THE DREADED GEAR THREAD

[Residual / RT]

I bought an Octatrack almost two years ago and still haven´t learn in. The first thing i did was too erase the whole memory andall the sounds on it. I use it sometimes but more of a recording tool/effect. The first months i read alott about it and looked at tutorials and tried different things but i gave up. It´s to advanced for me and i don´t have the patience to learn it. Maybe someday...

Took me a few years to understand it, and I still have no idea how to utilise parts for example. It's really a swiss army knife, capable of so much but not at the same time. I have a few basic setup projects saved where I can decide a role for it and load a preset with everything set up straight away. For example, performance mixer (tracks 1-3 flex machines, 4-7 thru tracks for incoming audio and 8 as master track), looper (tracks 1-4 flex machines set up to live loop, tracks 4-8 pickup machines) or feedback chain fuckery (tracks 1-2 thru tracks for dry incoming audio, tracks 2-4 for pickup machines for looping and track 8 as thru machine for the free stereo output CD now used as an FX chain for the pedal feedback coming into tracks 1-2, so AB.). It sounds complex but it's really not when you're using it, very fast to manipulate stuff and with the crossfader you can do really cool stuff, from freeze delay to instant cut ups to reversing 12 bars of sampled live sound and then going back to live feed etc.

such a great device, i don't think anything available really compares to it. much underrated for noise.

[Remi]

I bought an Octatrack almost two years ago and still haven´t learn in. The first thing i did was too erase the whole memory andall the sounds on it. I use it sometimes but more of a recording tool/effect. The first months i read alott about it and looked at tutorials and tried different things but i gave up. It´s to advanced for me and i don´t have the patience to learn it. Maybe someday...

Or maybe you can eventually sell it to me haha.

[MiseryEngine]

I’ve got an octatrack, an A4, the digitakt, and the digitone. The Octatrack is actually a lot easier to use than it seems however I prefer the digitone/digitakt combination just for the speed and ease of use for what I’m doing right now. That being said, my upcoming splits with Andrew Nolan and Maltreatment/Tølerant are both 100% Octatrack

[MiseryEngine]

All of my current recordings are made with the same setup, which I feel I am intimately in touch with and understand really well.
Elektron Digitone/Digitakt and an SP404.
It’s not a likely setup for a PE/death industrial/whatever you want to call my sound but I just find that this rig is so flexible and powerful that I really don’t need much else. Zero external effects too! Typically the digitone serves as the main synth voice and I have the 404 on “tape loop” duty while the digitakt allows me to integrate samples with modulation. Having all of these units synced up and controlled from the digitone via MIDI has basically made using them together just like one big box machine that does everything. If you have gear that utilizes MIDI at all I IMPLORE you to learn about that asap. It’s like unlocking super powers for your synths. My harsh noise setup on the other hand…. That’s a little messier.

Elektron gear is very nice. I used to have a Digitakt and an Octatrack, but sold the Digitakt since the Octatrack does everything, with the added bonus of being a performance mixer with two stereo input pairs. I also did have an A4, but sold it as well. I kind of regret it, it was very powerful and almost like a modular in a box. I'm just not a huge fan of how their synths sound, they're very neutral and hi-fi. Fitting for the techno crowd, less so for me personally.

Honestly I’ve never had any issues getting super nasty with the digitone and the A4 is almost always nasty even if you don’t want it to be.
I mostly used my bass station 2 for PE style synth drones but if you use unison/overdrive/offsets/synth envelopes with the digitone I think it’s just as heavy. That being said, I do plan to get back to my BS2 more this year. It’s just got a very special sound in its own right. Pairs really well with a digitone and the midi channels for some of that “low drone high drone” stuff.

[Residual / RT]

Honestly I’ve never had any issues getting super nasty with the digitone and the A4 is almost always nasty even if you don’t want it to be.

Really? I thought it was painfully neutral, most likely because it has so many modulation options and the four voices. If it had a vintage, thick analog sound it would get muddy real fast. With neutral, kind of thin sound there's more room for modulation and experimentation while still staying crisp and hifi. For example it just can't produce fat bass sounds. But yeah, still it is a great synth, I kind of wish I hadn't sold it. I have not used Digitone at all, so can't comment but I bet it's super versatile.

[MiseryEngine]

I’m gonna have to fire up my A4 and double check but I’m pretty puzzled right now! I do often layer a bunch of spread out oscillators and crank the filter OD so it can get muddy with a bunch of modulation but I don’t use a ton of modulation on my foundational sounds anyway. For high frequency and lead stuff yeah i definitely use cleaner tones to allow the modulation to show through the mix but I’ve used the A4 to not only make some nice basses but kicks as well

[[MBD]]

On the topic of gear, does anyone know of an estimated "release" date for the SP404MKII? Every place I've looked has them on backorder. The closest I could get to an actual date was from my local Guitar Center which said they would be in stock September 1st of this year at the earliest.

[Vivian]

I'm obsessed with 2nd from physical junk / caritative shops / flea market.
all the "gear" I use comes from that randomness.
which is convenient to grind it to finish a set.

[MiseryEngine]

On the topic of gear, does anyone know of an estimated "release" date for the SP404MKII? Every place I've looked has them on backorder. The closest I could get to an actual date was from my local Guitar Center which said they would be in stock September 1st of this year at the earliest.

I preordered mine on October 14 and it seems that news just came out they may not ship til august.

[[MBD]]

I preordered mine on October 14 and it seems that news just came out they may not ship til august.

Guess I'll just have to play the waiting game, worth the wait anyway.

[MiseryEngine]

I preordered mine on October 14 and it seems that news just came out they may not ship til august.

