Buchla - save me from myself

felix · Unread post by **felix** » Fri Oct 03, 2008 2:33 am

I don't know what's wrong with me...I'm thinking of Buchla again.

So I'm turning to you friends. Remind me of all the downsides.

parasitk · Unread post by **parasitk** » Fri Oct 03, 2008 2:57 am

Um... don't do it. 1.2v/oct is just dreadful. I heard a 250e call your mother/sister/wife fat and/or ugly. Buchla low pass gates feast on the blood of kittens. Also, all the kids at school will make fun of you... I mean, what kind of name is "Buchla"?

...

But for realz? It's expensive, but whatever. Go for it!

felix · Unread post by **felix** » Fri Oct 03, 2008 3:10 am

Not really for realz, at least, I don't think so. I'm trying to find some way to put it out of my mind yet again.

1.2v scale is retarded, but getting a Buchla would require me to sell all my other modular stuff, so it wouldn't matter too much.

The biggest downside is the price, but I kinda remember some downsides from the last time I was pondering the Buchla...I need reminding.

So long as no MachineDrum+Buchla demo videos don't surface, I think I'll be ok.

eyehue · Unread post by **eyehue** » Fri Oct 03, 2008 3:15 am

r u a multi-millionaire?

if so, yes, yes, yes, buchla, yes.

otherwise, snap out out of it and get a soldering iron and a clue.

parasitk · Unread post by **parasitk** » Fri Oct 03, 2008 3:25 am

Yeah the DIY route is not a bad one!

Luka · Unread post by **Luka** » Fri Oct 03, 2008 3:33 am

i say go for it
like that guy from NIN says, it is just like buying a car
everyone feels the need to buy a car yet they often don't need one
buchla is cool do it, it isnt like it is going to drop in value
look how much the 100 series sell for these days

wetterberg · Unread post by **wetterberg** » Fri Oct 03, 2008 3:44 am

If it means selling ALL your other modular stuff, then ftlog DONT do it.

Yes, the sex appeal is through the roof, but what modulars offer are mainly SONIC POSSIBILITIES. You won't get anywhere near the massive artillery you have now, you'll just get a very expensive noodle-machine.

It'll be like replacing a huge lovely mixing desk with that one-of-a-kind Urei compressor you've always drooled over. Sure, it's nice, but compare it to your mixer and you'll find you needed that mixer a lot more

Luka · Unread post by **Luka** » Fri Oct 03, 2008 3:53 am

btw, why do you want the buchla

is it the sonic capabilities?
will it bring in a missing factor in your workflow?
or is it just the pretty lights and the sexy faceplate designs?

yeh dont sell you system for it

J.w.M. · Unread post by **J.w.M.** » Fri Oct 03, 2008 4:02 am

If it's for the sexiness of blinkenlights and lovely faceplates, maybe a serge panel would fit the bill... Like Buchla, it's very 'west-coast', very boutique, and lovely (without needing to cost as much as a car...).

amnesia · Unread post by **amnesia** » Fri Oct 03, 2008 5:26 am

Felix I have been the same as you and I finally just said fuq it and bought a 12 panel system in an 18 WLS case..3 weeks to go and I have it...I still owe $5k so it will take me a year to pay off but in a year I will have a year of Buchla modular happiness.....I thought about selling my euro modular to help pay it off, but I will miss the Plan B VCO, AFG VCO too much......oh and how did I save the $14k? I sold my A6, machinedrum etc...I dont miss it either,,,and if I find I dont like the Buchla ( which i doubt) I can sell it and get heaps of other stuff :-)

if you are going to be in debt you may as well be in debt to something rad!

plord · Unread post by **plord** » Fri Oct 03, 2008 9:53 am

IMHO, I see two downsides. The first is obviously cost.

The second is that, in my experience, the 200e is unsupportably dense and complicated. I have watched folks who owned it for more than a year still blindly frobbing the knobs around looking for the one that makes the nifty sonic change in this or that given patch. It seems like the COMPLETE opposite of the "I've got 10 minutes and a handful of patch cords and I want a good noise" school of modular noodling, and even a long time working with it doesn't seem to help? Really, these were folks who gig with the machine regularly, and it literally seems like they have to re-learn the patch almost every time they sit down. That would drive me bugfuck.

That's my observation/opinion. I could be way off. YMMV. etc.

dkcg · Unread post by **dkcg** » Fri Oct 03, 2008 11:32 am

felix wrote:Not really for realz, at least, I don't think so. I'm trying to find some way to put it out of my mind yet again.

1.2v scale is retarded, but getting a Buchla would require me to sell all my other modular stuff, so it wouldn't matter too much.

The biggest downside is the price, but I kinda remember some downsides from the last time I was pondering the Buchla...I need reminding.

So long as no MachineDrum+Buchla demo videos don't surface, I think I'll be ok.

I bet you would definately get seller's remorse and miss at least 1/4 to 1/2 your eurorac now. At least make a 1 suitcase effects/gotta have it suitcases. But you gotta think that you could have like 3 of each of every module you ever wanted for the same costs.

