Proud Skulpt owner here. Will now attend to crying Skulpt's hurt feelings... No baby, it's allright... I KNOW you have never crashed once on me... there there
People seem to love this synth, many people are just really put off by the build quality. Just the feel though, I never hear about them actually failing. But when it comes to bang for the buck (and for the size!!) there's almost no competitor.
Having spent 20 years designing UIs (which means absolutely nothing) I reckon this layout is actually really strong for pattern- muscle memory learning, it's rare to see a composition that has path following. As long as the knobs aren't too flimsy
@@justinbennitt835 I'm supposed to wear near vision glasses, I never do because as soon as I look up the world vanishes into an impressionist haze. Getting something going then tweaking is what I do, although I write the underlying rhythm and melody numerically in advance. Even the best synths still function as toys, it's just so satisfying
really because every time I use this thing I have to refer to the cheat sheet. The knobs are flimsy endless encoders, using LEDs to indicate the parameter values, and these LEDs are so bright that you can't see any of the gray-on-gray UI legending even in broad daylight (maybe especially then). And I am constantly forgetting the shift button is on or editing the wrong evelope. The sound is usable, which is pretty good for a $200 digital synth, but the enclosure/UI is GOD AWFUL.
man, how much I love the bookshelf behind you, I often catch myself reading the titles subconsciously 😂, nice stuff in there, today my eyes were fixed on the Kafka collection 😉😊✌
The Skulpt is a very fine synth engine packed inside a small, cheap housing. There's obviously going to be some downsides because of that. But I think that a lot of people don't give it the credit it deserves for what it actually is. I know Stimming didn't care for it, and I generally agree with his assessments. It's definitely a bit confusing in its layout and those "keys" are not great. Most people will want to use the software to get the most out of it, which is a bit of a shame because what this really is is a powerful polyphonic synth with loads of oscillators and other features packed inside a compact, portable device. The portability is both its strength and its weakness, the compact nature making it necessary to cram everything onto it in a "somewhat logical" way. This is a backpack synth, you don't get the luxury of a million knobs spaced out in an easy-to-use way. That said, the reliance of unlocking everything via an app or program on another device kind of sours the "backpack synth" nature of it, although if you have an iPad I guess you're still pretty portable. It sounds really good, too, although like Stimming, I rather preferred the sounds of the Craftsynth's wavetables. I believe I saw it on sale for $149 a while back, and was very close to buying one. For less than $200, it's probably the best synth available. What else is there? The IK Uno? No thanks!
I did support this Kickstarter, and the follow up as well. It's true that the UI is one of those things that makes you want to throw it across the room. Fortunately, the Modal App is really good. If you're doing sound design on it, you really need the app. So in that regard, it reminds me of my Venom where you need software to make the most of it. It works better as a sound module in the end, because the sound is where it really shines.
Proud Craftsynth 2.0 owner here. Bought mine as a mono/bass line accessory for Beatstep pro, messed with sound design a little, and now it's one of my favorite tool for about any genre I experiment with. Thing looks like a toy, but sounds absolutely massive. Modal products are amazing, and no one can change my mind. If you're into somewhat deep sound tinkering, you'd be satisfied. But yeah- computer/phone interface is must have
My favorite purchase, one referenced in this video as even more toy like than this one, and my pending purchase of this were heavily informed by this channel. At the very least, it's a sincere opinion. And it kept me from being disappointed by some limitations of the earlier purchase. Apparently, I'm going to need to get a better midi controller for these 2 "cheap plastic toys".
Are you aware of the 'updated' SE edition that came out recently? White and black traditional keyboard and new sound presets? ( These are available for use with the original synth ). I really like it, yeah it's plastic, has a horrible touch keyboard but when used with a controller or other synth it shows just how good it can sound. At lot of us cannot afford to splash out on other gear, so at least this still delivers fun.........and isn't that what we all need during these dark days?
@@AudioPilz The SE seems a little less wobbly in places too. Plus cheaper to buy a new one of those than a second hand OG (particularly from Reverb..lol). It's a fun 'out and about' thingy if you have a Circuit or an MC-101 or something of that type.
@@jasonkranzler they need the capacitive keyboard from a microfreak instead of what they they have. It's not as good to play. The microfreak's touch keyboard is a million times better.
@@randommcranderson5155 wish there were more capacitive key beds like the microfreak! Although here might be some improvements (more keys being most obvious), I love that type. A bit sad to hear the ones on these (skulpt and craft) are not like those…..
Got my bakery fresh chocolate chunk with pecan cookies, got my coffee, got my Bad Gear! That's a nice way to start my week at work. Would you ever cover gear as bad as the Yamaha DD-5? It still sits in my studio because it's probably the world's cheapest MIDI drum pad.
I think this little synth would have done well to go the direction of the Blofeld. Just a nice little desktop unit that does what it does really well, with a nice upgraded chassis and layout. A guy can dream I guess. So now the Digitakt has the much loved 1.3 firmware, will it get the "Better Gear" treatment?
@@AudioPilz It's worth it for the extended pitch range alone.. I did the upgrade about 30 minutes ago and already made some super weird ambient doom loops that are way out of my usual wheelhouse but lots of fun.
@@GavinLees I paid 400 for the cobalt8M, and I got 2 of these for 340. The Skulpt is fun (I cart one about with my MC-101 most of the time), but it's very stripped down compared to the 8/8M/8X models.
@@Gainn Yeah, I was going to say this. The sound engines in the Skulpt and Craftsynth are analogous to the Cobalt 8 and Argon8, respectively, but the backpack synths are further stripped down quite a bit.
I scored one of these for free a few months back in an insanely good trade on Craigslist. After a few months of scratching my head trying to understand the layout and talking trash about the build quality, I must say that the synth engine in this thing is phenomenal. It definitely has its flaws though, so I was excited to see this notification. Also, thanks for allowing me to #participate in the audience #participation segment.
