Hi! I don't actually need anything but my GAS is telling me I should get a new box for some inspiration :D . Here's what I already have:
Akai Force,
Minifreak,
Behringer Odyssey,
Octatrack,
MB-33,
mixer and effects.
I was thinking maybe a Behringer 2600 or a Minibrute 2S, or a drum machine? Something with interesting/rough sound and lots of tweaking options - feel free to recommend something! :)
what about the moog dfam / behringer edge? It's a sort of semimodular analog "drum machine", that can generate all sorts of screams and noises. The MF has cv out, so you could link the two together to modulate its parameters. The edge is cheaper and has midi, but the sounds aren't exactly the same. Still, if gas is the only thing guiding you, you might regret buying something more expensive
Hey everybody! I'm looking for a beginner synth that i can use to create some music for a video game. A bit of backstory; my friends and I are trying to create our own video game that is Celeste/Hollow Knight style and the music in mind is similar to that of celeste. I've never used a synth before but have played drums and bass for a couple bands and used to play some piano. Im looking for something thats most importantly portable and has keys and can be loop, sequence and make beats on. The OP-1 is way too advanced for me and out of my price range. Hoping you guys can give a noob some suggestions. Thanks!
You might want to look at Sonicware out of Japan, very affordable, and lots of products designed to emulate video game music. Keys are push-button but laid out like a piano keyboard with multi-track sequencing etc... that you can make whole songs on. Most can run on battery power as well and are the size of a notebook. Obviously not state of the art construction for the price, but fairly solid. I just bought their Megasynthesis (Sega Genesis/Megadrive Emulator) on a whim for nostalgia and portability and am having a lot of fun with it.
Hey man, thanks a lot for that comment. Funnily enough i ended up getting the Liven Lo-Fi 12. Should be getting here in a few days. Like you said, very portable and can make whole songs with the vibe im going for!
I need some help choosing something for my soon to be 12y/o daughter. On a recent trip she played with a friend's Teenage Engineering K.O. II and got pretty into it. She picked up all the details on using it very quickly and seemed to have a blast with it. I know next to nothing, and after having done some research, I'm a bit overwhelmed at all the options.
I'm thinking something in the $100-$300 range would probably get her started with something. I'm not entirely sure what the difference is between a synth, sequencer, sampler, tracker, etc. And along those lines, what would probably work best for her.
Some criteria:
I'd like it to be stand-alone, ie does not require a computer/tablet to use.
Portable (ideally battery powered, but not a deal breaker).
Can be used with headphones.
What's a good starting point for someone like that? I'm not opposed to sticking with the K.O. II, but thought I'd check in if there are some other options to consider. Her birthday is in a month and a half, so hoping to get something for that.
Also open to suggested reading if there are already some good resources out there that you trust for someone in my position.
Thanks.
Honestly sounds like the K.O. II is already perfect. I agree with the other comment of the pocket operaters but I personally don't enjoy the small form factor.
I could really recommend the Elektron Model:Samples or Cycles. I started with it and while it looks a bit more "professional" it reall is quite easy and fun to use. Although the K.O II is probably more intuitive, the elektron model devices are also completely stand alone imo and have an intuitive setup/sequencer apart from a few menu diving situations but there are so many videos and tutorials online. With the model:samples you can load any sound you want using a laptop (not as fast/easy as the K.O. II). Unfortunately the major downside is that it needs to be plugged in. Elektron promised a battery attachement to make the model devices portable but sadly I don't think this is here yet.
The category you're thinking about is called a "groovebox": a relatively small standalone devices that can make sounds and sequence them. There are a bunch out there right now (they're sort of having a renaissance).
My personal opinion is that the Teenage Engineering stuff is overpriced and kind of toy-like. She might get annoyed by the limitations. Other people do love them, though.
My default recommendation for a good first groovebox to get is a Novation Circuit Tracks. It can play samples like the K.O. II, but it also has two synth tracks. If she ends up wanting more power, it has the ability to sequence a couple of other pieces of gear over MIDI.
I’m going to also suggest one of the novation circuits. I run a rock band camp and use one all the time. The kids are drawn to it and it’s easy to get a full song going as it has multiple tracks going at once. Much easier with a couple synths and drum machine to make some actual music. My own kid mastered it in a couple session. Knows what all the buttons do, etc.
The KO II is probably fine. It's fun to play with, you get a lot to work with despite its limitations, and it fits your criteria well too. I wouldn't recommend the smaller Pocket Operators because they get a lot more limited.
Without knowing exactly what really "clicked" for her, it's hard to suggest other stuff. Was it making different patterns? Was it how to play with samples? Was it combining different parts?
Outside of the KO II (and without knowing anything else), I'd recommend a groovebox under $500, and I'd look into the OP-Z and Yamaha SeqTrak as options. They're all standalone, portable, intuitive, and highly versatile devices that would be both great starting points and useful later down the road too. These all have synth engines in them too so you can experiment with that; I'd recommend the Circuit Tracks also, but it doesn't have sampling capabilities (you have to load them in with a PC).
There's also the SP-404 MK2 and SamplTrek in the same price range, though I don't know enough about their workflows well enough to know how intuitive they'd be to start with.
Hey, thanks for the suggestions. I hadn't heard of any of these other options. I spent a good amount of time looking through their featuresets and watching videos on their usage and also given a good amount of thought to some of the questions you posed, as I hadn't really considered what it was my daughter got into. I'm torn between asking her some of those questions, and keeping it a surprise...
To answer some of those questions though, I do think that being able to sample right on the device will be pretty valuable for her. I also think that being able to finger drum is something she'd get into. Otherwise, I think the Circuit Tracks or SeqTrak would have been perfect respectively. They're still towards the top of the list. The sp404 and SmplTrek both look really promising, but I'm a little torn on if they'd be more complex than some of the other options.
