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Who here uses hardware synths and what are they?
Just curious who here uses hard synths, and what they are, and do you use them instead of a softsynth or in conjunction with them?
[I'd been a soft synth user (on Mac) for about 20 years until I got an iPad, then after playing soft synths on an iPad I loved the immediacy and hands-on-ness of using your fingers and a touch screen instead of a mouse. So decided to buy a hardware synth to take it one step further and gets hands-on with physical controls rather than virtual control. And have discovered that for me, being able to turn knobs and sliders physically is as important as the sound and features of a synth itself.]
My current list:
- Virus TI desktop
- Novation Peak
- Hydrasynth module arrving tomorrow
- Blofeld
Comments
I sometimes combine with iOS synths, but usually when I’m hooking up the hardware to the iPad it’s to design midi controller layouts for those hardware synths using MidiDesigner Pro & MidiFire apps.
Blofeld, TD-3, MicroFreak, SE-02x, Neutron, Minibrute, Volca Keys/Bass, soon Mono Station
)
My method of using HW synths is creating multisamples on different notes, then i load them into sampler and apply another envelopes, lfos, modulations... So i have very strictly divided my workflow to sampling part and production part ..
Nord Lead, Circuit.
Of the two the Circuit is way more fun and useful but I just don’t end up using it enough as iPad convenience wins. With hardware (even the Circuit) I need to block out time and space to use it but with iPad the music just naturally happens.
The Circuit for me makes desktop much more useable as mouse and keyboard are so boring now compared to touch screen. But even just the impedimentation of midi learning knobs (maybe setting up macros) and switching midi channels etc etc, meh, touch for the win.
Interested to here about the Hydra....I am interested in import of ones own wave tables eventually as well as for more Granular synth stuff.
Peak is another on my not exactly short but potential list always kind of there in my cache.
What do you use the Peak for and how?
What are you triggering much of these with ?
These days I'm into sound design rather that music creation so I use the Peak and the others for that. The Peak I'd say is the least deep out of all these, its fairly limited by comparison, but its the best for immediacy and hand-on tweaking on the fly with little menu diving.
I'm into ambient, soundscapes, drones, long slow evolving pads, but with the Peak it encourages you to get into all sort of other stuff, experimental and weird, self generative modular sounding sometimes, getting to places nothing like ambient at all.
For the genre I'm into its the least suitable but its my favorite synth for just having fun with.
I used to just trigger it using a Keystep, but after recently getting a NDLR and using that with it I decided to dust off my iPad which I had been neglecting for a very long time and use what's on there instead. So I trigger it with:
Different sequencers sound better with different synths and different sounds within a synth, so I tend to start them all and flick back and forth between them depending on the particular sound playing in the Peak at that moment.
Today I'm going to give Thesys a whirl with it as I've had Thesys installed for years but never really used it.
But most of the time I'll just use KB-1 in combination with latching on the Peak. I hope one day the add custom wavetable import to the Peak.
Lately its been a rather fustrating cycle between ios and hardware. Been down both roads, individually and combined. The only thing Im sure of is a simple set up works best for me.
OB-6
Circuit
MC707
OP-Z
Octatrack
I wouldn't say I use them instead of a softsynth, I'm just as happy to fire up Omnisphere or mess around with some of Live's built in synths too. It's just a different workflow and approach going with hardware or software, so I pick and choose according to what works best on any given day.
SH-101
SH-09
ER-1
TQ-5
Syntechno Teebee
microKorg
Casio CZ-1000
Yamaha SU-10
Proteus 1
Roland JV-1010
Yamaha QY10
@Tarekith “what works best on any given day.”
Smart, maybe I should adapt to it
Roland FA-06
Yamaha Reface DX & YC
Roland XP-50 (needs repair)
Korg Poly 61
Realistic (Moog) Concertmate MG-1
Roland SH-201
Novation Circuit
Korg Littlebits
Roland JV-30
Roland SC-155
Arturia Beatstep Pro - Sequencer
Carnegie Public Library - Numerous books and synths in their permanent collection that you can check out and play in their music room
I’ve got an MS20 but I never use it, it just sits on top of a filing cabinet looking sexy. There’s a Mikrokorg here somewhere too that I also never use...
Casio CZ101 - I love this synth but I need to work it into my iPad workflow.
Oberheim Matrix 6R - If I didn't have this, I'd get an OB6. But it's so lovely. Oberheim all the way.
Roland D05 - Only Boutique worth having, runs off batteries.
0coast - my first semi/modular synth. Still learning this. Bram Bos Ripplemaker was my gateway.
