| BeatBoxes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Model | introduction year | notes | |
| Roland | TR-606 | 1981 | analog beatbox goodness. with its straight-forward immediate
user interface and overtly synthetic sounds, this silver box is
my own little personal drum buddy. now if I could only afford a
303 to keep it company... Stolen 2003-11-29, serial #149000 (replaced 2004-04; thanks Krisjanis!) |
|
| TR-626 | 1987 | mate a 707 with a 727 and you get this. some would say the result is inbred, but on the other hand you can stick batteries in it and program rhythms almost anywhere, similar to a 606. | ||
| TR-707 | 1984 | Steve Hanlon once compared this machine's bassdrum to "a kid kicking a cardboard box," but we secretly know he loves it. it has an LCD display which shows all drum events at once on an easy-to-read grid. it can drive DIN24 and MIDI at the same time. if you could only switch from play to edit modes while the machine was running, it would be perfect for live use. | ||
| TR-727 | 1984 | the conga-lese latin brother to the 707 from outer bongolia. "Conga Machine" really doesn't do this box justice. the star chimes have to count for something | ||
| Synthesizers | ||||
| Yamaha | DX-5 | 1985 | a DX-1 without the polyphonic aftertouch, this FM monster is like two DX-7s in a single box. its expanded display and mechanical (as opposed to membrane) keys makes it easier to program than a DX-7, too. after owning it for a number of years, I still feel like I've only scratched the surface of its sonic possibilities, and that I'm still just a beginner in the DX FM language. | |
| Elektron | SidStation | 1999 | take the SID 6581 sound chip from the commodore 64, give it
MIDI, and you have the core of the SidStation. it's noisy, it
still crashes on occation, and you can tell it was designed by
some fresh-out-of-college engineers, but nothing else sounds
quite like it, and the interface is good. Stolen 2003-11-29, Serial #C90800196-81, recovered 2004-12-31! |
|
| Roland | MKS-100 | 1986 | rack-mounted S-10 12-bit sampler. uses the infamous "quickdisk" 2.8" spiral-track floppies. definitely at the bottom of the sampler heirarchy, which is why I can't help but take pity on it. Lilchips has the original factory samples online. so cheezy, you can't help but love them. Far Too Good has a nice page on MKS gear in case you're interested. I, for one, wouldn't mind collecting the whole line. | |
| CM-64 | 1986(?) | take a CM-32L and -32P, stick them in one case, and you get the CM-64. it's like a combination U-110 and MT-32 with no front-panel user interface beyond a PCM card slot, power switch, and volume knob. everything has to basically be done via MIDI. I originally got this unit to listen to Sierra On-Line Game Soundtracks but I'm hoping to get some studio use out of it as well. the general-MIDI patches available for it are useful during kwakfest. | ||
| Future-Retro | FR-777 | 1999 | not your ordinary 303 clone. the 777 expands on the 303
to venture into some very bizzarre and interesting soundscapes.
its dual-oscillators, sub-oscillators, noise source, and
extensive modulation parameters make it possible to generate all
kinds of noises from standard 303 blurps to drum sounds to
warbling FM noises. the built-in sequencer is fairly
straightforward, but useability-wise, I still find it awkward at
times, and can't help but think there's a better way. however,
I seem to be the extreme minority, and never having sequenced on
a real 303, I may be looking a gift horse in the mouth.
