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The Irrational Thread: Need Suggestions for a musical fun toys of $600 or less
I'm an irrational man, I know. Normal people need or "need" something and then, they buy it.
I don't need anything, but I just want to add a fun toys related to music in my new "studio" in my apartment. All your pictures of home studio makes me want to organize a space in my apartment for my little small studio. I think it's important to have your space to be in the mood for music. I cannot read seriously if I'm not in my "reading chair". It may sounds corny, but for me, it's important to be in the mood when I do something creative.
My last purchase is a Keystep 37 and I'm really happy.
I just want to add a little last something, a fun piece of gear and I'm curious to read your suggestions. Something that I can learn and discover.
In others words, what $600 or less piece of gear that I don't have and that I don't already know that I want?
As always, thanks for your advice, you are always top notch in your answers.
Comments
Contender number 1:
(I saw this in a video of Dj Puzzle)
Artiphon Instrument 1. Many different possibilities. Easiest (cheapest) way into MPE on iOS. It is a LOT of fun, especially with SWAM.
Elektron Model:Samples and Model:Cycles are both currently $250 each. Either / both are microcosms of awesome.
I have a ndlr. Its a quirky device. If youre looking for generative, take a look at the torso as well. I have one arriving anyday (taking fooooooever to get here).
I'd love to have a little corner filled with those tiny modular synths that use the tiny pins:
Moog Werkstatt, Korg Volca Modular, Soundmachines NS1, Bastl Kastle, Bastl Kastle Drum, Olegtron 4060 MKII...
Or a Koma Field Kit with the piezo mics, solenoids, and motors would be fun, too.
Or droners or noise-makers like the Hikari Monos CV, Benidub, JMT, Rare Waves, Trogotronic, LastGasp, Gieskes, Electro-Faustus...
Or something more 'traditional' like Fred's Lab Tooro or Buzzy, Aodyo Anyma Phi, Sonicware Liven 8bit Warps or Liven FM...
Anyway, I have horrendous GAS.
I highly recommend the Pocket Operator metal series.
The P.O. 32 Tonic is a fun drum machine that pairs with the Microtonic software. You can create your own drum patches or use any of the ones people have put on YouTube. @jakoB_haQ has a whole series of excellent Tonic patches.
The P.O. 33 K.O. is insanely fun sampler. You get 8 melodic tracks and 8 “drum” tracks. One of the most fun workflows is to copy a melodic sample onto a drum track and chop it up. I have an album entirely of chopped jazz samples and drums I sampled from my P.O. 32 onto the P.O. 33.
The P.O. 35 Speak is interesting because it is a vocal synth based on samples. You record your voice or another sound and it puts it through multiple algorithms to create different vocal synth sounds. It also comes with a single drum track that also uses P.O. 32 patches.
You can get them all with cases for well under $600. You can use them individually or connect them to play them in parallel. You can use an iRig or similar tool to record straight into your iPhone or iPad. They each come with some really great effects too so you can add some subtle flavor or fully glitch out your sound.
That Olegtron looks well cool, as if I needed more GAS - I might have to make my own version out of bottle tops 😆
OP-Z. So much fun, so small, and so unlike anything else out there.
A melodica, a glockenspiel, a lap steel/weissenborn, a ukulele, some hand percussion.
All fun & easy instruments to learn and incredibly expressive once you get the hang of them.
You could get all of the above for less than $600
What gear do you have? :-)
1) one of the “Tocante”:
2) SOMA Laboratories “Enner”:
3) 1/2 of Meng Qi’s “Wing Pinger”:
4) Sherman Filterbank 2 Compact:
5) ROLI Seaboard Rise 25 (used)
Digitakt? Digitone? Wavestate? KARP Odyssey? Behringer 2600? Norand Mono? Lyra 8? Twisted Elektrons Mega FM?
The Behringer Pro-800 should be incoming soon (8-voice Prophet 600 clone). Also, if the rumours are true, there might be a new Elektron box around the corner. Not sure what it is yet, but you might gas for it when the hype train comes in (this is, after all, the irrational thread). I wondered if Moog might release their not-in-production Spectravox this year. Who knows?
It's worth looking at the second-hand market. As people chase after new, shiny things, the mojo machines of yore are going for a song. There's a Farfisa around the corner from you:
https://reverb.com/item/43841076-farfisa-vip-233-combo-organ
Also, studio comfort/ergonomics/organisation count for a lot, so you might want some of your money for that. Are you happy with your headphones? Do you have or want monitors? Nice chair/stool? Good feeling about your table/desk? Is the lighting situation working out?
Another vote for OP-Z, it can just do much and is super fun to use.
NTS-1.
Infinite fun
Torso T-1 maybe
How about one (or more) of those Korg thingys:
Then you can put them on your table next to your iPad, take a photo and put it on the "Let's See Your Studio" thread.
Another 1st world problem solved
This would be my suggestion too - get something that’s outside of your comfort zone that’s not too difficult to learn.
A 24-carat gold kazoo will tick all your boxes.
Polyend Tracker: Fun and Intuitive. Can be used with or without iOS. First jam I did sequencing iOS synths and drums.
MMMmmmmmm... really love this track.
I recently bought a Uno Synth Pro Desktop and its great. It gets a somewhat bad rep for looking toyish, but its a great sounding synth with a very capable sequencer. Its got a lot more analog options to work with than the Typhon (which I'm selling currently) though the Typhon digital fx are better. Also has presets so you can save work between tracks. I like the tone more than the Minilogue XD, Volcas, etc. It's around $350 USD used.
I know for me I still feel like no iOS synths really capture that raw analog tone (except for maybe Model 15) so having some analog box really is important.
Thank you. 😊
Hehe... until you notice the difference you will keep denying it...
Even Model 15 falls apart, just try it in poly mode. Btw UNO does sound good, but imo another huge fail on IK part... at very least they should have put encoders on it, this would be a nightmare to use for me... even my pulse2 (with encoders) needs a full editor, else it’s just a pain.
+1 on B2600
David Bowie-inspired Stylophone synthesizer ($39.95 US)
https://www.amazon.com/Bowie-Stylophone-Limited-Edition-Synthesizer/dp/B09BJZQGN8
Edit: I haven't tried it, and the reviews are mixed on the quality of its construction. Looks cool, though.
I too would have preferred encoders over knobs, but I don't think its that big an issue. The knobs have a catch mode which works pretty well. Also there is actually one encoder (steppy) to the right of the display that works great for dialing in precise values. I haven't felt like I've needed the editor though I might try using it for the mod matrix / fx. Its definitely easier to edit than the Evolver (I haven't tried the Pulse 2 though I almost bought it). The two dedicated filter knobs aren't to be underestimated, having those lets you edit the filter + amp envelope or lfo at the same time, which is most of what I do live anyways.
Portability+cost vs hands-on-controls is always a tradeoff for synths. I feel like this one hits a good balance for my brain but its pretty subjective.
QuNexus
MPE MIDI-CV Mini Keyboard Controller
$179
HOW DARE YOU MAKE ME OGGLE THE Olegtron ;P
I'll second a lot of what was said here. The IK synth is really great. It gets a lot more flak than it should, but I havent meant a person who hasnt changed their minds once they got to try one.
someone made a midi kazoo....
I've definitely contemplated trying this midi harmonica :P (Lekholm DM48)
