Full Transcript for Building Open Source Synthesizers in Sri Lanka | Arunoda Susiripala

00:04:50.160 --> 00:04:54.079 So then I started okay, let's why not trying to make something my own. 00:04:54.480 --> 00:05:00.959 So I had little uh engineering electronic engineering, little bit of things, but I'm not an electronics engineer. 00:05:01.360 --> 00:05:04.480 So the internet and AI stuff, so I learned a little bit. 00:05:04.560 --> 00:05:09.759 So I started one module, one module, and from time to time I improved everything. 00:05:09.920 --> 00:05:12.399 So now we have a product, like a whole setup. 00:05:12.480 --> 00:05:15.680 So you can play a live gig with it, and yeah, that's that's the story. 00:05:15.759 --> 00:05:22.560 And also we uh open source everything, so also you sell the product, but uh everything is open source, even the components. 00:05:22.639 --> 00:05:27.839 So you even if you want to like delete from scratch, you can see all the manuals and everything you can set up. 00:05:28.480 --> 00:05:29.759 So that's my story, yeah. 00:05:30.160 --> 00:05:30.879 Very cool. 00:05:31.199 --> 00:05:36.399 So, real quick, I want to understand um who young I don't know the was like. 00:05:36.639 --> 00:05:40.879 Um, and tell me, like, uh, what was your background like growing up? 00:05:41.199 --> 00:05:48.800 And uh so this is like you know, like preschool, I mean like at school over or like whenever you want to start. 00:05:49.120 --> 00:05:52.959 Well, from the very beginning, I'm a quite uh nerdy guy, you can say, like tech. 00:05:53.439 --> 00:05:57.040 I don't know if you're a nerd or a geek, so I I don't know how to differentiate that, right? 00:05:57.279 --> 00:05:59.120 So some more into that kind of thing. 00:05:59.199 --> 00:06:01.600 So I was I'm real good at tech stuff. 00:06:01.839 --> 00:06:05.360 So even with the remote controls and everything from the very early days. 00:06:05.680 --> 00:06:13.120 So I remember like uh quite young, uh we had like a like a boom box, like it's like an electronics version of it. 00:06:13.360 --> 00:06:22.800 So then I so I can have the remote controller, so I can like me everything, I can like like click everything, so I can figure things out. 00:06:23.120 --> 00:06:26.959 So I thought like from the very beginning, I'm quite a techy, nerdy guy. 00:06:27.279 --> 00:06:31.920 So eventually with this uh the school years, I learned like a coding stuff. 00:06:32.079 --> 00:06:33.839 Then I eventually moved into IT. 00:06:34.319 --> 00:06:40.079 So I was doing startups and so I joined some companies like so for funny stories. 00:06:40.160 --> 00:06:41.680 I never work in Sri Lankan company. 00:06:41.839 --> 00:06:44.720 Oh wow, Ria, even though I've stayed here for maybe 10. 00:06:45.279 --> 00:06:46.879 I was I was CR for a long time. 00:06:47.040 --> 00:06:48.879 I mean, yeah, every time. 00:06:49.120 --> 00:06:55.759 Yeah, yes, I work with the IT industry, and then I yeah, now I don't work with the IT industry anymore. 00:06:56.000 --> 00:06:58.480 So yeah, that's uh I want to do something else. 00:06:58.800 --> 00:07:04.639 Yeah, that's that's why I'm we're so excited to share with you all the episodes that we filmed in Sri Lanka. 00:07:04.720 --> 00:07:10.240 We know a lot of you have been waiting, but we wanted to make sure that we did this really meaningfully because it really was an exciting time. 00:07:10.480 --> 00:07:15.600 When Tron first came to me and said he was gonna take the podcast to Sri Lanka, I honestly thought he was crazy. 00:07:15.920 --> 00:07:16.800 And so did I. 00:07:17.360 --> 00:07:21.279 I was like, is there any possibility we can fit this in? 00:07:21.439 --> 00:07:25.920 I want to try to bring the podcast in, get to know people, and interview people. 