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Modular Synths Made of Blocks (littleBits, Patchblocks)

Posted: Sat Nov 09, 2013 11:46 pm
by alphacat

Re: Modular Synth Made of Magnetic Blocks (littleBits)

Posted: Sun Nov 10, 2013 12:10 am
by mks
Very cool!

Re: Modular Synth Made of Magnetic Blocks (littleBits)

Posted: Sun Nov 10, 2013 9:47 pm
by mks
Korg is behind this, and Korg is just killing it right now. They are coming out with so many cool products.

Like nowaysj said in another post, to paraphrase, there are so many available options right now for analog instruments, it's unreal.

Re: Modular Synth Made of Magnetic Blocks (littleBits)

Posted: Mon Nov 11, 2013 7:00 am
by forbidden
this looks badass

Re: Modular Synth Made of Magnetic Blocks (littleBits)

Posted: Mon Nov 11, 2013 8:27 am
by Electric_Head
Amazing.
Even using the box as a rack.
Genius.

Give me one now!!!!

Re: Modular Synth Made of Magnetic Blocks (littleBits)

Posted: Mon Nov 11, 2013 9:58 am
by Electric_Head

Re: Modular Synth Made of Magnetic Blocks (littleBits)

Posted: Mon Nov 11, 2013 10:29 am
by nowaysj
mks wrote:Korg is behind this, and Korg is just killing it right now. They are coming out with so many cool products.

Like nowaysj said in another post, to paraphrase, there are so many available options right now for analog instruments, it's unreal.
I was just going to reiterate this, haha, and you beat me to it.

Wtf is up with Korg? I'm seriously developing a hardon for this company. $150 for each part of the volca line. And maybe get it for a little cheaper? I mean, are you fucking kidding me? For analog gear?

And now this? $160 for a modular synth?

Korg are major try hards.

I'm trying hard not to give them my money.

Re: Modular Synth Made of Magnetic Blocks (littleBits)

Posted: Mon Nov 11, 2013 10:36 am
by Electric_Head
I wonder what this is really like.
Not just hype and pretty colors but actual reviews will decide whether I'd bite.
At the moment I'm finding it tough to not buy one.

Re: Modular Synth Made of Magnetic Blocks (littleBits)

Posted: Mon Nov 11, 2013 10:40 am
by nowaysj
Electric_Head wrote:At the moment I'm finding it tough to not buy four.

Re: Modular Synth Made of Magnetic Blocks (littleBits)

Posted: Mon Nov 11, 2013 10:43 am
by Electric_Head
yesir

Re: Modular Synth Made of Magnetic Blocks (littleBits)

Posted: Tue Nov 12, 2013 5:45 am
by Electric_Head
I can't believe there isn't more love for this.

Re: Modular Synth Made of Magnetic Blocks (littleBits)

Posted: Tue Nov 12, 2013 6:09 am
by nowaysj
From whom?

Can't you hear the echo in here?

Re: Modular Synth Made of Magnetic Blocks (littleBits)

Posted: Tue Nov 12, 2013 7:17 pm
by alphacat
echo
echo
echo...

PM me if you want to buy these for me for Christmas and I'll give you my mailing address. :6:

And re: Korg - they're just taking advantage of the vacuum left by the absence of traditional innovators like Roland. Monetarily it makes sense: there are more musicians alive now than ever before in history, such that even "niche" markets are pretty sizeable (tens to hundreds of thousands of people.)

Re: Modular Synth Made of Magnetic Blocks (littleBits)

Posted: Tue Nov 12, 2013 7:40 pm
by nowaysj
Plus trickle down slave tech.

Re: Modular Synth Made of Magnetic Blocks (littleBits)

Posted: Tue Nov 12, 2013 7:52 pm
by mks
alphacat wrote:And re: Korg - they're just taking advantage of the vacuum left by the absence of traditional innovators like Roland.
It's a smart move. Roland used to be so good and they are still the predominant synths in my studio, but I haven't seen anything good from them in years. I think they would have done well to re-release updated versions of their TR-808 (with MIDI and CV), TR-909 and TB-303. People are still wanting those sounds.
They totally dropped the ball on that one.

Re: Modular Synth Made of Magnetic Blocks (littleBits)

Posted: Tue Nov 12, 2013 7:57 pm
by nowaysj
Well, they did reissue the letters and numbers. :lol:

Re: Modular Synth Made of Magnetic Blocks (littleBits)

Posted: Tue Nov 12, 2013 8:15 pm
by mks
I just had a look at Roland's current product list, and I have to say that I'm not that impressed.

http://www.rolandus.com/

More and more Korg instruments are finding their way into my lab, and to be fair, they have been for years. But the newer things that they have been offering are exciting also some of the things are straight up functional. Their NanoKontrol gets used a lot, that stays in my laptop bag. I have a KaossPad KP2 which is loads of fun and has been very useful in some situations. The original ER-1 drum machine resides in my studio because think it's a great little Electro machine. I grabbed a used Monotron for $20 so I could explore that original MS-20 filter.

Those Volcas look pretty great and this little modular LittleBits/Korg synth looks like a cheap and fun way to get into modular synthesis. If I were to have enough money to purchase a MiniBrute or something, I think I would rather save the extra $100 and get the re-released MS-20 tbh.

Re: Modular Synth Made of Magnetic Blocks (littleBits)

Posted: Tue Nov 12, 2013 10:59 pm
by fragments
nowaysj wrote:
mks wrote:Korg is behind this, and Korg is just killing it right now. They are coming out with so many cool products.

Like nowaysj said in another post, to paraphrase, there are so many available options right now for analog instruments, it's unreal.
I was just going to reiterate this, haha, and you beat me to it.

Wtf is up with Korg? I'm seriously developing a hardon for this company. $150 for each part of the volca line. And maybe get it for a little cheaper? I mean, are you fucking kidding me? For analog gear?

And now this? $160 for a modular synth?

Korg are major try hards.

I'm trying hard not to give them my money.

It's just another analog renaissance quick buck product IMO. Korg already got in on that with the montron series. I've got a monotron delay...it only fits the bill when I need a super dirty/noisy reverb. Otherwise it's pretty much a toy.

I'm sure there are a group of artists/fans that will be into all this "mini" anlaog stuff, but at the end of the day you are going to spend a lot more 160 dollars to turn this into anything but a "dicking around making noise by twisting knobs" kind thing.

For me, I'm not really seeing this as a serious studio tool...the same reason I shut down my bleep labs lust. Cool little gadgets but really what am I gonna get out of it?

Re: Modular Synths Made of Blocks (littleBits, Patchblocks)

Posted: Mon Nov 18, 2013 8:38 pm
by alphacat
Boxcutter playing with Patchblocks:



I like.

More:



and

http://createdigitalmusic.com/2013/11/p ... s-gallery/

Re: Modular Synths Made of Blocks (littleBits, Patchblocks)

Posted: Mon Nov 18, 2013 10:47 pm
by nowaysj
wtf, youtube down in a huge way?