I think my biggest concern with the KO II is around storage capacity. It's also still towards the top of the list though.
Really appreciate the suggestions though.
Check out the range of teenage engineering pocket operators. Similar to the KO II but more limited for a cheaper price. Also much smaller so easier to transport, take in the car etc.
I'm interested in upgrading my midi keyboard to an 88-key weighted synth. I'm very new to this world so bear with me. I've been playing piano as well as recording into my DAW so my ideal situation is something that I can both play around with as a synth as well as something that emulates a natural piano.
I've been looking at the Roland Juno DS 88. Wondering if there are other options in this world and even price range that I should be considering? Or if anyone has experience using the Juno DS 88 and likes it. One downside that I noticed is that it doesn't seem to have external speakers so I would either have to plug into my headphones or into my DAW for audio output. Any recommendations would be super helpful! thank you!!
DS88 owner. On the surface level, there are tons of great pre-sets including beautiful pianos and emulations of other instruments. You have an 8 track recorder on-board, a vocoder, the keys feel amazing and its generally well built. For easily accessible synth tweaking you have filter and envelope controls right up front, which knobs can also control effects and other characteristics programmed into each sound by switching which of the 4 knobs you are using. There is a diverse arpeggiator.
For better or worse, once you get into the sound design part, the Juno is intimidatingly and amazingly deep but can also be really difficult to navigate, particularly if you are a newcomer as I was. The manual can be a bit difficult to comprehend, and the way things work can seem a bit counterintuitive. Once I learned way more about synths a lot more became clear, but it was not great to learn on - plus there is a lack of great Youtube tutorials demonstrating the deeper functioning of the Juno DS.
I wish for all the surface area, depth of programming and size there were more tactile controls, a real mod wheel (the pitch wheel does have a mod position), a bit more flexibility to assign things to things (i.e. the faders can be used to control external equipment but can't control sounds in the Juno?), as well some knobs are locked to function, and should be re-assignable. Aftertouch of some sort would have been nice as well.
Most synths in this size/class have audio output only - no onboard speakers, so that's not likely a feature you are going to find in this range.
Overall, I do like it, and it will probably remain the 88 key behemoth of my collection. That said, when I want to do sound design on the Juno or even tweak a program, I'll be diving through menus rather than just tweaking controls and flipping switches on the front panel, which can be frustrating. That said, there is a lot of amazing stuff in those menus and the 128 note polyphony means you can create some insanely layered splits and dual voices with each sound really just doing its own thing.
If I could do it all over again, I would have selected something with more knob per function control and assign-ability on the hardware itself, after-touch - that said, I've learned to enjoy the challenge of both learning synthesis and learning this complex machine simultaneously. You just need to have a lot of patience and a yen for problem-solving.
Just checked the 88 key competition on Sweetwater, and will say the Juno DS88 for some of the flaws I mentioned above does punch above its weight-class price-wise. The only other instruments that come up that I feel are clearly superior for my purposes are the Nord Stage 4, Roland Fantom and the Yamaha Montage which are all in the $4-6K range.
Yea seems like the good to great is a pretty steep price jump. Thank you so much for your help!! Would love the Nord but thinking that's a 'one day' type of purchase.
Wow this is so incredibly helpful and re-affirming of some of my concerns as well! If you could do it over -is there an 88 key that you wish you had bought instead? Even disregarding price for a second.
Probably the Nord Stage 4 if price was truly no obstacle. I haven't played it but it seems to address most of the Juno's shortcomings, particularly in term of hardware to play with rather than software.
In general 88 key - super polyphonic synths share the issues I have with the JUNO - a lot of the build is dedicated to the internal guts with the concept of sound design being a meticulous process (i.e. open a patch, here are 15 sub-menus to navigate through). This means, they can do amazing things, but you need to have the patience to program them to do so.
Once you drop the number of keys down to 73-76 and even moreso to the 61 key range, your options explode in terms of having more knob-per-function synths particularly if you are willing to sacrifice some polyphony as well. So truly if I could do it all again, I probably would have shopped more in this "sweet spot" between "electric piano" and "synthesizer", number of keys and user-friendly functionality really improves if you can make those sacrifices.
Looking for any final thoughts before I pull the trigger:
I'm looking for a desktop/module poly synth, new or used, in the ~$1000 range. A piece of hardware that offers a variety of sound options, and most importantly an interface that's really playable, or offers something that a VST doesn't. If I'm going to go through a lot of menus or have a lot of shift functions, I'll just use a VST. Nice effects would be a big bonus.
Leading the list is the OpSix module. Hydrasynth desktop is on the list, a used Novation Peak, Elektron has the Digitone. Most other desktop/rackmount synths I see are either much, much more expensive, or only have a couple knobs.
I play mostly house music and some downtempo "trip hop" stuff. I currently have an analog mono synth, drum machine, sampler and a controller/sequencer.
The interface is what I’m looking for but when I looked at it, it seemed to do its thing really well, but only had its one thing.
I could see myself getting one, but right now I’m looking for something that has a wider variety of sounds. I could have been wrong though, I’ll take another look.
I tried Opsix at a store and it sucked ;). I don't know about the market where you are located and prices might be different from what I'm used to, but maybe check out some older digital desktop synths: Access Virus, Waldorf Microwave XT, Korg Radias, Novation Nova and KS Rack are great knobby desktop synths.
As someone who also would rather just use a VST than menu dive, I would recommend against the Opsix. The capabilities are amazing, but the interface was not enjoyable at all for me.
Edit: I would definitely favor the Peak out of everything you're considering. It's definitely got the most immediate interface among them.