00:07:26.240 --> 00:07:33.519 So we expected to have just a few conversations, maybe a little sparks of inspiration here and there, but what happened was so much deeper than that. 00:07:33.759 --> 00:07:41.600 We met so many people that not only we you got to interview, but that also like came alongside us to help make these conversations happen. 00:07:41.839 --> 00:07:46.480 The crazy thing was this daring idea of going to a country, even though I'm from Sri Lanka. 00:07:46.879 --> 00:07:58.240 I hadn't been back for like seven years, and all I knew was some people from school that I went to and some social media that I've been following, but didn't really have a concrete plan to make it happen. 00:07:58.399 --> 00:08:08.079 And some days we had six, seven episodes back-to-back recorded because people were waiting and you were kind of facilitating that, yeah. 00:08:08.319 --> 00:08:27.680 Yeah, so it felt really significant because not only was it that we were having like these raw and authentic conversations, but a lot of their stories resonated with Tron's, and so it just was really fascinating to see them speaking the same language and to see like just this commonality of creativity and identity and purpose coming out as the themes of these conversations. 00:08:28.079 --> 00:08:30.319 You must be wondering when this trip happened. 00:08:30.480 --> 00:08:35.759 It happened in September, and uh the goal was to get these episodes out by December. 00:08:36.879 --> 00:08:44.320 Well, a lot of things happened, and I didn't want to diminish the work we put in and again the amazing gifts that we've had. 00:08:44.480 --> 00:08:49.279 So we decided to do something really cool, and we're gonna post however many we can a week. 00:08:49.519 --> 00:08:52.159 So, LinkedIn, every single episode, you'll find a free PDF. 00:08:52.240 --> 00:08:53.919 It's actually a magazine that we developed. 00:08:54.000 --> 00:09:01.120 You can kind of think of it like if you go to a concert and you get like the souvenir of what happened behind the scenes and just about the different artists and all those things. 00:09:01.279 --> 00:09:09.759 We wanted to share with you not only about Trump's journey, but then help you connect with some of the guests that we interview in

Sri Lanka, and then invite you on your own creative odyssey. 00:09:10.159 --> 00:09:23.679 Yes, there's so much more that goes into or that fills this podcast, which is this this mission to inspire people to create so that they can get to know themselves and connect with their each other. 00:09:24.080 --> 00:09:29.919 So to see that we could bring that story out of Sri Lankan creatives out. 00:09:30.720 --> 00:09:34.799 I was raised of creatives, it was definitely a highlight. 00:09:35.039 --> 00:09:45.039 Our hope is that whether you're living in the States, you're living in Sri Lanka, or somewhere else around the world, you'll connect with someone's story within Sri Lanka and it might inspire you to continue on your own creative process. 00:09:45.519 --> 00:09:49.919 The link to the PDF for the magazine is in the description, and please check it out. 00:09:50.000 --> 00:09:55.759 They're doing really cool things that I really think you should be checking out to see their journeys. 00:09:56.000 --> 00:09:59.039 So without further ado, let's get to the episode. 00:10:00.000 --> 00:10:09.120 So um at any point did you feel like, oh my gosh, I'm way over my head, like I should be doing any of these things and get a normal job? 00:10:09.360 --> 00:10:11.600 I mean, like uh the normal job, I don't know. 00:10:11.679 --> 00:10:15.200 Like uh, I mean, like it's quite normal to me, like the IT thing. 00:10:15.360 --> 00:10:16.960 Uh I think it's fun. 00:10:17.039 --> 00:10:20.960 I don't say it's like when you get into that, uh, you can do creative stuff with it. 00:10:21.039 --> 00:10:24.960 Like so people say it is like you know, like the coding and stuff. 