/350 - Follower, Following Softly

Long recording tonight. A new module (Sewastopol) arrived today, meant to be the interface which allows me to use my guitar with the modular. It was supplanted somewhat by the realization that Axo can send a hot enough signal to get a clean recording in the bitbox, but it still has some cool extra functions I spent time exploring. This is guitar and samples triggering and modulating other samples into (too much?) granular and reverb. Was going to cut the clip down, but figured I’d just let it rip.

/349 - Holidaze

The week before Halloween we brought the pumpkins inside to warm up before we carved them. As days went by, Emi would put her hand on them and say “nope, still too cold.” Well, today was apparently the day they were perfect! lol I hollowed it out and she drew the face for me to carve. She was very insistent that he needed cheeks.

After that, she decided that it was time to start making “Christmas ornaments”, which really meant she just took a bunch of construction paper and cut it into tiny pieces. I wanted to salvage what I could and glued a bunch of scraps into trees. I think they actually turned out pretty cool.

This kid is a real nut. ♥

/348 - Darkness and Light

It was a sunny day, I got a lot done at work, and now it’s my weekend. I get to spend all day tomorrow with Emi, doing whatever we end up getting in to. Conversely, I had some issues with the Bitbox — lots of crackling and lights flickering, so not sure if I was pushing it too hard or if there’s an issue. Have to keep trying to see if it repeats, and if there’s a common cause. Fun.

/347 - Same, Different

Emi and I saw this bush this afternoon. With all of this back and forth cold/hot weather the trees and flowers don’t know what season it is or what they should be doing. Cold coming back again tomorrow.

I promise not to end the year off with only posts about modular, even if it’s where my head is at right now. PLENTY of other projects and ideas around here to keep moving ahead with.

Each of the 3 modules (not counting Axo) are sort of their own little universe to explore. Spent the evening trying out different settings in Pam’s, triggering and modulating. Pretty insane how much you can wring out of everything in there by playing them against each other. Another quick recording tonight — same samples as last night, different patch.

/346 - Moduloti Complete

I managed to get it all together and tested today! Currently it’s just passing midi from usb device (norns or ipad) and host (qunexus) to the Bitbox but it’s working great. The 4 encoders each have a push button and adjacent led so I can page through 4 sets of 4 parameters. I have a Sewastapol arriving sometime this week, so I’ll be able to use its send to run audio into Axoloti for more effects in the rack.

Hit record as I was playing around with things: field recordings from last winter at the park (remember that?), gamelan samples, and single cycle waveform drones. I’m beat, goodnight.

/345 - Sooooo Close

I tried my hardest to get this thing done (pretty bored of posting about it, really want to get back to making music with it) but didn’t quite get there. 3.5mm midi in and out tested and working! LEDs tested and working! All that’s left is to mount and wire the encoders. Not too hard, just a lot of wires.

Oh, then I have to program it to do something. ;)

(New phone this week pleeeease my camera is dying)

/344 - Here We Go (Again)

Another beautiful day. We took a long walk and played on the playground this morning, then finished up all my pre-winter chores (except getting the garage organized) this afternoon. This weekend was great, but it went by really fast!

Tonight I managed to cut another faceplate for moduloti and get so so much desoldering done so I can finally get this thing all the way together and working with the encoders and LEDs. I was really itching to patch a bit tonight, but getting this done and back in the rack will be worth it.

/343 - What a Day

Another beautiful (and choreful) day outside. Spent a little time this morning working out the design changes I need to get everything I need on moduloti under that 10hp plate. Still a bit of redrawing to do, then cut another plate, and wiring…

ON TOP OF THAT: Today the first day in 4 years that I haven’t been ashamed to be an American. Unity and respect, what an idea. ♥

/342 - A Walk in the Woods

It snowed (a tiny bit) both days last weekend and this week it’s been in the mid 60s every single day. Emi and I went and took a hike this afternoon and it was really great. Fall sounds and colors all around without the cold and wet. I brought my film camera and binoculars so I’m sure I looked like a total dweeb but we had fun walking around, playing in the mud, and listening a million little sounds. I shoulda/coulda brought the H4N but I felt like I had enough to carry around. Next time.

/341 - Changing of the Guard

The usual crew is still around (minus the Goldfinches — haven’t seen them in quite awhile) but there’s also some changes in the yard. The cardinals are back, I hear them chip chip chipping very early every morning. The house finches (red, top right) have been around more lately after being gone most of the summer. I’ve seen the dark-eyed juncos (bottom left) a few times, but they take off as soon as they see me and don’t come back for a week or more.

