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Post by ninworks on Aug 6, 2022 12:29:56 GMT -5
I have new outboard gear so that means getting familiar with the features each of them has. I spend lots of time going through equipment and software manuals to learn about how to use what I have. No matter what, there's always something they describe in the literature that I have no idea what it means or how to use it. Then I have to go to Google to see if I can find other descriptions or experienced people who can show me what it does and how to do it. I want to have the knowledge for how to squeeze every magic drop of juice from whatever I lay my hands on.
I study the manuals for awhile then mess with the gear until I have a question about it and then crawl back into the manual. The new gear I got is not all that complicated but there are a couple features I have no experience with. Even though I understand what it does I don't know what it sounds like until I mess with it.
At least the manuals have gotten better in the last 20 years or so. The foreign translations for some manuals into English used to be very confusing at times. Not as much anymore.
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Post by reverendrob on Aug 7, 2022 0:35:27 GMT -5
Yea, the old Roland manuals from the early 80s are....atrocious.
One of my rack units has "installation of the angles" for installation.
Sounds like a religious event, not racking the thing.
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Post by ninworks on Aug 7, 2022 5:21:44 GMT -5
I pre-ordered a Yamaha DX7 back in 1983 or 84. They hadn't been released yet. I had many years of synthesizer programming experience at that point but the DX7's FM Synthesis was a whole new way of sound generation. That's why I wanted one. When it came in the manual for it was almost comical. The English translation was horrible but I think they were aware of it. They would have a few words, then a drawing of a finger, then a drawing of a button with descriptions like, "When fingers are pressed the button will operate and MIDI channel will different." Huh? Okay I kind of get it but some of their instructions were quite confusing.
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Post by reverendrob on Aug 7, 2022 21:21:51 GMT -5
Yea, I tried to wrap my head around the DX7 and derivatives and never could do more than make them fart.
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Post by ninworks on Aug 8, 2022 5:03:29 GMT -5
Eventually I got very good at programming the DX7 but it took me awhile. I still have mine but haven't used it for anything more than a MIDI controller for decades. The software-based stuff has gotten SO good that's all I ever use anymore for synth sounds. I have 2 FM synthesis software synths that sound much better than the DX and they have built-in effects.
I sold most of my hardware synths long ago and my 1974 Minimoog was the last one to go. I sold it about 2 years ago for a ridiculous amount of money. I have a couple Hammond and Leslie software modules as well but I still have the real thing and NOTHING sounds better than, or as good as, that for electronic organ sounds. Running guitars through the Leslies just floats my boat as well. Love that sound! The Leslie simulation pedals have finally gotten to where they sound very convincing but there's still something about standing in the room with a real one, or two, and that sound coming from all different directions. Once you put mikes on the Leslies and record them, the doppler-thing they produce doesn't sound much better than some of the pedals BUT, the tube overdrive they produce in combination with that hasn't been matched with the pedals yet.
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Post by reverendrob on Aug 8, 2022 6:19:55 GMT -5
Yea, I love getting to play with the Leslies on the occasion I've gotten to use them.
Just hasn't been something remotely in my budget, so I didn't pine for the fjord I couldn't have.
Synth stuff I want hands-on sliders and knobs, and just don't love plugins.
I've got a few Roland and Behringer toys around that do the job.
The DeepMind 12 was ridiculously good for the price, and I'm still loving the thing years later.
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