#12

Then again, wouldn`t that ignore the motivation behind this thread, to filter out modular stuff?

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#13

Yeah I think the important thing is to categorize to allow users to curate the kinds of posts they’ll see. Are there users who would only want to see either ‘tech’ or ‘general gear’? I have a feeling they may have very similar audiences.

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#14

Definitely think there is enough critical mass for a modular synth category, either because people want to search for it or mute it.

The issue about crossover with the monome category is a good point.

The other thing - it’s going to be a mighty pain in the ass to re-categorise all the relevant threads if that’s going to be part of the process :scream:

#15

Although I started this discussion, I am now a hopeless case having started my own small eurorack system (4ms DLD based; it’s awesome but you don’t want to hear that if you are trying to avoid this)

However, if I was trying to avoid the conversation it would be ‘eurorack’ that I’d be avoiding - primarily the monome related eurorack but other stuff too.

#16

I’m not that keen on making a distinction between eurorack and other modular formats, certainly in terms of a category on this forum.

I’ll admit this is in part down to prior experiences and my views on the modular synth scene in general. But, the reality is that 98% of modular talk is going to be related to the eurorack format anyway as that’s how life is with modular synths these days. You’d be hard pushed to find much discussion on other formats here.

#17

[quote=“sandy, post:16, topic:983”]
I’m not that keen on making a distinction between eurorack and other modular formats, certainly in terms of a category on this forum.[/quote]agreed

synths
hardware
modular

whatever people decide on please make it a catch all

#18

need a catch-all word, agreed.

i distain the word “gear” but is there a good equivalent?

#19

would “tools” be too generic?
definitely catches a lot.

#20

how about hardware?

20 characters.

1 Like
#21

Machines?

(20 characters)

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#22

catch-all is good, but you need to be careful of not creating overlapping categories - surely, things like gear/tools etc, will have (for the uninitiated) a large overlap with tech, as much of our gear is tech.
when discussing programming aleph is that now gear or tech?

Id agree with this…

I ‘up voted’ modular, as I suspect there are quite a few non-modular users out there … and its not just about GAS suppression :slight_smile:

however, I do recognise that monome, now, probably has more eurorack users now than non, so perhaps lines therefore is focused on modular users, so perhaps Im in a small minority here.

should monome modules be in ‘modular’ or monome - that already seems to be in question, some discussions are in monome, some in tech… its an overlap, so is ‘bound to happen’.

categories are not perfect for this, tagging is better … which discourse also supports, but when I added tags on another site, I found most users did not use.

2 Likes
#23

I definitely think some category is needed. I just posted about hardware loopers, it doesn’t really seem to fit in with any of the existing categories.

I don’t think there’s much overlap with Tech, its description is:

“Programming, circuits, design, DIY.”

So unless you’re building something new, I feel like you wouldn’t post there. The “Hardware” or “Gear” category or whatever it’s ultimately called would probably be more about discussing existing devices.

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#24

maybe “tech” needs to be renamed something more like “DIY”, though DIY in my mind is very pejorative term which suggests amateur.

i’m up for a “hardware” category. any last suggestions? should we do a poll?

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#25

I’d be happy with ‘Tech’ renamed to ‘DIY’, but we’d need a ‘Coding’ category then.

Alternate names for DIY, ‘Electronics’, ‘Synth DIY’, or even just ‘SDIY’.

I think the names of the categories define what content is encouraged, especially for newer users. On the plus side, Discourse does do a good job of prominently displaying category descriptions, so the names can be quite pithy, while the description can contain more inclusive language.

1 Like
#26

this is a good point.

so

  • code
  • electronics
  • gear

i still dislike the word gear, but i suppose it’s fitting. gear applies to commercial software, etc as well.

any final thoughts on this, anyone?

i’d like to point out that “regulars” have the ability to re-categorize posts, so this can be a quick collective effort.

2 Likes
#27

how about devices or equipment instead of gear?

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#28

how about organon
it’s ancient greek for tool, instrument.
it’s obscure word, nobody knows what it means, but [quote=“sam, post:25, topic:983”]
Discourse does do a good job of prominently displaying category descriptions, so the names can be quite pithy, while the description can contain more inclusive language.
[/quote]

and

so it’s ok if no one understand it.
but more importantly : how does it sounds in english ?

#29

I was about to second “equipment” but maybe that’s also too broad? I like “code” because it’s clear and I like “electronics” because it’s inclusive of both tools and instruments, but I think in order to address the main concerns it might be necessary to be specific about the case of “modular” or “eurorack.” My vote would be for “modular.” Who knows, maybe somebody’s going to repanel ansible into 4U…

#30

Hardware
Software
Modular

?

1 Like
#31

i’m ok with ‘tech’, i think it describes very well what it is : programming, circuits, design, DIY.

side note, regarding DIY :

What did I try to do, in this context, in 1948? As Boulez said,
extremely snidely (he’s a pretentious boy, a kind of musical
Stalinist… I’m an anarchist myself), it was a case of
‘bricolage’. (Note: This French noun has no direct equivalent in
English, but is close to the adjective ‘makeshift’; and the idea of
improvising new uses for things originally meant for something else) I
retain this term not as an insult but as something very
interesting. After all, how did music originate? Through bricolage,
with calabashes, with fibres, as in Africa. (I’m familiar with African
instruments). Then people made violin strings out of the intestines of
cats. And of course the tempered scale is a compromise and also a
bricolage. And this bricolage, which is the development of music, is a
process that is shaped by the human, the human ear, and not the
machine, the mathematical system.

(the complete translated interview is here).

(since then i feel very cool with these words (diy, craft-whatever, bricolage, makeshift, etc.) and their weight.)

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