00:10:25.039 --> 00:10:34.720 It's not like that, like uh even though with the web designing, you know, art like 3D graphics kind of things, you can you use huge setup, like uh you can master like so because I I try everything. 00:10:34.799 --> 00:10:38.159 I start with the web, then I go to the the the back end stuff. 00:10:38.320 --> 00:10:41.279 So recently I work with the Unreal Engine, the gaming side. 00:10:41.679 --> 00:10:43.039 So I touch everything. 00:10:43.200 --> 00:10:49.200 So I mean, even it's it's creative, like even with that, you can be creative, like there's nothing uh stopping you that like that. 00:10:49.519 --> 00:10:52.960 So, but I mean to like get into the music scene, you know, or something. 00:10:53.039 --> 00:10:54.720 That's why I ended up doing it right now. 00:10:54.799 --> 00:10:59.840 I'm curious why I mean I don't know, like you you don't have answers for everything in the world, right? 00:10:59.919 --> 00:11:04.879 Like uh so I guess yeah, okay. 00:11:04.960 --> 00:11:15.440 So talk me through how the process of you getting into this startup and like um how did the whole thing, you know, especially right were you connected with Hatch or somewhere else? 00:11:15.519 --> 00:11:16.159 So right. 00:11:16.320 --> 00:11:24.480 So Hatch, I I don't have like uh the partnership, anything like that, but I worked with them, so they helped me to like uh have my stuff here. 00:11:24.639 --> 00:11:26.720 So they do workshop here at Hatch. 00:11:26.960 --> 00:11:30.480 So it's like a it's like an informal partnership kind of thing. 00:11:30.639 --> 00:11:36.240 So actually I really want to thank Hatch for giving me the opportunity to put in their spaces, and that's really nice. 00:11:36.720 --> 00:11:38.240 That's my store with Hatch. 00:11:38.639 --> 00:11:48.960 So I didn't want to start a company with this, so still it's not a real company kind of thing, it's an NTTI, I said, like uh so we make so eventually I want to make instruments for me. 00:11:49.360 --> 00:11:52.799 So, but now we have uh complete setup, so we sell them. 00:11:53.120 --> 00:11:56.480 So we have some customers, so that's that's how it is going. 00:11:56.799 --> 00:12:07.120 And uh I know so I don't want to work with Sri Lankan artists and and people, we have been students, uh, so that's that's yeah, that's I really like uh teaching and sharing my things experience. 00:12:07.200 --> 00:12:07.759 Uh yeah. 00:12:08.399 --> 00:12:12.639 What were some of the challenges you faced um as you're on this journey? 00:12:13.200 --> 00:12:20.720 In here, like I think with the technical and knowledge side, I don't think there's a like there's a merry in there with the with the AI stuff. 00:12:20.799 --> 00:12:26.639 Um with the AI and ChatGPT kind of thing, so so even if you're anywhere else, so you can learn anything. 00:12:27.200 --> 00:12:31.919 That's the like uh you don't have to ask ChatGB to build a synthesizer, you don't know to do that. 00:12:32.080 --> 00:12:33.120 So I mean you can't. 00:12:33.279 --> 00:12:41.200 So basically, but you once you have something, you can dig into that, find problems, and so basically you have an expert uh like a expert team with you. 00:12:41.600 --> 00:12:46.000 The other thing, uh technical cyber is no issue, but the the logistics that's hard. 00:12:46.320 --> 00:12:47.759 Uh talk me through that. 00:12:48.240 --> 00:12:50.240 Talk me through the barriers in logic. 00:12:50.480 --> 00:12:57.840 Logistics to my situation, like uh so if I'm in Sri Lanka, being in Sri Lanka, uh it's really hard to make electronics here. 00:12:57.919 --> 00:13:00.399 So you can do all the prototype and design, that's fine. 00:13:00.720 --> 00:13:09.120 But if you want to manufacture something for uh really good standards, so you need to uh use Chinese companies or some some else, so you need to outsource that. 00:13:09.440 --> 00:13:20.320 So getting them from there to here, it's takes time, that's okay, but then you need to pay taxes and uh so basically in a product product, uh 90% of the things are imported. 00:13:20.799 --> 00:13:27.440 So basically, even though we say affordable, but we are paying uh 50% for everything that we import, all the components. 00:13:27.519 --> 00:13:32.080 So if you manufacture this in some house,

