Here's gear I recommend for a synth setup & your studio. This is almost exclusively gear I have used in my studio and know to work. (All links are affiliate links) MIXERS (all of these can record multiple channels at once) Bluebox Mixer US: imp.i114863.net/b4ELm EU: thmn.to/thoprod/504944?offid=1&affid=623 Soundcraft MTK 22 US: imp.i114863.net/6a2GG EU: thmn.to/thoprod/359305?offid=1&affid=623 Soundcraft MTK 12 US: imp.i114863.net/35b7d EU: thmn.to/thoprod/359304?offid=1&affid=623 Tascam Model 12 US: imp.i114863.net/Vro4E EU: thmn.to/thoprod/483453?offid=1&affid=623 (affordable!) Presonus 16 channel US: imp.i114863.net/RxJRb EU: thmn.to/thoprod/423722?offid=1&affid=623 Presonus 32SC (the one I use) US: imp.i114863.net/vLe2j EU: thmn.to/thoprod/462793?offid=1&affid=623 MIDI THRU BOXES (midi splitters) US: imp.i114863.net/LvenY EU: thmn.to/thoprod/220156?offid=1&affid=623 iConnectivity MioXL (there's a smaller one too!) US: imp.i114863.net/xxAy1 EU: thmn.to/thoprod/476770?offid=1&affid=623 SYNTH STAND Jaspers: thmn.to/thoprod/443021?offid=1&affid=623 GOOD FX Zoia US: imp.i114863.net/5b6MAL EU: thmn.to/thoprod/463334?offid=1&affid=623 Blackhole US: imp.i114863.net/jExYb EU: thmn.to/thoprod/503207?offid=1&affid=623 Tricerachorus US: imp.i114863.net/MXJDDK EU: thmn.to/thoprod/529760?offid=1&affid=623 EURORACK Rackbrute Case EU: thmn.to/thoprod/431059?offid=1&affid=623 US: imp.i114863.net/16j3g Nifty Case EU: thmn.to/thoprod/499147?offid=1&affid=623 US: imp.i114863.net/nOrmR Affordable eurorack modules (Dreadbox Chromatic Series) EU: thmn.to/thoprod/486796?offid=1&affid=623 US: imp.i114863.net/kjeaad PATCHBAY: EU: thmn.to/thoprod/118484?offid=1&affid=623 US: imp.i114863.net/XxbLLg SEQUENCERS (makes no sounds themselves) Novation SL Mk3 // 8 track keyboard/sequencer/controller: EU: thmn.to/thoprod/450573?offid=1&affid=623 US:imp.i114863.net/QqZ79 Arturia Keystep Pro // 4 track sequencer/controller: redir.love/wcdKr2aG EU: thmn.to/thoprod/483153?offid=1&affid=623 US: imp.i114863.net/M4G7Y SYNTH & SAMPLERS WITH SEQUENCER Roland MC101 // portable 4 track synth EU: thmn.to/thoprod/473345?offid=1&affid=623 US:imp.i114863.net/74Lq5 Roland MC707 // 8 track synth and sampler EU: thmn.to/thoprod/473348?offid=1&affid=623 US: imp.i114863.net/rvkmd Novation Circuit Tracks // 4 track Sequencer & Synth EU: thmn.to/thoprod/512775?offid=1&affid=623 US: imp.i114863.net/0kgRJ Elektron Digitakt // 8 track sampler, 8 track sequencer EU: thmn.to/thoprod/409950?offid=1&affid=623 US:imp.i114863.net/yDJYB Elektron Digitone // 4 track FM synth + 4 track sequencer EU: thmn.to/thoprod/431568?offid=1&affid=623 US: imp.i114863.net/4kOXL NI Maschine+ // standalone sequencer/sampler EU: thmn.to/thoprod/501389?offid=1&affid=623 US:imp.i114863.net/m69Yy GOOD STARTER SYNTHS Original Minilogue EU:thmn.to/thoprod/379052?offid=1&affid=623 US: imp.i114863.net/2PbZM Korg Minilogue XD EU: thmn.to/thoprod/465932?offid=1&affid=623 US: imp.i114863.net/Rxg72 Cobalt8 EU: thmn.to/thoprod/506277?offid=1&affid=623 US: imp.i114863.net/eDP4X Argon8 EU: thmn.to/thoprod/473936?offid=1&affid=623 US: imp.i114863.net/0bKWL Microfreak EU: thmn.to/thoprod/457192?offid=1&affid=623 US: imp.i114863.net/ZknZK Dreadbox Typhon EU: thmn.to/thoprod/496419?offid=1&affid=623 US: imp.i114863.net/GPva6 Korg NuTekt NTS1 EU: thmn.to/thoprod/473592?offid=1&affid=623 US: imp.i114863.net/2OR10 Reface CS EU: thmn.to/thoprod/368212?offid=1&affid=623 US: imp.i114863.net/PLJLR HydraSynth EU: thmn.to/thoprod/527778?offid=1&affid=623 US: imp.i114863.net/5b6MZ2 DRUM MACHINES Roland TR8S (very versatile!) EU: thmn.to/thoprod/434284?offid=1&affid=623 US: imp.i114863.net/PLJoR TR6S (tiny!) EU: thmn.to/thoprod/504204?offid=1&affid=623 US: imp.i114863.net/QBzL6 Analog Rytm MK2 (pricey but amazing!) EU: thmn.to/thoprod/503365?offid=1&affid=623 US: imp.i114863.net/WjW7O Pulsar-23 (a bit overkill for a beginner) EU: thmn.to/thoprod/504302?offid=1&affid=623 US: bit.ly/pulsar23 Drumbrute Impact EU: thmn.to/thoprod/444377?offid=1&affid=623 US: imp.i114863.net/LJod3 SPEAKERS: IK MTM EU: thmn.to/thoprod/457892?offid=1&affid=623 US: imp.i114863.net/XxbL25 ADAM EU: thmn.to/thoprod/540649?offid=1&affid=623 US: imp.i114863.net/mgAXoD Eve Audio SC3070 EU: thmn.to/thoprod/510035?offid=1&affid=623

@daledunbar5656

3 жыл бұрын

I have an rm1x in alright condition. Wanna trade?

@jambutty2218

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks so much for taking the time to share your knowledge.🇬🇧

@GuitarsAndSynths

2 жыл бұрын

I love my 1010 Music Bluebox since can record live performances for use later on and resample, chop up samples in my OP-1 or Octatrack.

I love synths and it's fun to go shopping, but remember yalllllll: Be a creator, not a consumer! Great video Bo, good advice as always!

@sterigma555

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks mom

@elekktrikk_home_video

3 жыл бұрын

Don’t let anyone tell you what to do with your life (nice paradox :)

@magnuseriksson8081

3 жыл бұрын

Very true. I think I am not a very good creator and a great consumer at the moment. Not good at all. I look for that Dawless setup that is so fun and easy to work with and support vocals very well. Mv-1?

