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Synths and Similar - an electronic music gear thread

Rowan Morrison

By Rowan Morrison
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Dimahoo

Dimahoo

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Well it has a reputation for being a bit basic and a "Starter" device if your into techno. I think later devices (the 505 and 307 i think) did a lot more.

The sounds are a little tired and tested and i think its rom based (so all samples) with real time filters.

 

They sell for around £100 - tops.

So like a basic kit lens! 

 

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Rowan Morrison

Rowan Morrison

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I had an MC-303, years ago. Also an MC-909 later on. The 303 is a very basic rompler - the later models, from the 505 onwards, have more capable sample-based synthesis modes (e.g. you can layer tones to create new patches). With the 303 you're stuck with the preset sounds and the basic onboard tools (filter and envelopes, pretty much) That said, it's effective if you work to its limitations - it's a decent source of Roland drum sounds, and there are some nice vintage synth samples onboard (Junos etc.) that can sound good combined with the reverb and delay. You've also got the TR step sequencer, though it's not quite as good as it looks - as I recall, edits to a bar that's playing don't actually activate until the next time round - so if your pattern is on step 4 and you hit steps 12-16 for a quick snare rush, it won't actually play until the next bar. So it's hard to do spontaneous programming.

 

Also the filter is very steppy, so despite the marketing and design it's quite poor at tweakable acid sounds. As I say, it's OK for drums and it can do nice pads and static basslines / melodies. Any of the other MCs are far more capable, but if a 303 falls into your lap you can definitely get something out of it.

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CS2x

CS2x

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I liked reading this thread! I'm in Hungary at the moment in a little 'studio' with nothing but a mac, monitors and lots of software. In terms of synthesis and parameter options what I've got here can do everything the hardware in London can do and much more, but it's interesting the self-discipline needed to make stuff when you haven't got the fun of hands-on gear. Don't get my wrong - zoning out in front of the computer is fun! and decent sounding stuff is totally achievable - but there's something about wiring up synths and new hardware that buzzes you up to want to really explore and create. I read quite a few articles that claim acquiring new gear is a distraction to making 'actual music', or something...I understand the point, but my experience is the opposite: buying new hardware normally inspires a whole batch of new tracks, even when functions of what was bought were present in previous gear or could have been programmed in software. The subtle to not so subtle differences in sound and character and interface are a great stimulant. And it doesn't always matter if new music is made; working equipment is a fun creative end in and of itself! It's wonderful how some of you have such extensive collections. :) There's also synthesisers that always seem to 'sound good' in almost any context - it's like you really have to try hard to make them sound bad. In doing documentary work with my writing partner, Ivor, for example, we've both noticed that some synths, like the Korg MS-20 or Moog Voyager always pretty much instantly 'sit' in a mix, whether we're coaxing wilder sounds out of them our they're simply pulsing away low filtered against strings, piano and guitar. Other synths always seem to need a lot of work and post-processing to get rid of certain thinness or 'fizziness', but it's not always so easily definable as to why.      

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Eighthours

Eighthours

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I'm a very late starter to this kind of thing.

 

As a kid I loved fiddling around with keyboards in Music lessons, and I learnt guitar for a number of years (not that it shows now, I'm comparatively fucking terrible), but I fell off creating music completely after my GCSEs and just loved listening to bands. I first got the music bug back after buying an iPhone 3GS in 2010 and discovering apps like Nanostudio. An iPad followed, and I quickly developed a collection of synth apps like Animoog. The arrival of Audiobus to join music apps together in late 2012 was a revelation.

 

Then I got divorced, and in the following mid-life crisis I began to think about music hardware for the first time, which I would never have considered with a joint account and my ex in tow! I bought a Chapman ML-1 electric guitar, then got addicted to watching videos of the Elektron Analog Rytm so I bought that. That was so fucking fantastic that I quickly fell into the Elektron black hole, firstly acquiring an Analog Keys and then an Octatrack a year later. A new iMac, Ableton Live, Push 2, Logic Pro X and an iConnectAudio4+ interface followed. (Luckily I haven't yet even touched modular as I'd probably be living in a cardboard box by now!)

 

So now I have all the tools I need to make and record music, but what do I do? Yep you guessed it - noodle around creating 4 bar loops for hours upon hours and never get any tracks down! I really like improvisation and should probably record these sessions as there's always a chunk of them (in between the meandering) that sounds really good! However, I'm thinking of trying to get some recordings together, play live, and generally just try to do something proper with all this stuff. While I'm a mediocre synthesist, crappy keyboard player and a very, very lapsed guitar player, I sing really well so figure I have an automatic advantage over 99% of electronic musicians! I'm an accountant by trade, and someone who works for one of my clients has played in various bands on various continents, so we're hoping to do something together. Which would be ace, cos I have zero idea about the live music scene and it seems really intimidating to try it on my own with no experience.

