nah. analog outs of eclipse go to my amp. so i wouldn't be monitoring anything with the pc really... just capturing audio
just trying to find a way to record some stuff so people know what i'm talking about when discussing patches and shit.
Industrial Music forum » Music tech forum
New Gear Purchases '09 pt.2
(188 posts)-
Posted 2 years ago #
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@demog: welcome to the programming hell :-)
I got a TX802 :-)...
Posted 2 years ago # -
"good interfaces are expensive... i'd rather get another sound maker than get an interface. I'd also have to build another computer or use the beast i have now... an antec 1200.. its built like a tank and twice as heavy... i'd have to pull the 2 video cards out of it too... but then be without a gaming(porn) machine.. but then i also need CV for my analog stuff.. "
@Tsarik: well they are...but good mixers are also ....and good synths only sound excellent when the signal chain is not lowered at some point....
Posted 2 years ago # -
are these FM synths as hard to program if you use something like the Mackie C4?
or is it that FM programming is exponentially more difficult to wrap your mind around than subtractive?
i just can't get over the great FM sounds
Posted 2 years ago # -
well Tsarik maybe I am too dumb...but for me FM is totally unintuitive....I can play around with a preset and hope that it sounds cool, but building a defined sound from scratch...forget it for me.....but I am sure that there are a lot of people out there being able to do so...
Posted 2 years ago # -
my signal chain is pretty basic
synth ==> FX ==> amp
i plan on keeping it pretty basic. i enjoy playing and programming. i'm an accountant so not really interested in becoming a professional musician, thus I'm not into recording really...
but would like to be able to record some of what i do so i can better explain to others when discussing programming synths. i figure the eventide has pretty good converters... so i should be able to get the sounds i make on the future retro xs in a digital format without losing any of the analog oomph
Posted 2 years ago # -
@Tsarik: i haven't much done 'til now with the TX81Z. it sounds pretty raw and it seems that it can create some nice fx-sounds. but as YADE says: it has a catastrophic user interface so i'm thinking of selling it and buy a TG77 instead which haves more knobs to play with..:-) btw.: how do you like the FS1R? this machine interests me too...:-)
Posted 2 years ago # -
@YADE: i think the same: FM is nice to create random sounds. same goes for my Kawai K5000r which is imo one of the best and most underrated synths ever created but it also suffers from it's "usability".
Posted 2 years ago # -
@demog: use Sounddiver or MIDIQuest...then it's easier..oh and NEVER lose the card with the algorithm routings :-)
Posted 2 years ago # -
@YADE: my pc isn't midified so that won't work...everything in my studio is strictly hardware: synths, sampler and sequencer. i know it's a dated and complicated way to produce but i like it that way...:-)
Posted 2 years ago # -
..LeRenard
offlineMemberI ended up buying 2 new items..
one is cliche, but very good when well used -> Virus TI 2 (desktop edition)
and the other one is very underestimated, but a REAL beast, and i love to let it scream, "waldorf blofeld"Posted 2 years ago # -
soillodge
offlineTech Moderator@Tsarik- regarding FM synthesis. It is much more complex to operate, because you are working with harmonics and lining up frequencies, opposed to cutting stuff out and then just amplifying. 1 integer the wrong direction and your carefully crafted tone goes to shit. FM and Additive are definitely more complex to design than subtractive.
Also I would modify your signal chain if possible, synth==>amp==>with an effects send loop. You will really hear the difference in your overall tonal quality. Even when I use VST synths, I cut out the internal effects and build FX loops. You can really hear some great nuances and expressions this way. Plus you can morph FX more easily
`michael
Posted 2 years ago # -
Michael, could you explain the fx loop for me? I've seen people talk about sends and inserts but never understood it really. I assume I'll need a mixer?
If i need a mixer.. wouldn't that dirty my signal chain up if it weren't a really good mixer? by going right from my synth to the eventide is that like using the effects as an insert... and isn't this the same way guitarist usually do it? How does using an effects send loop improve tonal quality?
i'm pretty noobish so if there's a place where this information is readily available you can point me there instead of answering.
Posted 2 years ago # -
soillodge
offlineTech ModeratorWell some amps come with fx sends. But yeah. likely you will need a small mixer anyhow as your studio grows. Think of it like another instrument instead of FX and it makes more sense. You are driving your synth into your amp. Then you are driving another line that is just the FX after it was processed by your synth. 2 inputs of sound to mix individually. Thus you have multiple ways to mix the outcome and you do not lose the factors in your original sound. You know, like how some modulation sounds become invisible once you drive them through FX. For instance, take a kick drum and put distortion on it. In most cases you get the crunch, but lose the intensity of the original punch of the kick because you are folding the waveform so severely. Running an FX send for the distortion allows you to keep the punch AND the crunch. Same thing works for other FX, like chorus, phaser, reverbs, delays. You can also do this digitally by layering, but I am like you and I appreciate the value of hardware.
In most cases you will not a great mixer. Even a simple rackmount would do fine because your whole point is just to double the signal while adding to it. "Dirtying", up the signal is practically transparent compared to burying it with effects and then having to compress everything to get the signal back.
`michael
Posted 2 years ago # -
thanks for breaking it down like that. i was just messing with the dry/wet settings of the FX... your way will fix some of the issues i was having.
now i need a mixer... i knew i'd eventually need one.. but its more fun to fantasize about and plan your next synth purchase.
Posted 2 years ago # -
soillodge
offlineTech ModeratorNo problem. You can find a decent mixer for about 100-150 USD. It does not need to be new and it does not need all the extras that are in todays modern mixers. I know what you mean though. It was tough to choose a controller over another synth purchase. Overall I like how it is going to change my dynamics. Whereas another synth would just modify my sounds. Sometimes you just have to consider what is best for your direction and not just overwhelming yourself with options. I used to layer 10-15 synths in each song just because I had so many to work with. Now I have stripped it down to 4-6 and I have to work harder to get the exact sounds I am looking for. But the reward of building a track is much greater because of the extra work and attention to detail.
`michael
Posted 2 years ago # -
what mixer would you suggest?
i'd like to be able to connect 2 different synths, sampler, drum machine and a mic and have 2 different sends to the eclipse.
Posted 2 years ago # -
electromancer
offlineMemberThis was a pretty slim year for me. I got a Yamaha DX7, Cubase 5, and a Metal Muff pedal. Here's hoping to 2010.
Posted 2 years ago # -
soillodge
offlineTech Moderator@Tsarik- so you count the ins you want, 2 for stereo, so you said 8 stereo and 1 mono XLR input. 10 channels is significantly more expensive. I suggest you start with a 6 or 8 unless you have the money to drop. Older mixers, Mackie and Peavy are solid and last forever. New mixers, I tend toward the newer Alesis Multimix models. Drop "XX channel mixer" in ebay and see what comes up. Find one that looks like it will do the job and then look for reviews.
`michael
Posted 2 years ago # -
thanks Michael.
so.. synths with stereo outs... the signal on the left and right channel differ... how do they differ? are stereo sounds programmed differently than mono? The XS is a mono synth but I could play it stereo by hooking up another KC-550 to my existing one.. how is this stereo different from my synths that have stereo outs?
i have a feeling that the more questions you answer, the more I'll have. maybe i should go and read more stuff at tweakheadz.
Posted 2 years ago #
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