Otto Matta

The great sound is still there, but it starts to get too repetitive, a bit too clean and formulaic, and with too many samples. I'm not saying I hate the album, but that's the point to me when they started to regress.

Their early to mid-era sound embodies what I enjoy about Goa/Psy, namely bold rhythms, gritty bass textures, catchy melodies and well-placed samples. Tracks like Let There Be Light and Enlightened Evolution hit me in the right place in the cranium. The Another World album to me is when they started their decline. Whereas Trust in Trance 3 is probably the most classic of classics in the genre for me. I heard Open Society recently and found it surprisingly good, although the samples dominate too much. I have hope that they can still release a great album.

Okay, that's the exact one I have. Everything - the bar code, logos, catalog number - is exactly the same.

Plaid's Tekkon Kinkreet soundtrack. The movie simply would not have been the movie without the soundtrack by Plaid. As it is it's a magical, synergistic, symbiotic, 1+1=3 experience (for me, at least).

I'll let you know. I certainly don't remember the track numbers being visually backwards the way they are, but I'm guessing that's my lack of perceptiveness.

Well, that's the same one as on Discogs. Maybe I'm not understanding the problem. You and I have the same release, which is the same as on Discogs. No? e: You're right, it's a little different. The logos at the bottom are aligned differently. I'll have to check my release when I get home to see which one I have.

BUT - I'm not really an expert with release information. I like my collection, but I'm not Discogs-obsessive about it. So I could be wrong. Is there a way to know for sure? Like a catalog number or something?

My back cover (jewel case) is the same as on Discogs, and I'm pretty sure I've got the original release.

Abasio was right about V.T.O.L.: Vertical Take-Off and Landing. Nice quiz.

I have the Matsuri/Box Bunny release. How is it "flimsy"? e: Sorry, I'm uneducated. I have a different version. I don't keep track of these things. How is it "flimsy"?

Edited. :drama:

I don't understand.

I spoke too soon, I guess. I'd never make a good moderator.

Yeah, the layout is great (VST). And the sound is phenomenal.

What synth would you use for your own current mindset?

Yes, that's my understanding. And they seem to have come along at the wrong time, when technologies were accelerating and colliding. I really enjoy the faithful, vintage interface of the VST. I hope it has as much potential as I think it has as a synthesizer.

Only 2000 were made, apparently. Amazing to have owned two. BT had two, and boxed them up when he got the VST.

That's neat looking. Is there a banjo VST?

Oops. I was thinking of Vanguard. :\ I don't really like NI's stuff either. Their interfaces seem too difficult to navigate. Maybe it was my initial bad experience with Reaktor. You actually owned a real one?!

Okay, so here's what I got so far: 1. GForce's polyphonic synth (similar to the mono/duo Oddity you recommended, devious), called the impOSCar. I loaded it in Cubase, made a simple arpeggio, put some effects on it and got an instant retro boner. I was slightly tempted by reFX's synths (Vanguard, etc.), but they all sounded a bit plastic, digital and overly trancy (but good for people making trance). 2. FXpansion's DR-008 Drum Sampler/Synth. Seemed like a no-brainer. I'm excited to dig into this one. The HALion in Cubase 4 has been very limited with drums. 3. KlangLabs Vokko vocoder. Slim pickin's with vocoders out there. I was curious about NI's vocoder, but I guess they don't make it anymore. Vokko was free. I'll give that stuff a spin and see how it works.

I'm not worried. I went through a manic VST weekend a couple months ago and ended up with one (that I paid WAY too much for and can't use much because of its CPU load). I'm the kind of dude who likes to - no, needs to - keep things simple. I want to find what I need/like and get out. It's like buying shoes or jackets, or other functional items. I buy them and use them, and love them, until either they wear out or I outgrow them.

I looked into it and the Oddity does look really cool, and relatively inexpensive. I also like the list of artists that used the original Arp like Hancock, Jarre, Kraftwerk, etc. The only thing that bothers me a little is that it's not polyphonic, but rather mono/duo. It's nice to have a monophonic synth, but that means I'm going to have to get another one that's polyphonic as well. I have been inspired now, thanks to you, to look into what Isao Tomita was using back in the late 70s for his creations. I absolutely love the sound of his stuff. My weekend of VST mania has begun. I shall return. Thanks, devious. Edit: It wasn't hard to find out the info on Tomita. He was using Moog modular and a a whole assload of components.* Guess I won't be emulating his sound anytime soon. Modulars are fun to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there. *The link is to the list of stuff he used for his first, and my favorite, album, called Snowflakes are Dancing, which is where he synthesized Debussy's piano preludes.

Schroedinger's Girlfriend. :drama:

Does that mean you're volunteering? Good. But I'll miss you, regargh. :drama:

The moderators aren't doing their jobs. Someone needs a good banning to get some life back in the forum.