The Absolute Minimum Viable Creative Setup Thread

[CaneMan]

@myecholalia

Opusmodus

I’m vaguely tempted to explore Opusmodus simply because the OMN language that it uses is a Lisp programming language.

[casualdecay]

Whenever I travel I bring along just my iPad and always have a blast with that. So based off the original post that would be my answer!

In general if there were some kind of financial emergency I think I could sell all of my gear today except for my Minilogue XD, my Eventide Space, and the iPad and probably be okay. I’d have to put the dance music project on hold for a bit but all my other projects would work with just those three. I’d invest in a nice midi controller and audio interface for the iPad though!

[thedigitalDog]

There is also Extempore which does offer Scheme, and is another gem on its own … because one caveat with Opusmodus is that it is mac only, at least for now.

[mattleaf]

I recently traveled with 15” mbp, Launchkey Mini Mk3, DT 990’s, a PMD 620 and Sony A7sii.

I find the 15” size a bit unwieldy these days. It’s great for the graphics chip, but if I could, I would much prefer travel with a MacBook Air. I’m not constructing anything on a trip a MacBook Air couldn’t handle, and it’d get the weight down.

I’ve traveled with expensive audio gear on trips before, and I’ve lost luggage with gear inside it too. I think the best approach is a few light things in a backpack.

Unless you are relocating for a period of time, even a 2-4 week residency, in those situations I take a more extensive setup.

A laptop and small lightweight controller is my preferred approach for travelling however. Even the small amount of gear I mentioned at the top accumulated its fair share of cables, chargers, dongles, batteries etc.

If I’m moving from place to place, I find it’s better to relax on the trip, just focus on recordings and enjoying your surroundings, and bring the material back to the studio when u return.

It all depends though. If I have a new standalone box I’m excited to learn I generally take it a long also, upcoming gigs can determine a bit of what u take also.

[ElectricaNada]

Not sure if I fully understand the premise of this thread. I have tons of instruments, but all I really need is my voice and one other instrument. If I had to choose only one, it would be a close tie between a tanpura or a classical guitar. I’m leaning towards the tanpura.

[jbowman]

?

[cubis]

For me, all I would need is my MPC Live and some headphones. If I figured I’d have time+privacy+inspiration for recording vocals or sampling my environment, I’d bring my FMR Really Nice Preamp and my EV RE-20.

[rvense]

This is a Zoom MS70CDR feeding back into itself (a sequenced filter effect and some other things). There’s also a distortion pedal in the chain here, but you can do a lot of stuff just by taking one output to an input and recording the other output. I think that and a multitrack recorder with some rudimentary editing capabilities would be viable for a certain kind of electronic music for a certain kind of person…

If I had to live with just my MPC Live, I’d be more OK than though. It’s boundless, for all practical intents.

[Claude]

Could be fun!

[Versipellis]

How are you liking your Gen R-8? The sequencer seemed quite limited to me.

[pleurodesis]

Is that the Alex Rice pre-amp?

[jbowman]

The sequencer is indeed limited, but I like it that way: it is very immediate, and I use it 10 times more than some “better” sequencers I have which require you to remember button presses etc. to access hidden settings.

Personally I love the Gen R-8, but in good conscience I would have to flag issues like wobbly knobs, quirks / anomolies in the sound, noisy output etc. to any potential purchaser.

I’m willing to work around its flaws because it has tons of character. The low pass filter in particular, with no resonance, if you catch it in the right spot, is really beautiful. Marc Doty’s demo video describes it as “the sound of the 70s”, or words to that effect.

I did some basic demos to show some of the things one could do with it: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZPQgDikfh4PT_GKo-8rzSO3mPbQ9BGTE

[swhic]

Norns - Fates - Grid - Arc - Faderfox

[ElectricaNada]

Your demos of this synth are by far the best on yt, and convinced me to buy one. I actually won an auction on eBay, but the seller discovered a flaw and had to cancel.

[jbowman]

Thanks, good luck getting hold of one, I think Dubreq are planning to release another batch in the not too distant future.

I raised it in this thread because it is a really inspiring and self contained instrument - battery powered, immediate ad tactile in its touchplate and knobiness (despite those knobs being rather plasticy and wobbly), surprisingly weighty (but obviously within the 50 lbs limit referred to in the OP) and really sui generis.

Generally its limitations force you into approaches you wouldn’t otherwise try (e.g. no independent volume control on the two oscillators - how do you deal with that?).

I had planned to take it away with me on the week-long holiday I just returned from, and see what I could do with the set-up in my photo. But then my new half-sized Continuum arrived earlier than expected just before I left, and the Stylophone got gazumped…

[jasper]

[jbowman]

Nice set up. The Tascam looks like my DP06 but yours has silver buttons and dial - what model is yours?

[schmudde]

I moved to Europe with two suitcases. It included everything here except the keyboard, which is also incredibly portable.

• MiST FPGA for running a sequencer
• MicroQ for sounds
• CME XKey keyboard

My main interest is working with harmony/counterpoint, so I need a sequencer that has a clear ability to to display notes vertically.

[tiwi]

Well, I’m one of those lucky guys who’s got stuck in China when all the virus situation has started. I got literary locked in a hotel for a couple of weeks. Luckily I had my little boy with me, it made everything a little better than it could be.

[loooops]

I’ve been house-sitting for a friend this week and just brought this mini system with me. It has been so much fun. The new w/2 is so deep and lets you do so much with a small set up.