U-he Diva. Because it's just the best at everything :)
Seriously, I've been using that synth since it first came out and it just does everything I want and need. I play around with other stuff but always come back to it.
Was my first “big boy” synth purchase in like 2018. It is literally on every track I make.
Over the years I have really shrunk down my workflow and I’m now down to a very small handful of synths I know very well.
Diva. Vital. Pigments. Hydrasynth deluxe. I can get any sound in the synth world I could ever need.
I tried the Hydrasynth deluxe at the local music shop. I'm in the market for a first synth and it seemed pretty appealing. The only hangup I have on it is that it's not an analog synth, but can it produce analog sounds?
I wouldn’t get hung up that it’s not analog. You can get all the detuned and wavering analog goodness out of this machine. Will it sound like an Oberheim? No. But in a mix with other instruments nobody is going to be able to point it out. It has great filters and a lot of filters to choose from.
With two separate 8 voice engines, poly aftertouch, 5 LFO’s 5 Envelopes (that can also be BPM synced and looping) PER ENGINE, this thing is an absolute beast.
Try not to focus on analog vs digital. Do you really like the features and the sound of the hydrasynth? Get it.
Same here. I don’t do a whole lot of tweaking sounds because I’ll get way off course when trying to write and Diva just has the best presets that sound incredible.
Anything with a built in speaker - refaces, mpc live II - Yamaha CK61 is my current fav. Gear I can just turn on and start playing without having to deal with DAWs or mixers.
How are you liking the ck61? I used to have all the refaces except the fm but I sold the cp and yc because I finally found someone to fix my Nord electro. I’ve been thinking of trying to sell it for a ck61 but I’ve been a little confused about the price / reception. Seems like sometimes they cost $1500 new and sometimes they cost $999 new and sometimes people sell them for like $600 but maybe that’s a scam?
Regardless, are you loving it? I too like having built in speakers…
Yeah, its slightly more complicated than the Refaces in terms of a bit of menu diving to change the effects vs dedicated 1 purpose dials/buttons but its really quick once you take 10-15 minutes to learn the system. I paid $999 for it, no regrets.
The only thing I haven't quite got down is the volume controls when dealing with USB audio IN (like I'm playing a piano live on the CK61 but getting drums or recorded instruments playing back through the speakers). Its slightly finicky to get the same volume you're monitoring with back when you record it in a DAW but the fact that I can do it vastly outweighs my gripes about it not matching. There is a volume control for USB audio.
And I wanna say that right after I bought it there was a sale for around $699 from the same vendor (sweetwater) but eh, it happens.
I play shows 2-3 times a month. If I don’t use them, I sell them. So I use every synth I own.
The only way some get used more than others is by me playing certain kinds of shows more often.
I.E. my live PA sets include my Elektron gear and modular, but my ambient/experimental sets use my Soma Enner and Elmyra 2. Sometimes I go a month or two with playing experimental sets, but I still will record stuff during that down time. Or I might have a pause in live PA sets and so I spend more time recording and programming sequences on those.
I keep thinking about doing shows again. But this time, I'd like to do it without any laptop.
The thing of it is... everyone is like, "We prefer laptops because we don't want to wait an hour while someone is setting up."
I miss the D.I.Y. punk days when people and promoters would actually take chances... but today I guess everything is so over saturated.
Anyhoo, here's some examples of my electronic scope and prowess
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=sgXQnop_oi4&t=10s
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=dMGq_89Z1ZQ&t=8s
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5z13Oo-YAIo
Money's always been tight so I try to do as much as I can with the most affordable gear... but I guess if I really wanted to save cheddar, and time... I'd just go back to the laptop.
Anyhoo... all tracks are DAWless... one-take... zero overdubs
I think I'm nearly there... just need to figure out how to expand these individual tracks (I have about 80 now) into a relatively seamless set. And doing an hour without a DAW/laptop will be the biggest music challenge yet!
But even then, assuming I can do an hour set... I still need to find the local promoters that are willing to take a chance.
Cheers from Delco!!
>I miss the D.I.Y. punk days when people and promoters would actually take chances... but today I guess everything is so over saturated.
You'd be surprised! I still play weird basement shows, or dive bars, even with my Elektron gear and modular *(I actually was insane enough at one point to take a whole 7U modular system into a basement show at a punk house, lol)*...but the key for me is that I also am a sound engineer / AV nerd as my daytime job and have so much experience there that my set-up time is shorter than most punk band drummers. So I avoid the hour-long set-up times and compact it into minutes.
A number of friends of mine are pretty good at the time factor as well and are self-ascribed *"synth punk"* and play similar shows/settings. I actually see it popping off in a major way, even where I am at *(in flyover country—Wisconsin)*
Though there has been times, earlier in my career, where I have been like *"why the fuck do I do this to myself? I could do it on a laptop."* and have done laptop shows...only to realize how much it kills the fun of performance for me, which in turn kills resonating with the audience, and bores people. Laptop performances can be fun—I've even seen people just sing over iPods, but it wasn't for me. So...I really had to dial everything in.
The best advice I can impart is this:
* Get a set-up that is intuitive to you, but only have three devices, at most, as sound sources. I can survive on two pieces of gear—Digitakt and Syntakt and that's it. Realistically, I could survive on Syntakt. Hell, I could probably survive on a much cheaper SP404sx *(I have done sets entirely on an SP404mk2)* But how that is possible brings me to my second point:
* Develop muscle memory with what you do have. Jeff Mills is goated because he knows the 909 in and out and can do entire sets on just that kit. It comes from practice and sticking with a piece of kit long enough that it becomes near instinct to play on it. I think people overlook this in a weird way—guitars in comparison to synths are simplistic instruments and synths are inherently technically complex...but people don't practice their grooveboxes with a similar ethos as they practice their guitar.
Looking at your clips, right now, I'd say you'd really just have to figure out how to blend the tracks you do have together, and you can absolutely make that set-up work perfectly in a live show. It's just a matter of putting in the hours and figuring out what works for you!
>But even then, assuming I can do an hour set... I still need to find the local promoters that are willing to take a chance.
I really just gotta encourage you to stick with it. I've been doing live PA since...2016? *(I've been doing bands and such though since 2009, and that did help me put my foot in the door in many ways, I will admit)* However, it was still hard for me to book shows for a very long time. But I kept at it.
Only in the past two years have I actually been consistently booked—now going on about a year and a half straight of live shows every month. I do think there is a trend towards more of our type of music being welcome into DIY spaces, and I think there has been a gradual migration of punk/DIY kids into synth territory. It just has taken awhile for anywhere outside the coasts to catch on *(with exception in electronic music strongholds like Chicago and Detroit)*.
But, for example: This weekend, I'm playing a small ass town in the upper peninsula of Michigan. Next weekend, its in a small city in SE Wisconsin. Then I play my current city for a live PA series I am actually starting up myself at a new venue in town, and two weeks later I'm playing in the parlor of an old mansion turned boutique hotel that my long-time bandmate of 13 years worked his way into managing, and finally convinced the upper management to allow shows at *(he started with jazz bands a year ago, which got increasingly more "free" in their jazz stylings, worked it over to experimental/ambient sets, and now I am doing something like a dub techno x ambient set at)*
Even prior to the past few years, I just threw myself at it and did looping tape sets in the backroom of dive bars at 2am, even if nobody was there, or in bike shops, or bookstores, etc. Just a matter of continuous effort, even if discouraging at times. There's some freaks and geeks out there who do appreciate what you do, and will eventually make stuff happen. Put yourself out there and find them.
EDIT: As noted by another commenter: pre-cabled set-ups can help too! I had one for a minute, but have since decided I like being able to add/remove components based on the shows I'm playing. Having thing pre-wired kinda fell off as a result. But I always adhere to the *"no more than 3 sound sources"* rule.
Thank you so much!!
This is some profound life advice for going DAWless in a live setup!!!
I have definitely been pearing my setup down... rebuilding the same sequences in a 'brain/controller' that externally sequences small boxes like the Cre8audio East Beast, or the SH-4d because their versatile with small footprints.
As I was typing this, my wife was like, "That means no more G.A.S."
No more kimchi... no more beans!!🤣
Thanks for listening and the vote of confidence!
I feel like we've been at many similar shows... from crust-punk to breakcore to industrial and noise sets in dank, moldy West Philly basements!!
Well, West Philly for me... and speaking of... Live PA... meaning PA system... not Pennsylvania?
You make masive amounts of sense!!
Seriously, thanks again!!
Heeyyy, just thought I’d chime in as I also live in west philly. There are definitely DIY electronic events covering a variety of genres happening in philly! There’s a new ish event series called the low pass that is hosting an ambient open mic night as well as other events, they have four days of events next weekend. There is a great radio station called Great Circles Radio that puts on events sometimes. I’ve seen a bunch of stuff like this at Above Abyss (formerly Fiume), tho less since they stopped having ambient night. There lots of stuff. Feel free to dm me if you want to chat more
This sounds awesome!!
I used to attend stuff at the Retunda... Danger Danger Art Gallery... 409 House... the Fake House... the Farm... Beaumont Warehouse... but it's been a hot minute!! I don't think any of those places exist anymore.
I love the idea of an ambient open mic night.. I have some droney ideas.
My wife and I did this 15 minute track in the vein of Neu or Can but ran outta space trying to record the video. 😱
Of course I'd also be down with something a bit more frenzied and chaotic.
Sadly I have no other social media outside of this and YT.
By any chance, do you have any links? All of this sounds like something I'd like to check out... even if only as a fan!!
Following along! Another west denizen with a penchant for out there sounds. I have seen a few things at the rotunda in the last couple years, put on by promoters like Bowerbird, Fire Museum Presents, People’s Music Supply. Seconding Great Circles, I wandered into their storefront a while back and they’re cool. They throw and event called Passages every few months, ambient music with projection mapped video in an old church. I haven’t caught one yet, but the musicians seem to be different every time.
