Superbooth Day 3

Berlin, Germany

Welcome to my last full day in this eastern corner of Berlin, where I’ve taken a liking to the quiet neighborhood and my daily walk to and from FEZ. Today is perfect, allowing me to leave my jacket in the room in order to lighten my load and not worry about where I stow it at Superbooth. I’ve progressively gotten later and slower on the 4.5km walk over the Spree River and into the woods. While I’ve shared a few images of the forest, I thought it was time to show what it is I walk by as I’m passing through the neighborhood I’m staying in. Springtime is in full celebration, and I can’t throw enough superlatives at my feelings of enthusiasm for it.

Berlin, Germany

If there was a war for identifying a problem and stickering the world would win the offensive, the anti-Nazi side would surely be winning. I’ve seen anti-AFD (right-wing nut jobs) graffiti in an impossible spot to spray paint high up on the side of a seven-floor building, but there it was. Every day I see something written, plastered, or painted on surfaces everywhere, letting fascist dickheads know where people stand. The only problem is that there’s a giant silent majority that is implicitly supporting the ugly rise of nationalism due to fear of non-white immigrants who stir the anxiety that Germans will lose their Germanness if those coming for work do not integrate into the culture.

Their concerns cannot be dismissed out of hand, as I’ve seen first hand while living in Frankfurt 25 years ago and subsequently walking around Germany and other corners of Europe the past couple of years that there is self-isolation from those who have taken refuge here, but isolation also from Europeans who hold some deep-rooted hostility towards those who are failing to conform to social norms and blend in.

As the future is never explained at the bottom of the cup of tea leaves, we can only hope and work hard towards making our experiment of living in a civilization come to positive fruition. Maybe encouraging people to eat more Nazis might help, too, so I think I’ll have a bowl of them later.

ADDAC at Superbooth 2019 in Berlin, Germany

The ADDAC System‘s crew, led by the skinny guy on the left, won the Superbooth 2019 award for Biggest Rack at Show. These Portuguese guys are bundled with an incredibly well-adjusted sense of humor and are welcoming in the most heartfelt way. André Gonçalves (the skinny guy) is the founder of the company whom I first encountered online when I ordered the MONSTER Frame you see behind the guys.

Now that I’ve sung their praises, let me tell you of the evil they represent. The rack you see is different than mine in that it has an extra row at the top that attaches to the base of the frame, and then down in the front row is a new addition to their brand of exploiting people’s financial stability in the form of a single 197hp row that conveniently sits in front of the already enormous 1,379hp of MONSTER. The expense of filling this thing is bad enough without adding the insult of being able to add another 394hp of aesthetically integrated wallet-emptying torture.

When I was asked by Andreas Berthling (in the center) which ADDAC modules I owned, I almost fell on the floor in laughter at the thought they should be responsible for taking anything else from me; at least I still have some dignity and haven’t given them everything. Of course, most of this is hyperbolic nonsense as, given the opportunity to acquire a second MONSTER and add a couple of rows of their modules to my collection, I’d be right on it. Sadly, it’s difficult to get your hands on the modules in the United States to gather first-hand experience of just what they are like. So this is a hint to the skinny guy to bring on a retailer or two in the U.S. who ALWAYS have everything in stock so John Wise can have the convenience of not needing to head to Lisbon to learn more about things like the Voltage Controlled Stochastic Function Generator, Marble Physics, and the Lissajous Curves. Finally, the quiet guy on the right is Ruben Costa, who I think would be more talkative if he grew a beard.

Superbooth 2019 in Berlin, Germany

Meet Dan Green, Baby Green, and Kendra, who without the baby would probably be only sorta cool as the force behind 4ms Company. Oh, I know someone will correct me and say Kendra and the baby are not officially part of the company of wireheads who build some great modules, but I’d disagree because anyone who is happily married knows that much of their passion, drive, and dedication comes to them from being soundly in love. Maybe you don’t see that love in the photo as they stare at me and my camera, but I saw them look at each other and hand Baby Green between each other, so I can tell you with greater certainty than the next 4ms module being released on time that they are digging life and the bundle of love between them.

Chris Meyer of Learning Modular at Superbooth 2019 in Berlin, Germany

Ah, my favorite teacher on the internet is Chris Meyer. I first learned of his wizardry more than a decade ago when I was trying to learn Adobe After Effects, and he and his wife Trish were masters of that universe. Today, Chris is doing the same for the modular community with his Learning Modular website. His methodical deep dives into the intricacies of systems, concepts, and individual modules come from being immersed in electronic music since way back in the late 1970s. Most recently, he collaborated with Kim Bjørn to produce the book titled PATCH & TWEAK – Exploring Modular Synthesis, which is epic in the way it looks at the current state of Eurorack. Yes, YOU should buy one today.

Superbooth 2019 in Berlin, Germany

Benefiting from the large shoulders of Chris Meyer and, of course, DivKid Ben, we come to Robin Vincent of Molten Modular. I first stumbled upon his YouTube material while looking to connect my Eurorack gear to Bitwig. Turned out that Robin was also playing with the Microsoft Surface, just as I was and still am.

Superbooth 2019 in Berlin, Germany

You think you’ve seen it all here at Superbooth, and then you take a turn down a hall that you somehow missed, and an entire universe of synth-related stuff is packed in these back rooms. I found Moog through one door and this art/music room through another, along with a presentation room further on where I never took the time to tune in to what was going on, which is likely a shame. I suppose all those people over these three days who asked if I was returning next year knew something I didn’t: I was probably missing out a lot due to the social butterfly act I was performing.

Superbooth 2019 in Berlin, Germany

Just some of the women in synths who were attending Superbooth this year. I must admit how pleasantly surprised I was by not only the number of women at the conference but the age range of visitors, along with a heaping dose of friendliness. At Synthplex in Los Angeles, it was basically an arrogant hipster sausage fest where everyone seemed a bit too cool to be inclusive, though I’m sure they pay lip service to such ideas as it’s part of the current credo.

Superbooth 2019 in Berlin, Germany

Twas my lucky day, and just maybe it was that bird shitting on me two days ago that made Superbooth so extra special. I just happened to walk up when Colin Benders and friends were talking with Dieter Doepfer and checking out some new modules. What happened next blew me away, and Dieter, too, for that matter. Colin and company started a 30-minute jam on the Doepfer rig that rocked those few who were intrigued enough to stop. Not only was the gig spontaneous and electrified, but I had the pleasure of talking with Ali’s wife (the guy on the right who is the founding member of The Architect crew out of Maryland who was part of the ensemble that patched the beats directly to my heart.

