I love how you’re not only pushing the message that there’s a ton of super capable plugins and software available out there for free, buth then you underline just how good it is by pulling off these *super* nasty and evil Nine Inch Nails Year Zero sounding beats. It’s awesome!
I love this channel. You're covering so many areas in one video. 1. You're effectively arguing that one does not need to drop thousands of dollars on a DAW-less setup. It's beautiful. 2. This shows newer users how to use a DAW effectively. 3. By covering all the ways you can replicate the Syntakt, you're effectively teaching others how to use it if they bought it.
No matter how versatile DAWs are, they can never replicate the feeling of twisting a knob an a hardware synth. Yet, GAS therapy is much needed and much appreciated cause we don't really need to crave for every new synth on the market.. anyway, 谢谢你推荐BPB和channel9.这两个又好用又好听！
You are honestly a hero. Music isn’t about gear unless that said gear is either necessary or inspires you… FAR too many people are in debt thinking that the right gear will make better music… clearly not so! THANK YOU 🤘🏻
this is actual content worthy of someones time, i feel like all these dudes who get every latest hardware release have sold their soul, and never even make anything interesting with whatever newest toy they get. Creativity is not about the tool but how you use it, thanks for being a rebel in this case, hope your channel goes big and inspires lots of musicians.
Note: All those "dudes" who came out with videos of the Syntakt on the same day are either paid or provided the machine for free to make the video which gives you the impression many people are buying it asap. Bravo Elektron marketing dept.
@@mindstuff417 yeah thats what i mean by selling your soul/integrity. You get paid to play with toys and be a brand ambassador, but i guess maybe those folks know already they have no chance at being musicians so this is a good compromise. I just find %99 of them couldn't make a compelling beat to save their lives, so it ends up making me NOT want to buy anything they demo.
@@playpm When you consider that these endless new hardware devices are directly connected to the destruction of the planet then you see why i feel so passionately about this. The cult of new electronic toys is a big problem. When do we say, ok we have enough things here! lets start working with what we have!
" have sold their soul, and never even make anything interesting with whatever newest toy they get." wouldn't agree that they (gear reviewers) sold their souls, they are just the new kind of journalists. if you are talking about regular users, yes, expensive gear is often the hallmark of a hobbyist who is in it for the glamour, not the creativity, as it is in any field (oldtimer cars, fishing, martial arts, photography, collecting music...)
Love what you're doing with these videos. I'm firmly of the opinion that we can make music with any of the tools we have. And these days, the tools are pretty amazing, at all levels.
I am a big fan of electron devices but I thank you for this therapy lesson. The syntact popping up on social media definitely triggered me. Now I feel better and have removed syntakt from my shopping cart again. ^_^
You should do a eurorack alternatives video, that's like the great beast of GAS... Your videos are great, especially when there's so much focus on gear now.. The main reason i like my elektron boxes is because i spend 9 hours a day working solely on a computer, and genuinely hate screen work because of that association. Otherwise there's no real additional benefit - it's just like buying a faster car, or a newer phone
Reaktor, VCV, Cherry Audio, Phaseplant, Bazille... hell even Vital/Serum, Pigments etc. are great Eurorack alternatives IMO. But that misses the point of Eurorack, which is to avoid having to write songs that create moments of personal vulnerability while flexing your superior class position. ;D~~~
Appreciate this video and the core messages and hands on examples! It's undeniably true that if you commit to hardware, you're spending a ton of money on things you can get for free, and you're also committing to a much more complex workflow (no dawless jammer ever mentions cables, just to take one example of something else on that dark side of the moon). However, there's one aspect of hardware that is undeniably subjective and arguably hard to replicate, and that is the enjoyment you get from interacting with instruments designed for the specific purpose. I switched from Reason 10 to MPC One, and it's so much more fun, hands on, immediate and creative. Despite the fact that Reason can do so much more. It's the same with Elektron, these instruments are simply fun to use, and in my opinion way more fun than a DAW. Whether that's worth 1000s of dollars for various gear is another question though!
@@BrockDavisson exactly, that why we do this, because we enjoy it and have fun doing it, just grabbing a keyboard and mouse isn’t fun or inspiring at all to me.
Awesome channel. You know old guys like me have been squeezing every ounce of creative power out of our limited gear for a long time and learning long ago to make die with what we had. I love the idea of making music with what you have already. And nowadays your phone is more powerful then most of the gear I started with in the eighties! Keep up the great content.
I think this is a great example of IQ vs EQ. Everything stated is objectively true, but it doesn't take into account how it feels to compose with a blank computer canvas or to work with the limitations imposed by hardware. Plus if you work 6-12 hours a day looking at your laptop, do you really want to spend your leisure time sitting in the same place staring at the same OS? If you do great. But if you don't want to and can afford it Elektron could be for you. Almost all synth hardware has some duplicate in other hardware or software, and they do indeed market it referencing other hardware. It's not a conspiracy. I'm really stunned at the collective energy put into hating Elektron after releasing Syntakt.
just want to point out that BPB Cassette Drums zip package is broken for whatever the reason. dude you're helped me some much with all those free plugins and VST's. keep it up!
Love this series even if it isnt for me. Awesome work here. I work all day and night as a software engineer and have been for 8+ years. In my teens and 20s I was on my computer easily 14+ hours a day. Gaming, making music, working, etc. Now, in my 30s, I do any alternative out there that gets me away from the computer. Gaming? I'll try Switch first then PS5 (though I always come back to my PC games at some point!). Music creation - same thing. Paying for an Elektron groove box or OPZ gets me away from my computer for a bit, which has absolutely saves my sanity, haha. I finish my tracks in a DAW, of course, but I found I wasn't able to be creative on my PC anymore after being on it for 10 hours straight. I was gifted a Model:Cycles after being out of the music scene for 6 years or so. Elektron made it fun again for me, sitting in my living room, playing with my dog as I make funny beats. Or sitting outside playing with my Volca FM. I know there has been a big push on moving everything to software (and as an engineer I love it, it's truly amazing what people are making and doing!), but this new generation of hardware really got me back into it, so I'll forever be grateful of that.
Similar thoughts. Also a Software engineer, here. I find that hardware makes me more eager to be-in-the world and actually play an instrument. The computer workflow on the DAW with making all the mappings, clicking mouse and keyboard feels very different and involves a screen again. There's nothing at all wrong with buying hardware instruments. One just needs to be careful not to get into GAS for absolutely no reason. Just buy the main required instruments that you *actually need* for your genre as a musician, and work with that. Everything else you can patch up with MIDI controller, VSTs and the DAW software.
no, he just doesn't understand why people are buying HW gear 😂 just misding the point of preffering physical piece of hw with knobs before sw, and i think he also doesn't understand premise of "creativity through limitations"
@@playpm no i mean using HW groovebox with limited set of features but a tremendous amount of fun and inspiration .. making music for 25 years.. made a lot of music in DAWs on desktop (lot of releases) - and btw. on iPad too, was even beta tester and helped with development of Nanostudio 2 iOS DAW, last year using exclusively just elektron boxes, no DAW or SW at all - and i'm giga creative, having lot of fun and zero interest to return back to using SW, even through there is objectively lot more possibilities ..
