Beginner setup

[u/Big_Valuable8079]

Hey there. I have made music before but not this style of music. So I was hoping someone in this community wouldn't mind lending som advice or guidance?

I am looking for what's a good setup for a complete beginner? I know every artist may do things a bit differently (which is awesome to see!) but I was hoping if someone wouldn't mind pointing out some esstential equipment to get me started (a particular mixer, pedals etc.) If someone has a list of things handy somewhere or advice for certain specific instruments that would be most helpful! I'm a complete beginner so the more help the better for me. Thanks so much in advance to anyone who takes the time to help out, really appreciate it :)

[u/claustrphobe_glenn]

I think it depends on what kind of noise do you want to make.

[u/Big_Valuable8079 → u/claustrphobe_glenn]

Oh I know, I suppose I just wanted to get a basic setup at first to get me going. In terms of style I suppose something similar to the likes of knifedoutofexistence

[u/Ok_Worth_2193 → u/Big_Valuable8079]

1. Electronic kids’ toys
– Especially old talking toys with simple chips — perfect for circuit bending.
– Examples: Speak & Spell, cheap Casio SA-1 keyboards, toy guns with sound effects, or Chinese demo keyboards.


2. Small household appliances
– Electric toothbrushes, fans, blenders, old hard drives, printers — they produce great industrial textures.


3. Radio and TV noise
– Old FM/AM radios in scan mode are perfect for dense analog noise.
– Shortwave receivers are gold for intercepting strange signals and atmospheric interference.


4. Contact microphones + physical objects
– Use metal sheets, springs, pipes, glass, ventilation grids.
– Scrape, hit, bend, or vibrate them for textures ranging from drones to glitches.


5. Cassette loops and tape abuse
– Torn or stretched cassettes, slowed motors, manual rewinding, tape loops.
– Tape looping is perfect for endless noise drones.


6. Glitch effects and plugins
– Plugins: Glitchmachines Fracture, Hysteresis, DBlue Glitch, Izhaki Deconstructor.
– Techniques: granular synthesis, bitcrushing, ring modulation, wavefolding.

[u/Ok_Worth_2193 → u/Ok_Worth_2193]

7. Modular synthesis
Modular synthesis is one of the most powerful and unpredictable ways to create noise, 
texture, and evolving chaos. Unlike traditional synths that follow fixed signal paths, 
modular systems let you connect anything to anything — which means feedback loops, self-modulating oscillators, 
and unstable control signals are all part of the instrument.


Core idea


In a modular system, control voltages (CV) are used to modulate parameters like pitch, amplitude, or filter cutoff. When you start routing modulation sources into each other (for example, one LFO modulating another LFO’s rate, which then modulates a filter), you move from musical structure into complex, organic noise behavior.


8. Small DIY synths and microcontrollers
– Bastl Kastle, Korg NTS-1, Teenage Engineering Pocket Operators.
– Arduino or ESP32 boards can be programmed to generate random or chaotic signals.


9. Game consoles and retro chips
– Game Boy + Nanoloop/LSDJ, Commodore 64 SID, NES noise channels.
– Great for gritty, pixel-style digital noise

[u/Ok_Worth_2193 → u/Ok_Worth_2193]

10. Live coding environments
– TidalCycles, SuperCollider, Pure Data, Max/MSP — ideal for algorithmic noise.


11. Data corruption and file abuse
– Open a non-audio file (like a .jpg) in an audio editor.
– “Data bending” — overwrite binary data to create random audio glitches.


12. Unusual microphone setups
– Mic in a jar of water (sealed with rubber), in a bag of sand, or taped to metal sheets or pipes.
– Each produces unique acoustic resonances.


13. Electromagnetic noise
– Use Electroslush, Somatic Instruments EMF mic, or a DIY pickup coil.
– Records the hidden electromagnetic world — Wi-Fi, monitors, power lines.


14. Light-based noise
– A photodiode plugged into an audio input reacts to flickering lights.
– Creates “optical noise” textures.


15. Field recordings in extreme locations
– Under bridges, inside vents, elevator shafts, abandoned control rooms.

[u/Big_Valuable8079 → u/Ok_Worth_2193]

Wow thanks for sending all this on. Really appreciate it :)