Thanks for reviewing at least 15 pieces of gear I've owned. haha. I bought one of these last year after watching TH-cam reviews I'm impressed with the sounds. Despite the cheapness of the build (man, the quality is toy like) I haven't regretted getting it. In fact I recently bought an MPE controller to explore some of the MPE functionality.
@@AudioPilzapart from the design capability, I actually find the sound too flat in the medium range, probably because of the mono output, maybe also some limitation of the signal path through tje mini jack. Do you agree?
That's all they were supposed to be in the early stages, making them into playable keys was an afterthought, although the publicity would suggest otherwise. They're great to have, but using this thing daily, without an external keyboard? You'd have to be a lunatic. That said, at least you can pick out a tune, unlike those ridiculous inline Volca keys. Then again, you do come up with some creative things you'd never have purposely made when you haven't got a clue what notes you're playing on the Korgs.
Yep, it's pretty big sounding. But i don't get, why people find it confusing. Each section is clearly separated and logically placed, imo. And for the things written in orange, you just hold shift or latch it with a short tap. That's 90% of the magic. The other 10% can be found on the cheat sheet. ^^
Oh, the Skulpt on BadGear??!? I love mine (and it has never crashed). It makes wonderfully weird and unique sounds. Get past the idea of it being a standalone - use it as a sound module with the app and an external keyboard, and you're getting a whole shedload of interesting, flexible, modern audio possibilities for less than £200. You won't use it all the time (for my money, the filter needs to be much sweeter to be an "everyday" synth) but it's a great, (relatively) inexpensive, interesting tool to have. No need to go all the way up to the 008, btw... get an Argon or a Cobalt. One does the digital sound design thing, the other some lovely "virtual analogue" sounds - I think they nailed that sweet filter with the Cobalt. And of course they all the use the same App, so once you've mastered that interface, you'll be able to flit straight into another Modal product quite easily.
I had a load of knobs fall off but as per usual Modals awesome customer service just sent me a bunch over for free and job done. I mean they made it a joy to speak to about it and I felt I was treated like a king. That is service and for a device that is a few hundred give or take 👍 As for the sound etc I absolutely have no issues and it runs connected alongside some sound gear that individually costs between 2-4k as well as with the craft synth and an Argon 8 desktop. Just works flawlessly and I love it and use it a lot. Thanks 😃
Happy to see you feature this! I was considering getting one, but I kept seeing people say Modal has problems with firmware bugs. I think it was more the Craft, but it got me a bit worried.
You should go on tour with all the bad gear! Something like an Acid Bhangra techno disco ted talk! Hell: I’d pay good money just to come and listen to you jam! Love the channel! Keep going!!!!!!
I have a skulpt, it has some quirks; the keyboard sucks (but who would use it anyway?) and you have to use the UI for setting up patterns. However I have gotten some sick sounds out of it and it is reaaally fun to play around and experiment with! Sometimes if I don't know what to do I'll just start tweaking knobs on this baby until I get some weird noise which sparks an idea!
From am engineering perspective, full-sized TRS jacks may have impeded the banana storage / dispensing mechanism 👨🔬 (Hey Florian, it's Rocco.. I have no idea how to do TH-cam, so apparently I'm "Rompler Head" for a while 🤷♂️)
It works as candy crush replacement that's true. It works as a tunnel for another dimension where sirens sing you to take that strange substance - thats true. It works as a midi - usb interface btw! But does it give anything warm and pleasant? NO It's the Picasso's veredonovaya blue you'll find right before absenthe dispenser. Do I want to go back to such pallette? ... ... ... Do anyone enjoy their absenthe anyway? Isn't it just way out there? CS2 is a cold hearted bitch. While the grand piano is one, it is certainly giving in some areas, while CS2 is a always doubting whether you're good enough. Fu*k that, better use poly d. That thing seems human enough.
The touchpad keys are definitely a no-go for me, at least as far as actually playing. Probably would be OK for sound design. So a newer Skulpt SE is only $199.99 USD. Naturally, double that price for the earlier model being sold on Reverb. Yet that's not nearly as bad as the guy trying to sell a Yamaha V50 for $1800 USD. Anyway, really enjoy your channel. :)
For a bad gear review, please check out any of the "Hex Layer" Casio keyboards. It's like an awesome and great sounding synth engine tucked away behind plasticky, menu-driven madness. I love my Casio PX-5S but I would rather control a VST than program my own sounds in it.
A powerful synthesizer trapped in a feeble plastic shell? ...sounds kinda like a full-on human trapped in the body of a feral cat-thing. Which I bring up for.... no particular reason. :)
To sum up: wobbly plastic box with intersting sounds along some heavy shift-button diving. Nevertheless great review and great song fragments as per usual
ha i have that overlay-- it's nice. the new version of the synth has a faceplate closer to this overlay but i still think the overlay is better designed. if they just built the box about 25% bigger and abandoned the goofy diagonal layout it would be a classic of small digital synths.
Found your channel, dig your shtick, and the community engagement is wild. You also make excellent tunes using each bit of gear. And then I noticed that you like each and every comment. Wild +
Ah! It's friday, the weekend starts, Bad Gear comes on and it's about a little gem you own. ^^ I was wondering when this little box would show up and you really did this little rough gem justice. :) I got the G.A.S. during last years black friday and bought it for 169€ at a sale at Thomann. I was really surprised by it's sound character, which really stands on its own. In my opinion lead and bass sounds aren't its forte, it can do it, but it's strong suit are pads and atmospheric sounds. The controls are kinda quirky at first, but after an hour or so, i could use it without any problems and haven't used the app so far. And i'm kinda impressed, that they managed to squeeze all these features into this size and still not having to hide some features in the app exclusively. But i can see, how this shift combo Kung Fu is not every-bodies cup of tea. When the noise issue occurred, did you power it via USB? I use batteries and haven't encountered such noise issues yet.
