Hey, I thought it would be fun to take some time and talk about what we all use to make music/sounds/whatever it is we do with it.
- Bitwig
- Electribe2 hacktribe
- OP-Z
- OP-1
- Model: Cycles
- Minilogue xD
- Argon8
- Fricromeak
- Neutron
- Cat
- Guitar, Bass, Cajon, Djembe etc
Don’t forget to feed the cat
She gets at least a bit MIDI every week :D
Oh dear. I just acquired a bunch so let me think.
Small items: PO-33 and PO-12, Orba, Otamatone
MIDI: Komplete Kontrol S88, Keystep 37, MiniLab (MK1)
Main rig: Behringer neutron and model D, Korg wavestate and minilogue, DSI (Sequential?) Prophet Rev2, Arturia DrumBrute Impact
I am working on my first album…a bit synthwave influenced.
Nice, how do you like the wavestate? It always looked really interesting.
I have taken the time to learn it using XNB’s walkthroughs that I posted to my synth community, but haven’t spent much time creating programs for myself. I do love it, but the presets are geared more to soundtrack/drama than useful to me.
I started small, had the FM and Drum Volcas and a Korg Monologue. Recently picked up a Digitone and that’s been a huge upgrade in terms of overall song writing ability and experience.
I still use the Volca FM all the time though, it’s a bit tough to do the sound design on but I love the sounds that come out of it.
20 years ago, I used a Roland MC303 with an Electrix Warpfactory vocoder… eventually added an Atari 1040ST and a laptop running NI generator 1.5, and I built and used a Paia Fatman synth for a while… now I only use computer, but hate myself twice for the 2 times i got rid of the warpfactory!
I don’t know anything about vocoders but that sounds like a cool setup.
Currently all I use is a Neutron + eurorack filters (Doepfer A-106-5 SEM, Doepfer A-124 Wasp, erica synths Black Polivoks VCF, and intellijel Morgasmatron), or a Moog Sub 37. All controlled via Linnstrument.
I also have a bunch of Volcas, a TR-8, Ultranova and a MAM MB-33 Retro that don’t see much use anymore. Noticed I suck at sequencing stuff, so I’m trying to at least get decent at playing synths instead.
Big analogue fan, MKS 50, 70 + 80, OB6, Pro 08, Rev-2, Euro, then on the digital side a Nord Lead 4 and a Virus TI2. I make melodic instrumental synth music. The modular and the Rev-2 get the most use. The Virus is a great source of inspiration for new stuff. I put the Struder A800 and Saturn 2 plugins on it and it really comes alive.
Modular synths (make noise, intellijel, endorphines, ALM, noise engineering, malekko, mutable instruments, etc.) Elektron (octatrack mk2, ar mk2, a4 mk2, digitone keys) Hydrasynth Prophet 6 Nord stage 3 Mics, guitars, other random shit Apollo / SSL interfaces Ableton + a ton of plugins from 20+ years running studios and making music
Elektron as a mothership master ushering in the armies of modular mutants?
you know it! usually start stuff with the octatrack or MPC One and then it ends up in Ableton and then I continue to add stuff from there till it’s done.
I’ve gone all-in on push 3 standalone. I’m really getting to know it and learning to be productive. It’s a blast. I was asked to do the music for an upcoming video game. The kick-off still has to happen but I’m thinking I will make most of it standalone because I can finish it in Ableton Live at the end.
Right on! What are your favorite features, compared to other grooveboxes? Mine arrived early this week, I had a chance to boot it up for a few mins yesterday. Fingers crossed the updates/ sign in go smoothly.
The integration with Ableton Live is by far the best feature. I can build my entire track and import it into Ableton without ever having to freeze track to audio. How I am used to working with grooveboxes is freezing stems and mixing in DAW. But now even my automations are recorded and copied over. Amazing.
I do really lack a song mode, but luckily @eclipxe@waveform.social made an M4L device that adds a simple song mode to Push that even works in standalone mode.
I am not really impressed by the presets that come with Live and have always preferred other plugins or synths but they definitely do the job. And sometimes I just replace an instrument in post since I have the note data recorded anyway.
I’d probably be jumping on the Push 3 if it had an arrangement view. I never got into the clip-based workflow, and can’t imagine ever making the switch without it changing the type of music I compose.
Yeah I miss it too. However, @eclipxe@waveform.social made a song mode M4L device that is pretty neat. I hope ableton will add something similar. It feels like a must for standalone mode.
