2021 Gear Purchase: Hits & Misses

The Lounge General Discussion
#22

HITS

Erica Synths Fusion System 2

Has completely changed the way I make music. I can finally make the sounds I hear in my head happen in the real world. Best £1600 my wife ever lent me.

Eurorack

Too many modules to list really, but I’ve found myself (mostly) a convert at the church of the neckbeard. Special mentions to AJH Synth for their Finaliser and Future Sound Systems for the TG5 Preamp, both of which turned out to be the holy grail of sounding like the end of the universe.

Erica Synths Acidbox III

Like an Analog Heat but it crunches up nicer.

Eowave Quadrantid Swarm

I’m putting this in hits even though I sold it because it’s a great little synth, perfect for improvised techno and, despite its many flaws, it’s great fun to piss about with.

MISSES

Moog DFAM

I know, but buying it a second time just made me realise how quickly I got bored of the sound of it. I think it’s the filter, I just don’t like Moog filters.

Octatrack

Nothing against it, it’s great, but I can’t be arsed and I just don’t like sampling enough to spend the next 17 years figuring it all out. It’s not really the OT’s fault, it’s just found me at a time that I just really don’t want to look at screens or remember what func. function does what.

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#23

Misses:

LXR-02: wanted this badly as I’m still kicking myself I sold my mduw all those years ago. However, I soon realized this would never compete with the Elektron sequencer/workflow for me.

TR6-s: As above really. Thought it might be the answer for a digital synthesis drum machine. Couldn’t get along with the workflow.

Polyend tracker: can’t put my finger on it. Really got into it for a couple of months and then I stopped wanting to use it at all. Probably because I have Renoise and it was just easier to grab the MacBook and jam on that.

Hits:
Maschine+: Yes it’s not perfect and I hope NI invest in the platform but even in its current state I am completely in love with this thing. So many things to like: Reaktor ensembles in a box, the sampling/slicing, sequencing/arranging. I have a PowerXT battery that allows me to jam in the garden :slight_smile:

DSI Pro2: recent acquisition and I don’t think this will ever leave my studio. Sounds better than Pro3 imho.

DSI Prophet12 desktop: if not for its awesome user interface, this would have replaced my Rev2. For now both stay but as above I prefer the 12 in almost every way.

Norns shield: if you have a grid, I think this is a no brainer. Only downside is that there are so many awesome applications vying for my time!

Behringer Wing: yes it’s a Behringer and if there had been anything else even close to the price that competes feature wise, then I would have gone with that. My mate gives it the stink eye every time he visits :). Regardless, this ties my studio together, allows me to route everything to everything else and works brilliantly.

MioXl and 2 MioXm: this does for midi what the Wing does for audio. Bit of a learning curve to get it all setup but highly recommended if you have a lot of gear especially if they are spread out.

I’m not going to get into eurorack purchases as I’ve written enough :grin:

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#24

Hits:

  • Home office cleanup and organization to make room for some music space
  • One Little Bear passive 1/8" mixer
  • IKEA ENEBY 30 speaker (mono) - this thing can move some air!
  • IKEA KYREE - $15 for a very stable low stand for drum machines and small synths. Not comfortable to sit on, due to the synth-friendly flat surface.
  • Presonus Eris 3.5 - big upgrade from my old and busted Mackie CR5bt
  • TR-8s & NDLR - both help me move my music in a more approachable direction.
  • Yamaha REX-50 - this little reverb seems to satisfy my recurring desire for a Midiverb 1. I will eventually succumb to Quadraverb gearlust though.

Unclear:

  • TD-3 & RD-6: TD-3 doesn’t really hit the acid sound, and the RD6 is the most basic of romplers. But it lead directly to the TR-8s.
  • MOTU M4 - actually bought this in early 2020 at the beginning of the pandemic, but didn’t start using it until this year. Disappointingly incompatible with Linux despite being class compliant. CC is not enough! Useful enough with the iPad to keep around though. Will probably replace with an 828 once the Mac is upgraded and back in music action
  • Korg NTS-1: amazing value, but with a few Eventide and other pedals, I’m not sure how much I’ll actually use this. Definitely a fun toy that’s worth having around, no regrets.
  • Various cheap (<$50) pedals: disappointing, but maybe I’ll find a use for them later.

