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Erica knocking it out of the god drat park. I might liquidate my mostly Erica KB37, the Latvian PPG, to get a syntrx. Already emailed about it- no internal psu 
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Oct 2, 2019 13:09
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This is specifically why got a Launch Control XL for iVCS emulation. I could lay out the knobs almost 1:1, and had enough sliders to cover the most important mixing-style knobs (channel level, channel pan, channel filter, and noise). Yeah, I had to go through and program each of 24 knobs and 8 sliders in a user preset, but I don't care because I ended up the functional equivalent of a Synthi A for $150 in an iOS app and a controller. But the Syntrx is still an alluring bit of kit just because of the updated I/O and tactility. Even extended resolution MIDI control over a huge frequency sweep is too steppy for my liking.
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Oct 2, 2019 18:15
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Hey Until then- any stragglers that wanna try their luck for partial credit can take advantage of the teacher being out sick on term paper hand-in day.
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Oct 2, 2019 21:54
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Laserjet 4P posted:Have I got the (slightly cheaper) thing for you that should satisfy that urge: https://www.analoguesolutions.com/impulse-command True, true. I'm just working with a Keystep and free VSTs though, and knobbing makes me happy. I'm thinking of a Neutron as a birthday gift for myself.
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Oct 3, 2019 18:41
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Im a confused synth babby with lots of questions about a combined hardware/DAW setup. What's up with MIDI timing and sequencing hardware from a DAW? Some sources say that MIDI over USB has timing issues, while other people say it works fine for them, and others say its fine if you have a small setup but not a large one. Others said that firewire has better timing? Would be nice if true, because I already have a firewire audio interface (focusrite saffire pro 24). And what's up with word clock? Apparently you can do it internally, or externally, via ADAT, via those dedicated word clock jacks (that only higher-end audio interfaces and ADAT expanders seem to have), and via SPDIF. Do i even need to worry about that? I found some conflicting info and some of it is also 10-20 years old and i dont know if it still applies. For the record, here's some stuff I think I might wanna get over the next few years: Behringer Model D (got it  )Behringer Neutron Behringer Deepmind 12 Arturia Microfreak Korg Minilogue XD module maybe Focusrite Saffire pro 40 (for the extra inputs, but if i need the word clock poo poo i'll have to get something else) My goal is to be able to sequence/play them all at once with their own tracks and not have to always swap cables around and stuff. more questions: Am I fine using a MIDI thru box from my audio interface (and/or the midi thrus on the Behringer synths)? Is a USB MIDI interface unnecessary for what i want to do? I want to be able to screw around with CV. How would you do that if you're sequencing via DAW? I read that hardware sequencers can be tough to sync with a DAW, but some, like the keystep and beatstep pro do have CV/gate outs and claim to integrate seamlessly with Ableton Live (and hopefully other stuff too), which sounds nice. The korg SQ-1 looks good too (and cheap), and the Novation Circuit Mono Station also has cool CV sequencing abilities (plus an analog monosynth!). Any other options? I also came across some people recommending to build a mini eurorack with an SPDIF or ADAT to CV converter module and hooking that up between the audio interface/synths. It looked cool, but more expensive. But wait there's also MIDI to CV interfaces? And then i find a review claiming you can use the Neutron's patchbay as a MIDI to CV interface?  Anyone know about that?Finally, any suggestions for stereo FX pedals that take CV and maybe MIDI as well? I want a reverb/delay and a phaser the most, but anything is cool. The Audiothingies Doctor A has CV jacks and a MIDI port, and costs about the maximum ($300) that i would want to spend on a pedal, but from searching around so far I can't find anything similar, let alone cheaper. Rah! fucked around with this message at 11:52 on Oct 4, 2019 |
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Oct 4, 2019 09:44
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Besides the Model D, what hardware do you have right now? What DAW do you have?