@@raysubject I feel exactly the same way, except for me the software is more inspiring. Physical knobs for software is a trivial and economical addition for me. I think the most important thing to remember is that most music hardware these days is a computer running software.
I appreciate your videos Michael, there's always different ways to achieve the same goal. I also find myself revisiting my existing gear and finding new sounds.
With the utmost respect for the philosophy and wisdom in this video … the reasons I prefer to play a groovebox or hardware synth come down to tactility, immediacy, and creative limitations. Sitting down with a piece of gear (limiting tho it may be) sometimes frees me to create, in a way that opening up 12 plugins in a DAW just doesn’t. I find that I take the time to master the capabilities of my gear in a way that I rarely do with a vst. Still, I really enjoyed seeing what is possible with GarageBand and some old fashioned keyboard mastery.
You are awesome, thanks for these videos. I’ve been trying to calm down my GAS and your videos are very inspiring. Social media needs mor people like you and less “look at all my hardware and cables”
Always appreciate the good software recommendations. Playing a DAW like an instrument is definitely a fun and viable method of live performance if you learn your shortcuts and practice. I think the closest I've felt to playing an instrument with my laptop alone though has been using live coding with tools like Orca, SonicPi, or tidalcycles. With those you're literally typing commands into a keyboard to send MIDI or command synths and samplers. There's also the VCV Rack modular synth and the free open source VST Cardinal which lets you use VCV Rack in a DAW like Garageband.
Honestly I think it's kind of a unique experience to be alone in your room at 2 AM with a small midi keyboard making betas, feels a bit like when you a kid messing with a computer without needing to go into debt
Main issue, in hardware synths/grooveboxes, is that the choice of elements is the value it self. That is what makes them unique. DAW has no limitations and for that reason it is overwhelming. That is also why your content is soooo valuable. I just start to make notes. THX!
Obviously this format is cheeky - ‘replacing’ a hardware synth / groovebox with a set of plugins won’t entirely emulate the experience, but I really dig the message. I think it’s easy to get caught up in the consumerism of music - just needing that last piece of gear or that more tactile feel, chasing the ‘soul’ through analog, or not having a screen, or entirely physical controls, or menu diving, or live performance. But it’s good to reframe our thinking every once in a while, too. They’re ultimately tools, and what really matters is having the capability to express ourselves - and we’re lucky to live in a time where it is increasingly accessible to have the means to do so.
Bought a Syntakt after watching this video. When I saw how many individual systems I needed to coordinate to replicate what Syntakt does in one coherent unit, a thousand bucks seemed like a fair price.
This is probably your best video yet! It’s great to see you pushing the envelope of what you can do on an existing computer have with free plugins. Keep it going! 🍻
I appreciate the intent. I also appreciate the hard work putting this together. I am lucky to be able afford almost any gear and I’ve passed on Syntakt due to the fact that it is quite expensive for what it offers as a sound variety. However, I think you are slightly unfair - Elektrons sequencer is way more immediate than any daw sequencer. Parameter lock is great not only for value automation but also melody and chord sequencing. In the daw you’d make it with a mouse or have multiple takes. I think it would be fair to outline the pros of Elektron boxes and almost any other hardware - the tactile aspect of the workflow and the immediacy. Thank you
Appreciated, I get your point, but we all have bias less or more. For the fun part there're already other youtubers who covered it really well, I choose to focus on things which are more practical.
Really good idea mate. Love the GAS therapy concept, thank you for sharing. Just to be fair and give its part of glory to syntakt, it’s an all in 1 box that ease considerably the process you are describing. What is sure, is that the price of this machine is quite high for the majority of people I think.
Much needed production wisdom, tldr use what you have. Sometime it’s easy to learn this lesson, sometimes you have to buy a lot of gear to realize it, but gear no matter what it is will not magically solve your musical lacking; continuous practice and learning how to use what you have will do wonders in showing you what is possible. Edit: I love how the next suggested video is a walkthrough of the Syntakt
There's one thing I do think you're missing here: the elektron sequencer, specifically different pattern lengths and conditional triggers But! There's a free tool for that as well, Audiovitamins Stochas. It's a midi sequencer in vst format that lets you do a lot of what the elektron sequencer does
As some who had one Digitakt and a Digitone a while ago and sold them both to get a Push 2 and a EVO4 interface to use along with a Macbook. I mostly agree with you in most of what you say, except for the interface side of things. And I mean the physical interface and the immediacy of these boxes for building sequences, sculpting and browsing sounds, etc. Creatively, I think that's the differential/selling point not only in these Elektron boxes but in most gear nowadays. And I noticed you talked about what people/YT doesn't show about the gear behind the scenes, but building all those loops on a DAW, browsing sounds and presets, and some other steps are sort of a "creative bummer" for some of us. Speaking for myself, I have found the answer on hybrid DAW controllers such as Maschine or Push/Ableton, and you can always switch back to the keyboardmouseDAW when you got all started up.
Yeah I have always found attempting something similar with things I already have to be good GAS therapy, but I am not gonna lie to myself and say I am replicating the thing. More so inspired by what the designers came up with. End of the day you don't need to buy much of anything to create great music but if you are knowledgeable about it, buying some hardware sure isn't going to hurt your creativity.
After buying an iPad Pro for work and school, most of my GAS died overnight. Now it’s just a small modular setup, a Reface CP and a MOTU M4. Looking for sequencer, but that’s about it :)
You are 100% right that software is more powerful for sound design in the studio than a Syntakt. But you totally missed the point of a Syntakt. Elektron makes INSTRUMENTS, not just sound design tools. Would you go see a metal band if it was just 4 people on stage watching someone playing an MP3 from their phone? No? Why not? Because by your argument (IT'S ALL DIGITAL, MAN!), that is exactly the same as people playing live instruments. Which is the point of Elektron gear - they make electronic instruments that are fun to play with and easy to generate musical results on the fly, using your BODY as much as your brain.
Actually I watched a few guitar hero tour years ago, they do play mp3 as backing track, only one guitar player on the stage. Live performance is more about performancing, I don't think doodling such a small electronic device is entertaining enough for audiences to watch off-line, it's more suitable for online close shot videos, like yt and ig imo.
