Muff's Modules & More

thanatronique · Posted: Sat May 26, 2012 8:04 pm Post subject:

Ah the picture of the orgy on AH seems pink, I'm not color blind. Anyways copper I like. And I'm not complaining, was just expressing my opinion on the look from the ah picture. I like diversity in my modules look. People have the right to express themselves.

Thanks exper for the pic, it does look good actually.

haima · Posted: Sat May 26, 2012 8:13 pm Post subject:

I voted silver. But my main beef is the graphic design & font choice. Really turns me off the module to be honest. Sorry!

Maybe offer a synthtech/intellijel style utilitarian silver panel as an option.. See who bites?

My favorite utillitarian panel style is paults' FPE prototype panels, they look awesome. Buchla panels are sweet too.

My 2c

dan_k · Posted: Sat May 26, 2012 8:16 pm Post subject:

Really love the look in your system when everything else follows it.

Not so much when mixed in with the rest of euro..

I'm kinda resigned to silver/grey, with the black makenoise stuff (rene, brains, PP) in a skiff.

bouzoukijoe1 · Posted: Sat May 26, 2012 8:44 pm Post subject:

ignatius · Posted: Sat May 26, 2012 9:51 pm Post subject:

personally couldn't give a shit about any steam punk aesthetic on a module. not really important to me at all. so, if the SSL mod orgy isn't steam punk then big deal.

it is what it is and that looks just fine to me "flowery" or not.. i think it looks good as is.. but as said.. never trust a jpeg.. i've never seen the module in person so...

HeWhoWantsJeans · Posted: Sun May 27, 2012 12:31 am Post subject:

earlykooka · Posted: Sun May 27, 2012 4:16 am Post subject:

IMHO the current MO design is more steampink than steampunk

sorry

but if we are going to go there ...
i guess one man's steampunk is another woman's girly lace and 70s cowgirl font

personally I couldn't care less about steampunk, but if that is what you are going for then surely the original steampunk aesthetic is more about brass and copper jules verne future-in-the-past tech than cosplay kids wearing 'victorian' lampshades on their heads

in which case the photo posted by bouzouki, if not exactly ubersteampunk is, to my mind, way more steampunkische than that pretty in pink country rock teapot on a lace doily thang ... and to me personally. it is certainly a way more appealing look for a line of modules ( which is, after all, what we have been asked to comment on ) YMMV

poppinger · Posted: Sun May 27, 2012 5:28 am Post subject:

earlykooka · Posted: Sun May 27, 2012 5:55 am Post subject:

now you are talking,
that actually kinda does look like some sort ofDifference Engine ;-)
but I have to ask, where is the MATHS ?

actually, since the whole conceptual basis of Steampunk involves a technological universe without electricity, the whole idea of a 'steampunk' CV / gate synth is actually about as silly as it gets.

but whatever

exper · Posted: Sun May 27, 2012 6:02 am Post subject:

How do you know it doesn't run on steam, hmm?
wink

poppinger · Posted: Sun May 27, 2012 6:13 am Post subject:

mOBiTh · Posted: Sun May 27, 2012 6:22 am Post subject:

the more colours the better!!

boramx · Posted: Sun May 27, 2012 7:26 am Post subject:

is that MIDI at the bottom?

should be MIStI

musical instrument steam interface with punch card data rolls. use cable modem to telegraph modulator for uploading samples to punch cards from the FUTURE (i.e. the current internet).

the alarm on the side would be superb for "ballet mechanique" flourishes.

the voltage meter on the bottom would be better as a compass instead, so you could navigate with it if you decide to jam while exploring via hot air balloon or diving bell.

earlykooka · Posted: Sun May 27, 2012 9:05 am Post subject:

HeWhoWantsJeans · Posted: Sun May 27, 2012 3:57 pm Post subject:

andrewl0 · Posted: Sun May 27, 2012 7:07 pm Post subject:

Bluebox · Posted: Sun May 27, 2012 9:36 pm Post subject:

For what it's worth, Steampunk is less about technology sans electricity and more about what would have happened if the industrial revolution had happened a century ahead of schedule. At its core, it's science fiction written in a speculative past rather than the future.

Cheers,
-ian

earlykooka · Posted: Mon May 28, 2012 2:45 am Post subject:

Monobass · Posted: Mon May 28, 2012 4:30 am Post subject:

dslocum · Posted: Mon May 28, 2012 9:01 am Post subject:

Hey guys.

I've been out of touch with this thread for a few days and appreciate all your comments - seriously.

When I was shooting the MO module's "glamor shot", I found it really difficult to get that copper color to come out just right. Even with Photoshop, it just wouldn't happen, so yeah I'm a bit disappointed too. Consider myself a decent photographer, even done a bit semi-pro. Used actual daylight for lighting with a good SLR type 10 MP camera, and use a color calibrated monitor.

In a little defense of the steam punk look, I did say somewhere that it was steam punk "inspired", and during my initial design phase, several Muffs encouraged me to borrow the existing motif from my SteamSynth, which is steam punk "inspired".

There seem to be at least two camps (likely many more) that argue about what steam punk really is and how it should best be represented artistically. When I was developing my SteamSynth motif, I looked around at many different ways I could make my own aesthetic. I really wanted etched brass panels with knobs as re-purposed valve handles and a really funky custom cabinet that would have been completely impractical to expand or move. Most importantly, I wanted to actually build and USE the thing, and in the end I made the best "practical" choices I could, within time and

constraints.

Whatever other folks see as being steam punk, I'm no purist. However, I've always had a deep admiration for old electronic equipment and instrumentation and steam punk (at least my personal version) just seemed to fit nicely into that. FWIW - My version is that nearly anything "might" by possible, even down to the heated discussions about whether Nixie tubes can be steam punk. Who's to say? I like Nixies, and will be including them into "my" steam punk designs.

BTW - the font I used would actually be considered more Art Nouveau and thus would not be steam punk at all by most popular interpretations, and I was very aware of this. But in my eye, it fit, looked cool and was legible. Done - end of line.

Based on the results off this poll, it's apparent that silver is preferred so next run will likely offer the black / silver option, but the graphic motif will likely stay for the silver version. IMHO, there a lot of hideous panel graphics out there and mine is a humble attempt at bringing a bit of style to a plain silver panel with a plain font. JUST my opinion! (hides)

One "pro-silver" argument that I received does make a good deal of sense however. The high contrast of the black letters on a silver panel would be much easier to see on a dimly lit stage or room.