 

I'm 40 in November, so it would be amazing to play a gig (even an open mic slot) before then. I'm well late to the party but I'd love to make a go of it, even though I'm under no illusions that I could ever make a career out of it. Music is such fun, though.  

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BedroomBusinessman

BedroomBusinessman

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3 hours ago, Eighthours said:

I'm a very late starter to this kind of thing.

 

As a kid I loved fiddling around with keyboards in Music lessons, and I learnt guitar for a number of years (not that it shows now, I'm comparatively fucking terrible), but I fell off creating music completely after my GCSEs and just loved listening to bands. I first got the music bug back after buying an iPhone 3GS in 2010 and discovering apps like Nanostudio. An iPad followed, and I quickly developed a collection of synth apps like Animoog. The arrival of Audiobus to join music apps together in late 2012 was a revelation.

 

Then I got divorced, and in the following mid-life crisis I began to think about music hardware for the first time, which I would never have considered with a joint account and my ex in tow! I bought a Chapman ML-1 electric guitar, then got addicted to watching videos of the Elektron Analog Rytm so I bought that. That was so fucking fantastic that I quickly fell into the Elektron black hole, firstly acquiring an Analog Keys and then an Octatrack a year later. A new iMac, Ableton Live, Push 2, Logic Pro X and an iConnectAudio4+ interface followed. (Luckily I haven't yet even touched modular as I'd probably be living in a cardboard box by now!)

 

So now I have all the tools I need to make and record music, but what do I do? Yep you guessed it - noodle around creating 4 bar loops for hours upon hours and never get any tracks down! I really like improvisation and should probably record these sessions as there's always a chunk of them (in between the meandering) that sounds really good! However, I'm thinking of trying to get some recordings together, play live, and generally just try to do something proper with all this stuff. While I'm a mediocre synthesist, crappy keyboard player and a very, very lapsed guitar player, I sing really well so figure I have an automatic advantage over 99% of electronic musicians! I'm an accountant by trade, and someone who works for one of my clients has played in various bands on various continents, so we're hoping to do something together. Which would be ace, cos I have zero idea about the live music scene and it seems really intimidating to try it on my own with no experience.

 

I'm 40 in November, so it would be amazing to play a gig (even an open mic slot) before then. I'm well late to the party but I'd love to make a go of it, even though I'm under no illusions that I could ever make a career out of it. Music is such fun, though.  

 

I've been eagerly eyeing up Rytms on eBay for the last few months, they look amazing. Struggling to justify the benefits over my current setup with push 2 though. Picked up a Korg Monologue a few weeks ago, lovely squelchy bass sounds (a must for Aphex Twin fans!)

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Eighthours

Eighthours

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On 26/07/2017 at 13:49, BedroomBusinessman said:

 

I've been eagerly eyeing up Rytms on eBay for the last few months, they look amazing. Struggling to justify the benefits over my current setup with push 2 though. Picked up a Korg Monologue a few weeks ago, lovely squelchy bass sounds (a must for Aphex Twin fans!)

 

No laptop required, for starters. Godddddd, imagine a standalone Ableton Push that runs on battery!

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centurion

centurion

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I played MS-10 in a band for 4 years, and with some extra equalisation the Nintendo DS version sounds just as good. The 3DS edition is extremely posh and has a near perfect sound, complete with oscilliscope, but the interface is completely dire and unworkable. Korg = 1 button or knob away like a fighter plane, but there's stuff in that version 4 button presses deep. I was like no thanks. After DS-10 I had a great time working in Sunvox making experimental synths and quite literally perfect NES music loops (they're only short).

maxresdefault.jpg

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centurion

centurion

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Sunvox is the best music system I've ever come across, if you like chiptune sequencing anyway? Problem is by using SDL the base tone is extremely samey, and the thing is highly geared towards making Amiga MOD style stuff. I recommend getting hold of an OpenPandora, or failing that an old Windows CE device to run it on. I found the Android version kind of flakey, since it was never built for multi-touch in the first place.

OpenPandora%20(Linux).jpg

DSC09263_.JPG

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Rowan Morrison

Rowan Morrison

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On 27/07/2017 at 17:40, BedroomBusinessman said:

I'm in between getting a Rytm or a OP1, realistically the Rytm is probably more practical but I still can't get over the aesthetics of the OP1. Very different machines obviously, no doubt both will appear eventually..

 

Old or new Rytm? The sampling inputs will make a big difference, because getting samples onto the original is a pain in the neck. Elektron are supposedly due to release their improved transfer tool, but they've been saying that since the first unit came out.

 

I don't have an OP-1, but I'd pick one up if I had the cash to spare. I can talk about the Rytm, though - it's a bobby dazzler. The updates have added a decent variety to the sounds, and the effects add a great deal - they're really an integral part of the machine when programming sounds.

 

The kits and sounds are usable and flexible, easily a match for any competitors. But the Rytm comes alive on two fronts - the sequencer and the performance features.