At home, I have an M-Audio Keystation 88 MK3 88 key master keyboard for Pianos etc., and a DX7 II-D for e-pianos (of course), leads and pads, and sometimes marimbas or steel drums. I use Reaper as a plugin host for various effects (delay, reverb, chorus, and a whole chain of guitar-amp/cabinet simulation stuff). I also have an EVS-1 (super-cheap FM-preset 1U rack unit with a decent sampled drum kit), which I rarely use, and a small Samson Graphite 49 master keyboard, which I sometimes use when I need to tweak lots of parameters, because it has 9 sliders and 8 rotary encoders.
On stage I also use the 88 key master keyboard and the DX7 II-D, but don’t use any computer. Instead I have an ancient E-Mu Proformance Plus for the Pianos (and some organs), and an axoloti with a super-wide and spacey analogue pad.
Despite its age I love the dx7. I hope to add a dx7ii to my collection someday.
I’m currently considering an SY77, which includes an extended version of the DX7’s synthesis engine, but apparently it is not quite compatible, so you cannot import patches and expect them to sound the same.
But the 77 has acceptable piano sounds onboard, which would mean I don’t need the Proformance on stage, simplifying my live rig.
Software wise, I have pretty much all of the most well known VSTs, and even though I’ve recently got into hardware I still find myself turning to Serum, TAL-U-NO-LX etc to get things started quickly.
I used to have an Access Virus B many years ago but had no idea how to use it and sold it, press F to regret!
Happily I’m now the proud owner of a Bass Station 2, TD-3, Model D, Summit and OB-6 which combined are more than enough to keep me busy, I actually haven’t had GAS for quite a while, which makes this thread very dangerous for me!
Ewi, microkorg, craftsynth 2.0, nts-1, crave, and a bunch of soft synths. Mainly I play my ewi but some keyboard and I really like a breath controlled physical modeling synth called Respiro.
My setup has been in a state of flux lately - the stuff in the second list is kind of on the chopping block at the moment. I just got a Push 3, so if I like it the MPC One will almost certainly be going. Feel free to ask about anything, I love talking about it all!
Things I use constantly:
- Peak (my first synth, still one of my faves)
- Take5 (my absolute favorite)
- Digitakt
- MPC One (mostly for sequencing the non-Elektrons)
- Roland S-1
- Op6
Things I use less often:
- Microfreak
- Typhon
- Roland SH-4d
- Syntakt (DT tends to be more useful in more contexts)
- Korg ER-1
A handful of FX pedals:
- EQD Hizumitas, Boss CE-2w, Digitech Obscura and Polara (all of those usually on the Freak)
- Champion Leccy Skitter (tremolo/reverb)
- Poly Beebo (anything)
- DBA Rooms (reverb)
- Kinotone Ribbons (tape emulation/ modulation)
It all gets recorded into Ableton, where I finish the song. I actually don’t use the FX pedals in finished productions too much, aside from the Microfreak chain - I like having more control in the arrangement phase.
I’m curious about your thoughts on the SH-4D. Guitar Center talked me into buying one because they didn’t have it on display and “you can just try it at home and return it if you don’t like it”, but with the end of the return window coming up I’m struggling to make a decision.
I’ve gotten some really satisfying sounds out of it, but it’s disappointing that some of the oscillator models don’t let you modulate most of the parameters, and the list of samples in the PCM model is surprisingly short. Those aren’t necessarily dealbreakers, but I guess I’m still trying to figure out if it’s really adding enough that isn’t covered by my other synths.
I got mine in mid April and my feelings on it are very mixed. It sounds really good, but it can be kind of a pain to use. Most of the menus make sense, but putting the mixer behind a shift function is baffling, and pretty much kills it for live use for me. I really hate the save structure as well.
I really only use a couple of the oscillator models, so a lot of its potential is wasted on me - I mostly use 3d, 4d, Juno and 101 models, I don’t really care for the others. Like you said modulation options are really lacking, and even though I like some of the sounds I had a really hard time fitting them into something that sounds like me rather than like Roland.
I got it primarily for the 101 and Juno models, and those turned out to be either just an overlay for the interface rather than actual emulations, or a really mediocre emulation. I picked up the S-1, which is amazing, and now I am thinking about selling the 4d. I just don’t know if I can justify the space it takes and I think I would rather put that money somewhere else.
