The future is apocalyptic.

AI has destroyed the planet and only small pockets of people remain dispersed throughout the world. Computers have been outlawed as a precautionary measure to avoid any chance of AI taking over once again.The surviving communities assign one person to oversee a specific task in order to help bring back and stabilize the natural order of things. You've been assigned the task of creating music. However, you have been instructed to do so without the use of a computer.

Your community has bestowed to you a small studio furnished with a desk, a set of speaker monitors, a mic, a 4 track cassette recorder, a power strip and a generator. The remaining music equipment has been left for you to find.

In your search, you come across a derelict music store filled with antiquated gear. Some of it works, most of it does not. As you begin to rummage through, you find several pieces that work, but you have the capacity to carry back with you only 3 things. These 3 pieces are the only items you can bring back to create the music of your future.

My questions are:

1. What 3 pieces of gear will you bring back and why?
2. What kind of music will you make?


I'll start with mine:

1.

• Isla Instruments S2400 - A simple and reliable sampler with sequencing capabilities and durable enough to handle wear and tear. Muscle memory plays a huge part for me and I can use it without the need of a screen should the one on it fail.
  
• Arturia Keystep37 - A capable midi controller with handy programming and sequencing functions. Small and portable enough should I need to move at a moments notice.
• Roland JV1010 - A half rack JV1080 and a small goldmine for all types of synth/live instrument sounds.

2. Pretty much everything but mostly drum and bass... at least until I begin to receive death threats, in which case I'll sprinkle in some light jazz on occasion to chill motherfuckers out. And then its back to chop chop choppin' breaks

 

i saw that movie

 

Since i don't know what exactly falls for "antiquated" in this future i'll have to be a little vague

For me it would be something like this:
1-

• A multi-channel preamp thing (or mixer, or interface with standalone features): for the mics
  
• Two multipattern microphones: Not necessarily a matched pair, but ideally same model. For recording acoustic stuff

2- I would try to focus on making folk music since i feel it would be more reliable on a post apocalyptic world, particularly percussion or wind based, easier to replicate and relate, i guess it would be closer to traditional folk at first and more modern stuff as more instruments come around, it's a good starting point imo. And i'm assuming there's not an infinite amount of cassetes and cassete players so most of the distribution would probably have to be done by actual playing, which would be a lot easier if it can be played with stuff everybody has around or can easily get their hands on.

If anything i guess cassetes and recorded stuff would not be strictly necessary, i would mostly use that as an alternative to "sheet music", like instructions on how it should sound. And i know it all sounds a bit too primitive, but if i was assigned to make music for a comunity i'd rather make something they can play and improve themselves. Make your own music you lazy fucks! I never wanted this job! .

Edit: i just realized that "desk" could mean mixing desk. If that's the case, change the preamp thing for more mics because fuck it, i want the monopoly on mics.

 

Last edited: Feb 23, 2023

1) a piano
2) a drumkit
3) a bass

 

I love how in the future you carry a fucking piano + drumkit + bass but four ocarinas is too much. No wonder AI destroyed the planet.

 

Like two bass guitars I have and another that I don't but soon will, thanks to this scenario.

Fuckers will have to just get used to me making that Seinfeld bass slap sound in that Yamaha keyboard but on a real bass for ages. Beats the shit out of banjo straws inbetwixt me teets.

 

I'll pay the locals off with fish to help me carry...

 

Exactly, they could just take the fish right out of that upright cabinet where you used to retune twice a year before this scenario took place so now you only pay them to move your upright twice a year. More fish storage if it's grand, but also more meatheads to move the shit and they do love to eat. You are their sole fish oil distributor.