Music Making

[Dusty Chalk]

15 hours ago, ironbut said:

After a month and a half, I never could make the connection with the Arturia Keylab Mk ll. 

I love the build quality and the integration as a synth but my fingers just never loved it.

So I've had the NI S61 for a couple of days now and I think (hoping) it's going to make the cut. 

I used my Impulse every day for more than 8 years so I live with these things for the long haul.

 

Are you a weighted keys guy or not?  I grew up on the piano, but my first non-piano keyboards were typical unweighted synthesizers, so my idea of touch has more or less bifurcated.

Just curious for more detail about what you liked and didn’t like.  I’ve heard the term, Fatar, recommended to me.

[ironbut]

I never owned a real piano so I learned (what little I learned) on electrics. 

So, I don't really like fully weighted (hammer action) keyboards. 

The Fatar keybed on the S61 is semi weighted and it's a little heavier than the Arturia. 

There are a number of Fatar keybed models. Some are fully weighted and are used with wooden keys on some of the best electric pianos.

In fact, as far as the "effort" need, I prefer the Arturia a tiny bit more than the S61.

It's the keys themselves that I like on the S61.

 

The Arturia has a lot of things about it that I prefer;

The build is better

I much prefer the faders vs the rotary encoders

The software package is better

About $280 cheaper

 

The things I like about the S61

The keys themselves (although I can imagine that I'll prefer the Fatar keybed after I get used to the extra strength needed)

The integration with Logic with the larger screen real estate

 

I'll probably put the KeyLab on Reverb soon.

[VPI]

So what benefit would these headphones provide?  
 

https://stevenslateaudio.com/vsx/?utm_campaign=VSX+Launch+-+Retargeting&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=paid&hsa_acc=545388659586120&hsa_cam=23845851158320641&hsa_grp=23845851158340641&hsa_ad=23845851158350641&hsa_src=fb&hsa_net=facebook&hsa_ver=3&fbclid=IwAR25vJYflwk8Y8AbrdvNLOtvkZYkH5WGYdC3bRDGeFS7meYfGuKAy01gog0

 

[VPI]

Any of you have any experience with Josephson mics?  Looking at their cheap cardioid model the C705 and it appears to have most everything I am looking for in a set and forget mic. 

[Dusty Chalk]

https://www.sequential.com/product/prophet-5/
Fuck. Me.

[VPI]

When does it arrive Dusty?

i thought you would get all excited about the blacked out Moog models. 

[Sherwood]

Sorry to hear the negative impressions of Arturia. I have a Keystep (the cheap little one) and love it. It’s a different niche than a 61-key, but to suss out a chord progression or add a bass line it’s lots of fun.

I also have and adore Arturia’s “Pigments” soft synth.

[Dusty Chalk]

1 hour ago, VPI said:

When does it arrive Dusty?

i thought you would get all excited about the blacked out Moog models. 

Pff...being turboskint right now.  Besides, got my Prophet 6 working recently.

Um...what Moog pedals?

[VPI]

“Models”

[Dusty Chalk]

Oh, synthesizer modules?
Never mind, found them:
https://www.moogmusic.com/news/introducing-dark-series-matriarch-grandmother

[grawk]

15 hours ago, VPI said:

i thought you would get all excited about the blacked out ... models. 

ok Dr Huxtable

[ironbut]

19 hours ago, Sherwood said:

Sorry to hear the negative impressions of Arturia. I have a Keystep (the cheap little one) and love it. 

I'm not sure why I got so "Goldilocks"  this time around (the s61 is my 5th keyboard ) but I think the Keylab was a real standout in the price range.

I wish the s61 was built as well!

[VPI]

So far, in minimal testing, I would have to say the Josephson is in a whole other league compared to all my other mics. 
 

 

[Dusty Chalk]

Which model?  Looks like C705.

[VPI]

Yep, the new cheap one. 
 

I do like the cool little hat it came with. 
 

 

Edited October 6, 2020 by VPI

[VPI]

Also got in some of the supplies you guys recommended. The Gatorworks stand weighs about 45 pounds. Should have no proclivity to tip over like the other stupid desktop stand I have. 
 

 

[acidbasement]

Jammin' on hardware before bed. I need to do this more.

[VPI]

Trying to figure out the traffic flow.  Can you tell me which beep boop machine is doing what?

[acidbasement]

Deluge is master clock, sending MIDI out to the Digitone, which passes it through to the Circuit Mono Station. Each of them is using its own sequencer.

Deluge is handling drums and the banjo-sounding fiddle tune.

Mono Station is doing the distorted bassline/rhythm melody, and has reverb added by the Zoom MS70-CDR pedal.

Digitone is playing a few plucked notes here and there but not doing much - I want to sell it because I'll never figure out how to use the things that make it a world-class instrument.

The Keystep is just acting as a MIDI controller for the Alesis QSR racksynth, which is kind of a crappy old rompler that has a few good sounds. I'll probably sell it too.

[VPI]

So many pieces.  Couldn’t the Deluge do most of that on its own?

[acidbasement]

2 minutes ago, VPI said:

So many pieces.  Couldn’t the Deluge do most of that on its own?

Yeah, but the Mono Station sounds way better for what it does. Plus, more knobs is more better. But that said, I play more on the couch with just the Deluge than I do with it plugged into the big setup.

I don't know what to get when I sell the Digitone. Thinking about a Roland Handsonic. Or maybe a proper set of hi-fi speakers for once in my life. I'll see how many pesos I can accumulate by Black Friday.

[VPI]

All cool stuff, but I am still completely in the dark with MIDI.  Tried to watch the video today on integrating Ableton with LUNA and MIDI clocks and I was completely lost.

By HiFi speakers do you mean for two channel stereo or powered speakers for the music setup?

[acidbasement]

For 2-channel stereo. I have studio monitors that I'm happy enough with, but I've never had a good stereo setup. We keep spending all our money on live music events, so now that that's dead I might as well get something good for recordings.

[VPI]

Good week for the desktop. Podcasts are going to be on point from now on. 
 

 

[VPI]

So far completely happy with the Josephson and the Barefoots.  Still have a bit of hiss with the Barefoots near field, but I guess that is to be expected.  Did a work podcast with the Josephson this morning and it needed zero post processing.  

Now trying to figure out how to fit all these Triad-Micro boom mic stands fit into my desktop system.

Thinking about this for an actual boom mic videos, but I need to come up with something for the podcast mics as I do not trust myself pulling the Rode arm in and out with the exposed woofer right there. 
 

 

Edited October 8, 2020 by VPI