Month: March 2020

What’s Keeping Us Busy In Lockdown

Dry run of the Monotribe-centered mini synth rig

Been a weird year this week, but there’s still music.

Scott’s figuring out what he can do for his students.

Tim is working with his Novation Circuit, among other things.

Drew’s picking away at Mars Lights vocals, and Night Mode stuff (including some with me, below).

I’m moving in a lot of directions at once:

  • Mastering the Night Mode “Capsule” sets from a few weeks ago
  • Writing a new Night Mode set with Drew and making some recording passes
  • Did my first recordings with the Polyend Medusa synth
  • Working on the mini rig (video below)
  • Doing a 2nd revision of Sally Ride “Fight Songs” drums, which should result in good enough tracks that I can start seriously tracking bass
  • Starting a new synth/noise collaboration
Short video of the mini rig. First jam, not bad, kinda left coasty!

We’re privileged and grateful to be doing this stuff instead of pulling double shifts, or grieving. But the scientists say staying home is what we need to do, so we are. Be as well as you can, everyone. -h

Monotribe Minirig

I’m working on a one-case mini-rig centered on my modded Monotribe. Tonight I got the lattice built and dual lock applied. Instruments and effects will move on and off the rig; there will be more synths and (let’s not kid ourselves) about this many pedals at least.

Compared to the stock Monotribe’s single output, I’m planning on three and a half signal paths:

  • Monotribe drums (direct output mod)
  • Monotribe synth voice
    • Monotribe audio in (including the Monotribe’s synth voice in a feedback loop and/or a separate, independent audio signal); this path routes through the Monotribe synth voice’s VCA
  • Extra synth voice (Volca Bass, Atari Punk Console, etc.)

This rig is more for me than anything else. It’s not particularly intended for Night Mode collaborations, though I’m sure I’ll use it for that eventually (and the ways it isn’t well-suited for that become cool challenges/limitations from another angle). In theory it would be fun to perform a solo show on it, though that’s more of a personal challenge and organizing principle for the setup than a serious intention.