Superbooth 2019 in Berlin, Germany

World-renowned and fading fast after 50 interviews here at Superbooth is the inimitable DivKid Ben. Anyone who has explored Eurorack modules to try and decipher their mystique has come to rely on his demos and live streams, where he interviews some of the greatest minds in the synthesizer world, such as Chris Meyer, Daniel Steele, and Andrew Huang.

Superbooth 2019 in Berlin, Germany

Legends and upcoming legend are seen here, pictured together for the first time ever. Of course, everyone knows Richard Devine on the left as the master of the universe with what could easily be the largest Eurorack synthesizer of all time. Well, I have to admit that was just a blatant lie because, as everyone knows, Martin Gore of Depeche Mode fame squashes spacetime when it comes to horizontal pitch.

In the center is Ken MacBeth, whose work is making synthesizers. If you know who Bob Moog or Don Buchla is, you must surely know Ken, but if you don’t, well, you can just go over there and Shut Up! By the way, do you also get the impression that’s a sly smile on his face? You should hear the voice that goes with it.

To the far right, over there on the edge of this photo, is Tenkai Kariya, who is the founder of Zetaohm and creator of the first alien-influenced sequencer. His buttons are directly inspired by machine elves whose contact with entities of other dimensions has worked to create a unique device that just might transport you into another world.

Superbooth 2019 in Berlin, Germany

Andreas Schneider is the founder of Schneidersladen and Superbooth. Superbooth had humble beginnings back when it was simply a “super” booth of vendors that would show up with Andreas at Music Messe in Frankfurt. As the market grew, an opportunity a few years ago allowed him to set up a conference outside of the giantness of Music Messe with a facility in Berlin. Now in its fourth year, Superbooth is still growing, and during the main event, it is hard to find Mr. Schneider, who seems like an incredibly busy fellow these days. I suppose working deals for the upcoming year with all of his existing suppliers while considering the bevy of new creators would keep anyone busy. I have to offer a giant heap of thanks to this guy for bringing such a wonderful community together for these three days of merriment.

Superbooth 2019 in Berlin, Germany

Der Plan is to the music of Neue Deutsche Welle (New German Wave) what the Sex Pistols are to punk rock. These innovators of the sound of post-punk, new-wave music with electronic influences got their start back in the late 1970s. I had the opportunity to see them at least once, that I’m certain of, at Cooky’s nightclub in Frankfurt, but I have a vague memory they played at the Wartburg in Wiesbaden at some point and that I was there for that too. I should have asked about that gig when I was talking with Frank Fenstermacher of the band. I can’t believe I’ve seen this band at least twice and that they performed Gummitwist tonight. Life is funky.

Berlin, Germany

Toys for your ass at Dildoking can only be advertised streetside in Germany. I told Caroline about it, so she looked them up and told me all about their Fisting Anal Relax Spray in 30ml bottles for only 12,95 €, should you be so inclined to need such a product. I’m sending some out this Christmas to a few people I know.

Superbooth Day 2

Berlin, Germany

Will you have lived, or will you have only been? The path we are walking in this life is littered with beauty, where tears are able to manifest when you see and sense just how essential it all is. Have you been in love with your own life? Is your perception tuned to the real or that which you hope is real? Who is here to define such things or teach us how to belong to life instead of life belonging to us?

Church was the artifice of nature when that which was in the wild frightened our souls. Our best music takes us for a walk outdoors under the shimmering leaves of spring past the pooling water that mirrors the forest above. We are enchanted with the glistening surface of the river and the delicate skills of the bird seeking out its existence on its bank. We are exalted on the throne of breathing, and yet there is little recognition of how sacrosanct this innate opportunity is to be present.

When all that is embodied in the nature of beauty is found in the face and eyes of the one you love, do you not shed a heavy tear when denied this chance to gaze within yourself and upon that face when you feel the most vulnerable?

HC-TT from Landscape.fm at Superbooth 2019 in Berlin, Germany

As I walked along the forest path on my way to Superbooth, I couldn’t help but recognize the profound opportunity that has been afforded me to not only find some beguiling personalities, esoteric and sublime pieces of engineering, but also an hour of walking alone in my thoughts. I have had little regard for schedules as what I will take from the conference awaits me. The serendipity of the day is a dish best sampled out of randomness.

My first visit of the day upon my arrival is with Eric who is the founder of Landscape.fm. Arriving back in Phoenix, Arizona, after this sojourn to all things indulgent, I hope to find one of these devices pictured above. This little green and gold box with blue and silver knobs is the HC-TT or Human Controlled Tape Transport. What is it precisely? A long-awaited accessory to my Eurorack setup that will allow me to manually play cassettes into my synthesizer. Eric’s first run of these sold out fairly quickly over a year and a half ago; I’ve patiently been waiting for one to be sent to me. We will be upon that day soon.

Rabid Elephant at Superbooth 2019 in Berlin, Germany

The celebration of friendship between Philip Mease and Yoni Newman had the guys dancing in the aisles of Superbooth while the band played bleeps and bloops with a dash of feedback thrown in that only enhanced the festivities. I can point out right now that of all the laughter I will have shared during my stay in Berlin and specifically here at this conference in the woods, these two knowledgeable and creative guys notched my experience up more than a couple of degrees. Should I ever make it to another Superbooth, they will be some of the first people I run to say hello to again.

You may have noticed from the banner behind them that they are responsible for the evolving universe of Rabid Elephant. I was one of the lucky few to have obtained unobtainium in their Natural Gate last year with their second run of modules. The price of used units skyrocketed in the past months for those averse to waiting for the next run which appears to be on the horizon. Portal Kick is their next module to come to market, and from what I’ve heard, it will set a new paradigm on how we shape drum sounds. The sample and hold function is wicked. I should be careful about how much I contribute to the hype, as I’d like to be certain I get in on the first batch.

Superbooth 2019 in Berlin, Germany

Carlo and Lana were at the booth of Brandon Fessler, who is the founder of Mordax. Brandon is the maker of the DATA which I wrote briefly about back during my visit to Synthplex in Los Angeles at the end of March. It’s great to find familiarity with some of the people who attend these events.

