Monthly Archives: November 2013

Data Mining

Posted on November 25, 2013 by midiguru

So I’m sitting here after dinner, eating a cookie, and the phone rings. It’s an unsolicited call from AT&T, and there’s a real human on the other end, not a recording. Remarkably, it’s not a sales call, and not a … Continue reading →

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Reasoning with Analog

Posted on November 25, 2013 by midiguru

Here’s a clip of a very unfinished piece. I’m posting it because I think it shows off one of the many, many things that can happen when you combine an analog modular synth with Reason. But first, the story: I’ve … Continue reading →

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Modular Mojo, Day 7: Big Beat

Posted on November 24, 2013 by midiguru

It takes years to learn to play the cello. Expecting instant magic when you start working with a modular synth is probably expecting too much. It’s just another musical instrument, after all. In addition to learning various techniques, you need … Continue reading →

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Modular Mojo, Day 4: The Fast Shuffle

Posted on November 21, 2013 by midiguru

One of the hazards of buying a modular synth is that there are too many options. Sometimes a module does more than you expect. Sometimes, after you’ve bought it, you find out you don’t need it. I know I’m not … Continue reading →

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Modular Mojo, Day 2

Posted on November 19, 2013 by midiguru

I never knew I could get so exhausted sitting in a chair, but I guess six hours of intense concentration will do that. I’ve been testing and/or exploring my new modular synth. I guess this is my 65th birthday present … Continue reading →

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Something Wicked This Way Comes

Posted on November 18, 2013 by midiguru

System arrived tonight at supper time. First a cool snapshot — explanations follow. To answer your first question, yes, there are gaps in the panels. Three or four of the modules that I want were out of stock, so it … Continue reading →

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It’s the Knobs, Stupid

Posted on November 15, 2013 by midiguru

My very first synthesizer, back in 1981, was a modular — a four-panel system from Serge Modular. I was enchanted by having a sort of blank canvas on which to configure my own sounds. Besides, the other guys at Keyboard … Continue reading →

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The Appeal to Higher Authority

Posted on November 6, 2013 by midiguru

I dislike getting in wrangles with people on Facebook. Nobody’s mind ever gets changed as a result, and I seldom learn anything worth knowing. Still, these tiny tempests keep getting stirred up. Quite often on the topic of religion, I’ve … Continue reading →

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Going Nowhere

Posted on November 2, 2013 by midiguru

This isn’t a piece of music, it’s just a sketch. But it illustrates something slightly odd that you can do with Reason 7 and a couple of simple Rack Extensions. The CV-8 (from DLD) is a simple device — it … Continue reading →

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