Last Update: 2014-01-17
HomeDownloadsTuning and TemperamentDIY StuffGear PicsSome pictures were made in a hurry with an old, borrowed digital camera... anyway, I have a custom tube rack JPEG 76k from Jaspers (the base rack was salvaged from a shop move), holding the WAVE and some rack gear: MIDI router, Mixer, Kawai K5000R and a Waldorf rackAttack. The one I have is a pre-production unit, so it still has the color scheme of the microQ. I've got another tube rack JPEG 63k reasonably cheap and customized that for use with the Q+ and microQ Omega keyboard (you can also see a Line6 Pod and a Yamaha QY20). I added wheels so I can move it out of the way if needed.
I also have an Waldorf XTk/30 JPEG 41k, which now sits above the Q+ instead of the microQ JPEG 62k (the thing just above the BigQCard is the remote control of the MT16-X). I canned the plan to build another tube rack on wheels for the microQ and the Matrix-12 JPEG 43k, which had temporary places on two of my desks. Buying it new was a little bit too expensive, so I went with a Quicklok Z-502 stand JPEG 61k (also on wheels), which now holds the microQ, the Alesis Andromeda, the Matrix-12 along with the Korg EX-800 JPEG 89k, and the reactivated MAM SLE-82 and Doepfer MMR-4/4. The Waldorf WAVE got company from his older and smaller brother and ancestor of the Waldorf XTk, the Waldorf MicroWave I JPEG 97k. When the OS on the the MWI was updated to version 2.0, a limited run of machines were made with green finish rather than blue and I was lucky to aquire one of these second-hand. It is named Mean Green Machine, the power switch is labeled Life and the card slot reads Food JPEG 76k. A Yamaha FS1R ("Ladies and Gentleman, may I have your attention please") JPEG 15k fills my needs for electric pianos and figures nicely in sound stacks together with the microWave and the K5000.
One of my desks is now occupied again, this time by a Hartmann Neuron JPEG 39k, which has a network connection to my computer via an Ethernet switch. Another recent addition is a Wersi EX-20 JPEG 58k (the expander version of the MK1 stage performer keyboard) with a very interesting additive synthesis engine.
The whole setup is connected via a MIDItemp MT16-X MIDI matrix, which results in an impressive tangle of cables JPEG 39k. The MT16-X not only allows me to play anything from anywhere, but also to filter the MIDI messages extensively (like spurious all notes off from my PX55, active sensing from the K5000 and broken aftertouch from the XTk). Unfortunately the thing is not produced anymore, just like the Doepfer MMR4/4.
I've recently moved, fortunately all gear has survived intact. The studio is set up, the re-cabling took the better part of two weekends. The new place allows to put all three racks next to each other and the desk with the Neuron also stands nearby. A set of flying cables (MIDI and Main Out from the mixer) connects the computer that is in the other room or I can use my notebook with SoundDiver.
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Just before the move I opened the WAVE to clean it, heres an inside view JPEG 56k and a closeup of the four voicecards JPEG 60k.
After rebuilding the rest of the house I've moved into I'm finally ready to put the studio to it's intended destination. I'll still have to do a lot of re-arranging and modifying the studio furniture to make it fit into the new place. Meanwhile at least the two WAVE (yes, I got a second one) are already there. They both run the new OS1.803 now and I've replaced their aging floppy drives with something that emulates up to 100 floppies that are stored on a USB stick. The stick itself is the smallest one I could find so it can be permanently inserted. It's a bit eerie when the WAVE boots without that clickety-clack from the floppy drive… The Q+ and XTk are currently in the living room and the Blofelds are on my computer desk together with the Technics WSA1R and the EX-800. Everything else is packed up in cases and boxes at the moment including the MIDI and audio connections.
For a long time I have searched for a memory expansion for my K5000 (I had purchased the last K5000R from KAWAI Germany and they didn't have any expansions left at the time). It turns out that finally a replica is available at a very reasonable price: ME-1 memory expansion replica (German) (English). I immediately bought one and I am very happy with it.
