M5 Newsletter: Raffy Racks his Brain

Raffy Working on the audio Rack

Dear reader,

I sat down with staff member Raffy Landestoy to talk about his work on the ElectronicaLab audio rack.

Alex Reineke: The rack module, what's that all about?

Raffy Landestoy: We’ve added three post effect pedals - digital chorus, digital reverb, and a digital delay.

AR: Digital Reverb?

RL: Reverb gives the sound an acoustic effect and emulates playing in different rooms like a hallway or a cathedral.

AR: When did you start with the rack module?

RL: I started in September, and I noticed that the modules were outdated and didn’t do much, so I found different modules in M5 I thought were cool.

AR: What exactly is an audio rack?

RL: You essentially have one shelf with a ton of audio effects and pedals. It’s used by a lot of bands when they are on tour as a way to keep equipment organized.

AR: What is the hardest thing you’ve encountered fixing this?

RL: The digital delay. The button broke so I had to rip the whole thing open and plug it back in. I was trying to connect this thing up to debug a few issues and I found that the ground was totally unplugged.

AR: What do you hope to do with this in the future?

RL: I want to add more modules and make this easier for people to plug in their instruments and play. I want to use this to learn how to mix music.

AR: Do you have any advice for anyone who would like to do this?

RL: Have a lot of money and a lot of time. But in all seriousness you can make an audio rack with plywood and screws.

If this Q and A sparked your interest come to the ElectronicaLab meet up, hosted by Jenny Tang and Raffy Landestoy, Thursday November 20th 4:00-5:00pm. Explore every nook and cranny of the space while connecting with people who are tuned the same frequency as you!

ElectronicaLab head Jenny Tang