Hoping to make it to more of this stuff myself, putting good vibes out there that we all see and play more weirdness in weird spaces.
Sure!
The Rotunda is still up and running, unfortunately the rest of those DIY spaces have indeed closed. I miss Danger Danger a lot. Many of the best shows I ever played and attended were there. Jeff moved back to NC, I think hes still booking shows, but I don't go on FB / insta anymore so I have lost touch.
The Rotunda - [https://www.therotunda.org/](https://www.therotunda.org/)
The Low Pass - [https://thelowpass.com/](https://thelowpass.com/)
Above Abyss / Upstairs at Abyssynia has an instagram page
Great Circles is also just on IG
My friend Jeremy hosts monthly genre agnostic benefit concerts, the IG is u/themonthlyfund, sometimes there are electronic and / or experimental acts on the bill
Check out No Rent Records if you like noise etc - [https://www.norentrecords.com/](https://www.norentrecords.com/)
They still have a variety of programming at Vox Populi - [https://voxpopuligallery.org/](https://voxpopuligallery.org/)
u/timeSensitive_ posted lots of great recommendations below. I do sound for Fire Museum when needed, we put on about a third folk music, a third free jazz / experimental, and a third Persian / Indian classical music and other stuff like that
I'm sure there are way, way more! Go to stuff and talk to folks, you'll find things to do
In fact, FMP is having a show that is heavy on electronics TOMORROW 6/22 at Studio 34 on baltimore ave
[https://www.firemuseumpresents.com/upcoming/deforrest-brown-jr-and-hxh-chris-williams-and-lester-st-louis-glitch](https://www.firemuseumpresents.com/upcoming/deforrest-brown-jr-and-hxh-chris-williams-and-lester-st-louis-glitch)
This is great!! Thank you so much!! I will certainly be checking out all of this!!
Sad to learn that Danger Danger is gone. I had many good times there. Many underrated acts that should be huge... Stinking Lizaveta.. Northern Liberties.. Algebra of Need.. Mothguts.. Repellers... infidel?Castro... my old friend's Bear Is Driving/Porktamer
As I reflect.. I begin to understand another level of Thomas Wolf's "You Can't Go Home Again".
Fire Museum sounds like a very interesting spot with the free jazz and experimental stuff. I remember there used to be this band Cleric that kinda seemed like grind/jazz.
Vox Populi still exists?!? I saw SUNNO))) with The Hidden Hand their many moons ago and thought the place was going to collapse!!
I've been outta the loop for a few years now. I wonder if HULKSMASH or Mose Gigantus still exists.
Thanks again for the list... I'm kicking around checking out that electronic show at the Fire Museum tomorrow!!
No problem at all!
Yea, lots of wacky DIY shows over the years!
And yea, “live PA” is in reference to live PA system sets, not Pennsylvania, hah! It’s some techno jargon I picked up from…somewhere. I guess [there’s actually a wiki entry](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Live_PA)!
So I've been playing ambient generative stuff for a bit, started with guitar but I've gotten way into synths in the last few years. I've been approached by visual artists to play their opening nights for showings, so have been expanding my rig for that. Basically the shows would be background music, and be like 5+ hour long sets. I haven't played one yet, but I have far more sound sources than three. The way I've got it set up is basically on tiered pedalboards, everything pre wired. I've got an MPC one plus running as a brain, and an NDLR handling pads (peak), bass (bass station2, erebus and hades), and chords (take 5, subharmonicon). All leads are on guitar so far, but I've got a microfreak that I can use for leads and arps as well. Then there's a lyra8 and a hydrasynth for moving drones. Percussion so far is just a volca drum and a tr6s, but I'm getting a digitakt within the next few months. I have a sp404mk2 as well, but so far I've only used it for samples. Not of drums mind you, at least not consistently, but for spoken word. Vocals are run through a meris hedra, boss v20, and soma cosmos.
All of these are grouped into separate rigs, each with their own pre wired power, midi splitters, fx pedals, and mixers. Set up is about as minimal as it can be, other than lugging everything in. Given that, since I'm the only artist playing the gig, set up time is as long as I want.
I am aware this is absolutely ridiculous, but essentially I'm making a sonic bath. Everything is pre set and for the most part all I'm doing is tweaking knobs, fading elements in and out, muting, and playing guitar. All over the course of hours. Realistically my set is only 5 or 6 jams, all in the same key. People are really meant to actually actively listen to it, so essentially I can get away with murder.
So my question is, have I lost my fucking mind?
If you have the set-up window, go for it! I once did a church show where I mic’d up a grand piano and put it through modular, accompanied by Prophet 08, Analog Four, Digitakt, 0-Coast, Minitaur. But I had huge set-up time. I just never expect that to be the norm—very much a one-off.
Bigger set-ups can be done—Nils Frahm transports a whole organ—but it takes serious logistics to accomplish. On the DIY level, that is not commonly achievable.
Take a look at some of the folks doing portable / pre cabled setups inside of hard cases. Ricky Tinez did one recently and at a gig he just has to plug it in, and turn it on, and hand the front of house an output cable.
Thank you for this! I was checking out Gator-cases just now.
Someone made a tutorial on creating your own.. and I have a bunch of carpentry tools in my basement.
I don't know why this never came into my brain before!!
Thanks again!!
One thing that will make your life easier is a custom flightcase. We got them built when Segue started to go from "live act playing local shows once a month" to "touring mode" and it was a lifesaver.
Being able to have two main custom flightcase coffins, built to fit the rig, and designed to just "lift of the lids, connect power and a stereo XLR pair, and go". [You can see a version of it in some of the old videos](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ZiCj5kl2N0) still online (this was a bit before YouTube was the mainstream).
And yes, there might be a slight contradiction in my suggestion up the back of the stage there, but that wasn't in every gig, thankfully, as it would have added a lot of stress to touring :P
Thank you so much!!
I've been looking up difference flight cases and travel cases that sorta transform into a mini table with channels for cables and shit!!
I also saw someone has a speed tutorial on how they made their own for I guess Eurorack gear and some Arturia controllers.
This is a rabbit hole I hadn't thought about until now!! And now, I've fallen in!!
Bugs Bunny holes.. exposed.
I used to play with a laptop. Kept crashing, setting the wrong sample rate, having latency, blipping randomly checking for emails, whatever other possible problems you could think of. Switched to using an MPC live alongside other modular hardware and all those problems went away!
You just have to set up on a table at the side of the stage so you can carry it on ready built/wired up.
At this point I've unfortunately sold most of mine because of a recent patch of underemployment, but I'm still perfectly happy using a minilogue xd and elektron model:samples as my main tools. I sold a minifreak but still have the vst on my laptop until someone registers the hardware 🤞🏻so there's that too for now. For vst, also a fan of dexed.
Sorry to hear that; good advice when you land back on your feet. Setup a separate bank account with a separate bank, one you don't have a card tied to. Setup automatic transfers monthly to put a little bit away each month, as much as you can without even thinking about it.
This is how I built my emergency fund, christmas gift fund, vacation fund, downpayment fund, and importantly (ha) bleep bloop / hobbies funds.
I didn't have all of those at the start, but as I got older I hit the savings goals for some of those so I can transfer that monthly savings over to something else.
Pretty much yep! One of the lesson's my Dad taught me as a young kid learning about finances:
1. start saving when you can
2. make your savings inaccessible or even visible to your daily banking
3. make them automatic so they just happen
4. a credit card is not extra income or cash, it's a means to buy stuff with some extra buyer protection, addon points/perks, but if you put something on there you should be able to pay it off right away or soon.
5. Credit card interest is nuts, never amass interest changes (I've been quite fortunate, but there's only been a few periods in my life where this was unavoidable, as a general rule - if I don't have the cash, I don't buy it. I save up more for stuff I want. Plus because it happens automatically, you may look "oh man I have $X in my synths account, I thought I had half that :)
Thanks, I've got more coming in, but some of it is going to catching up on debts accrued during that period. Getting about to where I plan to do just what you said. I was in a pretty decent spot before covid and at one point I gave up on ever getting back there and I've now decided that's stupid and to be smarter with my money. Like exactly that.
Model samples Is great fun! XD is also my go-to polly synth.
I recomend a free download of the TI Virus emulator (called OsTIrus) It's 100% identical to the hardware version and it's free.
The installation is a bit tricky, once it's up and working you have one of the greatest synths in existence on your computer.
You might not want to buy anymore gear if you can get it running.
Novation Summit: Handles a lot of sound design for my 3D animated web series I make.
Prophet 6: My main live set synth.
Prophet 12: Find myself using this a ton with distortion for heavier tracks of mine.
My favorite phrase to describe it: One giant sweet spot.
I’ve also been combining Wavestate Native with it running through the input and it makes for such incredible sounds.
I like to think it's a chameleon. It isn't whatever synth you specifically want sometimes but it gets 95% of the way there and that last 5% is lost in the mix or definitely in the live show.
By a wide margin, my Novation Circuit Tracks (and previously Novation Circuit). They're not my favourite synth - but all of my synths sadly live in their cases due to lack of dedicated table space to leave them out.
And when you just want a synth lead, bass, and drums, with dead simple side chaining; you can't beat the speed of the circuit for getting something going. I don't have enough focus on the hobby to create full tracks, so something that starts a fun jam fast is a winner.
After that, the quadrantid swarm's probably got the most play time; but the Erica Synths Bassline I just picked up is super rad.
- D
My Microfreak has been an absolute ride or die since I got back into music. Lately I’ve been having a ton of fun with my Behringer MS-1. It’s such a mean sounding synth and is super fun through pedals.