@@AudioPilz Yep, a power bank should cause that.... Try putting the power switch to batteries instead of the middle position. This kind of two way switch sometime tends to not close correctly. If there are no batteries in the unit, it should turn it off completely. That's how i turn mine off. The switch is so fiddly that i can't be bothered to find the middle position. 😅
I love your channel 😄mostly because I end up buying all the "bad synths" due to the plummet of their price🤣 I'll be rich in about 35 years from now on.
I'd love to see an album with the best of all of these tracks you make. I don't know behind the scenes how long it takes you, but it seems like you just have endless inspiration to build these tracks :p
the synth itself is alright, but who thought it was a good idea to label everything diagonally??? also i would love to see you make a chicago house style jam in one of these videos one day. cheers!
I'm still on the fence with this synth, it hasn't won me over yet. I'm still not brave enough to tackle the onboard modulation without the editor. But as I like running synths live instead of recording them track by track, it's useful filling out spaces and adding contrast. Many of the sounds really remind me of early 90's electronica, as I was then an Orbital wannabe, this would had suited me more back them. The Craft2 though with less modulation option and monophonic, has more complex oscillators and offers something unique, I hope to see a you do a video on this at some point.
I love my modal Skulpt SE if the knobs don’t fall off and the jacks don’t give out. I just watched like 18 hours straight of this channel. I have a problem. Good work :)
I’m not gonna lie, if it wasn’t for the fact that the beatstep is my centerpiece this would be a no brainer. Currently debating the micro freak and that Roland JD. (x1? Xi?).
Have both Microfreak = better/more interesting sound, consistently evolving firmware, atypical interface, seq is bad JDXI = all in one groovebox, menu diving, drums sound amazing, no continuous support
Another nod for the Microfreak. I still haven't even scratched the surface to get to the surface on it, but you get FM, Wavetable and subtractive synths AND a killer vocoder in one device? And, the aftertouch on those freaky PCB keys is just... a thing. But a good thing,.
Let us know which part of the Microfreak was broken out of the box (or if you got a good one, which part failed first 12 seconds after it got out of warranty). For me, it was the headphone jack, so sorry, no vocoder on my Freak when the update came... Great sounding synth. Too bad it isn't a great synth. 😥
Cool ! That was a great surprise to see and hear this synth in your show ! Still not convinced somehow, but it sounds great tho ! However I'm really concerned about the whole crashing issues when slaved to the beatstep pro.. Plus I know you are a midi master soldier so I've no doubt it was the synth/beatstep combination that was making it crashed but I'll be very happy to know why it happens !! Thanks for your channel and all your awesome videos :D !!!
Thank you! I was very intrigued about this synth. It seems you read my mind. Your reviews are always very enlighting. I would like to see your vision on the Behringer Crave.., i know that maybe doesn't fits on this Bad Gear box, but it would be nice to see your point. 👍🏼😊
Attach a midi keyboard and use the Modal app and it is a truly colossal synth that makes the Arturia MicroFreak sound like a broken stylophone. The recently released SE costs barely £150, for which you can just about get a Volca… I have both the original and the SE, and neither have ever crashed. So it’s made of plastic- and…?
The interface design of this synth is so off-putting, I'm having a hard time even watching the video. They certainly nailed "unique looks", if that was what they were going for.
Takes about 20 minutes to get used to. Most functions are on the front panel. I only used the editor once, tried the random patch option and lost 2 hours experimenting. For the price point it can make some pretty unique sounds.
I seem to be incapable of understanding how folks get confused. Everything is laid out great. Tilted text throws folks off? That doesn't even make sense.
I never thought I needed to know the effects of drugs on a spiders ability to make a web turns out I did and I’m a better man for it thank you AudioPilz keep up the good work love your videos
This thing is so intriguing, as is almost all the stuff Modal makes. The UI-designer should be pulsewidth-modulated though. Always wanted to try a 002 or 008...
Funnily enough, I read a comment written by a professional UI designer and he said that the layout was obviously designed for building up muscle memory (which I found rather interesting)
@@AudioPilz That’s quite interesting indeed, could be that after a few weeks you get the hang of it and can read and write with the machine… It dóes make the synth look a bit more industrial-y.
There needs to be a AudioPilz sample section in Splice. For people to load audio samples. All samples from gear featured on this channel. Then everyone can collaborate. Make a Bad Gear track....good times
Well you managed to get a lot better sound out of it than I did. I always thought it a bit flat and lifeless. The panel looks like The Crystal Maze but you can easily find the filter knob because it's bigger than all the others 😄 Got that right. Strangely the editor software is laid out as logically and neatly as the front panel isn't. That helps find your way around. If you can get over the knobs (which doesn't take long) with the editor screen I think this makes a great tool for learning/simulating analog synthesis. Which isn't bad for a digital synth. The keyboard is fun and great for instant results. It is basically a Stylophone which does something (Or it would be if it had one of those crappy little speakers like a Roland Boutique). And it looks great. What's not to like? Oh yeah the sound. . . . . . . I think maybe I need to 'try harder' before writing that off. It actually sounds pretty good here.
Oh man, I owned Modal KraftSynth (which is I think the same as Skulpt but monophonic and in a smaller form factor) for a week before I returned it. While I was watching your demo I literally once more felt the pain of owning it. By just watching the video I *feel* the flimsiness of the rotaries and odd responsiveness of the keyboard touchstrip and the complexity of the sound controls (with sweet spot hunting and tough times of finding good sounds) again. You are so true to the point about all of these. Ohhh, the sound engine might be powerful but my mind is aching when I remember just the feel of using this little trinket. Hope you didn't share my feelings about this synth or they were at least not as deep as mine. Cheers!
For those of you guys who suggest to use iPad to control this synth - are you kidding? If I hook in iPad I'd just use some software synths with better effect.
