From e1f3a2e2812ea5de873b1137a4dcf88b36c7155e Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: David Runge Date: Fri, 15 Apr 2016 19:17:31 +0200 Subject: content/blog/201604-mssw.rst: Adding article about MSSW. --- content/blog/201604-mssw.rst | 237 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 237 insertions(+) create mode 100644 content/blog/201604-mssw.rst (limited to 'content') diff --git a/content/blog/201604-mssw.rst b/content/blog/201604-mssw.rst new file mode 100644 index 0000000..f6f185a --- /dev/null +++ b/content/blog/201604-mssw.rst @@ -0,0 +1,237 @@ +Modular Synth Selbstbau Workshop +################################ + +:date: 2016-04-06 22:00 +:modified: 2016-04-06 22:00 +:tags: c-base, berlin, eurorack, modular, synthesizer, befaco, 000, rebel technology, bastl instruments, 4ms, lithium, battery, apple +:category: events +:slug: modular-synth-selbstbau-workshop +:summary: How I got affiliated with a bunch of modular synthesizer vendors to do awesome workshops at a space station. +:authors: David Runge + +In the beginning there was one +______________________________ +| Last year, when I started building :abbr:`Eurorack (synthesizer modules designed to be rackmounted, each being 3U tall and a multiple of 2HP wide)`, what eventually took it's peak of craziness in `building my own suitcase `_, I got to know the great folks at |befaco|, a Spanish group of friends that started designing and eventually selling their own modules. +| Back then, the |nk| still existed as a venue and it was host to many concerts alongside the DIY workshops of |befaco| (taken care of by |florian_hanisch|). +| When it |nk-closing-statement|, I had already spent some time at |c-base| and found it to be a great place for synthesizer workshops (I mean, what better place for synths is there, but a space station? Well, maybe cats *and* synthesizers at a space station!). +| + +But wait, there's more! +_______________________ +| Just how it is with the meeting of like-minded people: They tend to find more of a kind! +| |befaco| are long time friends with |victor_mazon|, who just started to design his own modules under the moniker |zero_zero_zero| and spent workshops together with |rebel_tech| at |london_hackspace|. +| All of these people are most excellent, provide open hardware and I am very happy to now have them over at |c-base| for doing their workshops! +| So by the end of 2015, |zero_zero_zero|, |befaco| and |rebel_tech| started as a joint effort under the name |mssw|. +| + +The Überworkshop +________________ +.. figure:: /images/mssw_workshop.jpg + :alt: The seminar room with an ongoing modular workshop. + + The |c-base| seminar room with workshop attendees, vendors |befaco|, |four_ms|, |bastl_instruments| and the usual suspects like Jeremy Bernstein + +| Last weekend for the first time the three were in Berlin at |c-base| at the same time (due to |superbooth|), accompanied by the great folks of |bastl_instruments| and |four_ms|. +| Although everyone was pretty much destroyed from three days of listening to noise and talking to synthesizer people, they still managed to squeeze out a workshop day with all vendors combined! Hence, the **"Überworkshop"**. +| I somehow finished the |bastl_instruments_grandpa| and |bastl_instruments_little_nerd| of |bastl_instruments| (really looking forward to spend some time with those the coming weeks!) and a |befaco_power_bus| for the |c-base_soundlab| (gotta start somewhere, right?). +| + +The suicidal machine +____________________ +| Then this happened: +| +| |mssw_burning_laptop| +| +| Some short notes on the burning laptop: + +* Laptops use |lithium| based batteries. If they get too hot, they can burn! +* |lithium_reacts_with_water| (so don't ever spill water on Lithium or a laptop for that matter) +* Extincting the burning laptop with water worked here, because most of the |lithium| had reacted already and the water took away the oxigen for the reaction (the burning). This could have gone another way! +* Burning laptops