Hi, Satan! I'm afraid I'm not such a gear nut these days (at least when it comes to new schtuff), but since last year I lost another 50lbs, started eating fruit again, and dropped another shirt size (it's not big....it's Large)! I sold all my old clothes (but kept my shoes) and probably a copy of
Hardware on blu-ray (or was it
The Man Who Fell To Earth?), and maybe a lamp and bought a Nord Lead 2 rack, which is probably the best gear purchase I've made in a zillion years, even though I caught it during what has become the Eternal Reverb Gear Landslide Uptick of 2020-2021, in which all the prices are worse every new minute (can't say this will ever change, at least until that investment firm who bought a majority stake of Sweetwater start sending me Peekarama dvds again, like Chuck Surak used to in the VW van/Kurzweil days). Anywho, since the search function is always jacked when you absolutely need it to not be, I've been spending most of my internet time at ye olde Nord forums, trying to pry in the nooks and crannies for all the xsecretxknowledgex I can get for a 24 year old machine that sometimes gives me pause before I smash the power button (it's wired for UK, supplanted with a Radio Shack converter box that is probably 30 years old, married but swingle). Anways, to combat that age gap, I acquired a Microfreak (genuinely
a goofy machine) and a Streichfett, all three partying hard in between a Boss BX mixer that I should probably upgrade to a Mackie VLZ something or other, or something else with channel mutes (it's a tuff life boogie), since that's what
Sarah Belle Reid likes to jumble on with. Big controller is the M-Audio Keystation, which is more than efficient, but I sometimes do miss the squeakwincing of the Arturia Keystep, which I still use to fiddle with occasionally on the Volca FM or the 0-Coast, or elsewhere when I'm not bound to the Keystation.
I still rock the dual funtime quizshow kaboodle board (2 SSBS Minis, 2 DOD phasors, Dr. Sci Dusk (just one!), Zvex Ringtone, DOD BiFet, Fuzzhugger Algal Bloom, SSBS Pretty Years and Boss DD-5) for guitar and bass, into a Peavey amp, and out into the mixer (and a compressor, somewhere, right?). While I loved my Yamaha FB-01 setup in the past (usually two, as well, because, y'know, synergy), Nord and co. have taken the reigns and I have never bean happier, honestly. I still love the clunk of the FB-01 forever, but I also like not leaning so hard into those sounds all the time, but really I love being able to turn dedicated knobs, most of all, maybe above all else. I still have my trusty SP-202 on the side for extra fun, but I might phase it out before it completely stops working (can't believe I've had it this long, honestly).
Biggest GAS I've had recently has been for the older/biggle'd Elektron machines (extreme pipe dreams), but the workflow honestly almost brings me to tears. But basically turning a Digitakt into
a monster controller seems divine, especially with that other (angel or devil) on my shoulder....the Nord Drum series (1 or 3, because we all know 2 is officially Out Of Everyone's Pricerange). Or a big dedicated sequencer! However, something practical like the Zoom H recorder series is probably going to happen, even though I do like recording things into my old IPhone 6S, since I should probably start sharing things sooner than later before society meets it's inevitable collapse. Also I waste too much time with multitrack tape recorders, but I also hate computers?!? Can't wait to livestream a mono tape recording someday, at this point!
I love all crazy fuzzes and modulations (percs, ring mizzods, deeelays, zingers, 4ms clingers), all gear has its uses, and I am not going near modular (sans the 0-Coast!) anytime soon (unless it's a Nord Micro, but then I'd have to run Windows 9 and that means a laptop, and I hate sitting at the computer anyway). I love to watch movies, sometimes I buy them (especially if they're in the dollar bin), same goes for weird DVDs and CDs (I have too many, but I'd always love more), sometimes I even go to the movies (I saw
Titane, and it was.....just OK?). Last truly great movie I saw was
Arkansas, directed by the one and only Clark Duke. Last record I bought on Bandcamp was
Raise Your Voice Joyce, the last famous person that I wish hadn't died so soon was
Michael K. Williams (RIP), last great thing I read was Emma Goldman's
Anarchism: What It Really Stands For, and the last pedal I bought was a Digitech Screamin' Blues for $25 (that dry out always does wonders).
I'd love to hear your music, art, regional seasonal highlights, postcards from far out places, magic tricks, etc. - whaddya got?
I love dark chocolate and sardines, sometimes I still eat bread (also: Man I Love Bread), and don't drink any caffeine because I also officially have teh glaucoma (but don't smoke: a conundrum in a legalized land). I do not love paying ransom amounts for eye drugs, Electro Harmonix current generation builds (big aluminum boxes are OK, though), flipper syndrome, the glass ceiling, whatever Kevin Hart seems to be doing to try and borrow my time, fringe leather jackets, mustache wax or girdles. I hope that helps!