Newby intro and questions

MarkM · Post by **MarkM** » Wed Jul 15, 2009 8:35 pm

I would think presets would be a handy feature to have for someone who is blind. I'm not blind, and I find them essential for live performance. It boils down to whether or not you need presets. Is it important to you to build a patch, save it, and retrieve it at a later time? Otherwise, to get a sound you once created, you would have to jot down the controls settings on paper and read them again. I don't know how difficult or time consuming that would be for someone completely blind. How easy would it be to set all the pots on an Old School? I would think it would be a lot easier on a Phatty.

Fogflip · Post by **Fogflip** » Thu Jul 16, 2009 1:35 am

Welcome to the forums i recently picked up my virus TI from a blind person he bought a ti2 not sure how he navigated those screens. The little phatty seems like it would be blind friendly as stated or even some older poly analogs would be a great choice as well. for example a juno 106 or 60. Well anyways stopped in to say hi.

gazer · Post by **gazer** » Thu Jul 16, 2009 12:37 pm

One thing that i would like to say while we are all giving our heart felt suggestions to Bryan. Is the fact that he was deprived of sight, to learn to get by in a world that is not too thoughtful of people with disabilities, his hearing is more than likely highly developed and amazing. So while his sight may be a disability his hearing would put all of ours to shame. (yes even us with perfect pitch) If you can learn to cross a street safely just by using you ears, then learning and remembering what every knob does and what effect it has on sound on a synth will be a piece of cake for you. More than likely you will understand your synth you get in a different way than the rest of us giving you advice, I'm thinking possibly better or at least more complete because an instruments primary purpose is to make sound. Your ears have been doing the job of your eyes for a long time and I'm thinking you have such a highly developed sense of hearing that programming patches from scratch would be easier for you than the rest of us once you learn your synth. I think you could get to the point that you could dial up any sound in a matter of seconds possibly faster than someone with sight because your brain doesn't have to get input from your eyes to start something its just waiting for the sound to come in. I apologize if my assumptions are incorrect. Anyway good luck on your quest, it should be fun. Nice to meet you.
gazer

Tangsonghe · Post by **Tangsonghe** » Fri Jul 17, 2009 12:14 pm

Hi Bryan,

Out of the 5 synths I have the Phatty is easiest to use. If you are new to synthesisers then perhaps all the extra functions buried in the menu won't matter so much at first anyway. Even with visual feedback, many people are put off by LCD menus and go for what is within easy reach. That aside, the LP menu system for most functions is pretty straightforward and doesn't have many sub menus.

The one thing I'm sure everybody on the forum can agree with is that Moog are an exceptionally helpful company who give a high level of personalised support regarding their products. Perhaps they may be able to make some simple customisations to the hardware or software to help you get the best out of the Little Phatty. I suggest if you haven't already done so you make an enquiry to Amos.

Good luck and all the best! Tangsonghe

Bryan1980 · Post by **Bryan1980** » Sat Jul 25, 2009 11:48 am

Thanks for all the suggestions. I actually had a little chat on Youtube with thereminist Thomas Grillo, who incidentally happens to be legally, though not totally blind, and he told me that he did indeed have a blind friend who'd gotten a modified LP from Moog Music. THe changes weren't quite what I was expecting, something along the lines of either speach in the menus or audible cues whenever a setting was changed, maybe a preview of what the new effect would sound like. Actually what they apparently did was make some modifications to the menu interface, though I'm not entirely sure what that would have implied, making them easier to navigate without having to rely on the display. And he did say to talk to Amos since apparently he was the one who helped this girl. Just gives me more incentive to get a job, save up some money and pay my credit card down so I can buy an LP of my own. I am curious though about what the LP would look like. Judging from what the manual said however, it does sound like a unit small enough that I could keep it in my studio apartment.

Voltor07 · Post by **Voltor07** » Sat Jul 25, 2009 2:21 pm

Bryan, thanks for that info. Good to know there are ways to modify a Little Phatty so that it helps blind people. Very cool! As for the size, it takes up about six square feet total with a Peavey KB/A 60 amplifier. Roughly a 2x3 space.

Bryan1980 · Post by **Bryan1980** » Sat Jul 25, 2009 2:47 pm

Hmmm, would a TB-15 amp work? Or would that be too weak a signal? I ask because that's the amp I use for my theremin, which I really need to try practicing more often than I do. I've also got another amp that I use for my Ibanez electric guitar, this one a baringer (Sp?) that I could possibly try.

