I WANT HARDWARE . . . but what ?

misk · Post by **misk** » Thu Nov 13, 2008 3:44 am

i've got the korg emx, and esx. they're pretty dope tbh, but i'm constantly debating whether i should sell them or not... it's frustrating I could buy a lot of vinyl with them, and i dont use them these days, but it's nice to mess with 'em every once and a while.

that being said, if you put the work into it, you could make those bastards do SICK things.

djake · Post by **djake** » Thu Nov 13, 2008 3:46 am

ive always wanted to buy a hardware synth....

since i was about 12, 6 years on and still havent got round to saving up for one

software synths just dnt do much for me, i need knobs to twiddle and buttons to press to get deep into a synth.

misk · Post by **misk** » Thu Nov 13, 2008 3:49 am

djake wrote:ive always wanted to buy a hardware synth....

since i was about 12, 6 years on and still havent got round to saving up for one

software synths just dnt do much for me, i need knobs to twiddle and buttons to press to get deep into a synth.

how would you know, if you've only ever used software? Bottom line, spend money on something, and you'll force yourself to learn it. you'll be the best you can be at it, because only then will you feel like you're getting your money's worth.

I bought renoise when i didnt have a clue how to use it, but i remember thinking "shit, now i've GOTTA make this work", and my productions are better for learning it.

djake · Post by **djake** » Thu Nov 13, 2008 3:51 am

Misk wrote:
djake wrote:ive always wanted to buy a hardware synth....

since i was about 12, 6 years on and still havent got round to saving up for one

software synths just dnt do much for me, i need knobs to twiddle and buttons to press to get deep into a synth.
how would you know, if you've only ever used software? Bottom line, spend money on something, and you'll force yourself to learn it. you'll be the best you can be at it, because only then will you feel like you're getting your money's worth.

I bought renoise when i didnt have a clue how to use it, but i remember thinking "shit, now i've GOTTA make this work", and my productions are better for learning it.

because ive played about on synths before.

plus recently clickin a mouse has become extremly boring, i need a change. but first i gotta get a decent midi controller, buts thats another subject.

slothrop · Post by **slothrop** » Thu Nov 13, 2008 4:14 am

Misk wrote:
djake wrote:ive always wanted to buy a hardware synth....

since i was about 12, 6 years on and still havent got round to saving up for one

software synths just dnt do much for me, i need knobs to twiddle and buttons to press to get deep into a synth.
how would you know, if you've only ever used software? Bottom line, spend money on something, and you'll force yourself to learn it. you'll be the best you can be at it, because only then will you feel like you're getting your money's worth.

I bought renoise when i didnt have a clue how to use it, but i remember thinking "shit, now i've GOTTA make this work", and my productions are better for learning it.

I pretty much agree with that, but there does seem to be something about hardware that makes it - for me at least - easier to tweak and twiddle and play around on. Admittedly my hardware and software are both pretty limited but it's kind of nice to be able to sit in a room totally away from the computer with a keyboard and a set of headphones and mess around with ideas and sounds that way.

I'm not 100% sure it's nice enough to justify the extra expense, I guess it depends how rich you're feeling...

I'm not one of these "digital algorithms automatically sound better when they're running inside a box with knobs" people, though.

deadly_habit · Post by **deadly_habit** » Thu Nov 13, 2008 8:44 am

to me hardware is like real film to a movie i guess
not necessary, but a lil bit of authenticity

spencertron · Post by **spencertron** » Thu Nov 13, 2008 8:53 am

djake wrote:
Misk wrote:
djake wrote:ive always wanted to buy a hardware synth....

since i was about 12, 6 years on and still havent got round to saving up for one

software synths just dnt do much for me, i need knobs to twiddle and buttons to press to get deep into a synth.
how would you know, if you've only ever used software? Bottom line, spend money on something, and you'll force yourself to learn it. you'll be the best you can be at it, because only then will you feel like you're getting your money's worth.

I bought renoise when i didnt have a clue how to use it, but i remember thinking "shit, now i've GOTTA make this work", and my productions are better for learning it.
because ive played about on synths before.

plus recently clickin a mouse has become extremly boring, i need a change. but first i gotta get a decent midi controller, buts thats another subject.

Doesn't have to be that way...with a modular synth building package you could get deeper into the sound than you could on any analogue equipment and as for using a mouse, again that is not really the way to do it...once you've got the softsynth of your liking...you can assign controls to it...if i had to do sound design with a mouse i'd have RSI by now.

Novation Zero/Doepfer do great controls for this sort of thing...being able to define how each button, knob and fader interacts with the synth...is an added bonus. (i.e toggle/gate mode/steps)

djake · Post by **djake** » Thu Nov 13, 2008 1:03 pm

spencerTron wrote:
Doesn't have to be that way...with a modular synth building package you could get deeper into the sound than you could on any analogue equipment and as for using a mouse, again that is not really the way to do it...once you've got the softsynth of your liking...you can assign controls to it...if i had to do sound design with a mouse i'd have RSI by now.

Novation Zero/Doepfer do great controls for this sort of thing...being able to define how each button, knob and fader interacts with the synth...is an added bonus. (i.e toggle/gate mode/steps)

yea ive been looking at the novation remote 25 sl recently.....

its on the top of my list once i find a job.

paradigm_x · Post by **paradigm_x** » Thu Nov 13, 2008 2:02 pm

ive got the remote zero

really changed the way i make music - stare at the screen much less, which is good anyway. And you start to listen more than look at knob positions.

Highly recommended

manray · Post by **manray** » Thu Nov 13, 2008 2:06 pm

If I was gonna buy hardware it would probably be ancient shit like a 20 year old valve compressor and so forth. Fucked if I'm gonna spend £2k on a triton or whatever.

whineo · Post by **whineo** » Thu Nov 13, 2008 5:12 pm

Changing to hardware fucks up your workflow
but when you get results and look at the lovely organic waveforms it makes you want to be a better man.

jolly wailer · Post by **jolly wailer** » Thu Nov 13, 2008 5:19 pm

we run a bunch of hardware samplers and synth modules. 6 total, 3 akais, a roland, a yamaha and an Emu with a little cheeky sequencer box.

you can get akai racks really cheap. shit, alot of rack modules that were top-o @ the end of the 90's you can get for just a couple hundred$ these days...

its wide-open, as long as you're comfortable with the transition from endless mouse clicking to what amounts to programming a VCR.. and outboard gear sounds reeeally nice on a big PA.

jobbanaught · Post by **jobbanaught** » Thu Nov 13, 2008 9:24 pm

Forget about the electribe synths (drums are cool), theres better VA for that price - get a Waldorf micrQ or a Microkorg for example. If you want analog, go for a Waldorf Pulse (monophonic all analog) or Waldorf MicroWave (wavetable synth - the bass...), theres nothing( better that the nice analog filters on those!!! (yea, Im a fan)

jobbanaught · Post by **jobbanaught** » Thu Nov 13, 2008 9:39 pm

Waldorf Pulse:

http://www.amazona.de/media/articles/so ... obass1.mp3
http://www.amazona.de/media/articles/so ... olofx1.mp3
http://www.amazona.de/media/articles/so ... osequ2.mp3
http://www.amazona.de/media/articles/so ... osequ4.mp3

You get those sounds without any processing...

(though first example has a little delay on it)

I WANT HARDWARE . . . but what ?

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