@@playpm - LOL you just used one example of a ridiculous guitar wanker tour to dismiss an entire global culture of electronic music making? I can now ignore all your future videos and comments.
Another cheaper option Beat Step Pro, trigger both hardware and software, that and the Apple Trackpad actually provide a more tactile approach. Creating drum beats in Logic is ready and can be complicated or simple as required. I’m stuck in the middle of both hardware and software. Additionally a Midi Trigger Fighter and also provide lots of knobs for control.
Interesting take but I am sure you know that having all this stuff integrated together with a controller is the utility of it. Especially with the Syntakt you would have to have a lot of VST's mapped in a certain way to get the tactile utility of the whole.
I think it’s the “all in one” and immediate aspect of the elektron boxes that makes the devices so fun and practical. I can do anything in my DAW, but I think the underlying assumption that people are purchasing these devices to achieve a specific sound they can’t in their DAW, is wrong. I think most people buy into this ecosystem to remove themselves from the DAW, at least a bit.
I enjoyed this vid a lot. Most people I know would agree that the cpu is the superior tool, while also preferring to work on hardware at least to some extent. It's a good reminder that if you feel like it you can cash all the gear in for a midi controller/sequencer and create the same things. 😮
RE: Free Synth section. You can probably get away with using just Vital for everything synthesis-wise; it can do FM and Subtractive. I also think its the best free synth out there, with pretty good dev support. BPB Cassette drums doesn't work in AU format (Garageband/Logic) on Apple M1 processors, unfortunately. I tried :(
superb video, it's so easy to get caught up in all the beauty and forget the dark side :) Thanks for featuring Noisemaker and Tritik Krush, I work with both companies and it's great to see them get some publicity on a bigger channel. Looking forward to more videos where you persuade me to sell my hardware ;) All the best from New Zealand.
Another great video. Inexpensive, but not free, Drambo on ios will do most of the Elektron vibe including parameter locks, but so much more! Additionally, it has a very modular workflow and hosts AUv3 plugins. I do get the appeal of a curated, all in one performance instrument. The limited set of knobs and features, all in one box can be wonderful. I even picked up a RYTM 2 at the begining of covid, but quickly realized I wasn't connecting with it and was lucky to be able to sell it at no loss. Anyway, keep doing what you're doing, it's a great resource! 🧡
you can also go to the point of "why buy a digital/real piano with real keys, when you can synth a piano on your qwerty keyboard" and in the end, it's all about interface preference and the user experience itself.
Well yeah, he's not saying there's no point yes just saying if your not able to freely siend money try xyz first. Even then if you only care about sound then in theory the computer is probably the better option sue to power and less limitations
It's really refreshing to hear your opinions and clever work arounds. Super useful too. We need more irreverent thinking in sound culture. Glad your channel popped up✌️
Really love this concept, and I say that as someone who owns a ton of Elektron gear and uses it regularly, and most likely will end up getting a syntakt at some point. For most people I agree that a DAW is the most sensible and practical option, and it’s good to remind even people with gear how much they can get done on the computer. I think some of the solutions you offer aren’t necessarily total parallels, but that doesn’t detract from the message that when producing you should adopt a “by any means necessary” mindset, as opposed to one based around consumerism or owning the flashiest toys.
Also, if you’re looking for an iOS alternative to Elektron devices, the closest I’ve found in software are elastic drums and Drambo; I use elastic drums with a nanokontrol a lot and it’s amazing. The user experience is pretty close on both of them in different ways. Drambo is closer to the MnM mixed with the octatrack’s scenes, elastic drums is like the machinedrum or syntakt.
Dead easy to build any synth in Reaktor... likely it's already there in the thousands of available ensembles. Goes on sale for 100 clams twice a year and replaces most other plugins.
If you record to tape then print it to digital it’ll pick up the sound of tape… it’s whether it can capture it it’s whether it can recreate it… emulations can get close now… this view you have is clever if you lack the actual knowledge… there’s a reason mix engineers use what they do… they make money from it so wouldn’t waste money on it if they didn’t have to… I had this same view… but then again there is no analog vs digital war… digital does more amazing thing on a while than analog… then again how critical is you listening environment or hear enough of a difference… plus a small difference in one part won’t make a difference… but over lots of tracks it definitely makes a big difference… if you are starting out, you option is definitely better
i like the video and you´re message. well explained. creativity begins at the bottom. become creative with what you have. you dont need expensive, shiny devices to create something. thanks!
The thing is, it wouldn't really be a debate. The synth snob would say: "Yeah, you're right, you can do all this in the box for free, but it's not as fun."
@@SLPGroundSoundMusic but it's true. It is more fun with hardware, otherwise people wouldn't be buying them. It's not one-sided though, hardware comes with a lot of headaches too, a thinner wallet being just one of them.
I live that life, with daw and my smallest viable plugin park, but even if I don't buy dedicated hardware things, I know what they can do with your creative energies. When I was a child, I had an Amiga 500 with a couple of trackers. Even Med Studio with some simple wavetable synthesis in it. I created some simple pieces with these, but my best ideas came from timeless playing with my father's old Vermona organ. They were simple, really, never overcomplicating theory, just creating worlds from harmonies. Hardware restrictions were insane: some additive synthesis with tremolo, vibrato, a half tone bending foot (knee) bar, and a chopping effect. [Edit: and a really ugly spring reverb with a true tin bucket sound] Two 4 octave keyboards in one big suitcase organ. You're practically left alone with your harmonies and you just create your grammar of mood drifts to tell your inner things. It was really strict, but helped to stay in my "kids creative flow". And I remember that, I tend to use that, even if I really dont spend money for n+1 synth and outboard effect. Instead of that I have zero of them. Its another useful creative boundary for me, at least now. I think there are no good or bad tool choices in crafting things. The real bad choices can be in your actions, not in your gadgets.
the Channel plugins by airwindows have been on just about every one of my masters for the past few years. it's one of the greatest plugins of all time, for sure. Chris does phenomenal work. i do quite enjoy interacting with the model:cycles but as far as sound, it's nothing i haven't done on my desktop. just a nice thing to take away from the computer and sketch ideas on. it also changes the way i work, so that's a nice perspective to have. but it's just about the least necessary piece of kit. in reality, the best piece of music tech to take with you is probably an iPad. i can't speak for new models, i've only ever bought (very) used ones.
