It's completely all right to just make music for your own pleasure. It doesn't need to be a song, you don't need to show it to anyone. If you love it, just jam for yourself.
realizing this helped me be a lot happier with myself and music. I used to constantly think about when a project will be "finished". but lately I've been just enjoying the process and the living the moment
@@Platinum_XYZ The same, 5 years ago I went through a long term relationship breakup, and at the same time my mother died, not a great time. Spending hours lost in making music without any real plan kept me grounded and fast forward now, found another woman, got married, wife understands my hobby, and I understand her obsession with luggage (It would have been better with pocketbooks, as our storage room is filling up, but hey everyone has their quirks)
Yeah man people see my equipment when they come over and don't get this. I don't want to perform for people, I don't want to make money off of it, I don't want to be famous. I want to have fun.
Every synth channel right now: Stop buying more synths! Also every synth channel: Hey guys, Smoosh Audio just sent me the new Blinkengrid, a small box with knobs that is pretty much identical to every other small box you own. I’ve spent a total of 20 minutes playing with it so far, but let me tell you why I think the Blinkengrid could be one of the most exciting synth and/or samplers of the year, in this in-depth 45 minute video where we will review unique features such as the filter, the effects, the lfo, and the grid of blinky lights. Me, surrounded by synths: Oooooh the Blinkengrid (love you Bo 🥰)
So true. That being said, I am really intruiged by the Blinkengrid! Please tell me more maybe its the missing piece in my setup and the last synth i will be buying for a while 😆😆😆
I'm waiting for the blinkengrid pro, which should be available 6 months after you've spent all of you money on the old, out of date and unfashionable blinkengrid original.
Damn you beat me to the topic of the importance of setups being immediate and compact! Having a low amount of friction when it comes to getting into the music making/noodling process or keeping that process going makes a huge difference.
Great advice! Regarding the last question: I am a bedroom producer. I once bought a Roland TR 6s. And because I didn't have time to get used to the rather complicated menu, I kept it on the shelf for over a year without touching it. When it finally came time to record a TR 909 in a DAW, instead of searching for cables and struggling with switching audio interfaces, I quickly downloaded samples from the internet and made an instrument in Kontact. Yes, I think it was faster. ;) If I were to make this purchase today, I would probably buy some simpler replica of the TR 909 and TR 808 with a convenient, inspiring interface, and a lack of versatile options. Because that's all I really needed. So thinking that hardware with more options is better is very deceptive, because today it mainly fulfills a romantic and performative function. I think that dealing with an instrument should be so enjoyable that you can subconsciously master it through great fun, and then using it in production can turn out to be second nature. If you are not interested in this romantic or performative aspect, then as you say, hardware is useless. The only exceptions may be instruments that have such great software integration with a DAW that you can use them as a separate device and as a perfect midi controller. I am thinking for example of what Arturia did with MiniFreak and its vst plugin. I'm very interested in this synth, looking for something that will combine tactile inspiration with functionality in a home studio. Thanks for the great video and advice!
In the mid-90s I was all set to buy my first piece of real gear, an MPC3000. A week before buying, someone told me that a producer I liked a lot used an ASR-10.... so I ordered that instead. It was terrible for me & I sold it for a loss after I'd saved up my money for over a year. By the time I'd saved up enough money again the 3000 was out of production & I had to wait for the 2000 to come out. Lesson learned: Don't buy something just cuz someone you think is cool uses one.
Just sold my Hydrasynth Explorer. It's been sitting on a shelf for a whole year and it was time to do something about it. I feel great! Getting closer and closer to my ideal setup. 😊 100% agree with immediacy, that's what's made the Syntakt my favorite synth/groovebox so far.
Lately I've been planning a redesign of my setup, with the focus on easily accessible storage. I love to collect synths, but I only ever play one or two at a time. Having them all set up at once means none of them are particularly convenient to play by themselves. What would be best for me is a nice set of shelves to keep all my synths on, where I can quickly grab whichever one I'm in the mood for, plug it in, have a jam, then pop it back on the shelf without any hassle involved. Keep the drum machine, effects pedals, and AC adapters set up all the time ready to go, and the synths on the shelves for easy swapping. Also want to raise my synth table so I can play while standing instead of sitting. My back doesn't approve of sitting for long periods, and I always feel the need to get up and move when I've got a good jam going.
I agree with most points, except "don't buy hardware synths to get things done." When I started making music 2 decades ago, I've had just 3 Hardware Synths, an analog mixer an Atari and a DAT. This was the most productive phase in my live! Later on I switched to completely producing in-the-box, and things started to get worse. First of all, a hardware-only set-up forces you to finish things, as much things like analog fader-settings etc. can't be saved. In the computer you can save it and it recalls exactly like you left it, which often leads to hundreds of unfinished drafts, as there's no need to finish them. The second thing is the cost-trap. Virtual synths are damn-cheap, compared to their hardware-counterparts. And there's also freeware. So you might end up with 50-60 freeware-synths and 10 bought one, but you never really dive into them, as the threshold to buy stuff is much, much, much lower. So I would recomment to start with Behringer-stuff, to learn synthesis and production and when you reach the phase were you exactly know what you want and need, buy the expansive stuff. Then you'll think carefully what you buy, and because it was expansive, you'll definitely use it.
@@artisans8521 You didn't understand what I wrote. I didn't talked about the DAW itself, I talked about completely producing in the box. With hardware you have some forced limitations, like the ammount of devices you can use (unless you're rich, suffer seriously from GAS and can buy a warehouse as a studio-housing), the channels on your mixer, the FX sends etc. These limitations often motivate you to dive deeper in the devices and try to get the maximum out of it. You learn much more this way and it often sparks new ideas. But it doesn't mean the devices are always more limited than the VST-Counterparts. Just look at the Waldorf Quantum / Iridium or the Mayer MD900. In the box you have "endless possibilities" and new stuff is eiter damn cheap or even free. As human beings are curious by nature, you try out as much things as you can, and only scratching the surface of all your devices. And you can load in plenty of them (unless you use the Cherry Audio stuff). The focus-issue can be easily solved: switch of all phones, app's, internetconnection and close the door behind you. For further information on the last topic I recommend books from Cal Newport like "Deep Work" and "Digital Minimalism" - Peace out!
I absolutely agree. I worked with soft synths for years without realizing how much I hated them. Now I banished virtual instruments almost entirely, and I'm 10x more productive. Choice paralysis alone between 100 vst synths (most of which I barely knew how to use) killed countless songs at the starting line. Also, recording midi instead of audio opens up the temptation of adjusting every note and modulation curve. Nah, screw all that, two or three hardware synths is all I need.
I would add considering getting pedal effects instead of another synth if you want some extra power. They are cheap and can make your old synth sound fresh and amazing, bringing the fun back.
So many truths here at many levels and really good advice for beginners. My case, I'm 51, I grew up in a world of hardware, I've seen ataris running MIDI, Macs running primitive audio, expensive samplers with 1 minute memory ... until now with everything possible inside a computer. When I was a teen I dreamed about mini moogs, arps, modulars ...In the mid 80's I started collecting vintage stuff when people basically threw it to the dump. I've saw the overpricing of those now mithological creatures and have experienced they failures across time... ending selling most of that gear for irreal prices. Now I'm enjoying clones of my dreams of the 80's and I'm happy collecting again synths I always wanted to have like a Model D or a 2600, and I'm using them a lot. Every piece of my actual setup has a reason for being there. But at the end a DAW is all you need to create as you said. Sorry for the long post.
Great advice. I have a small set up, 3 synths:- a Deepmind 12, a Juno DS and a Blofeld module, no DAW just record straight to a Zoom R16 16 channel digital multitracker. Learning to use & navigate around a DAW would, for me, take far too long & I'd probably just give up.
I went from a literal wall of synths keyboards and samplers (including three complete modular cases) down to a digitone an SP404MK2 and a Lyra 8 and I couldn’t be happier with my decision (the digitone polyphonic midi channels are amazing with the 404)
I also reduced my setup to something simpler and am 10x more productive. Apart from my main sequencer/sampler, I integrate my other hardware here and there, one at a a time, and sample them into my Akai Force, making me commit to whatever I've made, then put it back on the shelf. And I've committed to the system 1m as my "tweakable" synth for live performances. It keeps things moving forward instead of revisiting everything obsessively.
i started down the hardware synth rabbit hole about 2 years ago after using mostly DAW'S for close to 20 years. I record 20 minute jam sessions via multitrack on my Zoom Livetrack L8 and export them, via SD card to edit later in ableton. It nice to separate the two processes rather than record directly into a DAW as I want as little to do with a DAW as possible when I'm jamming. Its kind of like trying to edit a film while still filming it.
I agree. For me the mojo-killing issues with a DAW are too many choices and too many distractions. I record to my MPC or Korg D1600 and only move to the DAW for final mix and mastering.
i was building up my home studio half of my life with blood and sweat. since some years im at a point where i really dont feel that i need anything else more. beside all the effects, dynamic tools and recording stuff my main instruments are xoxbox, xbase09, dx9 and a ms-2000. there some other synths ofc also. it feels like its covering all i need and im soooo happy im not anymore on an endless chase.
My biggest synth regret was when I sold almost all of my synths & keyboards for a Yamaha MODX8. I thought I had too many keyboards at the time, and I wanted just 1 keyboard that’d do everything I’d want. The MODX is a nice synth, but it wasn’t as convenient as I thought with so much menu diving.
Good video on an important topic, I’ve been playing a smaller (and cheaper) version of a hand-pan for a year now. And first timer spectators tend to completely overlook the human aspect of a performance. These instruments have immense potential but the effort and time that goes into building that connection deserves more credit than the instrument itself.
It truly is a golden age for synth enthusiasts. Soooo much to choose from, both new advanced ships to fantastic reproductions of classic gear. I am so inspired and can't wait to add to my modest collection but I'm glad I can't afford to get loads of gear at once. Forces me to get deep with the units I have. I've found that if I get "stuck" with a synth I go and watch YT demos and tutorials and I always learn about hidden features and new things to try. Right now I'm digging my Deepmind 12, Vector (paired with the excellent NDLR), Poly and Mono Evolvers, and, my most recent purchase, the Moog Subharmonicon. Thinking of going modular next. It looks like such a rabbit hole, but one that can be done in small steps so the commitment isn't too serious.
Great video Bo! The advice is spot on. I find for hardware that the golden rule of 'character and workflow over features' like you said has yet to let me down. I've been selling and buying a lot of my set up on this advice.
Software sythersizors for Me are just way more work flow friendly over physical sythersizors. Hardware I have to send audio in midi in and out and cant edit the modulation or whats recorded from midi so if there was a mistake I have to record the whole thing again and if it's a 4 to 8 minute song that takes alot of time. Software I just load it up and can edit the midi and modulation at anytime and instantly have to audio reflect what I'm doing. Ofcourse you loose that feel of interacting with a physical item I use Reason and can create a device that match the controls of My selected midi controller. I can tern the screan off and it basically becomes DAWless but the DAW is recording all the midi and modulation.
Sage words! Especially finishing jams off in the DAW. I love having a portable set-up that I can take anywhere & a studio set-up. Different spaces inspire you in different ways and it’s great to have the flexibility…. If you can afford it.
@@albertshred I’m running an MPC Live II, Roland J-6 & S1. All run off batteries… and also a Model Cycles from a battery power pack. I’m running most things through a couple of JBL speakers except the MPC which has its own.
this is encouraging to me... for christmas i went all in and got my first real world synth... the tiniest one, a stylophone gen x 1... and even so its functionalities are rather limited, i am still surprised what the turning of a knob in relation to the position of the others does to the sound. so much fun, just exploring the melancholic sounds the little thing can produce... and it prooved good for me as a total noob that there are only some basic functions, that forced me to concentrate on realy understanding what each does and not get completely lost in too many new things to choose from...
Congratulations for your first synth! If you feel you have gotten used to it I'd recommend Korg NTS-1 for the next one. NTS-1 can be used on its own, but can be used as you stylophpne's effects unit too!
@@TheMCCraftingTable thanks... I looked it up and you are right.. This may be the good next step.. I like the sounds it can produce and it stays in the lets dive into it price range
You've got it right on there, that is where real hardware shines - it forces you to learn the instrument more deeply. While low barrier to entry and ease of recording are advantages of DAWs and virtual synths - way too much choice can become a problem of its own, people rarely really learn the depths of any of the synths, often end up lost browsing endless patches and presets and there's always another cheap virtual synth to go through the whole thing again. I started with virtual stuff and spent years doing that, a friend of mine is very hardware based and has been teaching me why it has its own advantages.
@@captainblood9616 thats so true and so me. I still love the virtual stuff... I am a addicted collector of spitfire audio labs free sample patches and always get lost in the endless posibilitys, and have fun doing so, but experimenting with a real old instrument has its own magic. I got now my granpas hohner accordeon from the 1950s.. Phantastic, but intimidating. Keep on exploring new stuff..
@BoBeats an awesome follow up video would be your recommendations on what really works well together and why. Smaller form. Larger form. Live performance. DAW setup. Travel. I'd love to hear more about what you recommend. Love your videos.
Absolutely! A simple monosynth with a memory bank can do so much if you take a deep dive into learning it. Since the early 80s, patches have enabled us to take a sound that's near to ideal for us, process it and ..boom! Easy. I have 'gear acquisition syndrome', a ridiculous malady which results in never having time to really learn how to use the special unique features of any of the instruments I own. I hear a master playing something magical, sensitive, dynamic, emotional on a quintessentially simple acoustic instrument like the Ney or the Shakuhachi and I think how unlike my approach to music making this is and how I would like to master just one voice that I have made or tweaked to give me that kind of subtlety and control. Then I buy another box with lots of lights and switches and dials. It's like I am Mr. Toad, in love with the motor car.🙄
You don't even need a memory bank,. Ive done alot with my microbrute. Allyou can do is either take pitures or draw the pathc onto graph paper to replicate. There used to be blank overlays like the ms20 had, but they aren't sold any more.
Great advice here. As close as possible to knob per function is my number 1 requirement. I have a single 3 octave synth, controller keyboard, and the rest modules. I believe it possible to get into a "creative zone" with DAW/VSTs as well, but for me that happens with hardware far more easily for the things I like to do.