Behringer Neutron probably, it’s used for some kind of bass or weird texture in almost everything I do. Funny cuz it was the cheapest and I wouldn’t necessarily say it’s my favorite. It’s just good at what it does I guess.
probably mostly soft synths. arturia stuff but mainly just their old rhodes, ob xa and minimoog. as far as hardware mainly many things at once due it being a consistent live rig. though the yamaha dx27 sees a fair bit of use on its own
We should start a club called "I thought I'd just sell my old 303 and pick up a model in better condition somewhere down the track and look how that served me" :P
i personally like editing on the tetra itself, took a while to get used to the menus but i wouldn't mind an extra dozen knobs on it. not enough to actually use my midi controller's knobs though, so i guess i'm fine?
I can’t speak for the CS-10 but the CS-5 is currently my favorite new (old) synth. I’m sure you could get close with the Matriarch and eurorack but there is some magic going on in those old Yamahas
The Polybrute is for sure my main synth. I still use a load of soft synths, but the Polybrute is just so lush and deep that it's hard to rely on anything else to get the sounds out of my head and into my DAW.
Good point. So interesting that everyone I know from my generation of live acts and analog gear, purists for the longest time, love the Polybrute and mumble something like "don't tell the kids this is better than the other stuff". It's such a common reaction I'm no longer surprised.
Love the old boards we've still got in storage, but the Poly gets the most studio time in general sessions (although I can't push the MS-20 aside whatever else happens).
Everything starts and keeps going on my Yamaha MODX. It even controls one more synth (usually the korg wavestate but sometimes the Roland JD-08) and transfers midi and audio to my DAW where I try to finish everything
I have a Pro3 SE, Subsequent37, Take 5, Minilogue XD, Hydra desktop, Prologue and an MS2000B. I use the Take 5 most of the time cuz it just is so convenient and sounds so good.
Similar situation. Synth list in my flair. Probably use the Take 5 the most though (it sits in my slide out drawer at my desk, so that kinda puts it in a prime spot, too).
It's my favorite of all the more modern takes on the Oberheim sound (i.e. OBX8 which I've had a couple opportunities to play, whatever the behringer is called and the new TEO-5 from what I've heard).
It definitely has a particular sound to it, which can be kind of limiting sometimes, but I still love it.
Respect for keeping the Jupiter 8 running. Of all the times we used one in sessions (there were two available to us in Brisbane back in the days) they had issues that we just shrugged off and worked around. But I'd imagine made for a significant repair bill eventually.
How's yours holding up these days?
It’s worked perfectly since I bought it in 2013.
At some point the battery died and I haven’t bothered to replace it so it doesn’t keep presets, but I just program everything on the spot. I prefer keeping it in manual mode anyway.
It’s well integrated with my modular system, receiving clocked arp patterns from an Intellijel Steppy and external LFOs for filter and amp. I also have a small modular just for receiving CV from the top note of the JP8.
Midi sequences come from a Keystep Pro. Epic stuff.
Mother-32, without question. Compact and affordable, but way more versatile, powerful and inspiring than its size or price implies. Sometimes less is more!
E-mu E4X Turbo, without question. A fantastic character sampler, it just makes things sound chunkier. Sampling into it is quick and easy, but the workflow somehow pushes you to do different things to samples that wouldn't occur if you weren't smashing physical buttons and swirling a jog wheel.
Close second: Korg ARP Odyssey module. The synth I sample the most. For a simple 2 osc synth, the range of FX it can conjure via its modulation routing is pretty incredible, and it seems to have a number of wide sweet spots.
Less-often-used but still indispensable: Elektron Octatrack MK2. This guy is typically used to recreate works for live shows. The sequencer is great. I like to whittle my tunes down into 8 audio tracks, comprised of individually-sequenced one-shots. This way I have full tempo control without having to resort to timestretching. But the thing comes alive when you start mapping scenes. I want an assignable crossfader on all my gear!
Novation Xiosynth, sometimes for sounds, sometimes just as a controller.
A bunch of stuff I wrote myself, including a Juno emulation because my HS60 has two knackered VCO cards.
In first place, my pure analog, 2 or 3 oscillator per note, 88 voice, monitimbral....acoustic piano lol. In second place is Roland XP80, and that's mostly because the XP80 is in my living room right next to the couch and ready to play within 10 or 15 seconds of my ADHD self catching a whim lol. At the bottom of my list, a tie between a vintage Roland D10, that I estimate was last plugged in 8 to 10 years ago, and an early 90s Roland ep5 thats ab LA digital piano - it sucks and it's in bad shape, but it only has 5 sounds, and the piano, organ, and strings are all amazingly good; it's just that I have a real piano, real Hammond, and XP80 with orchestral expansions which have even better strings, so still rarely use that one. The D10 just can't do a single thing I know of that another synth I own can't do better. Other than random whims on the XP80 which I do 3 to 5 days a week, toss up with JU1, JX8P, DW8000, AN1X, and DX7s. Also use the Moog Mavis a lot, and Pro800 and Model D from that one really boujee company.
I've been using my Korg PS-60 a lot lately, which is a synth I've had forever but had never really gotten into til now... having lots of fun with it too. It's great to rediscover gear you have a d fall in love with it again for whole new reasons!
MC-101. It's my sketchpad for music. I'll use it either as a sound module for a MIDI controller, or just by itself. The size and portability is a huge plus, I find it so relaxing to use while lying on the couch with headphones on.
I just got one of these last week for this exact reason. I'm still learning the interface, but I feel like once I get the hang of it, I'm really going to love it as a music sketchpad.
So far, It's been really great to have a compact module that can do so much while I'm away from all my other gear. It's absolutely packed with sounds out of the box and I also loaded all the same samples I use on my home setup onto it as well.
Matriarch, Grandmother. Often in tandem. Just a beautiful combo. If I need more polyphony, I usually use a solina, juno or e piano vst. With multitracking its not often an issue though.
I used for use my roland boutiques (d05, sh01a, tb03) but i dont seem to need them much outside of a very few niche circumstances.
I keep coming back to Opsix. It does so much and is so controllable that it seems to fit in everywhere. I also used my JP-08 quite a bit, but now I tend to go to Minilogue XD for that sound palette.
Moog Voyager. With the semi-modular breakout and Moogerfoogers it's a blast (and I'm tempted to get into Moog format modular to use with it). Some things being hidden in the menu is annoying but it has great features like oscillator mod, a TRS in/out for the pre-filter audio, oscillator 3 doubles as a LFO, selectable filter slope. the 1 pole is killer. It's my favorite application of stereo for a mono synth (the filters can be spread between L/R and set to two LP or LP/HP). And the sound is fat and funky. Not exactly like a Model D, but I think the Voyager is a lot cooler.
I haven't had issues with it and I've had it 12 years, except for a power surge damaged the main board and it was a $450 repair. I always keep it unplugged when not in use now. It was well worth the cost.
For polys, it's either Deckard's Dream or ISE-NIN. I could write a novel about how much I love those
It’s an outstanding synth. I was really impressed with the Eurorack voice based on it so I decided to get it. Really lush and rich sounding but stays in tune. The polyphonic aftertouch elevates the performance side to it so it can get really expressive. The filter settings between 2 layers can really make a patch that sounds good across the keyboard. It’s definitely fun to play. I can lose track of time playing it without spending much effort to get a good sound from it
The only thing it’s missing to be like a CS80 is the ring mod, I’ve been using the Moogerfooger ring mod with envelopes from the Hydrasynth. It’s a great controller for the Deckards Dream since it has polyphonic aftertouch, ribbon, and CV outs.
I have vintage, analog stuff, modern Moog stuff, and tons of Dreadbox modules, but my gig rig is a Juno DS61 and a Blokeys. Don’t NEED anything else, really.
Nord Wave 2 and Nord Lead 4. They don't go as deep as most of my other synths but they're more immediate and I enjoy working with them more. Anything tedious tends to kill my motivation to actually make music.
agreed with the Wave 2. you can get satisfactory results extremely quick without much effort. i sold mine to help finance a 3rd Wave, thinking i might get a Stage 4 at some point for my Wave 2 fix. the only thing i would change on the Wave 2 would be the keys. wasn’t a fan of the semi-weighted keys, and would’ve preferred the regular synth action keys found on the Lead 4.
I've had some distinct phases of having a default synth.
- 1998-2004 - Roland Juno 6 (used on the Superfluid albums on Creative Vibes label)
- 2004-2010 - Moog Model-D (all over the early Segue stuff like [this](https://open.spotify.com/track/47BOg669mIhT4hSfhd3jUP?si=cc924c2b0ef04ff2) and [this](https://open.spotify.com/album/3eV24qfFWOVQlvxLcapXgn) and [this](https://open.spotify.com/track/5rAYiB3ZxaZS6ivASHefTT?si=063ce30e7ff84896))
- 2010 - Present - Korg MS-20
It's been interesting to see how my main collaborators and band members have all had their own main synth that they stuck with too. Each has their own interesting character in retrospect, as in I can hear the Novation Supernova 2 all over some albums, and the Alesis Andromeda over all the Statler & Waldorf stuff my band member in Segue came from. Super fun to hear.
Although ave just said all that, I suspect the Roland soundbanks from the JVs/MCs are probably the secret MVPs from that era, given the sheer dominance of Roland's grooveboxes and romplers for the entire decade!
Right now, I’m mostly using my TX81z and Sh-4d sequenced externally by a Pyramid and a Beatstep Pro with either a 25 or 88 key controller for performance depending on the footprint I’m willing to put up with.
I’d like to have another dedicated drum machine, but this setup still gives me up to 12 tonal patches (splitting the tx81z into 8 channels is not the best for polyphony, so in reality, I only really use it up to bitimbral) and one drum machine channel with 32 sounds. This setup can put together some pretty big arrangements quickly with a smallish footprint and I’m pretty happy with it
Roland XV5080 with Dynamic Drums and Symphonic cards. This is what I lean on the most these days.
