We need a break!

The past weeks have been a bit overwhelming and challenging for us here at the tangible waves workshop. For one thing we were absolutely inundated with orders for the new VMIX-10 which has become a best seller in only a few weeks without much advertising even. The initial batch was sold out in a few days and we have now ordered many more for the next batch to keep up with demand. The first batch is now (finally!) shipping and I dare say it is looking quite stylish in its packaging.

​We also had great success with the sale of the KUZMIN filter. We declared in this blog post that we would donate 70% of the sales of this module to UNICEF to help the children of Ukraine who are most affected by the brutal war inflicted on them by Putin. So far 32 modules were sold over the last 2 weeks which generated more than €960 which we’ve donated to UNICEF. If you haven’t yet decided to make the purchase, don’t worry, we will keep up with the donations in the future, as surely help will be needed even after the war ends.

We’ve decided to suspend working on new modules for a while. The process is more time consuming than I often expect (although I love it!)  and made especially complicated and exhausting  with the worsening chip crisis and delivery delays from China due to renewed COVID lockdowns that  affect factories and delivery companies. We started the year with an almost clean order book and unfortunately have slipped behind in the production and shipping of orders due to the mentioned issues, but also because Antonia (who manages all the packaging/shipping) fell quite ill with Covid for a few weeks. Now we will all work focused hard to “close the gap” again. We will also focus more on improving the quality of existing modules, some of which may soon see improved versions.

But don’t worry, we do have a special surprise planned for release at Superbooth ;-)

​New Products

While there’s not much to see from tangible waves this month, our friend John from Wonkystuff has caused quite the stir with the release of two very exciting modules.

Wonkystuff - Kaestle

The Kaestle is a clone of the famous Bastl Kastle mini synthesiser from Bastl Instruments. As you can see in the photo above it breaks the “rules” of where patch points should be in the AE Modular system. But as this module is almost a complete synth voice in itself, it makes sense and allows for easier patching.

You can find more information about this module at the Wonkystuff shop here:
https://wonkystuff.net/product/kaestle/

Wonkystuff - Drum

This is another clone from Bastl Instruments, this time for the relatively new Drum module, a very complex, glitchy and fun way to explore lofi drum patterns and sounds.

Find out more about the drum here at the Wonkystuff online shop:
https://wonkystuff.net/product/kaestledrum/ 

Patchwire Fabrication - Angular Brackets

These new 3D printed brackets are a great and very sturdy way to connect two AE Modular cases to each other. You can either buy the finished product from the Patchwire Fabrication’s Etsy store:
https://www.etsy.com/au/listing/1192247163/ae-modular-desk-brackets 

Or you can print them yourself if you have a 3D printer at home. You can find the instructions and other information in this thread on the forum:
https://forum.aemodular.com/thread/1995/new-brackets-patchwire-fabrication-available

S-Trig converter cable

So we couldn’t help ourselves and had to throw in a tiny, specialised product which we developed for a customer a few months ago. With this adapter you can convert gate/trigger signals from AE modular (or other synths) to the so-called S-Trigger. S-Triggers are used in Moog synths and its Clones, e.g. in the 911 envelope generator, and Korg synths, like MS-10, MS-20 and others.

​This cable is now available from our online store.

Music made by the Community

Max Richardson, Here but not here

​This is a truly special album even though it’s not per se made with the AE Modular. Max has asked many people from all over the world to recount their experiences and challenges throughout the pandemic and then assembled it all masterfully into a series of collages with subtle background music and sounds which provide just the right atmosphere for each segment. To be honest, it can be challenging to engage with it as it is very personal and may open some wounds that are now slowly healing after the global craziness of the pandemic. However throughout all the accounts of hardship, there’s also always the element of resilience and strength to move on. And that is what eventually instils hope in the listener.
Please listen and purchase this amazing work on Max Richardson’s Bandcamp page:
https://maxrichardson.bandcamp.com/album/here-but-not-here

Max was also interviewed about this project on BBC radio and you can listen to the interview here (forward to 02:22:00):
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0bs0rx5 

Black Warrior Lures

User @funbun is so productive, it’s almost scary, but in a really good way! Here are two new albums of electronic experimentation in rhythms and sounds.

​You can find both albums on his Bandcamp page:

https://blackwarriorlures.bandcamp.com/album/xenharmonique-2

https://blackwarriorlures.bandcamp.com/album/beccas-dreams

Meetups and Events

Synthfest France, 1st - 3rd of April in Nante

Our forum user @moruial is going and if you are also there, then maybe meet up for a mini AE Modular meetup! More information in our forum:
https://forum.aemodular.com/thread/2020/synth-fest-france

Superbooth, 12th - 14th May in Berlin

We’ve talked about this a lot and are looking forward to seeing many of you there at our tangible waves booth. A small group of people has already started planning to meet up for a group event of some sort.

If you would like to meet other forum users at Superbooth, then please add your name to the growing list here in the forum:
https://forum.aemodular.com/thread/2014/superbooth-2022