blastoff.. RIG-1 is born

So, I'm used to making music using software on a computer. I started with an Amiga, went to a desktop PC, went to a laptop, and even to an iPod Touch. I didn't really "get" MIDI, and I've ignored it for a long time, staying inside the software using samples and occasionally virtual instruments.

I started to get fed up with mouse clicks and thought I'd get myself some new-school MIDI (over USB) controllers, which were fun, but still..underneath it is still software on a computer, which means system updates, anti-virus, almost limitless memory/space for sampling and the whole web's worth of virtual instruments, patches, music software....I was spending more and more time finding and fiddling and less time enjoying the process of making music.

I also realised that the music I had put out there (see my soundcloud) had very little chance of being performed live or expanded on.

So I started to look at the hardware groovebox market, thinking that might be a good start- restricted, hands-on, hardware approach.. and quickly reminded myself that I used to want an Electribe. I went to eBay, checked funds, took a chance bid, and won a bargain EMX-1. This got me into a few of the tribe forums, where a couple of folks (Ruso, Aciphecs and Novatron in particular) had really inspiring "coffin" setups..no PC/MAC, just hardware in a box wired up and ready to go.

Back at home the other thing happening was that I had to have a serious think about storage space, and the gear in the loft..going into the loft reminded me that I had collected (played with for a while.. then stored) some interesting stuff over the 15+ years. Most of which I'd decided to sell, give away, or bin..with this in mind I started to drag this stuff out, plug it in, and see if it still worked. I started to have more fun doing so than I'd had in a fair while with just software and it also dawned on me that I only ever used this gear one piece at a time in the past, I never really connected it all up.

The result of all this, is the start of a new project "RIG-1". It's about getting value out my old gear, wiring it up, overcoming MIDI, hands on performance, no PC/MAC, and at some point, building a coffin to hold the thing and perform live.