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Oct 4, 2019 09:58
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So Math posted:Besides the Model D, what hardware do you have right now? What DAW do you have? the Model D is it, plus the saffire pro 24, some monitors, and a MIDI keyboard. DAW is FL studio Ableton Live Lite comes bundled with some cheap stuff i was thinking about getting
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Oct 4, 2019 10:24
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I'll try my hand at some of these, but others feel free to step in where I've stuffed it up.Rah! posted:What's up with MIDI timing and sequencing hardware from a DAW? MIDI protocol hasn't seen major improvements* since it was released in the 1980s. The gripe here is that you can get notes slightly out of tempo, out of order, or overload some synths' digital processors if you push on it too much. It gets worse as you chain more MIDI thru sockets in a row or send more data simultaneously. Probably not an issue when you're starting out. *There's been some clever hacks laid on top of the original specs, but everything is still expected to be interoperable with your DX7s and the like. Rah! posted:Do i even need to worry about [word clock]? Probably not, it's more for professional studios. Rah! posted:My goal is to be able to sequence/play them all at once with their own tracks and not have to always swap cables around and stuff. A cheap patchbay can work wonders for this. Rah! posted:Am I fine using a MIDI thru box from my audio interface (and/or the midi thrus on the Behringer synths)? Is a USB MIDI interface unnecessary for what i want to do? Theoretically, it should be fine. Passive MIDI boxes expect to get power from the MIDI connection itself, which is a common place to cheap out on manufacturing. You might find that your audio interface doesn't have great MIDI timing/bandwidth, but I'm not familiar with any of the devices you've listed. Rah! posted:I want to be able to screw around with CV. How would you do that if you're sequencing via DAW? The relatively easy way is to turn MIDI note data into a control voltage signals, gate and pitch. This is what the SQ-1 does, and I imagine the Model D, too. The harder way is to get something that will change MIDI CC data into a control voltage, then feed it some kind of modulation track from your DAW. This is less common -- you're looking at more expensive and more specialized hardware to get you home. Rah! posted:I want a reverb/delay and a phaser the most, but anything is cool. Can you be more specific? I'm a fan of EHX pedals, as their expression pedal inputs are usually wired to double as CV in, for 0 to +5 volts. This is not standard, don't plug random voltages into expression pedal jacks without knowing exactly how they're wired. (One of my planned soldering projects is a CV-expression conversion box. I'll post about it in the future as long as I don't kill my Ultranova.)
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Oct 4, 2019 10:52
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So Math posted:I'll try my hand at some of these, but others feel free to step in where I've stuffed it up. Thanks for the help, I'm happy i don't have to worry about dropping extra money for the word clock stuff. So timing isn't as big of an issue as i thought, at least not for a dude with just a few synths? I was planning on getting a small 8 input patchbay too So Math posted:Theoretically, it should be fine. Passive MIDI boxes expect to get power from the MIDI connection itself, which is a common place to cheap out on manufacturing. You might find that your audio interface doesn't have great MIDI timing/bandwidth, but I'm not familiar with any of the devices you've listed. Ok, cool. My interface doesn't work with passive boxes, so I'll have to get a powered one. So Math posted:The relatively easy way is to turn MIDI note data into a control voltage signals, gate and pitch. This is what the SQ-1 does, and I imagine the Model D, too. I just did some research, and the beatstep pro can apparently receive MIDI and send it to the CV outputs, though you can't use the beatstep's sequencer while doing it. So i guess that is what i'm looking for? Apparently works in Ableton live and Logic, at least. So Math posted:Can you be more specific? I'm a fan of EHX pedals, as their expression pedal inputs are usually wired to double as CV in, for 0 to +5 volts. This is not standard, don't plug random voltages into expression pedal jacks without knowing exactly how they're wired. Sorry, i was asking if anyone knows of any FX pedals that are similar to the one i posted, because i couldn't find any (and what i want most is reverb/delay and a phaser). Stereo, CV inputs, a midi port. But i guess stuff like that isn't too common? I thought it would be cool to get an FX pedal that can patch into a synth.
