The Plague Bearer arrived at last. Half a day of panic as it took out one of the LC9 cases when I plugged it in, it came back to life when I unplugged the PB. Several emails to FoH HQ got us nowhere: Kevin's final suggestion was test the cable. This morning I tried a spare cable and it worked. An excellent device.
I had my first attempt at the Daniel Goode piece, using the Archers theme tune (BBC Radio 4) as a subject. It is very difficult to do: I abandoned the tune half way through. I might post the piece later. I will be trying again with the Beethoven.
I managed to find a second-hand Frequency Shifter in Canada and that is on the way, so that's damned exciting, but dents the Wogglebug Fund. Should be here in a week.
Where next? There are two or three areas for expansion, the notes (control voltages), and the noise (sound generation and sound processing).
- for notes the next big purchase is the Wogglebug and some control voltage processors
- sound generation is VCOs. Currently four in stock, two Doepfer 110s, one ASys and one ASols. I have recently mentioned the MFB triple, but these have been criticised in Doepfer Chat as weak. There is a Doepfer A143-4 Quad LFO/VCO in the pipeline (pictured right, one of several possible designs) and I may hold on for one of those (due late 2009) with, perhaps, one of the new narrow ASols units in the meantime.
- on sound processing, the PB has just arrived and the A126 Frequency Shifter is on the way, both key components. The A143.9 Quadrature LFO/VCO complements the A162 and will be needed at some point, but not urgently. The A138d FX insert would be fun and I was considering one of these to use with a Frostwave Sonic Alienator but the latter is out of production and $300, or maybe a WMD Geiger Counter. Perhaps the A189.1 bitcrusher is worth considering.
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Time to contemplate the July purchases. I had been inclined towards the 162 Dual Trigger Delay, but I might have a line on a used one. So, apart from Doepfer blanking plates for the Asys modules, I need a multiple and some more cables. Unfortunately, that means three buys and no sound, so there must be at least one noisy component. The shortlist is: the 189.1 bitcrusher; 183.2 utility (probably not available yet); 143.9 Quadrature to go with the FreqShift; or some control processors. My current inclination is to go for the last to allow some more complex triggering, the 160 plus, perhaps the 161. This will allow lots of extra fun, especially if the 162 delay materialises. Then the 166 logic unit and one of the switches.
In the medium term (around the same time as the Quad LFO/VCO) I must also consider another dual VCA and more filters.
On multiples, it's worth noting that ASys have a 2x5 (RS170) for around the same price as Doepfer and also the RS230 'amplified multiple' for £55. When you add a converter cable and the postage the cost of the 230 is pushing £70, but if I make another ASys order, I probably will. A modest page on multiples is probably worth a go, there is the formidable MakeNoise format jumbler to consider.
Soon time to consider how long it will take to fill the two LC9s: it was only 10th June I stated that 'they will suffice for some time to come'.