Misses:

  • Euro sell off: I’m certain I’ll get back into modular at some point, maybe with the new TT Buchla modules. I still have my Wiard modules and some noise modules, so it’s possible I’ll never completely sell everything. Currently enjoying semi-modular and pure MIDI gear in a DAWless context.
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#25

Hits:

Old Blood Noise Endeavors MAW: This pedal is seriously cool. I am able to have a strong signal on my vocal fx chain without relying on the mixing board etc, which makes playing out or jamming with friends way easier. Not every effect is great on this thing, but combined with some other pedals in the FX loop I feel my mediocre voice is given some interesting dynamics. Highly recommend for singers and other instruments as well.

Old Blood Noise Endeavors Dweller: This is a pedal that uses phase shifter & delay effects to combine and interact and create something new and in between. I really love the strange sounds I can get using this on my guitar especially with an expression pedal that controls delay time. Really weird, really interesting.

TC Electronics Afterglow/Danelectro Milkshake Chorus pedals: I bought the afterglow for $40 and it’s great. The Danelectro milkshake was a pedal that finally got returned to me so it feels new. Also totally cheap pedal when I first bought it, but I still love it. Sometimes a bargain is great for pedals.

Digitakt: I bought one to serve as a quick sampler and performance tool. I really enjoy the limitations of this box. After the 1.30 update I see a lot more potential with this, but am still working on getting all I need arranged in there. I was on the fence about it for a bit but figured out how to use the change length setting to help me use the DT while playing guitar while sending program changes through a MIDI mouse.

Model:Cycles: I bought one, then sold it, then bought another recently after realizing I missed the point of owning something like this. I don’t love all the sounds on this machine, but there are definitely some really nice gems I can work with. I especially like having a piece of gear I can bring with me easily without needing to upload the right samples etc. etc.

Misses:

Model:Samples: While I didn’t buy it in 2021, I did sell it in 2021 because it sat on the shelf for a while. I absolutely loved this machine and the immediacy of it, but felt I would hit a wall every time I wanted to upload a sample and had to deal with the Transfer app. I love the transfer app for how easy it is to you, but it just slowed me down in the creation process unfortunately. If you could sample into it (I know it would increase the price, etc) it would have been better for me. Glad I got the DT instead, but my wallet is not. :sweat_smile:

Boss RC-1 Loop Pedal/Big Muff Nano Pi: A bit disappointing. I shouldn’t have been so cheap in buying these.

Ernie Ball HeavyBottom/Skinny Top Guitar strings: I mostly bought these because I love the name and wanted to try out some different gage guitar strings. Not my cup of tea. Reminded me I’m actually weak. Good fun though.

Not a gear shout out, but just thankful for spending time on this forum. Folks reminded me of how cool a space this is (edit:words I left out) yesterday. You all are cool and weird, and it’s nice to chat here so my partner doesn’t have to listen to me talk all the time about filters or whatever. :sparkling_heart:

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#26

good insight. ty

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#27

Hits:

  • 1010 Bluebox: bought on a whim from a pal here. Versatile audio center of setup. Looking forward to more updates from the 1010 team
  • SSL SiX: got a wicked deal, seller even offered free mixing services. It is an aesthetically and musically pleasing device
  • 1010 Blackbox: a big impulse buy after receiving the two devices above and wanting a sampler with multiple outs. It serves it’s purpose well and just got a great update. I could go without this device but when it shines, it shines.
  • Moog Matriarch: a heavily discounted gift from a friend meant I had no expectations going in. Well, I’m in love with this piece of plastic and metal now. Controller, FX unit, and synthesizer in one. Intuitive and delightful, it’s a meditative droning masterpiece (with its faults ofc).

TBD:

  • Nord Drum (3p): another impulse buy, got a good deal locally. Upsides: cool sounds and a ton of fun to play. Downsides: doesn’t draw me in for sound design, no MIDI thru means it doesn’t play well with my current setup. Recently moved it back in with the other synth toys from its hiatus with the drum set. Jury is still out but I’m leaning towards keeping this for meditative hand drumming vibes.
  • Micromonsta2: this this is probably a hit … but I lent it to the Matriarch sharing friend back in May after only having it for a few months. Deluge is on VA duty instead. I enjoyed my time with the MM2 but am not really missing it as of now.
  • Synthstrom foot pedal: my Deluge does not like external power (only USB) so I haven’t really been able to use this. In general, it hasn’t been as useful as I imagined.

Thankfully no misses (it’s been helpful to be unemployed and buying less) :pray:t4: sold a guitar and working on selling an Impulse that is acting up. The hits are basically my whole current setup save a Deluge.