AudioPilz.....These little songs you make in every episode are great~ I do hope you have time to use your skills to make full songs because these little songs are banging! And if you are doing that already, please send me in the right direction. Great video as always!
Guess I'll have to get mine out of the closet (just don't have enough shelves in the studio for everything) and start playing with it again. It is definitely a quirky little thing, but as so many others have said, it works best as a sound module controlled via midi. It can make amazing sounds!
This channel is ticking all the boxes: Regular uploads, a knowledgeable host, fair assessments, and a good dose of comedy.
Thank you so much!!!
The comedy part was confusing at first but I quickly got it and wouldn't change a thing.
As smooth as potato salad!
@@shpongled587 How?
You should do the OP-Z next. Bend like a banana out of the box, double trigs, popping encoders, perfect for this show.
Crap yellow putty feet...
Yeah, I'll maybe save this for a special occasion;)
Hey hey it’s not even TE’s worst kit, I’m looking at you pocket modular.
It's my favorite piece of gear, but sadly, have to agree with the above points.
💯💯💯💯
Proud Skulpt owner here. Will now attend to crying Skulpt's hurt feelings... No baby, it's allright... I KNOW you have never crashed once on me... there there
Bad Bad Gear Dude;)
It probably crashed when you muted the track :P
Exactly, maybe those nasty other Skulpt users just aren't treating it right!
@@dickwang7429 grrrrrr...😂
The tragic day has come that my first hardware synth gets put on bad gear.
It's not a day of tragedy, it's one of CELEBRATION!!!
@@AudioPilz To be fair the Skulpt is a really capable synth, I just find myself messing with the Craftsynth 2.0 more.
People seem to love this synth, many people are just really put off by the build quality. Just the feel though, I never hear about them actually failing. But when it comes to bang for the buck (and for the size!!) there's almost no competitor.
Most of my gear has made it on this show.
Te entiendo bro jajaja
Having spent 20 years designing UIs (which means absolutely nothing) I reckon this layout is actually really strong for pattern- muscle memory learning, it's rare to see a composition that has path following. As long as the knobs aren't too flimsy
Interesting input! I found it so strange at first but it worked like a charm after a few hours
@@justinbennitt835 I'm supposed to wear near vision glasses, I never do because as soon as I look up the world vanishes into an impressionist haze. Getting something going then tweaking is what I do, although I write the underlying rhythm and melody numerically in advance. Even the best synths still function as toys, it's just so satisfying
printing the text angled was a major fail. They fixed it in the SE version.
@@randommcranderson5155 totally disagree
really because every time I use this thing I have to refer to the cheat sheet. The knobs are flimsy endless encoders, using LEDs to indicate the parameter values, and these LEDs are so bright that you can't see any of the gray-on-gray UI legending even in broad daylight (maybe especially then). And I am constantly forgetting the shift button is on or editing the wrong evelope. The sound is usable, which is pretty good for a $200 digital synth, but the enclosure/UI is GOD AWFUL.
man, how much I love the bookshelf behind you, I often catch myself reading the titles subconsciously 😂, nice stuff in there, today my eyes were fixed on the Kafka collection 😉😊✌
Happy to hear that, thanks!
I can't decide if you're better at video editing or making sick tracks. I'll keep watching for further analysis.
Thank you!!!
I was wondering where the Bad Gear upload was yesterday, then I realized it was Thursday. :D
Happens to me all the time;)
@@AudioPilz : Temporal displacement syndrome. Comes with the territory, like a studio tan.
The anticipation is real... and also quite perception bending.. ☮️❤️
I did exactly the same! 😂
I work an 8 day schedule so basically every Bad Gear is a fun, unexpected surprise lol
The Skulpt is a very fine synth engine packed inside a small, cheap housing. There's obviously going to be some downsides because of that. But I think that a lot of people don't give it the credit it deserves for what it actually is.
I know Stimming didn't care for it, and I generally agree with his assessments. It's definitely a bit confusing in its layout and those "keys" are not great. Most people will want to use the software to get the most out of it, which is a bit of a shame because what this really is is a powerful polyphonic synth with loads of oscillators and other features packed inside a compact, portable device. The portability is both its strength and its weakness, the compact nature making it necessary to cram everything onto it in a "somewhat logical" way. This is a backpack synth, you don't get the luxury of a million knobs spaced out in an easy-to-use way. That said, the reliance of unlocking everything via an app or program on another device kind of sours the "backpack synth" nature of it, although if you have an iPad I guess you're still pretty portable.
It sounds really good, too, although like Stimming, I rather preferred the sounds of the Craftsynth's wavetables. I believe I saw it on sale for $149 a while back, and was very close to buying one. For less than $200, it's probably the best synth available. What else is there? The IK Uno? No thanks!
Yeah, Stimming really knows his stuff
I love mine
But Stimming is also such a snob
I absolutely love this synth when used with the keystep and Modal App. So many amazing presets too.
Yeah, the app opens a lot of possibilities
I did support this Kickstarter, and the follow up as well. It's true that the UI is one of those things that makes you want to throw it across the room. Fortunately, the Modal App is really good. If you're doing sound design on it, you really need the app. So in that regard, it reminds me of my Venom where you need software to make the most of it. It works better as a sound module in the end, because the sound is where it really shines.
Don't throw it, it's not rugged enough for that;)
So happy the crash screen is back! Missed the little guy.
Feels like home;)
Proud Craftsynth 2.0 owner here. Bought mine as a mono/bass line accessory for Beatstep pro, messed with sound design a little, and now it's one of my favorite tool for about any genre I experiment with. Thing looks like a toy, but sounds absolutely massive. Modal products are amazing, and no one can change my mind. If you're into somewhat deep sound tinkering, you'd be satisfied. But yeah- computer/phone interface is must have
Agreed, great for deep sound tinkering!
I was actually thinking of getting one of these. Nothing like the "Bad Gear" treatment for instant GAS relief. Really it's a public service, thanks!.