it's like at least 50% cheaper. 00:13:32.399 --> 00:13:34.720 So that's the thing that we we work with. 00:13:35.200 --> 00:13:38.399 So I mean that's that's the sort of logistic problem that we have. 00:13:38.480 --> 00:13:41.200 We might so now we're in the design stage. 00:13:41.279 --> 00:13:45.519 I'm not saying like we are in a production run, so we figure things out. 00:13:45.600 --> 00:13:46.639 Like that's that's it. 00:13:46.799 --> 00:13:49.759 Yeah, that's how long have you been on this uh right. 00:13:49.840 --> 00:13:57.919 Uh for this one, we we launch it this now uh this March, but uh I was working with it uh from uh last uh October. 00:13:58.399 --> 00:13:59.279 Last October, yeah. 00:13:59.840 --> 00:14:00.720 So it's been pretty quick. 00:14:00.879 --> 00:14:02.879 Quick, yeah, that's uh that's my thing. 00:14:02.960 --> 00:14:05.840 Uh so so we want to do something, I want to do it quickly. 00:14:06.000 --> 00:14:07.200 Like otherwise, I won't do it. 00:14:07.279 --> 00:14:09.600 Like that's that was uh like so. 00:14:09.679 --> 00:14:16.559 If I want to like get trying to do something, I want to like be focused on 100%, or maybe at least 90% on that that product. 00:14:16.960 --> 00:14:18.000 So that's how I work. 00:14:18.080 --> 00:14:22.799 Uh I don't know, like uh so so do you do this by yourself right now? 00:14:23.759 --> 00:14:24.559 Okay, yeah. 00:14:24.799 --> 00:14:27.120 And so what's the vision behind this? 00:14:27.440 --> 00:14:35.440 Right, uh so my vision is basically uh this module, or like uh it's like a custom, like kind of like a custom instrument for you. 00:14:35.679 --> 00:14:37.200 So there's no right way to use it. 00:14:37.519 --> 00:14:39.679 Uh you can configure as you wish. 00:14:40.080 --> 00:14:53.519 So right now it's a little bit like uh it's expensive, so it's like uh expensive hobby, like collecting which is because so the real musicians are uh it's really offensive to say real musicians. 00:14:53.840 --> 00:15:00.240 Like uh the people who make music doesn't really use uh this this uh modular thing. 00:15:00.559 --> 00:15:06.080 It's basic one thing is expensive, other thing is huge, and you can't take things here and there. 00:15:06.240 --> 00:15:08.320 So so I want to break those barriers. 00:15:08.639 --> 00:15:10.720 So basically, one thing is I want to make it affordable. 00:15:11.039 --> 00:15:20.159 So if someone making a music, uh so they can have a module setup like next to their computer, so like laptop, you can click things and do different things like that. 00:15:20.559 --> 00:15:26.799 And uh so even if think about the electronics side, all the like uh electronic components are not that expensive. 00:15:27.279 --> 00:15:30.240 All the so we can make it affordable, that's my goal. 00:15:30.399 --> 00:15:32.000 And also like let everyone use it. 00:15:32.080 --> 00:15:38.720 And I don't know, I'll try to remix so that that's my thing, like make uh modular more affordable and let

everyone to use it. 00:15:38.960 --> 00:15:43.039 So I'm making it open source and you know, like it's I'm sharing, like, yeah, that's the thing. 00:15:43.120 --> 00:15:45.200 It's not like a expensive hobby anymore. 00:15:45.279 --> 00:15:45.840 That's what I mean. 00:15:46.080 --> 00:15:46.559 Right, right. 00:15:46.799 --> 00:15:54.320 So I'm very curious about how you think and how you look at creativity and and and approaching things. 00:15:54.799 --> 00:15:58.320 Uh are you a person that kind of go deep into that kind of process? 00:15:58.480 --> 00:16:02.320 Do you know like how you function? 