 

The sequencer is intuitive and fast, and as deep as you want it to be. Once you start dipping into the conditional trigs, it's a total rabbit hole. All the Elektron machines are capable of spitting out full tracks on their own, and it's the sequencer that enables this - it's the pattern-based hardware sequencer to beat, without a doubt.

 

The performance features are similarly deep - you've got twelve alternative scenes available, so you can toggle a much of parameters on the fly. That in itself is very powerful, but then you've got performance mode, where the twelve pads can all have multiple parameters (from any voice / effect) assigned via pressure sensitivity. The scope here really is through the roof - set this up, kick off a one-bar loop and you can twist, tweak and mangle it for hours. Even a single voice pattern will lead you to dozens of unexpected places.

 

It's not perfect, though the v2 addresses some issues. The chief remaining moans would be the stubborn lack of MIDI sequencing, which it would be perfectly capable of, and the stingy single LFO per track, which is quite limiting. Also the pads on the v1 aren't great - they work, and the pressure sensitivity is fine for tweaks, but compared to MPC or Maschine pads, they're no fun to use. I usually program using the step buttons, because they're consistent (and quiet).

 

So it's a different beast to the OP-1, as you say. I think the Rytm is really all about the performance modes. Without those it's a great-sounding drum machine with a powerful sequencer, but it's very expensive for that. The performance features justify the rest of the price. I see the OP-1 as a modern-day Portastudio with some interesting machines included. It looks like a great little sampler, for example. I guess the chief difference is that the Rytm is all about tweaking all the voices live - that's where the joy lies - and the OP-1 is about building a track layer by layer. There's a definite charm to that, and it encourages you to commit, which I think is a useful feature.

 

These days, unfortunately, I look at an OP-1 and wonder what kind of Eurorack modules I could get for the same price. I'm giving some thought to getting rid of all my non-modular gear and just going all-in, because it's undeniably a one-way street. If you're not into that level of masochism, though, I think the Rytm is a fine choice (although having said that, I'd seriously consider a Digitakt / Heat combo as an alternative).

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Nick R

Nick R

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I posted this video in the Retro folder's Mega Drive thread, but thought it might be of interest here as well.

 

It's a fairly technical video on the Sega of America's GEMS sound driver and how it was used by composers, and why it gained a bit of poor reputation among game music enthusiasts for leading to a lot of samey music.

 

The video's pinned comment is the Tommy Tallarico seal of approval!

 

Quote

Yo! Thanks so much for the trip down memory lane! G.E.M.S. was definitely the best sound driver/editor that was made available to the general public during the first half of the 90's. I absolutely loved it... and this video really captured all of incredible stuff it could to for the time. Before G.E.M.S. (as the video rightly mentions)... we as composers/sound designers had almost nothing. So glad this video was made. It will hopefully be a part of video game history for many years to come. I wish more people documented stuff like this for future generations to learn about the challenges we faced in the early years. THANKS!! Amazing job!!

 

 

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Vimster

Vimster

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Great sounds but frankly, looking at those photos, that's the epitome of module addiction right there, peak modular. I'll give MG a pass because he's made some absolutely solid music down the years, and he's making really good use of it. But I see others with tons of modules and I'm baffled why anyone would need all that. I'm old-fashioned in that I feel you need a bit of gear/software and learn it inside and out, absolutely master it.

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Exit Chamber

Exit Chamber

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Been fiending for some FM action since I started making music again recently but just don't have space for a kb in my tiny studio cupboard and the Volca/Reface each have a no-sale feature for me (lack of polyphony/no DX7 patch loading respectively). Managed to locate a DX200 yesterday though which should be arriving this weekend. Can't wait :D

 

Here's my current micro set up:

 

IMG_20180405_121242.thumb.jpg.9ec578e5634ccd8beadbff8cb8abebec.jpg

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Rowan Morrison

Rowan Morrison

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On 21/04/2018 at 08:15, Blunted said:

FUUUUUUUUUUUUU

 

The guy I was meant to be getting the DX200 from got in touch last night to say it's a AN200 be actually has :( gutted. Almost rage bought a TG33 on eBay after he told me but managed to resist. Now to start hunting for another one...

 

I've got a TG33, I wouldn't recommend it. It's interesting to explore some of the vintage digital waves but beyond that the samples sounds don't really have much charm and the FM elements are very limited. It's OK for evolving drone or pad sounds using the joystick, as a kind of lo-fi Wavestation, or for cheesed-out house pianos, but it's a hassle to set up and it's not really the good kind of lo-fi. Something like a TX81Z or even an Alesis Micron will do a lot more in terms of FM.

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Exit Chamber

Exit Chamber

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I actually ended up buying this which is currently winging its way through the post to me:

 

PreenFM2.thumb.jpg.77bf6a810418595752154e50497385c7.jpg

 

Looking forward to having a play with it :)

 

I know the TG33 is pretty limited FM wise, but the dirty samples appeal to me somewhat along with the joystick. I'll be keeping an eye out for a very cheap one though, not desperate to spend much on it.

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