My wife picked up the Korg phase8 and obviously that meant I had to try it out for this week's weeklybeat. I did about 3 other takes with the phase8 into MOOD that had moments of delight, but this was the longest stretch of enjoyable doodlin that I did. I think the next thing I have to try with it is seeing about retuning the tines and then sequencing it with something external. The device is extremely limited in what it can do, while also doing something no other device can. It's a conundrum at the moment. Still, I basically never touched my MOOD v2 since I bought it and it's been great toying around with the MOOD as the primary effect section for this little plink plonk machine. I think if I can manage to break myself away from "pretty sounds" and get a little into the prepared piano side of things with the phase8, I'm more likely to discover new and interesting sounds from it that I'm not already tapping into.

An aside about some other gear: I picked up an Elta Music Solar 42f sometime last year, and it's so inviting with its many knobs and whatnot, but every time I play with it I think I'm trying to get a sound out of it that it isn't exactly made to do. I get frustrated, then, when I'm making sounds with it and never quite feeling like I'm accomplishing what I'm after. I think I'm going to give it a few more sessions of trying my best to meet the device where it is rather than trying to force it to be something else, and if I can find a good relationship with it I'll keep it. Otherwise, it's going on Reverb and hopefully to a loving home.

Tags: chase bliss mood mkii, korg phase8, rambling, week 13 2026, View by:scottux