@SlavicSon

Жыл бұрын

@@magnuseriksson8081 same here. All this gear is too damn sexy to pass up. More gear, more sounds, mote options and yes more money. But sell what you don’t use after a year of experience.

Thanks for the shoutout homie! Suuuper appreciate it :)

@BoBeats

3 жыл бұрын

🥰

@wilsonjaksetic6009

3 жыл бұрын

This is too cute

@Mollohandro

3 жыл бұрын

Two of my favorite synth KZreadrs on one comment/thread! Keep it up, fellas!

I started out with an Electribe 2 as main sequencer, having no clue of midi sequencing in the beginning there were some hard (and costly) lessons learned. Now I am using a Synthstrom Deluge, a very flexible unit with great connectivity, internal synth, FX, drums and sampling ability. The grid based sequencer is a great help to me... My tips is to go for: - good sequencer - drumcomputer (tr-8 ish) - a solid monosynth - a simple polysynth (minilogue-ish) - start out small - get to know the gear you have and only then buy more... - buy second hand and have patience, do not buy impulsive like I did a lot of times. - get yourself a nice mixer with plenty channels and FX send/return possibilities. - FX will beef up your sound! Get some great sounding FX (pedals or rack mounted) for reverb, delay, distortion etc... Midi connectivity can be useful (especially for delay effect). - use midi splitters like a kenton 5 e.g. - have patience and do not expect to turn out hits all the time. - when not using a DAW to record, use a good recording device like a Tascam dr-5 e.g. - keep on practicing and force yourself into the studio even when you don't feel like jammin. Getting started sometimes is the hardest part. But when you're get going it's tons of fun!!! Hope this will help you! Sweet jamming✌️✌️

@xVadaRose

3 жыл бұрын

Y’all are so awesome and positive.

@ACIDis...

3 жыл бұрын

@@xVadaRose Making music is always a positive thing😃✌️

@wickeddubz

3 жыл бұрын

I love diy aspect and apply it to my music stuff. Table for jams, decorations, hybrid case/stand for volcas, autonomous power supply for all my synths, midi splitter that can cost few bucks if you can solder. And the happiest moments happen when i jam outside with other people, having just 1 or 2 synths, one of them is modded monotron delay :). Tons of fun stuff, learning, making music, and we don’t aim to make hits, it’s all about fun, learning how to listen to one another, to make pauses where needed. Discipline and feeling the music flow makes jam really shine

@ACIDis...

3 жыл бұрын

@@wickeddubz Ha that sure sounds like the way it should be!! Same here, I made my own little sit/stand studio by modding a standard electrically operated small office desk into a whopping 4 meters wide synth platform/desk. Soldered my own "Vellerman" vocoder (a €10,- diy kit) some time ago and enjoy creating those kind of little projects. I however have no friends actively participating in the jamming side of life, I tried to persuade one of my best friends but unfortunately the fire didn't light up🤪... With three young kids I am a happy man when I even make it to the studio haha. But when I do it's satisfying and time flies... It's a passion I guess... Thanks for the nice reply!!! Take care!

@0bsolet

3 жыл бұрын

ACIDis ACIDis man great advice! I am starting this year and I am thinking of a TR-8S, a Roland SE-02, TD-3. What do you think is essential? Do I need a extra sequencer? Can you guys recommend me one? Also I need to decide for a mixer and some FX...

Great points in this video. I know a few people who don't use a computer at all, and they all have something in common - they dislike computers in general, and none of them understand computers enough to operate them trouble-free. This is a HUGE factor. Computer nerds develop background skills that they're not even aware of. Simple things like a backup schedule aren't obvious to non-nerds. I see multiple comments in this thread about running into issues on a computer and giving up. Not everyone wants to spend countless hours mastering the dark art of troubleshooting Windows issues.

The limitations of the hardware is whats inspires me. Give me everything and i don't know what to do with it.

@rexterrocks

3 жыл бұрын

Exactly, limitations force creativity.

@gunnarvestlund2729

3 жыл бұрын

Well said!

@SkelaKing

3 жыл бұрын

You can get some crazy outcomes from trying to push a synth to its limits. With limitations you need to think of work arounds and other ways to achieve what you're going for. You can also learn the ins and outs of your machine easier with a simpler setup and truly unlock its full potential

@elekktrikk_home_video

3 жыл бұрын

Anything?

@iancallender2432

3 жыл бұрын

I agree. I love the idea of having a huge, endlessly capable monster of a synth - but most times I try to mess around with something complicated I get so lost that I end up doing the exact same simple stuff that anything else is capable of (i.e. ooh let's throw two saw waves together and detune it, that's fun)

Buy second hand. Then when you have collected a lot of gear the you don’t actually use, it is easier to sell without losing a lot of money.

@madmac66

3 жыл бұрын

FuZZbaLLbee Absolutely this. Everything I own is second hand. I’ve amassed a pretty decent live jamming rig for pennies on the dollar. The best of which is my Akai XR20 for $50. A totally underrated baby MPC that is the hub of my rig

@monsirto

3 жыл бұрын

...indeed! You may even get a return 👍

@Getthenderson

3 жыл бұрын

Yes, i do this so much, it's like renting for basically free.

@deanrinehart

3 жыл бұрын

Absolutely. Great way to learn what you like too.

@fantasyproduct1042

3 жыл бұрын

@@monsirto I second that sentiment!

My advice, buy one thing and learn it. Read the manual from cover to cover. Then play it endlessly. Then read the manual again. Until you reach its limitations you won’t reach yours. Which means you ain’t growing

@robarkskillie960

3 жыл бұрын

You wont see much advice like that on a clickbait sponsored video that has been done on every synth enthusiast channel setup to showcase products. Consumerism is death to creativity. All hail getting more crap. There are people with more talent than I will ever have who just have sticks and pails. Number 1 be a musician.

@iqi616

3 жыл бұрын

Mac, I agree! The manual has always been my secret weapon. Random guy: "How did you know that?" Me: "erm... RTFM" 😁

I’ve struggled a ton with this. Back and forth, back and forth. I fall in love with using a DAW and then some weird computer problem makes me swear off computers forever. What I’m accepting though is that feeding a computer a bunch of pure hardware and treating the daw as a very efficient multitrack recorder/editor + effects processor is a great balance of all of it. It seems to be the most straightforward path for me to get musical ideas into a track and fully realize what direction I want to take it in. I don’t care about crazy pitch correction or carefully sequencing a million different tracks but I could never discount how great a DAW is for organizing and exploring ideas.

@davidpetersonharvey

3 жыл бұрын

I'm using Ardour under Ubuntu Studio. Just had a system crash, got into a root login on a terminal and I'm backing up my music and everything. People give me old machines and I put Ubuntu Studio on them for production. It's free and if I lose a machine, I move to another one while repairing. Wouldn't you know, it's the new computer bought at Christmas that's giving me the problem?