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Oct 4, 2019 11:41
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Get a Kenton Thru-5, a cv.ocd and a desktop mixer. Midi out from your DAW/Audio interface into the thru-5 into your synths. Synths into the mixer and mixer into audio interface. Get familiar with controlling the synths with your DAW midi tracks. Later you'll know a bit more about what workflow you like. It can be pretty different; for example you could choose to record your synths loops separately into the DAW and then play with the audio loops; or you could play only with Midi loops and record the mixer output. It really depends what's your goal and what you enjoy the most. For me having fun is the most important factor in music as a hobby, if the workflow gets too complex then I won't produce as much. Personally I'm mostly jamming live and sometimes record the live output. I don't have the patience nor desire to record synths separately and master a track in a DAW Also you can definitely work with effects inside the DAW and not through pedals if you want automation (that's what CV and Midi are for). There are some really good effect VST available for cheap. IMO pedals are more if you want direct hands-on/knob control over the effects Or if you really want to get into CV controls of your synths, go DAW-less and get a Koma Elektronik KOMPLEX SEQUENCER, or worse; start a modular rack  Synths are a money pit, take it slow and learn what you enjoy the most e: on a related note; ERICA SYNTHS STOP RELEASING GEAR I WANT, MY WALLET CAN'T TAKE THIS ANYMORE! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e33hzbq7D_8 https://soundcloud.com/user-327537609/ninja-tune-x-erica-synths-zen-delay-necromass-zentromatic-jam https://soundcloud.com/user-327537609/ninja-tune-x-erica-synths-zendelay-necromass-zen-to-detroit-and-berlin SpaceGoatFarts fucked around with this message at 12:19 on Oct 4, 2019 |
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Oct 4, 2019 11:56
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Rah! posted:Sorry, i was asking if anyone knows of any FX pedals that are similar to the one i posted, because i couldn't find any (and what i want most is reverb/delay and a phaser). Stereo, CV inputs, a midi port. But i guess stuff like that isn't too common? I thought it would be cool to get an FX pedal that can patch into a synth. Like this? https://bastl-instruments.com/instruments/thyme/ I wouldn't discount VSTs on this front.
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Oct 4, 2019 12:04
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Rah! posted:the Model D is it, plus the saffire pro 24, some monitors, and a MIDI keyboard. DAW is FL studio The current beta of FLStudio has CV support included. The dev team are really into modular right now. You can download it from the forums. I've been really happy with FLS over the past year, so if you run into any questions feel free to PM me. I've been going down the same road. I've got the Microfreak, TB-3, CRAFTsynth, and a Keystep and got them all going in FLS no problem. Thoa a Digitakt is on the horizon because I want to try portable jamming. I LOVE jamming. Philthy fucked around with this message at 20:42 on Oct 4, 2019 |
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Oct 4, 2019 20:37
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Rah! posted:Im a confused synth babby with lots of questions about a combined hardware/DAW setup. You are not at level OT VIII Clear yet in terms of spending and overall grognardiness, but allow me to lift the veil: your only hope is an Expert Sleepers ES40 combined with an ESX-MD8. The problem with everything is of course the nature of real-time operation. You are dealing with a protocol suited for printers, scanners and harddisks where data arriving on time doesn’t really matter, as long as on average it does. This is problematic for audio; audio needs that realtime because insufficient data will cause stutters and dropouts, both very noticeable; so a lot of effort has been put into making USB work for audio. MIDI however is for a much smaller group of people very important, and suffers from the same issues. The fact that it is slow and serial and not timestamped really sucks. The only way to guarantee exact delivery is audio, and recording this from a device that receives MIDI will not even work; you have to align all notes individually. Ataris are better at this; not because they have less to do, but because they can bit bash the outputs like a fiddle and you can make it part of the MIDI sequencer loop. There is no negotiation, no scheduling out of your control, and no software layers to punch through. Whatever you do, don’t daisy chain. Thru boxes are fine, thru daisy chains are not conducive to sanity and DX7s will take a hard poo poo in the middle of them since they just cannot ignore anything. Also everyone hates OSC because it means more expensive parts and each manufacturer tries to out-Sony the other when it comes to improving MIDI with a new format. Truth be told, most microcontrollers are too slow to deal with even vanilla poly aftertouch already anyway. The Expert Sleepers stuff is not cheap - cram it all in a Doepfer Beautycase and sacrifice your SPDIF or ADAT. It’s not trivial to set up. However, it is the only thing that quiets those inner demons that say your music is not good enough because of timing, ignoring all the other glaring deficiencies of your tracks 
Laserjet 4P fucked around with this message at 21:57 on Oct 4, 2019 |
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Oct 4, 2019 21:54
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This is the doohickey I have for MIDI routing because at one point I was rolling with entirely too many controllers and synths. https://www.iconnectivity.com/products/midi/mio10 It's absolutely more horsepower than I need, but I will never need another MIDI box ever again. Excepting, of course, for an Expert Sleepers Euro module, because gently caress if those jacks ain't sexy af.
