Capitalism and Fursonas

January 18, 2024 6:03 PM

Red Means Recording pulls out the OP-1 to produce a new drum n bass track and discuss, in bursts of large white letters, the ups and downs of their year. Show up for the sick beats, stick around for the poignant reflections.
posted by kaibutsu (16 comments total)

Red Means Recording also wants you to know that your synthesizer is trans.
posted by smartyboots at 6:37 PM on January 18 [10 favorites]

what I like about this video is the trifecta of music, education and reflection. Very cool.

"so why do I still feel empty?"

Red means recording.
posted by clavdivs at 7:56 PM on January 18 [2 favorites]

Jeremy is so great. I haven't been as in touch with the synth scene these days, but they're a treasure and it's sad what they have to deal with/go through, but appreciate the honesty they display when talking about it.
posted by symbioid at 8:22 PM on January 18 [4 favorites]

I had an OP-1 for a few weeks before I decided it needed to be returned as it was very much a toy, but it's awesome to hear it put to good use. Now eyeing up the new Yamaha Seqtrak which looks delightful - for only about €400...
posted by bookbook at 5:48 AM on January 19

yea, I've been debating getting a microfreak for one of the family units to learn/explore. and then I saw the SOULS SHIRT in the smartyboots video.

Anyway, surely buying some crap will help me at this moment.
posted by zenon at 7:13 AM on January 19

The thing about the Microfreak and Emilie Gillet is a bit more complex. Arturia used her open-source code without ever talking to her. Then they invited her to look at what was basically a finished product. She found that kind of off-putting and wasn't exactly thrilled; there were details she'd have changed if she'd been involved and it would have been a better synth for it (and also I seem to recall she thought the synth was ugly and the name was dumb).

Then Arturia's marketing department announced that the synth was "in collaboration with Mutable Instruments" -- which was untrue and they didn't have permission to name-drop the company -- and Emilie was quite upset with them. And then Mutable Instruments fans were also angry with them. They wound up fixing the phrasing and issuing an apology.

(I do think Microfreak is still a pretty neat little synth with good value for money, but not without some flaws beyond how the Mutable algorithms were integrated. I like Arturia in general and love the Minibrute 2S in particular, but "not without some flaws" describes basically all of their stuff in some way.)
posted by Foosnark at 8:00 AM on January 19 [3 favorites]

Jeremy is a treasure and such a refreshing alternative to the usual GAS-heavy world of synth-tubers (which, as someone who just bought one of the upthread mentioned SEQTRAKs, I am far from immune to) and I can only wish them the very best. The videos on the trans history of synthesizers (and calling out of Spitfire Audio's founder) are some of the best and most important content in this area I can remember.

(bookbook, if you're thinking of a SEQTRAK as a budget alternative to an OP-1, be aware that the emphasis is very much on the "budget" and not so much on the "alternative". It's very cheaply built and while the internal engine and companion app are very powerful, it's not a premium product and not in the same league as the OP-1)
posted by parm at 8:29 AM on January 19 [1 favorite]

Nthing that Jeremy is great. I love seeing RMR on metafilter!
posted by capricorn at 8:37 AM on January 19 [2 favorites]

I decided it needed to be returned as it was very much a toy

My first impression of the OP-1 as well, and good golly was I wrong about that. So glad to have it in my stable.
posted by not just everyday big moggies at 8:39 AM on January 19 [1 favorite]

For a non-musician, I sure seem to have watched a LOT of Benn Jordan lately. LOL, me squeeing over stuff coming out of a male kickboxer's mouth.

Add Jeremy to that stack. Thank you, kaibutsu
posted by tigrrrlily at 9:27 AM on January 19

This was a good video and I liked it and I don't like videos. So thanks!

I've looked at the OP-1 for a while but it just doesn't make the kind of music I want to make. I'm not sure what does, other than a room full of reel-to-reels, old guitar amps and an assortment of large metallic objects to smash crockery on.
posted by seanmpuckett at 9:31 AM on January 19

an assortment of large metallic objects
If you're not already familiar, you may enjoy Author & Punisher, who builds massive metal contraptions with which to perform his industrial doom noise. It's not really my jam but those instruments look fun!
posted by SaltySalticid at 9:58 AM on January 19 [2 favorites]

The only thing that keeps me away from the OP-1 is $2k to spend on shits and giggles. I really like the line of Circuit instruments though, you can get the original for around $200 second hand. Not as powerful as OP-1 but also much easier to use.
posted by SaltySalticid at 10:02 AM on January 19

Thanks Parm for the info. Luckily I am currently as poor as a church mouse, helped by buying a Digitone, Digitakt and MPC One in quick succession a couple of years ago. And on that note, I need to go add those drums and synths to my buddy’s track… and brush the dust off the kit…
posted by bookbook at 11:38 AM on January 19 [1 favorite]

I had an OP-1 for years, but I sold it a while back because it wasn’t getting much use anymore. It is a great bit of kit but the groovebox / sound toy market is a lot more diverse these days. Still lusting after a M8 but will probably stick to modular DIY in the near future.
posted by q*ben at 7:43 PM on January 19

Just watched the video, I really hope Jeremy finds some balance in 2024. RMR was the thing that made me believe I could actually create music in the first place, instead of just playing instruments, and his exploration of different instrument approaches was tangentially what brought me to the sdiy scene. I owe him a lot for my own life in music, not because we share any commonalities in approach or style but because it was watching someone be brave and human and share their process and personality that made me feel like it was worthwhile to do the same. So thanks, Jeremy, and keep being yourself.
posted by q*ben at 1:35 PM on January 20 [3 favorites]