@alvaroaprr

Жыл бұрын

Just an opinion, but for me, DAW is to cinema, what DAWLESS is to theater (or if you want, like a sequence shot on cinema). They are different arts, valid both, and might be apreciated in different ways. Should get better results with the first one, but the difficulty, improvisation, and pre-work of the second one has a lot of merit, and that's why I like it so much. :-)

Most important step: ideas. If they are lacking, DAW or not will make no difference

@danpreston564

3 жыл бұрын

Where those ideas come from can be the equipment you use. It certainly is for me.

@schnubbilator

3 жыл бұрын

@@danpreston564 Agreed. Workflows on specific equipment can hold you back from being productive.

@johngannon

3 жыл бұрын

Inspiration > Ideas

@unseen370

3 жыл бұрын

johngannon inspiration is just generating ideas. They’re one and the same

@t55a2

3 жыл бұрын

@@unseen370 Totally, it made no point

I built myself a small modular synth, consisting of different modules that make up a synth: oscillator, filter, ADSR, even got a delay in there. It is small and compact so it can be carried around anywhere without problems. When I wanted to design sounds with it, it didn't work. Everything was patched up correctly - the way a sound chain should be. I couldn't figure out what was wrong - until I looked at the manual of the ADSR (Doepfer) - and it turns out one lever was in the wrong position. Everything works now. Moral of the story: sometimes it's good to read the manual :)

I tried to go Dawless for a while, but in the end I went with a hybrid setup where I use Ableton to sequence my hardware analogs live. That way I can get the best of both worlds. I use a Lanchpad so I can control any number of sequences and synths cleanly and easily

Still recording into ableton but playing everything live has changed my approach to music entirely. Amazing the difference in fun playing hardware/eurorack vs software :D

@IrrationalRecreation

3 жыл бұрын

There is an undoubted "je ne sais quoi " about playing hardware instruments. It is the immediacy and accessibility available. Most of us balk at "menu diving" for the same reason because it is pulling you back into a DAW-type world. From a cost, space and flexibility perspective a DAW and a good computer with keyboard / control surface is absolutely the logical, sensible choice but the lure of GAS is difficult to escape if you can afford it.

@H3ath

3 жыл бұрын

@@IrrationalRecreation hahahhaha right! Sensibility isn't novel though ;p and the GAS is real in the modular world, make sure to put side enough money for a car before diving in :D

@lancepage1914

3 жыл бұрын

@@IrrationalRecreation 100% I am the same. Instant gratification comes at a price. But for some us, it's worth it.

I did exactly what you were talking about, and got what I really wanted and started off with a sampler first

After watching your vids got myself a MC707, CS Reface and Circuit Mono Station to learn and noodle. Loving them!

What I recommend for starters is a circuit tracks with 2 external synths because you can control 2 midi tracks independently and even automate effects on your synths from the circuit tracks! You have an amazing sequencer and 8 instruments to control in total (2 internal synths on the tracks, 4 sample tracks and 2 external synths). For the external ones I recommend the arturia micro freak and a volca as they're pretty compact.

@SlavicSon

Жыл бұрын

Just getting into this and have all used gear. Circuit tracks, volca bass, rev2, grandmother and Dreadbox. A bit too much gear for me to start but I’m learning I guess.

@robertjuh

Жыл бұрын

@@SlavicSon that's great man! Take it easy take your time and above all, have fun!

I use a hybrid system. I have hardware instruments to work with and a USB mixer that can record all my tracks simultaneously. This inspires me to play a performance live and do my best not go make a mistake. Practice makes perfect. After recording I mix and master in the box. For me the best of both worlds works.

@wetwork6553

3 жыл бұрын

the usb mixer is mixing all your tracks simultaneously to two stereo tracks or individually as separate tracks? Either way, sounds like a lot of fun!

@RoomAtTheTopStudio

3 жыл бұрын

@@wetwork6553 Individually as separate tracks. Just like individual channels going to tape. Sorry if I'm showing my age but yeah I love it. :D

@wetwork6553

3 жыл бұрын

@@RoomAtTheTopStudio not at all! music knows no age and I'd still be using my tascam 4-track if they didn't explode. lol. do you have any videos showing how you rig a setup like that?

@RoomAtTheTopStudio

3 жыл бұрын

@@wetwork6553 my videos with the Arturia Drumbrute are all using the individual outs from the analogue drum machine, then stereo tracks from the Korg Prologue and mono tracks from the Moog Sub37, Yamaha SK30, CS10, Hammond B100, Korg ARP Odyssey and Logan String Melody II. Everything goes through the Soundcraft Signature. What I can sequence is sequenced and I play the rest live or track live to build up the track. Check out my videos for examples.

@davidpetersonharvey

3 жыл бұрын

Me, too, and I love it!

Back in the early 90s all I had was a hardware sequencer a few synths, drum machine, and guitars. I had great fun pairing the hardware into a analog 4-track recorder mixer. After moving to the DAW setup I’ve found it feel much more like work, with software issues ruining the day.

@TheTruthIsFiction

2 жыл бұрын

Back in the late 90s all I had was ONE music keyboard. There was a step sequencer in it which makes everything sound unnatural and robotic. A DAW might have a "randomization" function which makes everything sound more natural. I don't think hardware can do this. Anyway, I hate DAWs because they look too cluttered. I hate VST plugins because they don't have the sound I'm looking for. So now I have an all hardware setup BUT no sequencer even for the drums. I just play them by hand so that everything sounds natural.

Timely video, thanks! I am just starting out making electronic music and although I have taken quite a few classes to learn how to use my DAW, I haven't really been "feeling it" composing and sketching in the software. Just got my first hardware two days ago, an MC-707, and already having tons of fun and loving the tactile experience. Thanks for the tips on how to keep this newfound hardware love from spinning out of control.

Great video. I’m a drummer and also play guitar, and a friend showed me his Korg Volca bass. Being a long time fan of Kraftwerk, I just thought that little thing was so cool! A few years later I finally got one and told myself ‘this is really the only electronic gear I’m interested in’ Six months later I’ve got several of the Volcas and now I’m just so intrigued with everything. Just got a MS20 Mini so I can learn modular. It’s sure addicting! Lots of fun, and very different from making music with a drum kit and electric guitar. Thanks again for the video. I’ve subscribed to your channel and look forward to more of your videos.

This was SO helpful. I know it's an older video now, but it really holds up so well. I learned a lot of principles here that I can then apply to my own situation in a number of ways. Thank you!!!

@BoBeats

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks Michael! Glad you found it enlightening

I sequence SP-404 patterns, two volcas, and a Reface-DX using a Beatstep pro, while using resample method to record loops from the reface to the SP-404. sometimes my friend brings his CS and we extend it to jam and make crazy leads. For me the dawless setup is about jamming primarily. If I'm actually writing a song it's usually still in my DAW. Sometimes I use loops from the volca or whatever to make my songs but I don't really record the whole setup to write music. The dawless setup is going to be my live performance piece rather than my writing workstation. I'm surprised other people aren't really interested in large scale jams like that. I also use it to jam with my live band as well. There's a lot that can be done of you don't think about the dawless setup in terms of limitation.