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Oct 4, 2019 22:47
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Rah! posted:
Those are all subtractive synths, mostly with very simple modulation architecture. Basically, they all do the same thing in the same way. Look into romplers, multitimbrlility means you're going to be struggling less with midi ports (because you will need fewer of them), they're dirt cheap and you'll be able to make music without buying half a dozen synths. Regarding midi i/o, if you use software to patch your synths, or to archive your patches, every synth that needs to talk to the 'puter needs its own input/output pair. A used midisport 4x4 will hold you for the next couple of years, if you're on Mac or Linux emagic AMT8s are super cheap. Anything that you're not patching via software can be daisy chained via a mid thru. A lot of people have, and still do, use MPCs (or Roland or Yamaha sequencers) for sequencing. They're limited compared to using a DAW and not being able to really seamlessly mix audio and midi can be a drag, but once you get good at using one, there can be a lot of workflow benefits. If someone tells you to get an Atari ST for any reasons outside of nostalgia or "coolness", smile, nod and try not to make eye contact. If you're having timing issues, use midi din whenever possible and avoid midi over usb, filter out continuous controls and aftertouch. It's real hard to choke a midi setup with note on/off and velocity messages, but a single channel with polyaftertouch messages will wreck you.
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Oct 4, 2019 23:58
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SpaceGoatFarts posted:e: on a related note; ERICA SYNTHS STOP RELEASING GEAR I WANT, MY WALLET CAN'T TAKE THIS ANYMORE!  Erica is my favorite synth commune
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Oct 5, 2019 08:27
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Old MOTU Midi Timepieces also still work, have 8 ins & outs and can be had for under a $100. Just get one that can be configured from the front panel, have been very happy with mine.
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Oct 5, 2019 10:30
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Mr. Dick posted:If someone tells you to get an Atari ST for any reasons outside of nostalgia or "coolness", smile, nod and try not to make eye contact. The Venn diagram between these people and the people who insist on using samplers without a graphical display so you cut them “by ear” - meaning there might be a random amount of silence in front of the sample, thus unpredictable but constant timing differences - is a circle. Another circle from the people who insist older MPCs have groove even if you have Roger Linn on the record saying they don’t. I want good timing because we are in TYOOL 2019 and my Express 128 forgets 50% of the time that it is connected and the Alyseum’s configuration app requires a degree and Steinberg’s Midex was only updated to 64 bits Windows because a lone programmer felt he could spend a weekend on recompiling. It is all howling bullshit garbage.
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Oct 5, 2019 10:48
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GnarlyCharlie4u posted:recommend me a cheap as gently caress and synth (desktop) module that I can connect my keystep to so my 1 year old can join in on this ~Synths: Boops Are For Babies~ fun. I really like my MeeBlip https://meeblip.com/products/meeblip-geode-synthesizer Alternately, I just picked up some stuff from Michael Rucci and he has an 8bit synth that is powered by a 9volt battery and has keys on it already. Looks drool proof. https://www.etsy.com/listing/480841262/8-bit-power-synthesizer?ref=shop_home_active_6&frs=1
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Oct 5, 2019 22:52
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Rabbit hole warning. https://pointersgonewild.com/2019/10/06/zupiter-a-web-based-modular-synthesizer/
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Oct 6, 2019 23:57
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NC Wyeth Death Cult posted:Alternately, I just picked up some stuff from Michael Rucci and he has an 8bit synth that is powered by a 9volt battery and has keys on it already. Looks drool proof. The video for this does that thing that so many synth demos do in that they'll crank rates up as fast as they can go, when what I really want to hear is their slowest cycles. I kept hoping that the rate knob would go before 12 noon, but it never did... But it does look quite nice and sounds more interesting to my ear than a lot of chiptuney stuff does.
