Content Spotlight July 2018 - Felix aka NightMachines
Jul 26, 2018 22:47:57 GMT
NightMachines, thetechnobear, and 2 more like this
Post by admin on Jul 26, 2018 22:47:57 GMT
This is the very first of a series of threads titled “Spotlight” where we will present a topic or an artist from the AE Modular community in a bit more detail. We hope that this will serve to pull together all the disparate bits of information from various posts around the forum and other social media channels.
Today we’ll be presenting Felix aka NightMachines who has been running a very successful YouTube channel “The Tuesday Night Machines” for a number of years. His recent videos with and about the AE Modular system have been very informative and also beautiful and have apparently caused inadvertently quite a swell in orders for tangible waves.
Felix was also a great source of inspiration and helpful suggestions while we were building this forum.
We asked Felix: Why did you buy an AE Modular?
"Honestly, I was a bit sceptical at first. A tiny, lightweight and cheap modular system with great sound seemed too good to be true. So I made sure to look for the Tangible Waves stand at SuperBooth this year to check it out in person. I met Robert there and we had a nice and long chat. He gave me a demo of the AE Modular system and I was really impressed. It was so cleverly designed and I didn't expect a sound like this from a cheap system at all."
Why is portability so important to you?
"I think at some point, every musician tries to figure out a portable music setup for themselves. I've done that lots of times with Eurorack and even with a 5U modular once. It's easy when you own a car, but I don't, so my systems always needed to be public-transport friendly. A two-row Eurorack system will quickly weight over 10kg/20lbs though, and then you might need accessories on top of that. So it always becomes a hassle to travel with that stuff. The AE Modular is a real game changer I believe, not just because of its small size, but also because it can be powered from a cheap 9V power bank for hours. Since I found that out, I rarely even bother to plug it into a wall outlet at home."
In your opinion, what are the main advantages of AE Modular over other modular formats?
"I talk to modular synth beginners a lot, because of my Modular Synth Basics video series on YouTube. Cost and module choice are always a concern there, because as a newbie you often don't know how to use a modular yet in your own musical context. I made a few mistakes at the beginning of my modular journey that cost me a lot of nerves and money. Very frustrating! The AE Modular format offers a solution to this on all fronts. It's very affordable, yet it's a true modular synth in every sense and you can get useful pre-configured systems, which also leave space for expansion. The latter part is very important and often overlooked, I think. Many other pre-configured systems don't leave extra space for adding new modules later on, or people tend to buy cases that are too small when designing their own first system. Experimentation with a system and its evolution is an important aspect of the modular synth experience though, so you need room to expand - especially as a beginner who still finds their way."
Felix has a great way of explaining things in his very clear and concise manner. But he is also a great musician and the following videos show him integrating his new AE Modular in very musical pieces.
Today we’ll be presenting Felix aka NightMachines who has been running a very successful YouTube channel “The Tuesday Night Machines” for a number of years. His recent videos with and about the AE Modular system have been very informative and also beautiful and have apparently caused inadvertently quite a swell in orders for tangible waves.
Felix was also a great source of inspiration and helpful suggestions while we were building this forum.
We asked Felix: Why did you buy an AE Modular?
"Honestly, I was a bit sceptical at first. A tiny, lightweight and cheap modular system with great sound seemed too good to be true. So I made sure to look for the Tangible Waves stand at SuperBooth this year to check it out in person. I met Robert there and we had a nice and long chat. He gave me a demo of the AE Modular system and I was really impressed. It was so cleverly designed and I didn't expect a sound like this from a cheap system at all."
Why is portability so important to you?
"I think at some point, every musician tries to figure out a portable music setup for themselves. I've done that lots of times with Eurorack and even with a 5U modular once. It's easy when you own a car, but I don't, so my systems always needed to be public-transport friendly. A two-row Eurorack system will quickly weight over 10kg/20lbs though, and then you might need accessories on top of that. So it always becomes a hassle to travel with that stuff. The AE Modular is a real game changer I believe, not just because of its small size, but also because it can be powered from a cheap 9V power bank for hours. Since I found that out, I rarely even bother to plug it into a wall outlet at home."
In your opinion, what are the main advantages of AE Modular over other modular formats?
"I talk to modular synth beginners a lot, because of my Modular Synth Basics video series on YouTube. Cost and module choice are always a concern there, because as a newbie you often don't know how to use a modular yet in your own musical context. I made a few mistakes at the beginning of my modular journey that cost me a lot of nerves and money. Very frustrating! The AE Modular format offers a solution to this on all fronts. It's very affordable, yet it's a true modular synth in every sense and you can get useful pre-configured systems, which also leave space for expansion. The latter part is very important and often overlooked, I think. Many other pre-configured systems don't leave extra space for adding new modules later on, or people tend to buy cases that are too small when designing their own first system. Experimentation with a system and its evolution is an important aspect of the modular synth experience though, so you need room to expand - especially as a beginner who still finds their way."
Felix has a great way of explaining things in his very clear and concise manner. But he is also a great musician and the following videos show him integrating his new AE Modular in very musical pieces.