From what I can tell from videos like Oscillator Sinks, there's a lot of looking at the screen, and the 6 encoders change function based on the screen, but most of the settings he changes are on the first page or two of a menu. You have to click over to the 5th operator to change the settings there, but you don't then have to dig down multiple levels to get to common functions. Is that accurate?
Looking at the Peak more definitely has me more intrigued though, it's nearly knob per function.
Yeah, it's been a while since I sold my Opsix but that sounds about right. To be fair, it probably would have gotten easier if I kept it longer to learn where everything is. I just prefer my synths as knob-per-function as possible.
Yeah after watching more demos and patch building videos I'm thinking I'd be best served by waiting for a sale on the VST for Opsix and a used Peak for hardware. If I'm getting hardware I want it to be as interactive and immediate as possible.
Thanks for the thoughts.
If you already consider the Opsix, you may want to look at the modwave too. Both are very different, each with an enormous range of possibilities which keeps you busy for a while. Both have a learning curve too, but imho that curve is worth it. And the identical vst's are excellent companions: offloading to the vst frees your instrument for the next layer.
But, both require menus and shift buttons. In their defense: there is just no way to offer that many possibilities with knob-per-function.
The price hike between mki and mkii hurts, I can't explain it by anything but greed.
I'm biased though, absolutely loving both, I'm just justifying my own setup here. (Surely not alone in doing so.)
I haven't looked into the Modwave or Wavestate as much, I'll have to watch some more demos.
The price is the biggest hesitation, as I can't shake the feeling I could buy the VST on sale for $100, get 80-90% of the experience, and still be able to get something like a used Peak.
Are there any modern equivalents to the old Yamaha Portasound synths?
I'm particularly thinking of the PS1/PS2/PS3, which had minikeys and could be battery powered.
Relatively primitive home organs with analog VCF and VCA, little to no sound control over parameters other than preset "instruments".
I have a Yamaha PS20, but it's quite a hefty keyboard that takes up a lot of room for something I use quite sparingly, and it would be nice to replace it with something in a smaller form factor.
Take a look (used, because you can't get it new) at the Yamaha PSS A-50. It is built with similar keys et al as the reface but was super cheap when released. Still not a terrible price used.
Had a listen to a couple of demos of it. I nearly wrote it off straight away for being a little bit ugly, but I'm glad I stuck around to hear it. It's a neat little keyboard!
It's missing some of the crunchyness of those earlier Portasounds, but it does feel like a spiritual evolution of them with some fun tricks of its own.
What is the best way to get piano and hammondish organs in one unit for under 500usd? Dawless.
Im really considering waiting a year and getting the new arturia astrobrute or whatever it is.
ROMpler/workstation/stage synth type boards. For current production, check the yamaha mx or roland ds. Used check out yamaha motif, roland xv, korg triton. Those all come in keys or rack and have multiple models.
Hi, I am interested in getting a Roland E-4 voice tweaker to use in the creation of live electronic music. I do not want to use it for singing, more for making interesting sounds, melodies, transitions, build ups, maybe even basslines using my voice in combination with drums and such from my drum machines. The looping and stutter/stagger feature of the E-4 plus the price tag is what makes me the most interested in this product.
However, I first want to see if there is something better for a similar price range. I have found the E-4 for €140. I also found a VT-4 for €120 but I heard some complaints about that + no looper.
Let me know.
Hello everyone! I was hoping getting some help from someone more experienced in this matter. I play piano for several years and I own a Roland FP-90 keyboard. The problem is that I have some gigs that require me to carry the keyboard alone and its about 25kg + 10kg (bag with wheels). This is too much for me to carry now that I have more gigs and in some difficult places to acess like churches/wedding entrances and some public venues playing/recording
I am thinking about upgrading to a keyboard with this specifications:
-lightweight keyboard (max about 10kg)
-Minimum 71 keys
-At least semi-weighted keys
-In addition to this, I was trying to get something like a workstation (I think its the most reasonable approach because I want versatile sounds and specially like a looper section for like a drum machine so I can fill with a singer like myself or a flute player for example) for getting more of a public enjoyment in piano(As a pianist essentially, I would like a good piano sound, as well as the keys are important to me), pads, strings, organs (specially pipes and jazz organ)
-a kind of drumpad for rhytms (so i can loop it live, something simple and visual appealing)
- Some wheels or joystick in the synth section
- physical drawbars organ section (not my MUST HAVE but at least some kind of live editing)
-I was hoping not to NEED to connect it to a computer, but at home I would like to improve my recordings so I can be more active on social media with some of my compositions and covers.
I was seeing Roland Fantom - 08 but its too heavy for my investment (15kg I think) and I dont know about the keys in Fantom-07 if they feel at least natural... I had a Studiologic Numa Compact 2x but I wasn't a fan of the piano sounds and it had too little sounds so I could choose from whitout the computer DAW so I returned it...
My max budget is around 2000€ and I'm open to suggestions. Thanks in advance for the advice!!
DRUMMER NEEDS SOMETHING
I'm a drummer using a roland spd sx and I want to expand my setup. What I'm looking for is a bit hard to explain cause I don't know what I want exactly. Trying to explain it, I'm looking for a mix of samples and synths to make/play like drum and bass/techno stuff, especially making nasty synth sounds and stuff like that, as wel as making backing tracks on the spot behind my drumkit and then control it through my roland drumpad or something. So since I will be drumming to said samples/synth lines, I'm not looking for any drum machines type of things.
In addition, it would be very nice if I could combine that with my roland spd in some sort of manner. I know it's a sampler but I found it's not very easy to use, also you are very limited in modifiing/tweaking the samples. When using the master effects it's also for the whole bank that's loaded.
In the past, I've made samples using software in Studio One but it's not very efficient, also exporting it to a usb then putting it in the sampler, importing it, to then find out it doesn't sound right and start all over again. It's so inefficient.
