Voyager making life difficult

Subtronik · Post by **Subtronik** » Sat Aug 01, 2009 1:43 am

I figured tape.

I know tape saturation sounds sweet but don't you find it a clumsy process to get to your final digital versions, or do you not use a computer at all for audio?

Do you make cd's? I don't know of anyone using cassette tapes anymore

Voltor07 · Post by **Voltor07** » Sat Aug 01, 2009 3:24 am

Subtronik wrote:I figured tape.

I know tape saturation sounds sweet but don't you find it a clumsy process to get to your final digital versions, or do you not use a computer at all for audio?

Do you make cd's? I don't know of anyone using cassette tapes anymore

Once I edit all the clipping out of my audio, I'll make a CD. Who said anything about cassettes? I use a Revere three track reel-to-reel, 1/4 inch open reel tape running through my Aiwa bookshelf system at 7 1/2 inches per second. Works flawlessly, and with incredible analog quality.

Subtronik · Post by **Subtronik** » Sat Aug 01, 2009 3:57 am

Voltor07 wrote:Who said anything about cassettes?

Noone, but 'Just Me' is suggesting he doesn't use a computer for music. If you don't digitally burn a cd with some type of computer it's either cassette or vinyl.

Voltor07 · Post by **Voltor07** » Sat Aug 01, 2009 5:38 am

Subtronik wrote:
Voltor07 wrote:Who said anything about cassettes?
Noone, but 'Just Me' is suggesting he doesn't use a computer for music. If you don't digitally burn a cd with some type of computer it's either cassette or vinyl.

Or eight track, or reel-to-reel, or even VHS tape.

And I happen to be familiar with the open reel tape decks Just Me is working with.

Subtronik · Post by **Subtronik** » Sat Aug 01, 2009 5:40 am

Voltor07 wrote:Or eight track, or even VHS tape.

Yeah right

Voltor07 · Post by **Voltor07** » Sat Aug 01, 2009 5:43 am

Say what you want Subtronik, but reel to reel is still used by many people. 3M still makes 1/4 inch, half inch, and one, even two inch tape. I use 1/4 inch reel to reel tape with my Revere tape recorder, and have used VHS tape, as well.

Subtronik · Post by **Subtronik** » Sat Aug 01, 2009 5:49 am

I'm not dissing reel to reel, you said you would record to eight track or VHS? For who?

I've used VHS tape for saturation but not for distribution to others.

My thought was only about how does 'Just Me' distribute to others if he doesn't use a computer in his music. He could send it off to an engineer, but that can be expensive.

Voltor07 · Post by **Voltor07** » Sat Aug 01, 2009 5:55 am

Subtronik wrote:I'm not dissing reel to reel, you said you would record to eight track or VHS? For who?

I've used VHS tape for saturation but not for distribution to others.

My thought was only about how does 'Just Me' distribute to others if he doesn't use a computer in his music. He could send it off to an engineer, but that can be expensive.

Ah...well, either he doesn't distribute, or he gets his tapes converted. The former would make more sense to me, because as you state, it gets rather expensive to convert tape to CD unless you have Nero, or something. Just Me, how do you do it?

Subtronik · Post by **Subtronik** » Sat Aug 01, 2009 5:58 am

And by the way, I love reel to reel, I've not heard a richer sound than that.

Lux_Seeker · Post by **Lux_Seeker** » Sat Aug 01, 2009 7:38 am

I will have to reply to the last post to mine in parts. Very little time right now:

Regarding MAX, a Monome and Ardunio and automated signal flow. If you are going to automate analogue signal flow you have to have that, an analogue system whose switches are going controlled by a computer. If you are talking digital than yes, certainly Max can do this. I don't know much about the other two you mention, I will have to look them up. The bottom line is you to have the electronics first before any software programing can be done.