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Oct 7, 2019 00:56
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Yamaha just dropped the V3.0 Firmware for the Montage series, and holy poo poo. Finally a 16 track sequencer among other things! MONTAGE OS v3.0 adds several new synth engine enhancements and new Performance content: Wave Folder – The new Wave Folder effect increases harmonic content by “folding back” threshold-exceeding amplitude peaks. Unlike clipping that chops off the top of the wave, the Wave Folder “folds” the peaks back in. The MONTAGE Wave Folder is available as a Part Insertion Effect (including A/D Input for external instruments and mic input), Variation Effect and Master Effect. VCM Mini Filter and Mini Booster – The new VCM (Virtual Circuitry Modeling) Mini Filter and Mini Booster are available as Part Insertion, Variation or Master. The VCM Mini Filter is a classic four-pole 24 dB/octave filter. Cutoff, Resonance, Dry/Wet mix, Input Level and Output Level can all be assigned to a Motion Sequence Lane, the Envelope Follower or the physical controls (Super Knob, Assignable Knobs, Modulation Wheel, etc., on MONTAGE and MODX). The VCM Mini Booster is related to the VCM Mini Filter. This boost/EQ effect functions like an EQ and booster, providing a tone shaping and saturation effect Extended LFO – The Extended LFO brings high-speed modulation to the MONTAGE and MODX. You can use it to generate interesting pitch, filter or amplitude modulation that goes well beyond the slower oscillation of a standard LFO. The high-speed nature creates cool granularity that enhances synth leads, pads, comps, special effect and more. With the standard LFO the Speed parameter range goes from 0-63 (0-42 Hz) for AWM Parts. When the “Extended LFO” is set to ON, the Speed parameter range extends from 0-415 (0-1356.59 Hz). These higher speeds generate interesting sounds when modulating Pitch, Filter or Amplitude. Each of these new sound enhancements – Wave Folder, VCM Mini Filter and Mini Booster and Extended LFO – can all be customized for real time control using Motion Control. Assign parameters to the Super Knob, Motion Sequence, Envelope Follower and more and create your own custom set ups. New Performances – There are 52 new Performances highlighting the new sound additions in MONTAGE OS v3.0. MONTAGE OS v3.0 also include new Control enhancements, including an all new Pattern Sequencer. The Pattern Sequencer extends the MONTAGE and MODX Performance Recorder with multitrack loop-based sequence recording. Each Pattern has up to eight Sections and each Section has up to 16 Tracks. During Section recording you can set the length of a track from one to 256 measures long. Each track can be different lengths making for interesting variation. For example, a Section could have a four-measure drum part, an eight-measure bass part and a 32-measure keyboard part and each part will loop according to its section length. Super Knob Scene Link – Building on the Super Knob Link feature introduced in the previous OS version, this enhancement allows you to save Assignable Knob links to the Super Knob within a Scene. This is great for building arrangements by setting specific Super Knob levels and Assignable Knob links per Scene. You can recall them during Live Performance or in conjunction with the Pattern Sequencer. Keyboard Control Recall in Scenes – You can now recall Part Keyboard Control (Kbd Ctrl) from a Scene. This allows you to set up which Parts can be played simultaneously. In the example below, Part 1 could be a piano part, Part 2 a string layer, Part 3 a bass split, Part 4 a synth pad and Part 5 a synth comp. Any combination of Parts can now be recalled with a simple scene change. This new feature enhances the way a single Performance can be configured and controlled. USB MIDI Host – With MONTAGE OS v3.0 and MODX OS v2.0 you can now connect a MIDI controller directly to the USB TO DEVICE Port on the back. This allows you to connect MIDI keyboard controllers, drum pads other alternative controllers with a simple USB MIDI cable. Hybrid MIDI I/O Mode – As the name suggests, the new Hybrid MIDI I/O Mode is a combination of the Single and Multi MIDI I/O Modes. In this new mode, Parts with KEYBOARD CONTROL “On” controlled by Global MIDI channel, everything else controlled by the Part channel. This allows you to use cool Multi Part Performances like “CFX Concert” or “Seattle Sections” in combination with other Single Parts for additional backing tracks. Rhythm Pattern (New for MONTAGE makes adding a drum Part with Arpeggio to a Performance easy. Now that functionality is added to MONTAGE. Just press and hold [SHIFT] then press [CONTROL ASSIGN] and the Rhythm Pattern screen appears for you to select a drum kit along with a corresponding drum Arpeggio. Global Tuning – For musicians who play music in alternate tunings. Global Tuning allows you to set the entire instrument to a specific tuning. MONTAGE and MODX have always had this feature but only within a Performance. Like Global A/D or Global Tempo – features added in previous OS updates –Global Tuning affects the entire instrument when engaged.