Nice way to put it, thanks!
I have to say the filter on the skulpt is grossly underrated. It's super nice.
Agreed, super balanced sound!
That awkward moment when Bad Gear is where you find the next synth you /really/ wanna buy
There's a matrix of Bad Gear aficionados connecting the entire universe
I feel you...oh, boy...
My favorite purchase, one referenced in this video as even more toy like than this one, and my pending purchase of this were heavily informed by this channel. At the very least, it's a sincere opinion. And it kept me from being disappointed by some limitations of the earlier purchase. Apparently, I'm going to need to get a better midi controller for these 2 "cheap plastic toys".
You work so hard mane. I hope you’re proud of your content!
Thanks! Absolutely, marvellous crowd too!!!
Channel is so good I come back and watch these videos multiple times. These videos are amazing for music inspiration, gear inspiration, fun/laughs -
Thank you so much!!!
Are you aware of the 'updated' SE edition that came out recently? White and black traditional keyboard and new sound presets? ( These are available for use with the original synth ). I really like it, yeah it's plastic, has a horrible touch keyboard but when used with a controller or other synth it shows just how good it can sound. At lot of us cannot afford to splash out on other gear, so at least this still delivers fun.........and isn't that what we all need during these dark days?
I tried to focus on the OG Skulpt but the SE is on my radar, thanks for the heads up!
@@AudioPilz The SE seems a little less wobbly in places too. Plus cheaper to buy a new one of those than a second hand OG (particularly from Reverb..lol).
It's a fun 'out and about' thingy if you have a Circuit or an MC-101 or something of that type.
The touch keyboard does enable great slide technique, particularly handy in arpeggios...
@@jasonkranzler they need the capacitive keyboard from a microfreak instead of what they they have. It's not as good to play. The microfreak's touch keyboard is a million times better.
@@randommcranderson5155 wish there were more capacitive key beds like the microfreak! Although here might be some improvements (more keys being most obvious), I love that type. A bit sad to hear the ones on these (skulpt and craft) are not like those…..
Puting weird videos on the screen in the jam around 6:45 to id what machines do what is a really nice touch. Big like!
Thanks!
Got my bakery fresh chocolate chunk with pecan cookies, got my coffee, got my Bad Gear! That's a nice way to start my week at work.
Would you ever cover gear as bad as the Yamaha DD-5? It still sits in my studio because it's probably the world's cheapest MIDI drum pad.
Thanks, happy to hear that! Had the DD10 on the show (which funnily enough has only a midi in;)
PMSL at your reflection in the keyboard.
Those glasses look...different.
Great video, as per usual!
Thanks!
I think this little synth would have done well to go the direction of the Blofeld. Just a nice little desktop unit that does what it does really well, with a nice upgraded chassis and layout. A guy can dream I guess.
So now the Digitakt has the much loved 1.3 firmware, will it get the "Better Gear" treatment?
Let's see if (or when) I will find the time to make the upgrade
@@AudioPilz It's worth it for the extended pitch range alone.. I did the upgrade about 30 minutes ago and already made some super weird ambient doom loops that are way out of my usual wheelhouse but lots of fun.
The Cobalt 8M and Argon 8M are pretty much this. For $400 more than a Skulpt.
@@GavinLees I paid 400 for the cobalt8M, and I got 2 of these for 340.
The Skulpt is fun (I cart one about with my MC-101 most of the time), but it's very stripped down compared to the 8/8M/8X models.
@@Gainn Yeah, I was going to say this. The sound engines in the Skulpt and Craftsynth are analogous to the Cobalt 8 and Argon8, respectively, but the backpack synths are further stripped down quite a bit.
that first jam rattled things in my room that don't usually rattle- i like it!
Yup, that got some proper bass!
I scored one of these for free a few months back in an insanely good trade on Craigslist. After a few months of scratching my head trying to understand the layout and talking trash about the build quality, I must say that the synth engine in this thing is phenomenal. It definitely has its flaws though, so I was excited to see this notification. Also, thanks for allowing me to #participate in the audience #participation segment.
Thanks! I couldn't agree more!
Yaaas! I remember I pitched it to you at some point and with all my hate to this thing, I’m dying you actually did this one.
Thanks for the pitch! Always a pleasure!
Thanks for reviewing at least 15 pieces of gear I've owned. haha. I bought one of these last year after watching TH-cam reviews I'm impressed with the sounds. Despite the cheapness of the build (man, the quality is toy like) I haven't regretted getting it. In fact I recently bought an MPE controller to explore some of the MPE functionality.
Thanks for watching!
Wow were you just waiting for the opportunity to use that "spider on caffeine" analogy or is there some sort of animal analogy dictionary 😂
The meme every YTer should have ready at all times;)
I had no idea this was considered bad gear. My favorite synth from 2018/2019.
It certainly has its shortcomings
@@AudioPilzapart from the design capability, I actually find the sound too flat in the medium range, probably because of the mono output, maybe also some limitation of the signal path through tje mini jack. Do you agree?
Those touch plate style keyboards are fine when they serve a dual purpose.
sequencer positioning, various menus, etc.
...theremin in disguise;)
That's all they were supposed to be in the early stages, making them into playable keys was an afterthought, although the publicity would suggest otherwise. They're great to have, but using this thing daily, without an external keyboard? You'd have to be a lunatic. That said, at least you can pick out a tune, unlike those ridiculous inline Volca keys.
Then again, you do come up with some creative things you'd never have purposely made when you haven't got a clue what notes you're playing on the Korgs.
+1 Korg Volcas
I knew it was coming, but its a plasic toy that sounds as big as a Jupiter.... a very very confiusing jupiter XD
Jupiter with a dark past maybe;)
Yep, it's pretty big sounding.
But i don't get, why people find it confusing.
Each section is clearly separated and logically placed, imo.