Very beefy and informative guide! Plus it made me love and hold on to my Maschine Studio even more! Thank you, Bo! Stay safe and God bless! 👏👏👏🙏🙏🙏

I spent the first 15 years of my making electronic music doing it on a Korg Workstation, a Boss Drum Machine and an Akai rack mount sampler. When I started the only DAW option was getting an Atari ST with an early version of something like cubase, it was a non starter for me (although I spent £1500 on a Korg 01/w when I earned £4000 a year). So I have always been a 'dawless' composer. When I first got Logic Pro, about 20 years back, I simply couldn’t get on with it, and though I have, over the years, learned to use DAWs, and still have to finish tracks in Logic for nearly all my projects, I still feel most creative when sat in front of hardware synths and samplers. One thing I would say for having a fairly big hardware set up is the flexibility it gives me. I work as a solo artist and as part of a duo, and the two set ups are almost totally different, with only the Digitakt being used in both. The different sequencers and arpeggiators in many synths lead you to make different creative decisions, lead you in different directions, and make me make music I simply wouldn’t do with a fixed daw workflow. Dawless is costly, and not cost effective, but I’m lucky enough to be able to afford it.

@monsirto

3 жыл бұрын

Ahhhh regrets. I do miss tracking on the ST sometimes. It was pretty quick back in the day and I shouldn't have given it away.

@fantasyproduct1042

3 жыл бұрын

I still have the ST and 2 x S3000XL. Debating whether to use the Octatrack as the sequencer.... GAS 🤣😂

@mb2776

3 жыл бұрын

The st is my main sequencer!

@iqi616

3 жыл бұрын

I still have my ST but it's just waiting for me to finish transferring my DX patches and to play my Cubase songs into Reaper.

i build mine recently i am extremely happy its such an expansion and you get to walk around from one instrument to the other, 100%hands on. but either you are a musician and know your pieces or you better jam and record on the same session otherwise its gonna be hard (and you might not even want) to repeat the session, once you change settings of the analogues its hard to keep track of all presets. its the real state of Flow. of course then you have limitations if you used to make music with loads of automation in a dawless set up you cant really control everything at the same time. and an advice if you wanna build a Dawless setup Learn what each instrument does and what not so you dont get surprises in the way, inputs outputs, sizes, Distances in you space, monophonic polyphonic sequencers/controllers, because i missed a couple things that i had to work around. Peace

This is a great video, and it’s still funny to me because I’ve always stayed hardware mainly because the DAW-studio really intimidates me. It seems like lots of work and hassle to make music that way, and I find hardware way easier to deal with. Maybe this has to do with the fact I don’t use computers in my everyday life, I guess they are less scary when you work with them in an office or something. Sometimes I ponder going soft, but I just imagine years of frustration and headaches before I can actually get some music done on a computer. Therefor I giggle a little bit inside when people say that it’s more complicated to make music without computers. Thanks for another great video Bo.👍

Hey Bo, after 20 years been playing vinyl and making noise with Ableton, I've bought my first hardware synth a few days ago.... Just before this video of yours. One size does not fit all, which is good, otherwise everyone would be listening to my music of course 🤣. Me? I won't go completely DAWless MAKING music, but live play? Yes definitely planning to.

You really nailed at the start "tired of looking at screens"

Great tips. I personally started music playing piano, and then saxophone, and finally guitar. I tried DAW-based composing for years and it was always an effort in frustration. I found myself having to manage the software more than I was actually producing any music. DAW-less has been drastically better for me, personally, in spite of the additional hardware/cost.

I have a hybrid set up built around Maschine, highly recommended and really fun. Maschine controls my Drumbrute and modular synth via midi, and soft synths with audio coming out of an interface. Everything going back into the Soundcraft Signature 12 MTK, and recorded into Ableton. But if I just want to have a bit of fun, I can leave the computer off and just play around with the modular and the drumbrute.

Cool vid! I just got the Tascam model 16 as my dawless/multitrack recording solution and I am totally in love with it. Coming from an analog recording school, it's a real life/time saver, not that expensive and very versatile mixer.

@Frakaphoto

3 жыл бұрын

tascam is ultimate No computer at all!

Thanks for the great advice. Much appreciated. I found your channel about 2 1/2 years ago, and you have been a huge help to me. Two things stood out here that resonated with my situation. First, your comments on getting a good sequencer (something I'm kind of lacking right now), and second, your advice about avoiding the large equipment. I am basically crammed into the corner of our bedroom (my wife is very tolerant), and the biggest things I own are a Monologue and Drumbrute Impact (I watched your review before I purchased that one!). When I do make a purchase anymore, I lean towards small stuff that works for me, I even have a PO 35 Speak😊. Thanks again for the great content, and best of luck on your new studio. It looks super cool.

@pauulkubasek1815

3 жыл бұрын

Haha my situation is almost the same! My “studio” is a small space between me and my wife’s bed and my dresser. The “door” to my “studio” is a laundry hamper. Hell, my chair is just a pillow and I use a shoebox as a desk. I have gotten my wife into playing music though, she now has a bass, a guitar, a ukelele, and a mic with pedals.

@charlesneuzil5765

3 жыл бұрын

Pauul Kubasek - oh my gosh! We had a similar strategy, I started my wife on piano lessons two years ago and she loves it! It really does help, doesn’t it? 😁 Sounds like you are even more cramped than me. I at least scored a cozy corner of the bedroom, even if a bit cramped. I’m thinking about going “up” is some fashion to obtain more space. Might just work.......🙏🙏

@pauulkubasek1815

3 жыл бұрын

Charles Neuzil yeah going up seems to work. I’ve updated to a good sized ottoman for chair and an actual nice dining chair (we have a few we don’t use ) that functions as a nice mini-desk (it’s enough to fit a laptop and my key step), and i can fit most of my hardware underneath (tascam 4 track, a few Korg volcas, pedals) . One day though, renovations willing, I’ll be able to move all of my gear to a more suitable spot, haha!

You are ticking many points that made me starting electronic music dawless. I do stare at a screen all day for a living, tried daws since long time, I just can't stand keep to it after hours even if they are really powerful to do anything. And more cost efficient as you said (and by far). You're also right on the point the fun part is very important, especially to the hobbyist of music making. But to me it's a journey rather than a goal, you don't have to get everything on the first day you want to start making music. No need for a 24-track mixer or super expensive synths to get started. Maschine looks very appealing to me at this point, as well as the Akai MPC One ! They are the hybrid stuff that perhaps will allow me to improve my productions, still without sitting at the computer and mouse, and keeping the synths bleepings and the knobs to play with =)

5:13 I loved my RM1x! I also let mine go during a lull in my music production many years ago and have always missed it. Getting by with a Digitakt. (TBH, I love my DT too, so it's all good.)

