#1

is it a monome or is it a grid? or is it both?

when people ask “what’s that cool thing with all those buttons?”, i always say it’s a monome or monome 256, (i’ve also heard people call it a monom´e) but it seems like the proper/official term is now “monome grid”?

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#2

either way “monome grid” or “monome one-twenty-eight” (to be more specific) makes a lot more sense since monome is the company’s name. (and there are many monome products now)

but i can’t help but wonder… is it still a monome?

(thinking out loud, please ignore)

#3

come to think about it, i don’t think i’ve ever seen @tehn refer to the grid as a monome, only “monome device”… i just started calling it that because everybody else was… was it ever actually a monome? have i had it wrong this whole time? :confused:

#8

the product range has expanded but call it what you want

I’ve never been in a situation where one word (monome, 128, controller, grid, arc, aleph) was enough to satisfy a curious observer . the only clue you get about tehns naming theory is the blanket shift to grid…size doesnt change core function/design so the streamlining makes sense

also i get an inordinate amount of pleasure when I see singular devices labelled “grids”

it’s a common mistake on other forums

#9

My guess is that at the beginning, there were only grids, so no need to give them names.

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#10

but was it ever really called a monome or was that just slang for monome 64/128/256? (like how people call their Technics 1200s just “Technics”)

#11

from a 2011 newsletter :
'hello friends.

we’ve refined the walnut monome series and have 50 of size each available for order today on our site.
’

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#12

i always called my grid 64, which i have 6 years now, my monome… but now i guess grid 64 is more accurate, but i’m attached to call it a monome. i like the sound of it. grid is more impersonal.
but in conversations outside my own head, with other people, i always have to use more words than just monome 64 or grid 64 to describe what i do.

i’m deranging from the topic now, but for me it’s always difficult to explain what the monome/grid is to other people. i start by explaining it’s a physical thing with a lot of buttons, that you can connect it to your computer, and that the software on the computer decides what the function of the buttons are. -but what does make the sound then? >yeah that depends on the software. and the software is written by many different people all over the world who connect through a forum.
and i always feel they still don’t understand how wonderful this all is :slight_smile:

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#13

I’m glad you posted this, but it only further intensifies the mystery… “walnut monome series” could be interpreted both ways…

Does this mean series of monome products or series of monomes?

#14

From 2008
'hello friends,

our january editions of the monome one twenty eight and sixty four are approaching quickly. those looking to obtain a device will be interested in the following information ’

and there was no arc at this time.

#15

brought to you by the people who think that isms is basically the best name for anything ever-- you all correctly observed that the naming is very fluid, especially given the changing lineup of machines. i’ve favored “grid” as to me there’s not a great need to distinguish sizes and models as they all reference the same idea. if needed in a specific context, i still find the old names fine-- ie, monome sixty four.

so while yes, the newest “grid” is a “monome one twenty eight” i don’t see a need to explicitly say all of those words. the distinction between the “company” name and device name has always remained somewhat confusing and that happened naturally-- “whoa look at that pile of monomes” is something i’ve never myself said. the internet helped invent that. but that’s totally fine too.

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#16

[quote=“tehn, post:15, topic:3880”]
“whoa look at that pile of monomes” is something i’ve never myself said.[/quote]
i have spoken those words a few times, myself, when seeing things like this:

or this. or this. or this. or this…piles of monomes. grids and arcs. whatever you want to call them.

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