RE: [microsound] gear questions: unfortunate newbie pandering

[David Fodel <DFodel@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

if you don't want to use an external sequencer, this can get MAX 
and cubase shaking hands. these are PC programs, but maybe there is 
something like this for a MAC, too. (maybe MACs are so godlike that they 
don't need this kind of app. in which case, suggestion is retracted...)

yeah...  things like OMS and Free MIDI, using the IAC bus... or ReWire for
Audio inter-app patching.

David Fodel
Publishing Systems Manager
Wild Oats Markets
3375 Mitchell Lane
Boulder, CO 80301
Direct: 720-562-4831
Fax: 303-938-8474


> ----------
> From: 	Derek Holzer
> Reply To: 	microsound
> Sent: 	Wednesday, January 2, 2002 2:52 PM
> To: 	thesubtlebody@xxxxxxxxx; microsound@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: 	Re: [microsound] gear questions: unfortunate newbie
> pandering
> 
> scott,
> 
> here are some pieces of gear, in no particular order, that get plugged
> into 
> glitch-head laptops:
> 
> mixers:
> not all the sounds are going to come out of your laptop. espc if you work 
> with MAX, you will want to plug things in as well... bring the outside
> world 
> into your box. mixers provide a way to keep the signals you want to
> process 
> in your laptop level. if you want to work with microphones, you will need
> a 
> mixer anyway... dynamic microphones (ones w/o batteries, mostly, also 
> contact mikes) need serious gain before your laptop will 'hear' them loud 
> enough. also, if you want to use any external effects, a mixer is
> essential. 
> i recommend a small behringer eurorack. fennesz uses one with 10 tracks in
> 
> (2 mono mike channels with gain, and 4 stereo inputs), 2 racks out and one
> 
> effects send/return, i think. mine is twice as big. (no, i never use them 
> all...)
> 
> continuous midi controllers:
> are you a keyboard player? if so, MAYBE a keyboard controller will do you 
> good. if you want to play piano at your gigs, that is. if not, or you
> aren;t 
> planning on impressing people with your best bach, skip the keyboard and
> get 
> some rotary knob continuous controllers. doepfer makes a good 16 knob 
> controller, and also a monsterous 64 knobber that monolake uses with his
> max 
> patches. peavy also, and a few others. native instruments has a great list
> 
> of all of them:
> http://www.nativeinstruments.de/index.php?technisch_us
> continuous controllers are built for everything from tweaking synth
> filters 
> to toggeling between samples in a sampler object or presets in a module. 
> much more versitile than an old-fashioned keyboard. or maybe i'm just
> jaded 
> that some people actually know how to play them.
> 
> other interfaces:
> sick of watching people (like me) 'just twiddle knobs'? different types of
> 
> midi controllers are also out there. vladislav delay used a midi octo-pad 
> drum kit to trigger samples and change program parameters when he made 
> 'anima', for example. this is especially cool for something like MAX,
> where 
> you design your own instrument. why not design your own controller as
> well? 
> look up 'i-cube' for starters. it allows light, pressure, bend, and other 
> tactile and physical sensors to control midi data. then think up something
> 
> we've never seen before. (a punching bag interface? a 3m tall joystick in 
> the middle of the stage? )
> 
> sequencers:
> in my quest to escape the mouse, i've looked into attaching external 
> sequencers to a computer, partly for the big rubber buttons, and partly
> for 
> the extra CPU power i get if i don't have something like cubase or logic 
> running in the background. i won't be using it for sending notes,
> probably, 
> but rather to send program change messages to switch between presets or 
> samples in a module. also, if you have a partner or three, you can send
> them 
> the exact same timing information, and keep your sets totally in sync.
> just 
> a thought.....
> 
> software:
> i'm not into mac, so i can't tackle this one. if you had a PC, a few
> things 
> come to mind (Audiomulch, PD/GEM...) but you have that covered with 
> soundhack and max/msp, i gather. this is something for you, though....
> midi 
> ox or hubi's loopback: allows midi apps to talk to each other inside your 
> machine. if you don't want to use an external sequencer, this can get MAX 
> and cubase shaking hands. these are PC programs, but maybe there is 
> something like this for a MAC, too. (maybe MACs are so godlike that they 
> don't need this kind of app. in which case, suggestion is retracted...)
> 
> nuts and volts:
> ***soundcard with multiple ins and out: look for ASIO drivers to reduce 
> latency (ie amount of time between when you tell your machine to process 
> something and when you hear results), and 'full duplex', to be able to 
> process incoming sounds at the same time you are playing outgoing sounds. 
> there's quite a bit of ascii spilled about soundcards already. i won't 
> respill it here.
> ***midi port: some soundcards have a midi jack or three. most don't.
> midiman 
> makes cheap and durable usb midi interfaces. shop around.
> 
> another note on controllers:
> remember that whatever controllers you use, you will be designing your 
> patches and onscreen interface around them, and ultimately your sound as 
> well. if you have a traditional piano-style keyboard, not only will you do
> a 
> lot of mousing around, but you will also be importing some very antique 
> notions of music making into a place where they might not need to be. if
> you 
> have some other kind of interface, it becomes part of your process. "how
> do 
> i incorperate/(un)learn/master/improvise with/etc  the  drum-pad/punching 
> bag/joystick/lightsensor/etc?" becomes just as important as the sounds you
> 
> are making.
> 
> success!
> derek
> 
> 
> 
> ----Original Message Follows----
> From: Scott Handley <thesubtlebody@xxxxxxxxx>
> Reply-To: microsound <microsound@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> To: "\[microsound\]" <microsound@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Subject: [microsound] gear questions: unfortunate newbie pandering
>