The problem for me is time. I just bought a Prophet 5 Rev.4 and with 2 young kids, wife, house, my daily job, other occupations, I have barely enough time to sit and enjoy it.
I love the advice for those "jam and have fun folks." OK, not just the advice, just the affirmation that for most of us we are hobbyist, we aren't going to produce tracks for $$$, and we just like messing around and playing noise that sounds cool to us. And go ahead and spend $10K on modular...
I built my own small but satisfying setup: bass station 2, hydrasynth explorer, behringer neutron and mpc live 2...I love them!!! I replaced the softsynths with these four a while ago and I really enjoy them
Biggest regret was buying a Yamaha RX15. You're literally better off with using samples. Another big regret was buying a EHX Stereo Memory Man w/ Hazarai. That thing was just plain rubbish. 1 regret that I see with a lot of people in the industry, is selling your first synth. I lost count of how many people regretted selling their first one, no matter how good or bad it was. There's some good points in there Bo! Especially point 6 and 10. I often sit down with clients who're thinking about adding a synth to their collection and I encounter these things almost every time. And when you get to the bottom of it, they often realise they either don't need to sell their synth or that they don't need the synth they were planning on buying.
Great video! I have learned to read the entire pdf manual for a synth before I buy it so that I know exactly what I would be getting! Here's a good example from a hobby musician: I recently picked up a Roland Juno DS61 because I wanted a workstation that can standalone but still leverage some value from the couple mini synths I have. I was comparing Juno DS to the Fantom because I can afford either one but I wanted to make sure to cover all the features I wanted, but with the priority on "easier workflow" vs having every possible feature. I read both manuals and learned that the Fantom is more capable but much more complicated and the Juno had everything I wanted. I'm very happy with my choice. I record through a small mixer and with a handy recorder and that generally works perfectly for me because I can perform in one take and overdub leads if I want to. I can't punch in or in out or edit with a DAW but I don't need to! So I love that.
Not a bad synth purchase specifically, but how I came about it - I just went crazy buying a bunch of synths and didn’t spend the amount of time with them I needed to. Now I have a backlog of gear I’m actively learning. I’ve decided to just focus on really learning a few and making some jams with those and so far it’s working - I haven’t been distracted or brought anything recently and I’m getting to know a few pieces really well before I move on to the next one on the wall :)
Yup! #3 for me. Bought a Minibrute and absolutely fell in love with synthesizing sounds (I have no musical aspirations). Bought a bunch more gear, learned all I could about the history, and constructed this idea in my head of what I wanted my setup to look like. Now I have 2 desks, 3 side cars, over 20 synths etc... and nothing is hooked up. When I have the time and the inspiration, I just grab 1 synth, plug in headphones and play with it out on my balcony or while sitting in my recliner. Because I jumped soooo far ahead of my "skills", that hooking all that gear up is beyond me. On the plus side, it is there waiting for me to catch up... it's not going anywhere, so.. 🤷
I used to have a big MIDI set up in the early 90s but I grew to hate it. Now I just grab what I want and connect it as I need. I never record MIDI these days, I only record audio.
@@unclemick-synths I only record Audio too but I think I should be better at recording midi to be able to do a lot of changes and fix things that did not come out right, why did you stop recording Midi??
Yeah I can relate. I feel since I'm fairly new to synths, there are some that I'm just not ready for, like my understanding of synthesis is just not quite there. My Hydrasynth is just waiting for my brain to catch up. In the meantime I'm having fun with other more basic synths.
@@thewistfulsnail yeah, the Hydrasyth looks AMAZING!!! but more complicated than I could handle anytime soon. Like I have 2 Akai Timbre Wolves that I bought years ago on closeout deals ($120 each brand new). And my reason for getting them was having polyphonic synths for cheap, but more importantly for the individual outs on all 4 Oscillators. That's 8 Oscillators that can be synced and routed through individual effects... great in theory, but I haven't even hooked up the Furman power conditioners! 🤦 I just got so far ahead of myself lol I still to this day have not synced up any 2 synths together or used one as a Midi controller for another. I think being this far behind is what is making me this far behind, if you know what I mean lol
Well, on the upside, whenever you have an itch to craft some sounds or jam out, you have major selection. Not a bad problem to have! I have trouble letting go of gear myself. I usually research the heck out of purchases before I buy to make sure I want it (not just music gear) and then never resell it, but that's just me.
Great commentary - You and Red Means Recording are sending some good messages here! My regrets are usually "too many grooveboxes" - they really don't work well together if you don't think it out. Just pick one and go deep! But the thing about immediacy makes sense too - I hated my Fantom, but love my Jupiter X, even though the engines are similar under the hood. Immediacy matters.
Have you ever tried a smaller groove box that you can bring with you? For me that makes the whole difference as I use it a lot more, like the Roland 101 or a good app on an iPad.
@@RonCavagnaro Well Bo was just asking what works for us individually, and so that's what my reply is about. And the title of the video should be "stop buying synths... without asking these key questions". It was a helpful list of things to ask yourself. I'm glad you're having fun with grooveboxes!
Hmm... my worst synth purchases were mostly synths or drum machines without MIDI. Example: the Quadrantid Swarm. I bought this because I loved the quirky, unique sounds it makes and was impressed by what Surco was doing with it. When it arrived, I was shocked to see... NO MIDI. I realized this would be very difficult for me to integrate into my workflow. (My unit was also broken when it arrived, and Eowave, the company who makes the Quadrantid Swarm has ignored my 3 messages to their service department sent from their website.) So, I have ended up with a broken synth that does nothing, which I can't resell because it's broken. Even if I can get it repaired, I still wouldn't end up really using it, and so my best outcome is just to hope for a Eowave to repair it (which seems doubtful since they have ignored 3 service requests in the past 5 weeks) so I can resell it. That aside, another bad purchase for me was the Hydrasynth Deluxe. I bought this largely due to Bo (and others') reviews of it. It's a very very impressive synth, but, for me, I didn't connect so much with the character of the synth. I WANTED to like it, because, on some level, I wanted to replicate the experiences I saw synth TH-camrs having with the instrument, but, for me, it just didn't happen. On the other hand, there is one synth I greatly REGRET selling, and that was a Sequential Pro 3 SE. In this case, I didn't spend sufficient time learning its capabilities, and, because I already had a Moog Grandmother Dark, I reasoned it was superfluous. 14 months later, I bought another, and it's unquestionably my favorite monosynth of all time. (And I don't think, I KNOW that if Bo ever gets his hands on a Pro 3 for more than a week, he'll never let go of it. I'm actually sort of amazed that it hasn't happened yet, but I know it will. ((and yes, I'm going on record predicting this - at some point in the next 18 months, Bo will end up with a Pro 3.)) ) Finally, in the "Should I, or shouldn't I?" category, is the Waldorf Iridium. I have Pigments 4... which allegedly will do almost everything the Iridium does, but... I really am craving that synth. My "gearhead" side wants to get one and mount it on a VESA arm for ultimate techy-goodness. I've been resisting for months now, but not sure how much longer I can hold out. G.A.S. is very, very real.
I bought a MC-707 a week ago and I also have a TR-8s i found that a real inspiration for make some great jams. I also have some Analog gear along some digital synths but you're right, having a groove box like the MC-707 is more than capable to start out and make some jams right away.
I can’t say that i’m disappointed by any of my machines. All purchases were reasonable. Big synths - because i knew they are good, powerful, and i love their sound. Volcas - it was nice start and i still use them. Po12 and 16 - awesome combo and impulsive purchase that could afford. One device was good, but not for me. Sold that guitar pedal, it was more for guitars, not for synths. Was it fun? Totally yes. Even old akai sampler - it was for the soul, i could not let it stay alone, broken and forgotten. Repaired and now it’s treasure. Repairing old electribe es-1 for friend now - zero regrets. I dream about having nice stand with Moog, Oberheim, Prophet, like really good analog machines, timeproof neoclassic. Hopefully i will have it one day.
Coming from the 'jam and have fun' side I just built two small setups. First: Electribe 2 synth + volca nubass (+ keystep 37) as acid station for sofa sessions. Second: polyend play + microfreak + model D (and two pedals) on my desk. I love both of them. Nice gear that I did not use for a long time: the rc 505 loop station. It can stack 5 synth layers without using 5 synth but it is bulky and difficult to sync to other gear. Probably I should sell it.
Thank you for your experience. What pedals/effects did you decide to go with? I think that processing, effect in particular can change/improve hardwares synth.
If you have a few guitar pedals (like chorus, reverb) or have these kind of effects in a DAW, you can make your synth sound like a more expensive synth 🥰 Also I will never get back the hours I have lost to watching €$£2000 -12000 synths on TH-cam 😳
Great video. I bought a Digitakt to have something fun to jam with that didn’t involve a computer (after working all day on computers). I eventually paired this with a Digitone Keys, and this (although common) combo is a great combination. Still, a lot of my jams are still in these machines. I’m yet to perfect my workflow for transitioning my ideas into the DAW. It would be great if you could do a video explaining your process for taking hardware jams into the DAW, Bo. 🙏
I agree with this. Especially the immediacy is king part. I like to pull out my synths every once in a while and I love my minilog because it’s super straightforward to just get a great sound without any menu diving. My rule for any technology is if I will forget how to use it after not using it for six months then I’m never gonna use it.
I find I tend to keep and love the expensive things (Tempest, OP-1) and tire of the bargain gear. Also, I don't think anyone watching Bobeats "needs" a synth, we just "want" them. The mistake isn't in buying gear, it is in thinking that more gear is going to help your music progress which is not always true. Practice on what you already have is better for that.
Haha totally agree on both points. I feel that when you buy cheap, you buy twice, is how the motto goes. Though with the very expensive synths, some of it is just super complicated. My wavestate for example, I have no idea what the hell I'm doing as far as programming goes, but it sure sounds nice. I too have a Tempest, but at least it functions as a groovebox since that is by far my favorite "type" of musical equipment. Though my digitakt gets way more use now since it's instant gratification. I can't program sounds worth a damn lol.
I started getting into synths after I had a stroke (lost the use of my left arm and so sold all my guitars and amps) in 2021. I had a lot of time on my hand(s) and bought quite a few bits and pieces. I can honestly say that I had a load of fun with a Korg SQ-1 sequencer, Volca FM Mk1 and BOSS DD6 delay pedal. Small form factor was important to me. From there I progressed to a Digitakt then a Digitone plus Keystep and then a Dreadbox Erebus Mk3; that setup was perfect in my view for noodling, messing around and just enjoying myself. I also bought a few things in between which I didn't really get on with; Mother-32, Behringer Pro-1, Strymon Night Sky/Timeline, Beatstep Pro, Elektron Model:Cycles, Doepfer DarkTime, and a NDLR... In my view you really cant go wrong starting out with a Digitakt and build from there - Elektron just works and you'll also learn all about MIDI and with built in effects there's no need for external effects boxes, then add a Digitone and then a mono synth = hours of fun. Just be prepared to put a little time in reading the manuals on the Elektron workflow and you'll be hugely rewarded. Elektron seem to be years ahead of the rest in terms of usability and smiles per buck. They are great for newbs like me but they also go deep too. Of course there's loads more gear out there to be tried - I'm just giving you my honest take on my first tentative steps into DAWless boxes. If you buy used gear carefully you will always get your money back minus the eBay/Reverb bullshit greedy commission of course!
About a year and a half ago I bought a Korg Kronos. It’s very nice but extremely menu heavy and complex and I just found myself not using it much so I’m trying to sell it. This video is spot on 👍
I also have a Kronos, and for what I bought it for (playing in a covers band), it's been the perfect gigging companion. But I've found it's /not/ the synth I want in my studio.
@@mortenrobinson5421 while the sounds of kronos hold up well its interface is very outdated and not very intuitive. I would recommend you check out the new fantoms from roland
@@GerenM63 I have the first Korg Kronos that came out and took it twice to gig with. After the 2nd time, the middle C through E now have a clanky mechanical noise when I press them. It hasn't left the studio since I do not want to further 'damage' it. Kinda a waste. Should of bought the 61 key version. Ended up buying a MODX7 & really like that for the transporting convenience.
@@caddood That's too bad. I gig my Kronos 2 61 constantly, and it's been almost perfect. I've had a couple of instances of weirdness that have always been cleared up with a reboot. I'm thinking that the issues were, from power hits, an "argument" with an attached iPad, or a nut loose behind the keyboard. In the past two years, mine's been out on 42 gigs (indoor/outdoor/cold/hot/wet/dry) and 84 rehearsals, plus countless hours of practice and programming at home. It just keeps on going, generally doing what I ask of it. My "2" seems to be built like a brick and I absolutely love the thing. But it is certainly heavy! And that's wearing on my weary old back! Lately I've been looking at the MODX7+ or the Fantom 07 (leaning toward the Fantom so far this week) as a replacement -- I really like both a lot for different reasons.
Thanks for this. Just what I needed to hear. I was fiendishly shopping for another synth since I woke up today. I’m still very new to all this but this made me realize I need to invest more time in my DAW. I had an opportunity to buy a minilouge for a very nice price, so I jumped on it. Played with it for a week or 2 then quickly sent it back. The only reason I did this was cause it was the newest synth I had and I was broke at the time. Now I really miss Playing it and hope to get the XD or the Bass one. But every time I see minilouge selling for over $300 I kick myself!
Thanks for your great videos! I enjoy them a lot! I agree: Immediacy is really important and also the time to fully understand the gear, before judging if it is right or not. My first „synthesizer“ was a korg triton and a good example for both: very complex and absolutely not immediate. it took me really long to fully understand that machine. For the stage it was good, but for jamming at home and for sound diving it was not the right thing. so I sold it after some years.
For me, right now, the go-to setup is the Digitakt combined with the Roland Verselab. I use the Verselab mainly as a 'Roland's Greatest Hits' sound module, for sequencing synth sounds, I use the 8 midi tracks of the Digitakt, and the drums are samples in de Digitakt, for longer samples, I hook up the SP-404 Mk2. Very compact, instantly playable, enormous fun.
