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) * Extinguishing 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