Bo! Thanks for all the advice ❤️ Also, for what it's worth, the Tascam Model 12 is a beautiful and affordable usb multi-track mixer.

#11: Less is more. Get LESS gear and use it MORE often.

@Psychlist1972

3 жыл бұрын

Which is amusing, because DAWless *requires* more gear than in the box :)

@wraithdragon

3 жыл бұрын

Sage advice. :)

@dmares700

3 жыл бұрын

GAS is a wallets worst enemy

@hallocine

3 жыл бұрын

@@Psychlist1972 Yeah, but no need to buy 10 synths. To me the best is to take advantages of both worlds.

@rexterrocks

3 жыл бұрын

Limitations force creativity.

Thanks for describing the Roland MC-707 as a sequencer because the idea is the golden ticket that I needed to hear for creating and maintaining a dawless setup! 🏆🎉🔥🎊

This video is EXACTLY what I've been looking for!!! Thank you so much for this.

I’ve been wanting to buy my 1st drum machine & 1st synth, & have been planning to build my 1st DAW-less setup. Working OT right now to buy the drum machine. This video was very helpful. Thank you!

great overview, especially the tip about too many flagship synths. Get one and then go smaller for your others. Thumbs up for Maschine Studio or MK3 as well.

Never liked working with a mouse and a screen, and ever thought that a DAWless setup would bring back my passion. Bought a bunch of synths when I was starting, wathever could, big, BIG mistake. Now I'm selling out everything, never really used any of them properly. If you wanna go DAWless and you just starting, avoid quantity, focus on using what you got really well, and there's where the magic happens. Lately bought a simple piano, but commited myself to learn and grow a relationship with it. Best thing I've ever done to me when it comes to music. Some times you don't need a different setup or better gear, but to get better at your craft.

I see the limitation of hardware only as the biggest selling point for going daw-less. For many years I thought that I need all possibilities. And as long as possible during the process from idea to finished track. Nowadays I envy limitations and I am more creative then ever and also my mixes sound way better now since being daw-less also stopped me from overproducing.

I've recently ordered a Polyend Tracker with the intention of going DAWless and can't wait. I'll still use a DAW (probably Cakewalk) for recording purposes though.

@matthewtunnicliffe201

3 жыл бұрын

@@rorz999 Thank you! I was a big Octamed fan in the 90s and early 2000s so I'm really excited about it.

I Love your point of you , go on my friend with lovely videos, tutorials and show to all of us, the love of electronic music 😉👌

I have a bunch of videos on the topic of building a hardware synth setup: Reasons to have a SMALL synth setup/home studio: kzread.info/dash/bejne/eJyEk7eapMvUfMY.html How I sequence all of my synths: kzread.info/dash/bejne/p42cr9SshbW6hdI.html How I record all of my synths: kzread.info/dash/bejne/em1n1NiMnbCdn9o.html Basic Tutorial on Hardware Synth Setups: kzread.info/dash/bejne/mH2gx5WChZeYl7g.html Basic Tutorial on Hardware Synth Setups Part 2: kzread.info/dash/bejne/eIWul9qilsW2dto.html Overview of how to record your synthesizers and the options available: kzread.info/dash/bejne/oqJ8qMmfYZzRkpM.html

@davidvantongerloo1907

3 жыл бұрын

thanks bobeats, this was first fault ive made buy lots and lots of gear, and found out it's beter to start with a daw software, now i us ardour on linux works good !!!

@NellSilva

3 жыл бұрын

Bo, for you what the most analog drum machine to work ? I want a buy one, but I don't know all machines on the Market , I have volca synth, but I am looking for more analog, can you help me in that ?

@memoryracer2643

3 жыл бұрын

@@NellSilva try the volca beats

@NellSilva

3 жыл бұрын

@@memoryracer2643 I have volta drumns and kick, but I want one more analog as beats, but thank you your idea

@memoryracer2643

3 жыл бұрын

@@NellSilva analog just refers to how the machine 'makes' the sounds. So, primarily not hooked up to a DAW. The volcas are all analog i believe. But if you want something beefier try Drumbrute Impact or UNO drum. These 2 are fairly inexpensive and good for starters

Awesome video as always BoBeats, but you're making me feel old. When I started making electronic music I had nothing but hardware and tape machines. The original dawless jamming :)

that jam at the end was dope. def a flawless experience

5:30 Wow, thanks to your video, I recently bought a MIDI thru box (the Kenton). *Man* is that a *gamechanger* ! Nobody (online or offline) ever told me it would be good to get one and it never came to my own mind that these boxes even do exist. Although I don't have _that_ much gear, before, I was constantly swapping MIDI cables or powering up devices I didn't use, just because they were earlier in the daisy chain. Or wasn't even able to create a particular routing because a device didn't have proper MIDI thru... Might sound pathetic, but it eliminated like 40-50% of 'problem thinking' while producing, freeing up so much capacity to actually concentrate on music instead of technicalities!

Thanks, Bo! There's a lot of practical and smart advice here. I definitely have a few thoughts! Preamble: I started super lo-tech in the late '80s, way before DAWs were even an option, then gradually evolved to laptops and trackers, piano scroll type composition apps, and then to organic layering in audio editors. I managed to remain mostly ignorant about MIDI. I'm surprised there's little mention of multi-track recording here as a possible option. Maybe I'm old-school in this way, but bouncing tracks around on a Boss Micro BR lately removes some editing and mixing flexibility, but there's an honesty to it as well. One method of "hybrid" that's not discussed is to use the computer as a hardware configuration tool (VERY common nowadays), and to gain MIDI patchbay flexibility. A great example is using MIDI Patchbay to overcome the Korg SQ-1 lowest note value of 48, thus allowing me to sequence the entire note range of the drum sounds in my old Roland romplers! I use my Mac mainly for these two cases, as well as a means of further processing and editing work using Audacity and a number of AUs and VSTs. Since early in my electronic music dabblings, I've been easily overwhelmed by the technical and engineering side, and learning a DAW beyond something like Reason or LMMS was just too much, and the complexity threatened to extinguish the creative spark of the moment. If I have one piece of advice to offer, it's this: add complexity slowly. There's a lot of truth in that saying that the tools don't make the artist. Aim to know fewer pieces of gear with depth, and you will create amazing things!

thx man fro all you done to me ! love youre chanel ! much love !

I made a lot of expensive mistakes with hardware. I recently sold about £5K worth of gear and don't miss it in the slightest. I had/have GAS but without a purpose. I now have a hybrid set up with a lot less that I can now have plugged into the mixer and actually make music. I was originally addicted to just buying synths that others made sound good on KZread. I have a V Synth XT and a Waldorf Q that I feel I am going to let go. I feel guilty but just can't justify them sat there doing nothing. I use Studio One with a Behringer XR18r mixer. Great advice as ever!