Meatlog with Meat Pretzel at Superbooth 2019 in Berlin, Germany

This is the Meatlog with a meat pretzel. Scott Jaeger of Industrial Music Electronics for the past year had enthusiastically encouraged me to attend Superbooth this year, and while I didn’t need much convincing, it’s been great seeing him in his element, demonstrating the modules I had some small part in helping him bring to market. I did notice that many of his customers tend to be tall; I wonder how he builds that attraction into his modules. A rumor I heard while milling around his booth was that there appears to be a sweet spot on the Piston Honda when tuned to certain low frequencies and a particular octave while in unison mode that is said to produce DMT-like visions in the listener’s mind.

Superbooth 2019 in Berlin, Germany

Future Sound Systems was on hand, but of course, they were because why wouldn’t everyone who makes Eurorack modules who lives in Europe not descend on Berlin to share their wares? On the right is Finlay Shakespeare, and after I find out again who is on the left I’ll share that information too. These guys have made modules with Chris Carter of Throbbing Gristle and Chris & Cosey fame, and their new modules are being built in cooperation with Daniel Miller of MUTE Records.

Superbooth 2019 in Berlin, Germany

Love the smile of the guy photobombing my shot, but it’s the guy’s face in the center that I felt best represents the expression of so many people when looking at a Eurorack setup and trying to figure out what the heck is going on. BTW the guy in the yellow t-shirt is Matthew Allum, the founder of ALM / Busy Circuits.

Daniel Miller of Mute Records at Superbooth 2019 in Berlin, Germany

This is Daniel Miller in another incarnation of who he is. Today, he’s a live performer on a Eurorack synthesizer, forcing many in the crowd in front of the stage to cower with their ears covered as they try to escape the heavy pressure of some deep low-frequencies he’s sending out. Daniel likely holds a special place in the formative history of many a creative person around the earth as the founder of MUTE Records; he’s the guy who brought us Depeche Mode, though for me, it was his contribution to the Throbbing Gristle catalog and later his promotion of Nitzer Ebb that endeared me to his label. Then there was The Normal, who gave us Warm Leatherette, which was an anthem of alternative music back when I was 15 years old. I heard that Daniel DJ’ed on a water taxi returning to Mitte later that night, but I missed it. I wonder what other hats he enjoys wearing?

Ken MacBeth of Fuckety Buckety at Superbooth 2019 in Berlin, Germany

FucKETy BuCkEty frontman Ken MacBeth took the stage by storm, insistent that he would take no prisoners and remain as uncompromising about his onstage performance as his direct, often confrontational interpersonal communication. I believe anyone who ever met Ken knows that particular hand gesture that comes at them with a bark of “SHUT UP!” Bald Beardy Man in the background on the right was responsible for the soundtrack to this evening’s festivities, though the man behind ShitKatapult, Marco Haas, aka T.Raumschmiere, was over in his corner of the stage occasionally adding some electronic stabs of one sort or other. The secret MacBeth instrument was plugged in, and what its role was will forever remain a mystery as no one is said to have seen it, and you couldn’t be certain it was heard.

Ken MacBeth of Fuckety Buckety at Superbooth 2019 in Berlin, Germany

Mr. Shitkatapult dominated the lyrical content during the first bit of the performance. I can’t help but think this only antagonized Ken to work his way into a frenzy so that when he laid into Convincing People by Throbbing Gristle, he was nearly but not quite thoroughly pissed. I was never sure when SK (short for Shitkatapult) was going to finally leave the stage; he threatened it often but always came back for more. If I were a betting man, I’d have to guess he returned because before the performance got underway, a case of beer was delivered to the stage.

Ken MacBeth of Fuckety Buckety at Superbooth 2019 in Berlin, Germany

Maybe it was after the two versions of Joy Division’s Isolation, but at some point, Ken leaped into the water like a deft dolphin, emerging from the depths to not only walk on water but to come out pointing at the mother fucker who was about to be confronted in the audience. While Mr. MacBeth has obviously demonstrated his ability to channel Jesus, he wasn’t able to leave the lake with dry clothes, so I’m not all too sure about just how pious the man is, though I do know that he is quite sanctimonious.

Ken MacBeth of Fuckety Buckety at Superbooth 2019 in Berlin, Germany

For his encore of this latest rendition of the FucKETy BuCkEty brand of shenanigan antics, Ken, in his rage, violently threw himself into the depths of the lake as a kind of water-immolation. Some say he slipped, but fuck that; this was part of the art and spectacle that runs deep in the veins and guts of Bald Beardy Man, the ShitKatapult, and fucking Ken MacBeth. If you were on hand and didn’t enjoy yourself, just SHUT UP about it.

For me, the evening would take a bizarre turn of events when I ran into the apparition of David Bowie. Okay, so it was Ken MacBeth, still drying out, who put on his crooner’s voice and serenaded me while taking requests for Bowie songs. From Lodger and Scary Monsters to Blackstar, he worked his way through them like a pro. On my request for Where Are We Now, he winced, pointing out that this was a good one, and if I’m not mistaken, he might have brought a misty eye to his rendition. So there we are in the middle of the night in the forest near Berlin with the holy damp dolphin singing to me; it doesn’t get better than that.

Superbooth Day 1

It started with a walk in the woods just before my day began to travel among the wires. Down this path, you will find temptation where gods and monsters live. Those who dwell beyond the horizon are the engineers of wicked dreams who toil at building fire within the mind. This is no German fairytale taken from the pages of the Brothers Grimm; it is the electronic reality where people from around the globe embarked on a temporary emigration to the woods of Berlin to attend Superbooth 2019.

Superbooth is super chaos. The first few hours were relatively chill, the afternoon a bit unhinged, but Saturday has been promised to slide into a madhouse. There are a lot of recognizable personalities on hand, more than a few I’ve had the opportunity to speak with. Learning anything at all about Eurorack, I think, is likely impossible. This event has more to do with networking with people you may only know from afar. At some point in the middle of the day, it becomes a spectacle of noise.

Having walked my brains out yesterday I’m afraid my mind is as flat as my feet were yesterday after my walk. This creates a blogging problem because I’m now saturated with a million impressions to the point of being overwhelmed. Some of the conversations verged on the amazing, while simply listening to the creators and manufacturers of the tools of this industry could offer delightful insights.

By the end of the day when I finally got around to jotting some notes about the event, I’d already been talking, exploring, and learning over 12 hours. With that much information acquired, I have no idea where to begin or what to share. Add to that, I’m hungry, a bit cold, and have a 50-minute walk back to my Airbnb. So, while I’d love to continue to sit here on the grounds of Superbooth 2019 with this buzz of people surrounding me and writing, I think I’m going to have to give in to some other basic necessities and get moving. What a day.

