “Light” is now available from Simulacra records.  This six-song EP features guitar (something usually reserved for backgrounds and samples on previous Gentoo releases). However, the songs still retain the ambient electronica feel Gentoo is known for. Light is available at Simulacra Records, Amazon and iTunes.

So now Waldorf is coming out with a new analog synth called the Pulse 2. CRAP! I just bought the MoPho–not that there’s anything wrong with it. Waldorf does make some nice products though. The Largo is probably the best sounding VST I own. I can’t wait to see the NAMM videos of this baby to hear what she sounds like.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Quick spec list:

3 analog oscillators + 1 noise generator
Pulse width modulation
Hard sync
Filter FM from Oscillator 3
Ring Modulation from Oscillator 3
XOR Osc Mode
8/4 Voice Paraphonic modes
Cascade Filter
24dB/12db Lowpass, 12db Highpass/Bandpass filter modes
Powerful Arpeggiator
8-slot Modulation Matrix
USB
MIDI
External analog signal input
Stereo line out
Headphone out
Backwards compatible with classic Pulse
128×64 character backlit LCD
8 stainless steel knobs
500 Sound Programs
Electron-absorbing black case
All specifications subject to change without notice

Oh please, please, please! I’m really getting into hardware synths again, and I’d love to get a real drum machine (other than my ER1). I downloaded the demo for Spark, but really it’s just like Maschine a software VST with a hardware midi controller. Not exactly a real drum machine; and Dave Smith’s Tempest is way too expensive, so maybe Nord will bring us something small producers can afford. Nord Drum.

UPDATE

Well it looks like the Nord Drum is a bit of a dud, for those of us expecting a cheaper version of Tempest. Nord Drum Updated. It’s basically an analog drum box that you connect to drum pads. No sequencer or anything in the form of competing with Spark or Maschine. Boooo! Blah!

brighter now from tg on Vimeo.

A glimpse into the Monolake studio. It’s actually quite simple compared to Front 242s studio (that I’ve seen online).

After weeks of internal debate, I decided to buy the Dave Smith Instruments Mopho Keyboard. The battle came down to two challengers: The Moog Slim Phatty and the Mopho. I knew i wanted an analog synth, and I knew I didn’t want to shell out $3k. That pretty much limited me to these two machines. I have tons of software synths, and an Ultranova VA (which I love to death); but I wanted something really raw and “phat”.

Thanks to YouTube there are tons of videos on both products, from professional reviews to people playing them in their basement. I was really torn. First off, I love the look of the SP. It’s a Moog! That name alone brings with it a ton of weight. I also liked the ease of use. All the knobs are right there in the four large pots. It sounded warm. But then I starting listening to the Mopho. At first, I was not impressed. It was yellow. It looked cheap. It wasn’t a Moog. Everywhere I looked synth geeks were saying that if you wanted that “Moog sound” you had to buy a Moog. Nothing else would do. So then I started asking myself: Do I really want the Moog sound, or do I just want an analog synth?

I ened up going to Guitar Center (I really hate going to GC) to play them both. I sat down at the SP and had a blast. It was easy to play, easy to adjust sounds and it had that analog sound I was wanting–but no keys. No worries, I have a controller at home. Then I went over to the Mopho. It was electrifying. It was gritty, it looked like it was made in shop class, and it had a ton of knobs. I found myself tweaking the sounds quite a bit. The SP has one LFO, the Mopho has FOUR! The Mopho has two oscillators and a sub. You can also do the feedback trick on both machines. But most of all, the Mopho was more fun! And it had keys and a neat wood panel frame. So I bought the Mopho (online, not from GC hee hee).

On the first day I had buyer’s remorse. It was monophonic. It wasn’t a Moog. I should have bought a new dishwasher. But after I got used to all the knobs and the modulation settings I was in love. She sounds great. Yeah, the Mopho is gritty, but you can ungritty it just by knowing your way around a synth. Below I’ve listed my loves and my knocks. Enjoy!

LOVES
1. 4 LFOs
2. Plenty of knobs for real-time modulation
3. Sequencer (basic, but good for patterns)
4. Sub oscillator
5. Build

Knocks:
1. Quirky way to get back to sound programs
2. No “init” bank
3. Presents are pretty bad
4. Keys could be a little heavier
5. No VST editor (you can buy one for $70 from a third party)

All-in-all, very happy with my purchase. I hope to make many blippy-clicky things in the future with her!

Now that baseball season is over, maybe I can get some work done! I’m really having a hard time deciding on what to get myself for Christmas. There are a couple of synths I’ve been drooling over all summer long. The first one is the Moog Slim Phatty. It’s a monophonic, true analog synth. The name pretty much tells you all you need to know: it’s a Moog! It’s going to have that Moog sound that most VAs tell you they mimic. I played the Little Phatty last week at Guitar Center. It sounded really nice clean (no effects). My wife, however, thinks it sounds old. Well, duh, of course it sounds “old” it’s analog!

The other synth I’m drooling over is the Waldorf Blofeld. The only thing is, I already have the Largo soft synth. From what I understand, the engine is basically the same. So I don’t think I can justify spending another $700 for a synth that isn’t going to be that different.

So…what will I do, what will I do? I wish they’d just re-release old synths. I’d buy myself an Alesis Andromeda and be done with it!

This guy really makes me want to drop $3k on a Moog Voyager!!

Got my hands on a used Korg Electribe. It’s the older one, but who cares? I love reading about how the Electribes have “old” sounds–well so does a 65 Les Paul, but I’ll gladly take one off your hands if you no longer want it.

I’m already having fun with this little sucker. It’s very intuitive and inspiring. After making all my beats on my laptop, this feels a lot more natural. I love getting up early before work, going to my room and programming a raw beat before I have to get ready, while my mind is fresh. Then I can come back later and listen to what I’ve done.

The only issue I’ve had so far is that it wiped my patterns and reverted back to factory settings. It only did it once, and I’m not sure if it was something I did, if there was a power surge, or if there’s a glitch. Since then, I’ve been recording it directly into Ableton Live. If it wipes now, at least I have the audio files. It’s a duct-tape way of doing things, but it also adds a little bit of immediacy to my productions. I plan on upgrading to a newer Electribe in a year or so anyway (when I can find a good used one). The I can store my patterns on an SD card.

I look forward to many hours of beats!

This is why I don’t have any money. I want too many things!