And for the things written in orange, you just hold shift or latch it with a short tap. That's 90% of the magic. The other 10% can be found on the cheat sheet. ^^
3:40 is the key point for the Skulp and Craft. Connect via USB > connect to mixer > stick it in a dusty corner > control via ModalApp as a VST.
Maybe they should release a VST?
Oh, the Skulpt on BadGear??!?
I love mine (and it has never crashed). It makes wonderfully weird and unique sounds. Get past the idea of it being a standalone - use it as a sound module with the app and an external keyboard, and you're getting a whole shedload of interesting, flexible, modern audio possibilities for less than £200. You won't use it all the time (for my money, the filter needs to be much sweeter to be an "everyday" synth) but it's a great, (relatively) inexpensive, interesting tool to have.
No need to go all the way up to the 008, btw... get an Argon or a Cobalt. One does the digital sound design thing, the other some lovely "virtual analogue" sounds - I think they nailed that sweet filter with the Cobalt. And of course they all the use the same App, so once you've mastered that interface, you'll be able to flit straight into another Modal product quite easily.
True! Argon and Cobalt is the way to go!
I had a load of knobs fall off but as per usual Modals awesome customer service just sent me a bunch over for free and job done. I mean they made it a joy to speak to about it and I felt I was treated like a king. That is service and for a device that is a few hundred give or take 👍
As for the sound etc I absolutely have no issues and it runs connected alongside some sound gear that individually costs between 2-4k as well as with the craft synth and an Argon 8 desktop. Just works flawlessly and I love it and use it a lot. Thanks 😃
Wow, great to hear that!
Who else watches these just to see if he's going to figure out another way to say "checks all the boxes"
Thanks for watching (for whatever reason;)
Ticking
My favorite was "tickling all the foxes"
Happy to see you feature this! I was considering getting one, but I kept seeing people say Modal has problems with firmware bugs. I think it was more the Craft, but it got me a bit worried.
Not the most stable piece of kit;)
@@AudioPilz Sounds pretty darn nice though, may have to put it back on the list.
Let’s face it you just make everything sound good..
Thank you!!!
You should go on tour with all the bad gear! Something like an Acid Bhangra techno disco ted talk!
Hell: I’d pay good money just to come and listen to you jam!
Love the channel! Keep going!!!!!!
Thanks! Still in lockdown around here. Working on it!
@@AudioPilz Till we can all party again: Chin up chap!
Keep buying the bad gear and above all - keep smiling. 👍🏼
The UI wants to make me tilt my head 45 degrees in opposite directions simultaneously.
Maybe lizard eyes would be helpful
Love the fun and enthusiasm in your vids, and bonus points for quoting Alex Ball too 😂
Thanks!
I have a skulpt, it has some quirks; the keyboard sucks (but who would use it anyway?) and you have to use the UI for setting up patterns. However I have gotten some sick sounds out of it and it is reaaally fun to play around and experiment with! Sometimes if I don't know what to do I'll just start tweaking knobs on this baby until I get some weird noise which sparks an idea!
Agreed, great noise maker!!!
Sunburnt to a crisp from being at the beach all day, but this makes it all better :)
Maybe try yoghurt or some ointment...
From am engineering perspective, full-sized TRS jacks may have impeded the banana storage / dispensing mechanism 👨🔬
(Hey Florian, it's Rocco.. I have no idea how to do TH-cam, so apparently I'm "Rompler Head" for a while 🤷♂️)
Hey Rocco, don't mess with the banana dispenser!!! ;)
There is more effort put into these videos than the manufacturers put into selling the products.
Thank you so much!!!
I like the Hunter S Thompson reference !!
Buy the ticket, take the ride;)
I got one of the new models a few weeks ago. I absolutely love it!!!Play it while watching tv all the time. 😂
Nice! I assume they made quite some improvements!
if you're using this without the app, you're missing 75% of the synth.. same with the Craft Synth 2.0.. for the money & size, it's a no-brainer
Yeah, app is a must!
It works as candy crush replacement that's true. It works as a tunnel for another dimension where sirens sing you to take that strange substance - thats true. It works as a midi - usb interface btw! But does it give anything warm and pleasant? NO
It's the Picasso's veredonovaya blue you'll find right before absenthe dispenser. Do I want to go back to such pallette? ... ... ...
Do anyone enjoy their absenthe anyway? Isn't it just way out there? CS2 is a cold hearted bitch. While the grand piano is one, it is certainly giving in some areas, while CS2 is a always doubting whether you're good enough. Fu*k that, better use poly d. That thing seems human enough.
you have a lot of energy and originality and I appreciate it a lot :-)
Thank you so much!!!
anyone else get the feeling that when he says his show is about the worlds most hated audio tools that he’s talking about us
There were a lot of people who thought that I was referring to myself;)
Your literature channel needs to happen 5 years ago. Bad Classic Books.
...or the good ones;)
The touchpad keys are definitely a no-go for me, at least as far as actually playing. Probably would be OK for sound design. So a newer Skulpt SE is only $199.99 USD. Naturally, double that price for the earlier model being sold on Reverb. Yet that's not nearly as bad as the guy trying to sell a Yamaha V50 for $1800 USD. Anyway, really enjoy your channel. :)
Thank you!!!
Yes!!!Best Genre Defining Naming Never Apologizing for Bad Gear Channel EVER!
Thanks!
For a bad gear review, please check out any of the "Hex Layer" Casio keyboards. It's like an awesome and great sounding synth engine tucked away behind plasticky, menu-driven madness. I love my Casio PX-5S but I would rather control a VST than program my own sounds in it.
Great input, more Casios to come!
Absolutely epic episode! I loved the bit at the end, you've definitely exceeded yourself once again with those genre names :D
Thank you!!!
A powerful synthesizer trapped in a feeble plastic shell?
...sounds kinda like a full-on human trapped in the body of a feral cat-thing.
