BRIX
Offline
Los Angeles, CA

Hey folks,

I'm surveying the gear I have, and I'm thinking of using a second GBA just for handling the main beat / groove when playing gigs. I don't have MIDI anything (well, the microkorg can talk MIDI, but nothing else does). Given how much the microkorg can do, I'd really like to keep it free for running lead and random weirdness, with the first GBA used for chip rhythm. My question for you is, what's your favorite piece of hardware for keeping that steady bassline / percussion going? I've seen a couple of different button-y things for controlling drum hits in this forum (what's the proper name for those?) and I'm interested in suggestions for something good to add to the collection. The two gameboy solution would probably work great for me if I can get my hands on another flash cart for a reasonable price.

When you guys mention that LSDJ (or Nanoloop) can sync some other piece of hardware with a click track, does that mean it basically restarts the loop on the thing being synced?

Additionally, is making the jump to MIDI the only sensible path for me, given that I'm trying to use seven different pieces of equipment? I'm pretty fast with my hands but it's getting a bit ridiculous. The possibility of having machine-perfect timing is a big draw too, but I'm not sure what I need to have (i.e.) the microkorg sync tempo with the gameboys.

It's worth mentioning that I don't do pure chip tune - I'm doing a sort of mash up of metal, CDJ cutting, chip, and traditional dance music.

Links, opinions, and info greatly appreciated!

Jellica
Offline
England

i sync my gameboy to my monotribe using the pulse sync on the noise channel and an old Yamaha PSS-470 and bung it through some crappy zoom multi fx and a looping delay pedal. Great for jamming and improvising space grooves and lofi acid and several options for percussion and bass and whatever. I like to keep it nice and loose, and the PSS and the Game boy seem to have pretty solid timing, so fuck midi. I've got a CS1x as well but the timing on that is rubbish, it cant keep a solid tempo for more than a couple of bars without midi.

I really love my monotribe sync'd to the Game Boy.

Last edited by Jellica (Nov 8, 2012 9:19 am)

Victory Road
Offline
Gosford, Australia

oh yeah, that's actually rad with the monotribe. do you just pan the noise chan left and keep everything else mono?

Jellica
Offline
England

yeah. you lose the stereo but you can always use a link cable to use a 2nd Game Boy.

chipocrite
Offline
Philadelphia, PA

I've been synching a Monotribe with a 2nd Game Boy (connected to the main Game Boy via link cable) for a little while now. I've found it to be a great way to add more of a live element at shows. I like to improvise over my tracks by adding harmony patterns on the fly and filtering them, etc. Sometimes I'll throw in some Monotribe rhythm patterns, though it doesn't take too long for me to get kinda sick of the stock drum sounds. It totally depends on the song, but some of my tunes really lend themselves to this kind of improv. But yeah, it's super easy to do. Here's a video from a recent show in which you can hear it:

http://youtu.be/tqrrtaLw1qc

Another thing that's pretty neat: If you have an Arduino Boy or some other MIDI/Game Boy situation, you can effectively use a Game Boy as a MIDI sync between the Monotribe and whatever other device, without doing any kind of midi mod to your Monotribe.

Zomvor
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.

Last edited by Zomvor (Apr 2, 2016 2:16 pm)

herr_prof
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Unsubscribe

shruthi-1

Last edited by herr_prof (Nov 8, 2012 3:26 pm)

KeFF
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Turku, FIN
herr_prof wrote:

shruthi-1

BLEO
Offline
Geneva, NY
chipocrite wrote:

Another thing that's pretty neat: If you have an Arduino Boy or some other MIDI/Game Boy situation, you can effectively use a Game Boy as a MIDI sync between the Monotribe and whatever other device, without doing any kind of midi mod to your Monotribe.

But if you have access to a drill press, midi mod for the monotribe is easy, especially if you buy a kit.

I also vote for nebulophone for live playings.

BRIX
Offline
Los Angeles, CA

Thanks for the responses everyone. I've got some good info to run with here. The monotribe is definitely popular with these forums! haha. I hadn't heard of the shruthi-1 before, but it looks pretty bad ass. I'll have to find some demo videos of it.

I'm not too interested in incorporating looping controls. I think it forces the song structure to be sequentially layered (something I hated about techno from the 90s).

Chipocrite - Thanks for the vid link. I like how dynamic you've got your setup. I might have to look into scooping up a mono tribe too :-P

DangerCaptainDanger
Offline
Iowa

Monotron Delay, Monotron Duo, and a gameboy, a simplistic approach (except you lose the stereo, which kinda sucks).

ashimoke
Offline
Czech republic

If you take the midi route then korg electribe is powefull and affordable option. I have ES-1 and I really like it but I always wanted an EM-1. Depeds on what kind of sounds you want to get.

e.s.c.
Offline
IL, US

I wouldn't call electribes powerful, when it comes to MIDI functionality ... limited CC controls make them less than ideal for some uses

DKSTR
Offline
Finland

MPC, end thread.

shizcake
Offline
reject of nintendoage

yay monotribe!

i use gijs' master clock generator (the one with the trigger outs) to sync the MT to nanoloop. http://gieskes.nl/master-clock-generator/
that allows me to have both channels free on the DMG. With hard panning, that gives me 3 channels on the mixer. typically, i use the left for synth voices ande right for percussive stuff.
with a little modification to the code, it is possible to clock a delay pedal via the tap tempo jack, because delays in time are süper awesome big_smile
oh, and theres also midi out available, just in case.

here's a recording from the first jam with that setup, never mind the nonsense wink
http://soundcloud.com/shiz-cake/liquid- … oure-a-boy

since then, we've evolved into something that resebles a "band" but we only do live stuff, so no recent recordings available.

PS: great stuff chipocrite!

Last edited by shizcake (Nov 8, 2012 8:02 pm)

BRIX
Offline
Los Angeles, CA

DKSTR - I would love to add an MPC into the mix, but it's a little too pricy for me to scoop up anytime soon. Maybe if I save hard till christmas :-P Are the entry level MPCs (http://www.musiciansfriend.com/keyboard … c=3WWRWXGP) worth picking up, or am I better off saving for something better?

(edit) Also an MPC would be goddamned perfect for throwing in sounds I've sampled from bent toys. Those things never seem to last long enough to use for performance, so I'm all about sampling them (pro-tip: Run the bent toy audio out through a guitar amp that's mic'd up for a really deep and rough sound -> Trying to pull all the sounds out for sampling and Trying to play the same bent instrument against a beat)

Last edited by BRIX (Nov 8, 2012 10:38 pm)