How Tiny Plastic Knobs Can Change Your Life
I had no idea tiny plastic knobs would change my perspective on life, let alone my creative process.
When you make music, you can find yourself in a trance when the creative juices are flowing. You feel unstoppable and everything just works. This is usually kickstarted by a wave of inspiration that comes out of nowhere, those are the best creative sessions.
However, any barrier in your way getting that creativity out into something tangible can kill all momentum. Upon receiving inspiration you’ve got to sit down at the computer, set up your interface, open up your DAW, fix whatever tech issues come up, create a track, and when you hit the keys or strings just pray sounds come out.
There have been so many time’s I’ve acted on creative inspiration only to quit after 20 minutes because my DAW stops working, the mic won’t connect, I can’t find a cable I need, you name it…
I finally bought a mini beat making machine that runs on battery and this rocked my world. Now when creativity hits, there are tiny plastic knobs at my disposal that I can twist and turn to manipulate sound, and it just works!
As it sits on the shelf I can pick it up while walking by, flick the power switch on and immediately start jamming. The built in mic lets me sample sounds and start prototyping something that’s been fermenting in my head.
There’s nothing new or special about sound machines with tactility, but there is a reason they are not being forgotten.
It’s one device, you sit down to do one thing with it, and when you finish you’re delivered one result. Your brain is not constantly being seduced by notifications. You are at peace with full agency.
It is a similar feeling I get when I put everything down to read a book, no devices in the room, just me and the book. Or when I commute to work on my bike, or when I sit down with a paper and a pencil. The tactility of this beat machine made me realize that I forgot about intentionality.
Each day I move from my work computer to my phone, then to my smart TV and back through the cycle, never giving my brain a chance to focus attention on something specific.
Turning the plastic knobs on a beat machine lets you physically transfer creativity from your brain through your body and into the music. The intensity of your motions shape the music in real time just like if you were playing a guitar or the piano.
The beat machine is separated, air-gapped and free from distractions, making it an intentional activity with one purpose. If I incorporate a few of these activities into my day I always feel more clarity, joy and happiness at the end of the day.
What plastic knobs can you start twisting in your day to day?
What You’re Hearing
If you’re familiar with the DieMachin4 Youtube channel you’ll recall a short where I recorded the sounds of a pool haul. I ended up using some pool que strikes from that session and added some delay and reverb to fill them out. I’m heavily influenced by Gesaffelstein and would love to learn how to make darker sounds, but rhythmically speaking I was definitely influenced by all the German deep house I’ve been listening to as of late.
Tools
- Machine: Roland Compact Aira P-6
- Field Recorder: Zoom H1 Essential
No plugins I feel the need to apologize for. Sometimes the boring tools make the best sounds.
The player above will let you listen while you read.