A number of us on the #musicnerds slack channel have been preparing to deploy a community Eurorack. If you aren’t familiar with what Eurorack is, check it out here:
The TLDR is that it is a synthesizer made of lots of individual modules that can be added, removed, replaced, etc and works on the principle of “do one thing well” instead of a big monolithic components.
Our ultimate goal is to create a minimally functional rack where members can contribute, make sounds, and generally have fun.. The current plan is to mount it in the large rack at the end of the large open area so it can be used for future “music nights” which were a recurring event pre-pandemic, as well as for anyone’s enjoyment. Eurorack systems are generally expensive to make from scratch, so our hope is to enable more people in to this unique way of making sound (and maybe even music).
If you have spare Eurorack modules, a desire to contribute, or something else we haven’t thought of, join us on the #musicnerds slack channel and let us know how you’d like to help!
If you’re curious, next time you’re at the space you can flip the switch on the left side of the rack and enjoy the glorious blinking of the LFO module I’ve loaned to the space so the rack doesn’t get too lonely. I’m looking forward to seeing it full of weird and wonderful modules very soon!
Well, at the moment - with only one module - it can’t do much, so the only etiquette would be “don’t forget to turn it off when you’re done with it”.
When it gets enough modules in it to be interesting, #music-nerds should probably decide what, if any, the guidelines are.
From my point of view, my first encounter with modular synths was just being given the passcode to a room at Concordia with a giant system and absolutely no guidance or rules. That seems to be working ok for them - according to their website the system is still operational 10 years on… so I’d say my proposal for etiquette would be: “have at it! (Intro tours available on request)”
I think the biggest thing is, don’t expect your patch to remain; but feel free to leave it. I don’t think you need to unplug your work before you leave, in fact, it might be fun to leave things for others.
Regular hackspace rules apply; if you break something or find something broken, please notify people. Turn it off when done, and be respectful to others (headphones are probably preferred, especially for super annoying sounds as you are finding your sound). If you want to do speakers, just be aware of what others are hearing, and that it might be disruptive.
Otherwise, its mostly a free-for-all. Make crazy stuff and enjoy! And of course, please feel free to post something you made!
Oh cool! I built a 7j controller at the shop last night and didn’t realize there was a rack to test it on. I’ve been building a lot of modules lately and have a few cool ideas for more
If you’re on slack, you might want to join #music-nerds - we’re planning a meetup for Oct 14th - it would be cool to see this, or whatever your latest module is, in person then!
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