@@magnuseriksson8081 likely midi triggering the Verselab with the DT, like I do but with the Play. Verselab is on sale most everywhere for only $500 and imo better features than a 101 if using as a sound module for less $.
@@magnuseriksson8081 Syncing them, but I actually don't use a daw. The audio output of the Verselab goes into the input of the Digitakt, and I record the Digtakt's output as one audio file. And that is it for me. No post production. I am an absolute luddite and hate computers with a passion. And I'm also a teensy bit jealous of people who do use computers. For me personally, it's a creativity killer.
Word Bo! Covid compelled me to go hard on my passion in music. I had a daw using reason for years and was able to create original songs and mixes mostly for hobby and to post on SoundCloud. I decided to switch to Ableton 6 years ago and got the push2 but the switch was not as easy given my mind set with reason. With determination to learn, I was able to push thru especial during lockdown and I could not be more happier. I now use reason as a plug-in. Its so much better than rewire. The lockdown allowed me to do major research on TH-cam amongst many other sources in making smart decisions to purchase the right gear that would meet my needs to up my production speed, arsenal, and ability to do live performance, while making sure I’ll be able fit them all comfortably in my 10x9 studio. I can’t believe I spent over 20k with this upgrade which includes a much fast pc and all the accessories needed. I knew getting the deluge was going to be a keeper and really love it. But I had to have the mc707 with the tr8s beside it. These 3 may appear redundant but they all give me inspiration in their own ways. They all have their unique strengths, sound incredible, and offer so much from many angles. After getting the grandmother, 2600, m1, peak, apc40mk2, beatstep-pro, minibrute2, focusrite18i20, td3, Behringer x1832 mixer and xonedb2 mixer, I know I’m set and really getting the love back with better sound quality, faster production speed and cooler arrangements. I still have a little bucket list but I’m totally good to go. If anyone is interested, feel free to check my SoundCloud aka __e.static__ at on.soundcloud.com/SqYmBk5gpTBrG3j76. Please know that I never market myself cuz I never felt I have anything really worthy and truly meaningful to offer yet. Hopefully that will def change in a few months for I have spend so many hours trying to learn all this gear. My ultimate goal in all this is not fame or fortune, but to truly find myself and to hopefully contribute to the music community something that’s truly unique under awesome vibes. Thanks Bo for all your vids and dedication to this community. I learned so much from you and your peers and will always be up to learn all I can in this incredible field of music. God bless 🙏😎
Don't have a loads of money to spent on synths so I approaching carefully to a new buy. Haven't sold a synth yet. But before this, I was in guitar music and there were lots of guitars I've bought and don't like - sold em all, left just essentials: a 4-string bass I like, and a 6-string guitar I absolutely love!
I bought a minifreak as my first synth. Sadly its been sitting packaged up waiting to be sent back because it was faulty, but i'm ofcourse excited to get a replacement! Honestly the reason i wanted a minifreak was probably 50% because i wanted a midi keyboard for my DAW, but all the controllers felt lackluster to me. Then i saw that Minifreak comes with Minifreak V (A VST replica of the synth), and i immdietly felt "This is what i want. Physical controls that perfectly map to a digital synth." Hopefully it will live up to my expectations! Edit: Hej från en annan svensk :)
I'm a Reason user and I can put any VST sythersizors into a Combinator and then make a custom front that 100% match the controls of My chosen midi controller so it's very much like have a actual physical sythersizors. Tern the screan off and use short cut key, (Which is the the space bar in Reason) and record everything there and then.
@Mathias A I think you'll enjoy it. As someone who just got one a few weeks ago, I've been amazed at how many different capabilities it has for its price. It's not good at everything, but it's a very complex machine. I recommend finding the manual online and giving it a thorough read, or watching some deep dives, because there's so many features that are easy to miss but very potent.
@@Overcrox If people dont have a small sythersizor then yes it's a good choice however the Minifreak and Microfreak dont have enough of a difference in sound ability to replace My MiniNova.
@@HOLLASOUNDS Its main appeal is just having way more out there synthesis engines normally only found on modular modules. THe bread & Butter ones (basic analogue, 2 op fm) honestly are the worst offers it has. The weirdest stuff on it (Bass Algorithm, SawX, Waveshaper, Physical MOdelling, Modal Basic Granular) imo are the best ones.
@@eightcoins4401 Turns out I still haven't actually made a single custom Combinator, and the ability to customise one to perfection is just to much work. If it had been 10 years ago when I was still doing Graphic design I would of been all over it but nope.
As a first timer with hardware, I didn’t realize how spoiled I was by soft synths. I was not prepared for things such as dealing with noise issues, latency when recording into daws, and significantly less voices to work with (genres I like utilize supersaws a lot so imagine when I realized only digital synths could accomplish the sound). Yet, I find myself being drawn towards analogue gear when it comes to music for fun. Your advice regarding staying digital and within the daw for maximum output is spot on due to the lack of problems you’ll run into with soft synths and likewise are spot on about hardware being great for inspiration.
I started my synth Journey with modular and Loved it. Then Sold it for a Keyboard synth to Play with my band where i was a guitarist at the time. That was a Bad choice and im Back into modular since a year and wont ever get rid of it again. Contrary to that my best decision was to finally get into a DAW (Bitwig) Last year. That really upped my Game and lets me merge synths and traditional Instruments. You have to have a Vision tough.
I have a Yamaha Modx and I love it. It is all that i have but i want more. A lot of research and i want a Akai Mpc One, a Korg Wavestate or the $600 hydrasynth to branch out. At age 60 i don't want anything to do with Daws. Any suggestions anyone?
I bought an OB-X8 to replace my OB-6, but the OB-6 is so different that I don’t know if I want to get rid of it. But why keep two Oberheims? I don’t know what to do. Someone please help me make some deep life decisions.
My only synth purchase regret was my first ever synth, the Casio VZ-1. Difficult to program sounds for me. Limited memory etc. I finally got rid of it. My collection now suits me better for what I do. I make music for fun and enjoyment of my family. My collection is Minilogue XD, OP-1, Hydrasynth desktop, Deluge, Yamaha Clavinova, and a few pocket operators and Circuit tracks and a Roland MC-101. I use Logic for my DAW and use a lot of iPad music software. Some of my gear is redundant but I got it all because I like the approach of each of the devices towards making music. The variety of devices keeps me interested in creating so I don’t get bored with any single device. I love to see all the new gear coming out all the time but I’m happy with what I have.
Worst synth purchase: OP-1. Because I want to finish songs, not just doodle. Best synth purchase: Akai Force. It's an Ableton-style DAW in groovebox form, so it does basically anything I could want and is pretty good for immediacy too. Beyond that, a knobby performance synth is nice to have, but just a midi keyboard is usually sufficient.
This could not have come out at a better time for me, who just decided I need a Novation Summit or a REV2 (leaning summit). You've really reinforced my feeling ready for a professional sound design tool that also doubles as a hands-on playable live instrument with little to no voice stealing. Thank you for these fantastic talking points! My worst buy has probably been a Hydrasynth. Even though it's an incredible sound design machine, I didn't like the workflow and 8 voices wasn't enough for what I wanted to do with it. Favorite purchase has been the Syntakt - been in love since day one 🥰
I was looking for the hydrasynth deluxe with more voices. As you have experience with a hs version, can I ask you what was your feeling about the sound? Was it harsh oder digital sounding as I mentioned in videos (sry beginners wording)?
@@chrislisten87 of course! It is capable of being harsh, but it’s also capable of being beautifully organic and warm. It might be one of the most flexible synths out right now, so the way it sounds is really dictated by the person playing it. I really liked how powerful it is! A big con for me were not being able to touch the knobs in multiple categories at once by default, but if you take your time you can assign the knobs to any function. Also 8-voice polyphony wasn’t enough for me, as it turns out I’ve got some spicier piano riffs than I thought lol.
I just want to find a solid poly synth with a ladder filter that has analog stereo delay and stereo distortion. The matriarch has the delay but no distortion and only paraphony. The new trigon 6 may have the distortion I'm looking for but only has digital delays and sounds a little harsh for a ladder filter (i still have to try it myself). The perfect synth is just too hard to find... That's why we buy so many
Excellent advice. I bought a new synth last week and sold two that did not really jive with me. My Eurorack is working out great, I'm enjoying doing techno jams on it, yet my daw productions are ambient and new age style. So much fun! Be well, Bo.
I don’t know if this counts as a “bad” purchase but I bought an AKAI Force not long after it came out. Was disappointed that it didn’t have certain features, so moved on - but didn’t sell it (great advice IMHO Bo!). Wind the clock forward 2.5 years and I’ve bought all the new plugins, it’s a much better machine - yet I still can’t make it stick in my setup. Tried the Deluge with the same result. Maybe I’m not a DAWless kinda guy!
@@BoBeats I think the comment about DAWless being great for jamming and improvisation was spot on Bo. I spent so long trying to make my DAWless gear be as “studio-like” as possible, I eventually saw the light and now have a separate live / improv rig consisting of Arturia Keystep Pro, Minilogue XD, TD3-MO, TR-8S and the lovely Moog Sound Studio plus a couple of fx boxes - it’s just lovely but it’s deliberately “one take only” - I can highly recommend this approach as a cure for both GAS and writers’ block 👍
I have for the last 20 years been a software sythersizor guy however I wanted some good examples of the real physical hardware but didn't want Gas so I chose to only buy used from local pawn shops. I bought a Novation MiniNova, and Peak and Behringer Monopoly and I dont intend to get anymore then 4 or 5 at total. The cost of those 3 sythersizors cost Me £1600 which is about 3x more then I have spent buying about 40 software sythersizors.
What I'm missing in the video is the part of different characters. It might be okay to buy a new synth because that character is not yet present in your studio. If you already own a Virus TI and an SH101 you still might decide for a Moog just because that color is missing. I agree that if the synths have too much overlap it will not help. However, if you produce it can help to use a certain synth for a certain task, lets say there is one synth which is mainly used for bass and another one which is capable of nice modulations and can mainly be used for pads.
Well yes I agree and second I’m missing here is the importance of a mixing desk and using equalizers on the desk .There is a new generation musicians who never heard of a mixing desk and patching everything directly into a converter.
I don’t think I have ever regretted a music related hardware purchase, but it definitely takes a lot of thought to make sure everything works together in order to unlock the full potential of hardware in a productivity focused setup, as you said
Same... almost everything has been a keeper, and the few that turned out not to work well for me, I can sell for almost the same price I paid. I just need to rework my setup so I can swap synths in and out easily, because I have too many to keep them all set up at once, lol
Talking about immediacity: think about position of your synths, judge your workflow/setup and dont be afraid to change the setup with the same gear. It can make major differences. I have a hybrid setup with both hardware, a daw with plugins and midi controllers. I really use the hardware synths most that are nearby. Everything at arms length. But even the position next to eachother is so relevant. I've started to use the sh01a more since i moved it more towards the center of my setup, more specifically: next to the drumcomputer. Just to keep kick and bass close together.. Also i love to use my synths for only one or two specific tasks to keep things predictable during improvised jam sessions. For example i created an entire soundbank on NordLead 3 with a wide variety of only dub techno sounds. Also my sh01a has a first 3 banks with bass sounds only. Even when i hit the wrong preset it likely has a preset that matches the sound category so it still kinda fits in the jam
Don't you hate when you put off buying a synth and the price jumps up before you get a chance to buy it? I don't really have as many as I would like right now. I have one analog synth, one fm synth module, and 2 digital synths. My analog synth is a miniloge so I would like to get another analog synth with higher polyphony. I also have 3 samplers, 2 grooveboxes, and 3 drum machines but you know how it is. You would always like more.
Great video Bo, great advice.... and in all my musical history of 35 years ive only ever owned 1 workstation hooked up to 1 DAW... never seen the point in having racks of workstations and/or synths, Well at first i owned a Casio cz3000, then an SY77... then i bought Cakewalk 7 (before Sonar) and started on pro workstations... M3, M50, Trinity, Triton, 01/W, motif xs and today i currently own a Modx 8 and Cubase 11... but the worst i ever owned.. and i refunded it the next week at the store for the m3 was the Rolands first fanton, the G6.. oh god that was bad.. haha... Also, something else to consider is... the space that multiple synths take up, the wiring and power supplies... Do you have the space for it all... Keep up the great work 🙏👍
@Bo, nice video. I agonise over every new synth. Do I have something that does this already? What does it add to what I have? Where does it shine? Where does it fail? It is very difficult. I have recently gotten into modular. This exponentiates the problem incredibly. Now you have something that can do things you never considered and the permutations are enormous. I am a studio performer with a TH-cam and SoundCloud following. I may go to stage at some point. Wishing you the best. Keep up the good work.
I'm a member of SABA (Synths Anonymous Boulimic Association) and I'd like to thank you for your video. I've owned so many synths that I'd have to stand them up and link them in MIDI to play or line them up on stands bigger than me. I've sold everything, then bought more. From the rarest to the latest... Ohhh, yes sorry I failed... Punish me. aaaaaargh :)))))
I love how you put the new Quantum MK2 into the thumbnail that just got released yesterday xD The video is really good and solid advice. Sometimes it's really not easy to figure out what the right choice of setup is. Like there are quite a few big keyboard synths I would like to own. I love the immediacy and hands on control they offer, but they take up a lot of space and setting them up in a way that you can play them all is not easy, especially if you want them to be ready to play just by switching the power on and enabling the right audio channels. So every purchase is a very careful consideration. But it seams like I will have to find a space for the Quantum MK2 some time this year. xD And the purchase I regret the most is my TB-3. Thought it would be cool to have a 303 clone. But I just don't get along with the horrible UX.
@BoBeats, you’re not the boss of me…..of course I NEED more synths. Also, you’re the reason my addiction has begun 😉. Bought a Minilogue XD and I love it!
