Ambient Garden Jam on Battery Powered Mini Semi Modular

video by ChrisLody

"The incredibly cold and wet spring season we've had here in the UK seems to have finally given way to summer, so what a better way to make the most of the weather than a battery powered jam in the garden.

I've been building the rig in the video specifically to have something battery powered to jam and record on away from the studio but I was mostly thinking of writing on the sofa. But a few days ago we moved a sofa bed out of our cabin in the garden and it seems to have become garden furniture now, so this was a perfect place for a quick test of this setup.

It's perhaps not the best bit of music I've written but I had a few unexpected problems with my mini mixer being extremely quiet to begin which put me off my stride a bit. I ended up using the mixers mic inputs instead of line in which shouldn't have been necessary, but it works at least.

I'll make a vlog about the modular/semi modular 'Synth Tray' in a bit, but just quickly everything here is running on various rechargeable batteries and I'm using a Volca Modular, Bastl Kastle, Volca Beats (which I might replace with my Bastl Kastle Drum if it ever arrives....) Korg NTS1, Korg SQ1, Radio Shack Mixer, Korg SR1 'Sound on Sound' and a Suboos latern which has USB power to run the NTS1. There is a prototype board on there too but it wasn't used here. The reverb is provided by the Korg SR1 and the ambient sound is direct from my Sony HDR-CX240E and is played back dry. Molly the cat is on cable monitoring duties."