Lastly — the wrens. We don’t see them all that much, but I do hear them and they pop up regfularly enough that it seems like they’re sticking around. The other day Emi and I went into the garage and I could hear them so clearly I thought that maybe they had somehow gotten in there. Turns out they’ve made themselves at home in the brush pile and didn’t seem to care at all that we had our faces pushed right up against the garage window to watch them. They’re sort of our favorites.

/340 - Closing In

It just sort of dawned on me tonight that I’m less than a month from finishing my goal of 1 post a day for an entire year. My mind is blown because I don’t think I ever conceived that I could actually do this. I also noticed that somewhere along the line I messed up my post numbering. Ugh.

Here’s an excerpt of tonight’s drones.

/339 - Sounds and Connections

Although it’s now apparent that the axoloti module needs some rework to make everything fit, I was able to get it finished to a point where it works to pass midi, and act as a usb host and a device simultaneously. This is really cool! Was using the qunexus to play a sample chromatically, while norns running Kria was triggering and pitching 4 others. This isn’t all that musical, but it’s the record of playing and tweaking and trying and listening for quite awhile so I might as well post it. Regardless, those doumbeks sound cool.

/338 - Here

After the tracking going silent, and then updating to “arriving late”… everything was delivered on time as expected. haha Got everything racked and working. Wow. There’s so much in these 3 modules that I know I’ll be working on them for quite awhile. Played around for quite awhile tonight and it was a lot of fun, but I really need to get my own samples onto the bitbox stat. I also need to get moduloti finished so I can start using my other devices with the modular. It’s a whole new world.

It also snowed today for the first time this season. Nothing much to show for it, but it looked pretty coming softly down.

/337 - Moving Ahead

Made more progress on the Moduloti board today. It turns out that whatever aluminum alloy was used for the panel material I have is too hard for my tiny endmills. Not to be undone, I grabbed some plastic laminate that I had and sort of matched the bare aluminum. This cut lots better (obviously) but I did have to cut a second because the hole positions put the axo board into the rail and the module wouldn’t fit.

Boards are cut and all the desoldering is done. It’s a tight fit and wiring this might not be very fun. but in the end this is going to be a really amazing tool for my case. I was hoping to have this ready by the time my modules arrive (tomorrow!) but hopefully I’ll get it wrapped up by next weekend at the latest.

/336 - Moduloti

Made some more progress on this today. Tested and confirmed being able to power it board off the modular power bus and that hacking on 3.5mm trs jacks works for midi I/O. I can use the encoder switching/control subpatch I’ve already made for my other Axo, so just need to work out a 3 or 4 midi LFO scheme. Hardware seems like it won’t be too bad, but I always seem to end up in trouble on something. haha

/335 - Something Useful

I have an extra Axoloti board here that I never had a plan for. I was thinking today about midi control for the bitbox, wishing I had a rackable host, etc, etc when I put it together that Axo could be this for me. It can’t handle modular levels of CV or Audio, but it can act as a midi device and/or a host and it runs on 12v. It will take some hacking and fabbing, but if I can make it all fit (I think I can, in 10hp) I’ll have a module which acts as a midi passthrough for my controllers and ipad or norns, but I can also program midi LFOs, envelopes, or sequencers, AS WELL AS a standalone audio device that I can plug my guitar into for looping or effects. Fingers crossed but this could be pretty cool.

/334 - Something New

My first eurorack case arrived today. No modules until next week, so have to keep myself occupied in the meantime with making samples for the bitbox. Tonight: minimal Kria atmospheres.

I read about some unfortunate things that happened with Synthrotek, so I’ve updated the picture with the power panel flipped. Glad I bought this used. No support for people who say things like that.

/333 - Outside the House

Spent half of the day in the field for a project. After lots of delays due to the pandemic, things are happening and it’s actually going to get built. (Only 3 years until it’s done…) Nice to get out and stretch my legs, plus I love being around places where interesting shapes and textures are being accidentally/haphazardly combined into interesting configurations.

332 - Moody

Another cold day — we’re supposed to get a few inches of snow later in the week. I love the winter but not sure I’m ready yet. Emi is basically pacing at the door waiting for the chance to go make snow angels. haha

/331 - Quietly Slowly

Not sure what to say about tonight. Sequenced some things with Kria, trying to let the sounds change without changing the notes very much. Used 4 channel mode on the H4N to pick up the room sounds. It was nice to make, and felt nice to listen to after. Hope you think so too.

Also: I bought my first eurorack case today.