2024: A Year in Gear (What You've Bought or Want to Buy in 2024)

[Shabdahbriah]

I'm thinking I should scrounge through all the scrap bits of hardware I have laying around, and try building a noise box of my own...

However, I don't own a violin or cello bow, and those are commonly used with a noisebox. I have no idea how to pick out a suitable bow. Maybe it doesn't really matter which one I pick for this particular application? Since I'm not pairing this with a fine violin or cello, maybe I should just get the cheapest bow I can find, no matter what the type?

Does anyone have bow suggestions or tips?

Ive been eyeing a used cello bow for $35 at a nearby pawn shop. I prefer the more robust over-all 'build' of it, to that of a violin bow. Functionally, it boils down to the amount of drag/friction the bow has on the object you're pulling/pushing it on. So, assuming the hairs are in fairly decent shape and can be adjusted/replaced when needed, using rosin appropriately may be more of a factor than the "quality" of the bow. {2c}

[vurt]

i use a 20 quid cello bow from amazon, previously a kids violin bow.
as you say, we're not playing expensive wooden instruments, would be silly to buy a 3 grand bow

[whyterabbyt]

maybe I should just get the cheapest bow I can find, no matter what the type?

Yup. Cheapest violin bow on amazon uk right now is a fiver. You'll also want rosin.
I think I paid 10-12 quid altogether for the cello and violin bows I have, though that would have been a few years back.
I do have a special 'vintage' bow, as well, but its a pink, plastic Barbie one which Ive just found again so I need to work out if it'll rosin up suitably.

[vurt]

Screenshot_20240504_133022_Gallery.jpg

[Shabdahbriah]

Waiting for this to land... (coming soon at giorgiosancristoforo.net)

https://youtu.be/XBz4SjjtxPI

[elxsound]

Waiting for this to land... (coming soon at giorgiosancristoforo.net)

https://youtu.be/XBz4SjjtxPI

Didn't know about this. I'm likely buying Bento and Ongaku.

[Shabdahbriah]

Waiting for this to land... (coming soon at giorgiosancristoforo.net)

https://youtu.be/XBz4SjjtxPI

Didn't know about this. I'm likely buying Bento and Ongaku.

Bento and Ongaku are good choices, whether on their own, or as sample fodder for your eurorack/effects processors. Using either as 'live-feed' can be pretty unpredictable though, even when somewhat familiar with their quirks. That isn't a bad thing. Just do consider using a limiter. They frequently evoke a Soma Labs Lyra 8 vibe for me.

I think I started several years ago with the original Berna which is now at v3, and is modeled on early Radiophonic Workshop 'like' lab equipment simulations, and quickly picked-up Substantia, an electro-acustic physical modelling laboratory, and The Quadrivium. Fun stuff.

For the uninitiated:

https://youtu.be/DOtrANXvvU4

https://youtu.be/1h0gnOnWZY8

here: https://www.giorgiosancristoforo.net/softwares/

[cryophonik]

B42022C6-8BB4-4955-8308-53E1436C7A8A.jpeg

I wasn’t planning to buy an MPC One and TR-8S today, but these deals were too good to pass up.

[whyterabbyt]

Waiting for this to land... (coming soon at giorgiosancristoforo.net)

Me too, Ive pretty much got all of Giorgios stuff that's available for Windows, except for Quadrivium. Still waiting hopefully for Forbidden Voyage and Gleetchdrone ports.
Im kinda surprised Full Blotter hasnt been mentioned somewhere here.

[Shabdahbriah]

Waiting for this to land... (coming soon at giorgiosancristoforo.net)

Me too, Ive pretty much got all of Giorgios stuff that's available for Windows[...]

As do I, though I have passed on a couple I don't think I would use. Really interesting/unique stuff. I do wish he would have a "please notify me when a Windows port becomes available" button, though.

Still waiting hopefully for Fantastic Voyage and Gleetchdrone ports.

Indeed. Gleetchdrone is very very appealing.

glitchlab.jpg

I went with No Fi for what I thought I would have tried to use Fantastic Voyage for, which is an ITB (poormans) Boss RC-505 Loop Station. I definitely prefer the 505's aesthetic/layout for visual/tactile 'flow', but given how easily functions (knobs/buttons) can be 'mapped', it works well enough for my non-critical/non-performance oriented needs.

nofi.jpg

Im kinda surprised Full Blotter hasnt been mentioned somewhere here.

Me too! I was not even aware of this, until I went to get the site-link I posted above. Granular whore that I am, I downloaded the demo immediately.

[foosnark]

I know those are some cool toys but this is the hardware thread...

My Algo arrived today and I played with it a couple of hours so far. It's got some weird aspects -- like everything being on a diagonal including the orientation of the pots, so a centered value isn't the usual "noon", and the lack of a master coarse pitch knob (there's +/-2 semitones fine tuning and an octave button, otherwise you're either going to have to transpose externally or tune all 4 operator knobs).

But OMG does it sound fantastic. Those parallel modulator and parallel carrier algorithms kick all of the ass, and even the "Oops, all carriers" algorithm sounds great with the warp/fold.

[Shabdahbriah]

I know those are some cool toys but this is the hardware thread...

{cough} dang... b-b-but they makesses noiseses...

[jules99]

Espressive-E Touché is about to arrive. Very excited to combine it with the Grandmother and the pedal board.

[Shabdahbriah]

Well... many of us have learned that "good things come in threes". While some may desire triple Stregas, others have an affinity for complex oscillators:

https://youtu.be/RK4RSO_13Us

[vurt]

Well... many of us have learned that "good things come in threes". While some may desire triple Stregas, others have an affinity for complex oscillators:

https://youtu.be/RK4RSO_13Us

there's no law says i can't desire all the things!
that does sound lush.