Let's see your EXPERIMENTAL TABLETOP GEAR

[D.o.S.]

crochambeau’s gear porn is the best gear porn... always.

cosigned.

[codetocontra]

Only a mad scientist uses medical equipment for music. I'm amazed, curious and perplexed.

[crochambeau]

Awwww, thanks!

Only a mad scientist uses medical equipment for music. I'm amazed, curious and perplexed.

The nerve stimulators are little more than glorified pulse generators (tubed and huge, yes, but just oscillators), so all I've got going is two pulse generators, a compressor buffered feedback loop through a ring mod, another through the SKL filter (set up as a bandpass) and an additional nested stereo feedback loop through a dual fuzz my uncle Dan made. PA is mono, so I'll be shifting the source & feedback around via pan pot.

I initially became interested in Grass Instruments due to their EEG machines, my (not yet realized, but it's only been 15 years) plan was to use the body as a CV source for synthesis. I believe this has been done before, but whatever.

Medical, military, and industry test equipment is often made to very high standards, highly recommended.

[actual]

And here I am wondering about the line mixer. How is it? Usable for recording?

[BLOOD EAGLE]

The nerve stimulators are little more than glorified pulse generators (tubed and huge, yes, but just oscillators), so all I've got going is two pulse generators.

yeah TENS therapy machines are the same, a lot of the newer digital ones just have programs.
but ones from 10+ years ago have rate and width controls!

[crochambeau]

And here I am wondering about the line mixer. How is it? Usable for recording?

The Roland SMX-880? I like it. It's a line mixer, so if you're hanging mics it'll be a noisy mofo and it has no EQ, and no sends. Discrete transistor all the way through as far as I know. 8 ins with volume & pan (and a -20/+4 level switch on each input), accepts a sub-stereo input to daisy chain mixers, and sends signal to the 1/4" (also with a -20/+4 switch) on back and the XLR on front simultaneously, plus a headphone amp.

The nerve stimulators are little more than glorified pulse generators (tubed and huge, yes, but just oscillators), so all I've got going is two pulse generators.

yeah TENS therapy machines are the same, a lot of the newer digital ones just have programs.
but ones from 10+ years ago have rate and width controls!

I think this essentially amounts to a TENS machine. I know I've seen them referenced in biology papers I came across searching the model number, but for all intents and purposes it does the same job when you're applying the output to your skin.. though these will produce 150 volts on the output, I think the TENS stuff I've seen is tamer. Damn FDA and all that..

[actual]

Yes, I was just wondering if you found it too noisy for recording, using line level gear. I have a thing for those black and orange faced Roland rack units.

[crochambeau]

No, it's quiet enough for my taste, but take that with a grain of salt..

[MrNovember]

Some recent images of my tabletop setup. I've done a little rearranging since taking these pictures due to workflow and incoming purchases; swapped the positions of the Drumbrute and all the modular stuff, Mescaline, and Field Kit. I needed more room to add a Field Kit FX and Quadrantid Swarm to the modular setup and I generally use the Drumbrute with the Sub 37 and JX-03 so it makes more sense that way.

[fcknoise]

that looks a very fun indeed

[ibarakishi]

Playing a set tonight, rolling out an experimental tower:

don't know how i missed this thread, but now i am subscribed. love the set up crochambeau. i have a ton of videos now to go through and listen to as i work this week.

[$harkToootth]

I love this thread so much...

[$harkToootth]

Curtis, what exactly is going on in that picture anyway?

[crochambeau]

The show had a mono PA, and I knew this going in, which allowed me to use the mixer pan to split each channel between two separate loops: SMX-880 1/4" stereo output feeding the 3630 which feeds a stereo fuzz factory (clone), one side feeding the Vermona RM-1 ring mod and returning to a channel, the other side feeding the SKL filter (patched through the rear putting both sections in series) for some tubed bandpass action returning to a channel. This left face mount XLR output to feed the sound system. I'm pretty sure I made the command decision to not use an RMA build in this line-up because I've been veering into total RMA oblivion and need to maintain proper reference points.

The large Grass Instruments S4 stimulators are just doing signal generation, typically riding beat notes, etc. and driving the feedback mess. They are powerful enough to insure they won't get lost in the mix (unless they take a channel out, but I'm pretty careful about not wrecking my gear and I keep 'em in or under the 15 volt ceiling range). They are not clean or clinical, and don't need much help to sound good.

[$harkToootth]

I 'think' I actually understood most of that. Thank you!

I'm pretty sure I made the command decision to not use an RMA build in this line-up because I've been veering into total RMA oblivion and need to maintain proper reference points.

Embrace the madness.