What's that one indispensable piece of gear in your collection ?

Started by urall, September 13, 2018, 11:56:20 PM

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Euro Trash Bazooka

Quote from: sunandsteel on September 29, 2018, 11:46:58 PM
Quote from: Euro Trash Bazooka on September 28, 2018, 01:23:02 PM
It's only my opinion but I can't stand Microkorgs. They sound tinny and extremely digital, and I can't deal with fixed architecture in synths anymore. To each their own obviously

Its not necessarily my "best" synth - I use a Microbrute and Monologue as well. Its a bit limited, but its quite versatile within those limits and easily manipulated (for me). If a track needs just a bit more a small synth part or anything extra, I go to the Microkorg first. Not to knock the other synths I have, but I find those pretty interchangeable. I could replace either with something like a Minilogue or Bass Station and I would be more than fine. Can't ever replace my Microkorg.

I hear you. Obviously, it's also about what's available and affordable around you, and how savvy you get with it. I think I became a gear snob with time, being surrounded with people owning nice gear and all (although that's not the case when it comes to synths.) Like, I tried all of the ones you mentioned and didn' t enjoy them because I first bought an MS20 (bad idea when you have no clue about how synthesis and patching work, which means it took me a good 3 years before I started having real fun with it) and was lucky enough to find a vintage monophonic synth rotting in a basement once, and the owner let me go away with it for barely nothing. So I got used to analog warmth and creating sounds out of nothing, which are nice feelings I haven't found in any of those recent synths. I tried though. The old synth is heavy and a pain to carry around, and it doesn't accept sequencers so I'm building my own 6U case to replace it. And in the meantime some friends of mine do killer stuff with Minilogues and whatnot but they're definitely not for me.
DROIT DIVIN: https://droitdivin1.bandcamp.com/

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monotome

Quote from: Euro Trash Bazooka on September 14, 2018, 07:11:44 PM
compressor

I second this, it really helps to beef up the sound without coloring it differently. Maybe a slight change in dynamics for the better.

Also not a piece of gear, but recording straight to tape from the mixer, so good for murky sounds, density or pushing volume levels.

Dyecap

Other than a few homemade fuzz and filter boxes...
My trusty crusty Tandberg 1/4" tape recorder -

- has its own decrepit character.
Also would not get rid of Aguilar gs 2x12 600w cab

fantastique

Peavey DEP 800 digital delay rack mount unit. It is very unique, and cheap to source (under $50 US) The saturation, flange, and glitches is incomparable outside of some analog units that cost five times as much. I recently purchase a rack just to keep this around forever. You can send very dry signals, say just some field recordings through this, and the messy glitches and saturation give it new life, vs say some newer digital delay that I think sounds a little too clean with much treble.
mailorder - www.fantastiquehq.com
brick & mortar store - torn light records

Cementimental

None. I have done at least one gig with zero gear from my collection :) and several recordings without any.

Peterson

Quote from: Cementimental on November 09, 2018, 12:20:43 PM
None. I have done at least one gig with zero gear from my collection :) and several recordings without any.

Very intrigued. Borrowed gear? Spontaneous use or or some pre-planning which allowed you to get acquainted? Any links to said recordings?

Cementimental

Here's one gig where I was asked to play last minute, didn't have time to go home and get any gear so I played using random objects found at the venue and borrowed from a friend's car (he'd just picked up a free vintage echo unit etc), a borrowed multi-fx with loose connection, the DJ booth headphones as mic, unamplified triangle and haribo wrapper. Hey, i never specified an especially GOOD gig! :D

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2p8U6jZg8RI

Also I played in Denmark one time but lost my suitcase with nearly all my gear on a bus back from a gig the night before, had to grab the 4 or so remaining pedals I never used and a handful of mismatched dregs of my cables, managed to play a decen tharsh noise set nontheless I think haha

Kicking a fire extinguisher around an underpass counts as a gig too

Recording-wise I guess I mean found-noise eg one of my tracks is just raw audio from a video camera attached to the front of a taxi for completely un-noise-related reasons (can't remember which track right no so no link), and have done some with borrowed gear after a quick go on it.

Maybe overstated it ha. But I don't feel like I have one totally essential piece of gear. Some kind of mixer and some things which make/feedback sound will do if all else fails


NaturalOrthodoxy



Also I played in Denmark one time but lost my suitcase with nearly all my gear on a bus back from a gig the night before, had to grab the 4 or so remaining pedals I never used and a handful of mismatched dregs of my cables, managed to play a decen tharsh noise set nontheless I think haha

[/quote]

nice work!

I helped out putting together a Bizarre Uproar show in Manchester a few years ago, we put Negative Midas Touch from Sheffield on as support. She lost her suitcase on the train, but she used an iphone synthesizer, borrowed a reverb pedal, and a looper and did a fucking boss dark ambient/death industrial set.

PrincessHaultaineIII

I have a custom gain built by Electro Lobotomy that I can no longer do without, it makes everything that goes through it sounds so much better. It has two inputs and three outputs, and four feedback paths, so really it's a gain+, but I am the only one to have one, I fear breaking it or losing it over everything else I have.
"What's the use of frequenting Plato, when a saxophone can just as well offer a glimpse of another world?" - E. M. Cioran

mosquito

Honestly none of my gear is really "indispensable" or overly important to me, but I've got a soft spot for the Fostex XR-7 cassette 4track.

Electro Surgeon

INNERCITY UPRISING RECORDS
AUSTRALIAN NOISE AND PUNK

duckworship

As I mentioned before in a previous thread about Sirkut, the SNB is one of the better noise synths I've ever used. I really didn't wish I sell mine! It is somewhat "limited" in the sense it could be considered a one trick pony, but when paired with various effect pedals, you can get a lot of great sounds out of it. 

Acne

Quote from: W.K. on January 30, 2019, 09:03:40 PM
T-Resonator. Broke it twice beyond repair, and now the third one already looks like someone smashed someones head with it, not one pot is sitting straight. Still, if it breaks and cannot be repaired, I am going to buy another one.

Really like this thing, but the build quality leaves a lot to be desired and it's not cheap either.

What do you run into it? It seems sick

l.b.

boring one: Steinberg UR44 usb audio interface. makes everything sound right on, way better than the focusrite or similar entry-level interfaces. it's not fun to use, it doesnt have a cool story or anything, but it's literally my one indispensable piece of gear. you can make sounds with anything.