Scott Jaeger and Tony Rolando at Superbooth 2019 in Berlin, Germany

Had to say hi to Scott Jaeger at Industrial Music Electronics right away, and it happened to be while the founder of Make Noise, Tony Rolando, was making the rounds, so I felt compelled to ask these two veterans if they could give me a second for a photo. Happy is good.

Dieter Doepfer at Superbooth 2019 in Berlin, Germany

I thought I saw someone I met last month at Synthplex. At first glance and in profile, I thought it might be Dave Rossum of Rossum Electro-Music, so I walked right up and said hello in an overly friendly way before recognizing that this was, in fact, Dieter Doepfer. Dieter is the person who conceived of the Eurorack format, thus revitalizing modular synthesizers back in 1996. Today, Eurorack is a fast-growing global phenomenon.

Mark Verbos at Superbooth 2019 in Berlin, Germany

This is Mark Verbos of Verbos Electronics. Had a great chat with him about electronic music, where he got his start in the music industry back in the 1990s. Tongue-in-cheek, I lamented his overly brief postcard-sized user manuals but had to admit that back when I started and was frustrated by the lack of documentation, what I really wanted/needed, were lessons in the fundamentals of synthesis, which nobody’s user manual was going to be able to offer me.

Superbooth 2019 in Berlin, Germany

I had to go find this guy early. He is Elos Eloi of Winter Modular and the creator of the Eloquencer, which is a Eurorack sequencer. I was his first customer after waiting patiently for months and the completion of the module. I’m also starting to notice a trend here about how these creators of such intrinsically magical tools are some seriously nice people.

Ross Lamond and John Wise at Superbooth 2019 in Berlin, Germany

Out of a doorway and into my arms, Ross Lamond spotted me first and offered a hug as my smile grew larger, recognizing who this was. Ross and I have conversed more than a few times over the past couple of years, and in many ways, I feel like we are distant brothers separated by a continent, but not in the spirit of perspective. Ross is bowing out of the world of Eurorack and exploring options. The guy has been a fixture in the world of Eurorack, building custom racks for some of the most famous composers and musicians around our planet.

Superbooth 2019 in Berlin, Germany

Uhhh, yeah, well, maybe Baseck is just jet-lagged? I know you might be thinking I got him mid-blink or something, nope all three photos I took of him and Peter Edwards of Bastl, founder of Casper Electronics, had this dude looking mighty stoned. I’m not saying he’s wrecked, but if looks are not deceiving, then one might believe he’s been puffing on the chronic. As for Peter, it was as great seeing him again today as it was meeting him back at Moogfest in 2016 where I bought his bitRanger self-contained synth voice. At the moment I bought it, I was certain that other than the Moog Mother 32 I’d just acquired, this would be all the synth gear I would ever own. Little did I know that within 24 hours, I would have eaten those thoughts.

Superbooth 2019 in Berlin, Germany

Met blue-haired Vladimir Pantelic of VPME. A puff of bright blue atop his head actually works as a beacon due to his towering stature of nearly 3 meters in height. Okay, I joke about his height, but the guy is seriously tall. Then, all of a sudden, it dawns on me why his first seriously popular Eurorack module, seen above on the left and called the Euclidean Circles, is the brightest module on the market: the light needs to reach heights most of us will never know. His new module, the Quad Drum Voice, has me reconsidering my drum setup, and to be honest, there wasn’t much to think about. Upon getting home, I will put up for sale about 90hp of modules, and I will be able to reduce that footprint down to 22hp with the same functionality.

Superbooth 2019 in Berlin, Germany

Yoni Newman and Philip Mease of Rabid Elephant are being interviewed by DivKid Ben for an upcoming video on DivKid’s YouTube channel. First of all, DivKid is a key figure in the lives of many, many people just starting out in the world of Eurorack due to his inimitable presentation style and all-around great skills in exploring modules that feel alien to first-time users.

Philip is the engineering mind behind the Natural Gate, which is a dual lowpass gate. The magic behind Philip’s design is that it doesn’t use vactrols, and yet it has an incredibly smooth roll-off. The lowpass gate module was first invented by synth pioneer Don Buchla back in the early 1970s; Phil’s design represents a milestone in the creation of what is better known as an LPG.

Superbooth 2019 in Berlin, Germany

Meng Qi is a module and instrument designer who has earned a reputation for the unique designs and playability of the music tools he creates. I’ve tried finding a break in the crowd around him to talk shop, but he remains just out of arm’s reach. Hopefully, before the days of Superbooth come to an end, I’ll have had the opportunity to say hello.

Superbooth 2019 in Berlin, Germany

Moritz Scharf founded the company Endorphin.es, and if someday I can afford the width and cost of his luxurious modules, I just might find his Furthrrrr Generator Dual VCO Waveshaper taking up residence in my rack. There are a lot of crews keeping these developers busy with interviews. When Superbooth got started back in 2016, I think DivKid might have been the only person covering the tiny trade show. Today, there are dozens of people from the press, and the event has mushroomed.

Superbooth 2019 in Berlin, Germany

Endorphin.es new sequencer. I don’t really want to know about it because do I really need a fifth sequencer? I know there are those who would recommend that one own ALL the sequencers. And, of course, those guys over at ADDAC would just love for me to buy a second MONSTER frame because who doesn’t need another 1,379hp of modules?

Superbooth 2019 in Berlin, Germany

This is Jessica Kert, who is one-half of the live modular act ZV_K. She was our 7:00 p.m. entertainment provider at Seaside. I met her a couple of days ago at SchneidersLaden.

Superbooth 2019 in Berlin, Germany

The crew of FucKETy BuCkEty includes Marco Haas giving the English salute, Ken MacBeth masturbating a pencil, and the gray beardy guy on Ken’s left. The Red Beard Man-Wolf dude with a beer is Bart Wolff and is not a member of FucKETy BuCkEty. And the others? That’s Wowa Cwejman looking off to the right, while I have no idea about the rest.

Berlin, Germany

So, that was my first day at Superbooth 2019 in Berlin, Germany. Pretty spectacular, really. This photo was taken of the Spree River, which I have to cross on my hour walk to and from FEZ, where the trade show is happening.

