My year of grooveboxes and "toy" synths

[jayhosking]

That Mix puts the "P" in Presence. Nice.

Hey thanks!

[selig]

I'm just returning to hardware after a few years of trying to go 100% software. I was fine when writing/producing, but performing was another story. So I'm back!

Looked at all the Behringer stuff, passed - ended up with Peak instead of Deepmind, and MiniBrute2s instead of Neutron. Also got a dozen or so Eurorack modules for two more additional voice paths, which integrate with the MiniBrute nicely. A Novation SL MkIII ties it together note wise, able to speak "Eurorack" with two separate voices, and MIDI with two outs (and USB to Reason). Audio wise, I have a Zoom LiveTrack L-20, which functions (depending on live or studio) as a mixer, recorder, and USB interface. A laptop brings Reason into the fold for live shows, and my main system still sits above everything with the Clarett2Pre receiving the output of the Zoom mixer. This allows me to hear any source, from either computer, at the same time without any switching. I'm extremely impressed with the way things integrate and route, since most devices have USB and connect to the laptop, in addition to the MIDI and CV connections - basically anything (audio or notes) can go anywhere from anywhere else, which is probably a first for any setup I've owned in the past.

Very happy camper here, as I feel I have the best of both worlds, and all "flavor" at my fingertips at a moment's notice…

[O1B]

Zoom LiveTrack L-20,

Nice.

Novation SL MkIII

Thanks for the heads up!

How's the road of converting back and forth from Modular to Line?
I Gain stage for now as if its not a factor, but eventually, .. I'll need to "Listen"

I'm just returning to hardware after a few years of trying to go 100% software. I was fine when writing/producing, but performing was another story. So I'm back!

Looked at all the Behringer stuff, passed - ended up with Peak instead of Deepmind, and MiniBrute2s instead of Neutron. Also got a dozen or so Eurorack modules for two more additional voice paths, which integrate with the MiniBrute nicely. A Novation SL MkIII ties it together note wise, able to speak "Eurorack" with two separate voices, and MIDI with two outs (and USB to Reason). Audio wise, I have a Zoom LiveTrack L-20, which functions (depending on live or studio) as a mixer, recorder, and USB interface. A laptop brings Reason into the fold for live shows, and my main system still sits above everything with the Clarett2Pre receiving the output of the Zoom mixer. This allows me to hear any source, from either computer, at the same time without any switching. I'm extremely impressed with the way things integrate and route, since most devices have USB and connect to the laptop, in addition to the MIDI and CV connections - basically anything (audio or notes) can go anywhere from anywhere else, which is probably a first for any setup I've owned in the past.

Very happy camper here, as I feel I have the best of both worlds, and all "flavor" at my fingertips at a moment's notice…

[O1B]

First, you Killed it!

- Performance Control - Manipulating your instruments, in front of a Live Mic, ... Priceless.
- 'Know'ing your Kit... You obviously RTFM. Well Done.
- Loving what you do - Looked like it, Sang like it, Grooved like it...
Yep! It's a Duck!
- Spotless Studio. Now, that's where I hate you the most. No tee. Button-down... nothing out of place.
Who vacuumed?

btw... That OP-Z was Boom Banging'! - I think it was the Zed. I think I want one.
Only my PO-33 still...

- were you using the OP-Z on your voice? PO-35 style ? Please, enlighten me.
Thanks,
O1B

You're pretty effin' Nice, my Man.

So many toys, so little time.

Oh, and the OP-Z makes a hell of a groovebox to add in for some different flavour:

[jayhosking]

First, you Killed it!

- Performance Control - Manipulating your instruments, in front of a Live Mic, ... Priceless.
- 'Know'ing your Kit... You obviously RTFM. Well Done.
- Loving what you do - Looked like it, Sang like it, Grooved like it...
Yep! It's a Duck!
- Spotless Studio. Now, that's where I hate you the most. No tee. Button-down... nothing out of place.
Who vacuumed?

btw... That OP-Z was Boom Banging'! - I think it was the Zed. I think I want one.
Only my PO-33 still...

- were you using the OP-Z on your voice? PO-35 style ? Please, enlighten me.
Thanks,
O1B

You're pretty effin' Nice, my Man.