00:16:02.559 --> 00:16:06.879 Like how what kind of challenges you face personally when you're into a project like this? 00:16:06.960 --> 00:16:08.000 Like, right. 00:16:08.159 --> 00:16:09.360 Okay, uh, yeah. 00:16:09.600 --> 00:16:11.120 Um let's see. 00:16:15.840 --> 00:16:16.879 Let me let me think. 00:16:17.039 --> 00:16:17.919 Uh right. 00:16:18.080 --> 00:16:22.960 The my thing is like so so we want to do something. 00:16:23.120 --> 00:16:24.320 So we have an end goal. 00:16:24.559 --> 00:16:28.639 So let's say uh I need to have a quick clear mind like what I want to build. 00:16:28.720 --> 00:16:36.720 It's not like uh let's say if I want to build something, it's not like uh let's um like uh breaking down into little small pieces. 00:16:37.120 --> 00:16:41.519 So then I so I need to do something, but I don't know how to go from here to there. 00:16:41.919 --> 00:16:49.519 So then I I spend uh research and talk to people and then so eventually I want to find out the path, how to go there. 00:16:49.919 --> 00:16:55.440 So let's say I you've I work for uh let's say for example, I work for this for uh 10 days. 00:16:55.759 --> 00:16:59.919 There is just a number, 10 days, uh, but I couldn't get it done. 00:17:00.000 --> 00:17:02.000 So then I completely abandon the whole project. 00:17:02.159 --> 00:17:03.600 Oh wow or the whole thing. 00:17:03.679 --> 00:17:09.519 So I start from a different like uh approach, maybe completely abandon abandon that one. 00:17:09.839 --> 00:17:14.079 So that's my approach, like so so I think uh like do something. 00:17:14.400 --> 00:17:20.880 So I think I learned from G1 from Hatch, he mentioned like uh when you're doing something, you need to chill fast. 00:17:21.200 --> 00:17:28.319 So you've been doing something, you need to like uh if you if you can't do that, you need to stop that, and then you need to find some other way to do it. 00:17:28.880 --> 00:17:29.200 Yep. 00:17:29.519 --> 00:17:29.759 Right. 00:17:30.559 --> 00:17:37.680 Because the thing is, I ask you this because I I talk to many people as I'm like in in in Sri Lanka, and I get two sides. 00:17:37.839 --> 00:17:44.880 One side is like, oh, we're in Sri Lanka, we don't have a lot of opportunity, and like, I oh, we don't have this and we don't have that, and all of those things. 00:17:44.960 --> 00:17:52.480 And then I come here to hatch, and it's like all I see is people just like putting their heads down and like draining and and planning and creative solving. 00:17:52.559 --> 00:17:55.359 So like what what is going on here in your opinion? 00:17:55.599 --> 00:17:59.119 I think like it's so wrong to say like there's no opportunity, right? 00:17:59.359 --> 00:18:02.960 It's so I think uh so I I have a startup mindset. 00:18:03.039 --> 00:18:04.960 Uh like uh what is the startup mindset? 00:18:05.119 --> 00:18:09.200 So it's it's not a startup mindset, just like uh curiosity. 00:18:09.359 --> 00:18:14.319 Like it's a basically like so when you want to do something, uh you need to find a way. 00:18:14.400 --> 00:18:17.440 Like uh it doesn't matter, like uh so there's no opportunity. 00:18:17.599 --> 00:18:21.519 So if you want to do something, so you need to find a like you need to make opportunity. 00:18:21.920 --> 00:18:30.079 So I think uh I mean that's uh that's like uh so if you think like there's no opportunity, that means uh you are you're trying to go away with that. 00:18:30.559 --> 00:18:35.519 Like uh so then uh no one is gonna give you opportunity, like that's nothing like that. 00:18:35.599 --> 00:18:39.119 Like um so in the world, like uh you need to find a way, like so. 00:18:39.519 --> 00:18:45.359 Even if you if you get into a job, like uh if you don't do that well, you get you'll get fired, right? 00:18:45.440 --> 00:18:46.480 It's really like that. 00:18:46.799 --> 00:18:47.519 Right, right. 00:18:47.920 --> 00:18:52.880 And it seems like that like finding the right community is that was the main thing. 