I’ve been relatively GAS-free recently which is great. Pretty happy with my digital boxes from small manufactures (1010 & Synthstrom) paired with a few high-end analog devices (Matriarch & SiX). Everything has begun to felt like a whole instrument.

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#28

Only made 4 actual gear purchases besides cables and accessories so far. Though, there are a few months left.

Hits:

  • SSL SiX: Amazing and got a great deal on it.
  • Monoprice Indio Bass: Can not believe how nice it plays and sounds for a tad over $100 on sale.
  • Simplifier: It’s an awesome zero-watt amp that sounds great. I may not end up keeping though as the instrument input on the SiX sounds awesome and I hate owning things.

The only other purchase was a pair of Sterling Audio mics. I have yet to use them, so I can not comment. I only got them when I did because Musicians Friend points and a sale put them under $30 shipped.

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#29

My only purchase this year was the polyend tracker. Was not super hyped in the beginning but muscle memory took over and I got really fast on it lately. Songmode makes me finish almost each idea into a track, which is great.
Some downsides… Lack of headroom, I wish midi tracks were a bonus to audio tracks and polyphonic as on the DT and OT… I couldn’t make any use of the destructive audio effects so far, I‘m too impatient…

I‘m spending a dangerous amount of time on modular grid lately so I might add another comment at the end of the year :see_no_evil:

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#30

Damnn some of you guys got a lot of stuff… jealous in a way, but I’d go crazy learning and integrating stuff I think.

I’m still very much learning and enjoying my AR mk2 I got last year, truly my fav piece of gear ever. I only bought 1 piece of gear this year, which was a hit:

The DSI mophox4… I had it before for a long time, and made the mistake to sell it for the prologue, a synth which everyone said sounded better (plus it has more voices). This year I sold the prologue and got back the mopho, and immediately remembered why I missed it. The keyboard has the perfect size for a small controller keyboard to sit in front of my desk, and the sound is very much in your face, but with kind of a mysterious/nostalgic vibe at the same time. Love it.

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#31

Hits:

Digitone
This thing is the bee’s knees. I’ve bounced off of using FM in every other situation. Mainly using the Digitone as a standalone box or with the DT for percussive accompaniment.

Modular
I’ve been posting about my journey in the modular topic. Modular is just so dang fun (for the right type of person). It really is a moneypit though, especially if you’re like me and prone to blowing up modules. There’s enough poetic waxing in the modular topic so I’ll stop here. But if you know, you know.

2005 MIM Telecaster
Beautiful twang and hearty chords from this modded fella. Got it from a former student and felt like I was a part of the “circle of life” or whatever. Anyway, it’s a tele. What more can be said?

Shallow Water and Diamond Hands
My two favorite pedal purchases. Shallow Water does the lofi tape warble really well. Sounds best on guitar but I’ve put it on synths to great effect. Diamond Hands is an overdrive/boost pedal by digdugdiy. It has both clean and dirty boost that sound luscious on guitar or the Digipair.

Misses

1010 Blackbox
I wish I liked it. My plan was to use the BB as a sampling station and looper for my modular. sadly, me and touch screens just don’t get along.

Micromonsta 2
I preordered this at a time when my philosophy was “more is more.” I had macro-oscillators up the wazoo. Now I’m a bit more focused with only digital, ring mod, and FM voices. I just can’t find a spot for this in my setup anymore so it’ll be out the door soon.

Dreadbox Typhon
Modular came in and stole this one’s thunder. The Typhon is a powerful and creative desktop monosynth, but I found I never used it once I got stuck into the powerful and creative monosynths of eurorack.

Undecided

Chase Bliss Mood and Microcosm
One of these needs to go. Both are a bit fiddly in all the wrong ways. The Mood is far more playable of the two which holds more appeal, but the Microcosm is a beast when the sound holds up.

M8 Tracker
Only because it isn’t in yet!

3 Likes
#32

Misses:

Moog Matriarch. I’m sure it’s me. I’d owned one of these before, sold it and then bought again. I do one thing on it over and over, I play triangle paraphonic chords with a bunch of delay. Sounds great but it ain’t worth the real estate. Four oscillators in mono is too much… Feel like the waveforms sound too thin… Something about the stereo filter never seemed to work right in my tracks… I’m so glad for all y’all that love it, but I have to admit it’s not for me.

