TheSynergyStudios

Well I was working in the studio last night and I noticed I kept hearing an odd instrument playing and I couldn’t quite figure out where it was coming from.  So after shutting down synth equipment one by one I finally narrowed the problem down to my Roland R8m Drum Module.  This has been a real work horse for me and I still use it on projects.  Upon further inspection I noticed something else strange, I couldn’t seem to get the unit to read any internal sound banks.

So after removing the unit from my racks (no easy task) and popping open the top (note this will void your warranty!  Oh wait never mind it’s to old for that ) I thought I’d better check the battery even though the unit was not displaying any “Low Battery” message, So I removed the battery and checked it anyway.  Low and behold the battery was dead and leaking.  Make sure you make note of how the old battery was installed, On this type battery the positive is the flat side, not the smaller inner connection.  As you can see in the picture Roland has clearly marked the positive connection on the battery holder.  Not all battery holders are this nice in other gear. 

The R8m uses a standard CR2032 Lithium Battery that can be had found just about everywhere for around 7.00 for two.  But if you happen to be a pack rat like me, you’ll have a saved stash of them from some old computer motherboards that died an untimely death.  So after checking the battery with my meter for the proper voltage (3 volts) I installed the battery into the R8m, powered up and all those strange problems were gone!  Bottom line if your gear is giving you some strange behavior check the memory battery’s first.  You may end up saving yourself a lot of money in the long run.

Regards
Synthmusician

PS Please note that not all Lithium batteries are easy to remove and it can be down right dangerous if you try.  If your battery happens to be the soldered in type and your not proficient with electronics DO NOT TRY THIS YOURSELF! Lithium Batteries can explode if exposed to the heat from a soldering iron.

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Well since I've added all this cool stuff to my studio my trusty Mackie LM3204 is just out of input channels, and since the expander module for the Mackie is no longer in production and I can't seem to find one anywhere.  I began to look at all the various mixer companies to find a solution.  While I was looking around online I decided to take a quick look at the Behringer website.  Why, because I already have some of there stuff that has served me well over the years and they are well known for quality products at a reasonable price. 

Enter the Eurorack Pro RX1602.  I took a quick look at the unit online and made it a point to visit them at the NAMM show.  After chatting with the Behringer folks at the show and getting a first hand look at the unit I was more determined than ever to get a listen of this unit.  (ya just can't do that easily at NAMM)  I found one at the local music store and after doing some quick tests decided to give it a try.  Here are the Specs for the Behringer Eurorack Pro RX1602

Behringer Eurorack Pro RX1602 Line Mixer Features:

• 8 channels
• Flexible mixer or submixer
• 16 balanced line inputs
• Ultralow-noise design
• Dedicated balance and level controls
• Monitor/FX send control with global send
• Monitor/FX signal assignable to phones output
• Individual illuminated channel mute button with clip indication
• 2 x 7-digit LED level meters
• Level controls for left and right signals
• 1/4" TRS I/O
• Inputs electronically balanced
• Outputs unbalanced
• Front panel headphone jack with level control
• ALPS detented rotary controls
• Shielded toroidal power transformer

Behringer Eurorack Pro RX1602 Line Mixer Specifications:

• Input impedance: 20kOhms balanced, 10kOhms unbalanced
• Output impedance: 120ohms
• 20Hz-200kHz frequency response
• <-97dB signal-to-noise ratio
• 0.0025% THD
• 19"W x 1-3/4"H x 8-1/2"D
• 5 lbs.

After installing the unit into the first thing I noticed is just how quiet the unit is, it was hard to tell it was even on.  Now there are a few things to note about the mixer.  First there is no EQ on the unit, so everything is going to come through just as it goes in.  This is not a big deal to me as I never use EQ until final mix.  There is an effects buss where you could insert an EQ but I'd bet you'd want to save that for an effects processor.   There is also a mute button per channel (a very nice feature to help you tame some of your vintage gear that is a little on the noisy side).

Testing the unit was a real joy, the headroom on the thing is awesome!  I have a lot of synthesizers that have very hi output levels and this thing never missed a beat.  It's output was clean and clear, and from what I can tell it's almost colorless when it comes to sound.  What I put in is exactly what came out.  I have a Roland M-120 that I love and this is as close to that as I you can get, and it has more channels to boot.  Besides that the Roland M-120's are going for more used than this unit does new!