00:18:53.359 --> 00:18:53.759 Yeah, yeah. 00:18:54.079 --> 00:18:57.839 Yeah, and I mean like uh my thing is like I didn't know Hatch earlier. 00:18:58.160 --> 00:19:01.039 I'm like, I know Hatch, but I didn't work with the people here. 00:19:01.279 --> 00:19:10.160 So I think if you build something right, so then then uh if if you like talk to talk to people, then eventually you will you will be to a community. 00:19:10.240 --> 00:19:13.279 You need you don't need to build a community from uh from scratch, kind of thing. 00:19:13.599 --> 00:19:17.039 You do something good, then eventually people will reach you. 00:19:17.119 --> 00:19:19.200 So were you actively looking for a community? 00:19:19.680 --> 00:19:24.799 I mean like uh I mean like so you need to do something well, I really think we need to have a community. 00:19:24.880 --> 00:19:29.920 Like so up from the very beginning, even my IT background, so I really work with open source software. 00:19:30.319 --> 00:19:36.079 So basically, you you uh I work with people, so even though I'm I'm talking to them personally, like one-to-one. 00:19:36.559 --> 00:19:40.799 So I believe like if you want to build something really good, you need to have a team community. 00:19:41.200 --> 00:19:43.839 The people you try it out, give feedback. 00:19:43.920 --> 00:19:44.880 I think that's essential. 00:19:45.119 --> 00:19:49.599 So you can't do anything creative or anything without uh without working with the team. 00:19:49.759 --> 00:19:55.519 But it doesn't matter you talk to them in person, but somehow like you need to have I mean that's the thing, right? 00:19:56.880 --> 00:20:02.400 So finally, I want to ask you like my audience is a pretty diverse audience. 00:20:02.480 --> 00:20:11.200 I have people in the US, I have people in Sri Lanka, and also a very like wide range, from really young to like a very old too. 00:20:11.680 --> 00:20:22.799 So um if they feel like they are too old or young to try out some kind of an idea or whatever, what is your advice for them? 00:20:23.039 --> 00:20:26.640 I mean, like that's yeah, I mean that's no bad way kind of thing. 00:20:26.720 --> 00:20:30.799 If you're gonna do something and it's uh right now is the correct time. 00:20:30.960 --> 00:20:36.880 Like that's I mean, like it doesn't matter, like uh you are old, you are young, and uh you are not rich. 00:20:37.039 --> 00:20:40.640 I mean, like you are so rich and uh there's no such thing, right? 00:20:40.720 --> 00:20:48.000 If you want to do something, just start doing it and then you'll yeah, that's I also noticed you you share a lot on social media and stuff like that. 00:20:48.160 --> 00:20:50.880 You use it really well to connect with your audience. 00:20:51.039 --> 00:20:54.559 Yeah, I mean I don't know whether I'm using it properly, but I I try to, but you're trying. 00:20:54.640 --> 00:20:55.680 Yeah, I'm trying, right? 00:20:56.640 --> 00:20:57.759 Yeah, absolutely. 00:20:58.559 --> 00:20:58.960 Thank you so much. 00:20:59.119 --> 00:20:59.680 That is so great. 00:21:00.079 --> 00:21:03.279 Cool that I got a chance to highlight uh uh what you're doing. 00:21:03.440 --> 00:21:08.240 Um I have to say, I when I saw you first and what you're doing, I was like, this guy's pretty cool. 00:21:08.400 --> 00:21:13.519 And I especially like uh the idea that you have to uh connect it with Sri Lankan uh artists. 00:21:13.680 --> 00:21:15.039 I think that's like really cool. 00:21:15.279 --> 00:21:18.240 I think if you guys are watching artists, reach out to this guy. 00:21:18.319 --> 00:21:19.839 He has some really cool stuff. 00:21:20.079 --> 00:21:23.200 Um, anyways, uh thank you so much for being on the podcast. 00:21:23.359 --> 00:21:28.559 Um all I gotta say is keep creating, keep dreaming, keep going on your own creative Odyssey. 00:21:28.720 --> 00:21:29.759 Till next time, see you later. 00:21:30.640 --> 00:21:31.200 Bye.