@SG-wx1kq

3 жыл бұрын

Same here. Too much gear and not much time to learn them all.

I had a dawless techno live setup in the early 2000s. It was a Yamaha DX200, Korg Electribes A and S, a SP-303 and sometimes a Boss DR-202 for even more drums ;) . It just worked. I just had to put the DX200 at the start of the MIDI chain because i never figured out how to get it to play as MIDI slave, it insisted to be the master:D Still have them all here...

Great video, quality content. Thank-you.

Excellent advice on many levels. After 20 or so years in the game I would find it difficult to give up either option. Today...the hybrid options between are so incredible there's no real reason to totally ditch the DAW or totally ditch your hardware and external sequencing and recording options.

What a nice compilation of thoroughly thought out ideas. Thank you so much for sharing! 1:22 "Hardware sequencers are generally more difficult to learn" - Interestingly, with regards to operating _synthesizers_ , it was actually the other way around for me. In many VSTs, I never really understood how exactly a patch's sound can be efficiently shaped, as they had 100 different features, settings, routing capabilities. Thus, only after I purchased my first hardware synth, I really understood sound design in a thorough way (would be interesting though to go back to VSTs, now that I understand OSCs, LFOs, fiters etc in and out). 8:33 "Don't get too many big synths" - While I agree to that, I would add "Don't get too many tiny or cheap synths/sequencers as well!". It might be nice to get some fresh inspiration at a relatively low cost. Nevertheless, from my personal experience, it can be really frustrating to realize that a given mini synth or sequencer or FX device doesn't offer a particular highly-needed sound design feature, or simply has a tremendously bad MIDI implementation, or has dealbreaking design flaws, malfunctions or bugs. Thus, one might stop using them altogether because they can't be used efficiently in a live setup and/or production environment. When looking at my Volcas and comparable devices for example: While I do understand why I bought them back then, I now regret having bought them altogether, cause when I would sum up all costs, I could have afforded a full-fledged pro synth or so, which would combine all features in a single device, while eliminating the need to power up 5 devices, to learn each individually, mix them all together, keeping them dust free etc. -> Buy cheap, buy twice...

Nicely done. I liked the jam at the end. I miss working with people in the same space. Ahhh well... we'll figure things out, in time.

Love Dawless setups! I have a lot of gear, but the TR-8s is such a fun way to make music, I highly recommend it!

Might be harder to learn on physical devices but its multitudes more fun and gets one away from being glued to a computer (some of us spend ALL day for work) whilst letting you jam. The more you jam the more fun and sounds you make. That is priceless in my view!! (But awesome video and points by you non the less!)

The op-z is what got me back into this world. I still love it to pieces, but the Deluge is where I landed. It is so so so good!

If you think you're ever going to get into eurorack do yourself a favor and get a semi-modular synth first! I have an Arturia Minibrute 2 (which I got for $250 on clearance), and while it's not the best sounding synth on its own, it is incredibly freeing for my eurorack because it is a midi interface, audio interface, sequencer, and keyboard controller, as well as an extra source for lfos, oscillators, envelopes, random sources, etc. Basically, it has allowed me to focus on buying the fun modules first without having to worry about spending hundreds of dollars on the boring stuff like midi and audio i/o that is required to make everything work.

@elektronen

3 жыл бұрын

I'd also recommend playing with VCV Rack as an inexpensive way to get into modular - I've really enjoyed it!

@lancepage1914

3 жыл бұрын

Modular is a rabbit hole I keep well away from - but with all due respect, I understand how awesome it is too. I make music as a hobby. But would definitely consider modular if I could produce music for my livelihood.

Large synthesizers usually offer you a lot more features for an overall lower price. Then you Pan the camera around your awesome collection and I'm thinking wait that doesn't take up much space. There is always space for more gear!

My latest addition to dawless set up is an acoustic guitar. I also have Digitakt and Circuit along with some synths, bass, finger piano as well as a midi keyboard. It's dawless :-)

Really good BO. These days a couple of Model samples/ Cycles and a Tr8s would give you a great easy dawless set up. Or some Volcas. These are great times for Dawless. Or a 707. Such good stuff out there. Loved this BO. Well put. I have learned a lot from you. Thank you.

@GearHedd

3 жыл бұрын

For someone building up a setup from scratch I cant come up with a better idea for a 1st piece of gear then the Model:Samples unit. Its the same cost as a DrumBrute Impact but cant do drums better then the Impact... It can also sequence up to 6 external synths. U can also hook up a controller like a Keystep and play the sounds on the MS with it... Throw in having an Elektron brain that can do stuff that isnt quantized and 1 gig of storage to hold onboard samples and the MS would get my vote for best 1st piece of gear for some trying to build up a rig without spending a billion dollars to do it...

@minisynthcollective7822

3 жыл бұрын

@@GearHedd Mate. So spot on. I done an album on a sample and Cycles. Check it out on Soundcloud / spotify etc. I love my samples. My fave bit of kit and I got loads of stuff. I am working on an album for the mc101 but the samples is wicked.

@minisynthcollective7822

3 жыл бұрын

soundcloud.com/minisynthcollective/elektron-model-samples-album-live

I love the Elektron gear for this and had great results once learning the workflow. Octatrack can do entire shows.

I would say it also depends on the music style and sound you're going for. If you want to produce oldschool 90's techno for example, you'll want to have synths and gear of that era to get the authentic sound.

@davidpetersonharvey

3 жыл бұрын

Nah, you can emulate most of them really well with plugins. I own classic gear like the Juno 60 and the Akai S950 and model them on other gear and on the computer quite often. Also, plenty of rereleases of old synths for cheap now.

I already have a hardware synth setup, built up over the decades. I use a sequencer, but it's a stand-alone software sequencer. I am at present trying out a DAW and software synths, but it's a real battle getting anything to work.

Great advice! Especially regarding the importance of a thru box and a large-enough mixer. Do you have a link to that TSR jam handy?

While some the logistical issues are touched on here, MIDI Thru Box and Mixers, it is important to understand that when setting up that first hardware setup 10-20% of the budget is going to go on boring things that are routing signals and cabling. That may seem like an extreme cost to some, but it quickly adds up and gets out of hand. So if you are budgeting for a new setup of synths costing around £5000 then likely £500-1000 is needed within the budget for all that boring non-synth stuff to get that setup working to a good standard.

I’m pretty much Dawless as I use an MPC One as a sequencer , sampler and drum machine as well as a recorder. It’s also great because of the 8 audio tracks for hardware synths and other instruments, in addition to the 128 midi tracks. Only time I use a Daw is for mastering. With this set up though you need a small mixer to act as a pre amp for vocals and mic’d instruments.