Voltor07 · Post by **Voltor07** » Sat Jul 25, 2009 11:23 pm

I recommend a keyboard amp. A theremin amp will be tuned for theremin, and guitar amps won't be able to handle the bass. Many keyboard amps are available, and you can normally pick up a used one fairly cheap. Of course, you can also use a PA system.

Bryan1980 · Post by **Bryan1980** » Sat Jul 25, 2009 11:28 pm

Any particular model? I want to do some research on this if I can. That way I can make sure to save up enough money for both at once.

Voltor07 · Post by **Voltor07** » Sun Jul 26, 2009 12:22 am

The Peavey KB series is very nice. If buying new, go with at least a KB 100. If going with an older model, go with the KB/A 60 or bigger. Also, the Alesis Sumo 300 is a good amp. Not the loudest despite the 300 watt power rating, but a good amp. Some people like the Roland KC series amps, but they are sadly lacking in the low end department, unless you buy the subwoofer as well. That's too many boxes for my liking, but it may suit your needs. With Behringer, you get what you pay for. Shoddy quality, may or may not have cold solder joints. There's entire threads dedicated to amplifiers in the General Topics forum if you search for them.

Bryan1980 · Post by **Bryan1980** » Tue Aug 11, 2009 11:58 am

Ok so I have another question about the LP. One of the things I'd like to be able to do in my music is to be able to create ambient sound effects. I know a lot of people do that. Jean-Michel Jarre does this, although he uses synthes like the EMS Synthi AKS or newer models. What I'm curious about is if the LP can do anything like that. Right now an idea that's taken rather firm hold of my mind has been to create an album of classical pieces but played on synthes, not a new idea certainly but still interesting. Of course I may have to go with other synthe manufacturers since unless I'm mistaken most of Moog's synthes are monophonic.

Sir Nose · Post by **Sir Nose** » Tue Aug 11, 2009 12:53 pm

With the menus being more and more supported with MIDI CC messages, menu diving should become less of a problem with future software upgrades.
A MIDI controller such as the novation zero sl (or any knob job MIDI controller) could help with menus as well as being able to assign every parameter to its own knob or slider. The player would not have to guess which parameter is active for an LP knob.

Voltor07 · Post by **Voltor07** » Tue Aug 11, 2009 2:58 pm

Bryan1980 wrote:Ok so I have another question about the LP. One of the things I'd like to be able to do in my music is to be able to create ambient sound effects. I know a lot of people do that. Jean-Michel Jarre does this, although he uses synthes like the EMS Synthi AKS or newer models. What I'm curious about is if the LP can do anything like that. Right now an idea that's taken rather firm hold of my mind has been to create an album of classical pieces but played on synthes, not a new idea certainly but still interesting. Of course I may have to go with other synthe manufacturers since unless I'm mistaken most of Moog's synthes are monophonic.

As of now, ALL of Moog's synths are monophonic. Of course, multiple LP's or Voyagers can be slaved to one unit using MIDI, but that gets really expensive really quick. The Little Phatty is amazing at sound effects, and even more so with 'Foogers.

Bryan1980 · Post by **Bryan1980** » Tue Aug 11, 2009 3:49 pm

That's cool. And as an added bonus after talking with a technician from Moog I think I finally understand how the modifications work. Apparently it's now a standard feature when you get an LP. There's apparently an option to turn menu wrapping off. Obviously for a blind person that's an almost invaluable feature since if you lose your place in a menu but know the menu layout you can go right to the top of the menu and then find the option you want. I've got a Roland Edirol R09 digital recorder that does the same thing. It also remembers which option you were on the last time you visited the menus and puts you back there the next time you enter them. I don't know if the LP does this but even if it didn't I'd probably still make sure I was at the top of a given menu before I went searching for the option I wanted. Ok so now my decision is made. I just wish they weren't so blasted expensive! And I know it's cheap compared to some other models but when you're blind and unemployed...well you get the picture. Guess in the meantime I gotta find some way to demo an LP. Maybe I'll see if one of the music stores here in Twin Falls won't order one for me to try out.

Sir Nose · Post by **Sir Nose** » Tue Aug 11, 2009 4:58 pm

If you search craigslist and such, a used stage I can go for $700 and regularly are up for $800. The lowest I have seen was $450, money was needed that day. That was last month, it sold almost instantly.