Analog Rytm mkii. Pretty sure I just wanted a Digitakt again… I love the individual outs but I’m definitely not using the analog machines or the sequencer in a creative way (quick perf, what’s that?!). I think I finally figured out the individual outs on Overbridge right as my DT sold :confused:

Hits:

Moog Grandmother: Got this after the Matriarch, really pleased. Could be that less is more for me, that I work better with limitations, or maybe the sound is just objectively better? Really enjoying this.

Pulsar 23: wow wow wow. When a second hand one came up I jumped. I was uncertain that I would like it, but didn’t know when I would see one again. For a while this was married to my Shared System, it’s so easy to integrate with other gear, I didn’t expect it.

Jury’s out:

Analog 4 mkii - this is a great workhorse instrument, but I don’t find that joy that I did with the Analog Keys.

Vermona Perfourmer ii - got this to replace the Matriarch. Glad I have the space and I think I like the base tone better, but it hasn’t made its way onto any tracks yet. I also kick myself that I bought this version days before a CV/gate version became available - not that I’d ever use those features, but we always miss what we don’t have…

3 Likes
#33

Hit:
MC-707.
I spent a long time hem-hawing on whether I needed one or not. After trying to feel it with the Digitone, and deciding that I don’t quite click with it like I have the Model:Cycles, I sold the Digitone to afford this.
Only real issue I’m having with it so far is learning the new workflow. I’m loving the clip setup, but I have some muscle memory built up from Elektron stuff. I’ll get it down.

Miss:
Digitone.
I wanted to love it. It’s a beautiful and smooth sounding FM synthesizer, but I wish all the pages of controls could be right up front like the MC. I guess that little thing spoiled me for FM. I know there’s some fantastic users that can really perform well with it, but the quick access on the MC and 707 to performance controls are blowing it out of the water for me.

1 Like
#34

Hits:
Sequential OB6. Just a fantastic sounding synth.
Digitakt. My AR2 went back to Elektron with a pad issue and I bought a secondhand Digitakt to use in the meantime and I like it better than the Rytm.

Undecided:
AR2. Now that the Digitakt has a new OS the Rytm feels somewhat lacking overall for the money. It definitely needs an upgrade . I’ll probably hang onto it until that happens and either sell it or keep it

Miss:
Presonus 1824C audio interface. Very disappointed with the dull, lifeless sound. Sent it back and went back to my old souncard

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#35

The year is not even three-quarters over and there are major discount days ahead. See you on this thread in fifteen weeks (ten to the end of the year plus five for perspective)…

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#36

You should try Ernie Ball Primo Slinky (9.5-44), it supposed to have 9-42 feeling and 10-46 sound and it achieves that in my opinion. I would not hear a difference without hearing them side by side honestly, but it feels more comfortable than Regular Slinky and sounds very nice.

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#37

Hits:
Roland TR8s: After playing around with just after Release i dindnt like it very much. But then I was in need of Drum machnine for live Performance. Got a good Deal and now i love it. The 2.0 Update made this thing so much more powerful ( Saturator Effect) . Played a 90min Live set with it just improvising last weekend.

Audiothingies Doctor A : Superb FX box. You can use It as 2 Mono in / 2 Mono out box so you have Delay and Verb on seperate sends. And the Reverb blends super nicely in the mix.

Misses:

Some FX from Source Audio. They were too complex for my kind of musc and did not fit in the mix so well.

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#38

Hit:

Torso T-1: constant flow of melodic ideas.

Miss:

Korg SQ-64: another botched device from japan

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#39

I keep trying NOT to look into that thing. I really like the idea of that, but I can’t buy anything else for a while. Maybe next year!

Nevermind on the next year thing

Doing the NoGear new year challenge but cheating a little with last minute pickup of a vocoder and a Liven preorder.

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#40

I’m including 2020 with 2021. In the course of two years, I bought a TE OP-1 and a Digitone. OP-1 = MISS. Digitone = HIT

On the OP-1, you need a godlike sense of how all the parts will fit together…to avoid everything from sounding like poorly-filtered crap in the end. On the Digitone, you can start with crap and improve things from there. This method works much better for mere mortals like myself.

Using the Digitone has taught me a lot about musical texture. Maybe I can return to the OP-1, apply that knowledge and produce better results.

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#41

I hear you on this

I keep thinking this might replace the NDLR, so I’m actively avoiding anymore YouTube videos of it.

I love the NDLR, but it’s missing a few things.

1 Like