Yeah, the UI definitely has some odd and frustrating design choices. The main thing tempting me to keep it is the portability, but I can’t really do more than sketch out short ideas on the go. I’ve got a bajillion of those lying around already and really need to focus more on finishing stuff.
Syntakt - drum machine, idea generator. The DAW is essential for finished products but I find the Syntakt indispensable for getting things started.
Aodyo Anima Phi - My monosynth workhorse. The flexibility in oscillator types, routing, and modulation gives it a huge variety of sound design potential.
Dreadbox Typhon - Lately more a sound processor for other equipment, but that’s because the effects and filters sound so nice on it.
Microkorg - not the most user friendly instrument but the fundamental sound is great and it’s a bit sentimental to me.
Bastl Microgranny - to be honest, this was a bit of an impulse buy when Bastl had it on sale. Still trying to figure out how best to utilize it. A bit too fiddly to use as a traditional sampler, going to try using it more as an experimental drone box.
GSM E7 - Great sounding poly synth for the bread and butter sounds. Unique stereo modulation.
Volca Nubass - It’s an acid box with a tube, pretty self-evident why it’s cool.
I’m intrigued by the Aodyo physical modeling stuff but it looks… complicated. How easy is it to explore and experiment to find interesting sounds without having to think like an engineer?
One up-front thing about sound design on it: while it is possible to make patches directly on the box, it’s something that really ought to be done on the software editor (the polyphonic version coming out later this year is going to have a much bigger screen). However, the patch structure itself is pretty straightforward, it’s got a lot of options but conceptually it’s much like any other synth. The only part that gets a little engineering-ish is the modulation options that require other modulators feeding into it, e.g. to make a wavefolded LFO you need to have a wavefolder modulator using an LFO as its source, but the wavefolder by itself doesn’t produce anything. Both the box and the software editor will let you see the current oscilloscope output of any modulator so you can see what it is, or is not, doing.
I’ll do you one better: Why is your gear?
Simple answer: Trying to make songs.
Specific to my gear answer: I bought the Volca FM knowing nothing about synthesis, got a little lost in the programming, and got a Monologue to try out analog. Monologue is great but man do I love those weird and sometimes (subjectively) terrible FM sounds so that’s how i got to the digitone, needing more capabilities and features.
Korg Prologue (8-voice), Polyend Tracker (for drumz and sample mischief), Elektron Model_Samples (because for portability and messing around, it’s the easiest) and now I just purchased a Syntakt. Run stuff into a mixer>interface>FL Studio. Sometimes I will also plug in my G&L Fallout guitar and make guitar sounds and play with those as well. Also have a Novation Circuit (OG) floating around that I admit I still love, despite my hate for Components. I’ve been trying to streamline my pedals down to what I NEED, but you know how that goes…
How do you like the Tracker? That’s a piece of gear I’ve always flirted with but never had the guts to pull the trigger on or ever had a chance to play with.
The Tracker is great BUT it does have some quirks and limitations that still are frustrating because it is like 75% of the way there. For example, adding certain effects or parameters to samples (like chorus) are ‘additive’ and take a while- then if you don’t like what you hear, you have to scrap the altered sample and start over again. So, there are some things that I’ll say aren’t great. But if you are into more dnb/glitch/EDM or any heavily-sample based music, it’s totally worth looking into.
That’s interesting about adding/removing effects and definitely worth considering. I would probably tend more toward loading my own samples but still relevant.
I have been drawn to the idea of trackers and have tried a few out (e.g. renoise, sunvox on android) because I’m a big fan of stuff like Venetian Snares.
I’m pretty mad at Polyend for preloading samples that are licensed only for non-commercial use with attribution. I’m used to assuming whatever comes with the gear is safe to use in my music, but they don’t even tell you who to attribute the samples to so I don’t know how it would even be possible to comply with the license terms. I asked their support about it years ago and never even got a response.
Edit: I suppose I should actually comment on the device itself - it’s great for coming up with rhythmic ideas and such but a really clunky workflow for sound design and mixing.
That is pretty weird, I never would have considered that with factory samples/sounds.
RE: Usability - That does kind of make sense from what I’ve heard, that it isn’t really a sound design thing as much as its more for arrangement.
it’s fun! really kind of forces you to focus more on composition rather than sound design. radio sampling is great if you’ve got stations playing easy listening. intentionally limited resources to the point where you might wonder if it should cost as much as it does. song mode is pretty great for doing arrangements. no stereo playback unless you play the left and right channels separately. i find myself paying less attention to mixing just because it’s less immediate than on a daw.