I will generally do things in the box, so to speak, but I opted to get a Hydrasynth Deluxe recently. It might seem silly since it's a digital synth, but having a pretty good 6 octave keyboard with poly aftertouch and velocity on and off tracking and the ribbon controller and physical pitch and mod wheels and other controls is nice. It's something I can relearn piano technique on and really enjoy synth patches both in the box on the synth itself with. And the twin synth engines are so well laid out and deep. Easy to explore, but it will take time to master. Some might call 219 waveforms a serious limitation, but just look at some of the demos for patch packs out there. I've even seen a very good string patch where the ribbon controller can be used to make it sound like a string section is doing a sting in unison to strongly accent a note. I know about Vital and cheaper yet still pretty good 88 key controllers. But a well designed keyboard synth really is as nice to work with as I thought when I ordered it. And I don't recall Vital having 5 envelopes and LFOs to build evolving patches with.
Big Elektron fan here, and I'm definitely still going to buy a Syntakt... but this is a good video and I appreciate the really great collection of free plugins you've gathered here. Love that snare plugin
Lost on a lot of people is that you are replicating these functions for Free99. For 1/2 the price you can get a base model iPad and spend the rest on iOS Music Apps, cables, & a controller of your choice. You would have so, so much more function and capabilities than any $1000 Hardware.
Not only can it all be easily replicated, but also, if you are trying to go computerless (as in, get time away from your laptop), you can just use an iPad or other tablet to accomplish that. And there's plenty of free options there too.
Thanks for reminding, I don't own logic but it's good to know! Apple kind of split the sequencer onto the iOS GarageBand, no luck in Mac version so far.
I agree with all of this but like being able to twiddle knobs particularly two at a time which cant be done with a mouse/trackpad. So I sold all my synths and drum machines etc back in 2018 and invested in Maschine MKIII which for the cost of one piece of hardware for knob twiddling and pad punching I still get to hands on use all those glorious free VSTs! I haven’t looked back!
Great video series! I would like to see a tutorial on how you do your key binds, especially for your live performance demonstration. Have a great week!
I appreciate the idea behind the video, GAS (or consumerism in general) is a real problem. However there is no one who’s going to challenge the strength of a DAW. The DAW is the most powerful, multi-timbral, sequencer/synthesizer etc. But putting these basic (for a DAW) abilities into a single box is very impressive. Some of us are just more productive with piece of hardware. I hate being on the computer, I hate using a mousing and clicking around. I feel uninspired and produce nothing. Meanwhile, I’m Inspired and able to produce albums and hour long live sets with hardware. We all work differently, and of course there are plenty of videos of praise for hardware on TH-cam. This video is probably helpful for many on a budget without a preference but it completely ignores the most important element of making music… that is what inspires the individual. Anyway, great video and I think useful for many. It’s a good take.
The problem with relying on plugins, and its obviously not a problem that hardware synths have, is that they sadly more often than not have limited OS availability. If you use Linux for example, you cant use TAL-Noisemaker (you possibly could with some Wine VST compatibility layer, but realtime audio doesnt always play nice with that kind of thing). Other than that, can absolutely get behind the idea here. Even a lot of the DAW-less setups arent really DAW-less, as they dont provide anything in the way of integrated recording to a sharable format (eg .wav), so thats another piece of gear you need to buy, more clutter, ect... I guess theres always samples as a way to get universal, cross OS instrument support. A bit lacking in modulation, but you take what you can get.
we all know with ableton and serum you can have infinite synth sounds and tracks but thats not the point of a hardware groovebox, usually peope who buy hardware dont want to deal with a computer screen and mouse clicks, the creative flow is different, even if the hardware is limiting, it is a good thing.
Michael swats my gear lust right out of the window. I always need reminding that I should use what I have. More gear does not necessarily equal better ideas.
Of course software is more "powerful" than the Syntakt. The main attraction of elektron gear is the streamlined interface. His description of the "machines" as "presets" misses the value of parametrization. I'd like to see Michael discuss how to make creative limitations work in the box.
I don't really disagree with anything stated in the video, I just wish there were some acknowledgement that reducing options is one of the main reasons people go "DAWless."
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I love how you’re not only pushing the message that there’s a ton of super capable plugins and software available out there for free, buth then you underline just how good it is by pulling off these *super* nasty and evil Nine Inch Nails Year Zero sounding beats. It’s awesome!
I love this channel. You're covering so many areas in one video.
1. You're effectively arguing that one does not need to drop thousands of dollars on a DAW-less setup. It's beautiful.
2. This shows newer users how to use a DAW effectively.
3. By covering all the ways you can replicate the Syntakt, you're effectively teaching others how to use it if they bought it.
Appreciated, I'm preparing bigger thing for the community recently, at the meantime you can enjoy my existing works 🍻
No matter how versatile DAWs are, they can never replicate the feeling of twisting a knob an a hardware synth. Yet, GAS therapy is much needed and much appreciated cause we don't really need to crave for every new synth on the market.. anyway, 谢谢你推荐BPB和channel9.这两个又好用又好听！
Enter the MIDI Controller.
You are honestly a hero. Music isn’t about gear unless that said gear is either necessary or inspires you… FAR too many people are in debt thinking that the right gear will make better music… clearly not so! THANK YOU 🤘🏻
this is actual content worthy of someones time, i feel like all these dudes who get every latest hardware release have sold their soul, and never even make anything interesting with whatever newest toy they get. Creativity is not about the tool but how you use it, thanks for being a rebel in this case, hope your channel goes big and inspires lots of musicians.
Note: All those "dudes" who came out with videos of the Syntakt on the same day are either paid or provided the machine for free to make the video which gives you the impression many people are buying it asap. Bravo Elektron marketing dept.
@@mindstuff417 yeah thats what i mean by selling your soul/integrity. You get paid to play with toys and be a brand ambassador, but i guess maybe those folks know already they have no chance at being musicians so this is a good compromise. I just find %99 of them couldn't make a compelling beat to save their lives, so it ends up making me NOT want to buy anything they demo.
Take it easy man, self-employed online gear saleman is a job now, just try to get used to it 😂
@@playpm When you consider that these endless new hardware devices are directly connected to the destruction of the planet then you see why i feel so passionately about this. The cult of new electronic toys is a big problem. When do we say, ok we have enough things here! lets start working with what we have!
" have sold their soul, and never even make anything interesting with whatever newest toy they get."
wouldn't agree that they (gear reviewers) sold their souls, they are just the new kind of journalists.
if you are talking about regular users, yes, expensive gear is often the hallmark of a hobbyist who is in it for the glamour, not the creativity, as it is in any field (oldtimer cars, fishing, martial arts, photography, collecting music...)
Love what you're doing with these videos. I'm firmly of the opinion that we can make music with any of the tools we have. And these days, the tools are pretty amazing, at all levels.
Appreciated, salute from a long term fan 🙌🙌🙌
I am a big fan of electron devices but I thank you for this therapy lesson. The syntact popping up on social media definitely triggered me. Now I feel better and have removed syntakt from my shopping cart again. ^_^
You should do a eurorack alternatives video, that's like the great beast of GAS...
