The latest issue of Computer Music just showed up, and it has a review of Dr. Device that is almost embarrassing in its praise. In fact, we would be embarrassed but for the fact that we're generally brimming with self-confidence. So it's really not that much of an issue.

That said, this is our first 10/10 review, and we received all three of the possible CM award thingies for a given product, so that was kind of exciting. Thanks to CM for that, and, like, yeah.

In the United States, today is the day we give thanks that the Native Americans of 1621 didn't have a tougher immigration policy, while simultaneously giving thanks that the Chinese Government controls their currency, thus leading to low, low prices at the big box stores. We do this by stuffing our fat faces all day today, watching a football game, then driving our SUVs to the mall tomorrow and maxing out our credit cards.

To the rest of the world, it's okay if you don't understand. We can't figure out Boxing Day, so bugger off.

At the risk of getting in to Mr. Kirn's territory, I've been fooling about a bit with Processing lately, to mixed results. While I have a habit of normally avoiding the coffee cup like the blight that it is, the ease of programming in Processing really makes up for the fact that the result is a .JAR.

In any event, I also purchased an Arduino board, even, thinking that I would perhaps do something of Great Import with the two. Unfortunately, it seems that (unlike, say, 3DS Max) you can't just dive right in and make Cool Shit. So be it. But if you were curious as to how I'm spending my copious free time, well, there you go.

So, any of my fair readers doing anything interesting with an Arduino or Processing (or Wiring, for that matter, I guess...)? I can't really come up with any uniquely musical uses, but as music and visuals go together like Fred and Ginger, there is a certain tie-in.

Okay, after having this thing for a few days, I think I have a fairly good handle on it. Obviously, there are many "official" reviews available on the Intertubes, from SOS, FM, CM, and even the American magazines if you want to go that route. (Personally, I'd skip 'em, like I have been for the past decade.) Since that is the case, and most of these reviews go in to great detail on the various features of the MonoMachine, I'll just jot down a few quick impressions and we can move along. In no particular order:

1. If there's an opposite to "phatt," when using that tragic term to define some hazy sort of audio quality, then the MonoMachine is it. Can I propose "thynn" as a viable alternative? This box is not "phatt," if that means "warm, analog-sounding juicy goodness." It is very digital sounding. This is most definitely not a bad thing. But if you were gonna buy this to be your main Bass Box, you're gonna be making some thin-ass music down the road.

2. So, assuming you're hip to the little bleeps, boops, and bloinks that the MM is good at, the provided engines are quite capable, and I really appreciate the fact that they can make a pretty good synth voice in five different flavors with just 8 parameters to control it. I haven't found a use (nor will I, most likely) for the voice thing, which I find somewhat silly. But the others are nice. Superwave is coolest, I think, but I'm warming to the FM.

3. It has the same filter as the MachineDrum. I had a hard time warming to this filter topology in the MD, and I'm having the same hard time here. The "BASE" knob, which sort of controls the center frequency, isn't logarithmic, but rather linear. This means that the Good Part is a very narrow band of about 2/5th of the knob's total travel. I like the general idea of their filter, but the execution leaves something to be desired. Quite frankly, I would prefer a normal MMF. But, that said, the filter is part and parcel to the MM's unique sound, and is appropriate to the application at hand, other than the point I mentioned with the scaling, which is a silly oversight IMO, as these guys are on their DSP game otherwise.

I've been an Elektron customer since there was an Elektron. I bought one of the very first SIDstations, and with this latest acquisition I've now owned every product they've made. I'm quite comfortable with the way they do things, and once you realize that they don't really follow industry norms for the way their kit works, and you get in to their vibe a bit, you're gonna be well-served by all their products. If you want something that sounds like a MiniMoog or a 909, you're shit outta luck. The MM and MD sound like, well, an MM and an MD. I'm fairly happy with the purchase, but it will take a while to fit it in to what I do, just like the MD (which sat unused for maybe 6 months before I really got in to it.)

Okay, since I was a bit taken off guard that several hundred people might be interested in seeing me test a workflow process, I felt obligated to make haste in putting something up with a bit of musical merit. I took something I had written in the normal method a month or so ago, and re-formatted it to the MM + MD combo. The above is a brief film (two cameras, natch) of me trying out different arrangement ideas and such with that particular song. It will, of course, be on the upcoming Callisto release, albeit in a much more "produced" form.

Anyways, I'm feeling better about things now, and we'll return to our regularly scheduled vitriol and diatribe for the time being. I probably won't do this again until next weekend, because it is a bit of a pain in the arse. Not so much the doing of it, but rather coming up with 3 minutes of film where I don't tragically fuck up.