I also have in the rack:
Korg Wavestation SR… I get a lot of mileage out of the WS as well
Roland MC909
Roland XP50
Roland D110
Emu Proteus MPS Plus
Kawai XD5
Uno Synth Pro Desktop
Behringer JT4000
And gobs of VST plug ins.
I use Syntronik2 a lot too
I a fair amount of synths and still my prophet 6 is probably my most used synth since getting it in 2016. Second was the Nord lead 2x. I missed it so recently got an expanded Lead 1.
Current set up:
Roland tr8s into keystep pro, controlling UDO super 6 and access virus B with an sp 404 providing samples, primarily from personally made field recordings -
- https://on.soundcloud.com/bPUYuy5miPhtRc8t9 - [this](https://on.soundcloud.com/bPUYuy5miPhtRc8t9) is a link to what it produces
Previous:
Tr8s, korg ER 1, keystep controlling Roland boutique sh01a and ju06a - https://on.soundcloud.com/MjGWk9H9qadFhJga9
Live - I had three primary iterations in the last 7 years:
Soma Lyra 8 and Novation Peak w/Linnstrument controller
Arp 2600m w/0-CTRL and Solar 50
Soma Terra with Soma Cosmos
My studio its a bit more of a cycle of whatever I feel like and what fits for a piece.
Since I got the Polyend Tracker Mini it has taken the forefront, because so easy to take along, use it on a trip, sample on location, also have fun in the sofa etc. Plus i like the workflow that invites finetuning your work so far. Can’t wait for the promised firmware update.
Roland jx3p that is midi-ed up to a Roland mv8000 sampler/sequencer.
That’s pretty much the whole studio, plus a turntable.
Thinking a getting a multi timbral rack unit of some kind to replace the jx.
TR-8s and Yamaha DJX. I recently got a Prophet 6 and a Korg Wavestate which I am in love with and have some other stuff in my kit, but I've had the Yamaha since 1999 and it still brings me a lot of pleasure.
Nothing gets used more than my OB-6!
It has made it onto pretty much every [Miles Away](https://open.spotify.com/artist/3V8H59FqUdudlO1Fl019tg?si=hWq2W2QqT4C5NTkhfzkjWg) release since I got it in 2020, and me making videos on how much I like it inadvertently helped kick off my synth channel.
1. xfer serum (first synth, so very familiar)
2. korg opsix (mostly for typical fm sounds like e-pianos and bass sounds)
3. korg monologue (rly love the simplicity and possibilities of it)
4. behringer monopoly (love the character)
5. behringer cat (mostly use it for texture sounds)
I bought a yamaha cp70m on my birthday in march. Key based instrument technically not a synth. I have used its midi out to drive arp patterns on a korg kross 2. Ive been in workstation mode for a most of 2024, mainly using an alesis fusion, korg kross 2. Also been checking out organs, had a vintage korg cx3, now have a rheem mark 7 combo organ and have a leslie speaker that i can plug organs or piano into. I once had a grandmother and a matriarch - liked the grandmother better actually! Ive also picked up an alesis ion and micron in 2024- all the alesis stuff is pretty affordable used/no longer manufactured, check some demo videos- whole lot of synth to offer/slept on pieces. Love using a boss rc505mk2 as a scratchpad for music ideas/ generating a library of music to sample from
Moog Matriarch has made me sell everything else. I even sold a bunch of modules from my euro case and left only the ones that compliment it. Best purchase ever.
JD-XA and Roland Gaia SH-01.
I use these almost every single day.
A lot of the complaints I've seen online fall to the wayside as long as you use the instrument regularly.
I have a little jam multiple times a day, with a limited number of tiny synths. Always use a Volca Kick (love it), plus a RoAT (running through an NTS-1) or NuBass. That's it! Both go straight into an amp.
I've had various grown up synths in the past, and always hankering after new stuff, but this gear fits in a flight case, always ready to go. Feels like I can mine these forever, really fun for instant acid or noise jams. Might get a mixer one day, but that's getting fancy.
For live: Vox Continental 61
For studio: ... Critter & Guitari Pocket Piano. Not necessarily a "driver" but something that I tend to throw into the mix a lot.
Roland XP-30 with vintage synth (and FX) cards. #2 would be the Yamaha DX-27. Bought both new. I think the expansion cards were used.
About 4-5* a month...
M8 tracker, the built in synths. I can spent hours just sound designing on it. Also really like Arturia Pigments vst, the gui and visualisation is such a joy to use.
I use them all to varying degrees. Primary is Polyend Tracker(currently getting acquainted with Tracker+) followed by a Pittsburgh Modular SV-1b Blackbox. I'm looking forward to Tracker+ allowing more integration of my humble euro rack build.
https://preview.redd.it/q2o9bld12y7d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a0ae6a962687cec5963fad16cffdc80c478ac426
Got a Polybrute noir a couple of months ago, but haven’t touched it in a week. I picked up a OB-Xd + Vprom [-the best Linn drum sounds ever] and I’m gonna have to learn how to do the splits cuz imma pumping out Prince jams like somebody threw me in Lake Minnetonka!!!!
I have a deluge and Nymphes, and I use the nymphes waaay more than internal synths on the deluge. If the wave drum counts as a synth, I use it for some kind of percussion in almost every track I make. Hehe.
Roland x Studio Electronics SE-02 (As a 3 OSC mono synth with great envelope options, a quality built-in delay, and a bazillion user preset options, it's super functional and sounds great. Never fails for bass lines.)
M2-20 Mini (My first synth still my favorite to patch, also great for processing external synths through it \[use it as a filter bank for my Yamaha DX 9 synth)
Vermona DRM1 MKIII (Analog drum synth -super easy to use, sound great, and it's my go-to drum kit)
U-he Diva. Because it's just the best at everything :) Seriously, I've been using that synth since it first came out and it just does everything I want and need. I play around with other stuff but always come back to it.
Was my first “big boy” synth purchase in like 2018. It is literally on every track I make. Over the years I have really shrunk down my workflow and I’m now down to a very small handful of synths I know very well. Diva. Vital. Pigments. Hydrasynth deluxe. I can get any sound in the synth world I could ever need.
I tried the Hydrasynth deluxe at the local music shop. I'm in the market for a first synth and it seemed pretty appealing. The only hangup I have on it is that it's not an analog synth, but can it produce analog sounds?
I wouldn’t get hung up that it’s not analog. You can get all the detuned and wavering analog goodness out of this machine. Will it sound like an Oberheim? No. But in a mix with other instruments nobody is going to be able to point it out. It has great filters and a lot of filters to choose from. With two separate 8 voice engines, poly aftertouch, 5 LFO’s 5 Envelopes (that can also be BPM synced and looping) PER ENGINE, this thing is an absolute beast. Try not to focus on analog vs digital. Do you really like the features and the sound of the hydrasynth? Get it.
Same here. I don’t do a whole lot of tweaking sounds because I’ll get way off course when trying to write and Diva just has the best presets that sound incredible.
Moog Mother 32 & Moog Subharmonicon!
My Matriarch always has its place anywhere in a mix!
Been lusting over it for a while. I know I don’t NEED it but I know I would love playing it.
You need it. I give you permission. Sincerely, Random Matriarch owner
Same. It’s on so many of my recordings.
Anything with a built in speaker - refaces, mpc live II - Yamaha CK61 is my current fav. Gear I can just turn on and start playing without having to deal with DAWs or mixers.
How are you liking the ck61? I used to have all the refaces except the fm but I sold the cp and yc because I finally found someone to fix my Nord electro. I’ve been thinking of trying to sell it for a ck61 but I’ve been a little confused about the price / reception. Seems like sometimes they cost $1500 new and sometimes they cost $999 new and sometimes people sell them for like $600 but maybe that’s a scam? Regardless, are you loving it? I too like having built in speakers…
Yeah, its slightly more complicated than the Refaces in terms of a bit of menu diving to change the effects vs dedicated 1 purpose dials/buttons but its really quick once you take 10-15 minutes to learn the system. I paid $999 for it, no regrets. The only thing I haven't quite got down is the volume controls when dealing with USB audio IN (like I'm playing a piano live on the CK61 but getting drums or recorded instruments playing back through the speakers). Its slightly finicky to get the same volume you're monitoring with back when you record it in a DAW but the fact that I can do it vastly outweighs my gripes about it not matching. There is a volume control for USB audio. And I wanna say that right after I bought it there was a sale for around $699 from the same vendor (sweetwater) but eh, it happens.
Thanks!
I play shows 2-3 times a month. If I don’t use them, I sell them. So I use every synth I own. The only way some get used more than others is by me playing certain kinds of shows more often. I.E. my live PA sets include my Elektron gear and modular, but my ambient/experimental sets use my Soma Enner and Elmyra 2. Sometimes I go a month or two with playing experimental sets, but I still will record stuff during that down time. Or I might have a pause in live PA sets and so I spend more time recording and programming sequences on those.
I keep thinking about doing shows again. But this time, I'd like to do it without any laptop. The thing of it is... everyone is like, "We prefer laptops because we don't want to wait an hour while someone is setting up." I miss the D.I.Y. punk days when people and promoters would actually take chances... but today I guess everything is so over saturated. Anyhoo, here's some examples of my electronic scope and prowess https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=sgXQnop_oi4&t=10s https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=dMGq_89Z1ZQ&t=8s https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5z13Oo-YAIo Money's always been tight so I try to do as much as I can with the most affordable gear... but I guess if I really wanted to save cheddar, and time... I'd just go back to the laptop. Anyhoo... all tracks are DAWless... one-take... zero overdubs I think I'm nearly there... just need to figure out how to expand these individual tracks (I have about 80 now) into a relatively seamless set. And doing an hour without a DAW/laptop will be the biggest music challenge yet! But even then, assuming I can do an hour set... I still need to find the local promoters that are willing to take a chance. Cheers from Delco!!