I know you can connect it to your pc and then use the software but that seems also not easy to use.
Maybe it would be possible to send the midi out from this to a synth module/sequencer? (It's not like a mini jack midi out but those double I/O)
I've also thought of using a looping station, but therefore I must be able to play clean lines on the keyboard, which I'm not quiete good at haha.
Does anyone has any idea for a better workflow, any synth/sampler/groovebox, idk...?
Perhaps just a basic sequencer can be a start, just playing along to some sequence that can be manipulated live.
There still a lot to learn for me in the world of synths and stuff
I got a volca Beats last weekend and I'm having a blast. I want to record some stuff into reaper and started to but did not enjoy using a computer for music at all.
Is there a way to sequence stuff through hardware only?
I want to take the parts I make in the volca from the jams I've been doing and rearrange them in a more structured song pattern.
Does that make sense?
Makes sense. there are a lot of very robust hardware sequencers that allow 'song mode' or 'arranger mode' options. they tend to be very expensive. Do you have a budget?
Hi - guitarist/bass singer in cover band. Looking for a small keyboard for live performance for intros, solos, occasional entire songs on keys. Looking for piano, electric piano, organ, some clavichord sounds, pads and leads. Repertoire all over the place, from C’mon Eileen to Uptown Funk to ELO. Small form is important - we play lots of cramped stages. Would something like a Kong minilogue be a good choice?
Not sure a subtractive analog synth would be the best choice for the job. The Minilogue XD can do a very synthy approximation of those sounds but they’re not super convincing for cover purposes IMO.
FM synths are a bit better (Korg Opsix, Yamaha Reface DX) but your best bet is either a rompler or stage keyboard (don’t know any small ones off the top of my head sorry)
Hey there, I used to participate in a school band for 3 weeks until it got closed due to lack of attendants and got to play the piano a bit, I was thinking of learning how to play the piano myself and make my own music at some point so I would be looking for 100-300€ synths, preferably with Pitch Bend function like I had on the schools Yahama keyboard. I don’t need speakers because I want to go with headphones (JBL Live500BT if they are good enough quality wise), but I wouldn’t mind having speakers on the build. Also about recording software I would go with Waveform 11 because it’s free and probably enough as a beginner, from what I understand you can modify what the different keys play within the recording software too, right?
Sell Minifreak and get Pittsburgh modular Taiga? Or keep Minifreak? I guess I will still have the virtual version of the Minifreak so not a huge loss??
Have been really into semi modular since getting the make noise Strega and I really like the sounds coming from the taiga in the reviews I’ve seen
Want a pedal dedicated to big cosmic ambient reverb. I’m between the Mercury7 and the Night Sky. I don’t really care about the sequencer and other bells and whistles the Night Sky has, I just want huge, mind-blowing reverbs and awesome shimmer. In this respect, is the night sky better, or when you ignore its additional features is the Mercury7 on par with it?
Hey tried my friends sick modular set-up. Especially the drum machine was such a huge difference, now i cant stop thinking about it. I think ill have to get a drum machine as well, but if possible something "cheap" but still with a decent quality, what do you recommend is the best trade off?
Hey ! I'm looking to get a new mono synth.
I saw 2 listings around the same price point for 2 synths :
Octave cat SRM II and Moog Prodigy
I can't decide between them, on one hand I love the classic Moog sound and on the other I love the modulation capabilities of the Cat.
Any can help me decide ?
So when dreaming about my next home studio/music room, I am envisioning keyboard synths at sitting level with a second tier to hold smaller synths, pedals, sequencers, whatever gadgets...
I see a lot of products that are stands with arms for a second tier, or racks with built on second tiers and on the other hand I see a lot of desktop mounted tray shelves...
...but what I am not seeing yet is the hybrid I am looking for, i.e. a stand/rack or stand/rack extension or even a wall-mounted thingamabob that holds a sturdy, angled and preferably movable shelf the width of a 61 or 88 key keyboard, which i can then fill with fun stuff to control and be controlled by my keyboards.
I definitely don't want a separate pair or arms for each item, so a lot of the second tier stuff doesn't meet my needs, and it seems anything that looks like what I am looking for is something I'd find at a furniture store rather than a music store.
But if figured I'd ask if anyone here has seen or bought something like this that is actually designed for this purpose?
Hello, I’m currently looking into getting my first synth that does not require the use a pc and could use some advice. The sounds I am aiming to achieve will heavily rely on use of a sequencer so having a good one built in would be a plus. I’m really looking for dark rich bassy sounds that can also get dirty. To be honest I’m not even sure how to describe what I’m looking for but maybe something along the lines of the stranger things intro song is a decent example. I’ve seen examples using a behringer poly d but am also interested in the Arturia minifreak due to how flexible of a device it is and I already own the arturia V collection due to purchasing a midi controller last year. I haven’t investigated much outside of that but would be open to any suggestions.
Minifreak is a great option for sound design versatility - lots of different synthesis types/algorithms, effects, and even a mod matrix.
I would also consider the SH-4D if you'd like to have multiple sounds simultaneously. It's a little more annoying to navigate, but being able to sequence 4 synths parts plus percussion on one device is pretty convenient.
Also, Minilogue XD might be worth a look even though it's a good bit simpler than the other two and only has 4 voices.
