Hi Clif, just found your list as I never thought to google Sonikmatter until last night (nostalgia moment and then voila).
I have two Granddaughters now! Two years / first and three months / second!
Regarding the K2700, no sampler and no graphical sample editor. Not interested presently and will stay on K2600 which of course has a sampler, a functioning loop editor and associated DSP.
Tuned my own piano twice now (Tunelab on phone) using a nice but affordable nylon handle tuning hammer from Howard Piano Industries
Very sorry to read of your surgery and hope all is well with you.
I'll say this about the 2700 — these days getting samples edited is far easier on a computer, a tablet, or even a phone. There is a piece of software on the iOS side called AudioKit — audio programming language — if I ever got back to the programming side of things, I'd love to design a purpose built sample editor / librarian / whatever for a synth just so I could have all the screen real estate needed.
As for surgery, I'm loving it! I've been able to sleep in peace for the first time in a decade. There were times I was MISERABLE over the last decade or two and doctors just kept giving bandages as opposed to fixing the problem. And when I was miserable, I wanted others to know I was miserable. Not a way to live. Over the last several years, I made some amends in my life and stopped making the excuses that being in pain should allow me to be an asshole all the time. Ran for office two years ago (and lost!). I work with the homeless. Do harm reduction training. Try to better the community. Kinda felt like if I was miserable, I didn't want anyone else to ever feel the same way. And along the way, I decided to start getting the problems resolved and do so with urgency — fired several doctors that weren't willing to try something new instead of wanting to start the same treatment over that never worked.
If I was ever a miserable SOB to you, I apologize. There was never a need for it.
I pulled up the Tunelab. I tried tuning my own a few years ago and broke two hammers! I now have the tech to fix it all and shout try!
As for Sonik...I'm aiming to send out a post at least a month. If folks submit interesting things, I'm going to post more. But right now, it's word of mouth and a way to keep in contact with friends that decided to say I WONDER WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO SONIK. Well...this. Sometimes Kurz related. Sometimes something else. Usually music, but whatever is interesting.
If you have ideas, send them my way!
I had one written last week...and then decided to trash it. It got just a little too political. I have my opinions, and I obviously think I'm right...but I'm not going to change anyone's mind and I don't want to be divisive with a group of musicians. I may rewrite some of the content or just post one-offs from what I had in there, but I spent about 10 hours writing it and...trash.
If folks want to be jerks to one another, they can go to Facebook...doesn't mean I'm not still snarky about things!
I'm glad you are here! One of these days this might be a community once again! I really want to get a community away from the noise of everything else. Get back to a bunch of idiots connected by their love of music.
I'm really glad surgery fixed things for you! It's nice hearing it actually helped someone. A friend I did music with in the 80's was ruined by multiple back surgeries. He is sadly gone now.
I heard you ran for office. I'm really sorry you lost, but I respect you for getting our there and trying! This is a f**ked up era politically, needless to say.
I admire your community work greatly. It takes a special person to do that.
I really like the sampler on the 2600. I like the converters. Yes, it's slow to save and process large samples but I'm accustomed to it and I like old things.
No one, especially myself included ever mastered Triple Modular Processing on the 2600 anyway. It's still unchartered territory.
Now, if they ever created a new interface with a large touchscreen and knobs, actual tactile controls for everything instead of menus I'd be all over it. Until then, I'll wait. But I don't need another synth these days.
You were never an SOB to me, Clif. The forum used to irritate me greatly though. (The infamous "dither thread" comes to mind that got me banned for a week - not by you - not that it would have mattered anyway).
I like animals better than people.
I took three plus years off of playing after trashing my shoulder. It's better now, but I'm 67 and I'm not seeing a world to conquer these days. But who knows.
I'd rather spend time watching TV with my wife and dog then be locked away down here on the next project anyway.
It took me 6 plus hours to tune the piano, plus breaks. I learned that 12 o clock hammer position is best for setting the pin so it holds. It's tiring to do. My tuner who no longer wanted to drive here could do it in under an hour. The tuner I tried after him was terrible in comparison. His tuning didn't hold. I have the piano to within 10 cents two months plus since my second self tuning. Maybe next time it'll go faster.
I have no ideas to offer, my friend. Glad you are doing this again though.
Re : Arp 2600 Korg remake. I would love to buy one of the full sized ones if I had 4 grand to be declaratory with. That synth was part of my backline in the aforementioned "Meadow live". I've always loved that synth. It sounds nothing like Moog. It's unique. The portamento is exponential. I always wished it had a linear option (like my EMU modular though).
I wrote the Electronic Music curriculum when I was in my last year of undergrad at Western Kentucky University and stayed on one semester post Graduation as adjunct faculty to teach the class. They bought a 2600, the companion Arp Sequencer and a Revox tape machine. Those were the days.
I visited a friend attending Carnegie Mellon in 73 who surprised me with tickets that night for Weather Report (Miroslav Vitous on bass then). Somehow we ended up slipping into their dressing room just before security closed the door. (Joe Zawinul immediately pulled out a small pipe and started smoking up by himself). Later, I followed him while he was on stage packing his own stuff up and said to him, "Joe, maybe you should get a second 2600 so you wouldn't have to repatch so much?" He turned around and said "Yeah, I should do that".
Coincidence that Joe had two 2600's on future tours?
Hi Clif, just found your list as I never thought to google Sonikmatter until last night (nostalgia moment and then voila).
I have two Granddaughters now! Two years / first and three months / second!
