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.
Elektron Analog Four/Digitone/Digitakt Soma Pulsar 23 Nord Drum 3p 1010music Lemondrop ASM Hydrasynth Desktop Squarp Pyramid Fx: Bastl Thyme / Hologram Microcosm / Mooer Ocean Machine
Fun setup! I’m borrowing a Nord Drum from a friend right now and I really dig it.
It’s beautiful. Hydra + Pulsar + Octa or DT seems like a wild combo.
I’m always impressed by these kinds of battle stations because it is so far removed from my way of doing things, where black and white keys have centre stage. It sure looks cool.
Whilst I did learn piano for a few years, I’ve been so used to programming/sequencing/generating notes that keys feel like too much of a space sacrifice 😁 There are some times I do wish to have a two or three octaves mini keyboard for sketching out ideas, but that desire is so infrequent I never get around to buying something 😂
I’ve already got a couple granular engines in my modular rack but that Lemondrop is hard to ignore. Seems super powerful, especially considering its size! Seems like it can create some really beautiful sounds and textures.
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.
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.
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.
I already did a long-winded post talking about all my synths so I’ll just stick to a list here: Nord Wave 2, Nord Lead 4, Nina, Prophet 12, Peak, Modwave, SH-4D, and Prologue.
I won’t go into a retrospective on what I started with because I’ve sold all the early stuff, and a lot more since. It’s been a long road to figuring out what I actually want and need in a synth.
Some other gear I use:
- LUMI Keys - Not the greatest build quality, but it’s so convenient to have an MPE controller I can just put wherever I need and use wirelessly.
- Zoom Livetrak L-8 - I regret not going for a bigger model, but it does the job well as a mixer / audio interface that lets you record each track separately in a DAW (or directly to an SD card.) Also convenient to have multiple submixes so I can switch between hearing just my DAW or hearing my synths directly when the DAW isn’t running.
- Beyerdynamic DT770 Pro - The best headphones I’ve used so far.
- Tourbox - Not specifically music gear, but it’s a real game-changer if you use multiple DAWs and struggle to remember which keyboard shortcuts to use for which. Now I have a consistent set of controls no matter what software I’m using.
Damn that’s a nice setup. Nord gear is so cool. What kind of stuff do you make/play?
I’ve always had a hard time describing my music. I guess I take influence mostly from 90s computer games, downtempo electronic/pop (think Rufus Du Sol, Pair of Arrows), and a little bit of EDM. I used to lean toward synthpop (Ladytron, Depeche Mode), but now all my music efforts are going into the soundtrack for an indie game I’m working on.
Very cool. Do you have it posted anywhere?
Also curious, what kind of game is it?
Everything I’ve posted online is super old at this point and my recent stuff is all WIP, but this is a good nudge to wrap up and post some stuff soon.
The game is Galactic Chef, a sci-fi cooking competition show game. The main hook is an open-ended voxel cooking simulation, so you can get creative in inventing your own dishes to meet each challenge. It’s been a fun exercise coming up with different sound palettes for the different alien worlds you compete on.
Beyerdynamic DT770 Pro - The best headphones I’ve used so far.
Oh yes. I love those. I replaced the ear cushions a while ago for more than my daughters pay for their entire wireless headphones. But they are so comfortable and neutral-sounding. I hate artificially amplified bass frequencies.
Yep!
I can definitely see the appeal. Perhaps when I have some cash to spare I’ll look at it again 😊👍
If you don’t care about it being wireless, the older wired-only version is $100 cheaper FYI. I don’t see it on their site anymore, but you can get it on Amazon or B&H.
Ah cool, yeah the wireless thing probably wouldn’t be so important as it would probably sit in the same spot all the time 😁
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.
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.
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 @[email protected] 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, @[email protected] 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.
Recently moved so the setup isn’t perfect yet, but I’m quite content with the instruments themselves! The Keystep Pro sits at the center of everything but I’m a big fan of playful sequencers at the moment, so I often combine it with the Polyend Play or my iPad for sequencing experimentation. The fact that it can do Midi>CV conversion is invaluable to me, opens up a ton of possibilities.
Currently, I have been messing around with:
- Modular Rack (probably not worth going into detail here unless people are curious haha)
- Cobalt8
- Microfreak + MS70 for FX (not setup atm)
- Polyend Play
- Polyend Tracker
- Meris Mercury7 in the fx loop for reverb (special shout out for this as it’s probably my favorite reverb)
The one outlier here is the Polyend Tracker. I really love it but don’t often find myself using it with the rest of my gear and am usually using it as a standalone device. Maybe because I like to do a lot of playful experimentation with the rest of my gear, while my brain is a little more intentional with the Tracker? Curious if anyone here has had a similar experience, or has any ideas for creative ways to implement it!
Analog Four, Syntakt, Digitakt, Hydrasynth and Opsix are my main boxes for brutal noise and mad sound design ;) I’m still curious about the Machinedrum and have the Anyma Omega on the way. I have some other stuff, but that is more food for sampling than part of this setup.
I’ve really been eyeing the Hydrasynth for its sound design workflow (as an alternative to the Cobalt8 I currently have), how did you find the learning curve on it? Is it fairly menu dive-y, or do the onboard controls give you a clear enough picture as you build on it? My biggest complaint with the Cobalt8 is how little info you can see at any given moment. Powerful synth and sounds great but I don’t know that I love the workflow.
Hey, in my opinion it is awesome to use, there are even some shortcuts to set up the mod matrix even faster (way quicker than on the Microfreak anyway, for example). I have no complains and sometimes I wish I had two ;) Regarding the learning curve, this was done during my first days with the Hydra: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MmjVUqF75lY
That’s an awesome demo, thanks for sharing! It really is appealing…the polyphonic aftertouch that the keyboard version has is also really exciting to me. The only other instrument I’ve seen with a similar appeal is the Expressive Osmose, which I’m less excited by in terms of sound design workflow.
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.
- 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
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.
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.
