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Post by pt3r on Sept 1, 2021 7:01:34 GMT
I have noticed that when I acquire a new rack that I get a kind of module overload stress; so many modules must use 'em all etc... which results in a creative deadlock, nothing gets created and I start to doubt whether I should have bought that rack 'cause clearly I have nothing to tell with it. This happened to me when I received my first starter rack, and it happened again when I got my second rack.
The first couple of days it seems like I lost 'it' (some may argue that I never had 'it' but that's a different discussion  ). The only way, for me, to get out of this creative rut is to take a step back and to focus on a few of the modules and get a little patch going to explore the possibilities of the new module(s) and from there learn how to make 'em play together with the other modules to make them sing the song of my people 
I remember that I deliberately produced my first patches with only a few module of the starter rack; it took me week before I even connected the SEQ8 module because I felt that I was getting nowhere and that this whole modular thing was a waste of money and time. The same feeling got hold of me when I built up my second rack; all of a sudden it was back to square one; why on earth did I buy these modules? I can not generate anything interesting (to my ears) with them... the AEtherwaves 3 is coming and you will not be able to produce anything that sounds like you.. etc..
So again I had to take a step back and only plug in the ALGODRONE and listen to that darn thing for a couple of hours, add in the mm33+ and a DELAY and discover the sonic possibilities that suit me. and built on from there..
TLDR; Am i the only one who gets in a serious creative rut when confronted with too many new possibilities? (which I doubt very much, and I'm very good at doubting, especially myself) So how do you deal with it?
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Post by robertlanger on Sept 1, 2021 7:12:11 GMT
Thanks for sharing frankly your experiences; I think this is a topic almost everybody faces from time to time...
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Post by NightMachines on Sept 1, 2021 8:06:19 GMT
Welcome to the club Modular is a very special instrument because of the endless configuration possibilities. When you add/swap modules or get a new case, you create a new instrument for your brain to get used to. Reducing the modules to focus on helps me as well in that situation, to get a new start. I also know people who create one big patch then and leave it there for a week, only tweaking knobs during that time to see where it leads. Basically taking the “modular” out of the modular synth. |
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Post by keurslagerkurt on Sept 1, 2021 8:19:27 GMT
I did not experience it with my starter rack, but I did experience it very hard with my latest big batch (about one row) of modules. Too many options, too many new things I HAD to try, or maybe just a too steep learning curve I made for myself? Took me a week to start and even launch up the new modules. I was a bit terrified by my own reaction to these new modules. Lots of questions like 'did i order too much?', 'did i waste all my money?',..
Right now it's a lot better, I took it step by step too. However, I still haven't patched the switchmatrix... Should be time soon!
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Post by 101 on Sept 1, 2021 8:20:03 GMT
I start with patching givens. Clock distribution to sequencers. Osc to nyle filter and ducking the vca from the bass drum triggers. Now then what shall we do today?
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Post by pt3r on Sept 1, 2021 8:22:40 GMT
... When you add/swap modules or get a new case, you create a new instrument for your brain to get used to... This explains it very well IMO. It indeed becomes a completely different thing. It's not like putting new strings on a guitar or getting a new mouthpiece for the sax, in the end it's still the same guitar or sax. |
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Post by pt3r on Sept 1, 2021 8:24:18 GMT
I did not experience it with my starter rack, but I did experience it very hard with my latest big batch (about one row) of modules. Too many options, too many new things I HAD to try, or maybe just a too steep learning curve I made for myself? Took me a week to start and even launch up the new modules. I was a bit terrified by my own reaction to these new modules. Lots of questions like 'did i order too much?', 'did i waste all my money?',.. Right now it's a lot better, I took it step by step too. However, I still haven't patched the switchmatrix... Should be time soon! Exactly the same feeling I had when my latest order arrived. |
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Post by maydonpoliris on Sept 1, 2021 8:28:44 GMT
Absolutely mate, I'm with you on this too.
I find myself trying to do too much with every module I've got otherwise "I'm surely a failure" or "I have to do something really creative this time" even though you can produce a great track with just an oscillator, filter and envelope.
I like your idea of taking a step back, revisiting modules you know as I've got some new modules on the way so I think I will take your advice and start small.
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Post by pt3r on Sept 1, 2021 8:38:37 GMT
Absolutely mate, I'm with you on this too. I find myself trying to do too much with every module I've got otherwise "I'm surely a failure" or "I have to do something really creative this time" even though you can produce a great track with just an oscillator, filter and envelope. I like your idea of taking a step back, revisiting modules you know as I've got some new modules on the way so I think I will take your advice and start small. I know, but the brain is a funny thing, even though I know this approach is the right one for me I still get overwhelmed and try to go the all-in approach, land on my face and go back to the KISS approach |
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Post by maydonpoliris on Sept 1, 2021 8:50:30 GMT
pt3r 🤣same, Im sure I'm going to go all in next time too. It's like our drug of choice.
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Post by moruial on Sept 1, 2021 9:11:21 GMT
Also had this issue quiet a lot of time to be honest. There are modules in my case I haven't touched yet because I don't know how to get out of my frame work and inculed them in.
The thing is, as human being we are drawn to new thing, we get excited buy what may come and when it's there, "that's not it". 1st World problem in my opinion. But we also have the power to try out new things, get out of our comfort zone and do what we intended to do in the first place. Have new modules, especially when you get a lot at a time is very daunting. And not just with modules, with everything. Some months ago I wanted to greate a big drone track layering lot of sound, but my capacity was "limited" so I get the idea to buy a big damn mixer and I got my hands on a Soundtracs Topaz with 32 channels. The beast is enormous and I had to shift my whole living room to fit it. I sat in front of it, being happy because it looks great and it open many possibilities, but I also felt bad because how daunting the thing was and if it was indeed necessary to get that beast... Today, even if I do not play music everyday, I do enjoy my stuff and I try to commit myself even more to music and play more.
New modules or new gears aren't always a necessity at all, but if we can get them and force ourselves to work them out and play them, it's all more joy at the end!
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pol
Wiki Editors
Posts: 1,278
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Post by pol on Sept 4, 2021 6:55:19 GMT
This is a general issue for music making I feel; too many possibilities can be hard to hone down to one.... AE related it's hard for me to complete a piece of music because I just getting fiddling/adjusting....
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Post by pt3r on Sept 4, 2021 8:06:37 GMT
This is a general issue for music making I feel; too many possibilities can be hard to hone down to one.... AE related it's hard for me to complete a piece of music because I just getting fiddling/adjusting.... Sure but on th other hand by keeping it in the rack you can still impose limits on yourself (depending on the size of that rack of course ) which for me can boost the creativity. (AE) Modular has for me been a serious creativity booster, since most of the modules are quite elementary they do something without endless menu diving which keeps you focused on how to combine some of these elements into a beautiful audio stew, or sushi if you're more minimal inclined. |
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Post by lukylutte on Sept 4, 2021 8:12:14 GMT
I guess it's a common thing. I didn't realised it as stress until reading this. For me it's usually more as guilt. Since I don't patch that often. Unless the patch is way too experimental I usually keep it for 2 months so I can learn its limitations and tricks so I can jam with it and friends together without just bringing just harsh noises. So if my patch has half of the module unused I kinda feel guilt bringing the system to a jam.
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). The only way, for me, to get out of this creative rut is to take a step back and to focus on a few of the modules and get a little patch going to explore the possibilities of the new module(s) and from there learn how to make 'em play together with the other modules to make them sing the song of my people 