But the buchla's are sexy. Hot norcal model GF who's flexible like no other vs. a pretty cute Euro GF who's got a strong back and is extremely versitile and 90% of the time gets the job done. Go for both if you can. but you can't dump the Euro who's still got some tricks in her bag.

dougcl · Unread post by **dougcl** » Fri Oct 03, 2008 12:10 pm

I feel like an idiot for asking this, but how does one go about getting started with Serge? Is it a DIY rack, are the modules DIY or is there a vendor?

felix · Unread post by **felix** » Fri Oct 03, 2008 12:22 pm

A think a considerable amount of desire for the Buchla comes from this "one that got away" feeling. It was the first thing that caught my eye when I first googled for "modular synthesis". I *really* like the form factor/size and the case. I've always had a thing for really functional smaller size music makers.

As for the sonics, at lot of the demo videos I have seen haven't really blown my mind, as in it didn't seem like anything I couldn't do with my current system. The videos of what Alessandro has done are pretty impressive though in terms of sonics, particularly that EM interview and this one:
[video][/video]
But as far as the sound goes, if I was totally serious on buying one, I would definitely have to go play one.

The density/complexity is one of the things that draws me to it to be honest. It would be frustrating to always fumble around the thing, but I have a feeling that comes from relying on preset recall before one really is able to master the unit by patching manually (master being a loose term there). That being said though, the preset capability is actually very enticing to me to; not necessarily being able to recall my exact settings perfectly, but to call up something as a starting point for a sound and then tweak to my liking. Therein the difficulty probably lies, as you'll have to sort of reverse engineer what's going on. Having voltage control over changing of presets, or sequencing program changes from the MachineDrum just sounds like amazing fun.

I probably couldn't get rid of all my Euro stuff. The Dual Cyclotron would have to stay as would the Tyme Sefari most likely. Giving up the AFGs would be really tough, but would depend completely on how I like the sound of the Buchla. I'd have to have the Chaos Computer too (even though I don't have one now). Harvestman's transcontiental rails would bridge the two systems once it's available.

The sexiness factor is there too, but I don't feel it's the main one.

@amnesia - congratulations! I'll be really interested to hear your likes/dislikes/etc of the system over the next few months. I'm almost glad to hear you sold the MD. I feel like the MD + Buchla would be my ultimate little system. Seeing and hearing the two together would have totally pushed me over the edge

Did you get the 12 panel example system that Buchla has on their price page, or did you customize it a bit?

consumed · Unread post by **consumed** » Fri Oct 03, 2008 2:58 pm

you have an extremely powerful and capable tool in your hands already, and it does not take a lot of your energy for you to get tremendous sounds out of it because you have learned to work with it.

maybe you are bored and want a new toy. trade in the ferrari for a lamborghini. the problem is that you will have a new toy that you will not know how to use very well, and (unfortunately) even when you learn to work with it, you will also tire of it in the same way you are perhaps bored with your current rig.

or maybe im entirely wrong. i only speak from my POV and i have been afflicted by my head telling me that two birds in the bush are always better than the one in my hand. im convinced that chasing down the bigger badder more expensive shiny toy will not cure your boredom. you already have the tools you need in your hands now. i would only condone your acquisition of a new tool if

a) you had worked with it extensively already, and know it and your relationship to it, and
b) you are already working your existing rig to its limits and will truly benefit from expanding in that way

IMO

D/A A/D · Unread post by **D/A A/D** » Fri Oct 03, 2008 3:00 pm

[video][/video]
I love playing the devils advocate...

Almost as much as I love living vicariously through the gear of my friends.

dkcg · Unread post by **dkcg** » Fri Oct 03, 2008 3:16 pm

damn that made me horny for buchla

amnesia · Unread post by **amnesia** » Fri Oct 03, 2008 3:17 pm

felix wrote: @amnesia - congratulations! Did you get the 12 panel example system that Buchla has on their price page, or did you customize it a bit?

Yes I got the 12 panel example/but in an 18WLS as I want to get the Cynthia Zoe and the Kin Port

This is what I plan to have

I bought the Machinedrum because I thought that I may be interested in writing beat music again after having a 7 year break from it, and as much as the MD is fun at the end of the day I am more into experimental music nowdays so the buchla was the answer for me.I do own a Serge modular and EMS Synthi AKS and euro ( I am cray56 on youtube, ghostdog on matrixsynth ) so to have a buchla will give me a sonic palet that the other modulars dont give, as its a dig/analog synth.

Plus another thing that will be cool is that the Buchla will be portable I can go in the loungeroom and play it if I dont want to be in the studio, or ig I go to VICMOD I can show folks etc

Yes I would miss the AFG , Dual Cyclotron etc but you can get them FAIRLY easily again.