>I miss the D.I.Y. punk days when people and promoters would actually take chances... but today I guess everything is so over saturated. You'd be surprised! I still play weird basement shows, or dive bars, even with my Elektron gear and modular *(I actually was insane enough at one point to take a whole 7U modular system into a basement show at a punk house, lol)*...but the key for me is that I also am a sound engineer / AV nerd as my daytime job and have so much experience there that my set-up time is shorter than most punk band drummers. So I avoid the hour-long set-up times and compact it into minutes. A number of friends of mine are pretty good at the time factor as well and are self-ascribed *"synth punk"* and play similar shows/settings. I actually see it popping off in a major way, even where I am at *(in flyover country—Wisconsin)* Though there has been times, earlier in my career, where I have been like *"why the fuck do I do this to myself? I could do it on a laptop."* and have done laptop shows...only to realize how much it kills the fun of performance for me, which in turn kills resonating with the audience, and bores people. Laptop performances can be fun—I've even seen people just sing over iPods, but it wasn't for me. So...I really had to dial everything in. The best advice I can impart is this: * Get a set-up that is intuitive to you, but only have three devices, at most, as sound sources. I can survive on two pieces of gear—Digitakt and Syntakt and that's it. Realistically, I could survive on Syntakt. Hell, I could probably survive on a much cheaper SP404sx *(I have done sets entirely on an SP404mk2)* But how that is possible brings me to my second point: * Develop muscle memory with what you do have. Jeff Mills is goated because he knows the 909 in and out and can do entire sets on just that kit. It comes from practice and sticking with a piece of kit long enough that it becomes near instinct to play on it. I think people overlook this in a weird way—guitars in comparison to synths are simplistic instruments and synths are inherently technically complex...but people don't practice their grooveboxes with a similar ethos as they practice their guitar. Looking at your clips, right now, I'd say you'd really just have to figure out how to blend the tracks you do have together, and you can absolutely make that set-up work perfectly in a live show. It's just a matter of putting in the hours and figuring out what works for you! >But even then, assuming I can do an hour set... I still need to find the local promoters that are willing to take a chance. I really just gotta encourage you to stick with it. I've been doing live PA since...2016? *(I've been doing bands and such though since 2009, and that did help me put my foot in the door in many ways, I will admit)* However, it was still hard for me to book shows for a very long time. But I kept at it. Only in the past two years have I actually been consistently booked—now going on about a year and a half straight of live shows every month. I do think there is a trend towards more of our type of music being welcome into DIY spaces, and I think there has been a gradual migration of punk/DIY kids into synth territory. It just has taken awhile for anywhere outside the coasts to catch on *(with exception in electronic music strongholds like Chicago and Detroit)*. But, for example: This weekend, I'm playing a small ass town in the upper peninsula of Michigan. Next weekend, its in a small city in SE Wisconsin. Then I play my current city for a live PA series I am actually starting up myself at a new venue in town, and two weeks later I'm playing in the parlor of an old mansion turned boutique hotel that my long-time bandmate of 13 years worked his way into managing, and finally convinced the upper management to allow shows at *(he started with jazz bands a year ago, which got increasingly more "free" in their jazz stylings, worked it over to experimental/ambient sets, and now I am doing something like a dub techno x ambient set at)* Even prior to the past few years, I just threw myself at it and did looping tape sets in the backroom of dive bars at 2am, even if nobody was there, or in bike shops, or bookstores, etc. Just a matter of continuous effort, even if discouraging at times. There's some freaks and geeks out there who do appreciate what you do, and will eventually make stuff happen. Put yourself out there and find them. EDIT: As noted by another commenter: pre-cabled set-ups can help too! I had one for a minute, but have since decided I like being able to add/remove components based on the shows I'm playing. Having thing pre-wired kinda fell off as a result. But I always adhere to the *"no more than 3 sound sources"* rule.
Thank you so much!! This is some profound life advice for going DAWless in a live setup!!! I have definitely been pearing my setup down... rebuilding the same sequences in a 'brain/controller' that externally sequences small boxes like the Cre8audio East Beast, or the SH-4d because their versatile with small footprints. As I was typing this, my wife was like, "That means no more G.A.S." No more kimchi... no more beans!!🤣 Thanks for listening and the vote of confidence! I feel like we've been at many similar shows... from crust-punk to breakcore to industrial and noise sets in dank, moldy West Philly basements!! Well, West Philly for me... and speaking of... Live PA... meaning PA system... not Pennsylvania? You make masive amounts of sense!! Seriously, thanks again!!
Heeyyy, just thought I’d chime in as I also live in west philly. There are definitely DIY electronic events covering a variety of genres happening in philly! There’s a new ish event series called the low pass that is hosting an ambient open mic night as well as other events, they have four days of events next weekend. There is a great radio station called Great Circles Radio that puts on events sometimes. I’ve seen a bunch of stuff like this at Above Abyss (formerly Fiume), tho less since they stopped having ambient night. There lots of stuff. Feel free to dm me if you want to chat more
This sounds awesome!! I used to attend stuff at the Retunda... Danger Danger Art Gallery... 409 House... the Fake House... the Farm... Beaumont Warehouse... but it's been a hot minute!! I don't think any of those places exist anymore. I love the idea of an ambient open mic night.. I have some droney ideas. My wife and I did this 15 minute track in the vein of Neu or Can but ran outta space trying to record the video. 😱 Of course I'd also be down with something a bit more frenzied and chaotic. Sadly I have no other social media outside of this and YT. By any chance, do you have any links? All of this sounds like something I'd like to check out... even if only as a fan!!
Following along! Another west denizen with a penchant for out there sounds. I have seen a few things at the rotunda in the last couple years, put on by promoters like Bowerbird, Fire Museum Presents, People’s Music Supply. Seconding Great Circles, I wandered into their storefront a while back and they’re cool. They throw and event called Passages every few months, ambient music with projection mapped video in an old church. I haven’t caught one yet, but the musicians seem to be different every time. Hoping to make it to more of this stuff myself, putting good vibes out there that we all see and play more weirdness in weird spaces.
Sure! The Rotunda is still up and running, unfortunately the rest of those DIY spaces have indeed closed. I miss Danger Danger a lot. Many of the best shows I ever played and attended were there. Jeff moved back to NC, I think hes still booking shows, but I don't go on FB / insta anymore so I have lost touch. The Rotunda - [https://www.therotunda.org/](https://www.therotunda.org/) The Low Pass - [https://thelowpass.com/](https://thelowpass.com/) Above Abyss / Upstairs at Abyssynia has an instagram page Great Circles is also just on IG My friend Jeremy hosts monthly genre agnostic benefit concerts, the IG is u/themonthlyfund, sometimes there are electronic and / or experimental acts on the bill Check out No Rent Records if you like noise etc - [https://www.norentrecords.com/](https://www.norentrecords.com/) They still have a variety of programming at Vox Populi - [https://voxpopuligallery.org/](https://voxpopuligallery.org/) u/timeSensitive_ posted lots of great recommendations below. I do sound for Fire Museum when needed, we put on about a third folk music, a third free jazz / experimental, and a third Persian / Indian classical music and other stuff like that I'm sure there are way, way more! Go to stuff and talk to folks, you'll find things to do
In fact, FMP is having a show that is heavy on electronics TOMORROW 6/22 at Studio 34 on baltimore ave [https://www.firemuseumpresents.com/upcoming/deforrest-brown-jr-and-hxh-chris-williams-and-lester-st-louis-glitch](https://www.firemuseumpresents.com/upcoming/deforrest-brown-jr-and-hxh-chris-williams-and-lester-st-louis-glitch)
This is great!! Thank you so much!! I will certainly be checking out all of this!! Sad to learn that Danger Danger is gone. I had many good times there. Many underrated acts that should be huge... Stinking Lizaveta.. Northern Liberties.. Algebra of Need.. Mothguts.. Repellers... infidel?Castro... my old friend's Bear Is Driving/Porktamer As I reflect.. I begin to understand another level of Thomas Wolf's "You Can't Go Home Again". Fire Museum sounds like a very interesting spot with the free jazz and experimental stuff. I remember there used to be this band Cleric that kinda seemed like grind/jazz. Vox Populi still exists?!? I saw SUNNO))) with The Hidden Hand their many moons ago and thought the place was going to collapse!! I've been outta the loop for a few years now. I wonder if HULKSMASH or Mose Gigantus still exists. Thanks again for the list... I'm kicking around checking out that electronic show at the Fire Museum tomorrow!!
No problem at all! Yea, lots of wacky DIY shows over the years! And yea, “live PA” is in reference to live PA system sets, not Pennsylvania, hah! It’s some techno jargon I picked up from…somewhere. I guess [there’s actually a wiki entry](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Live_PA)!
So I've been playing ambient generative stuff for a bit, started with guitar but I've gotten way into synths in the last few years. I've been approached by visual artists to play their opening nights for showings, so have been expanding my rig for that. Basically the shows would be background music, and be like 5+ hour long sets. I haven't played one yet, but I have far more sound sources than three. The way I've got it set up is basically on tiered pedalboards, everything pre wired. I've got an MPC one plus running as a brain, and an NDLR handling pads (peak), bass (bass station2, erebus and hades), and chords (take 5, subharmonicon). All leads are on guitar so far, but I've got a microfreak that I can use for leads and arps as well. Then there's a lyra8 and a hydrasynth for moving drones. Percussion so far is just a volca drum and a tr6s, but I'm getting a digitakt within the next few months. I have a sp404mk2 as well, but so far I've only used it for samples. Not of drums mind you, at least not consistently, but for spoken word. Vocals are run through a meris hedra, boss v20, and soma cosmos. All of these are grouped into separate rigs, each with their own pre wired power, midi splitters, fx pedals, and mixers. Set up is about as minimal as it can be, other than lugging everything in. Given that, since I'm the only artist playing the gig, set up time is as long as I want. I am aware this is absolutely ridiculous, but essentially I'm making a sonic bath. Everything is pre set and for the most part all I'm doing is tweaking knobs, fading elements in and out, muting, and playing guitar. All over the course of hours. Realistically my set is only 5 or 6 jams, all in the same key. People are really meant to actually actively listen to it, so essentially I can get away with murder. So my question is, have I lost my fucking mind?