generate **A LOT** of smoke. Leave the room! (Your furniture is most likely ruined by now) + +.. figure:: /images/mssw_workshop_macbook_suicide.jpg + :alt: A burnt up MacBook after its Lithium battery got too hot. + + On Sunday, 5th April 2016 at approximately 19:27 this MacBook gave its life for a future without Apple products. + +Poor Martin of |bastl_instruments| lost his laptop (and I heard his iPhone died just a week later). + +* Don't use Apple devices! +* Backup regularly! + +The showcases +_____________ + +| Not even the |ijon_twitter_macbook_suicide| could keep us from having a nice showcase evening together with Dan Snazelle of |snazzyfx| and the |mssw| crew afterwards! +| As special (self-invited) guest, we had |der_warst| aka. |simon_schaefer| (another very interesting acquaintance from 2014's |bended_realities|) with his awesome DIY circuit bending hardware. +| + +.. figure:: /images/mssw_workshop_befaco_showcase.jpg + :alt: |befaco| showcasing their equipment. + + Diego and Manu of |befaco| showcasing their equipment. + +| |befaco| did a nice set, of which I unfortunately only recorded beginning and end (the missing chunk is barely noticeably though ;-) ) due to running out of space on my |tascam_dr40|. Next time I'll be better prepared! |showcase_befaco| +| +| In return I don't have a picture of Martin Klang (|rebel_tech|), but hey... a nice recording will do: |showcase_rebeltech| +| +| With |zero_zero_zero| it's unfortunately the same, although they played the longest set: |showcase_000| + +.. figure:: /images/mssw_workshop_snazzy_showcase.jpg + :alt: |snazzyfx| showcase + + Dan Snazelle of |snazzyfx| showcasing his equipment. + +| Dan, much more than the others, went into a danceable direction. Listen for yourself: |showcase_snazzyfx| + +.. figure:: /images/mssw_workshop_jan_wilhelm_showcase.jpg + :alt: Jan Wilhelm showcase + + Jan Wilhelm (the |superbooth| party machine) showcasing his equipment. + +| Jan Wilhelm seems to have been all partied out from |superbooth| (where he apparently did techno sets all day long), as his showcase was rather experimental: |showcase_janwilhelm| +| As mentioned before, |simon_schaefer| (aka. |der_warst|) popped by, when everything was nearly over and introduced his magnificent multi-use telephone: |showcase_derwarst| + +| All in all the event prooved to be great fun, but also meant a lot of work and little sleep. Not something one organizes on a weekly basis (I hope). + +.. |befaco| raw:: html + + Befaco + +.. |befaco_power_bus| raw:: html + + power bus + +.. |c-base| raw:: html + + c-base + +.. |c-base_soundlab| raw:: html + + soundlab + +.. |florian_hanisch| raw:: html + + Florian Hanisch + +.. |ijon_twitter_macbook_suicide| raw:: html + + suicide of a MacBook + +.. |lithium| raw:: html + + Lithium + +.. |lithium_reacts_with_water| raw:: html + + Lithium reacts with water + +.. |mssw_burning_laptop| raw:: html + + + +.. |nk| raw:: html + + NK + +.. |nk-closing-statement| raw:: html + + closed down + +.. |victor_mazon| raw:: html + + Victor Mazón Gardoqui + +.. |zero_zero_zero| raw:: html + + 000 + +.. |rebel_tech| raw:: html + + Rebel Technology + +.. |london_hackspace| raw:: html + + London Hackspace + +.. |mssw| raw:: html + + Modular Synth Selbstbau Workshop + +.. |superbooth| raw:: html + + Superbooth + +.. |bastl_instruments| raw:: html + + Bastl Instruments + +.. |bastl_instruments_grandpa| raw:: html + + grandPA + +.. |bastl_instruments_little_nerd| raw:: html + + LITTLE NERD + +.. |four_ms| raw:: html + + 4MS + +.. |snazzyfx| raw:: html + + SnazzyFX + +.. |der_warst| raw:: html + + der Warst + +.. |simon_schaefer| raw:: html + + Simon Schäfer + +.. |tascam_dr40| raw:: html + + Tascam DR-40 + +.. |bended_realities| raw:: html + + Bended Realities + +.. |showcase_befaco| raw:: html + + + +.. |showcase_rebeltech| raw:: html + + + +.. |showcase_000| raw:: html + + + +.. |showcase_snazzyfx| raw:: html + + + +.. |showcase_janwilhelm| raw:: html + + + +.. |showcase_derwarst| raw:: html + + -- cgit v1.2.3