Your videos are great, especially when there's so much focus on gear now.. The main reason i like my elektron boxes is because i spend 9 hours a day working solely on a computer, and genuinely hate screen work because of that association. Otherwise there's no real additional benefit - it's just like buying a faster car, or a newer phone
VCV completely cured my GAS for eurorack.
Same here! Haven't got to much time on it but I know it can do everything!
For Eurorack it's really easy, just use vcv rack :0)
Reaktor, VCV, Cherry Audio, Phaseplant, Bazille... hell even Vital/Serum, Pigments etc. are great Eurorack alternatives IMO. But that misses the point of Eurorack, which is to avoid having to write songs that create moments of personal vulnerability while flexing your superior class position. ;D~~~
VCV brrrrr
Appreciate this video and the core messages and hands on examples! It's undeniably true that if you commit to hardware, you're spending a ton of money on things you can get for free, and you're also committing to a much more complex workflow (no dawless jammer ever mentions cables, just to take one example of something else on that dark side of the moon).
However, there's one aspect of hardware that is undeniably subjective and arguably hard to replicate, and that is the enjoyment you get from interacting with instruments designed for the specific purpose. I switched from Reason 10 to MPC One, and it's so much more fun, hands on, immediate and creative. Despite the fact that Reason can do so much more. It's the same with Elektron, these instruments are simply fun to use, and in my opinion way more fun than a DAW. Whether that's worth 1000s of dollars for various gear is another question though!
definitely, both have their pluses.
100% truth! I sit in front of my computer every day for hours and could do all the DAW stuff but it's not as fun as hardware!
@@BrockDavisson exactly, that why we do this, because we enjoy it and have fun doing it, just grabbing a keyboard and mouse isn’t fun or inspiring at all to me.
Exactly. I hate sitting at the computer. Less screen time for the win!
that's the point 👍.... what it's all about is the creative flow. A haptic interface and limitation is what software can't give you.
Awesome channel. You know old guys like me have been squeezing every ounce of creative power out of our limited gear for a long time and learning long ago to make die with what we had. I love the idea of making music with what you have already. And nowadays your phone is more powerful then most of the gear I started with in the eighties! Keep up the great content.
I think this is a great example of IQ vs EQ. Everything stated is objectively true, but it doesn't take into account how it feels to compose with a blank computer canvas or to work with the limitations imposed by hardware. Plus if you work 6-12 hours a day looking at your laptop, do you really want to spend your leisure time sitting in the same place staring at the same OS? If you do great. But if you don't want to and can afford it Elektron could be for you. Almost all synth hardware has some duplicate in other hardware or software, and they do indeed market it referencing other hardware. It's not a conspiracy. I'm really stunned at the collective energy put into hating Elektron after releasing Syntakt.
just want to point out that BPB Cassette Drums zip package is broken for whatever the reason. dude you're helped me some much with all those free plugins and VST's. keep it up!
Love this series even if it isnt for me. Awesome work here. I work all day and night as a software engineer and have been for 8+ years. In my teens and 20s I was on my computer easily 14+ hours a day. Gaming, making music, working, etc. Now, in my 30s, I do any alternative out there that gets me away from the computer. Gaming? I'll try Switch first then PS5 (though I always come back to my PC games at some point!). Music creation - same thing. Paying for an Elektron groove box or OPZ gets me away from my computer for a bit, which has absolutely saves my sanity, haha.
I finish my tracks in a DAW, of course, but I found I wasn't able to be creative on my PC anymore after being on it for 10 hours straight. I was gifted a Model:Cycles after being out of the music scene for 6 years or so. Elektron made it fun again for me, sitting in my living room, playing with my dog as I make funny beats. Or sitting outside playing with my Volca FM. I know there has been a big push on moving everything to software (and as an engineer I love it, it's truly amazing what people are making and doing!), but this new generation of hardware really got me back into it, so I'll forever be grateful of that.
Similar thoughts. Also a Software engineer, here.
I find that hardware makes me more eager to be-in-the world and actually play an instrument. The computer workflow on the DAW with making all the mappings, clicking mouse and keyboard feels very different and involves a screen again.
There's nothing at all wrong with buying hardware instruments.
One just needs to be careful not to get into GAS for absolutely no reason. Just buy the main required instruments that you *actually need* for your genre as a musician, and work with that. Everything else you can patch up with MIDI controller, VSTs and the DAW software.
Michael you’re like the TH-cam antichrist 😅
👍🏻👌🏻🙋🏻♂️🇲🇽
no, he just doesn't understand why people are buying HW gear 😂 just misding the point of preffering physical piece of hw with knobs before sw, and i think he also doesn't understand premise of "creativity through limitations"
@@raysubject by creativity through limitation, do you mean make beats in GarageBand without having any keys pads and knobs?
@@playpm no i mean using HW groovebox with limited set of features but a tremendous amount of fun and inspiration .. making music for 25 years.. made a lot of music in DAWs on desktop (lot of releases) - and btw. on iPad too, was even beta tester and helped with development of Nanostudio 2 iOS DAW, last year using exclusively just elektron boxes, no DAW or SW at all - and i'm giga creative, having lot of fun and zero interest to return back to using SW, even through there is objectively lot more possibilities ..
@@raysubject I feel exactly the same way, except for me the software is more inspiring. Physical knobs for software is a trivial and economical addition for me. I think the most important thing to remember is that most music hardware these days is a computer running software.
I love this, and it's much more interesting than all those TH-camrs relentlessly trying to sell me the latest gear "in my opinion".
I appreciate your videos Michael, there's always different ways to achieve the same goal. I also find myself revisiting my existing gear and finding new sounds.
it feels sooooo good to absorb knowledge from a person on the internet without being sold something i don't need
With the utmost respect for the philosophy and wisdom in this video … the reasons I prefer to play a groovebox or hardware synth come down to tactility, immediacy, and creative limitations. Sitting down with a piece of gear (limiting tho it may be) sometimes frees me to create, in a way that opening up 12 plugins in a DAW just doesn’t. I find that I take the time to master the capabilities of my gear in a way that I rarely do with a vst. Still, I really enjoyed seeing what is possible with GarageBand and some old fashioned keyboard mastery.
that's not your laptops fault but lack of creativity
@@Sikt Bro, I'm the son of God
You are awesome, thanks for these videos. I’ve been trying to calm down my GAS and your videos are very inspiring. Social media needs mor people like you and less “look at all my hardware and cables”
Always appreciate the good software recommendations. Playing a DAW like an instrument is definitely a fun and viable method of live performance if you learn your shortcuts and practice. I think the closest I've felt to playing an instrument with my laptop alone though has been using live coding with tools like Orca, SonicPi, or tidalcycles. With those you're literally typing commands into a keyboard to send MIDI or command synths and samplers. There's also the VCV Rack modular synth and the free open source VST Cardinal which lets you use VCV Rack in a DAW like Garageband.