I've bought and sold so many synths, and one of the benefits of that is getting to figure out what works for you*. I went into the synth game thinking I was going to be a sound designer and ended up with some semi-modular and modular gear, only to find that I really just want to be productive for writing and recording songs so I sold it all. Having less options is actually better for me. My worst purchase was a Moog Werkstatt. My best is a Circuit Tracks. If you don't like the stock sounds of the latter (and surely many are lacking) you can always record the midi out to your DAW and use softsynths or sequence external gear for more desirable tones, but as far as immediacy and ease of use goes CT is hard to beat for beg-intermediate skill levels. *I should add that being privileged/fortunate enough to have expendable income to dabble like this is not available to everyone, and it's easy to make bad decisions and lose $$, especially if you want to buy vintage gear.
Yeah, ok, this was good and practical. The bit about selling really hit home; I've sold and re-bought the same synths several times once I realized what they could do, and I lost some gems because I didn't give them a fair shake.
When I started buying synths and gear I couldn’t part ways with anything that I owned and I thought I never would. But from the moment I sold my first piece of gear that changed. To a point where I don’t have a single keyboard that I owned 10 years ago. I’ve bought and sold more stuff than I can remember and only have maybe 1 or 2 small regrets. But it’s not like I’m missing any of those things. My advice for anyone who’s in that place that they have stuff they don’t use in months or years but haven’t mustered the courage to sell is: let go and just do it. Keep the things that you actually use and spike your creativity and put your energy into learning deep what you like to play. Maybe once in a while try something new that takes you somewhere you’ve never gone before.
I spent many years searching for a groove box that worked for me. I started with NI's Maschine. Despite trying for years, I just couldn't get into the work flow. I tried a modular + Beatstep Pro which I still use, but find limiting in terms of portability and sound versatility because of my current modular set up. I even tried the Volca Sample to maximize portability. I found it not immediate enough and too difficult to get it to play nicely with my other gear. Finally, I tried a Circuit Rythm and discovered the immediacy and portability that works for me. I'm currently considering the Polyend Play as an 'upgrade' due to its export options. My only regret in purchasing synths is that I over-Mooged. I absolutely love the Grandmother and Subharmonicon. I also regularly use the Mother32 and DFAM in my modular jams, but I think I would be better served by a diversity of sounds
I like Moog as a spice but it takes someone of Lisa Bella Donna's prowess to make a Moog-only setup sound good. [edit: I'm not saying this applies to you...] In some people's hands an all-Moog setup honks horribly with too much build-up of the same midrange frequencies.
I would have suggested an elektron kit (Digitakt or other) but if you found the Rythm works for you that's awesome. That said, I love my digitakt probably more than my Tempest which is triple the MSRP lol.
Definitely learn your gear, and see what updates have come out for your older gear. Years ago, I bought an MPC Live Mk. I. Since then, new gear has come out that's tempted me. The SP-404 Mk. II. The Behringer Model-D. The Liven Lo-Fi groovebox. The Roland TR-6S and T-8. However, when I sit down at my MPC (especially loaded with the Flavor Pro and Mini-D plug-ins) it can do everything all of that gear can do, in a familiar workspace environment, with in-the-box automation and editing. The one thing that entices me these days is portability. The MPC is great, but it's still quite large. I did get an MC-101, and while initially on the edge of selling it, I've grown to like it quite a bit (especially after the recent update that added an in-the-box synth editor.) However, it can't sample, so I'm thinking of getting a 1010Music BlackBox to either pair with it or replace it on trips. But then that setup starts getting as big as the MPC! Sigh.... Beyond those two, I own a Microfreak, OP-Z, and a Volca Drum, all interesting instruments. I also just bought a Gameboy to try out some Chiptune stuff. The only thing left on my list to acquire is a Volca Modular, as that would add new sound design experiences. And I could sample and mangle that with the MPC.
I agree about spending time getting to know a synth. I've bought and sold my fair share of synths but some have taken time to figure out and I'm so glad I did. Synths are so subjective. A perfect synth for one is a nightmare and unuseable for another.
Thanks Bo - love your comments and great to hear other people’s set ups and thoughts. After spending time trying to sync up gear I much prefer simple set ups. The OP1Field wasn’t an easy purchase as it is soooo expensive but it is my go to for recording live melodies in a free way that I can then export easily to my DAW for developing and for just experimenting. I love the Octatrack now but have in the past wanted to throw it out of the window as it drove me nuts! 😂
Great tips! Getting into the synth hobby is challenging, even coming from musical background (I play guitar). I struggle with GAS, but generally when I ask the question "what does equipment X do that I my current inventory can't and do I need that functionality?" I can restrain myself. I did just invest in a new keybed which has 49 keys versus my current 32, which will make it easier to express my ideas. I have also had to invest in more cabling and desktop expansion gear. My rag-tag fleet of volcas, behringers, and roland boutiques all take MIDI input from my I/O box and return in audio to same. This means my computer/DAW is the mixer and effects rack. I have external sequencers which also run into the computer, so I can capture ideas very easily. It took me 12 months to get to this solution -- and I am a computer guy by profession.
some random thoughts. - i have many synths, but never tried building BIG setups. using 2-4 units at once. rotating them is important pat of fun. - i have multiple grooveboxes with overlapping functionality - but again, i can rotate them! - always reading manuals BEFORE buying the gear. so ... never sold a single unit )
Thanks for the tip Bo. Its the truth man. The market is full of nice toys for fun, but it can to blind our creation. However, i think that the best tip is: Need I sell this machine right now? I was about to sell my MPC a few of years ago and now, its my sampler section at my current DAWless setup.
As a mere hobbyist, I did soul search and think of some of this advice. Ended up buying a few more synths, and now looking for a brain (Deluge?), not because the DAW isn't working for me or I need them to create tracks, but because I believe I want to touch the knobs and look at the blinken lights and get away from the computer. As you said, for fun and jamming. I'll give it a shot for a few years, and if it doesn't work out for me that way, at least I'll know, and the gear should at least have some resale value. Now time to click to buy a Deluge...
Guitarists and Synth players are the only two types of musicians that collect their instruments. I don't know a Cello player with 10-20 cellos or a drummer with 10-20 kits. I am both a guitarist and a synth player and yeah... I used to aimlessly collect to get that "new inspiration" for a song. And then I realised that my MODX features in every synth song, my System8 does and my Prophet 8 does. And sometimes there's a part for the DeepMind or the StudioSledge. And there's always JP-8 as a soft synth somewhere. And that's when I knew, I don't need other synths, I need time to create patches or arrange them and not that "instant gratification of a good patch that you just tweak". This whole idea that you need to compose, record and master a song in day is idiotic! We didn't do that in the past either. I don't do it with most complex programs that I write or hardware that I design either. So now I create and record more songs and keep money in the bank as well... Same with guitars, I have a shit load of guitars -- benefit of having been a pro-player, it's tax deductible. But also there it really depends on the genre but I just use a handful regularly. And for a recording I can make a guitar sound like anything when you take the time.
Drummers might only have one 1 kit, but they'll have 40 different snares, 15 different hi-hats, thousands of toms, thousands of cymbals, and 80 different bass drums that they'll continuously swap in and out of their 1 kit. Drummers have GAS, too.
Too late Bo, I watched another video of yours and got the Roland SH-4d. I'd have to say my worst purchase decision has been probably the Sculpt, my vision isn't great and it's not easy to read the graphics. The other as many would disagree, I'm not using the OP-1 as much anymore. My fav buy by far has been the Yamaha MODX6, and I'm digging the SH-4d just hoping that Roland supports it more than they did with the Juno-G that sits in my closet with a broken LCD screen (already replaced previously). Mfr support plays a lot in the warm and fuzzies, Teenage Engineering-you're on your own, Roland-if you call support, you get a sad guy on the line, but I understand why he's sad because the support center is located in a not so great area of Los Angeles (went to their US HQ in LA to get Juno fixed), Korg-Getting better, but they forget their products after a while, Yamaha-stays true to their fans and even the product engineers answer support questions themselves from time to time,(Blake, Dom and Phil). Novation-I always get the guy that is probably an expert in every variant of cannabis known to man, but they do get the questions answered.
I have kept my synth setup quite stable for a few years. BS2, Sub 37, Peak, 2600, MS20. Don’t need anything else, I have all the sounds I want. Where I buy new things is the groovebox / brain. I spent my first 15 years with synths using the Korg 01w FD as the sequencer. I have spent the time since then trying to find a brain that I gel with in quite the same way. I’ve tried DAWs, Electribes, Digitakt, various things and though I can make music I never flow like I did back in the day. So I look at things like the Hapax or similar in the hope of regaining the same feelings as I had in the mid 90s. I never will because I’m 25 years older and my output hasn’t been prolific since about 1996.
have fun, play, and go simple, and play , and have fun. Personal is Deluge / Op1field / matriarch but you can replace one of the first two a soon as it fit your ag and the third one if you want to be wrong ;)
My problem is that I do not know my gear well enough but I am still disappointed with how bad it works to get finished songs done on groove boxes in general, I think a few improvements on the workflow will make it a lot easier, on Roland 101, 707, Mv1 and the Maschina plus, again, I need to get to know them better, I love the small form factor so you can bring things with you like the 101, a Maschina plus with batteries for portable use would be nice but I really need to focus a lot more on my DAW and reuse my loops for my production. Can I key-check all my loops and organize them in a good way to have matching loops matched together?? Maybe you could make a video about how to re-use all your loops and organize them really well? I don't think anyone has done that really well online
Heh... on that graph at 2:32, I think you nailed it for me "Just use Circuit" 😀 Circuit Tracks would probably be my next purchase, even if I have to sell the Micron to make room for it. Regrets? Worst regret was waaaaaay back when I first started experimenting with synths, buying a Casio HZ-600 instead of a DX-21 or -27. I was lulled by the 61 keys and totally disregarded the lack of velocity, lack of MIDI capabilities, thin sound, etc etc etc. Of course, that said, the me of the future does regret having sold it. Go figure. 🙂 Keeping the goal in mind is a toughie 'cause I have two or three overlapping goals, which results in two or three overlapping setup concepts, as always moderated by 1.what the wife'll tolerate and 2.what'll fit on my desk (or, for one of goals, what'll fit in my backpack). The "keep it small" dictum resonates with me because my desk has to share music studio duties with working from home, ham radio, and electronics repair. Also, I'm getting to be of an age where having stuff too far away means I can't read the lettering on the panels! Keep up the good work; love watching your stuff!
For several years I have only worked with flstudio and a midi keyboard. I recently bought both the Roland JU-06A and the Digitone because I'm hungry for more sounds to experiment with. Digitone is clearly more difficult to jump into. Then it's the workflow that changes completely, as with VST instruments you just save everything and can change it afterwards, while with a synth I have to record and then it is not possible to change. If I happen to switch out all the instruments without saving them to the synth, I have to try to recreate them again. Yes it is a learning curve. Maybe it's better to finish the song and add the synth sounds afterwards. But then maybe I'm already satisfied with how the song is built.
I don’t know if you can count it but my best purchase is the Ableton Push. Making my DAW setup more like a groovebox. I wouldn’t like making music as much without my push, if you’re good at design, and know how to design a project file well, with templates and stuff like that you can basically make your own complete grovebox. Currently I’m using my push as a 12 track groovebox with a midi controller next to it to give me immediate controls when jamming. I just kinda want a small modular next to it that is completely controller from within ableton.
Yo Mr. Bo! I love this! I'm first of all a drummer. I'm sitting here today wanting more gear after buying a used Korg MS-20 mini & then a new Behringer K-2. I love jamming out to random youtube tracks w/ the MS-20, and I've been experimenting with vocals thru the K-2, which is going very well. So today I'm like, I need another K-2 so that I can leave the 2 existing synths set up "as is" to be able to do continuing work without having to #$%^&! re-patch everything every time I shift gears. However, like you say, space, time, money, etc. Hearing your guidance today is so awesome, especially since my Sweetwater salesman seems to be taking a day off & I can let my rear brain process til he gets back tomorrow! Anyways, thanks for another excellent video, I ♥your wise words & kind understanding: just what I needed to hear!! 👍👍
hello again. I'm 53 and have tried Cubase, Ableton, and other daws. just traded my MPC one and circuit rythem foe my mc 707! I'm HAPPY!! btw, I still think computers are for taxes, shopping, and porn (when I was younger).
if you enjoy videos like this buy me a synth... errr... i mean a coffee over at Patreon: www.patreon.com/bobeats
And the money we send you will keep up from buying more synths hahaha
@@roryjineffect Or just live. It can't be hugely lucrative making vids on the 'tube...
@@ericvernooij2917 Bo actually recently did a video about being a TH-cam creator that was pretty cool
I'd like to send you a coffee, but Pateron asks me to send a monthly amount. Is it possible to simply send a thanks?
Hey Bo, there's a typo in #4 of your description. I think you mean "Goal-less" jamming is the way? Love your stuff!
It's completely all right to just make music for your own pleasure. It doesn't need to be a song, you don't need to show it to anyone. If you love it, just jam for yourself.
realizing this helped me be a lot happier with myself and music. I used to constantly think about when a project will be "finished". but lately I've been just enjoying the process and the living the moment
@@Platinum_XYZ The same, 5 years ago I went through a long term relationship breakup, and at the same time my mother died, not a great time. Spending hours lost in making music without any real plan kept me grounded and fast forward now, found another woman, got married, wife understands my hobby, and I understand her obsession with luggage (It would have been better with pocketbooks, as our storage room is filling up, but hey everyone has their quirks)
Yeah man people see my equipment when they come over and don't get this. I don't want to perform for people, I don't want to make money off of it, I don't want to be famous. I want to have fun.
@@TechGently if you can steer your wife towards keyboard and synth cases as "luggage" it would be perfect;)
Indeed!
Every synth channel right now: Stop buying more synths!
Also every synth channel: Hey guys, Smoosh Audio just sent me the new Blinkengrid, a small box with knobs that is pretty much identical to every other small box you own. I’ve spent a total of 20 minutes playing with it so far, but let me tell you why I think the Blinkengrid could be one of the most exciting synth and/or samplers of the year, in this in-depth 45 minute video where we will review unique features such as the filter, the effects, the lfo, and the grid of blinky lights.