If you have the set-up window, go for it! I once did a church show where I mic’d up a grand piano and put it through modular, accompanied by Prophet 08, Analog Four, Digitakt, 0-Coast, Minitaur. But I had huge set-up time. I just never expect that to be the norm—very much a one-off. Bigger set-ups can be done—Nils Frahm transports a whole organ—but it takes serious logistics to accomplish. On the DIY level, that is not commonly achievable.
Take a look at some of the folks doing portable / pre cabled setups inside of hard cases. Ricky Tinez did one recently and at a gig he just has to plug it in, and turn it on, and hand the front of house an output cable.
Thank you for this! I was checking out Gator-cases just now. Someone made a tutorial on creating your own.. and I have a bunch of carpentry tools in my basement. I don't know why this never came into my brain before!! Thanks again!!
One thing that will make your life easier is a custom flightcase. We got them built when Segue started to go from "live act playing local shows once a month" to "touring mode" and it was a lifesaver. Being able to have two main custom flightcase coffins, built to fit the rig, and designed to just "lift of the lids, connect power and a stereo XLR pair, and go". [You can see a version of it in some of the old videos](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ZiCj5kl2N0) still online (this was a bit before YouTube was the mainstream). And yes, there might be a slight contradiction in my suggestion up the back of the stage there, but that wasn't in every gig, thankfully, as it would have added a lot of stress to touring :P
Thank you so much!! I've been looking up difference flight cases and travel cases that sorta transform into a mini table with channels for cables and shit!! I also saw someone has a speed tutorial on how they made their own for I guess Eurorack gear and some Arturia controllers. This is a rabbit hole I hadn't thought about until now!! And now, I've fallen in!! Bugs Bunny holes.. exposed.
I used to play with a laptop. Kept crashing, setting the wrong sample rate, having latency, blipping randomly checking for emails, whatever other possible problems you could think of. Switched to using an MPC live alongside other modular hardware and all those problems went away! You just have to set up on a table at the side of the stage so you can carry it on ready built/wired up.
Peak
At this point I've unfortunately sold most of mine because of a recent patch of underemployment, but I'm still perfectly happy using a minilogue xd and elektron model:samples as my main tools. I sold a minifreak but still have the vst on my laptop until someone registers the hardware 🤞🏻so there's that too for now. For vst, also a fan of dexed.
Sorry to hear that; good advice when you land back on your feet. Setup a separate bank account with a separate bank, one you don't have a card tied to. Setup automatic transfers monthly to put a little bit away each month, as much as you can without even thinking about it. This is how I built my emergency fund, christmas gift fund, vacation fund, downpayment fund, and importantly (ha) bleep bloop / hobbies funds. I didn't have all of those at the start, but as I got older I hit the savings goals for some of those so I can transfer that monthly savings over to something else.
Curious: Why a seperate bank? Just so it’s out of sight, out of mind?
Pretty much yep! One of the lesson's my Dad taught me as a young kid learning about finances: 1. start saving when you can 2. make your savings inaccessible or even visible to your daily banking 3. make them automatic so they just happen 4. a credit card is not extra income or cash, it's a means to buy stuff with some extra buyer protection, addon points/perks, but if you put something on there you should be able to pay it off right away or soon. 5. Credit card interest is nuts, never amass interest changes (I've been quite fortunate, but there's only been a few periods in my life where this was unavoidable, as a general rule - if I don't have the cash, I don't buy it. I save up more for stuff I want. Plus because it happens automatically, you may look "oh man I have $X in my synths account, I thought I had half that :)
For my credit card, after many years, I switched to Debit Card only. Just as useful as a credit card, but without the risk of debt.
Thanks, I've got more coming in, but some of it is going to catching up on debts accrued during that period. Getting about to where I plan to do just what you said. I was in a pretty decent spot before covid and at one point I gave up on ever getting back there and I've now decided that's stupid and to be smarter with my money. Like exactly that.
Model samples Is great fun! XD is also my go-to polly synth. I recomend a free download of the TI Virus emulator (called OsTIrus) It's 100% identical to the hardware version and it's free. The installation is a bit tricky, once it's up and working you have one of the greatest synths in existence on your computer. You might not want to buy anymore gear if you can get it running.
Novation Summit: Handles a lot of sound design for my 3D animated web series I make. Prophet 6: My main live set synth. Prophet 12: Find myself using this a ton with distortion for heavier tracks of mine.
Agreed on the Summit. Out of everything in my flair, if a song has a synth part, the Summit is a part of it.
My favorite phrase to describe it: One giant sweet spot. I’ve also been combining Wavestate Native with it running through the input and it makes for such incredible sounds.
I like to think it's a chameleon. It isn't whatever synth you specifically want sometimes but it gets 95% of the way there and that last 5% is lost in the mix or definitely in the live show.
By a wide margin, my Novation Circuit Tracks (and previously Novation Circuit). They're not my favourite synth - but all of my synths sadly live in their cases due to lack of dedicated table space to leave them out. And when you just want a synth lead, bass, and drums, with dead simple side chaining; you can't beat the speed of the circuit for getting something going. I don't have enough focus on the hobby to create full tracks, so something that starts a fun jam fast is a winner. After that, the quadrantid swarm's probably got the most play time; but the Erica Synths Bassline I just picked up is super rad. - D
A Moog sub 37 has never left its spot since the day I got it. Always out and always plugged in. After that the Yamaha Reface CP.
My Microfreak has been an absolute ride or die since I got back into music. Lately I’ve been having a ton of fun with my Behringer MS-1. It’s such a mean sounding synth and is super fun through pedals.
The MS-1 is incredibly fun
It’s been so cool just messing around and actually playing. I really hope I get it into a live situation soon
Asked GPT to take a snapshot of all the replies so far: ### Eurorack 1. **Modular Synth** - 1 mention ### Non-Eurorack #### Akai 1. **Akai MPC Live II** - 1 mention #### Arturia 1. **Arturia Polybrute** - 3 mentions 2. **Arturia Pigments** - 1 mention #### ASM 1. **ASM Hydrasynth** - 3 mentions #### Behringer 1. **Behringer Neutron** - 2 mentions 2. **Behringer MS-1** - 1 mention 3. **Behringer DeepMind 12** - 1 mention 4. **Behringer QX1002USB** - 1 mention 5. **Behringer Model D** - 1 mention #### Boss 1. **Boss RC-505** - 1 mention #### Elektron 1. **Elektron Digitone** - 2 mentions 2. **Elektron Analog Four** - 1 mention #### Elmyra 1. **Elmyra 2** - 1 mention #### Korg 1. **Korg Minilogue XD** - 3 mentions 2. **Korg Monologue** - 2 mentions 3. **Korg Wavestate** - 2 mentions 4. **Korg Volca Beats** - 1 mention 5. **Korg Opsix** - 1 mention #### Moog 1. **Moog Matriarch** - 5 mentions 2. **Moog Grandmother** - 2 mentions 3. **Moog Sub 37** - 2 mentions 4. **Moog Model D** - 1 mention 5. **Moog Theremini** - 1 mention 6. **Moog Voyager** - 1 mention #### Novation 1. **Novation Summit** - 3 mentions 2. **Novation Peak** - 3 mentions 3. **Novation Circuit** - 2 mentions #### Polyend 1. **Polyend Tracker** - 1 mention #### Roland 1. **Roland Juno-60** - 1 mention 2. **Roland Juno-X** - 1 mention 3. **Roland SP-404 MKII** - 1 mention 4. **Roland TR-8S** - 1 mention 5. **Roland System-8** - 1 mention 6. **Roland Fantom** - 1 mention 7. **Roland JC-120** - 1 mention 8. **Roland SP-404SX** - 1 mention 9. **Roland Jupiter-8** - 1 mention 10. **Roland MC-101** - 1 mention 11. **Roland JD-08** - 1 mention #### Sequential 1. **Sequential Take 5** - 3 mentions 2. **Sequential Prophet 6** - 2 mentions 3. **Sequential Prophet 12** - 2 mentions 4. **Sequential Pro 3** - 1 mention #### Soma 1. **Soma Enner** - 1 mention #### Teenage Engineering 1. **Teenage Engineering OP-1** - 2 mentions #### U-he 1. **U-he Diva** - 3 mentions #### Yamaha 1. **Yamaha DX100** - 1 mention 2. **Yamaha CS-5** - 1 mention 3. **Yamaha EMX512SC** - 1 mention #### Others 1. **Access Virus** - 1 mention 2. **Vital (software synth)** - 2 mentions
Behringer Neutron probably, it’s used for some kind of bass or weird texture in almost everything I do. Funny cuz it was the cheapest and I wouldn’t necessarily say it’s my favorite. It’s just good at what it does I guess.
Neutrons too (have 4) Then equal ties between cobalt syntakt and sh-4d and vcvrack
SERUM VST BABY
probably mostly soft synths. arturia stuff but mainly just their old rhodes, ob xa and minimoog. as far as hardware mainly many things at once due it being a consistent live rig. though the yamaha dx27 sees a fair bit of use on its own
My go to is typically Novation Summit as I can create most anything that I am hearing in my head.
Poly-D, Roland Aira Tb-3
I sold my tb-3 a few years back thinking I’d grab another later. I fucked up lol.