Stolen 2003-11-29, Serial #FR3D71499185 (replaced 2004-06) |
|
| Casio | CZ-230s | a preset synth based on the CZ-101. apparently it can be programmed via sysex, but I haven't yet dedicated the resources to test this yet. | ||
| Audio Processors | ||||
| Moog Music | MF-101 | 1998 | Bob's low-pass filter. | |
| MF-103 | 1999 | Bob's phaser. woosh. | ||
| MF-104 | 1999 | limited edition bucket-brigade delay. its sound reminds me of a very stable-speed RE-101. | ||
| Roland | RE-101 | 1975(?) | a tape-delay-only member of the (in)famous Roland tape echo machines. while the MF-104 tends towards precision, the RE-101 tends to be a little more unpredictable and full of fat, sloppy, tape-slamming warmth. the feedback on this machine is hauntingly beautiful, and I have literally spent hours twiddling drum machines and especially the 777 through this machine. it really does earn its title of "space echo." | |
| Alesis | Midiverb II | ? | kind of a catch-all for all the effects I don't have yet. it was cheap, and the room 'verbs are workable as long as they're not overdone. | |
| Sequencers | ||||
| Akai | ASQ-10 | 1988(?) | the ASQ-10 forms the core of Poofygoof Studios. follow the link to a hi-resolution exposition on replacing the supposedly unreplaceable backlight. apparently deemed too heavy to steal. | |
| Roland | MSQ-700 | 1984 | the first MIDI sequencer introduced by Roland. I use the MSQ
primarily for MIDI to DIN-sync. the step sequencer can be fun,
but syncing to tape with FSK24 is decidedly not a good time.
Stolen 2003-11-29, Serial #433187 |
|
| SBX-80 | 1985(?) | I got this box with the intention to replace the
aforementioned MSQ-700 with something more specifically designed
for the task, and also to have another SMPTE-capable box around
for sanity checks. Stolen 2003-11-29 |
||
| CSQ-600 | 1980 | when I finally get a modular going, I will sequence it with this. a goal of mine is to figure out how to externally clock it. | ||
| Audio Storage | ||||
| Otari | MX-5050mkIII | 1984 | half-inch eight-track at 15ips. I'm not exactly sure when this particular model of the 5050 was introduced, but according to the serial number, mine was manufactured in 1984. this particular unit was purchased in 2000 from Mark Glinsky of Manual Manor fame. in 2001 the capstan motor went kaput and I broke down and sent the entire unit to MDI Precision Motor Works for an overhaul. the heads were relapped, the capstan motor was rewound, the capstan controller was rebuilt, the power supply and signal boards recapped, and I ended up getting a ceramic sleeve on the capstan. MDI normally deals with much larger decks than mine, so this was kind of an interesting experience on both sides. There was also a minor fiasco involving the packing crate I borrowed from Martyn and Becca of The Minders (who until recently lived only a few blocks from me), but I'll save the story for later. the machine has fairly smooth playback response out to at least 20kHz, as shown by some frequency sweeps I ran on the machine while attempting to teach myself how to calibrate it. Since I figured out that this machine is IEC rather than NAB, I've been happier with its response. | |
and cabling. plenty of cabling. I have three patch bays and a large amount of spaghetti wiring connecting everything. cabling really forms the core nervous system of a studio, and without it it's very difficult to get things done. I am convinced you can never have enough.
Tue Nov 25 19:57:09 PST 2003
I was broken into not a week after my own wedding. great present, eh? I assume it's the same pissant(s) who burgled me in March, since they appeared to head straight for the studio which they passed over previously. since then I've installed deadbolts (which I now religiously keep locked) and a whole-house security system. I hope this will discourage a return visit.
I just haven't been quite the same since. thinking about it opens this black feeling in my gut of loss and confusion. I'd replace my lost gear, but since this is the second incident within six months, our insurance rates would go up by almost as much as the replacement cost. so I figured I'd sit on it before making a claim. of course going into my chaotic uncleaned studio makes that black feeling come back, so I've ended up sitting on all my unfinished projects as well...
on one hand I'm really pissed. on the other I hope that whoever ends up with my gear will give it the respect it deserves and is making good music with it.
I think what I really need to do is put together an album with my existing gear, to whip my studio back into shape and chase out the blackness. any words of encouragement or suggestions are welcome.
Fri Dec 31 13:41:46 PST 2004
Thanks to a keen employee at Elektron and an honest guy named Blake, my sidstation has returned from its meth-induced vacation.
Time to get busy