Modular synths are very cool, but it's a bit like a swimming pool: it's great when someone close to you deals with the grind so you can just enjoy it.
I talked myself out investing in modulars because I know I'll never have the patience to deal with the wires when all I want is to play. Big respect for those who can do it!
> Pitchfork: What made you decide that either the tracks were done or you were ready finally to put an album out? What was the catalyst?
> RDJ: It's because I finished making a studio in Scotland that I'd been building for about three years. It took so long. I had this engineer helping me wire all the patch bays together, and he was doing it for about three months, every day, and then he realized he was doing it all wrong and had to start again. That was pretty brutal. So it's kind of like, “OK, I've done that now, it's the end of an era.”
> But then I realized I actually like making studios more than making music, because I like the possibilities of what you can do. I make these setups that will achieve some sort of purpose, so the way I've wired it together becomes the track in itself.
That's totally cool - it's just not what I think of doing when I want to play. Spending months building the studio feels l more like a hobby within a hobby (or a job within the job).
You don't have to take 5 months to wire things up.
My holy trinity has long been: a multitimbral synth, a drum machine, a sequencer. Just doing things on a single multitimbral synth, with a separate drum/sequencing paradigm, makes for much fun, e.g. Virus,MachineDrum,QY700 .. okay that's two multitimbral synths, since the QY700 has XG, but yeah its a stonkin' setup that only takes 20 minutes to set up and turn on and warm up ..
Yes, some folks do just get into this subject for the GAS. (Gear Acquisition Syndrome) .. but there are also professional reasons to build a new setup every year or so.
glimshe · · focus · HN ↗
I talked myself out investing in modulars because I know I'll never have the patience to deal with the wires when all I want is to play. Big respect for those who can do it!
Xmd5a · · focus · HN ↗
> RDJ: It's because I finished making a studio in Scotland that I'd been building for about three years. It took so long. I had this engineer helping me wire all the patch bays together, and he was doing it for about three months, every day, and then he realized he was doing it all wrong and had to start again. That was pretty brutal. So it's kind of like, “OK, I've done that now, it's the end of an era.”
> But then I realized I actually like making studios more than making music, because I like the possibilities of what you can do. I make these setups that will achieve some sort of purpose, so the way I've wired it together becomes the track in itself.
<a href="https://pitchfork.com/features/cover-story/9506-strange-visitor-a-conversation-with-aphex-twin/" rel="nofollow">https://pitchfork.com/features/cover-story/9506-strange-visi...
glimshe · · focus · HN ↗
MomsAVoxell · · focus · HN ↗
My holy trinity has long been: a multitimbral synth, a drum machine, a sequencer. Just doing things on a single multitimbral synth, with a separate drum/sequencing paradigm, makes for much fun, e.g. Virus,MachineDrum,QY700 .. okay that's two multitimbral synths, since the QY700 has XG, but yeah its a stonkin' setup that only takes 20 minutes to set up and turn on and warm up ..
Yes, some folks do just get into this subject for the GAS. (Gear Acquisition Syndrome) .. but there are also professional reasons to build a new setup every year or so.