Me, surrounded by synths: Oooooh the Blinkengrid
(love you Bo 🥰)
Perfection 👌
So true. That being said, I am really intruiged by the Blinkengrid! Please tell me more maybe its the missing piece in my setup and the last synth i will be buying for a while 😆😆😆
Did anyone else read this with a slight Swedish accent somehow?? 😂😂
Too perfect
*Disappears in a week-long blinkengrid youtube click-hole*
I'm waiting for the blinkengrid pro, which should be available 6 months after you've spent all of you money on the old, out of date and unfashionable blinkengrid original.
😂😂😂😂 nailed it!
Damn you beat me to the topic of the importance of setups being immediate and compact! Having a low amount of friction when it comes to getting into the music making/noodling process or keeping that process going makes a huge difference.
We need a Gabe vid on this for sure
I'd always be interested in your take on that Gabe.
Your groovebox reviews are very helpful to find the right setup, thx.
A big lesson for me here was that buying new gear slows productivity and adds learning curves in
Do you still use the Minilogue?
Great advice! Regarding the last question: I am a bedroom producer. I once bought a Roland TR 6s. And because I didn't have time to get used to the rather complicated menu, I kept it on the shelf for over a year without touching it. When it finally came time to record a TR 909 in a DAW, instead of searching for cables and struggling with switching audio interfaces, I quickly downloaded samples from the internet and made an instrument in Kontact. Yes, I think it was faster. ;) If I were to make this purchase today, I would probably buy some simpler replica of the TR 909 and TR 808 with a convenient, inspiring interface, and a lack of versatile options. Because that's all I really needed. So thinking that hardware with more options is better is very deceptive, because today it mainly fulfills a romantic and performative function. I think that dealing with an instrument should be so enjoyable that you can subconsciously master it through great fun, and then using it in production can turn out to be second nature. If you are not interested in this romantic or performative aspect, then as you say, hardware is useless. The only exceptions may be instruments that have such great software integration with a DAW that you can use them as a separate device and as a perfect midi controller. I am thinking for example of what Arturia did with MiniFreak and its vst plugin. I'm very interested in this synth, looking for something that will combine tactile inspiration with functionality in a home studio. Thanks for the great video and advice!
In the mid-90s I was all set to buy my first piece of real gear, an MPC3000. A week before buying, someone told me that a producer I liked a lot used an ASR-10.... so I ordered that instead. It was terrible for me & I sold it for a loss after I'd saved up my money for over a year.
By the time I'd saved up enough money again the 3000 was out of production & I had to wait for the 2000 to come out.
Lesson learned: Don't buy something just cuz someone you think is cool uses one.
Every gear purchase is a gamble to some point if you have no prior experience with it
The best part is - alot of gear like that only got used because artists got insane bargains on gear no one wanted.
Just sold my Hydrasynth Explorer. It's been sitting on a shelf for a whole year and it was time to do something about it. I feel great! Getting closer and closer to my ideal setup. 😊 100% agree with immediacy, that's what's made the Syntakt my favorite synth/groovebox so far.
Lately I've been planning a redesign of my setup, with the focus on easily accessible storage. I love to collect synths, but I only ever play one or two at a time. Having them all set up at once means none of them are particularly convenient to play by themselves. What would be best for me is a nice set of shelves to keep all my synths on, where I can quickly grab whichever one I'm in the mood for, plug it in, have a jam, then pop it back on the shelf without any hassle involved. Keep the drum machine, effects pedals, and AC adapters set up all the time ready to go, and the synths on the shelves for easy swapping.
Also want to raise my synth table so I can play while standing instead of sitting. My back doesn't approve of sitting for long periods, and I always feel the need to get up and move when I've got a good jam going.
I agree with most points, except "don't buy hardware synths to get things done." When I started making music 2 decades ago, I've had just 3 Hardware Synths, an analog mixer an Atari and a DAT. This was the most productive phase in my live! Later on I switched to completely producing in-the-box, and things started to get worse. First of all, a hardware-only set-up forces you to finish things, as much things like analog fader-settings etc. can't be saved. In the computer you can save it and it recalls exactly like you left it, which often leads to hundreds of unfinished drafts, as there's no need to finish them. The second thing is the cost-trap. Virtual synths are damn-cheap, compared to their hardware-counterparts. And there's also freeware. So you might end up with 50-60 freeware-synths and 10 bought one, but you never really dive into them, as the threshold to buy stuff is much, much, much lower. So I would recomment to start with Behringer-stuff, to learn synthesis and production and when you reach the phase were you exactly know what you want and need, buy the expansive stuff. Then you'll think carefully what you buy, and because it was expansive, you'll definitely use it.
Same for me! Too many possibilities in DAW
@@catmilk24451 Exactly, Decision Paralysis 😵💫
@@artisans8521 You didn't understand what I wrote. I didn't talked about the DAW itself, I talked about completely producing in the box. With hardware you have some forced limitations, like the ammount of devices you can use (unless you're rich, suffer seriously from GAS and can buy a warehouse as a studio-housing), the channels on your mixer, the FX sends etc. These limitations often motivate you to dive deeper in the devices and try to get the maximum out of it. You learn much more this way and it often sparks new ideas. But it doesn't mean the devices are always more limited than the VST-Counterparts. Just look at the Waldorf Quantum / Iridium or the Mayer MD900. In the box you have "endless possibilities" and new stuff is eiter damn cheap or even free. As human beings are curious by nature, you try out as much things as you can, and only scratching the surface of all your devices. And you can load in plenty of them (unless you use the Cherry Audio stuff). The focus-issue can be easily solved: switch of all phones, app's, internetconnection and close the door behind you. For further information on the last topic I recommend books from Cal Newport like "Deep Work" and "Digital Minimalism" - Peace out!
I absolutely agree. I worked with soft synths for years without realizing how much I hated them. Now I banished virtual instruments almost entirely, and I'm 10x more productive.
Choice paralysis alone between 100 vst synths (most of which I barely knew how to use) killed countless songs at the starting line. Also, recording midi instead of audio opens up the temptation of adjusting every note and modulation curve. Nah, screw all that, two or three hardware synths is all I need.
@@JorgeLetria I've also been going back to hardware, and didn't regret it!
I would add considering getting pedal effects instead of another synth if you want some extra power. They are cheap and can make your old synth sound fresh and amazing, bringing the fun back.
Yep, but i've also bought pedals that cost more than the synth/s i'm pairing with...
True, but good pedal effects are far from cheap...
@@ShaighJosephson As bedroom producer, cheap ones (40 to 60 bucks) are decent enough.
So many truths here at many levels and really good advice for beginners. My case, I'm 51, I grew up in a world of hardware, I've seen ataris running MIDI, Macs running primitive audio, expensive samplers with 1 minute memory ... until now with everything possible inside a computer. When I was a teen I dreamed about mini moogs, arps, modulars ...In the mid 80's I started collecting vintage stuff when people basically threw it to the dump. I've saw the overpricing of those now mithological creatures and have experienced they failures across time... ending selling most of that gear for irreal prices. Now I'm enjoying clones of my dreams of the 80's and I'm happy collecting again synths I always wanted to have like a Model D or a 2600, and I'm using them a lot. Every piece of my actual setup has a reason for being there. But at the end a DAW is all you need to create as you said. Sorry for the long post.
Great advice. I have a small set up, 3 synths:- a Deepmind 12, a Juno DS and a Blofeld module, no DAW just record straight to a Zoom R16 16 channel digital multitracker. Learning to use & navigate around a DAW would, for me, take far too long & I'd probably just give up.
Do what makes you happy. That's what music is about. There are no limits when it comes to art. Be free and most importantly, be yourself.
I went from a literal wall of synths keyboards and samplers (including three complete modular cases) down to a digitone an SP404MK2 and a Lyra 8 and I couldn’t be happier with my decision (the digitone polyphonic midi channels are amazing with the 404)
I would like to hear your music would you direct me to where I can listen?
I also reduced my setup to something simpler and am 10x more productive. Apart from my main sequencer/sampler, I integrate my other hardware here and there, one at a a time, and sample them into my Akai Force, making me commit to whatever I've made, then put it back on the shelf. And I've committed to the system 1m as my "tweakable" synth for live performances. It keeps things moving forward instead of revisiting everything obsessively.
i started down the hardware synth rabbit hole about 2 years ago after using mostly DAW'S for close to 20 years. I record 20 minute jam sessions via multitrack on my Zoom Livetrack L8 and export them, via SD card to edit later in ableton. It nice to separate the two processes rather than record directly into a DAW as I want as little to do with a DAW as possible when I'm jamming. Its kind of like trying to edit a film while still filming it.
I agree. For me the mojo-killing issues with a DAW are too many choices and too many distractions. I record to my MPC or Korg D1600 and only move to the DAW for final mix and mastering.
Excellent analogy… editing a film while still filming it. Must remember that!
i was building up my home studio half of my life with blood and sweat. since some years im at a point where i really dont feel that i need anything else more. beside all the effects, dynamic tools and recording stuff my main instruments are xoxbox, xbase09, dx9 and a ms-2000. there some other synths ofc also. it feels like its covering all i need and im soooo happy im not anymore on an endless chase.
My biggest synth regret was when I sold almost all of my synths & keyboards for a Yamaha MODX8. I thought I had too many keyboards at the time, and I wanted just 1 keyboard that’d do everything I’d want. The MODX is a nice synth, but it wasn’t as convenient as I thought with so much menu diving.
Good video on an important topic, I’ve been playing a smaller (and cheaper) version of a hand-pan for a year now. And first timer spectators tend to completely overlook the human aspect of a performance. These instruments have immense potential but the effort and time that goes into building that connection deserves more credit than the instrument itself.
It truly is a golden age for synth enthusiasts. Soooo much to choose from, both new advanced ships to fantastic reproductions of classic gear. I am so inspired and can't wait to add to my modest collection but I'm glad I can't afford to get loads of gear at once. Forces me to get deep with the units I have.
I've found that if I get "stuck" with a synth I go and watch YT demos and tutorials and I always learn about hidden features and new things to try.
Right now I'm digging my Deepmind 12, Vector (paired with the excellent NDLR), Poly and Mono Evolvers, and, my most recent purchase, the Moog Subharmonicon.
Thinking of going modular next. It looks like such a rabbit hole, but one that can be done in small steps so the commitment isn't too serious.
Great video Bo! The advice is spot on. I find for hardware that the golden rule of 'character and workflow over features' like you said has yet to let me down. I've been selling and buying a lot of my set up on this advice.
Software sythersizors for Me are just way more work flow friendly over physical sythersizors. Hardware I have to send audio in midi in and out and cant edit the modulation or whats recorded from midi so if there was a mistake I have to record the whole thing again and if it's a 4 to 8 minute song that takes alot of time. Software I just load it up and can edit the midi and modulation at anytime and instantly have to audio reflect what I'm doing. Ofcourse you loose that feel of interacting with a physical item I use Reason and can create a device that match the controls of My selected midi controller. I can tern the screan off and it basically becomes DAWless but the DAW is recording all the midi and modulation.
Sage words! Especially finishing jams off in the DAW. I love having a portable set-up that I can take anywhere & a studio set-up. Different spaces inspire you in different ways and it’s great to have the flexibility…. If you can afford it.
what is in your portable setup?
@@albertshred I’m running an MPC Live II, Roland J-6 & S1. All run off batteries… and also a Model Cycles from a battery power pack. I’m running most things through a couple of JBL speakers except the MPC which has its own.
this is encouraging to me... for christmas i went all in and got my first real world synth... the tiniest one, a stylophone gen x 1... and even so its functionalities are rather limited, i am still surprised what the turning of a knob in relation to the position of the others does to the sound. so much fun, just exploring the melancholic sounds the little thing can produce... and it prooved good for me as a total noob that there are only some basic functions, that forced me to concentrate on realy understanding what each does and not get completely lost in too many new things to choose from...
Congratulations for your first synth! If you feel you have gotten used to it I'd recommend Korg NTS-1 for the next one. NTS-1 can be used on its own, but can be used as you stylophpne's effects unit too!
@@TheMCCraftingTable thanks... I looked it up and you are right.. This may be the good next step.. I like the sounds it can produce and it stays in the lets dive into it price range
You've got it right on there, that is where real hardware shines - it forces you to learn the instrument more deeply. While low barrier to entry and ease of recording are advantages of DAWs and virtual synths - way too much choice can become a problem of its own, people rarely really learn the depths of any of the synths, often end up lost browsing endless patches and presets and there's always another cheap virtual synth to go through the whole thing again. I started with virtual stuff and spent years doing that, a friend of mine is very hardware based and has been teaching me why it has its own advantages.
@@captainblood9616 thats so true and so me. I still love the virtual stuff... I am a addicted collector of spitfire audio labs free sample patches and always get lost in the endless posibilitys, and have fun doing so, but experimenting with a real old instrument has its own magic. I got now my granpas hohner accordeon from the 1950s.. Phantastic, but intimidating. Keep on exploring new stuff..
@BoBeats an awesome follow up video would be your recommendations on what really works well together and why. Smaller form. Larger form. Live performance. DAW setup. Travel. I'd love to hear more about what you recommend. Love your videos.
Thanks! Solid idea!!
Absolutely!
A simple monosynth with a memory bank can do so much if you take a deep dive into learning it. Since the early 80s, patches have enabled us to take a sound that's near to ideal for us, process it and ..boom! Easy.
I have 'gear acquisition syndrome', a ridiculous malady which results in never having time to really learn how to use the special unique features of any of the instruments I own.
I hear a master playing something magical, sensitive, dynamic, emotional on a quintessentially simple acoustic instrument like the Ney or the Shakuhachi and I think how unlike my approach to music making this is and how I would like to master just one voice that I have made or tweaked to give me that kind of subtlety and control. Then I buy another box with lots of lights and switches and dials. It's like I am Mr. Toad, in love with the motor car.🙄
You don't even need a memory bank,. Ive done alot with my microbrute. Allyou can do is either take pitures or draw the pathc onto graph paper to replicate.
There used to be blank overlays like the ms20 had, but they aren't sold any more.
Great advice here. As close as possible to knob per function is my number 1 requirement. I have a single 3 octave synth, controller keyboard, and the rest modules. I believe it possible to get into a "creative zone" with DAW/VSTs as well, but for me that happens with hardware far more easily for the things I like to do.
