Tip Top Audio: Z-DSP

Our friend Stretta has one of the few beta Z-DSP modules running around and has compiled a great review with amazing quick demos to further our enthusiasm for smart modules.

"I'm one of the lucky few beta testers of the new TipTop Audio Z-DSP eurorack module, and boy is it a lot of fun. The Z-DSP is a lot like the TipTop Audio Z5000, except embiggened. A lot. There are three CV controlled parameters per program. There is a feedback loop that you can tap into on the front panel so you can insert a filter or whatever module you can think of inside a part of the DSP process that is usually closed to tinkering. You can change the personality of the DSP by inserting a different card on the front panel. You can even voltage control the clock. This is serious sound-mangling mayhem. " Read the rest of his experiments: Here!

Check out the TIp Top Audio Homepage from more information: Here!

Trash_Audio & Xart: Synth Meet 5

The Trash_Audio team and Xart Studios are planning to have the synth meet on Sunday, November 15th starting at 4pm going to 9pm. While bringing your modular/synth/ keyboard/ drum machine/ whatever-makes-noise is not necessary, we highly encourage it. BYOB but if you spill it on someone's synth, Rob lives on the second floor and has many windows you can 'fall' out of. These meets have been extremely resourceful, informative and invaluable to the midwest community by providing a mass of equipment for users to try first hand. If you're a manufacturer I recommend you send an e-mail to have your gear featured at our events.
We will supply mixers for you to plug into, electricity, tables and a couple monitors - other than that, bring what you need including headphones, controllers, patch cables and the like. Please let me know if you decide to bring people, they are completely welcome - Just have to prepare for the arrival of additional people.
If you're interested, have questions, comments or bullshit opinions, send an e-mail to trash@thedeepelement.com and I'll be sending out information (addresses, secret handshakes) on the meet next week.

Venetian Snares & Wisp w/Surachai

Alright, a few things. I haven't been posting here lately because of the tour and this past show, I don't know what Justin's excuse is but we're working on a few things for november including the Trash_Audio and Xart Studios Synth Meet 5 on the 15th. If you're interested in coming, start sending me e-mails at trash@thedeepelement.com with your name, what you're bringing and who you're bringing. You'll receive a reply around the first week of November. Anyways, if Venetian Snares and Wisp run through your town on their tour, check them out!

Necrophagy Tour: Evidence

This video serves its purpose of archiving some things that have happened over the past 3 weeks - but admittedly is kind of boring since I was more interested in landscapes and pets than humans. The more I watch this, the less sense it makes which is fine because this tour was a blur of laughter and I'm over editing the footage. Have fun trying to figure out what the hell I've been doing for the past 3 weeks.

More importantly than this video is the fact that Trash_Audio is 2 years old! I'd like to steal some space to thank you all for e-mails of support, encouragement, corrections and questions. The only benefit of running a blog with Justin is connecting with people and I believe we're in the process of doing that on larger scales soon. Thanks for reading.

Tonight, 303% (Chicago)

Tonight @ Around The Coyote (Chicago) and The Smell (LA)

Tonight in Chicago I'll be playing an extended dark-ambient set at the opening party for Around the Coyote. Full details here. Also, I got my Drone Commander in the mail and I am pretty happy/impressed by it, I am going to bring it out tonight for the good old 'live show' test and early next week I'll have a full review with some sound examples.

I have three other shows in Chicago coming up soon, including a full on Acid event on Wednesday, details @ polyfuse.net

Also, if you're the LA area, Surachai is playing an excellent show tonight @ The Smell with Captain Ahab, DJ Skull Vomit (Tony of Eustachian) and Basek. Details/flyer here.

Necrophagy Tour: This Week!

