#music

I wish I wasn't so enthusiastic about making music outside of the DAW, because it really does make life harder in terms of connectivity. Not to mention that buying the interfaces and cables necessary to make things work conveniently will cost about as much as a premium synth.

I currently have four sound-generating devices, not including my computer, plus an FX pedal. Connecting them requires TRS audio cables, MIDI cables, USB cables, and of course, power cables.

Audio connectivity

All the sound generators are connected via TRS audio cables to a mixer, where their outputs are merged together to taste. The output of the mixer then goes to the computer via an audio interface. From there it goes out to the speakers. There's a hilarious number of volume knobs that each signal passes through.

It also takes a fuckton of cables. I'm currently using 1 XLR cable and 13 TRS cables. It's about $10 each so let's say $150 after tax. I also paid $125 for a used Mackie Mix12FX mixer, which is on the low end. I won't include the cost of the audio interface because you'd probably want one even if you're fully in the box (doing everything in the DAW).

Total audio cost now: $275 Total audio cost future: $325 because I anticipate having to buy at least five more TRS cables for future synths and devices

MIDI connectivity

The sound generators also need to know what notes to play, which is passed via MIDI data. All of them can both send and receive MIDI. MIDI can be sent over USB, but this typically introduces jitter as well as noise, and is best avoided. Some synths have a MIDI-Thru input that makes it possible to daisy chain devices, but that also has its complications. The best and simplest method is to use a MIDI hub.

Simplest doesn't mean simple, though. I want to send note data out to all my instruments with my MIDI controller. But I have more than one possible source of MIDI data. The computer can also send MIDI data. So can my piano. And if I don't want to send that over USB, then I need a way to both merge multiple incoming MIDI signals, as well as split the result into multiple outgoing signals.

There's a MIDI hub device I could buy that solves all these issues. It's $180 for the smaller budget version. I just have a $53 splitter box for now and dealing with USB when I have to. It's about $7 per cable and I am using five, so that's another $35.

Total MIDI cost now: $88 Total MIDI cost later: ~$250. I could sell the current hub but I'd probably keep it, could be handy

USB connectivity

As mentioned, it's preferable to avoid USB. Even if you completely avoid using it for MIDI, it still adds noise to the system. My TR-6S, for example, is quite noisy when plugged in via USB, even though it has a Ferrite choke. My piano's USB connection is also noisy. However, there are still reasons to use USB. The TR-6S is powered by it, and it churns through four batteries quite quickly so it's not feasible to keep it unplugged at all times. My Minibrute 2S has settings that can only be configured on the computer when connected via USB. If I want to manage patches or add new wavetables to my Novation Peak, I need USB. My MIDI splitter hub is powered by USB. So is my audio interface.

In other words, a USB hub is needed, and one with a good number of inputs. About $30. And not all of these devices come with the necessary USB A-to-B cables, especially when purchased used. I've had to purchase two for about $20 total.

Total USB cost now: $50 Not sure about future.

Back to audio

Even with a well set-up mixer, audio connectivity is still a hassle. My Mackie Mix12FX mixer has a single mono FX output, which is currently going out to my single Pro Co RAT distortion pedal. The output of the pedal is plugged back into one of the mixer's inputs. This is a basic FX send setup. But what if I want to change it? The Peak and TR-6S both have built-in distortion effects, so what if just wanted to insert the RAT into the Minibrute's signal chain only, instead of using it as a send? Then I'd have to do a bunch of rewiring.

I eventually intend to get a sampler and some Eurorack modules. This will inevitably involve sending the output of some of my other devices to their inputs. Again, more rewiring needed, and there will not be a single fixed solution. The ability to make break connections and make new ones needs to be built into the setup.

That means getting an audio patch bay. More money spent, more space used, more cables required. Looks cool though. I've done a mockup and determined that with my planned setup I could use almost all of the patch points in a 48-point bay. Costs about $130 and another $35 for 8 short cables.

Total patch bay cost now: $0 Total patch bay cost future: $165

Mounts

If you're going DAWless, you'll need hardware instruments, and that means you'll need a place to put them. I'm just working at a single desk and don't have the room to expand beyond. I've managed to really maximize the space with mounts, including wall mounts. I raised my speakers to give myself more desk space. I mounted my primary monitor to the wall to make room under it. My mixer is stuck to a monitor wall mount with command strips so it uses far less space while still being movable. I bought a KVgear mount to stack the Minibrute above the Peak on my desk.

There's a lot of options here, but for me that was about another $190.

Expensive AF

So I'm looking at about $600 spent so far just for the sake of DAWless connectivity. No synths, no pedals, no keyboards included. None of the fun stuff. And I may spend an additional $330 for a total of $930 to make the setup properly usable, accessible, patchable, and convenient to use without having to constantly redo cable management or pull things in and out of storage.

And that's only half the price of a small Eurorack setup! LOL this hobby will financially ruin me

#music

Nobody really knows how to identify “good” wine. Slap a fancy label on a cheap bottle and, upon tasting it, people will describe it using terms like “complex,” “rounded,” and “woody.” Serve the same wine, this time with the original label, and it will suddenly become “flat” and “weak.”