I think finding one direction with analogue gear and keeping track is the most difficult part. I went from DAW to DAWless and back, since i wanted to produce music without a computer, but had problems with sequencing everything, and sampling some parts wasn't the ideal way either. My studio grew on 2 Focusrite Scarletts with 18 inputs in total and Ableton Push2, so buying a mixer with enough inputs and outputs (which typically go via USB, for recording purposes only) to go dawless again would be much money thrown out of the window, despite I would need a "better" sequencer. And I WANT effects on my channels. EQ and compression make the most of my Drumbrute kick and are more controllable in the DAW in my oppinion. As Bo said: you want to have everything controlled by one sequencer, so Push2 and Live come in very handy. But on the other hand I am SICK to have to have the PC turned on all the time and staring to a screen most of the time to produce music.

Bought a Moog 37, bought a module: sampler and I bought a mixer... Now I'm having trouble with figuring out how to connect it to my soundcard and or if I should replace the soundcard with the mixer.. This was another problem I ran into. I don't know anything, I don't even know what to look for when I need to problem solve lol. But I can play my synth and the sampler in FL studio on a mono input.. yay.. what a messy way to play lol I'm not sure I got any closer to solving the issue, but I really enjoyed your video and It had allot of good points! thank you and god bless

The answer is, the Deluge! I make and mix entire songs on mine (see my channel) and it is fantastic. I have also recently got into AE Modular and the Deluge is great for providing MIDI and/or CV and Gate outputs. It also has none of the limitations and menu diving of devices like the MC 707, for example. I think Native Instruments Maschine + is looking to be another potential player but, for me who is a software developer and sit looking at a screen all day, the Deluge is the perfect dawless solution.

I think it is good to go hybrid. You will learn dawless with its flaws especially on recording certain live environments and learning a DAW where you can then explore and hence your recordings infinitely. You make a good point of not having too many flagship keyboards I agree. In my home pro studio I have a lot of modular hardware synths as opposed to my professional studio that has a huge digital mixing and mastering set up. Learn one synth at a time feel comfortable with it as you said have one master sequencer this is a good idea and step by step it will all come together :)

Not tired, but it's good looking at things from a new perspective so now and then.

Great video Bo! I absolutely agree with the general conclusion that going DAW-less is more about creativity and less about production. I may add #11 which was the most surprising (though obvious) issue for me: Cables 😂 Does quality matter? Absolutely Do you need a ton of them? Even more! So, does it cost you a fortune? Sure!

This was an excellent and informative video. Thanks Bo. I do think though, that having too many sequencers in your setup can be daunting and ultimately create too much texture thus sounding like noise. Also note, that almost ALL synthesizers have their own sequencer powered by the engine of that particular synth. You can never have too many synths! Ha Ha! One of the things I have loved about software and the DAW setup is that I get to SEE the tracks, instruments, length, patterns, etc. Trying to write legit music without the visual would seem difficult for me.

@iqi616

3 жыл бұрын

For me the point of multiple sequencers is either to bring them up or down in the mix for interest or to transition between them so you can change songs in one while the other plays (like a DJ) for extended jams. I only have an MPC One but I'm trying to learn how to do transitions between that and my Volca Sample + Mono Station.

I recently decided to build an All-Moog Dawless synth setup (using the 3 main semimodular synths - the DFAM, M32, and Subharmonicon, + a 4th Minitaur)... and while its a lot of fun just running each of the units sequencers internally, and syncing them up, its been a real struggle to get them all to respond to 'a single controller' like a Beatstep Pro. They're more like a quasi-Eurorack setup than individual synths that are easily controlled from a sequencer box.

Very useful vid! Thanks!

Thanks for another great video. Top tip on buying a mixer with more channels than you need (right now at least 😁)

I've resisted for quite a while on using DAW to compose music, but you are 100 percent on spot! DAW is sooo much easier to compose because of the ability to view all tracks and scenes, along with their respective effects! Also, editing is on the fly versus replaying the notes and praying that Quantizing hits the note! LOL Ableton Live 10 is around the corner...

@iqi616

3 жыл бұрын

Replaying without quantize is better in the long run. At first it will be laborious but it will get easier like anything that takes practice. Quantizing and editing MIDI killed my emerging keyboard skills in the 90s. Editing audio killed my bass and sax skills in the 00s. Within a year of going DAW-free I've recovered my bass chops and making good progress on the keyboards. Next year is for getting back my sax chops.

I've made a few releases in the past, and then I got away from music for a while until I watched Stranger Things. The analog sounds playing in the background captured my attention and ignited my passion for making music again. I use Ableton as a recording instrument, I do everything live using external sequencers and synths. I love the fact I can use my iPad to play my synths wirelessly using Fugue machine while in sync using Ableton link. Using Ableton solely to make music is boring and uninspiring to me. I want to be able to automate that sound using my hands, it feels like I'm in control of the end result, and extremely fun to play. P.S: Distrokid is awesome! been using it for almost a year and it makes it super easy to release tracks to all major platforms, the 35.99 year option is the best one since you can also have your own record label. BoBeats sold me a Hydrasynth, Wavestate, Keystep Pro, and few other instruments. 😁

Loved the shot with the hammer and computer keyboard 😅. I can so relate to that feeling! I am perfectly capable of operating complex software, my daily job is being a computer programmer. But I so longed for a hobby that didn’t involve keyboards and screens and so I started this hobby, daw less from moment 1. Strangely enough I am still a programmer type of person because the instruments that I picked were OP-Z, Deluge and Wavestate. I like if I can improvise, but I like even more if I can have an idea in my head and build a clockwork to get there. I probably should go modular but I don’t.want to spend that much money on it.

I’m just moving to dawless setup. I bought Sequentix Cirklon for my heart of setup. It’s hardware sequencer what doesn’t have limits.

@BoBeats

3 жыл бұрын

Cirklon is definitely a good buy! Long wait list still right?

@StoneColdFin

3 жыл бұрын

BoBeats At the moment waiting list is something like 18 months 😄

Ordered a couple of synths and midi boxes and a mini mixer, and whilst that was missing in transit, started seeing where Akai's MPCs were at. Ordered an MPC One, and found USB replaces the need for midi boxes , and if I had picked this up way before everything else, I wouldn't have got the Reface CP as there is a built in electric keys sound in the MPC, and I could send two synths into the back of of the MPC one and use it's FX, so I could have held off on the mixer. Seems the MPC One and a couple of synths would have been a nice tidy start to my set up. Now have an Elecribe 2 sampler to get rid of. My lost in transit stuff arrived 8 weeks after ordering.

If i would start now i would be start with p-33. I had shocked about dawless approach after this tiny thing. It is different at everything what you expect before. But believe me. If you are not comfortable to make track with joy with that little thing, you will always be dissatisfied about dawless.. limitations should be your friend in dawless. And when you understand the point here it is core thing. Yes, first so many days you will sit with those papers with “how to guides”. But you will get that original sound from metal box instead of something you’d see on monitor of your pc. And driving it with fingers is the key thing here 😀

Very useful ! Thanks Bo

Great vidéo !!!