In conclusion this thing is a keeper, in fact I'm already looking for another one. So if your a gear head like me and are in need of more channels or just a small line mixer for your studio check out the Behringer Eurorack Pro RX1602 you'll be very glad you did.

Regards

Synthmusician

UPDATE:
Since my last post I've been able to a procure a second Eurorack Pro RX1602 from a seller on ebay.  

Well work on the studio is going well, so I decided I wanted to get rid of all my 17 inch monitors and replace them with flat panel LCD's.  So while I was at the local PC Club I noticed that they had a 19 inch 16 x 9 format monitor on sale from a company called SVA and it was  under that magic 200.00 price range plus it was 19 inches!  The picture looked really good and while the refresh rate wasn't the fastest on the planet, I wasn't going to use it for playing games anyway.  So after making my bank account 200.00 lighter I took my new monitor to it's new home and installed it in the studio.  Now comes the fun part, after testing it with my PC's which worked perfectly with it.  I thought to myself I wonder if I can get it to work on my Atari Mega4 STe!  So after finding a pinout for a homemade Atari ST to VGA adaptor and after about an hour of build time I tried plugging the Atari Mega4 STe into the KVM switch which all the other machines were hooked to and BINGO!  Up comes the Atari boot screen!  I now hove a 16 x 9 format high rez monochrome monitor.  I was totally blown away, not only did my good old Atari work with the new monitor, it almost filled the screen!  Of course the text and graphics suffered a little going from a 13 inch monitor to such a huge screen but it is totally usable and readable.

Now I know your thinking why bother, there are so many programs out there for the PC and Mac why stick with that antique.  Well first off I think the Atari Mega4 and other ST series computers can and does out perform some of the newer machines when it comes to straight MIDI.  I'm also very comfortable with Cubase 2.1 on the ST and have written hundreds of hours of stuff on the machine, and the best part during those heavy production deadlines it's never given me any trouble.   Now how many of you PC guys can say that hmmm?  Granted I do have several PC's in the studio but I may have to take a second look now at doing my new sequencing on the Atari.  Also there are tons editors and librarian's for all my vintage gear, some are even in the public domain now.  The other thing is some of these editor programs don't have counter parts in the PC world, either for lack of interest or just being to old.  But most importantly I have a TON of sequences stored in ST format that I may go though and revisit and release on CD soon after going in and rewriting them to use some of the newer equipment I've installed.  I also have another problem,  the PC version of Cubase cannot import older multi port sequences from the Atari, so the only way to re-record those tracks is to use the original sequencer.  Well back to work, Long Live Atari!

Regards

Synthmusician

Roland is proud to offer a brand new set of FREE bass synth patches for the MV-8800 Production Studio. In addition to the incredible lineup of analog modeled sounds and effects already onboard the MV, for a limited time you can get this special set of bass synth sounds to add some killer low end to your tracks.

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I have sitting in storage here at the studio an Opcode Studio 64X, it's in perfect working order except I can't seem to find a real driver for Windows XP!  Now you would think that such a great piece would have more support but alas I can't seem to find a full fledged Windows driver anywhere.  There are a few that partially work but where is Gibson in all of this?  They bought up Opcode (and Oberheim if I'm not mistaken) only to allow them to die on the vine.  Shame on you Gibson!  Anyway IF anyone knows of a working driver for the Opcode Studio 64X please let me know and where I can get it.

Regards
Synthmusician

This is a very cool video of Jan playing live, something other than Miami Vice Theme.  Jan is another inovator in the electronic music genre'

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0hKMdFaU-A[/video]

The mystic chords and sacred spaces of Steve Roach’s expansive sonic universe.

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Production Powerhouse Packs New Punch

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Sunday July 1st 2007 in The Hague – Details in PDF format about the Interactive Workshop by The Story Teller – 13:00 till 16:00 hrs – Mövenpick Hotel, Voorburg, Den Haag, Holland.

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Subcontinental inspirations and exhalations from Ananda Shankar, Deepak Ram, Adham Shaikh, Gaurau Raina, Tapan Raj and a host of others.

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