Honestly I think it's kind of a unique experience to be alone in your room at 2 AM with a small midi keyboard making betas, feels a bit like when you a kid messing with a computer without needing to go into debt
Main issue, in hardware synths/grooveboxes, is that the choice of elements is the value it self. That is what makes them unique. DAW has no limitations and for that reason it is overwhelming. That is also why your content is soooo valuable. I just start to make notes. THX!
Well then just set up a template with a set choice of elements and only use those
“They don’t show you the dark side-of the moon!” Love it
Obviously this format is cheeky - ‘replacing’ a hardware synth / groovebox with a set of plugins won’t entirely emulate the experience, but I really dig the message. I think it’s easy to get caught up in the consumerism of music - just needing that last piece of gear or that more tactile feel, chasing the ‘soul’ through analog, or not having a screen, or entirely physical controls, or menu diving, or live performance. But it’s good to reframe our thinking every once in a while, too. They’re ultimately tools, and what really matters is having the capability to express ourselves - and we’re lucky to live in a time where it is increasingly accessible to have the means to do so.
Bought a Syntakt after watching this video. When I saw how many individual systems I needed to coordinate to replicate what Syntakt does in one coherent unit, a thousand bucks seemed like a fair price.
Damn, I should put my affiliate links here 😅
This is probably your best video yet! It’s great to see you pushing the envelope of what you can do on an existing computer have with free plugins. Keep it going! 🍻
This is something I try to explain to lots of people all the time so THANK YOU
I appreciate the intent. I also appreciate the hard work putting this together.
I am lucky to be able afford almost any gear and I’ve passed on Syntakt due to the fact that it is quite expensive for what it offers as a sound variety.
However, I think you are slightly unfair - Elektrons sequencer is way more immediate than any daw sequencer.
Parameter lock is great not only for value automation but also melody and chord sequencing.
In the daw you’d make it with a mouse or have multiple takes.
I think it would be fair to outline the pros of Elektron boxes and almost any other hardware - the tactile aspect of the workflow and the immediacy.
Thank you
Appreciated, I get your point, but we all have bias less or more. For the fun part there're already other youtubers who covered it really well, I choose to focus on things which are more practical.
@@playpm Thanks for the reply. I do commend and appreciate your effort. 👍
@@Brandwebgo yep elektron boxes have probably the most flexible hands on sequencer in the market.
Imitation (replication) is the highest form of flattery! What a great video!
You always provide us a great idea to making music without expensive equipments, thanks a lot!
this is the level of adequacy that a LOT of hardware reviewers should provide
Awesome. You just saved me a grand. Really enjoying your channel and production concepts 🙂
Really good idea mate. Love the GAS therapy concept, thank you for sharing. Just to be fair and give its part of glory to syntakt, it’s an all in 1 box that ease considerably the process you are describing. What is sure, is that the price of this machine is quite high for the majority of people I think.
Much needed production wisdom, tldr use what you have. Sometime it’s easy to learn this lesson, sometimes you have to buy a lot of gear to realize it, but gear no matter what it is will not magically solve your musical lacking; continuous practice and learning how to use what you have will do wonders in showing you what is possible.
Edit: I love how the next suggested video is a walkthrough of the Syntakt
There's one thing I do think you're missing here: the elektron sequencer, specifically different pattern lengths and conditional triggers
But! There's a free tool for that as well, Audiovitamins Stochas. It's a midi sequencer in vst format that lets you do a lot of what the elektron sequencer does
Tbf Ableton can do a similar concept with follow actions and note chance but yeah Stochas is probably the best option
Stochas is also open source now!!
STOCHAS! 😁 Awesomeness
Thank you for taking the time to research and share all this. It's incredibly useful.
The world need more of this.
As some who had one Digitakt and a Digitone a while ago and sold them both to get a Push 2 and a EVO4 interface to use along with a Macbook. I mostly agree with you in most of what you say, except for the interface side of things. And I mean the physical interface and the immediacy of these boxes for building sequences, sculpting and browsing sounds, etc. Creatively, I think that's the differential/selling point not only in these Elektron boxes but in most gear nowadays.
And I noticed you talked about what people/YT doesn't show about the gear behind the scenes, but building all those loops on a DAW, browsing sounds and presets, and some other steps are sort of a "creative bummer" for some of us. Speaking for myself, I have found the answer on hybrid DAW controllers such as Maschine or Push/Ableton, and you can always switch back to the keyboardmouseDAW when you got all started up.
Yeah I have always found attempting something similar with things I already have to be good GAS therapy, but I am not gonna lie to myself and say I am replicating the thing. More so inspired by what the designers came up with. End of the day you don't need to buy much of anything to create great music but if you are knowledgeable about it, buying some hardware sure isn't going to hurt your creativity.
Man, you changed the way i look to any digital gear, thank you
Man, you deserve an award for promoting free software! 🏆🏅🎉
I won’t lie I really appreciate these videos. I used to want gear so bad but now it’s like whatever. Let me make music on my phone😴.
After buying an iPad Pro for work and school, most of my GAS died overnight. Now it’s just a small modular setup, a Reface CP and a MOTU M4. Looking for sequencer, but that’s about it :)
These GAS Therapy videos are great Michael! You are absolutely right in that any feature of any Elektron box can be recreated in software easily.
Love this channel. It’s educational, money saving, and some what entertaining. 👏
You are 100% right that software is more powerful for sound design in the studio than a Syntakt. But you totally missed the point of a Syntakt. Elektron makes INSTRUMENTS, not just sound design tools. Would you go see a metal band if it was just 4 people on stage watching someone playing an MP3 from their phone? No? Why not? Because by your argument (IT'S ALL DIGITAL, MAN!), that is exactly the same as people playing live instruments. Which is the point of Elektron gear - they make electronic instruments that are fun to play with and easy to generate musical results on the fly, using your BODY as much as your brain.
Elektron devices are definitely designed for live performances and they can be seen as instruments (or strangely crippled, yet inspiring grooveboxes).
Why can't my guitar also be a synth and non destructive audio editor!?
@@nano_chad - it doesn't need to be, to rock out and get famous all you need is to record your songs on your iPhone and go on stage and press play.
Actually I watched a few guitar hero tour years ago, they do play mp3 as backing track, only one guitar player on the stage. Live performance is more about performancing, I don't think doodling such a small electronic device is entertaining enough for audiences to watch off-line, it's more suitable for online close shot videos, like yt and ig imo.