The problem for me is time. I just bought a Prophet 5 Rev.4 and with 2 young kids, wife, house, my daily job, other occupations, I have barely enough time to sit and enjoy it.
I love the advice for those "jam and have fun folks." OK, not just the advice, just the affirmation that for most of us we are hobbyist, we aren't going to produce tracks for $$$, and we just like messing around and playing noise that sounds cool to us. And go ahead and spend $10K on modular...
I use a Montage. Hydrasynth and a Deepmind 12 on all my albums. This is my set up, and I'm extremely happy with it. I really don't need anything else.
I built my own small but satisfying setup: bass station 2, hydrasynth explorer, behringer neutron and mpc live 2...I love them!!! I replaced the softsynths with these four a while ago and I really enjoy them
Biggest regret was buying a Yamaha RX15. You're literally better off with using samples. Another big regret was buying a EHX Stereo Memory Man w/ Hazarai. That thing was just plain rubbish.
1 regret that I see with a lot of people in the industry, is selling your first synth. I lost count of how many people regretted selling their first one, no matter how good or bad it was.
There's some good points in there Bo! Especially point 6 and 10. I often sit down with clients who're thinking about adding a synth to their collection and I encounter these things almost every time. And when you get to the bottom of it, they often realise they either don't need to sell their synth or that they don't need the synth they were planning on buying.
Great video! I have learned to read the entire pdf manual for a synth before I buy it so that I know exactly what I would be getting!
Here's a good example from a hobby musician:
I recently picked up a Roland Juno DS61 because I wanted a workstation that can standalone but still leverage some value from the couple mini synths I have. I was comparing Juno DS to the Fantom because I can afford either one but I wanted to make sure to cover all the features I wanted, but with the priority on "easier workflow" vs having every possible feature. I read both manuals and learned that the Fantom is more capable but much more complicated and the Juno had everything I wanted. I'm very happy with my choice. I record through a small mixer and with a handy recorder and that generally works perfectly for me because I can perform in one take and overdub leads if I want to. I can't punch in or in out or edit with a DAW but I don't need to! So I love that.
Great point! I loose the itch for a lot of gear I think I want by reading the manual
Not a bad synth purchase specifically, but how I came about it - I just went crazy buying a bunch of synths and didn’t spend the amount of time with them I needed to. Now I have a backlog of gear I’m actively learning. I’ve decided to just focus on really learning a few and making some jams with those and so far it’s working - I haven’t been distracted or brought anything recently and I’m getting to know a few pieces really well before I move on to the next one on the wall :)
The backlog. The stack of manuals. THE HORROR :) Buy yourself a Yamaha A5000 and experience a nightmare. Backlogged until hell freezes over.
Yup! #3 for me. Bought a Minibrute and absolutely fell in love with synthesizing sounds (I have no musical aspirations). Bought a bunch more gear, learned all I could about the history, and constructed this idea in my head of what I wanted my setup to look like. Now I have 2 desks, 3 side cars, over 20 synths etc... and nothing is hooked up. When I have the time and the inspiration, I just grab 1 synth, plug in headphones and play with it out on my balcony or while sitting in my recliner. Because I jumped soooo far ahead of my "skills", that hooking all that gear up is beyond me. On the plus side, it is there waiting for me to catch up... it's not going anywhere, so.. 🤷
I used to have a big MIDI set up in the early 90s but I grew to hate it. Now I just grab what I want and connect it as I need. I never record MIDI these days, I only record audio.
@@unclemick-synths I only record Audio too but I think I should be better at recording midi to be able to do a lot of changes and fix things that did not come out right, why did you stop recording Midi??
Yeah I can relate. I feel since I'm fairly new to synths, there are some that I'm just not ready for, like my understanding of synthesis is just not quite there. My Hydrasynth is just waiting for my brain to catch up. In the meantime I'm having fun with other more basic synths.
@@thewistfulsnail yeah, the Hydrasyth looks AMAZING!!! but more complicated than I could handle anytime soon. Like I have 2 Akai Timbre Wolves that I bought years ago on closeout deals ($120 each brand new). And my reason for getting them was having polyphonic synths for cheap, but more importantly for the individual outs on all 4 Oscillators. That's 8 Oscillators that can be synced and routed through individual effects... great in theory, but I haven't even hooked up the Furman power conditioners! 🤦 I just got so far ahead of myself lol I still to this day have not synced up any 2 synths together or used one as a Midi controller for another. I think being this far behind is what is making me this far behind, if you know what I mean lol
Well, on the upside, whenever you have an itch to craft some sounds or jam out, you have major selection. Not a bad problem to have!
I have trouble letting go of gear myself. I usually research the heck out of purchases before I buy to make sure I want it (not just music gear) and then never resell it, but that's just me.
Great commentary - You and Red Means Recording are sending some good messages here! My regrets are usually "too many grooveboxes" - they really don't work well together if you don't think it out. Just pick one and go deep! But the thing about immediacy makes sense too - I hated my Fantom, but love my Jupiter X, even though the engines are similar under the hood. Immediacy matters.
Have you ever tried a smaller groove box that you can bring with you? For me that makes the whole difference as I use it a lot more, like the Roland 101 or a good app on an iPad.
@@RonCavagnaro Well Bo was just asking what works for us individually, and so that's what my reply is about. And the title of the video should be "stop buying synths... without asking these key questions". It was a helpful list of things to ask yourself. I'm glad you're having fun with grooveboxes!
Hmm... my worst synth purchases were mostly synths or drum machines without MIDI. Example: the Quadrantid Swarm. I bought this because I loved the quirky, unique sounds it makes and was impressed by what Surco was doing with it. When it arrived, I was shocked to see... NO MIDI. I realized this would be very difficult for me to integrate into my workflow. (My unit was also broken when it arrived, and Eowave, the company who makes the Quadrantid Swarm has ignored my 3 messages to their service department sent from their website.) So, I have ended up with a broken synth that does nothing, which I can't resell because it's broken. Even if I can get it repaired, I still wouldn't end up really using it, and so my best outcome is just to hope for a Eowave to repair it (which seems doubtful since they have ignored 3 service requests in the past 5 weeks) so I can resell it. That aside, another bad purchase for me was the Hydrasynth Deluxe. I bought this largely due to Bo (and others') reviews of it. It's a very very impressive synth, but, for me, I didn't connect so much with the character of the synth. I WANTED to like it, because, on some level, I wanted to replicate the experiences I saw synth TH-camrs having with the instrument, but, for me, it just didn't happen. On the other hand, there is one synth I greatly REGRET selling, and that was a Sequential Pro 3 SE. In this case, I didn't spend sufficient time learning its capabilities, and, because I already had a Moog Grandmother Dark, I reasoned it was superfluous. 14 months later, I bought another, and it's unquestionably my favorite monosynth of all time. (And I don't think, I KNOW that if Bo ever gets his hands on a Pro 3 for more than a week, he'll never let go of it. I'm actually sort of amazed that it hasn't happened yet, but I know it will. ((and yes, I'm going on record predicting this - at some point in the next 18 months, Bo will end up with a Pro 3.)) ) Finally, in the "Should I, or shouldn't I?" category, is the Waldorf Iridium. I have Pigments 4... which allegedly will do almost everything the Iridium does, but... I really am craving that synth. My "gearhead" side wants to get one and mount it on a VESA arm for ultimate techy-goodness. I've been resisting for months now, but not sure how much longer I can hold out. G.A.S. is very, very real.
I bought a MC-707 a week ago and I also have a TR-8s i found that a real inspiration for make some great jams. I also have some Analog gear along some digital synths but you're right, having a groove box like the MC-707 is more than capable to start out and make some jams right away.
I can’t say that i’m disappointed by any of my machines. All purchases were reasonable. Big synths - because i knew they are good, powerful, and i love their sound. Volcas - it was nice start and i still use them. Po12 and 16 - awesome combo and impulsive purchase that could afford. One device was good, but not for me. Sold that guitar pedal, it was more for guitars, not for synths. Was it fun? Totally yes. Even old akai sampler - it was for the soul, i could not let it stay alone, broken and forgotten. Repaired and now it’s treasure. Repairing old electribe es-1 for friend now - zero regrets. I dream about having nice stand with Moog, Oberheim, Prophet, like really good analog machines, timeproof neoclassic. Hopefully i will have it one day.
Coming from the 'jam and have fun' side I just built two small setups. First: Electribe 2 synth + volca nubass (+ keystep 37) as acid station for sofa sessions. Second: polyend play + microfreak + model D (and two pedals) on my desk. I love both of them.
Nice gear that I did not use for a long time: the rc 505 loop station. It can stack 5 synth layers without using 5 synth but it is bulky and difficult to sync to other gear. Probably I should sell it.
Thank you for your experience. What pedals/effects did you decide to go with? I think that processing, effect in particular can change/improve hardwares synth.
It is the zoom multi stomp ms-70 cdr and the korg nts-1 (not exactly a pedal but a great multi effect device)
Unless you wanna be dawless, the rc 505 is easily replaced by basically any DAW.
If you have a few guitar pedals (like chorus, reverb) or have these kind of effects in a DAW, you can make your synth sound like a more expensive synth 🥰
Also I will never get back the hours I have lost to watching €$£2000 -12000 synths on TH-cam 😳
I did that with my Korg Minilogue.I bought Mooer Ambiance pedal and it's like having a new synth.
The Zoom CDR is a classic affordable multi-effects with decent stereo effects.
Great video.
I bought a Digitakt to have something fun to jam with that didn’t involve a computer (after working all day on computers). I eventually paired this with a Digitone Keys, and this (although common) combo is a great combination.
Still, a lot of my jams are still in these machines. I’m yet to perfect my workflow for transitioning my ideas into the DAW.
It would be great if you could do a video explaining your process for taking hardware jams into the DAW, Bo. 🙏
I agree with this. Especially the immediacy is king part. I like to pull out my synths every once in a while and I love my minilog because it’s super straightforward to just get a great sound without any menu diving. My rule for any technology is if I will forget how to use it after not using it for six months then I’m never gonna use it.
I find I tend to keep and love the expensive things (Tempest, OP-1) and tire of the bargain gear. Also, I don't think anyone watching Bobeats "needs" a synth, we just "want" them. The mistake isn't in buying gear, it is in thinking that more gear is going to help your music progress which is not always true. Practice on what you already have is better for that.
Haha totally agree on both points. I feel that when you buy cheap, you buy twice, is how the motto goes. Though with the very expensive synths, some of it is just super complicated. My wavestate for example, I have no idea what the hell I'm doing as far as programming goes, but it sure sounds nice. I too have a Tempest, but at least it functions as a groovebox since that is by far my favorite "type" of musical equipment. Though my digitakt gets way more use now since it's instant gratification. I can't program sounds worth a damn lol.
I started getting into synths after I had a stroke (lost the use of my left arm and so sold all my guitars and amps) in 2021. I had a lot of time on my hand(s) and bought quite a few bits and pieces. I can honestly say that I had a load of fun with a Korg SQ-1 sequencer, Volca FM Mk1 and BOSS DD6 delay pedal. Small form factor was important to me. From there I progressed to a Digitakt then a Digitone plus Keystep and then a Dreadbox Erebus Mk3; that setup was perfect in my view for noodling, messing around and just enjoying myself. I also bought a few things in between which I didn't really get on with; Mother-32, Behringer Pro-1, Strymon Night Sky/Timeline, Beatstep Pro, Elektron Model:Cycles, Doepfer DarkTime, and a NDLR...
In my view you really cant go wrong starting out with a Digitakt and build from there - Elektron just works and you'll also learn all about MIDI and with built in effects there's no need for external effects boxes, then add a Digitone and then a mono synth = hours of fun. Just be prepared to put a little time in reading the manuals on the Elektron workflow and you'll be hugely rewarded. Elektron seem to be years ahead of the rest in terms of usability and smiles per buck. They are great for newbs like me but they also go deep too.
Of course there's loads more gear out there to be tried - I'm just giving you my honest take on my first tentative steps into DAWless boxes. If you buy used gear carefully you will always get your money back minus the eBay/Reverb bullshit greedy commission of course!
About a year and a half ago I bought a Korg Kronos. It’s very nice but extremely menu heavy and complex and I just found myself not using it much so I’m trying to sell it. This video is spot on 👍
I also have a Kronos, and for what I bought it for (playing in a covers band), it's been the perfect gigging companion. But I've found it's /not/ the synth I want in my studio.
I feel the opposite way about my Minilogue XD. Not nearly complex enough. Maybe I should get a Kronos?
@@mortenrobinson5421 while the sounds of kronos hold up well its interface is very outdated and not very intuitive. I would recommend you check out the new fantoms from roland
@@GerenM63 I have the first Korg Kronos that came out and took it twice to gig with. After the 2nd time, the middle C through E now have a clanky mechanical noise when I press them. It hasn't left the studio since I do not want to further 'damage' it. Kinda a waste. Should of bought the 61 key version. Ended up buying a MODX7 & really like that for the transporting convenience.
@@caddood That's too bad. I gig my Kronos 2 61 constantly, and it's been almost perfect. I've had a couple of instances of weirdness that have always been cleared up with a reboot. I'm thinking that the issues were, from power hits, an "argument" with an attached iPad, or a nut loose behind the keyboard.
In the past two years, mine's been out on 42 gigs (indoor/outdoor/cold/hot/wet/dry) and 84 rehearsals, plus countless hours of practice and programming at home. It just keeps on going, generally doing what I ask of it. My "2" seems to be built like a brick and I absolutely love the thing. But it is certainly heavy! And that's wearing on my weary old back! Lately I've been looking at the MODX7+ or the Fantom 07 (leaning toward the Fantom so far this week) as a replacement -- I really like both a lot for different reasons.
Thanks for this. Just what I needed to hear. I was fiendishly shopping for another synth since I woke up today. I’m still very new to all this but this made me realize I need to invest more time in my DAW. I had an opportunity to buy a minilouge for a very nice price, so I jumped on it. Played with it for a week or 2 then quickly sent it back. The only reason I did this was cause it was the newest synth I had and I was broke at the time. Now I really miss Playing it and hope to get the XD or the Bass one. But every time I see minilouge selling for over $300 I kick myself!