Synthplex to the Exit

The eyes of Scott Jaeger - Industrial Music Electronics

Where were you when the first Synthplex happened? I was in myself doing my best to explore my bucket of impostor syndrome. There are those moments you just know that nobody is looking at you, as with one glance they know you can’t be a serious human being because they don’t recognize you; so you must be nobody. I’d heard that Martin Gore had visited on Friday and a gaggle of fans followed him around hoping for selfies with the Depeche Mode star. Others who were recognizable were also given the red carpet welcome. When someone like myself walks up there is the obligatory name tag check and as soon as it is clear that there is no name recognition the person at the booth can start acting fidgety with you in order to let you know your time is limited and that you are likely wasting theirs. Now step back and wait for someone that impresses them. The smiles grow, they move in closer and start putting on the charm. There are no time limits as the momentary celebrity can indulge their every curiosity with answers extending into detailed nuances I could never even pay for.

I am not endeared to these vendors. Matter of fact, I’d now like to sell the gear I bought from them over the previous years. This type of elitism is a punch at my enthusiasm and the fire that stokes my sense of owning the aforementioned impostor syndrome. Some vendors are extraordinary in their lack of bias and embrace anyone regardless of status who approaches them. This weekend I was able to experience and witness the gracious attitudes of a number of makers such as the authors of Patch and Tweak – Kim Bjørn and Chris Meyer. Bert Schiettecatte and Celine Van Damme of Percussa were incredibly welcoming and willing to share a ton of information that made me a fan of their Percussa SSP. Dave Rossum has the enthusiasm of 10 people, Danjel van Tijn founder of Intellijel didn’t hesitate to pay attention as we spoke. Scott Jaeger of Industrial Music Electronics will give anyone who asks him about his modules a brilliant hands-on demo and answer all questions, often in exquisite detail with a dose of history thrown in.

Percussa SSP at Synthplex in Burbank, California

Speaking of the Percussa SSP: Once I was finally able to catch Bert free of giving other demos he jumped right in sharing with me the salient points that I was most curious about. First up were the granular capabilities of this expensive power-hungry module. When I say expensive I’m talking $2,000 pricey, and regarding power, this thing needs nearly 1 amp of electricity from your rack. Beyond those requirements, this thing is a beast. Do you need to record up to 16 inputs of either audio or control voltage? This is your machine. Do you want to record and edit samples directly in your Eurorack and then drill into them with polyphonic multi-channel playback only to record those outs right back to the device for later use? The SSP can do that.

I’ll admit I was skeptical a couple of years ago when Percussa ran their Kickstarter about this ambitious project, but after seeing it first hand I’m intrigued. With software and firmware updates occurring approximately twice monthly and upon learning that their forum is a great place for feedback and making requests for improvements, I inch even closer to trying to figure out what to sell in order to bring this work of art into my repertoire.

Ed Kennedy and A.m Filipkowski at Synthplex in Burbank, California

How cool is this? Not only do I run into fellow Phoenician Chris Randall here in California, but here is Ed Kennedy who runs the Phoenix Synthesizers Group (organizing a DIY program in Phoenix soon) and the maniacal A.m. Filipkowski of Data Cult Audio who is also based in Arizona (FYI: he’s not really maniacal, he just looks that way – yes that’s him on the right).

Tetrapad and new CV Recorder for it from Intellijel at Synthplex in Burbank, California

Danjel van Tijn seriously impressed me, not with the sexy new case so much as with the device I failed to get a name for that is mounted left of the Tetrapad. That shiny white module is brand new and unreleased as of today. It is a CV recorder for the Tetrapad. I wish I’d thought to ask while I had his attention if the voltages could be morphed across the various channels.

Roger Linn and Daniel Billotte at Synthplex in Burbank, California

On the left is the affable and relatively famous Roger Linn who invented the first drum machine to use samples and the MPC that profoundly changed modern music. On his right is my old friend Daniel Billotte who was getting a demo of Roger’s newest creation; the Linnstrument. Most recently Roger played a crucial role in helping change the MIDI format to incorporate polyphonic elements that radically extended the play-ability of MIDI instruments.

Prototype Bionic Lester MK3 from Industrial Music Electronics at Synthplex in Burbank, California

This was one of the main draws for me showing up at Synthplex; the Bionic Lester MK3. Scott Jaeger of Industrial Music Electronics made two of these filters last week and one of them was for me. Sure he could have mailed it to me, but then I would have missed out on all of these terrific experiences and more than a few wonderful people I was able to meet and learn from.

Synthplex in Burbank

Ross Fish of MØFFENZEEF MØDULAR

Ran into Ross Fish of Møffenzeef Mødular here at Synthplex in Burbank, California, this morning which was a great way to step into the absurd and hopefully setting a tone for the rest of my encounters here. Turned out that this guy (also known as Czar Dean, Anne Chovie, and Matt Zerella) is a unique one-of-a-kind brand of his own peculiarity. Ross was well on his way to disturbing attendees in ways he wasn’t prepared to share, though he assured me they would feel the effects of his mayhem well into the future. Not that the people who visit a Eurorack conference could easily be described as your run-of-the-mill ordinary everyday kind of people, but Ross is certainly one of those cherry-on-top types of personality. I’d like to say it was a pleasure meeting him for the first time, but then again how can anyone ever know what side of the Fish they are getting?

Chris Randall and Bon Harris at Synthplex in Burbank, California

Chris Randall of Audio Damage (left) was on hand, demonstrating his line of software instruments and VSTs too. I met Chris who also lives in Phoenix a little more than a year ago and enjoyed being able to catch up with things before he and I went looking for Scott Jaeger of Industrial Music Electronics who was nowhere to be found. While getting some air and taking a break from the noise in the main halls I saw a guy approaching I’d not seen in nearly 30 years, Bon Harris of Nitzer Ebb (right). Unfortunately, they won’t be playing in Phoenix so we’ll have to head into Los Angeles come October if we’d like to flirt with nostalgia and catch them.

The Lizard and various modules from Vinicius Electrik at Synthplex in Burbank, California

I had the good fortune of meeting Quincas Moreira from Mexico City as well. I’ve chatted with Quincas on social media many a time. Not only is he a composer but also a terrific DIY guy which was how I first learned of him. He’s up here in the Los Angeles area representing Vinicius Electrik who makes their own line of Eurorack modules. Quincas gave me a demo of their newest module, the Lizard, which is certainly a very unique module competing in the ever-growing and increasingly crowded market for synthesizers.

Blake Griffith of Noisebug and John L. Rice at Synthplex in Burbank, California

Outside contemplating something to eat I see a logo approaching. The man’s face doesn’t trigger any memories, but I’m wondering just how many people might be wearing a JLR logo on their shirt. I must ask if this is the man behind John L. Rice – it is indeed (he’s on the right). He’s walking along with Blake Griffith (left) from NoiseBug in Pomona that I first visited almost exactly two years ago on April 1st, 2017.