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Oct 7, 2019 00:59
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A while back I preordered whatever that $100 Korg DIY synth/fx box was from Sweetwater. Literally two minutes later I get a call and an email from this dude named Josh saying that it wasn't expected to ship till December and was just making sure I was aware and if I needed to cancel he was there to have my back and help me out. Cool, that was pretty prompt, so I sent the guy an email saying I knew it was a preorder and thanked him for checking for me. A month later he emails me saying good news, the Korg is expected to ship a month earlier! Sweet, for a simple $100 order I've got my own studio assistant letting me know when my equipment is coming in. I noticed on my Facebook feed Euro stores are taking preorders for the Behringer Crave already, but I didn't notice any places in the USA taking preorders. So I hit up my man Josh that if he wants me to get big and sell out some venues I'll need to have this Crave thing everyone is talking about. So he took my preorder and I'm first in line to get it. Talk about service, he'll be my manager when I hit it big.
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Oct 7, 2019 15:41
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Josh ain't your manager; he's your dealer. 
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Oct 7, 2019 16:10
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As someone who is married to a former Sweetwater sales engineer, it reeeeeeally matters a lot who your SW contact is. Some of them are still genuinely good people, but they're slowly being overtaken by shitlord career salesmen who are only in it for the fat cash and wholesale-discounted gear, if they even care at all, since a lot of them are basically mall kiosk cellphone salesmen. (It's also possible I know this particular Josh, and if so, he's one of the former for sure.) On the flipside, it's EXTREMELY RARE that customers are even remotely happy with the amount of email, phone calls, and marketing snail mail SW sends out. So what I'm saying is: if you like Josh, keep him as tight in your pocket as long you can, and if he ever tells you he's leaving the company, ask if he'll personally transfer your account to someone he trusts. Also if you like him, suggest him to all your friends, and make sure they tell reception to talk to him specifically, and that they namedrop you, so they get into the sales database correctly for Josh. They really like to group common contacts together, and it helps to get commission going where it belongs, instead of some vulture on the sales callfloor. Again: a good contact there is great, and a bad one is slightly less effective than dumpster-diving for gear.
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Oct 7, 2019 16:33
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rickiep00h posted:As someone who is married to a former Sweetwater sales engineer, it reeeeeeally matters a lot who your SW contact is. Some of them are still genuinely good people, but they're slowly being overtaken by shitlord career salesmen who are only in it for the fat cash and wholesale-discounted gear, if they even care at all, since a lot of them are basically mall kiosk cellphone salesmen. (It's also possible I know this particular Josh, and if so, he's one of the former for sure.) Okay serious question even though I got yelled at for some reason in the guitar thread about this. My guy has been generally good for 5+ years now. Doesn’t even bug me with many calls. He works with me but has told me a few times that the guitar + case I bought would be shipped together and then it shows up in two packages. Whatever, not the biggest deal. Annoying little things like that aren’t the worst. We have chatted a bunch of times though and he seemed to be interesting enough so I looked him up to see what all he does/is into and all I found was a Facebook page full of anti vaxx bullshit and everything related. It ain’t pretty. I’ve been thinking about switching to a new rep but I don’t really feel like telling the guy “hey your views are horrific give me a new rep” because that seems like an awkward way to just end up with some random who could be worse on the sales end. Is there a better route for that?
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Oct 7, 2019 16:48
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Kilometers Davis posted:Okay serious question even though I got yelled at for some reason in the guitar thread about this. My guy has been generally good for 5+ years now. Doesn’t even bug me with many calls. He works with me but has told me a few times that the guitar + case I bought would be shipped together and then it shows up in two packages. Whatever, not the biggest deal. Annoying little things like that aren’t the worst. We have chatted a bunch of times though and he seemed to be interesting enough so I looked him up to see what all he does/is into and all I found was a Facebook page full of anti vaxx bullshit and everything related. It ain’t pretty. I’ve been thinking about switching to a new rep but I don’t really feel like telling the guy “hey your views are horrific give me a new rep” because that seems like an awkward way to just end up with some random who could be worse on the sales end. Is there a better route for that? You can request a new rep, and while he'll probably complain, usually management is more than willing to toss sales under the bus to keep a customer, especially an established one. And considering I've heard some pretty ridiculous reasons for requesting a transfer, you could probably give just about any reason under the sun. As far as psycho conspiracism poo poo, I wouldn't be surprised if they don't actually care about that part. Sweetwater's corporate culture is super hosed, and that's why my spouse quit after 8 years and why we loving left Fort Wayne. Sexist, racist, homo/transphobic poo poo all over the place, and especially within old-school management.