Thanks for your great videos! I enjoy them a lot! I agree: Immediacy is really important and also the time to fully understand the gear, before judging if it is right or not. My first „synthesizer“ was a korg triton and a good example for both: very complex and absolutely not immediate. it took me really long to fully understand that machine. For the stage it was good, but for jamming at home and for sound diving it was not the right thing. so I sold it after some years.
I think I want to buy the Minibrute s2. Is that a good choice? Haha😅
Great video BoBeats. One cup of coffee coming right up❤
For me, right now, the go-to setup is the Digitakt combined with the Roland Verselab. I use the Verselab mainly as a 'Roland's Greatest Hits' sound module, for sequencing synth sounds, I use the 8 midi tracks of the Digitakt, and the drums are samples in de Digitakt, for longer samples, I hook up the SP-404 Mk2. Very compact, instantly playable, enormous fun.
Hey Eric, I do not get how you use the MV1 together with the Digitakt? Will you sync the 2 and record it all to a DAW??
@@magnuseriksson8081 likely midi triggering the Verselab with the DT, like I do but with the Play.
Verselab is on sale most everywhere for only $500 and imo better features than a 101 if using as a sound module for less $.
@@magnuseriksson8081 Syncing them, but I actually don't use a daw. The audio output of the Verselab goes into the input of the Digitakt, and I record the Digtakt's output as one audio file. And that is it for me. No post production.
I am an absolute luddite and hate computers with a passion. And I'm also a teensy bit jealous of people who do use computers. For me personally, it's a creativity killer.
@@GirlfightClub I got both though. I know its a bit crazy
Word Bo! Covid compelled me to go hard on my passion in music. I had a daw using reason for years and was able to create original songs and mixes mostly for hobby and to post on SoundCloud. I decided to switch to Ableton 6 years ago and got the push2 but the switch was not as easy given my mind set with reason. With determination to learn, I was able to push thru especial during lockdown and I could not be more happier. I now use reason as a plug-in. Its so much better than rewire. The lockdown allowed me to do major research on TH-cam amongst many other sources in making smart decisions to purchase the right gear that would meet my needs to up my production speed, arsenal, and ability to do live performance, while making sure I’ll be able fit them all comfortably in my 10x9 studio. I can’t believe I spent over 20k with this upgrade which includes a much fast pc and all the accessories needed. I knew getting the deluge was going to be a keeper and really love it. But I had to have the mc707 with the tr8s beside it. These 3 may appear redundant but they all give me inspiration in their own ways. They all have their unique strengths, sound incredible, and offer so much from many angles. After getting the grandmother, 2600, m1, peak, apc40mk2, beatstep-pro, minibrute2, focusrite18i20, td3, Behringer x1832 mixer and xonedb2 mixer, I know I’m set and really getting the love back with better sound quality, faster production speed and cooler arrangements. I still have a little bucket list but I’m totally good to go. If anyone is interested, feel free to check my SoundCloud aka __e.static__ at on.soundcloud.com/SqYmBk5gpTBrG3j76. Please know that I never market myself cuz I never felt I have anything really worthy and truly meaningful to offer yet. Hopefully that will def change in a few months for I have spend so many hours trying to learn all this gear. My ultimate goal in all this is not fame or fortune, but to truly find myself and to hopefully contribute to the music community something that’s truly unique under awesome vibes. Thanks Bo for all your vids and dedication to this community. I learned so much from you and your peers and will always be up to learn all I can in this incredible field of music. God bless 🙏😎
I just checked out the 'Spell On You' remix edit, really nice bit of chilled vocal jazzy trip-hop
Good thoughts, I really agree with the immediacy of a synth, that makes all the difference when doing sound design and recording.
Don't have a loads of money to spent on synths so I approaching carefully to a new buy. Haven't sold a synth yet. But before this, I was in guitar music and there were lots of guitars I've bought and don't like - sold em all, left just essentials: a 4-string bass I like, and a 6-string guitar I absolutely love!
Wise words indeed. You’ve caught me at a crossroads and your advice was just the thing I needed to hear at this time!
I bought a minifreak as my first synth. Sadly its been sitting packaged up waiting to be sent back because it was faulty, but i'm ofcourse excited to get a replacement!
Honestly the reason i wanted a minifreak was probably 50% because i wanted a midi keyboard for my DAW, but all the controllers felt lackluster to me. Then i saw that Minifreak comes with Minifreak V (A VST replica of the synth), and i immdietly felt "This is what i want. Physical controls that perfectly map to a digital synth."
Hopefully it will live up to my expectations!
Edit: Hej från en annan svensk :)
I'm a Reason user and I can put any VST sythersizors into a Combinator and then make a custom front that 100% match the controls of My chosen midi controller so it's very much like have a actual physical sythersizors. Tern the screan off and use short cut key, (Which is the the space bar in Reason) and record everything there and then.
@Mathias A I think you'll enjoy it. As someone who just got one a few weeks ago, I've been amazed at how many different capabilities it has for its price. It's not good at everything, but it's a very complex machine. I recommend finding the manual online and giving it a thorough read, or watching some deep dives, because there's so many features that are easy to miss but very potent.
@@Overcrox If people dont have a small sythersizor then yes it's a good choice however the Minifreak and Microfreak dont have enough of a difference in sound ability to replace My MiniNova.
@@HOLLASOUNDS Its main appeal is just having way more out there synthesis engines normally only found on modular modules. THe bread & Butter ones (basic analogue, 2 op fm) honestly are the worst offers it has.
The weirdest stuff on it (Bass Algorithm, SawX, Waveshaper, Physical MOdelling, Modal Basic Granular) imo are the best ones.
@@eightcoins4401 Turns out I still haven't actually made a single custom Combinator, and the ability to customise one to perfection is just to much work. If it had been 10 years ago when I was still doing Graphic design I would of been all over it but nope.
As a first timer with hardware, I didn’t realize how spoiled I was by soft synths. I was not prepared for things such as dealing with noise issues, latency when recording into daws, and significantly less voices to work with (genres I like utilize supersaws a lot so imagine when I realized only digital synths could accomplish the sound).
Yet, I find myself being drawn towards analogue gear when it comes to music for fun. Your advice regarding staying digital and within the daw for maximum output is spot on due to the lack of problems you’ll run into with soft synths and likewise are spot on about hardware being great for inspiration.
I started my synth Journey with modular and Loved it. Then Sold it for a Keyboard synth to Play with my band where i was a guitarist at the time. That was a Bad choice and im Back into modular since a year and wont ever get rid of it again. Contrary to that my best decision was to finally get into a DAW (Bitwig) Last year. That really upped my Game and lets me merge synths and traditional Instruments. You have to have a Vision tough.
I have a Yamaha Modx and I love it. It is all that i have but i want more. A lot of research and i want a Akai Mpc One, a Korg Wavestate or the $600 hydrasynth to branch out. At age 60 i don't want anything to do with Daws. Any suggestions anyone?
I bought an OB-X8 to replace my OB-6, but the OB-6 is so different that I don’t know if I want to get rid of it. But why keep two Oberheims? I don’t know what to do. Someone please help me make some deep life decisions.
My only synth purchase regret was my first ever synth, the Casio VZ-1. Difficult to program sounds for me. Limited memory etc. I finally got rid of it. My collection now suits me better for what I do. I make music for fun and enjoyment of my family. My collection is Minilogue XD, OP-1, Hydrasynth desktop, Deluge, Yamaha Clavinova, and a few pocket operators and Circuit tracks and a Roland MC-101. I use Logic for my DAW and use a lot of iPad music software. Some of my gear is redundant but I got it all because I like the approach of each of the devices towards making music. The variety of devices keeps me interested in creating so I don’t get bored with any single device. I love to see all the new gear coming out all the time but I’m happy with what I have.
Worst synth purchase: OP-1. Because I want to finish songs, not just doodle.
Best synth purchase: Akai Force. It's an Ableton-style DAW in groovebox form, so it does basically anything I could want and is pretty good for immediacy too.
Beyond that, a knobby performance synth is nice to have, but just a midi keyboard is usually sufficient.
This could not have come out at a better time for me, who just decided I need a Novation Summit or a REV2 (leaning summit). You've really reinforced my feeling ready for a professional sound design tool that also doubles as a hands-on playable live instrument with little to no voice stealing. Thank you for these fantastic talking points!
My worst buy has probably been a Hydrasynth. Even though it's an incredible sound design machine, I didn't like the workflow and 8 voices wasn't enough for what I wanted to do with it. Favorite purchase has been the Syntakt - been in love since day one 🥰
I was looking for the hydrasynth deluxe with more voices. As you have experience with a hs version, can I ask you what was your feeling about the sound? Was it harsh oder digital sounding as I mentioned in videos (sry beginners wording)?
@@chrislisten87 of course! It is capable of being harsh, but it’s also capable of being beautifully organic and warm. It might be one of the most flexible synths out right now, so the way it sounds is really dictated by the person playing it. I really liked how powerful it is! A big con for me were not being able to touch the knobs in multiple categories at once by default, but if you take your time you can assign the knobs to any function. Also 8-voice polyphony wasn’t enough for me, as it turns out I’ve got some spicier piano riffs than I thought lol.
I just want to find a solid poly synth with a ladder filter that has analog stereo delay and stereo distortion.
The matriarch has the delay but no distortion and only paraphony. The new trigon 6 may have the distortion I'm looking for but only has digital delays and sounds a little harsh for a ladder filter (i still have to try it myself).
The perfect synth is just too hard to find... That's why we buy so many
It helps if it has a nice aftertouch and controllers like ribbons and stuff too :p
Excellent advice. I bought a new synth last week and sold two that did not really jive with me. My Eurorack is working out great, I'm enjoying doing techno jams on it, yet my daw productions are ambient and new age style. So much fun! Be well, Bo.
I don’t know if this counts as a “bad” purchase but I bought an AKAI Force not long after it came out. Was disappointed that it didn’t have certain features, so moved on - but didn’t sell it (great advice IMHO Bo!). Wind the clock forward 2.5 years and I’ve bought all the new plugins, it’s a much better machine - yet I still can’t make it stick in my setup. Tried the Deluge with the same result. Maybe I’m not a DAWless kinda guy!
Yeah dawless isnt the way for everyone
@@BoBeats I think the comment about DAWless being great for jamming and improvisation was spot on Bo. I spent so long trying to make my DAWless gear be as “studio-like” as possible, I eventually saw the light and now have a separate live / improv rig consisting of Arturia Keystep Pro, Minilogue XD, TD3-MO, TR-8S and the lovely Moog Sound Studio plus a couple of fx boxes - it’s just lovely but it’s deliberately “one take only” - I can highly recommend this approach as a cure for both GAS and writers’ block 👍
So for I have a good workflow between MPC one and Logic Pro . The power of MIDI
I have for the last 20 years been a software sythersizor guy however I wanted some good examples of the real physical hardware but didn't want Gas so I chose to only buy used from local pawn shops. I bought a Novation MiniNova, and Peak and Behringer Monopoly and I dont intend to get anymore then 4 or 5 at total. The cost of those 3 sythersizors cost Me £1600 which is about 3x more then I have spent buying about 40 software sythersizors.
What I'm missing in the video is the part of different characters. It might be okay to buy a new synth because that character is not yet present in your studio. If you already own a Virus TI and an SH101 you still might decide for a Moog just because that color is missing. I agree that if the synths have too much overlap it will not help. However, if you produce it can help to use a certain synth for a certain task, lets say there is one synth which is mainly used for bass and another one which is capable of nice modulations and can mainly be used for pads.
Well yes I agree and second I’m missing here is the importance of a mixing desk and using equalizers on the desk .There is a new generation musicians who never heard of a mixing desk and patching everything directly into a converter.
I don’t think I have ever regretted a music related hardware purchase, but it definitely takes a lot of thought to make sure everything works together in order to unlock the full potential of hardware in a productivity focused setup, as you said
Same... almost everything has been a keeper, and the few that turned out not to work well for me, I can sell for almost the same price I paid. I just need to rework my setup so I can swap synths in and out easily, because I have too many to keep them all set up at once, lol
Talking about immediacity: think about position of your synths, judge your workflow/setup and dont be afraid to change the setup with the same gear. It can make major differences.
I have a hybrid setup with both hardware, a daw with plugins and midi controllers.
I really use the hardware synths most that are nearby. Everything at arms length. But even the position next to eachother is so relevant. I've started to use the sh01a more since i moved it more towards the center of my setup, more specifically: next to the drumcomputer. Just to keep kick and bass close together.. Also i love to use my synths for only one or two specific tasks to keep things predictable during improvised jam sessions. For example i created an entire soundbank on NordLead 3 with a wide variety of only dub techno sounds. Also my sh01a has a first 3 banks with bass sounds only. Even when i hit the wrong preset it likely has a preset that matches the sound category so it still kinda fits in the jam
Don't you hate when you put off buying a synth and the price jumps up before you get a chance to buy it? I don't really have as many as I would like right now. I have one analog synth, one fm synth module, and 2 digital synths. My analog synth is a miniloge so I would like to get another analog synth with higher polyphony. I also have 3 samplers, 2 grooveboxes, and 3 drum machines but you know how it is. You would always like more.
Great video Bo, great advice.... and in all my musical history of 35 years ive only ever owned 1 workstation hooked up to 1 DAW... never seen the point in having racks of workstations and/or synths, Well at first i owned a Casio cz3000, then an SY77... then i bought Cakewalk 7 (before Sonar) and started on pro workstations... M3, M50, Trinity, Triton, 01/W, motif xs and today i currently own a Modx 8 and Cubase 11... but the worst i ever owned.. and i refunded it the next week at the store for the m3 was the Rolands first fanton, the G6.. oh god that was bad.. haha... Also, something else to consider is... the space that multiple synths take up, the wiring and power supplies... Do you have the space for it all... Keep up the great work 🙏👍
Thanks!!
@Bo, nice video. I agonise over every new synth. Do I have something that does this already? What does it add to what I have? Where does it shine? Where does it fail? It is very difficult.
I have recently gotten into modular. This exponentiates the problem incredibly. Now you have something that can do things you never considered and the permutations are enormous.