Guess I'll just have to play the waiting game, worth the wait anyway.

Yeah I mean I’ve said it 1000 times already but to me it’s the only piece of gear you need to make PE/industrial/cutup if you get good enough with one. The new features will make my life so much easier in fact that there’s a chance I’ll just go full time to a setup of only the 404MK2 and digitone.

[Namahs]

Got myself a "new" pedal today to mess a round. Digitech Hot Head.
Got some ideas what to do with it.

[Zalhietzli]

Last purchase was a boss rps-10, pitch-shifter with an eternal audio in pitch control, pretty wild.

Curious about the sp404 and what would make it so good for noise and PE ? I have a sp808 which is a much larger, clunkier and unfocused unit, yet with interesting features (mono synth and multi FX). But I guess I am not a sample guy so mine sits unused most of the time.

[housepig]

the thing I like most about the 404 is the ability to play loops of differing bar lengths, so depending on how long the loops are, the piece as a whole will never repeat. so much of my use has been just that - not sequencing with it, not using the internal effects, not sampling directly with it, but just using it to put together evolving soundscapes from a small number of longer loops.

[shrouded.in.antiquity]

the thing I like most about the 404 is the ability to play loops of differing bar lengths, so depending on how long the loops are, the piece as a whole will never repeat. so much of my use has been just that - not sequencing with it, not using the internal effects, not sampling directly with it, but just using it to put together evolving soundscapes from a small number of longer loops.

Wholeheartedly agreed.

[turbonasty]

As far as performing goes, I played a purely sample based shindig last weekend using just a Zoom R8 and SP404. I really like the R8 for live sample mixing. I do have a few qualms with it but It does what I want it to do pretty well: mix 8 channels of samples live via faders, and it does so in a really compact package with battery options and SD card memory. The 404 has on the fly sample loading covered. The last several shows I have had to travel to play, I've used the zoom R8 as my only sampler.

On the recording end of things I've been semi-obsessing over binaural microphones. I've been building binaural head dummy mics which has been really educational. I now have a few "friends" that I've named... but for spontaneous field recordings nothing can touch in-ear binaural mics if you can have some motion discipline. I bought a pair of Roland in-ear binaurals that were sub $100 - elements sound crisp and don't distort too easily. great introductory binaural microphones without the normal associated price and I highly recommend them if anyone is looking to get into the world of true binaural.

[turbonasty]

the thing I like most about the 404 is the ability to play loops of differing bar lengths, so depending on how long the loops are, the piece as a whole will never repeat. so much of my use has been just that - not sequencing with it, not using the internal effects, not sampling directly with it, but just using it to put together evolving soundscapes from a small number of longer loops.

Also this 100% - I never use effects or actual sample editing features of the 404 - long or short, just loop them un-synced samples!

[_TS_]

We also use an octatrack quite a bit for sampling, sometimes resampling. I hate making loops on computers. It's like making music with your eyes instead of your ears. The octa is great, though.

What are yall's favourite distortions? I feel like we are always chasing that perfect crunch, always out of reach.

[Remi]

Favourite distortion is overloading tape decks or mixers inputs. I personally don't use distortion pedals for my noise.

[_TS_]

Favourite distortion is overloading tape decks or mixers inputs. I personally don't use distortion pedals for my noise.

Hah! Doing the same thing.

[Zalhietzli]

the thing I like most about the 404 is the ability to play loops of differing bar lengths, so depending on how long the loops are, the piece as a whole will never repeat. so much of my use has been just that - not sequencing with it, not using the internal effects, not sampling directly with it, but just using it to put together evolving soundscapes from a small number of longer loops.

I see, my SP808 offers that too, pretty convenient.

What are yall's favourite distortions? I feel like we are always chasing that perfect crunch, always out of reach.

DOD FX86B Death Metal. Modded mine for extra features (infinite gain !)

[leuksi]

What are yall's favourite distortions? I feel like we are always chasing that perfect crunch, always out of reach.

Metal Muff and Wooly Mammoth. ODB-3 is a classic that works well with every sound source.

[thatonekidatshows]

Isn't the DOD FX70C really desirable for some reason?

I'm personally going after the sort of distortion that appears on early Controlled Bleeding releases, but I haven't quite gotten it yet. I think it has to do with the volume at which they performed. I got kinda close by running a 57 through three preamps on my mixer, but I'm still not satisfied.

[MiseryEngine]

Last purchase was a boss rps-10, pitch-shifter with an eternal audio in pitch control, pretty wild.

Curious about the sp404 and what would make it so good for noise and PE ? I have a sp808 which is a much larger, clunkier and unfocused unit, yet with interesting features (mono synth and multi FX). But I guess I am not a sample guy so mine sits unused most of the time.

My Ramzi Yousef tape was made 100% with loops and external audio processed by 2 pedals into my 404 and then some of the 404 effects. So for instance, ripping audio from whatever you can find in your phone then processing that into various phases loops, layering some metal contact mic noise from the direct input on to of that, etc. sometimes I’ll even just look up synth demos on YouTube and make loops out of synths I don’t actually own. With sampling there really aren’t any boundaries. I love a sampling heavy workflow for just about anything. PE and death industrial stuff can come together pretty quickly if you know how to use phased loops with some practice. As for noise, sampling isn’t super ideal but sampled noise paired with analog live noise sources can be very dense and powerful.

[Zalhietzli]

Never thought ofsampling synth demos ! But I did sample a huge scaffold collapsing and a big metal grinder on my sp808, and played that when I was in a noise sludge band.

I also sampled noise patches from VCV rack. Never made proper modular music with that software but you can make some great noise textures easily with it.