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Oct 7, 2019 17:01
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Phil Potts is my Sweetwater rep and the guy never contacts me. He always gives me a better deal than the website and just all around takes care of me when I need something. Sometimes I'm not even sure what I need and I have wanted to get something costing more and he'll stop me and offer something cheaper that does the same thing just as good. I don't shop anywhere else and Sweetwater is OK in my book and never gave me a hassle sending something back that was a couple years old and sending me a new one, always sending something before I send the bad one back. Never a bad experience there.
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Oct 7, 2019 17:10
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Mistayke posted:I don't shop anywhere else and Sweetwater is OK in my book and never gave me a hassle sending something back that was a couple years old and sending me a new one, always sending something before I send the bad one back. This is effectively corporate policy. That's The Sweetwater Difference, and all. Some reps will give you the runaround because returns, for any reason, come out of their commission.
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Oct 7, 2019 17:16
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I can’t remember her name but I had a great SW Rep who contacted me very rarely and helped me find some pretty wild deals and stuff I wouldn’t be able to really justify at full price.
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Oct 7, 2019 17:21
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Top Hats Monthly posted:I can’t remember her name but I had a great SW Rep who contacted me very rarely and helped me find some pretty wild deals and stuff I wouldn’t be able to really justify at full price. Since female reps are few and far between, it's possible it was my wife. She was REALLY BAD about corporate-mandated callbacks, by which I mean she loathed bothering people.
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Oct 7, 2019 17:26
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rickiep00h posted:You can request a new rep, and while he'll probably complain, usually management is more than willing to toss sales under the bus to keep a customer, especially an established one. And considering I've heard some pretty ridiculous reasons for requesting a transfer, you could probably give just about any reason under the sun. I appreciate the info a ton. That’s such a shame though. Their customer service and quality control is impeccable so it’s easy to not question much deeper. I want to ask for some details but it really doesn’t matter or solve anything. Sorry if she/you had to deal with any of that. It really isn’t right and shouldn’t have anything to do with music gear.
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Oct 7, 2019 17:31
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My Sweetwater rep has been pretty good (similar to what someone said, he can usually get me at least a slightly better price than what's listed) and contacts me rarely if ever unless it's to check on a replacement or whatever. But man, if he's out of the office I get his assistant(?) and that dude could not physically give fewer shits about customer service. He sends the most brusque emails and is awful to talk to on the phone, and for some reason if I ask for a price on something where they have no margin to move, he'll still take the time to generate an invoice instead of just saying "sorry, can't do anything with the price on that one" which, along with the general tone of our interactions, feels weirdly passive-aggressive, like the dude resents that customers would have the gall to ask for a better deal.
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Oct 7, 2019 17:37
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Kilometers Davis posted:I appreciate the info a ton. That’s such a shame though. Their customer service and quality control is impeccable so it’s easy to not question much deeper. I want to ask for some details but it really doesn’t matter or solve anything. Sorry if she/you had to deal with any of that. It really isn’t right and shouldn’t have anything to do with music gear. The biggest reason I still recommend them to people is because they do have good customer service and by and large most of the actual grunt-work employees I've met are genuinely good people who care about their work. Chuck does in fact do some great stuff for the community of Fort Wayne. They tend to be really polarizing for a lot of people, and I just want to say it's neither as amazing or as terrible as most customers will say to work with them. You get what you expect from a retail experience a good most of the time and that's pretty rare in general and in the industry. They're just very much a medium-sized privately-held company based in Indiana. edit: also, that ^^^
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Oct 7, 2019 17:43
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Philthy posted:A while back I preordered whatever that $100 Korg DIY synth/fx box was from Sweetwater. Literally two minutes later I get a call and an email from this dude named Josh saying that it wasn't expected to ship till December and was just making sure I was aware and if I needed to cancel he was there to have my back and help me out. Cool, that was pretty prompt, so I sent the guy an email saying I knew it was a preorder and thanked him for checking for me. A month later he emails me saying good news, the Korg is expected to ship a month earlier! Sweet, for a simple $100 order I've got my own studio assistant letting me know when my equipment is coming in. I noticed on my Facebook feed Euro stores are taking preorders for the Behringer Crave already, but I didn't notice any places in the USA taking preorders. So I hit up my man Josh that if he wants me to get big and sell out some venues I'll need to have this Crave thing everyone is talking about. So he took my preorder and I'm first in line to get it. Talk about service, he'll be my manager when I hit it big. Josh is a good dude. He'll take good care of you. I got passed off to Matt Zuleger who as it turns out, is also very good. rickiep00h posted:On the flipside, it's EXTREMELY RARE that customers are even remotely happy with the amount of email, phone calls, and marketing snail mail SW sends out. I look forward to my seasonal catalogs. 
