Yeah an MPE Launchpad would be cool … but would have to be able to slide around that bad boi like the Linnstrument …
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That’s what greatcoats and overcoats are for. Wearing over other coats.
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That’s a slightly surprising take on a forum where so many users value DAW-less setups.
Do you feel the need to be tethered to your computer when you’re making music?
I’ve messed around quite a bit with different setups over the last 20+ years of my synth journey, and I find a well setup table or stand AWAY FROM A COMPUTER is a lovely way to put myself in a distraction-free, experimental mind space. I get a lot of joyous music making done in that context.
I will note that using a vertical stand like a Jaspers does require a slightly different approach then spreading stuff out on a table. You have to think in “ergonomic layers” and be ready to tweak the vertical layout to find what works for you. On my big Jaspers KR200-6 rack I’ve got two working levels: 1) a seated position occupying two spans for large keyboards and my main sequencer; and 2) a standing position occupying two spans for drum machines and smaller synths. The upper 2 spans of this 6-span system are storage / swing space for gear I swap in and out.
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Pics pls
Since I’ve strayed from the “Downsizing Your Hardware” theme of this thread, I’ll post a pic in “Your Setups”.
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Sorry if this came off as offensive to those using a Jaspers and having a great time with it, that’s great for you! I was just talking about how I‘m sure I wouldn’t use the synths anymore once they’re on it, like some users here who actually have/had one report.
Thanks for sharing your thinking behind the stand arrangement, interesting! I want to be away from the computer as much as possible and would love to not have it on my music making desk, but then I would finish even less and just noodle. I was referring to the fact that many people owning a Jaspers sequence the gear on it with a device that’s somewhere else in the room (which might be a PC), but that’s just the impression I get from Youtube studio tour or anecdotes. Which I wouldn’t find very practical.
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Noodling is indeed a “risk” but is also critical for my own creative flow.
To make it easier to go from noodling to composition I’ve been using a software tool called Rewind that sits in the background and records all the audio and MIDI during my musical brainstorming sessions. I then pull the recordings and MIDI into my DAW when I’m ready to start tying ideas together into song structure.
And like many of the videos you see, I can indeed sequencing everything from my main computer, but that’s typically late in my process.
p.s. I apologize for straying from the “Downsizing” discussion. I myself am doing some downsizing at the moment, though the Jasper’s rack stays! 
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Heh, I’ve been looking for something similar, except triggered and which saves the last five minutes and continues until several seconds of silence.
Means I won’t lose anything but don’t need to go through hours and hours of recordings.
(every recording signifies something interesting happened)
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Rewind does have a “triggered” mode – they call it “gated mode”. It will start recording if audio exceeds a threshold, and then pause recording when it drops below the threshold for a set amount of time.
So basically you can set it to only record while you’re playing something.
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Downsizing the spread is in some way, downsizing.
Ah, the thing I was talking about also records the previous X minutes too so you can trigger it after playing something good 
Yes, that’s the basic idea of Rewind. You set the length of the Recording Loop (max 30 mins) which is the length of the retrospective recording window.
See the Rewind Manual for more detail.
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You folk above carry on with the Rewind discussion, it’s all good.
General question re downsizing, particularly for those of you who have let go of a lot of stuff:
How did you handle items that are 50% keep/50% go, consistently? i.e.: Something that takes up space, is appealing but not regularly used, and could bring a good return—but involves some complication:
- Needs a repair I can’t make, which will have to be explained in the ad
- Has some faint sentimental attachment
- Offers unique sounds
- Is rare enough that it probably won’t be available again once it’s gone
Understand, I’m not a collector, and know what gear I need to make music. This is about the instruments that aren’t used all the time.
I’ve been broke enough to sell gear to pay the bills, but not recently; so this isn’t an emergency—though I do remember what it’s like to be in a financial bind. Right now I need space, and I should pay down debts, and someone else should be getting a good price from me to get instruments I rarely use.
Really shouldn’t keep it all, but wouldn’t want to sell it all since it provides something different without spending, when I no longer should spend.
So … how do I sort out what goes? What’s your experience in this situation?
Late edit: typo
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I kind of look at what has the most overlap here.
If I can re-create the sound from one machine close enough on a different one I’ll start looking at which one of them needs to go. And at that point it comes down to workflow and yeah, I guess rarity.
For example, I wound up with several different FM synthesizers because that’s super neat to me, but in the end I’m kind of getting the same sounds from each one unless they are special and have something like the Megadrive chip inside or some extra utility like the Great Conjunction’s generative sequencer.
If not, they’re gone. I don’t want to have too much stuff and I can only reasonably play or control one or two boxes at a time anyway.
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This is super-helpful, thanks!
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I’d make a low effort ad for a price that seems a bit too high and see if someone bites. If so, you can see how the thought of actually selling it for good money feels. If not, you can see if you’re relieved you can keep it or feel more like lowering the price to get rid of it.
Alternatively list it at a really low price and see if it makes you happy to let somebody buy it for a price that’s lower than usual. Sometimes it’s just a question of a few Euros whether something sells really fast or not.
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Thanks for your thoughts! Interesting to see how everyone goes at this.
I have a set policy about selling, just for myself.
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Once I offer something for sale, and a seller wants to buy at the offered price, I don’t withdraw the item. So if someone bought at a high asking price, I would sell. Simplest for everyone to complete the sale. This is also keeping a kind of promise, which I always prefer to do if possible.
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Re price, I usually sell (on Reverb) at the lower end of what the item’s actually sold for in the past (not what people are currently asking for it). An ignorant or difficult buyer will often pass on a fair price, but someone who actually wants the item will usually grab it, or make a reasonable offer (which I accept).
By the time I’ve decided to sell something, it’s like I’ve already let go of it in my mind. I’ve never seriously missed anything I’ve sold, and the stuff listed on Reverb always sells if I don’t drive a hard bargain.
So the hinge moment for me is deciding to put something on sale. Once it’s out there, it’s an orphan on its own.
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I put stuff on a medium high price, and then discount it by some small amount per week, it works very well, because poeple who favorite your offer get a constant reminder, and they are conditioned to buy, because if not, someone else will because the price keeps falling down
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Just a parenthesis about that because that’s so true. FM is FM in the end. What changes from a synth to another is the interface, but the technique and sound are pretty similar - unless there is a special chip, as @PentalagusMusic pointed out.
So, yeah, to come back on topic: downsize by selling all your FM synths but one 
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