If you're on the West Coast, Dj Skull Vomit (Tony from Eustachian), Baseck and Surachai are coming this week.
Monday, tonight, we'll be melting Seattle at Rebar, Portland at Plan B on Tuesday, San Francisco at 5lowershop on Thursday, LA at The Smell on Friday, LA with Droid Behavior Saturday and Creative Space on Sunday.
We'll be playing alongside Captain Ahab at The Smell in LA, Kid606 at the Droid Behavior 7 year anniversary party, and at Creative Space. If you think three dates back to back in L.A. is a lot, you're right but each night we're doing something different. At the Smell we'll be doing our standard tour style. At Droid, Tony and I have a joint set where we'll merge sets. At Creative Space we'll be more focused on metal as the venue will have other metal acts that night!
A few days after the tour I'll be playing with Venetian Snares and Wisp at Reggie's in Chicago. Then I'll go into hibernation. You're welcome to join.

Workspace and Environment: Sasu Ripatti

Stuck in Sacramento for another four days before we drive up to Seattle to start the Necrophagy Tour. I was supposed to move here earlier this year and glad that didn't work out. If there is something worthwhile to do or see, let me know. Though I must say watching Tony of Eustachian spend 20 bucks on candy in Old Sacramento and scarfing down a funnel cake was entertaining enough. But I digress, onto Sasu Ripatti of Vladislav Delay and Luomo.




Background
I was born north of Finland. I ended up close to where I was born after years spent in Helsinki and Berlin. I've been making music since I was 5 years old, for 28 years then. I began with drums and percussion. I've been involved in electronic / studio stuff for 10+ years.

What is your motivation?
Interest and passion for music.


What Are Your Current Favorite Pieces of Hardware?
All kinds of drums and percussion instruments, cymbals. If it's about electronics, I'd have to say I'm not too excited by anything at a moment. Something like Manley Slam is always a desert-island choice. And a good microphone. I tend to get bored with equipment easily and actually don't have as much passion for the gear as I used to have. Slam is just super functional and beautifully built piece of equipment that allows you to do all the rest, like being a great mic pre-amp, amazing ad/da convertor, great limiter, etc etc. So it allows you to capture and process any stuff really well, be it software, hardware synth, microphone etc. I don't have really any favorite synths or sound sources. Maybe Jomox Sunsyn is something I quite like. Or some Eventide stuff.

What About Software?
I use Logic Pro, happy with it. I don't use too much plug-ins but some UAD ones are good, as well as URS API eq. Sometimes for demoing I use Arturia or other virtual synths but am not too crazy about them. Some Native Instruments synths are also good for what they do.

How does your physical space and surroundings influence your workflow?
Greatly.

What Is Your Ideal Workspace?
I think I have found my ultimate location. It's an island with lots of wildlife and not many people. Airport is relatively near-by, and a fast satellite internet. the control room was built around the dimensions that allow for great acoustics and the sound in the room is phenomenal. It's just being finished. I'm not happy yet with the feel and the looks of the room, that will need to be improved with time, when budget allows. There's a machine room where all the computers and hard drives etc are, so the control room is super quiet. I also record in the control room, be it drums or vocals.

What Was The First And Last Piece of Gear You Obtained?
First was Roland mc-303 groove box...
Last was a Russian drum machine named Formanta

Whats On Your Wish List?
Lots of gear that I can't afford. GML eq, API eqs, small SSl mixer, more Benchmark DAC convertors, Buchla synth etc, etc. I try not to think too much about all that stuff I will never get.

Do you have a mobile studio setup?
Yes. Only a laptop and interface, small nanokey keyboard. And all the software I have in the studio as well. I can take it all with me via iLoks if I need to. I don't use portable set-ups for anything serious though, some sketching sometimes.



Do you have a different setup for live performances?
Again, a laptop, running Ableton Live. Faderfox MIDI controllers, several nano kaospads, several old FX pedals.

How many different studios have you had?
This is my 5th studio. They have changed basically each time to a better sounding room. Gear has of course changed as well but that's irrelevant.



Sasu Ripatti's Aliases
- Vladislav Delay
- Luomo
Uusitalo
Sistol
Agf/Delay
Moritz von Oswald Trio
Vladislav Delay Quartet

- Several Free Releases On Wikipedia