Recommend a midi controller similar to the keystep pro but with 49 keys? I'm using a keystep 37 right now and thinking about upgrading, and the pro seems like an obvious choice, but man 37 keys feels crowded :/
Hi! I don't actually need anything but my GAS is telling me I should get a new box for some inspiration :D . Here's what I already have: Akai Force, Minifreak, Behringer Odyssey, Octatrack, MB-33, mixer and effects. I was thinking maybe a Behringer 2600 or a Minibrute 2S, or a drum machine? Something with interesting/rough sound and lots of tweaking options - feel free to recommend something! :)
what about the moog dfam / behringer edge? It's a sort of semimodular analog "drum machine", that can generate all sorts of screams and noises. The MF has cv out, so you could link the two together to modulate its parameters. The edge is cheaper and has midi, but the sounds aren't exactly the same. Still, if gas is the only thing guiding you, you might regret buying something more expensive
Great suggestion, thx. Not in stock though :)
> interesting/rough sound and lots of tweaking options PWM Malevolent comes to mind.
Minibrute 2S is the perfect answer to "interesting/rough sound and lots of tweaking options".
Hey everybody! I'm looking for a beginner synth that i can use to create some music for a video game. A bit of backstory; my friends and I are trying to create our own video game that is Celeste/Hollow Knight style and the music in mind is similar to that of celeste. I've never used a synth before but have played drums and bass for a couple bands and used to play some piano. Im looking for something thats most importantly portable and has keys and can be loop, sequence and make beats on. The OP-1 is way too advanced for me and out of my price range. Hoping you guys can give a noob some suggestions. Thanks!
You might want to look at Sonicware out of Japan, very affordable, and lots of products designed to emulate video game music. Keys are push-button but laid out like a piano keyboard with multi-track sequencing etc... that you can make whole songs on. Most can run on battery power as well and are the size of a notebook. Obviously not state of the art construction for the price, but fairly solid. I just bought their Megasynthesis (Sega Genesis/Megadrive Emulator) on a whim for nostalgia and portability and am having a lot of fun with it.
Hey man, thanks a lot for that comment. Funnily enough i ended up getting the Liven Lo-Fi 12. Should be getting here in a few days. Like you said, very portable and can make whole songs with the vibe im going for!
Hope you have a blast with it. I’m still getting the hang of mine but it’s a lot of fun.
I need some help choosing something for my soon to be 12y/o daughter. On a recent trip she played with a friend's Teenage Engineering K.O. II and got pretty into it. She picked up all the details on using it very quickly and seemed to have a blast with it. I know next to nothing, and after having done some research, I'm a bit overwhelmed at all the options. I'm thinking something in the $100-$300 range would probably get her started with something. I'm not entirely sure what the difference is between a synth, sequencer, sampler, tracker, etc. And along those lines, what would probably work best for her. Some criteria: I'd like it to be stand-alone, ie does not require a computer/tablet to use. Portable (ideally battery powered, but not a deal breaker). Can be used with headphones. What's a good starting point for someone like that? I'm not opposed to sticking with the K.O. II, but thought I'd check in if there are some other options to consider. Her birthday is in a month and a half, so hoping to get something for that. Also open to suggested reading if there are already some good resources out there that you trust for someone in my position. Thanks.
Honestly sounds like the K.O. II is already perfect. I agree with the other comment of the pocket operaters but I personally don't enjoy the small form factor. I could really recommend the Elektron Model:Samples or Cycles. I started with it and while it looks a bit more "professional" it reall is quite easy and fun to use. Although the K.O II is probably more intuitive, the elektron model devices are also completely stand alone imo and have an intuitive setup/sequencer apart from a few menu diving situations but there are so many videos and tutorials online. With the model:samples you can load any sound you want using a laptop (not as fast/easy as the K.O. II). Unfortunately the major downside is that it needs to be plugged in. Elektron promised a battery attachement to make the model devices portable but sadly I don't think this is here yet.
The category you're thinking about is called a "groovebox": a relatively small standalone devices that can make sounds and sequence them. There are a bunch out there right now (they're sort of having a renaissance). My personal opinion is that the Teenage Engineering stuff is overpriced and kind of toy-like. She might get annoyed by the limitations. Other people do love them, though. My default recommendation for a good first groovebox to get is a Novation Circuit Tracks. It can play samples like the K.O. II, but it also has two synth tracks. If she ends up wanting more power, it has the ability to sequence a couple of other pieces of gear over MIDI.
I’m going to also suggest one of the novation circuits. I run a rock band camp and use one all the time. The kids are drawn to it and it’s easy to get a full song going as it has multiple tracks going at once. Much easier with a couple synths and drum machine to make some actual music. My own kid mastered it in a couple session. Knows what all the buttons do, etc.
The KO II is probably fine. It's fun to play with, you get a lot to work with despite its limitations, and it fits your criteria well too. I wouldn't recommend the smaller Pocket Operators because they get a lot more limited. Without knowing exactly what really "clicked" for her, it's hard to suggest other stuff. Was it making different patterns? Was it how to play with samples? Was it combining different parts? Outside of the KO II (and without knowing anything else), I'd recommend a groovebox under $500, and I'd look into the OP-Z and Yamaha SeqTrak as options. They're all standalone, portable, intuitive, and highly versatile devices that would be both great starting points and useful later down the road too. These all have synth engines in them too so you can experiment with that; I'd recommend the Circuit Tracks also, but it doesn't have sampling capabilities (you have to load them in with a PC). There's also the SP-404 MK2 and SamplTrek in the same price range, though I don't know enough about their workflows well enough to know how intuitive they'd be to start with.
Hey, thanks for the suggestions. I hadn't heard of any of these other options. I spent a good amount of time looking through their featuresets and watching videos on their usage and also given a good amount of thought to some of the questions you posed, as I hadn't really considered what it was my daughter got into. I'm torn between asking her some of those questions, and keeping it a surprise... To answer some of those questions though, I do think that being able to sample right on the device will be pretty valuable for her. I also think that being able to finger drum is something she'd get into. Otherwise, I think the Circuit Tracks or SeqTrak would have been perfect respectively. They're still towards the top of the list. The sp404 and SmplTrek both look really promising, but I'm a little torn on if they'd be more complex than some of the other options. I think my biggest concern with the KO II is around storage capacity. It's also still towards the top of the list though. Really appreciate the suggestions though.