Rossum Electro-Music Panharmonium Eurorack Mutating Spectral Resynthesizer

“Wow!” was my reaction to the Panharmonium from Rossum Electro. I feel like this is the granular synthesizer I’ve always been looking for. Technically this is considered a Mutating Spectral Resynthesizer that makes magic choral sounds out of Ronald Reagan speeches (that is what Dave Rossum used to demo the unit to my ears). Sadly the module won’t be out until approximately late spring or early summer but the good news is that it is only going to cost $499.

By now I’ve run into Scott a few times and during that first encounter, I was handed a brand new prototype Bionic Lester MK3 filter module that I’ll be testing over the next month or so. Hopefully, we can make quick work of the beta period as he and I have upcoming travels that will put a pause on that work.

I also had a great visit with Brandon Fessler of Mordax who made my DATA Multi-Function tool. Matter of fact he also repaired my unit when the Arizona dry air created a situation where an adhesive bond failed. The DATA is a godsend module that I use in two primary ways: as an oscilloscope and a tuner. Being able to see what a signal looks like or what key you are tuning to is essential when working with synthesizer voices. If we get lucky this will be the year the Eurorack industry sees a proliferation of granular synthesis devices. Not only is Rossum Electro entering the field, but Émilie Gillet over at Mutable Instruments has hinted at the replacement for Clouds and Mordax has shown a very early prototype of the GXN Granular Synthesis System last year at Superbooth in Berlin.

Oki Dog in Los Angeles, California

We had to take a pass on the many musical performances that were being held in a couple of locations as it was time to go meet our friends Rotem and Itay who were only a couple of days away from welcoming their first child. It was great to catch up and they were thrilled to be gifted a handwoven baby blanket by Caroline. Matter of fact, we were so involved in our conversation that I forgot to take a photo. We left with huge smiles on our faces and ended up getting a late dinner at the World Famous Oki Dog on the way back to the motel.

Surface Data

Close up of Monome Arc

Blinking lights, knobs, shiny jacks, switches, buttons, tiny print, crazy characters, screens, and storage are just some of the parts of what makes a Eurorack synthesizer. Nearly every day, I turn on the machine next to me and am simultaneously dazzled and baffled by its beauty and complexity. Adding stuff to it becomes an obsession while learning its myriad functions can be mind-numbingly frustrating in part due to a certain obtuseness inherent in the beast and, on the other hand, because the larger the system gets, the more difficult it is to truly know all of its parts.

So, while I stand in awe of the synthesizer I’ve assembled from dozens of modules emanating from creators from around the planet, I also study the undeniable visual appeal of this contraption. I’m certain I’ve made decisions on acquisitions that were probably influenced to a greater degree by the aesthetics of a device rather than what its ultimate purpose might end up being. I justify this by convincing myself that regardless of why it is here, I am now committed to finding the angle to make the purchase integral to my larger goal.

This blog entry, as much as possible, will look at but a few of the user interfaces I play with every day. Not the overall design or the totality of functionality that a particular module might be capable of, but a peek into the surface of this synthesizer.

Featured above is a device that is not mounted within my rack, such as the modules that will follow. It is a recent buy that I luckily found on the used market as they are a rare find these days. You are looking between two knobs of the Monome Arc. This four-knob precision interface does require a module to be mounted in the rack called an Ansible, and with it, I can manipulate control voltages and gates that communicate with other modules within my configuration. This also brings me to Monome, the company that makes the Arc and Ansible, and how they have altered how we use surfaces and data to tease out of the machine the sound and functionality we are trying to discover. Monome also makes another control surface called Grid, which is now able to interact with the Teletype, also a Monome design  By connecting a computer keyboard to the Teletype (not pictured) we are able to use a scripting language to “talk” with other modules within our system in ways that had not been previously possible. The point here is not to sell you on Monome or write sales copy endorsing their brand; it is to point out that the systems around these synthesizers are still evolving, and while the ubiquitous knobs and jacks are ever-present, how we manipulate these elements is open to interpretation.

Pamela's New Workout from ALM

The feedback loop of information is presented in many ways to the Eurorack user, such as using lights, as seen on Pamela’s New Workout from ALM. Lights can be color or brightness-coded, and some offer feedback to the user based on how fast or slow they blink. These visual clues allow the user to gain an understanding at a glance, for example, whether the voltage leaving a jack is negative or positive, which might be represented by a red or green light. If a light is dim the voltage might be low and brighter when the voltage is running high. The blinking frequency might represent clock pulses that are determining tempo or could be offering info about how long a gate is open.

Piston Honda MK3 from Industrial Music Electronics

More and more modules, such as this Piston Honda MK3 from Industrial Music Electronics, are offering SD Card access. While function varies between manufacturers, we are able to better interact with device information, the ability to update firmware, save presets, or load custom sound files. Often this storage gives the user greater options and ease of use that wasn’t previously available; then again, when all synthesizer modules were analog, and musicians only needed to patch inputs and outputs while adjusting knobs, that wouldn’t have been an issue. With the rise of digital modules and greater complexity, there are those who may prefer simpler times, but there is a burgeoning world of enthusiasts embracing the options where a module’s functions may not be set in stone.

TXi from BPCMusic

As new modules become available, it can become apparent to users that the functionality of a device and, hence, how information is exchanged can be altered from what the original developer had intended. At that point, the would-be creator will have to embark on a learning journey that will take them from the circuit design of the new complementary module to the distributors of buttons, knobs, and jacks, along with PCB manufacturers and the overall specifications of the Eurorack standard itself. Knobs and the pots they are mounted on all have a particular look and feel, and it is up to the artist to balance their critical engineering minds on how something will ultimately be presented to the consumer. Knobs that are difficult to use, too tight to easily turn, or too loose that, when bumped, send a signal out of control have to be evaluated regarding their utility to the user. The knobs of the modules above belong to the TXi, which is a companion module to the Teletype and created by BPCMusic. Once Brendon Cassidy, who is the founder of BPCMusic, saw that using a rarely used protocol called i2c that the Monome Teletype takes advantage of, he could create a module that not only offers interface options from the knobs and jacks upfront but could also use a backchannel found in i2c to talk with the Teletype and extend an ecosystem of communication that would make the sum of the parts much more valuable. In this sense he not only allows us, users, to interact with the data moving between patch cables, but he’s also pushing things further by taking advantage of subsurface data transference.