I got obsessed with Yamaha FM racks for a bit a few years ago, so I need to sell some or all of these:
TX802
TX81Z - Lately Bass 😄
TG77 - keeper
TG33 - keeper
FB01
FS1R - keeper
They are all editable with Patch Base, so finding and designing sounds is super easy.
KQ Dixie has replaced my usage of TX802, and I use it on most/all my tracks.
Analog Rytm MKI and Analog Four MKI
SQ80 - terrible clacky keyboard, but great sound especially with FX. Likely on sale list. Like Peak but before its time. If it goes, likely get Peak.
JV2080 - Another I need to incorporate more into my iPad.
Blofeld - Portable and makes great sounds.
DSI Evolver - Like a weird Mono/Poly.
I tend use @dendy approach: Multiple-sample synths for use in AudioLayer. I tried using hardware with Ableton for a while but it didn't work well enough for me. I barely use Ableton these days and prefer making music using iOS/AUM, so I'm trying use iPad + hardware directly.
Also, I work a desk job, so mouse/keyboard = no when I get home. Since my soft synths are also getting less usage these days, I'm sampling them as well to use on iPad.
Modular keeps calling me, but not there yet. Must resist.
Not used to make music any more:
Roland SH-09 + CSQ-600
Korg X-911 with non-working filter
Will be used to make music when I get around to upgrading the ROMs sitting here in an antistatic box:
Oberheim Matrix 1000
Oberheim Matrix 1000
Oberheim Matrix 1000
Will probably be used with the above:
Ibanez AD-202
Ibanez AD-100
Carlsbro Parametric (like this)
Novation Circuit
Want to sell for 1.25 bitcoin to a London buyer:
Arp 2600 with Roger Glover stencilled to the outside
Actually make music on:
iPhone
iPad Pro
Gadget
SH-101, DSI Pro 2, MFB Dominion 1, Boog, DX21, EDP Gnat (in for repair) and Emu drumulator (also needs repair). Intend to add UDO Super 6 & MFB Synth Pro shortly to give some poly options along with a drum machine although I don’t know which - then I must stop!
THIS ! Exactly because of this i use for music exclusively iOS (and hw synths
) since 2010
I still have to physically slap myself whenever I start planning projects that require a desktop.
Roland SE-02. It's one of the best synths for the money you can buy (and then expand with the luxury add-on of the ExtBox) - it's amazingly flexible, and can be a screaming monster, a bass machine, or play sweet sweet high notes - plus presets, sequencer, etc. I'm also planning on purchasing a modern analog poly next year, and I'm currently pining for the OB-6 desktop.
I'm off of iOS for making music for now. Been there done that. It isn't "there" yet for me, but I suspect I'll return as I, too, have a desk job. I am using my iPhone as a MIDI processor sometimes, though. But, so far, that desk job hasn't stopped me from making music on my home PC. That'll especially be the case if I get that OB-6. OMG that is amazing sounding. None of the current Oberheim emulations can touch it... I've tried them all.
This ! It never stops amaze me !
I wish I’d already sold my Arp 2600 actually, I just learned about this:
If I were to get another hardware synth it’d be something that can produce 4-op FM but using an analogue signal path. And not as eurorack modules, I want to remain drug-free.
Korg MS2000, Korg Volca Keys, Dreadbox Erebus, Yamaha Reface CS, Novation Super Bass Station.
All sequenced with ipad, Cubasis and a Steinberg audio/midi interface. Works great but there's so many awesome ios synths that I've been a bit lazy recently.
Korg Minilogue, Moog Mother 32, Pittsburgh Modular SV1, Koma Elektronik Field Kit, Pittsburgh Modular Microvolt 3900.
Can you use the interface to pipe audio into Cubase to record it?
Moved into a new house, setting up my gear again, in a soundproof studio.
Currently
Roland tr909
Tb303
Sh-5
Yamaha An1X
Nord Lead 2x
Jomox X-base09
Santa is bring a new drum kit to the same space for my 8 year old daughter.
In terms of hardware synths
Juno 6 midi added and modded
Poly 61 midi added and modded
Casio CZ-1
Modular with midi/CV
Microfreak
TD-3
Yes that's exactly what I do. It works very well.
It's only a two input audio interface so I can't record them all at the same time but that's not a problem.
I use a bunch of hardware:
Elektron Machinedrum, Analog 4, Rytm, and Heat
Korg MS-10
Medusa
Neutron
Mircrofreak
Modular
Empress ZOIA and a bunch of other pedals
Some other oddities: Organelle, Bitranger, Gecho
Makenoise 0-Coast, Specular Tempus and lately I got a Roland SH01a.
I find it inspiring to use them on their own or with my iPad.
Can you live with the knobs? I want one, price is right esp on sale.