Which I bring up for.... no particular reason. :)
Being in the body of a cat would be an actual improvement;)
To sum up: wobbly plastic box with intersting sounds along some heavy shift-button diving. Nevertheless great review and great song fragments as per usual
Exactly! Thanks!
ha i have that overlay-- it's nice. the new version of the synth has a faceplate closer to this overlay but i still think the overlay is better designed. if they just built the box about 25% bigger and abandoned the goofy diagonal layout it would be a classic of small digital synths.
Just looking at the overlay made using the synth so much easier
Is that an overlay acquired separately? How can you get it?
Found your channel, dig your shtick, and the community engagement is wild. You also make excellent tunes using each bit of gear. And then I noticed that you like each and every comment. Wild +
Thank you so much!!!
Ah! It's friday, the weekend starts, Bad Gear comes on and it's about a little gem you own. ^^
I was wondering when this little box would show up and you really did this little rough gem justice. :)
I got the G.A.S. during last years black friday and bought it for 169€ at a sale at Thomann. I was really surprised by it's sound character, which really stands on its own.
In my opinion lead and bass sounds aren't its forte, it can do it, but it's strong suit are pads and atmospheric sounds.
The controls are kinda quirky at first, but after an hour or so, i could use it without any problems and haven't used the app so far. And i'm kinda impressed, that they managed to squeeze all these features into this size and still not having to hide some features in the app exclusively.
But i can see, how this shift combo Kung Fu is not every-bodies cup of tea.
When the noise issue occurred, did you power it via USB?
I use batteries and haven't encountered such noise issues yet.
Thanks! Total pad and FX machine. It was powered with a power bank, so it should be fine
@@AudioPilz Yep, a power bank should cause that....
Try putting the power switch to batteries instead of the middle position. This kind of two way switch sometime tends to not close correctly. If there are no batteries in the unit, it should turn it off completely.
That's how i turn mine off. The switch is so fiddly that i can't be bothered to find the middle position. 😅
Ahhhhh ha ha ha ha ha love the sneaky jab at the dotcom modular synth in there!
Thanks!
I don't know if this one is really Bad Gear - more like Inconvenient Gear or Delayed Gratification Gear!
Very well put, Sir!!!
Edging gear
That would be absolutely amazing to use for demonstrating analog synthesizers to people
The UI can be quite distracting though...
Sounds like a "Buju Banton dancehall in the matrix lofi hip hop punk dub"
Nice one;)
😁🤘🎯
after this video i'd buy one thank you mr audiopilz
Always a pleasure!!!
I love your channel 😄mostly because I end up buying all the "bad synths" due to the plummet of their price🤣 I'll be rich in about 35 years from now on.
Thanks! I'm hodling them synths too;)
I'd love to see an album with the best of all of these tracks you make. I don't know behind the scenes how long it takes you, but it seems like you just have endless inspiration to build these tracks :p
Thanks! Getting them really release-worthy is a task I currently don't have the time for. Will happen!!!
@@AudioPilz K, I guess I will just keep watching the videos then :p
the synth itself is alright, but who thought it was a good idea to label everything diagonally???
also i would love to see you make a chicago house style jam in one of these videos one day. cheers!
Did a Frankie Knuckles hommage in the Uno Drum vid ;)
Beautiful job, hopefully next week I'll get my days right and not spend Thursday wondering where the hell you are!
Thanks!
a geh, the skulpt is still fresh (even though bad indeed) - but that's like hitting an ugly baby seal, still feels wrong
Lol, great analogy😂😂😂
Sometime in the future I predict the minilogue will become such a hated cliche you'll have an episode about it.
Great input, thanks! I'll take a closer look!
I'm still on the fence with this synth, it hasn't won me over yet. I'm still not brave enough to tackle the onboard modulation without the editor. But as I like running synths live instead of recording them track by track, it's useful filling out spaces and adding contrast. Many of the sounds really remind me of early 90's electronica, as I was then an Orbital wannabe, this would had suited me more back them. The Craft2 though with less modulation option and monophonic, has more complex oscillators and offers something unique, I hope to see a you do a video on this at some point.
Craft is moving up my list, thanks for the suggestion!
I love my modal Skulpt SE if the knobs don’t fall off and the jacks don’t give out.
I just watched like 18 hours straight of this channel. I have a problem. Good work :)
Thank you so much!!! Stick around!!!
I’m not gonna lie, if it wasn’t for the fact that the beatstep is my centerpiece this would be a no brainer. Currently debating the micro freak and that Roland JD. (x1? Xi?).
MicroFreak is super interesting!!!
Have both
Microfreak = better/more interesting sound, consistently evolving firmware, atypical interface, seq is bad
JDXI = all in one groovebox, menu diving, drums sound amazing, no continuous support
I didnt regret buying microfreak. this little box has so much potential and you can go totally bonkers on crazy sounds and modulation.
Another nod for the Microfreak. I still haven't even scratched the surface to get to the surface on it, but you get FM, Wavetable and subtractive synths AND a killer vocoder in one device? And, the aftertouch on those freaky PCB keys is just... a thing. But a good thing,.
Let us know which part of the Microfreak was broken out of the box (or if you got a good one, which part failed first 12 seconds after it got out of warranty). For me, it was the headphone jack, so sorry, no vocoder on my Freak when the update came...
Great sounding synth. Too bad it isn't a great synth. 😥
your beard is always so nicely trimmed
Thank you so much (gotta look purdy for them interwebz;)
I was wondering if you were doing a summer break : D.
Hope Vienna is not as unbearably hot as Lower Saxony
It's hot AF;)
FM is my favorite radio channel.
A bit noisy tho
You guys should try the Argon8, it's pretty awesome
Yeah, they totally got me hooked on their sound
@@AudioPilz did you try the latest Machines pack? It's NOICE
Cool ! That was a great surprise to see and hear this synth in your show !
Still not convinced somehow, but it sounds great tho !