Regarding the K2700, no sampler and no graphical sample editor. Not interested presently and will stay on K2600 which of course has a sampler, a functioning loop editor and associated DSP.
Tuned my own piano twice now (Tunelab on phone) using a nice but affordable nylon handle tuning hammer from Howard Piano Industries
Very sorry to read of your surgery and hope all is well with you.
Chuck
Wow! Granddaughters! How did we get that old!
I'll say this about the 2700 — these days getting samples edited is far easier on a computer, a tablet, or even a phone. There is a piece of software on the iOS side called AudioKit — audio programming language — if I ever got back to the programming side of things, I'd love to design a purpose built sample editor / librarian / whatever for a synth just so I could have all the screen real estate needed.
As for surgery, I'm loving it! I've been able to sleep in peace for the first time in a decade. There were times I was MISERABLE over the last decade or two and doctors just kept giving bandages as opposed to fixing the problem. And when I was miserable, I wanted others to know I was miserable. Not a way to live. Over the last several years, I made some amends in my life and stopped making the excuses that being in pain should allow me to be an asshole all the time. Ran for office two years ago (and lost!). I work with the homeless. Do harm reduction training. Try to better the community. Kinda felt like if I was miserable, I didn't want anyone else to ever feel the same way. And along the way, I decided to start getting the problems resolved and do so with urgency — fired several doctors that weren't willing to try something new instead of wanting to start the same treatment over that never worked.
If I was ever a miserable SOB to you, I apologize. There was never a need for it.
I pulled up the Tunelab. I tried tuning my own a few years ago and broke two hammers! I now have the tech to fix it all and shout try!
As for Sonik...I'm aiming to send out a post at least a month. If folks submit interesting things, I'm going to post more. But right now, it's word of mouth and a way to keep in contact with friends that decided to say I WONDER WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO SONIK. Well...this. Sometimes Kurz related. Sometimes something else. Usually music, but whatever is interesting.
If you have ideas, send them my way!
I had one written last week...and then decided to trash it. It got just a little too political. I have my opinions, and I obviously think I'm right...but I'm not going to change anyone's mind and I don't want to be divisive with a group of musicians. I may rewrite some of the content or just post one-offs from what I had in there, but I spent about 10 hours writing it and...trash.
If folks want to be jerks to one another, they can go to Facebook...doesn't mean I'm not still snarky about things!
I'm glad you are here! One of these days this might be a community once again! I really want to get a community away from the noise of everything else. Get back to a bunch of idiots connected by their love of music.
I'm really glad surgery fixed things for you! It's nice hearing it actually helped someone. A friend I did music with in the 80's was ruined by multiple back surgeries. He is sadly gone now.
I heard you ran for office. I'm really sorry you lost, but I respect you for getting our there and trying! This is a f**ked up era politically, needless to say.
I admire your community work greatly. It takes a special person to do that.
I really like the sampler on the 2600. I like the converters. Yes, it's slow to save and process large samples but I'm accustomed to it and I like old things.
No one, especially myself included ever mastered Triple Modular Processing on the 2600 anyway. It's still unchartered territory.
Now, if they ever created a new interface with a large touchscreen and knobs, actual tactile controls for everything instead of menus I'd be all over it. Until then, I'll wait. But I don't need another synth these days.
You were never an SOB to me, Clif. The forum used to irritate me greatly though. (The infamous "dither thread" comes to mind that got me banned for a week - not by you - not that it would have mattered anyway).
I like animals better than people.
I took three plus years off of playing after trashing my shoulder. It's better now, but I'm 67 and I'm not seeing a world to conquer these days. But who knows.
I'd rather spend time watching TV with my wife and dog then be locked away down here on the next project anyway.
It took me 6 plus hours to tune the piano, plus breaks. I learned that 12 o clock hammer position is best for setting the pin so it holds. It's tiring to do. My tuner who no longer wanted to drive here could do it in under an hour. The tuner I tried after him was terrible in comparison. His tuning didn't hold. I have the piano to within 10 cents two months plus since my second self tuning. Maybe next time it'll go faster.
I have no ideas to offer, my friend. Glad you are doing this again though.
.
Hi Clif, happy to see you and Sonimatter back!
Hey Clif, Good to see the Sonik banner once again :) looking forward to more.
All the best (from an artist who used to call himself Q on the old Sonik but that name isnt so cool now, lol)
Sean
Re : Arp 2600 Korg remake. I would love to buy one of the full sized ones if I had 4 grand to be declaratory with. That synth was part of my backline in the aforementioned "Meadow live". I've always loved that synth. It sounds nothing like Moog. It's unique. The portamento is exponential. I always wished it had a linear option (like my EMU modular though).
I wrote the Electronic Music curriculum when I was in my last year of undergrad at Western Kentucky University and stayed on one semester post Graduation as adjunct faculty to teach the class. They bought a 2600, the companion Arp Sequencer and a Revox tape machine. Those were the days.
I visited a friend attending Carnegie Mellon in 73 who surprised me with tickets that night for Weather Report (Miroslav Vitous on bass then). Somehow we ended up slipping into their dressing room just before security closed the door. (Joe Zawinul immediately pulled out a small pipe and started smoking up by himself). Later, I followed him while he was on stage packing his own stuff up and said to him, "Joe, maybe you should get a second 2600 so you wouldn't have to repatch so much?" He turned around and said "Yeah, I should do that".
Coincidence that Joe had two 2600's on future tours?