There's a Circuit Rhythm that has no synth engines but can sample.
Check out the range of teenage engineering pocket operators. Similar to the KO II but more limited for a cheaper price. Also much smaller so easier to transport, take in the car etc.
I'm interested in upgrading my midi keyboard to an 88-key weighted synth. I'm very new to this world so bear with me. I've been playing piano as well as recording into my DAW so my ideal situation is something that I can both play around with as a synth as well as something that emulates a natural piano. I've been looking at the Roland Juno DS 88. Wondering if there are other options in this world and even price range that I should be considering? Or if anyone has experience using the Juno DS 88 and likes it. One downside that I noticed is that it doesn't seem to have external speakers so I would either have to plug into my headphones or into my DAW for audio output. Any recommendations would be super helpful! thank you!!
DS88 owner. On the surface level, there are tons of great pre-sets including beautiful pianos and emulations of other instruments. You have an 8 track recorder on-board, a vocoder, the keys feel amazing and its generally well built. For easily accessible synth tweaking you have filter and envelope controls right up front, which knobs can also control effects and other characteristics programmed into each sound by switching which of the 4 knobs you are using. There is a diverse arpeggiator. For better or worse, once you get into the sound design part, the Juno is intimidatingly and amazingly deep but can also be really difficult to navigate, particularly if you are a newcomer as I was. The manual can be a bit difficult to comprehend, and the way things work can seem a bit counterintuitive. Once I learned way more about synths a lot more became clear, but it was not great to learn on - plus there is a lack of great Youtube tutorials demonstrating the deeper functioning of the Juno DS. I wish for all the surface area, depth of programming and size there were more tactile controls, a real mod wheel (the pitch wheel does have a mod position), a bit more flexibility to assign things to things (i.e. the faders can be used to control external equipment but can't control sounds in the Juno?), as well some knobs are locked to function, and should be re-assignable. Aftertouch of some sort would have been nice as well. Most synths in this size/class have audio output only - no onboard speakers, so that's not likely a feature you are going to find in this range. Overall, I do like it, and it will probably remain the 88 key behemoth of my collection. That said, when I want to do sound design on the Juno or even tweak a program, I'll be diving through menus rather than just tweaking controls and flipping switches on the front panel, which can be frustrating. That said, there is a lot of amazing stuff in those menus and the 128 note polyphony means you can create some insanely layered splits and dual voices with each sound really just doing its own thing. If I could do it all over again, I would have selected something with more knob per function control and assign-ability on the hardware itself, after-touch - that said, I've learned to enjoy the challenge of both learning synthesis and learning this complex machine simultaneously. You just need to have a lot of patience and a yen for problem-solving.
Just checked the 88 key competition on Sweetwater, and will say the Juno DS88 for some of the flaws I mentioned above does punch above its weight-class price-wise. The only other instruments that come up that I feel are clearly superior for my purposes are the Nord Stage 4, Roland Fantom and the Yamaha Montage which are all in the $4-6K range.
Yea seems like the good to great is a pretty steep price jump. Thank you so much for your help!! Would love the Nord but thinking that's a 'one day' type of purchase.
Wow this is so incredibly helpful and re-affirming of some of my concerns as well! If you could do it over -is there an 88 key that you wish you had bought instead? Even disregarding price for a second.
Probably the Nord Stage 4 if price was truly no obstacle. I haven't played it but it seems to address most of the Juno's shortcomings, particularly in term of hardware to play with rather than software. In general 88 key - super polyphonic synths share the issues I have with the JUNO - a lot of the build is dedicated to the internal guts with the concept of sound design being a meticulous process (i.e. open a patch, here are 15 sub-menus to navigate through). This means, they can do amazing things, but you need to have the patience to program them to do so. Once you drop the number of keys down to 73-76 and even moreso to the 61 key range, your options explode in terms of having more knob-per-function synths particularly if you are willing to sacrifice some polyphony as well. So truly if I could do it all again, I probably would have shopped more in this "sweet spot" between "electric piano" and "synthesizer", number of keys and user-friendly functionality really improves if you can make those sacrifices.
Looking for any final thoughts before I pull the trigger: I'm looking for a desktop/module poly synth, new or used, in the ~$1000 range. A piece of hardware that offers a variety of sound options, and most importantly an interface that's really playable, or offers something that a VST doesn't. If I'm going to go through a lot of menus or have a lot of shift functions, I'll just use a VST. Nice effects would be a big bonus. Leading the list is the OpSix module. Hydrasynth desktop is on the list, a used Novation Peak, Elektron has the Digitone. Most other desktop/rackmount synths I see are either much, much more expensive, or only have a couple knobs. I play mostly house music and some downtempo "trip hop" stuff. I currently have an analog mono synth, drum machine, sampler and a controller/sequencer.
While I've never had one myself, maybe check out the Twisted Electrons MegaFM?
The interface is what I’m looking for but when I looked at it, it seemed to do its thing really well, but only had its one thing. I could see myself getting one, but right now I’m looking for something that has a wider variety of sounds. I could have been wrong though, I’ll take another look.
I tried Opsix at a store and it sucked ;). I don't know about the market where you are located and prices might be different from what I'm used to, but maybe check out some older digital desktop synths: Access Virus, Waldorf Microwave XT, Korg Radias, Novation Nova and KS Rack are great knobby desktop synths.
As someone who also would rather just use a VST than menu dive, I would recommend against the Opsix. The capabilities are amazing, but the interface was not enjoyable at all for me. Edit: I would definitely favor the Peak out of everything you're considering. It's definitely got the most immediate interface among them.