These are real quotes from a 2001 study, and there are plenty more that show the same phenomenon. Expert wine reviewers can't even tell the difference between white and red wine. I'll leave you with this great article if you want to read more.

It's the same in the music production industry. Try to find any review of an analog piece of gear without hearing the term “warm” or “vintage.” Impossible. Yet in a blind test, people can't accurately identify one synthesizer from another. Most can't hear compression at all, let alone the difference between a digital one and an authentic 1176 — yet the internet is positively rife with analog compressor emulations, all claiming to be the one that will finally take your mix to the next level due to its unique acoustic properties. It's snake oil.

We experience what we expect, and we like what we're already familiar with. Confirmation bias and the placebo effect constantly work against us to undermine our perception of reality. As soon as you gain even the tiniest bit of insight into what you think something is supposed to be, it changes how you experience it.

There are differences between synthesizers, of course. Their signal paths, interfaces, and features all vary. But in terms of the raw sound, they are subjective differences that cannot be given any sort of meaningful quality. Just like people can't tell the difference between cheap and expensive wine, people can't tell the difference between a $10,000 Moog One and a free piece of software like Vital. Certainly not in the context of a mix.

For me, the point of buying hardware is the interface. Being able to touch the instrument, to feel more directly connected to the sound, is an experience that's harder to obtain with software. And indeed, that's an experience that varies from one device to the other. Some synths have capabilities others don't. I personally like anything that helps me perform the instrument in a more expressive manner, which means I'll gravitate toward things like poly aftertouch, bi-timbrality, and limited menu diving. Expressiveness is what made the CS-80 legendary in the hands of Vangelis, even though its raw tone isn't particularly noteable. Give me an Osmose Expressive E any day of the week over an old Juno-6.

But while these things are not ignored by the marketing, they're usually not the focus. More often than not, the focus is on imparting a sense that whatever new synth you're checking out has a certain special sound quality, that je ne sais quoi you can only get from the manufacturer selling it. Of course the expensive hardware synth sounds better than the free software one. Of course it will take your sounds to new heights and help you finally reach your dream of being a successful music producer.

Right?

Nope. I'm not saying there's no point in buying hardware. I buy hardware and I love it. But if you're doing it because you think it sounds better, you're probably fooling yourself.

#music

One post in and I already had to stop myself compulsively self-editing. But hey, I caught myself. That's a good step.

Anyway, after saving for a few months I recently acquired a Novation Peak synthesizer, which I was very excited about because it's my first hardware polysynth and it's also pretty fucking cool. But more importantly, I now finally have three sound generators.

The first one was the Arturia Minibrute 2S I bought last year. I got it because it was affordable and seemed like a good staging point for getting into modular, which I eventually want to do. Then I added the Roland TR-6S some months later, because after jamming for a few months on a single analog monosynth, the first thing I was always reaching for in the DAW was a beat.

And now there's three, which means we've almost got a full band. I have plans for more, but it's starting to get pretty damn fun already, and with some careful sequencing and performance, I could probably put out some good songs out of just those three instruments if I wanted to.

For now I'm happy to not worry too much about perfecting a performance, and focusing mainly on jamming and having fun. When I was a teen I spent 10 years straight playing the piano every day, and as it was a digital piano, I often reached for alternate instrument presets, and in particular I loved to layer them. I adore the piano, but I always wanted more than just one thing to play on, and it's been a long time coming but it's finally happening.

Anyway, I'm trying to just keep things recording whenever I jam, so if there's a segment that I think sounds good, I can upload it to YouTube and bother my friends and family to listen. These are the first two.

Hi, my name is Kurt. This is Reviews & Muses. It's a title in progress.

I've started many blogs over the years, and all fell into disuse. Yet without fail, the desire to write always returns, even with no expectation that anyone will read what I have to say.

I wrote that over two years ago. Yup, this blog also fell to disuse. I'm still trying to break the curse. It's going to happen, damn it.

With this blog, I first focused primarily on writing about fictional works, ranging from movies to video games. Here's what I said at the time: “Fiction is a wonderful tool for artistically exploring real-life themes and ideas. And because writing forces me to form complete thoughts about the subject, writing about fiction helps me better understand the medium itself as well as the ideas it explores.”

Turns out that doing this is pretty tough and I wasn't up to the task of doing it on a regular basis.

I'll still try to do that from time to time, but I'm probably going to be taken a more personal-journal-style approach to the blog from here on out. And let's honest. Fiction is cool, but sometimes it's more useful to go straight at the themes themselves.

Tags

I'll try to keep some tags for recurring topic types.

• #books
• #film
• #games
• #music
• #television

Socials

I’m really not fond of social media and its adverse effects, even though it’s nearly impossible to promote one’s work without it today. I don't use the main platforms nor do I plan to.

I normally go by Clovis online. In 2023, I launched my first music album, Space Bunny under the name Klovys!

Contact

If you’d like to get in touch with me for any reason, you are welcome to shoot me an email at klovys.official@gmail.com. Any comments about the blog or music would make my day. Aside that, you are welcome to subscribe to receive email notifications when I make a new post.