I do like Alesandros Buchla vids but to me they are the most straight of all Buchla vids, but I understand he is more into writing "music" for NIN and Modwheel so thats his thing, I dont want the Buchla to be musical I want it to be a soundscape shapeshifter

amnesia · Unread post by **amnesia** » Fri Oct 03, 2008 3:30 pm

I will also quickly add that I find music/sound to be a journey in life and always trying to find new ways of making sound is of the utmost importance to me. I have owned all the greats synths since 1983 and have worked my way into computer based sound design in the late 90's , modulars with no traditional keyboard gives me so much happiness nowdays and the Buchla with the Kin Port is really the future of hardware modular systems...I hear The Harvestman will have a module that will link up the euro/ Serge to the Buchla so that will be ultra cool

If you want to get a Buchla and as me have thought about it heaps over time I say do it, your vids show you completely understand new bits of gear and I am sure you will be teaching me something when you get your Buchla,,,also the best thing is the wait time is like 6-8 weeks for a system! thats nothing in the modular world :-)

I honestly feel we are similar in spirit and I see you do get sidetracked at times buying non modular gear, so the Buchla will be a great new addition and will get you so focused

Muff Wiggler · Unread post by **Muff Wiggler** » Fri Oct 03, 2008 9:04 pm

is Allesandro using a 200e module to play back those vocal samples from the Kinetic Input Port?

what 200e module does that??

Kwote · Unread post by **Kwote** » Sat Oct 04, 2008 12:29 am

D/A A/D wrote:[video][/video]

DANG! that was fowwwnnkaayy!!!!

amnesia · Unread post by **amnesia** » Sat Oct 04, 2008 1:28 am

Muff Wiggler wrote:is Allesandro using a 200e module to play back those vocal samples from the Kinetic Input Port?

what 200e module does that??

ha ha I thought that for a second, no he is playing the synth sound at the same time

felix · Unread post by **felix** » Sat Oct 04, 2008 2:05 am

@consumed - the desire for the buchla definitely isn't coming from boredom or love lost towards my current system. In fact, the hardest part of going towards the buchla would be having to give up most of my current system, for monetary reasons. It's not that I don't love my current system, I just feel that I would love the buchla more. That only proves that my feelings are coming from just that, feel, and not necessarily from a rational basis, which is why I started this thread, to hopefully get rationalized by you guys

@D/A A/D - you are a devil aren't you? You tease!

@Muff - I think he's either triggering something else, or he's playing along with something pre-recorded.

@amnesia - you've worked in sales haven't you! I really want to do it, but I still just don't know for sure, part of it is that right now I couldn't make such a big purchase anyway, and certainly not something I want to rush into. The next couple months might change things though, time will tell. That's an awesome looking system! +1 on the Kinetic Input, I would definitely need one of those. Having such a tactile interface like that is another thing that draws me to the Buchla. To be honest, if that and the signal router (with presets) were available in euro, this would be a very different thread.

So today, I'm walking around AES and who do I see? Don Buchla! I walked up to him and said "sorry to bother you, but I'm a really big fan" and he said "oh thanks, do you have one of our systems?" to which I said "no, but I really want one". He laughed.

Back to rationalizing this decision, Muff had a really good point about the Buchla having different interconnects for CV / Audio. Another good point to think about.

felix · Unread post by **felix** » Sat Oct 04, 2008 2:46 am

more six degrees of buchla. I found this video of Chris Muir's buchla @ AHBA last year...and there's my system in the background!

[video][/video]

Chris is gonna have me lurking around more this year.

futuresoundsystems · Sat Oct 04, 2008 5:45 am

Kwote wrote:
D/A A/D wrote:[video][/video]
DANG! that was fowwwnnkaayy!!!!

That made me gurn.

amnesia · Unread post by **amnesia** » Sat Oct 04, 2008 6:24 am

wimp

D/A A/D · Unread post by **D/A A/D** » Sat Oct 04, 2008 10:33 am

[video][/video]
Debunking the "you can't play a tune on a Buchla" myth.

parasitk · Unread post by **parasitk** » Sat Oct 04, 2008 11:54 am

This is great. Really love the sound. Vids like this definitely fuel the desire for a Buchla.

Bricks · Unread post by **Bricks** » Sat Oct 04, 2008 12:28 pm

Buchla is that beautiful girl you pass by walking to work each day. The pure mystery and aesthetic sex appeal is almost overwhelming.

I think of most platforms in terms of uniqueness of limitations, and what function that will offer me creatively. but at the moment, I feel Ive got a world of possibility in my modular, or even in LSDJ. Buchla seems awesome, but, Im more excited about other systems of limitation, that're much more affordable. but thats me. other people might

1) be hooked on that Buchla ethos and limitation framework
or
2) drop tons of cash on the sex appeal cause they can

J.w.M. · Unread post by **J.w.M.** » Sat Oct 04, 2008 12:53 pm

I've gotta say, though... The more videos I see of people competently using their Buchla systems, the more impressed I am.

You can get some seriously diverse sounds out of one of those things...

MOD WIGGLER

MOD WIGGLER

Buchla - save me from myself

Buchla - save me from myself