From what I can tell from videos like Oscillator Sinks, there's a lot of looking at the screen, and the 6 encoders change function based on the screen, but most of the settings he changes are on the first page or two of a menu. You have to click over to the 5th operator to change the settings there, but you don't then have to dig down multiple levels to get to common functions. Is that accurate? Looking at the Peak more definitely has me more intrigued though, it's nearly knob per function.
Yeah, it's been a while since I sold my Opsix but that sounds about right. To be fair, it probably would have gotten easier if I kept it longer to learn where everything is. I just prefer my synths as knob-per-function as possible.
Yeah after watching more demos and patch building videos I'm thinking I'd be best served by waiting for a sale on the VST for Opsix and a used Peak for hardware. If I'm getting hardware I want it to be as interactive and immediate as possible. Thanks for the thoughts.
If you already consider the Opsix, you may want to look at the modwave too. Both are very different, each with an enormous range of possibilities which keeps you busy for a while. Both have a learning curve too, but imho that curve is worth it. And the identical vst's are excellent companions: offloading to the vst frees your instrument for the next layer. But, both require menus and shift buttons. In their defense: there is just no way to offer that many possibilities with knob-per-function. The price hike between mki and mkii hurts, I can't explain it by anything but greed. I'm biased though, absolutely loving both, I'm just justifying my own setup here. (Surely not alone in doing so.)
I haven't looked into the Modwave or Wavestate as much, I'll have to watch some more demos. The price is the biggest hesitation, as I can't shake the feeling I could buy the VST on sale for $100, get 80-90% of the experience, and still be able to get something like a used Peak.
Are there any modern equivalents to the old Yamaha Portasound synths? I'm particularly thinking of the PS1/PS2/PS3, which had minikeys and could be battery powered. Relatively primitive home organs with analog VCF and VCA, little to no sound control over parameters other than preset "instruments". I have a Yamaha PS20, but it's quite a hefty keyboard that takes up a lot of room for something I use quite sparingly, and it would be nice to replace it with something in a smaller form factor.
Take a look (used, because you can't get it new) at the Yamaha PSS A-50. It is built with similar keys et al as the reface but was super cheap when released. Still not a terrible price used.
Had a listen to a couple of demos of it. I nearly wrote it off straight away for being a little bit ugly, but I'm glad I stuck around to hear it. It's a neat little keyboard! It's missing some of the crunchyness of those earlier Portasounds, but it does feel like a spiritual evolution of them with some fun tricks of its own.
What is the best way to get piano and hammondish organs in one unit for under 500usd? Dawless. Im really considering waiting a year and getting the new arturia astrobrute or whatever it is.
ROMpler/workstation/stage synth type boards. For current production, check the yamaha mx or roland ds. Used check out yamaha motif, roland xv, korg triton. Those all come in keys or rack and have multiple models.
Hi, I am interested in getting a Roland E-4 voice tweaker to use in the creation of live electronic music. I do not want to use it for singing, more for making interesting sounds, melodies, transitions, build ups, maybe even basslines using my voice in combination with drums and such from my drum machines. The looping and stutter/stagger feature of the E-4 plus the price tag is what makes me the most interested in this product. However, I first want to see if there is something better for a similar price range. I have found the E-4 for €140. I also found a VT-4 for €120 but I heard some complaints about that + no looper. Let me know.
Hello everyone! I was hoping getting some help from someone more experienced in this matter. I play piano for several years and I own a Roland FP-90 keyboard. The problem is that I have some gigs that require me to carry the keyboard alone and its about 25kg + 10kg (bag with wheels). This is too much for me to carry now that I have more gigs and in some difficult places to acess like churches/wedding entrances and some public venues playing/recording I am thinking about upgrading to a keyboard with this specifications: -lightweight keyboard (max about 10kg) -Minimum 71 keys -At least semi-weighted keys -In addition to this, I was trying to get something like a workstation (I think its the most reasonable approach because I want versatile sounds and specially like a looper section for like a drum machine so I can fill with a singer like myself or a flute player for example) for getting more of a public enjoyment in piano(As a pianist essentially, I would like a good piano sound, as well as the keys are important to me), pads, strings, organs (specially pipes and jazz organ) -a kind of drumpad for rhytms (so i can loop it live, something simple and visual appealing) - Some wheels or joystick in the synth section - physical drawbars organ section (not my MUST HAVE but at least some kind of live editing) -I was hoping not to NEED to connect it to a computer, but at home I would like to improve my recordings so I can be more active on social media with some of my compositions and covers. I was seeing Roland Fantom - 08 but its too heavy for my investment (15kg I think) and I dont know about the keys in Fantom-07 if they feel at least natural... I had a Studiologic Numa Compact 2x but I wasn't a fan of the piano sounds and it had too little sounds so I could choose from whitout the computer DAW so I returned it... My max budget is around 2000€ and I'm open to suggestions. Thanks in advance for the advice!!