Euclidean Circles from VPME

How to shape the complex into easily readable visual information was the angle that Vladimir Pantelic of VPME over in Germany was exploring. Back in 2004, Godfried Toussaint discovered Euclidean rhythm and wrote a paper that described the division of beats to the most equidistant distribution possible and that, with modifications, you could bring up almost all of the important music rhythms celebrated around the globe. What Vladimir brought to this are light-emitting rings where different colors will show the musician which steps or beats are active in a module called Euclidean Circles. This module allows the user to dial in various rhythms and then determine the best distribution following the Euclidean formula. Also, while there are just three rings, there are, in fact, six possible outputs with the push of a button, the user can change the color of the knobs and rings, which then denotes the second channel of three outputs. So here we see a very complex music theory that was only recently discovered and offered to the music-creating public in a relatively easy-to-use device that, while still somewhat complex, does a great job of bringing the data of operations to the surface where a quick glance can show the user a wealth of information.

Precision Adder from Doepfer

Though some would argue that a mere two or three modules can represent insurmountable complexity that stifles their ability to make music while they are bogged down just trying to understand signal flow, there are many clues on the face plates themselves that offer information for deciphering their utility. Take the Doepfer Precision Adder pictured here (by the way, to the left of the Doepfer is a variation of the Precision Adder created by Vladimir mentioned above) the arrows on the panel show the cascading effect of the voltage while the switches show the user negative, neutral (off) or positive inclusion of the voltage that enters the module above and exits below after being added to, subtracted from, or not affected at all.

Belgrad Filter from XAOC

In the world of flowing audio and voltage signals, there are seemingly infinite worlds of possibilities to alter this potential cyclone of swirling electricity and sound. Variations of signals at times require minute changes to what is coming into the module. Switches might allow for coarse or fine-tuning of what the knobs will be modulating. Other signals that can have an impact on the overall sound or voltage might have color-coded knobs that are tied to sliders or will have lines drawn on the panel pointing to something else that it is helping modulate. By having this wide variety of knob shapes, switch types, sliders, screens, and button types, the users can hone in after memorizing some of the color and module orientation specifics and allow them to build muscle memory of what does what and with a quick glance move to selecting the modulation source that best suits their need. Xaoc Devices out of Poland makes this Belgrad Filter using the red and black motif as a branding theme with modules that often have a design sense of being from a previous industrial age.

ER-101 from Orthogonal Devices

With the advent of digital modules not only did we get SD Cards for extending our storage capability, but we also started getting display screens. While musicians had an approximate idea of what value a slider or knob was delivering in the days of purely analog gear, in this age where fractions of voltages dictate whether a note is a C2 or C# in the same key, having precise display values is invaluable. Here the layout of LEDs, buttons, and knobs have been strategically laid out in consideration of how much information the hand might otherwise obscure. With a lesser design that does not take into account the importance of being able to easily see and understand what the musician is affecting, a poor user experience can ruin the potential popularity of the creator’s invention.

Consider that these modules in Eurorack are only 128.5mm in height or about 5 inches, so there is a limited amount of vertical space to place controls and feedback information. If modules spread out and get wider, that can impact the number of modules the user is able to effectively have in front of them and could reduce some of the utility. The module above is the ER-101 Indexed Quad Sequencer from Orthogonal Devices in Japan. Brian Clarkson is the creator and sole proprietor of this amazing, compact, and well-thought-out design. For this level of complexity and sophistication, the user can expect to pay a premium, and that’s only when the modules are actually available from this one-man show. Reading Brian’s forum on his website can be incredibly insightful as he has discussed design and layout considerations that have influenced him. Not only that, he is in an active conversation with his community of users, talking about functionality and how to improve operations from a technical viewpoint, but also the flow of information that moves through his modules.

Octocontroller from Abstract Data

Lights and columns are other methods of conveying pertinent information regarding what data and choices are about to influence the signal flow. Choosing the ticks, triggers, and modulations of a range of frequencies and voltages that will blend seamlessly into a piece of music is a complex undertaking when one desires to use electricity as the basis for this creation.

Analog percussion as found in drums from the real world, were likely the first instruments to be used by humans and their interface was simple in that we would strike the drum or wood with hand or object and the resulting sound was our immediate feedback loop. To create an electronic drum that keeps time and plays in a complementary fashion with the rise and fall of sequenced and moving notes is quite the quantum leap when we look at it objectively. For the sake of compact systems, there’s been a trend to make utility modules that feature many functions that would otherwise require just as many individual modules. With the Abstract Data Octocontroller, there are eight major functions that are chosen with a series of knob turns where corresponding light signals will indicate the user’s choice of function and the parameters that can be chosen for a particular algorithm. In addition, there are a few buttons that offer some alternative choices to the basic operations.

Derivator from Ladik

To ensure your module stands out and can be identified quickly, adding things like yellow-capped knobs and red plastic-coated switches can speed the learning process.

Telephone Game from Snazzy FX

This is but a tiny section of more than seven rows of modules that I own. As you can see from even this small cross-section there is the potential for an incredible number of jacks, knobs, buttons, switches, and screens. That the musicians most efficiently get to their objective while hopefully stumbling upon some happy accidents along the way is imperative. Matter of fact this idea of “Happy accidents” is probably better described by either the term generative music or “The Krell Patch.”

What is a Krell Patch? Back in 1956, the movie Forbidden Planet had a unique soundtrack that featured “Ancient Music” in the form of the Krell song. These are the days before synthesizers, and the composers Bebe and Louis Barron were only supposed to make weird alien sound effects. Instead, they ended up scoring the film and creating the first electronic music soundtrack. Then, years later, Todd Barton came along and experimented by building a patch on the Buchla modular synthesizer that should imitate the Krell song, and the Krell Patch was born. Modules that can shift timings and voltages in random but automated ways allow the performer to set the initial stage to cascade forward and backward to trigger events within the synthesizer that go beyond the logical progression of events that we typically expect in music. To that end, the Telephone Game from Snazzy FX with the blue knobs here is just such a device that creates new rhythms from input signals where the blue knobs influence how the new signal leaves the module to affect other modules further along in the rack. So again, we have a device that, while complex to use in its own right, offers a relatively simple user interface that masks some of the difficulty while allowing the artist to tend to other performance elements.