I am a studio performer with a TH-cam and SoundCloud following. I may go to stage at some point.
Wishing you the best. Keep up the good work.
I'm a member of SABA (Synths Anonymous Boulimic Association) and I'd like to thank you for your video. I've owned so many synths that I'd have to stand them up and link them in MIDI to play or line them up on stands bigger than me. I've sold everything, then bought more. From the rarest to the latest... Ohhh, yes sorry I failed... Punish me. aaaaaargh :)))))
I love how you put the new Quantum MK2 into the thumbnail that just got released yesterday xD
The video is really good and solid advice. Sometimes it's really not easy to figure out what the right choice of setup is. Like there are quite a few big keyboard synths I would like to own. I love the immediacy and hands on control they offer, but they take up a lot of space and setting them up in a way that you can play them all is not easy, especially if you want them to be ready to play just by switching the power on and enabling the right audio channels. So every purchase is a very careful consideration. But it seams like I will have to find a space for the Quantum MK2 some time this year. xD
And the purchase I regret the most is my TB-3. Thought it would be cool to have a 303 clone. But I just don't get along with the horrible UX.
@BoBeats, you’re not the boss of me…..of course I NEED more synths. Also, you’re the reason my addiction has begun 😉. Bought a Minilogue XD and I love it!
Always research ,watch videos, read reviews,get as much information as you can before you buy a synth ,you have your heart & mind set on!
I've bought and sold so many synths, and one of the benefits of that is getting to figure out what works for you*. I went into the synth game thinking I was going to be a sound designer and ended up with some semi-modular and modular gear, only to find that I really just want to be productive for writing and recording songs so I sold it all. Having less options is actually better for me. My worst purchase was a Moog Werkstatt. My best is a Circuit Tracks. If you don't like the stock sounds of the latter (and surely many are lacking) you can always record the midi out to your DAW and use softsynths or sequence external gear for more desirable tones, but as far as immediacy and ease of use goes CT is hard to beat for beg-intermediate skill levels.
*I should add that being privileged/fortunate enough to have expendable income to dabble like this is not available to everyone, and it's easy to make bad decisions and lose $$, especially if you want to buy vintage gear.
Yeah, ok, this was good and practical. The bit about selling really hit home; I've sold and re-bought the same synths several times once I realized what they could do, and I lost some gems because I didn't give them a fair shake.
Good point on not buying stuff with overlapping features. This is often easier said than done, especially with YT demos stimulating the GAS ;-)
When I started buying synths and gear I couldn’t part ways with anything that I owned and I thought I never would. But from the moment I sold my first piece of gear that changed. To a point where I don’t have a single keyboard that I owned 10 years ago. I’ve bought and sold more stuff than I can remember and only have maybe 1 or 2 small regrets. But it’s not like I’m missing any of those things. My advice for anyone who’s in that place that they have stuff they don’t use in months or years but haven’t mustered the courage to sell is: let go and just do it. Keep the things that you actually use and spike your creativity and put your energy into learning deep what you like to play. Maybe once in a while try something new that takes you somewhere you’ve never gone before.
I spent many years searching for a groove box that worked for me. I started with NI's Maschine. Despite trying for years, I just couldn't get into the work flow. I tried a modular + Beatstep Pro which I still use, but find limiting in terms of portability and sound versatility because of my current modular set up. I even tried the Volca Sample to maximize portability. I found it not immediate enough and too difficult to get it to play nicely with my other gear. Finally, I tried a Circuit Rythm and discovered the immediacy and portability that works for me. I'm currently considering the Polyend Play as an 'upgrade' due to its export options.
My only regret in purchasing synths is that I over-Mooged. I absolutely love the Grandmother and Subharmonicon. I also regularly use the Mother32 and DFAM in my modular jams, but I think I would be better served by a diversity of sounds
I like Moog as a spice but it takes someone of Lisa Bella Donna's prowess to make a Moog-only setup sound good. [edit: I'm not saying this applies to you...] In some people's hands an all-Moog setup honks horribly with too much build-up of the same midrange frequencies.
I would have suggested an elektron kit (Digitakt or other) but if you found the Rythm works for you that's awesome. That said, I love my digitakt probably more than my Tempest which is triple the MSRP lol.
Definitely learn your gear, and see what updates have come out for your older gear.
Years ago, I bought an MPC Live Mk. I. Since then, new gear has come out that's tempted me. The SP-404 Mk. II. The Behringer Model-D. The Liven Lo-Fi groovebox. The Roland TR-6S and T-8. However, when I sit down at my MPC (especially loaded with the Flavor Pro and Mini-D plug-ins) it can do everything all of that gear can do, in a familiar workspace environment, with in-the-box automation and editing.
The one thing that entices me these days is portability. The MPC is great, but it's still quite large. I did get an MC-101, and while initially on the edge of selling it, I've grown to like it quite a bit (especially after the recent update that added an in-the-box synth editor.) However, it can't sample, so I'm thinking of getting a 1010Music BlackBox to either pair with it or replace it on trips. But then that setup starts getting as big as the MPC! Sigh....
Beyond those two, I own a Microfreak, OP-Z, and a Volca Drum, all interesting instruments. I also just bought a Gameboy to try out some Chiptune stuff. The only thing left on my list to acquire is a Volca Modular, as that would add new sound design experiences. And I could sample and mangle that with the MPC.
I agree about spending time getting to know a synth. I've bought and sold my fair share of synths but some have taken time to figure out and I'm so glad I did. Synths are so subjective. A perfect synth for one is a nightmare and unuseable for another.
Wow. Some really good advice. A lot of people should listen closely to what you said here.👍
Thanks Bo - love your comments and great to hear other people’s set ups and thoughts. After spending time trying to sync up gear I much prefer simple set ups. The OP1Field wasn’t an easy purchase as it is soooo expensive but it is my go to for recording live melodies in a free way that I can then export easily to my DAW for developing and for just experimenting. I love the Octatrack now but have in the past wanted to throw it out of the window as it drove me nuts! 😂
Think? Before buying a synth? Are you mad?!? BUY ALL THE SYNTHS!
Great tips! Getting into the synth hobby is challenging, even coming from musical background (I play guitar). I struggle with GAS, but generally when I ask the question "what does equipment X do that I my current inventory can't and do I need that functionality?" I can restrain myself. I did just invest in a new keybed which has 49 keys versus my current 32, which will make it easier to express my ideas. I have also had to invest in more cabling and desktop expansion gear. My rag-tag fleet of volcas, behringers, and roland boutiques all take MIDI input from my I/O box and return in audio to same. This means my computer/DAW is the mixer and effects rack. I have external sequencers which also run into the computer, so I can capture ideas very easily. It took me 12 months to get to this solution -- and I am a computer guy by profession.
some random thoughts.
- i have many synths, but never tried building BIG setups.
using 2-4 units at once. rotating them is important pat of fun.
- i have multiple grooveboxes with overlapping functionality - but again, i can rotate them!
- always reading manuals BEFORE buying the gear. so ... never sold a single unit )
Great Advice. Despite my hybrid big 'rig' the fun I have had with just my little Casio HT-700.....Immediacy indeed!
Thanks for the tip Bo. Its the truth man. The market is full of nice toys for fun, but it can to blind our creation. However, i think that the best tip is: Need I sell this machine right now? I was about to sell my MPC a few of years ago and now, its my sampler section at my current DAWless setup.
As a mere hobbyist, I did soul search and think of some of this advice. Ended up buying a few more synths, and now looking for a brain (Deluge?), not because the DAW isn't working for me or I need them to create tracks, but because I believe I want to touch the knobs and look at the blinken lights and get away from the computer. As you said, for fun and jamming. I'll give it a shot for a few years, and if it doesn't work out for me that way, at least I'll know, and the gear should at least have some resale value. Now time to click to buy a Deluge...
Guitarists and Synth players are the only two types of musicians that collect their instruments. I don't know a Cello player with 10-20 cellos or a drummer with 10-20 kits. I am both a guitarist and a synth player and yeah... I used to aimlessly collect to get that "new inspiration" for a song.
And then I realised that my MODX features in every synth song, my System8 does and my Prophet 8 does. And sometimes there's a part for the DeepMind or the StudioSledge. And there's always JP-8 as a soft synth somewhere.
And that's when I knew, I don't need other synths, I need time to create patches or arrange them and not that "instant gratification of a good patch that you just tweak". This whole idea that you need to compose, record and master a song in day is idiotic! We didn't do that in the past either. I don't do it with most complex programs that I write or hardware that I design either.
So now I create and record more songs and keep money in the bank as well...
Same with guitars, I have a shit load of guitars -- benefit of having been a pro-player, it's tax deductible. But also there it really depends on the genre but I just use a handful regularly. And for a recording I can make a guitar sound like anything when you take the time.
Drummers might only have one 1 kit, but they'll have 40 different snares, 15 different hi-hats, thousands of toms, thousands of cymbals, and 80 different bass drums that they'll continuously swap in and out of their 1 kit. Drummers have GAS, too.
Too late Bo, I watched another video of yours and got the Roland SH-4d. I'd have to say my worst purchase decision has been probably the Sculpt, my vision isn't great and it's not easy to read the graphics. The other as many would disagree, I'm not using the OP-1 as much anymore. My fav buy by far has been the Yamaha MODX6, and I'm digging the SH-4d just hoping that Roland supports it more than they did with the Juno-G that sits in my closet with a broken LCD screen (already replaced previously). Mfr support plays a lot in the warm and fuzzies, Teenage Engineering-you're on your own, Roland-if you call support, you get a sad guy on the line, but I understand why he's sad because the support center is located in a not so great area of Los Angeles (went to their US HQ in LA to get Juno fixed), Korg-Getting better, but they forget their products after a while, Yamaha-stays true to their fans and even the product engineers answer support questions themselves from time to time,(Blake, Dom and Phil). Novation-I always get the guy that is probably an expert in every variant of cannabis known to man, but they do get the questions answered.
I have kept my synth setup quite stable for a few years. BS2, Sub 37, Peak, 2600, MS20. Don’t need anything else, I have all the sounds I want. Where I buy new things is the groovebox / brain. I spent my first 15 years with synths using the Korg 01w FD as the sequencer. I have spent the time since then trying to find a brain that I gel with in quite the same way. I’ve tried DAWs, Electribes, Digitakt, various things and though I can make music I never flow like I did back in the day. So I look at things like the Hapax or similar in the hope of regaining the same feelings as I had in the mid 90s. I never will because I’m 25 years older and my output hasn’t been prolific since about 1996.
have fun, play, and go simple, and play , and have fun.
Personal is Deluge / Op1field / matriarch but you can replace one of the first two a soon as it fit your ag and the third one if you want to be wrong ;)
My problem is that I do not know my gear well enough but I am still disappointed with how bad it works to get finished songs done on groove boxes in general, I think a few improvements on the workflow will make it a lot easier, on Roland 101, 707, Mv1 and the Maschina plus, again, I need to get to know them better, I love the small form factor so you can bring things with you like the 101, a Maschina plus with batteries for portable use would be nice but I really need to focus a lot more on my DAW and reuse my loops for my production. Can I key-check all my loops and organize them in a good way to have matching loops matched together?? Maybe you could make a video about how to re-use all your loops and organize them really well? I don't think anyone has done that really well online
Heh... on that graph at 2:32, I think you nailed it for me "Just use Circuit" 😀 Circuit Tracks would probably be my next purchase, even if I have to sell the Micron to make room for it.
Regrets? Worst regret was waaaaaay back when I first started experimenting with synths, buying a Casio HZ-600 instead of a DX-21 or -27. I was lulled by the 61 keys and totally disregarded the lack of velocity, lack of MIDI capabilities, thin sound, etc etc etc. Of course, that said, the me of the future does regret having sold it. Go figure. 🙂
Keeping the goal in mind is a toughie 'cause I have two or three overlapping goals, which results in two or three overlapping setup concepts, as always moderated by 1.what the wife'll tolerate and 2.what'll fit on my desk (or, for one of goals, what'll fit in my backpack). The "keep it small" dictum resonates with me because my desk has to share music studio duties with working from home, ham radio, and electronics repair. Also, I'm getting to be of an age where having stuff too far away means I can't read the lettering on the panels!
Keep up the good work; love watching your stuff!
Great work Bo, as ever 👏
For several years I have only worked with flstudio and a midi keyboard. I recently bought both the Roland JU-06A and the Digitone because I'm hungry for more sounds to experiment with. Digitone is clearly more difficult to jump into.
Then it's the workflow that changes completely, as with VST instruments you just save everything and can change it afterwards, while with a synth I have to record and then it is not possible to change.
If I happen to switch out all the instruments without saving them to the synth, I have to try to recreate them again.
Yes it is a learning curve.
Maybe it's better to finish the song and add the synth sounds afterwards. But then maybe I'm already satisfied with how the song is built.
I don’t know if you can count it but my best purchase is the Ableton Push. Making my DAW setup more like a groovebox. I wouldn’t like making music as much without my push, if you’re good at design, and know how to design a project file well, with templates and stuff like that you can basically make your own complete grovebox. Currently I’m using my push as a 12 track groovebox with a midi controller next to it to give me immediate controls when jamming. I just kinda want a small modular next to it that is completely controller from within ableton.
Yo Mr. Bo! I love this! I'm first of all a drummer. I'm sitting here today wanting more gear after buying a used Korg MS-20 mini & then a new Behringer K-2. I love jamming out to random youtube tracks w/ the MS-20, and I've been experimenting with vocals thru the K-2, which is going very well. So today I'm like, I need another K-2 so that I can leave the 2 existing synths set up "as is" to be able to do continuing work without having to #$%^&! re-patch everything every time I shift gears. However, like you say, space, time, money, etc. Hearing your guidance today is so awesome, especially since my Sweetwater salesman seems to be taking a day off & I can let my rear brain process til he gets back tomorrow! Anyways, thanks for another excellent video, I ♥your wise words & kind understanding: just what I needed to hear!! 👍👍
hello again. I'm 53 and have tried Cubase, Ableton, and other daws. just traded my MPC one and circuit rythem foe my mc 707! I'm HAPPY!! btw, I still think computers are for taxes, shopping, and porn (when I was younger).