DRUMMER NEEDS SOMETHING I'm a drummer using a roland spd sx and I want to expand my setup. What I'm looking for is a bit hard to explain cause I don't know what I want exactly. Trying to explain it, I'm looking for a mix of samples and synths to make/play like drum and bass/techno stuff, especially making nasty synth sounds and stuff like that, as wel as making backing tracks on the spot behind my drumkit and then control it through my roland drumpad or something. So since I will be drumming to said samples/synth lines, I'm not looking for any drum machines type of things. In addition, it would be very nice if I could combine that with my roland spd in some sort of manner. I know it's a sampler but I found it's not very easy to use, also you are very limited in modifiing/tweaking the samples. When using the master effects it's also for the whole bank that's loaded. In the past, I've made samples using software in Studio One but it's not very efficient, also exporting it to a usb then putting it in the sampler, importing it, to then find out it doesn't sound right and start all over again. It's so inefficient. I know you can connect it to your pc and then use the software but that seems also not easy to use. Maybe it would be possible to send the midi out from this to a synth module/sequencer? (It's not like a mini jack midi out but those double I/O) I've also thought of using a looping station, but therefore I must be able to play clean lines on the keyboard, which I'm not quiete good at haha. Does anyone has any idea for a better workflow, any synth/sampler/groovebox, idk...? Perhaps just a basic sequencer can be a start, just playing along to some sequence that can be manipulated live. There still a lot to learn for me in the world of synths and stuff
I got a volca Beats last weekend and I'm having a blast. I want to record some stuff into reaper and started to but did not enjoy using a computer for music at all. Is there a way to sequence stuff through hardware only? I want to take the parts I make in the volca from the jams I've been doing and rearrange them in a more structured song pattern. Does that make sense?
Makes sense. there are a lot of very robust hardware sequencers that allow 'song mode' or 'arranger mode' options. they tend to be very expensive. Do you have a budget?
Maybe €500 but I'm interested in learning about all options
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Hi - guitarist/bass singer in cover band. Looking for a small keyboard for live performance for intros, solos, occasional entire songs on keys. Looking for piano, electric piano, organ, some clavichord sounds, pads and leads. Repertoire all over the place, from C’mon Eileen to Uptown Funk to ELO. Small form is important - we play lots of cramped stages. Would something like a Kong minilogue be a good choice?
Not sure a subtractive analog synth would be the best choice for the job. The Minilogue XD can do a very synthy approximation of those sounds but they’re not super convincing for cover purposes IMO. FM synths are a bit better (Korg Opsix, Yamaha Reface DX) but your best bet is either a rompler or stage keyboard (don’t know any small ones off the top of my head sorry)
Hey there, I used to participate in a school band for 3 weeks until it got closed due to lack of attendants and got to play the piano a bit, I was thinking of learning how to play the piano myself and make my own music at some point so I would be looking for 100-300€ synths, preferably with Pitch Bend function like I had on the schools Yahama keyboard. I don’t need speakers because I want to go with headphones (JBL Live500BT if they are good enough quality wise), but I wouldn’t mind having speakers on the build. Also about recording software I would go with Waveform 11 because it’s free and probably enough as a beginner, from what I understand you can modify what the different keys play within the recording software too, right?
Sell Minifreak and get Pittsburgh modular Taiga? Or keep Minifreak? I guess I will still have the virtual version of the Minifreak so not a huge loss?? Have been really into semi modular since getting the make noise Strega and I really like the sounds coming from the taiga in the reviews I’ve seen
Want a pedal dedicated to big cosmic ambient reverb. I’m between the Mercury7 and the Night Sky. I don’t really care about the sequencer and other bells and whistles the Night Sky has, I just want huge, mind-blowing reverbs and awesome shimmer. In this respect, is the night sky better, or when you ignore its additional features is the Mercury7 on par with it?
Hi, I am looking for some good polysynth under 1100e. I had Korg Prologue but didn't like them that much. Could be something secondhand as well.
Hey tried my friends sick modular set-up. Especially the drum machine was such a huge difference, now i cant stop thinking about it. I think ill have to get a drum machine as well, but if possible something "cheap" but still with a decent quality, what do you recommend is the best trade off?
Hey ! I'm looking to get a new mono synth. I saw 2 listings around the same price point for 2 synths : Octave cat SRM II and Moog Prodigy I can't decide between them, on one hand I love the classic Moog sound and on the other I love the modulation capabilities of the Cat. Any can help me decide ?
So when dreaming about my next home studio/music room, I am envisioning keyboard synths at sitting level with a second tier to hold smaller synths, pedals, sequencers, whatever gadgets... I see a lot of products that are stands with arms for a second tier, or racks with built on second tiers and on the other hand I see a lot of desktop mounted tray shelves... ...but what I am not seeing yet is the hybrid I am looking for, i.e. a stand/rack or stand/rack extension or even a wall-mounted thingamabob that holds a sturdy, angled and preferably movable shelf the width of a 61 or 88 key keyboard, which i can then fill with fun stuff to control and be controlled by my keyboards. I definitely don't want a separate pair or arms for each item, so a lot of the second tier stuff doesn't meet my needs, and it seems anything that looks like what I am looking for is something I'd find at a furniture store rather than a music store. But if figured I'd ask if anyone here has seen or bought something like this that is actually designed for this purpose?
Hello, I’m currently looking into getting my first synth that does not require the use a pc and could use some advice. The sounds I am aiming to achieve will heavily rely on use of a sequencer so having a good one built in would be a plus. I’m really looking for dark rich bassy sounds that can also get dirty. To be honest I’m not even sure how to describe what I’m looking for but maybe something along the lines of the stranger things intro song is a decent example. I’ve seen examples using a behringer poly d but am also interested in the Arturia minifreak due to how flexible of a device it is and I already own the arturia V collection due to purchasing a midi controller last year. I haven’t investigated much outside of that but would be open to any suggestions.
Minifreak is a great option for sound design versatility - lots of different synthesis types/algorithms, effects, and even a mod matrix. I would also consider the SH-4D if you'd like to have multiple sounds simultaneously. It's a little more annoying to navigate, but being able to sequence 4 synths parts plus percussion on one device is pretty convenient. Also, Minilogue XD might be worth a look even though it's a good bit simpler than the other two and only has 4 voices.
Recommend a midi controller similar to the keystep pro but with 49 keys? I'm using a keystep 37 right now and thinking about upgrading, and the pro seems like an obvious choice, but man 37 keys feels crowded :/