The Akai Force is often overlooked as a complete dawless production setup. Though it easily connects to Ableton Live after the latest firmware update and does multi-track recording, where one can master and polish up the final track on Ableton. At it's current sub $1000 price, it's a pretty compelling purchase. Another fantastic kit is the Toraiz SP16, built like a tank and is as immediate and intuitive as a Circuit in use. They've added a second effects channel now, which expands it's possibility a lot. It has very little sound mangling capabilities though, but of all my grooveboxes, this is the gear I end up using the most. My other grooveboxes and drum machines include, an Octatrack, Digitakt, Korg iElectribe, Yamaha RM1x, Akai Force, Arturia Drumbrute Impact, Yamaha RS7000, Roland TR8s and a Circuit. Of the lot, the SP16 is the most fun to use, and has the nicest sound fidelity straight out of the box.

@BoBeats

3 жыл бұрын

some solid tips right here

@goodboid

3 жыл бұрын

@Trololo Inc ® I think Pioneer goofed up big time trying to market it as a fleshed out "production" unit. It is far from one. The SP16 has an arrangement mode though which supports pattern chaining. But it's quite inflexible. Completely agree on the missing poly rhythm capabilities.

@agnz

3 жыл бұрын

I have been seriously impressed with the sound of the SP16, though simple the workflow is super intuitive.

@agnz

3 жыл бұрын

@Trololo Inc ® i just brought a quicklock QL400 stand for mine, great option worth looking into imo.

I have an acoustic bass guitar, Alesis Nitro mesh electronic drum kit & a Yamaha S08 synth plugged into an Elektron mixer audio interface. The interface main out is to an amplifier and speakers. The interface also is a usb connection to my imac where I run Korg Gadget DAW as a step sequencer running 128 beat patterns for a basic drum track to keep time, bass synth tracks and sound effects tracks. I can also record into Korg Gadget via the interface to the audio input machines in Gadget to create my songs for itunes. I enjoy it immensely and very cheap and easy to set up. Thankyou for the very helpful info on different ways to do it! Especially the step sequencers like Elektron Digitakt as an alternative to the DAW. :)

What a nice Cycles tune!

I have a small setup and I plan on buying my first hardware synthesizer.. im thinking about getting something from behringer... just something to add analog warmth and get my fix for twisting knobs

@davidpetersonharvey

3 жыл бұрын

I have the Model D. If you don't have a workforce keyboard synth yet, consider the Deepmind. It's very versatile and you can do really good emulations of the Juno 60/106 with it. In used gear, the Alesis Ion and Micron can emulate a lot of classic synths and have a deep editing capability through a routing matrix and you can layer sounds. The Micron is smaller and about $200. It does a little more but is a pain to edit. The Ion is bigger and twice the price but is much larger and you have lots of dedicated knobs for subtractive synthesis. These are digital but do great at analog sounding warmth if you filter them correctly. Just a suggestion.

@triplebeam23

3 жыл бұрын

@@davidpetersonharvey thanks man.. ya I kinda wanna stay away from digital right now.. maybe down the line when I get a few nice analog pieces in my collection.. see i have a daughter and my goal is to get some stuff that I know will age well and not only hold its value but ill be able to sell them all when she wants to go to college.. my first synth will probably be a moog of some sort

My wife is a synth player. I just started to get into it hard in the last year or so. I wanted to go hardware to learn synthesis because i figured it would be a bit harder and I could focus on different types of synthesis to learn. Right now rocking a Kawai Q80 sequencer, a Kawai K1r, Kawai K4r, Yamaha CS1X, Roland SH201 and a Microbrute. Looking for a DX7 next and a old hardware sampler.

After a long hiatus from music production, I decided to purchase the MPC Live II. And I'm loving it. It can act as a standalone sequencer, sampler, workstation, has good expansion options, built in monitor speakers, and a is rechargeable. I'm not stuck needing a power outlet all the time!! It can be used in conjunction with a DAW and has an Ableton link, but you don't need them to get starting having fun. It also costs less than the NI Maschine+. It's probably the best way for a beginner to get started.

I know people are different and do different music workflows, but in my opinion the most thing if you go DAW-less is a sampler as the main workhorse! For example just with an Octatrack (really suprised you did not mention it) and a small flexibel synth you can already produce complete tracks. Also to be able to use sounds that you already created using an existing DAW setup makes the transition much easier.

Words, i have more than 15 years producing with computers, and yesterday i did get my first machines, i'm very excited :)

@fjfrancois

3 жыл бұрын

Wow!!!!

@iqi616

3 жыл бұрын

That makes me feel sooo old. An entire generation who have only ever recorded with computers. Actually that's a good thing - it gives me hope that being an old fart is NOT the reason I've gone DAW-free for recording! 😀

@DioZambrano

3 жыл бұрын

@@iqi616 you're lucky that maybe you started before computers, that gives you more experience and a different point of view. I use analog mixers and I have some hardware too but I would never would go dawless, definitely they are two completely different worlds with the same purpose. And I was always curious about it. I'm a Dj too and I did learn before CDs so to me is amazing that I started playing music with vinyls.

@iqi616

3 жыл бұрын

@@DioZambrano Cool. I was never dexterous enough to DJ. There are advantages and disadvantages to having old knowledge. I remember some of the tricks I used to get around things - like planning a set-list to suit the patch changes on my analogue monosynth (handy today for avoiding my Neutron getting stuck on one patch for an entire set). On the other hand we had a "realism" mindset back then that limited my thinking about synths until the failure of ROMplers to meet my needs opened my eyes. It's so refreshing to see what "youngsters" (many are in their forties!) do without the preconceptions. Yes, sometimes there's cute naïvité like "What plugins did Kraftwerk use on Autobahn?" but far more often I'm kicking myself for failing to see the potential in the analogue gear other people were offloading for almost nothing in the 90s. One reason I bought my MPC One was to become a rookie again and get away from the tape paradigm that has limited my creativity.

Thanks for the video. I'm a software developer and own a couple of synths. I completely disagree with the idea that computer applications have a better UI. Some synths are harder to learn than others, but when the functions aren't hidden in menus the "user interface" of a hardware synth can be much more intuitive. It doesn't get more easy for the brain than a knob you can touch and feel its position and we can do that simultaneously with our fingers.

Something like the MC-707 can be a good hardware replacement for a daw (for midi sequencing your hardware synths and launching clips and stuff) and plays well with other hardware.

The MPC one, live, and x are perfect for bridging the gap between hardware and software music production

I'm working with Ableton and have only Soft Plugins and it works great. All what you need a good Midi Keyboard and something like Maschine or Push2

The background music is amazing!

@BoBeats

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks!! Several of the tracks are on my bandcamp

@mauriciosanchez7598

3 жыл бұрын

@@BoBeats heading there now!