New premises for Films Music and That
Here are some 'Before' pics of our new premises, currently being decorated...
Timelapse of grass growing
The other weekend with the help of family and friends, we cleared a garden's worth of rubble and ivy, and then laid a brand new lawn. It took 2 days, but this is a timelapse video of it happening in 2.5 minutes...
Analogue Systems visit 14/03/2011 - 18/03/2011
Last week I had the pleasure of a full weeks training on modular synthesizer programming with synth guru and absolute gent Bob Williams at Analogue Systems in St Austell, Cornwall. Analogue Systems design and manufacture high quality modular synthesizers - they are a small, friendly company with massive expertise and worldwide kudos and, impressively, they design and manufacture all of their equipment in the southwest of England. Who said British manufacturing was dead?!
Not only did i have the rare opportunity to learn on their massively powerful 8500 system 8 hours a day for a full week (see pics below), I also had the pleasure of the wonderful company of Bob and his partner Kaz and stayed in a lovely apartment adjoining the studio (I would have slept in their given the chance, though i doubt i would have slept at all with that 8500 blinking at me!)
The possibilities for sound design on a system like this are endless, but my training showed me that even a smaller system like mine can yield great results when you fully understand the modules you have. Analogue Systems' modules offer amazing performance and control capability at really reasonable prices - unlike many of the new crop of manufacturers whose modules are triumphs of marketing and screen print rather than electronic design. My own system is 75% Analogue Systems and 25% Livewire Electronics modules. My vintage gear has hardly got a look-in since I 'went modular'.
All in all a wonderful week, one I will never forget, although i have to admit I have already forgotten the colour coding system for patching - was that grey or green for CV? We all know yellow is best for everything anway.
Thanks again to Bob and Kaz for your warm welcome, hospitality, company, cookery and endless synthesizer knowledge, I hope to visit you again soon.
Dan, 11am, 21/03/2011
Homebase Pop-Art
While looking for paint samples for my living room, this caught my eye: The drip tray from the mix your own paint machine. Two tins please!
Postmodular Pop-up showroom event - Beaconsfield Arts Venue, London, Saturday Jan 22nd 2011
Being a fan of all things analogue and a synthesizer fanatic, I couldn't resist this event in London this weekend, held by the UK's main outlet of boutique modular synthesizer electronics.... Postmodular.
Held at Beaconsfield - a great little arts venue in Vauxhall, it was a chance to talk unbridled synth with other waveform junkies and to try out the modules that Postmodular currently have in stock, and to buy them, and perhaps more importantly, to chat with other synthesists.
The event also featured a short live performance from noisesmiths 'Tonesucker' who performed an interesting noise/drone textural piece on some very tasty equipment, including a super-rare EMS synthi semi-modular, some garden shed creations as well as eurorack modular gear.
Beaconsfield is a great little, friendly space, and was also hosting some interesting exhibitions/installations from other audio/video artists. Don't bother asking for directions from locals to the venue, or to Newport Street - no-ones heard of either, so get your directions sorted before setting off, as we did, like a couple of aimlessly wandering automatons.
I think that events like this are great as so much information on this growing but still niche area of synthesis is normally confined to peoples opinions on web forums, which though honest and well meaning, can't be completely relied on, sound is just too subjective and, after all, we are dealing with the very fine detail here!
To see what's available for your eurorack format modular see Postmodulars site http://www.postmodular.co.uk/
and to chat waves with other sound people try here http://www.muffwiggler.com/forum/
also upcoming is the London Modular Synthesizer Meet, organised by members of the above forum http://matrixsynth.blogspot.com/2010/03/london-modular-meet.html
I'll no doubt be dragging some poor soul down to that with me! Thanks to Nath for being this trips designated sufferer - no doubt he'll get me back for it! Perhaps an electronic valve fair or a kick-drum pedal enthusiasts convention....
Vinyl Stylus Cleaning Microscope Images
I acquired yet another turntable, this time with the plan to cannibalise it for parts for my long running 'vinyl vacuum washing machine' project. When i received it from a local freecycler, it was far to nice to destroy so it was serviced and rehomed with Simon. Below are some pictures i took under 400x magnification:
First before cleaning...
then after a brush with Isopropyl alcohol....