However I'm really concerned about the whole crashing issues when slaved to the beatstep pro..
Plus I know you are a midi master soldier so I've no doubt it was the synth/beatstep combination that was making it crashed but I'll be very happy to know why it happens !!
Thanks for your channel and all your awesome videos :D !!!
Thanks! It worked with the BSP in the Sonic Lab vid so it might well be just me;)
omg i always forget i had one of these lolllll
Not a bad synth, just don't drop it;)
Thank you! I was very intrigued about this synth. It seems you read my mind.
Your reviews are always very enlighting.
I would like to see your vision on the Behringer Crave.., i know that maybe doesn't fits on this Bad Gear box, but it would be nice to see your point. 👍🏼😊
Thanks! I have to talk to my legal consultant about the Crave first;)
@@AudioPilz thanks 😊
Attach a midi keyboard and use the Modal app and it is a truly colossal synth that makes the Arturia MicroFreak sound like a broken stylophone. The recently released SE costs barely £150, for which you can just about get a Volca… I have both the original and the SE, and neither have ever crashed. So it’s made of plastic- and…?
Yeah, the SE is super interesting!
I agree. Astonishing sounds for the money!
Pretty good move considering that they are doing a giveaway of this little beauty tomorrow!
Funnily enough I just got aware of this yesterday;)
The interface design of this synth is so off-putting, I'm having a hard time even watching the video. They certainly nailed "unique looks", if that was what they were going for.
Very strange at first but you'll get used to it quickly
Takes about 20 minutes to get used to. Most functions are on the front panel. I only used the editor once, tried the random patch option and lost 2 hours experimenting. For the price point it can make some pretty unique sounds.
I seem to be incapable of understanding how folks get confused. Everything is laid out great. Tilted text throws folks off? That doesn't even make sense.
I never thought I needed to know the effects of drugs on a spiders ability to make a web turns out I did and I’m a better man for it thank you AudioPilz keep up the good work love your videos
Thank you so much!!!
This thing is so intriguing, as is almost all the stuff Modal makes. The UI-designer should be pulsewidth-modulated though. Always wanted to try a 002 or 008...
Funnily enough, I read a comment written by a professional UI designer and he said that the layout was obviously designed for building up muscle memory (which I found rather interesting)
@@AudioPilz That’s quite interesting indeed, could be that after a few weeks you get the hang of it and can read and write with the machine… It dóes make the synth look a bit more industrial-y.
002 is okay, 008 is cold, disappointing and I'd even go so far as to say feels unfinished. Got better sounds out of the Korg Minilogue than the 008.
YES! Another episode of good sounding bad gear in hands of a good musician. Nice jamz!
Thanks!
Expertly synthesizer reviews + shit talk, I love it
Thank you so much!
There needs to be a AudioPilz sample section in Splice. For people to load audio samples. All samples from gear featured on this channel. Then everyone can collaborate. Make a Bad Gear track....good times
Great idea!!! Thanks!
Ah yes. Nothing like a New bad gear video on friday night. Life is Good.
True that, thanks for watching!
Well you managed to get a lot better sound out of it than I did. I always thought it a bit flat and lifeless.
The panel looks like The Crystal Maze but you can easily find the filter knob because it's bigger than all the others 😄 Got that right.
Strangely the editor software is laid out as logically and neatly as the front panel isn't. That helps find your way around.
If you can get over the knobs (which doesn't take long) with the editor screen I think this makes a great tool for learning/simulating analog synthesis. Which isn't bad for a digital synth.
The keyboard is fun and great for instant results. It is basically a Stylophone which does something (Or it would be if it had one of those crappy little speakers like a Roland Boutique). And it looks great. What's not to like? Oh yeah the sound. . . . . . . I think maybe I need to 'try harder' before writing that off. It actually sounds pretty good here.
Thank you!!!
I actually laughed out loud when you activated the keyboard from the back.
😂😂😂
It feels like this is more a series of gear that I own :D I like this synth. Dont forget to test my Emu ESI32 also
Nothing personal;) Great idea, thanks!
You´re a real bad gear killer, keep up a good work :D
Thanks!
It has promising specs. Famous last words.
Truer words have never been spoken
Thank you so much for your informative & entertaining videos... you & Alex Ball are the real.deal Respect!
Thank you!!! Alex is the bomb!!!
Oh man, I owned Modal KraftSynth (which is I think the same as Skulpt but monophonic and in a smaller form factor) for a week before I returned it. While I was watching your demo I literally once more felt the pain of owning it. By just watching the video I *feel* the flimsiness of the rotaries and odd responsiveness of the keyboard touchstrip and the complexity of the sound controls (with sweet spot hunting and tough times of finding good sounds) again. You are so true to the point about all of these.
Ohhh, the sound engine might be powerful but my mind is aching when I remember just the feel of using this little trinket. Hope you didn't share my feelings about this synth or they were at least not as deep as mine. Cheers!
For those of you guys who suggest to use iPad to control this synth - are you kidding?
If I hook in iPad I'd just use some software synths with better effect.
Yup, it's more or less just a gateway drug to their "real" synths
@@AudioPilz if their real synths have good interface, some tuning of parameter ranges and some good presets I bet they are good and powerful
AudioPilz.....These little songs you make in every episode are great~ I do hope you have time to use your skills to make full songs because these little songs are banging! And if you are doing that already, please send me in the right direction. Great video as always!
Thank you! I usually upload full tracks to Patreon (no plug;)
I love this kind of touch keyboard as much as I love green peas and brussels sprouts
Mmmmmh, love Brussels sprouts;)
Nice track you made of this, it's a banger
Thank you!!!
Guess I'll have to get mine out of the closet (just don't have enough shelves in the studio for everything) and start playing with it again. It is definitely a quirky little thing, but as so many others have said, it works best as a sound module controlled via midi. It can make amazing sounds!
Agreed, great sound engine!