@@playpm - LOL you just used one example of a ridiculous guitar wanker tour to dismiss an entire global culture of electronic music making? I can now ignore all your future videos and comments.
Another cheaper option Beat Step Pro, trigger both hardware and software, that and the Apple Trackpad actually provide a more tactile approach. Creating drum beats in Logic is ready and can be complicated or simple as required. I’m stuck in the middle of both hardware and software. Additionally a Midi Trigger Fighter and also provide lots of knobs for control.
Interesting take but I am sure you know that having all this stuff integrated together with a controller is the utility of it. Especially with the Syntakt you would have to have a lot of VST's mapped in a certain way to get the tactile utility of the whole.
I love your channel! You are so right at everything you say! Keep up the good work!!
Appreciated, my future strike will be brutal for gear brands.
@@playpm Awesome, Can't wait for more free useful tricks. Their job is to make as much money as possible and ours to save it and not get fooled.
I think it’s the “all in one” and immediate aspect of the elektron boxes that makes the devices so fun and practical. I can do anything in my DAW, but I think the underlying assumption that people are purchasing these devices to achieve a specific sound they can’t in their DAW, is wrong. I think most people buy into this ecosystem to remove themselves from the DAW, at least a bit.
I saw many Roland Aira compact device demo recently, I immediately came here for GAS therapy, thank you.
Stay tuned ;)
Wow! Amazing! --- So glad I found this channel.
Can't wait to go through these steps when I have the time to learn the details. 🙂
That last track. Very industrial, NIN like.Just great
I enjoyed this vid a lot. Most people I know would agree that the cpu is the superior tool, while also preferring to work on hardware at least to some extent. It's a good reminder that if you feel like it you can cash all the gear in for a midi controller/sequencer and create the same things. 😮
RE: Free Synth section. You can probably get away with using just Vital for everything synthesis-wise; it can do FM and Subtractive. I also think its the best free synth out there, with pretty good dev support.
BPB Cassette drums doesn't work in AU format (Garageband/Logic) on Apple M1 processors, unfortunately. I tried :(
I am a fan of the gui, but Vital is veeeery heavy on resources, so if you are on a budget, maybe try some alternatives, e.g. Helm by the same guy
@@ElGrecoOB True It might be. It works really fast for me but I’m on a new m1 pro, so I can’t compare
superb video, it's so easy to get caught up in all the beauty and forget the dark side :) Thanks for featuring Noisemaker and Tritik Krush, I work with both companies and it's great to see them get some publicity on a bigger channel. Looking forward to more videos where you persuade me to sell my hardware ;) All the best from New Zealand.
Another great video. Inexpensive, but not free, Drambo on ios will do most of the Elektron vibe including parameter locks, but so much more! Additionally, it has a very modular workflow and hosts AUv3 plugins. I do get the appeal of a curated, all in one performance instrument. The limited set of knobs and features, all in one box can be wonderful. I even picked up a RYTM 2 at the begining of covid, but quickly realized I wasn't connecting with it and was lucky to be able to sell it at no loss. Anyway, keep doing what you're doing, it's a great resource! 🧡
you can also go to the point of "why buy a digital/real piano with real keys, when you can synth a piano on your qwerty keyboard" and in the end, it's all about interface preference and the user experience itself.
Well yeah, he's not saying there's no point yes just saying if your not able to freely siend money try xyz first. Even then if you only care about sound then in theory the computer is probably the better option sue to power and less limitations
It's really refreshing to hear your opinions and clever work arounds. Super useful too. We need more irreverent thinking in sound culture. Glad your channel popped up✌️
Thanks for this video Michael, you are a blessing. God bless you and your family always!
I'm super happy supporting Sonicware, and have the 8bw, and xfm.
Thank you for your videos. A breath of fresh air in a world of GAS!!
I love you from the bottom of my heart
You'll love me more ;)
Wonferfully refreshing series. Thank you 🙏🏼
Really love this concept, and I say that as someone who owns a ton of Elektron gear and uses it regularly, and most likely will end up getting a syntakt at some point. For most people I agree that a DAW is the most sensible and practical option, and it’s good to remind even people with gear how much they can get done on the computer. I think some of the solutions you offer aren’t necessarily total parallels, but that doesn’t detract from the message that when producing you should adopt a “by any means necessary” mindset, as opposed to one based around consumerism or owning the flashiest toys.
Also, if you’re looking for an iOS alternative to Elektron devices, the closest I’ve found in software are elastic drums and Drambo; I use elastic drums with a nanokontrol a lot and it’s amazing. The user experience is pretty close on both of them in different ways. Drambo is closer to the MnM mixed with the octatrack’s scenes, elastic drums is like the machinedrum or syntakt.
brilliant! an interesting challenge would be to replicate something industrial like pulsar 23
Some Reaktor drummies + iZotope Trash 2 and/or Glitchmachines Subvert.
Dead easy to build any synth in Reaktor... likely it's already there in the thousands of available ensembles. Goes on sale for 100 clams twice a year and replaces most other plugins.
Thanks for the videos. They are a great inspiration for creative or workflow ideas, and I love the plugin recommendations too.
If you record to tape then print it to digital it’ll pick up the sound of tape… it’s whether it can capture it it’s whether it can recreate it… emulations can get close now… this view you have is clever if you lack the actual knowledge… there’s a reason mix engineers use what they do… they make money from it so wouldn’t waste money on it if they didn’t have to… I had this same view… but then again there is no analog vs digital war… digital does more amazing thing on a while than analog… then again how critical is you listening environment or hear enough of a difference… plus a small difference in one part won’t make a difference… but over lots of tracks it definitely makes a big difference… if you are starting out, you option is definitely better
You may be relieving my GAS, but you've given me a case of FPIAS or Free Plug-in Attainment Syndrome.
i like the video and you´re message. well explained. creativity begins at the bottom. become creative with what you have. you dont need expensive, shiny devices to create something. thanks!
A youtuber against the GAS TH-camrs? Subscribed immediately.
Thanks for the plug-ins!
I wanna see a debate between this guy and a hardware synth snob
I might make a video like this in the future, it's in my plan but not on my schedule yet 😆
This would go viral for sure.
The thing is, it wouldn't really be a debate. The synth snob would say: "Yeah, you're right, you can do all this in the box for free, but it's not as fun."
@@sinewaymusic Sounds like a marketing strategy of buy my stuff becaus its $2,000 worth of more fun 🤗😂🤣🤦🏽
@@SLPGroundSoundMusic but it's true. It is more fun with hardware, otherwise people wouldn't be buying them. It's not one-sided though, hardware comes with a lot of headaches too, a thinner wallet being just one of them.