Regarding generative music, while Brian Eno is credited with coining the term describing an ever-changing sound created by a system, I feel it largely ignores the history of aleatoric music, as lectured about in the early 1950s by Werner Meyer-Eppler. There are other examples of chance music creation dating back to the 15th century right up to Karlheinz Stockhausen in the late ’50s creating these types of compositions. We should then also give a nod to Pierre Schaeffer, who in the 1940s gave us musique concrète using preexisting sounds to play an important role in breaking down preconceived notions of music. Now add Don Buchla to the mix, whose  System 100 in 1966 certainly was a milestone by breaking out of the rules of structure that Bob Moog was mostly following with his first synthesizers. The larger point I’m trying to make is that the “system” of generative music was an evolutionary mechanical and intellectual process that has had many important contributors and theories that were added to the mix before it was able to start becoming what we might think we know about it today.

Tik Tok from Animodule

Timing and how we control the ticks that drive the entire system is one of the first considerations we need to make. While the tempo may be best decided upon by listening to the beat of a drum, it is what happens after that trigger to the drum that is going to have a great influence on the rest of the composition. Again, we can look at chaos and randomness to drive things forward, or what is more likely for the majority of musicians is that they will want a precise set of timings to work with that maintain a sync between the various modules. While we can dial in a precise tempo, such as 120bpm, via a screen on Pamela’s New Workout mentioned earlier, we may also choose to use a square wave from our LFO to drive the clock, and if we put that signal into a clock divider, we can mathematically create beat-accurate impulses that stay in time with the overall tempo.

In an analog world before displays, we used fixed output jacks that were hardcoded to particular divisions or multiplications if what we wanted were faster tempos for particular modules. A jack without a dynamic indicator would never give the user a precise visual clue as to when the output that was chosen to hit the snares was being triggered. You could hear it, but imagine you could look down at the blinking lights and see that the fourth jack from the bottom has a speed that you feel will best fit a particular sound, and so you patch that signal. Having viable visual information allows us to make judgments not just by ear but by the eye as well. This dual-purpose clock divider and multiplier is the Tik Tok from Animodule; Jesse McCreadie makes them; you should check out his modules. (That’s his tag line)

Three Sisters from Whimsical Raps

There are probably very few people on Earth who will ever remember all the functions of the various parts on a large system with over 1000 jacks and a similar number of knobs and buttons. If we are lucky, there is clear and large enough text that highlights the value of a knob or what a slider is responsible for. Some module makers decide to go the obtuse route and use funky font types that some may find difficult to read. Or the user manual is a poetic license of hints, or was never considered by anyone besides the engineer who wrote it? This issue of non-viable data about a module or less than clear guidelines on the module itself can act as a hindrance to the user finding the kind of utility with a module that can lend it great value. This particular module above is known as the Three Sisters from Whimsical Raps and has great information on the panel to determine which button does what, but the creator has decided to use non-standard descriptions at times that leave the user wondering what Air, Barrel, This, That, and Survey are used for. In addition, the creator of these modules has come under fire for writing prose in his user manuals that some claim is impenetrable, while others delight in the challenge of deciphering the puzzle. I’m in the latter camp.

Multi-Envelope from Verbos

Sliders offer yet another means to alter the flow of information, while a nearly useless manual does nothing to explain the markings above the jacks, but hey, this has to be part of the challenge of using something that is already so incredibly difficult anyway. Mark Verbos and his modules take great inspiration from the Buchla series of modules, and it shows.

ER-301 from Orthogonal Devices

Screens. We don’t have touch screens yet, but the proliferation of screens appears to be gaining acceptance. This is Brian Clarkson again with his Orthogonal Devices ER-301 Sound Computer. With a fairly minimal physical interface driven primarily by a single large knob, this larger module is capable of things that extend far beyond the typical Eurorack device. Things can get deep here, as it is possible to assemble a complete synthesizer voice inside this module. Matter of fact you can create four mono or two stereo voices here and even add effects such as reverb and delay to your signal. I originally bought this for its sampling capabilities, but with feedback from the community and watching Brian’s design and coding plans evolve this device, he is changing the way we are able to relate to the incredible volume of data this sound computer is able to generate and manipulate. Not only do two screens feed our ability to interpret data, but we can also now connect the ER-301 to the Monome Teletype and Grid ecosystem, where we can extend the limitation of the ER-301 front panel ins and outs to having 100 triggers and 100 control voltages being manipulated by scripts in the background.

The interface and data we get from our synthesizers are going to change. I foresee the day when the touch screens from smartphones will move into our modules, and voice activation will set things in motion. Artificial Intelligence will analyze our signal flows and start to recognize patterns we cannot see and tell us how fluctuations in voltages could produce subtleties we may never discover while modulating knobs with limited amounts of granularity to change signals. Vision systems should be integrated for sampling light and the person’s movement and shape in front of the synth for generating random signals and influencing movement in algorithms to extend the aleatoric possibilities.

There are already great strides being made by the likes of Expert Sleepers where interfaces for MPE devices and old joysticks can interface with our modules. Landscape.fm creates fun interfaces for touch control, and his upcoming Human Controlled Tape Transport (HC-TT) will take old tech found in the cassette tape and allow the user to play audio to their Eurorack setup with the added character of noise and warble. Looking towards old meets new, Jesse McCreadie (Animodule) lent me a hand by converting an old telegraph key into a switch with 1/8-inch jacks so I could interface this nearly 200-year-old technology with my very modern Eurorack synth. These methods that explore the world of interfacing old and new are the springboards of innovation and experimentation where engineers learn the skills that will let them propel their discoveries into ever more complex designs that will surely challenge our ability to relate to the myriad data emerging from a tiny little metal jack.

Monome GRID

Monome Grid in Phoenix, Arizona

I’ve waited more than half a year to order a Monome GRID for my synthesizer. In any case, I’ve had more than enough to keep me busy and the last thing I needed was more equipment. I finally gave in when a few of these came back into stock; at times they are difficult to find as the New York manufacturer has trouble sourcing all the parts. I had been hoping for this to arrive on Monday considering how far it was traveling and that it was getting later in the day on this Saturday and so with no real hope of taking possession of it yet we headed to Starbucks for me to do a bit of blogging of some seriously old stuff and Caroline was going to work on finishing a new pair of socks for me.

Turns out that she’d forgotten the heel enforcing thread that will let them last longer and so she went home to fetch it when “bing” I get an email from the Post Office saying my package had just been delivered. So I called Caroline frantically hoping she’d not been there and gone already and sure enough, she picked it up and I got to unpack it within minutes after its arrival.  Those are my new socks in the background.

The GRID is a kind of sequencing device that I bought to work specifically with my Monome Teletype. One of the developers recently pushed out some new firmware for the Teletype that lets it and the GRID talk to each other. I’m pretty excited about this new acquisition and am looking forward to one day getting an ARC and hopefully a NORNS from them too.