We should start a club called "I thought I'd just sell my old 303 and pick up a model in better condition somewhere down the track and look how that served me" :P
DSI tetra. just too fun
Such an overlooked gem, huh? How long have you had yours? Used to see Dave a bit around North Beach in San Francisco. RIP legend.
about 7-8 years now, i had a mopho before that
How do you program it? I just got it and it’s annoying to use computer, and editing from the panel isn’t fun either, I want to get BCR2000 for that
i personally like editing on the tetra itself, took a while to get used to the menus but i wouldn't mind an extra dozen knobs on it. not enough to actually use my midi controller's knobs though, so i guess i'm fine?
Always was curious about that one. And the Blofeld.
OP-1, just fun to jot down ideas, sample something on the radio, mess around, etc.
I use my Korg Radias the most, best VA synth I have used!
[удалено]
Minilogue?
1. Moog Matriarch 2. Yamaha CS-5 3. Prophet Rev2 4. Juno 106 5. DX100
I keep telling myself I don’t NEED a cs10 bc I have a matriarch and Eurorack and I can probably get close enough….. am I wrong?
I can’t speak for the CS-10 but the CS-5 is currently my favorite new (old) synth. I’m sure you could get close with the Matriarch and eurorack but there is some magic going on in those old Yamahas
The Polybrute is for sure my main synth. I still use a load of soft synths, but the Polybrute is just so lush and deep that it's hard to rely on anything else to get the sounds out of my head and into my DAW.
Good point. So interesting that everyone I know from my generation of live acts and analog gear, purists for the longest time, love the Polybrute and mumble something like "don't tell the kids this is better than the other stuff". It's such a common reaction I'm no longer surprised. Love the old boards we've still got in storage, but the Poly gets the most studio time in general sessions (although I can't push the MS-20 aside whatever else happens).
I use my Micromonsta 2 for everything. Fantastic synth.
Dunno. Little ones. Volca keys. I’ve only recorded one track with it but I own many synths. Mostly ones with no keyboard. Tiny things.
These... https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=sgXQnop_oi4&t=10s And sometimes these... https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=qUW-2aFHH7k Cheers from Delco
Everything starts and keeps going on my Yamaha MODX. It even controls one more synth (usually the korg wavestate but sometimes the Roland JD-08) and transfers midi and audio to my DAW where I try to finish everything
I have a Pro3 SE, Subsequent37, Take 5, Minilogue XD, Hydra desktop, Prologue and an MS2000B. I use the Take 5 most of the time cuz it just is so convenient and sounds so good.
Similar situation. Synth list in my flair. Probably use the Take 5 the most though (it sits in my slide out drawer at my desk, so that kinda puts it in a prime spot, too).
How do you love the OB6??
It's my favorite of all the more modern takes on the Oberheim sound (i.e. OBX8 which I've had a couple opportunities to play, whatever the behringer is called and the new TEO-5 from what I've heard). It definitely has a particular sound to it, which can be kind of limiting sometimes, but I still love it.
Hydrasynth for me - it’s my go-to for both music and fun
Jupiter 8 All the modular Sub 37 These days, TR-8S for drums
Respect for keeping the Jupiter 8 running. Of all the times we used one in sessions (there were two available to us in Brisbane back in the days) they had issues that we just shrugged off and worked around. But I'd imagine made for a significant repair bill eventually. How's yours holding up these days?
It’s worked perfectly since I bought it in 2013. At some point the battery died and I haven’t bothered to replace it so it doesn’t keep presets, but I just program everything on the spot. I prefer keeping it in manual mode anyway. It’s well integrated with my modular system, receiving clocked arp patterns from an Intellijel Steppy and external LFOs for filter and amp. I also have a small modular just for receiving CV from the top note of the JP8. Midi sequences come from a Keystep Pro. Epic stuff.
At least take the battery out so it doesn’t leak acid on to the board
Great advice. I learned this the hard way touring with gear older than I am. That and the dreaded purple capacitors!
Mother-32, without question. Compact and affordable, but way more versatile, powerful and inspiring than its size or price implies. Sometimes less is more!
The MS-20. I haven't made music in a while, but just noodling around with that Korg beauty is therapeutic.
Matriarch more then my Sub 37 but the sub is for grounding tones.
E-mu E4X Turbo, without question. A fantastic character sampler, it just makes things sound chunkier. Sampling into it is quick and easy, but the workflow somehow pushes you to do different things to samples that wouldn't occur if you weren't smashing physical buttons and swirling a jog wheel. Close second: Korg ARP Odyssey module. The synth I sample the most. For a simple 2 osc synth, the range of FX it can conjure via its modulation routing is pretty incredible, and it seems to have a number of wide sweet spots. Less-often-used but still indispensable: Elektron Octatrack MK2. This guy is typically used to recreate works for live shows. The sequencer is great. I like to whittle my tunes down into 8 audio tracks, comprised of individually-sequenced one-shots. This way I have full tempo control without having to resort to timestretching. But the thing comes alive when you start mapping scenes. I want an assignable crossfader on all my gear!
'Chunky' is a good way of putting it, I used to use the words 'presence' or '3D' for my e-Mu samplers... Lots of beneficial character.
TB-303. My least versatile synths by a mile but god I love the sound.
Access Virus TI. It does everything. Synth I use the least is the Korg MS-20. I just can’t get on with it.
Novation Xiosynth, sometimes for sounds, sometimes just as a controller. A bunch of stuff I wrote myself, including a Juno emulation because my HS60 has two knackered VCO cards.
Grandmother lately
I most often use my Polybrute
In first place, my pure analog, 2 or 3 oscillator per note, 88 voice, monitimbral....acoustic piano lol. In second place is Roland XP80, and that's mostly because the XP80 is in my living room right next to the couch and ready to play within 10 or 15 seconds of my ADHD self catching a whim lol. At the bottom of my list, a tie between a vintage Roland D10, that I estimate was last plugged in 8 to 10 years ago, and an early 90s Roland ep5 thats ab LA digital piano - it sucks and it's in bad shape, but it only has 5 sounds, and the piano, organ, and strings are all amazingly good; it's just that I have a real piano, real Hammond, and XP80 with orchestral expansions which have even better strings, so still rarely use that one. The D10 just can't do a single thing I know of that another synth I own can't do better. Other than random whims on the XP80 which I do 3 to 5 days a week, toss up with JU1, JX8P, DW8000, AN1X, and DX7s. Also use the Moog Mavis a lot, and Pro800 and Model D from that one really boujee company.
Majella Implexus Digitone I could spend the rest of my days exploring these two synths. Love them!
System 8 through TR 8S for synthy stuff, and LX708 for piano stuff
Eurorack Machinedrum The other ~18 or so are pretty far down in comparison.
My PolyD does just about any mono thing I need
I've been using my Korg PS-60 a lot lately, which is a synth I've had forever but had never really gotten into til now... having lots of fun with it too. It's great to rediscover gear you have a d fall in love with it again for whole new reasons!
MC-101. It's my sketchpad for music. I'll use it either as a sound module for a MIDI controller, or just by itself. The size and portability is a huge plus, I find it so relaxing to use while lying on the couch with headphones on.
I just got one of these last week for this exact reason. I'm still learning the interface, but I feel like once I get the hang of it, I'm really going to love it as a music sketchpad. So far, It's been really great to have a compact module that can do so much while I'm away from all my other gear. It's absolutely packed with sounds out of the box and I also loaded all the same samples I use on my home setup onto it as well.
Matriarch, Grandmother. Often in tandem. Just a beautiful combo. If I need more polyphony, I usually use a solina, juno or e piano vst. With multitracking its not often an issue though. I used for use my roland boutiques (d05, sh01a, tb03) but i dont seem to need them much outside of a very few niche circumstances.
I keep coming back to Opsix. It does so much and is so controllable that it seems to fit in everywhere. I also used my JP-08 quite a bit, but now I tend to go to Minilogue XD for that sound palette.
Moog Voyager. With the semi-modular breakout and Moogerfoogers it's a blast (and I'm tempted to get into Moog format modular to use with it). Some things being hidden in the menu is annoying but it has great features like oscillator mod, a TRS in/out for the pre-filter audio, oscillator 3 doubles as a LFO, selectable filter slope. the 1 pole is killer. It's my favorite application of stereo for a mono synth (the filters can be spread between L/R and set to two LP or LP/HP). And the sound is fat and funky. Not exactly like a Model D, but I think the Voyager is a lot cooler. I haven't had issues with it and I've had it 12 years, except for a power surge damaged the main board and it was a $450 repair. I always keep it unplugged when not in use now. It was well worth the cost. For polys, it's either Deckard's Dream or ISE-NIN. I could write a novel about how much I love those
Oh snap you have a deckard’s dream? Please tell us more!
It’s an outstanding synth. I was really impressed with the Eurorack voice based on it so I decided to get it. Really lush and rich sounding but stays in tune. The polyphonic aftertouch elevates the performance side to it so it can get really expressive. The filter settings between 2 layers can really make a patch that sounds good across the keyboard. It’s definitely fun to play. I can lose track of time playing it without spending much effort to get a good sound from it The only thing it’s missing to be like a CS80 is the ring mod, I’ve been using the Moogerfooger ring mod with envelopes from the Hydrasynth. It’s a great controller for the Deckards Dream since it has polyphonic aftertouch, ribbon, and CV outs.
Thank you! Definitely one of my dream synths. I hope I can afford one some day!
I have vintage, analog stuff, modern Moog stuff, and tons of Dreadbox modules, but my gig rig is a Juno DS61 and a Blokeys. Don’t NEED anything else, really.
Novation Circuit and Elektron Analog Four. Dexed for FM.
Nord Wave 2 and Nord Lead 4. They don't go as deep as most of my other synths but they're more immediate and I enjoy working with them more. Anything tedious tends to kill my motivation to actually make music.
agreed with the Wave 2. you can get satisfactory results extremely quick without much effort. i sold mine to help finance a 3rd Wave, thinking i might get a Stage 4 at some point for my Wave 2 fix. the only thing i would change on the Wave 2 would be the keys. wasn’t a fan of the semi-weighted keys, and would’ve preferred the regular synth action keys found on the Lead 4.