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Oct 7, 2019 17:56
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Yeah, so far he hasn't contacted me in any annoying way. It's just the first time I ran into any company having a "personal" sales assistant like this, and it was neat to see someone following up on what is typically a cheapo throw away order. I honestly didn't think he would be able to do anything about pre-ordering the Crave but I just wanted to see, and here I am having it preordered. Now I guess I they have to deliver the items to seal the deal, but so far the experience has been cool. I've got a Digitakt in my sights and I'll see how well price matching against EU prices will fare. If they can budge, I might just pull the trigger with them rather than waiting an extra week to save an extra $150.
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Oct 7, 2019 18:27
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How do I get deals from Sweetwater? Is there a right way to ask? My rep Aaron stopped bothering me after he got the hint I was dodging his calls but he'd call up about some new Roland whatever (and never anything more interesting than that even! despite telling him I was into analog, modular, and drum machines) that I could already get cheaper on Reverb and I'd say well it looks cool but its too expensive for me rnand thats as far as the discussion would go. Whereas pro audio star I can just ask for 25% off sticker in the chat box and usually get it. Not NEARLY the operation but they used to be one stop down from me on my commute (and seemed legitimately shocked when I showed up to their brick and mortar) so it felt realer? Like I'm not gonna be in Indiana any time soon for all I know they brought back Kubrick to make all those fancy factory conveyer belt vids I've seen.
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Oct 7, 2019 18:34
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JamesKPolk posted:How do I get deals from Sweetwater? Is there a right way to ask? My rep Aaron stopped bothering me after he got the hint I was dodging his calls but he'd call up about some new Roland whatever (and never anything more interesting than that even! despite telling him I was into analog, modular, and drum machines) that I could already get cheaper on Reverb and I'd say well it looks cool but its too expensive for me rnand thats as far as the discussion would go. For my rep, I just call while I'm on the site and say "Hey man, I see this on the site for $X what can you do for me?" He usually blows me away with a discount I didn't expect, meaning, more than I thought. But I know my guy well enough that he knows my voice when I call and he'll tell me he listened to my last album and we'll talk a little before we get to the meat of the reason for my call.
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Oct 7, 2019 18:37
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You bourgeys waste so much money on gear you know who your Sweetwater rep is. Screwdriver, soldering iron, multimeter, craigslist: Lowest price guarantee!
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Oct 7, 2019 19:14
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It's HIGHLY dependent on what their markup is. Some brands (Apple, Mesa/Boogie, lots of boutique pedal builders) have much tighter control over their street price than others. Usually if you're getting a really good deal, either the manufacturer is running a deal, or your rep is literally eating a portion of their own commission to give you that deal, and they can't (or won't) tell you which. But honestly, if you're a sticker shopper that's constantly asking for poo poo at discount and not generating sales for them, they're probably gonna toss you into the open database during a prune. They're pressured to make calls more than sales, so if they're investing time in you, it's because you've indicated you're actually going to buy something. There's a fair amount of give and take involved. JamesKPolk posted:I could already get cheaper on Reverb and I'd say well it looks cool but its too expensive for me This right here is exactly how you won't get a deal. GnarlyCharlie4u posted:I look forward to my seasonal catalogs. You're in a very small minority, I assure you. People get loving VICIOUS.
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Oct 7, 2019 19:25
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