I live that life, with daw and my smallest viable plugin park, but even if I don't buy dedicated hardware things, I know what they can do with your creative energies. When I was a child, I had an Amiga 500 with a couple of trackers. Even Med Studio with some simple wavetable synthesis in it. I created some simple pieces with these, but my best ideas came from timeless playing with my father's old Vermona organ. They were simple, really, never overcomplicating theory, just creating worlds from harmonies. Hardware restrictions were insane: some additive synthesis with tremolo, vibrato, a half tone bending foot (knee) bar, and a chopping effect. [Edit: and a really ugly spring reverb with a true tin bucket sound] Two 4 octave keyboards in one big suitcase organ. You're practically left alone with your harmonies and you just create your grammar of mood drifts to tell your inner things. It was really strict, but helped to stay in my "kids creative flow". And I remember that, I tend to use that, even if I really dont spend money for n+1 synth and outboard effect. Instead of that I have zero of them. Its another useful creative boundary for me, at least now.
I think there are no good or bad tool choices in crafting things. The real bad choices can be in your actions, not in your gadgets.
the Channel plugins by airwindows have been on just about every one of my masters for the past few years. it's one of the greatest plugins of all time, for sure. Chris does phenomenal work.
i do quite enjoy interacting with the model:cycles but as far as sound, it's nothing i haven't done on my desktop. just a nice thing to take away from the computer and sketch ideas on. it also changes the way i work, so that's a nice perspective to have. but it's just about the least necessary piece of kit. in reality, the best piece of music tech to take with you is probably an iPad. i can't speak for new models, i've only ever bought (very) used ones.
Bottom line is if making music is your goal, nothing can stop you!
I will generally do things in the box, so to speak, but I opted to get a Hydrasynth Deluxe recently. It might seem silly since it's a digital synth, but having a pretty good 6 octave keyboard with poly aftertouch and velocity on and off tracking and the ribbon controller and physical pitch and mod wheels and other controls is nice. It's something I can relearn piano technique on and really enjoy synth patches both in the box on the synth itself with. And the twin synth engines are so well laid out and deep. Easy to explore, but it will take time to master. Some might call 219 waveforms a serious limitation, but just look at some of the demos for patch packs out there. I've even seen a very good string patch where the ribbon controller can be used to make it sound like a string section is doing a sting in unison to strongly accent a note. I know about Vital and cheaper yet still pretty good 88 key controllers. But a well designed keyboard synth really is as nice to work with as I thought when I ordered it. And I don't recall Vital having 5 envelopes and LFOs to build evolving patches with.
Man, I like this channel. This is so great. So much respect 🙏
I knew all of this but still really enjoyed your frank breakdown and delivery.
This is the best Syntakt video on TH-cam! 😅 Love your new content, Michael!
Appreciated, love your work too!
This is why I love ableton.
Big Elektron fan here, and I'm definitely still going to buy a Syntakt... but this is a good video and I appreciate the really great collection of free plugins you've gathered here. Love that snare plugin
This was amazing, I love the boldness. I’d love to see one on the Poly End Play
Why but at Whole Foods when you can go to the food bank
I keep wanting to ignore your perspective, but then I see a plant in the video and I just have to respect it
Lost on a lot of people is that you are replicating these functions for Free99. For 1/2 the price you can get a base model iPad and spend the rest on iOS Music Apps, cables, & a controller of your choice. You would have so, so much more function and capabilities than any $1000 Hardware.
Real therapy
Not only can it all be easily replicated, but also, if you are trying to go computerless (as in, get time away from your laptop), you can just use an iPad or other tablet to accomplish that. And there's plenty of free options there too.
I am starting to love your approach. :)
Seems I really should work harder!
Since you are using Logic, by using the new step sequencer, you could get even closer to the Elektron workspace :)
Thanks for reminding, I don't own logic but it's good to know! Apple kind of split the sequencer onto the iOS GarageBand, no luck in Mac version so far.
Brutal! Great work Michael.
I agree with all of this but like being able to twiddle knobs particularly two at a time which cant be done with a mouse/trackpad. So I sold all my synths and drum machines etc back in 2018 and invested in Maschine MKIII which for the cost of one piece of hardware for knob twiddling and pad punching I still get to hands on use all those glorious free VSTs! I haven’t looked back!
I was in a vibe with the beat! LoL!!! I love this producer hack!!!
Great video series! I would like to see a tutorial on how you do your key binds, especially for your live performance demonstration. Have a great week!
I appreciate the idea behind the video, GAS (or consumerism in general) is a real problem. However there is no one who’s going to challenge the strength of a DAW. The DAW is the most powerful, multi-timbral, sequencer/synthesizer etc. But putting these basic (for a DAW) abilities into a single box is very impressive. Some of us are just more productive with piece of hardware. I hate being on the computer, I hate using a mousing and clicking around. I feel uninspired and produce nothing. Meanwhile, I’m Inspired and able to produce albums and hour long live sets with hardware. We all work differently, and of course there are plenty of videos of praise for hardware on TH-cam. This video is probably helpful for many on a budget without a preference but it completely ignores the most important element of making music… that is what inspires the individual. Anyway, great video and I think useful for many. It’s a good take.
How can we pay you for this therapy session? You just saved a grand for 23 thousand people. lol. Great video. Keep it up. Save us all.
Appreciated, feel free to donate through TH-cam and Patreon :)
Saving people money - thanks Michael
The problem with relying on plugins, and its obviously not a problem that hardware synths have, is that they sadly more often than not have limited OS availability. If you use Linux for example, you cant use TAL-Noisemaker (you possibly could with some Wine VST compatibility layer, but realtime audio doesnt always play nice with that kind of thing).
Other than that, can absolutely get behind the idea here. Even a lot of the DAW-less setups arent really DAW-less, as they dont provide anything in the way of integrated recording to a sharable format (eg .wav), so thats another piece of gear you need to buy, more clutter, ect...
I guess theres always samples as a way to get universal, cross OS instrument support. A bit lacking in modulation, but you take what you can get.
we all know with ableton and serum you can have infinite synth sounds and tracks but thats not the point of a hardware groovebox, usually peope who buy hardware dont want to deal with a computer screen and mouse clicks, the creative flow is different, even if the hardware is limiting, it is a good thing.
Michael swats my gear lust right out of the window. I always need reminding that I should use what I have. More gear does not necessarily equal better ideas.
Of course software is more "powerful" than the Syntakt. The main attraction of elektron gear is the streamlined interface. His description of the "machines" as "presets" misses the value of parametrization. I'd like to see Michael discuss how to make creative limitations work in the box.
I don't really disagree with anything stated in the video, I just wish there were some acknowledgement that reducing options is one of the main reasons people go "DAWless."