Just Me · Post by **Just Me** » Sat Aug 01, 2009 8:59 am

My answer to all this is I don't convert to CD. Everything lives on 10.5" reels at 15 or 30ips. For portability I will mixdown to cassette. I've got a mastering casette deck so I can get as good a quality as the format allows. As far as Voltors comment on VHS, that is the highest quality recording media out there. Recording to the VHS HiFi scanned stereo tracks gives better dynamic range than a CD and unmeasureable wow and flutter. It is analog and equivalent to several hundred IPS tape speed. I used to record my DDM Vinyl to VHS for use and when the tape would wear, I'd re record it. Really extends the life of the records.
What can I say, I'm a Ludite. I have no way to convert my stuff to digital and don't even have a clue how to get it posted on youtube or the internet. I've never understood spending days or weeks in the studio to get the sound just right and then converting to MP3 and having 80% of the sound ripped out by the conversion to save file size. I love my XM radio (MP3 format satellite) in my truck or on my motorcycle. I listen to analog recordings at home.
I also have not been under the illusion that anyone else in the world wants to hear what I make and call music since the mid 80's when I quit my last band. They went on to put out a few CD's on Lost Arts and got some college station play and even once on MTV (when MTV still played music) So portability hasn't been a high concern to me.

Subtronik · Post by **Subtronik** » Sat Aug 01, 2009 1:06 pm

Even thought I think your missing out JM, I still like your purist attitude.

I'll continue the tape and recording topic here.

Lux_Seeker · Post by **Lux_Seeker** » Sat Aug 01, 2009 2:58 pm

Jon:

I appreciate the fact that you offer a counter argument. You are right, on this boards if you ask if you should buy a product everyone agrees. Of course, you would expect that people who own a Moog product like Moog or that matter any other product board. But a counter arguement is the best I could have hoped for so thanks for that.

As I said, I have not ruled out a modular, its just not top of the list and I am hoping that working with the Voyager will give me some more experience with analogue and give me concrete ideas about what modules to get. I probably will get the expansion board/s although not right away.

The FS1R looks incredible although difficult to program. I like FM. It was really the precursor to addive synthesis and kind of a happy suprize of Chowning who really happened apon it more than anything else but realized the potential as realized in the DX-7 and its children that now even extend into the software world (and a good one at that).

Not a fan of additive synthesis. That would take pages and pages to explain. I have a long history with additive synthesis and VirSyn but I don't want to open up old battles. Believe me, there is a long story behind that.

The reason I even think of additive sythesis is that the VirSyn Cube additive synthesizer uses formant morphing which the FS1R had. It works great and in fact, filter moprhing in general is a great idea.

Just had an awsome thought. A double MURF with envelope and CV control for morph amount. This is actually the kind of thing that I would benefit from on a modular and I know that. Take this:

http://www.cwejman.net/res-4.htm

Then use MOTU's Volta to have 4 independent envelopes for each of the frequency inputs (and even the resonance) and then, spitting the audio into the input and the other split to a frquency follower whose frequency CV out goes to the main freq CV in on the multi band resonantor.

See, I can think in modular terms and as I said, I will at some point get one but I want to think more about what I can use it for. In the meantime, I can use a Voyager right out of the box just as you did.

Lux_Seeker · Post by **Lux_Seeker** » Sat Aug 01, 2009 3:00 pm

Jon:

As for wood cabinets, I also wonder if I would somehow built one to semi encase my M3. Wood would look really good on it.

EricK · Post by **EricK** » Sat Aug 01, 2009 4:06 pm

Let me add my 2 pisos to this discussion.

First of all, it depends on if you are in the category of "what is better, analog or digital" then you ask does vinyl sound better than CD.
I began my recording endeavors with a tascam porta 02. This was a standard cassette recorder. I would make a master with a VHS because the wider the tape the better the quality.

I believe that most pro studios use 2 track reel units for their masters.

But yeah distributing music without a computer would be tough...unless you used sheet music, which woudl totally be the solution.

EricK