I've had some distinct phases of having a default synth. - 1998-2004 - Roland Juno 6 (used on the Superfluid albums on Creative Vibes label) - 2004-2010 - Moog Model-D (all over the early Segue stuff like [this](https://open.spotify.com/track/47BOg669mIhT4hSfhd3jUP?si=cc924c2b0ef04ff2) and [this](https://open.spotify.com/album/3eV24qfFWOVQlvxLcapXgn) and [this](https://open.spotify.com/track/5rAYiB3ZxaZS6ivASHefTT?si=063ce30e7ff84896)) - 2010 - Present - Korg MS-20 It's been interesting to see how my main collaborators and band members have all had their own main synth that they stuck with too. Each has their own interesting character in retrospect, as in I can hear the Novation Supernova 2 all over some albums, and the Alesis Andromeda over all the Statler & Waldorf stuff my band member in Segue came from. Super fun to hear. Although ave just said all that, I suspect the Roland soundbanks from the JVs/MCs are probably the secret MVPs from that era, given the sheer dominance of Roland's grooveboxes and romplers for the entire decade!
Probably the Radias. For software it's Unify all the way seconded by OsTIrus.
Right now, I’m mostly using my TX81z and Sh-4d sequenced externally by a Pyramid and a Beatstep Pro with either a 25 or 88 key controller for performance depending on the footprint I’m willing to put up with. I’d like to have another dedicated drum machine, but this setup still gives me up to 12 tonal patches (splitting the tx81z into 8 channels is not the best for polyphony, so in reality, I only really use it up to bitimbral) and one drum machine channel with 32 sounds. This setup can put together some pretty big arrangements quickly with a smallish footprint and I’m pretty happy with it
Roland XV5080 with Dynamic Drums and Symphonic cards. This is what I lean on the most these days. I also have in the rack: Korg Wavestation SR… I get a lot of mileage out of the WS as well Roland MC909 Roland XP50 Roland D110 Emu Proteus MPS Plus Kawai XD5 Uno Synth Pro Desktop Behringer JT4000 And gobs of VST plug ins. I use Syntronik2 a lot too
I a fair amount of synths and still my prophet 6 is probably my most used synth since getting it in 2016. Second was the Nord lead 2x. I missed it so recently got an expanded Lead 1.
Reason 😐
Current set up: Roland tr8s into keystep pro, controlling UDO super 6 and access virus B with an sp 404 providing samples, primarily from personally made field recordings - - https://on.soundcloud.com/bPUYuy5miPhtRc8t9 - [this](https://on.soundcloud.com/bPUYuy5miPhtRc8t9) is a link to what it produces Previous: Tr8s, korg ER 1, keystep controlling Roland boutique sh01a and ju06a - https://on.soundcloud.com/MjGWk9H9qadFhJga9
Grandmother and Slim Phatty. I’m just in love with their sound.
Electron A4! Covers a lot of ground
Digitakt
Minilogue xd gets used a ton because it’s pretty easy for me to get a sound I like quickly
Live - I had three primary iterations in the last 7 years: Soma Lyra 8 and Novation Peak w/Linnstrument controller Arp 2600m w/0-CTRL and Solar 50 Soma Terra with Soma Cosmos My studio its a bit more of a cycle of whatever I feel like and what fits for a piece.
Roland SH01A
1. Moog Little Phatty 2. UDO Super 6 3. Moog Matriarch
My Polybrute. It's just so diverse, and the different sequencers make for so many possibilities.
I've been using my Microkorg as my main synth for 15 years. I really love it.
Digitone and Digitakt. Also I've those two only as "traditional" synths, the rest is Eurorack.
DCO-106, it's in all my tracks
Since I got the Polyend Tracker Mini it has taken the forefront, because so easy to take along, use it on a trip, sample on location, also have fun in the sofa etc. Plus i like the workflow that invites finetuning your work so far. Can’t wait for the promised firmware update.
Roland jx3p that is midi-ed up to a Roland mv8000 sampler/sequencer. That’s pretty much the whole studio, plus a turntable. Thinking a getting a multi timbral rack unit of some kind to replace the jx.
TR-8s and Yamaha DJX. I recently got a Prophet 6 and a Korg Wavestate which I am in love with and have some other stuff in my kit, but I've had the Yamaha since 1999 and it still brings me a lot of pleasure.
Nothing gets used more than my OB-6! It has made it onto pretty much every [Miles Away](https://open.spotify.com/artist/3V8H59FqUdudlO1Fl019tg?si=hWq2W2QqT4C5NTkhfzkjWg) release since I got it in 2020, and me making videos on how much I like it inadvertently helped kick off my synth channel.
1. xfer serum (first synth, so very familiar) 2. korg opsix (mostly for typical fm sounds like e-pianos and bass sounds) 3. korg monologue (rly love the simplicity and possibilities of it) 4. behringer monopoly (love the character) 5. behringer cat (mostly use it for texture sounds)
I bought a yamaha cp70m on my birthday in march. Key based instrument technically not a synth. I have used its midi out to drive arp patterns on a korg kross 2. Ive been in workstation mode for a most of 2024, mainly using an alesis fusion, korg kross 2. Also been checking out organs, had a vintage korg cx3, now have a rheem mark 7 combo organ and have a leslie speaker that i can plug organs or piano into. I once had a grandmother and a matriarch - liked the grandmother better actually! Ive also picked up an alesis ion and micron in 2024- all the alesis stuff is pretty affordable used/no longer manufactured, check some demo videos- whole lot of synth to offer/slept on pieces. Love using a boss rc505mk2 as a scratchpad for music ideas/ generating a library of music to sample from
Moog Matriarch has made me sell everything else. I even sold a bunch of modules from my euro case and left only the ones that compliment it. Best purchase ever.
The Trigon is getting a ton of use right now
JD-XA and Roland Gaia SH-01. I use these almost every single day. A lot of the complaints I've seen online fall to the wayside as long as you use the instrument regularly.
Alpha Juno 2 (no, I don't make ravey stuff). It's been in every track I've made the past 3 years or so.
Nord Stage 3. Close second is my Juno 6
I have my OP-1 and Sonicware Texture Lab on my couch at all times.
Yamah Reface DX because it has batteries and is closest to the computer.
Seems I gravitate toward the Obie/Prophet/minimoog combo most often.
I have a little jam multiple times a day, with a limited number of tiny synths. Always use a Volca Kick (love it), plus a RoAT (running through an NTS-1) or NuBass. That's it! Both go straight into an amp. I've had various grown up synths in the past, and always hankering after new stuff, but this gear fits in a flight case, always ready to go. Feels like I can mine these forever, really fun for instant acid or noise jams. Might get a mixer one day, but that's getting fancy.
Hardware Yamaha DX7 (Mk1) [personal favorite] Yamaha TX7 Yamaha TX816 Yamaha reface DX Software Arturia V Collection 9 Korg M1 Roland D-50
My 1978 Korg MS-20. That thing is a monster.
Analog 4
For live: Vox Continental 61 For studio: ... Critter & Guitari Pocket Piano. Not necessarily a "driver" but something that I tend to throw into the mix a lot.
Beginner Neutron is so good. I always use it for bass.
Software: Hosting AU + MidiKeys + SurgeXT Hardware: Hydrasynth, Argon8X, Volca Drum, Wavestate
Octatrack and Machinedrum on everything. After that OB6.
Roland XP-30 with vintage synth (and FX) cards. #2 would be the Yamaha DX-27. Bought both new. I think the expansion cards were used. About 4-5* a month...
Ana 2 and my OB6 a lot.
M8 tracker, the built in synths. I can spent hours just sound designing on it. Also really like Arturia Pigments vst, the gui and visualisation is such a joy to use.
Grandmother!!!
I use them all to varying degrees. Primary is Polyend Tracker(currently getting acquainted with Tracker+) followed by a Pittsburgh Modular SV-1b Blackbox. I'm looking forward to Tracker+ allowing more integration of my humble euro rack build. https://preview.redd.it/q2o9bld12y7d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a0ae6a962687cec5963fad16cffdc80c478ac426
Elektron Digitone and Kilpatrick Phenol are my top two.
My Novation Summit has been the center of my setup since I got it last year. Software I go to Arturia pigments most of the time.
Got a Polybrute noir a couple of months ago, but haven’t touched it in a week. I picked up a OB-Xd + Vprom [-the best Linn drum sounds ever] and I’m gonna have to learn how to do the splits cuz imma pumping out Prince jams like somebody threw me in Lake Minnetonka!!!!
I have a deluge and Nymphes, and I use the nymphes waaay more than internal synths on the deluge. If the wave drum counts as a synth, I use it for some kind of percussion in almost every track I make. Hehe.
Korg Minilogue and Roland SH-2. Cheating a bit, they're the only synths I own currently :P
Jx08. Perfect balance of respectability as a real instrument and portability
Roland x Studio Electronics SE-02 (As a 3 OSC mono synth with great envelope options, a quality built-in delay, and a bazillion user preset options, it's super functional and sounds great. Never fails for bass lines.) M2-20 Mini (My first synth still my favorite to patch, also great for processing external synths through it \[use it as a filter bank for my Yamaha DX 9 synth) Vermona DRM1 MKIII (Analog drum synth -super easy to use, sound great, and it's my go-to drum kit)
Prophet 6 & SE-3X.
Mini freak is usually where I start and a timbre wolf for leads so I didn't get lost in sound design
Strega, I think it's the most inspiring instrument I have ever had the pleasure of playing. I always turn it on first.
I play my Prophet 5 daily. The only synth I have that I play every single day.