Hey thanks!

In order:
- Button-downs for work days, tees for days off
- I vacuum my own floors, of course!
- The OP-Z is superb. Of all the units I've listed in this thread, I think it's the most standalone and most performance-friendly. If you check out my YouTube page there's another OP-Z performance showing off how flexible it is in alternate timings with different tracks on different step lengths.
- Also, it's "zed" in my head, but that's probably because I'm Canadian
- I wasn't using the OP-Z on vocals. The battery is just a little too precarious in mine and will spontaneously shut down when I jiggle it too much (the mic turns on by lifting it). I did use the OP-33 to sample the chorus double vocals and the harmonies, though.

[cognitive]

So many toys, so little time.

That said, this thread is giving me GAS.

This is an awesome set-up. I've definitely gone the other route, buying and trying lots of things (and offloading them, too), with the notion of having many types of set-ups. But I recently got the Akai Force, as we discussed, and I can imagine that, a little mono synth with knobby control (e.g. a Minitaur or a Model D), and a groovebox would be a fantastic, small set-up. Also, I really need to get some of those Ikea stands! They look great.

Well, speaking of little mono synths with knobby controls AND grooveboxes, I could not resist taking advantage of the half-price discount code for a Circuit Mono Station. I've been looking at various REAL analog boxes to pair with my Circuit and/or MPC Live. Turns out Novation just made my decision for me by offering such a great deal on the Mono Station. $249 and free shipping? SOLD!!!

I already know the main workflows from the Circuit, so I'm looking forward to getting some fat squelchy analog madness in my sets.

[jayhosking]

Well, speaking of little mono synths with knobby controls AND grooveboxes, I could not resist taking advantage of the half-price discount code for a Circuit Mono Station. I've been looking at various REAL analog boxes to pair with my Circuit and/or MPC Live. Turns out Novation just made my decision for me by offering such a great deal on the Mono Station. $249 and free shipping? SOLD!!!

I already know the main workflows from the Circuit, so I'm looking forward to getting some fat squelchy analog madness in my sets.

Yeah, I found one for a steal around here and couldn't resist. I actually really love how it sounds, irrespective of all the nice sequencing stuff I love on the Circuit.

Here's the family in action!:

[cognitive]

Well, speaking of little mono synths with knobby controls AND grooveboxes, I could not resist taking advantage of the half-price discount code for a Circuit Mono Station. I've been looking at various REAL analog boxes to pair with my Circuit and/or MPC Live. Turns out Novation just made my decision for me by offering such a great deal on the Mono Station. $249 and free shipping? SOLD!!!

I already know the main workflows from the Circuit, so I'm looking forward to getting some fat squelchy analog madness in my sets.

Yeah, I found one for a steal around here and couldn't resist. I actually really love how it sounds, irrespective of all the nice sequencing stuff I love on the Circuit.

Here's the family in action!:

Yep, I had seen that one before. That is really cool, fun stuff, especially since it's just the three devices.

One aspect of the Mono Station that I'm pretty jazzed about (aside from, you know, analog goodness meets Circuit) is patch flipping. I've never seen an analog box that could do anything like that. Maybe it exists somewhere and I simply haven't seen it, but that feature alone seems like a game changer.

[jayhosking]

One aspect of the Mono Station that I'm pretty jazzed about (aside from, you know, analog goodness meets Circuit) is patch flipping. I've never seen an analog box that could do anything like that. Maybe it exists somewhere and I simply haven't seen it, but that feature alone seems like a game changer.

You know, it's something I've toyed with a bit in making drum sounds, but honestly haven't used much in any other context. I really should tinker with it again. I found my first experiments with it a little unmusical, but a bad craftsman blames his tools and all that. I'll have to give it another shot!

[cognitive]

Brilliant! I was concerned about the lack of effects (reverb, delay, etc.) on the Circuit Mono Station. Then I was like, "Oh look! The MPC Live lets me add insert effects on the inputs from external devices."

Since I intend to use the Circuit Mono in exactly this way with the MPC Live, well then, problem solved!

As I wait for my Circuit Mono, those effects are doing amazing things for my "regular" Circuit. For instance the AIR Enhancer and the AIR Compressor really fatten things up and add some polish.