I guess I can do one of these even though I’m a n00b. This was the first year I bought electronic hardware anything, although I’ve been playing guitar and bass and singing and stuff in bands and also making DAW stuff for forever. Looking back I feel embarrassed about how much fucking shit I bought this year, although I guess I sold a ton too. I’m in love with my setup as it is right now. I think I did a good job putting together a cohesive and great sounding little setup that, relatively speaking, wasn’t actually super expensive.
None of this stuff is new to the world this year, just new to me.
HITS.
Model:Samples. I stumbled across something about the Volca Drum like a year ago and thought it looked cool, went down an r/synthesizers rabbithole, and decided the M:S was a better choice. I was right. Love this little box. Awesome to learn on. After using it for a month or so i started selling old stuff off to get more hardware to pair with it. First up:
Dreadbox Nymphes. Love this little box too. The unconventional interface makes it a funny one to learn synthesis on, but I could afford it and ngl I thought it was cool they dedicated it to women and survivors. I worked in DV for years and whatever nits people chose to pick about that, it seems clear to me that Dreadbox’s heart is in the right place.
People on the internet also sure seem to hate the interface, but that hasn’t been my experience - it’s basically shift functions and a menu that’s printed on the front. You have to develop muscle memory for sure, but that’s any instrument ime. I’m no sound design genius but I had (and continue to have) a great time using it. It sounds awesome and loves to be run through old guitar pedals. Looks awesome too, and I managed to score one as B-stock. Still haven’t figured out why it was discounted.
Hydrasynth Keys. I’d been reading the hydra thread here and fantasizing about getting one when I idly searched cl for “hydrasynth” an hour after selling a guitar and found a guy selling one for $500. Posted the whole story here.
I am not a power user lol. I’ve gotten to a point in my life where I’m just stoked to be stoked on making music and not trying to force myself to be a genius to be satisfied. I am constantly reminding myself not to overcomplicate patches on this thing - you don’t have to be @Jeanne to make cool sounds with it. Also I feel like I’ve seen a bit of a backlash against it online in the last year or two. But I’m having a great time learning it and making patches and using presets bc idgaf and making stuff where it has one job and the nymphes has another - nymphes loves to be a bass - and I’m stoked to continue to learn it and go deeper with it and explore. Killer synth for $500 imho
Digitakt 1. I told myself that I needed to upgrade from the Model:Samples, but aside from the fact that I was running out of tracks by sequencing other stuff, it was just GAS. The m:s was doing pretty much everything I needed… Actually that’s not entirely true. Now that I’m used to the DT’s envelopes, LFOs, compressor, and other more extensive sound design stuff, it would be hard to go back to the m:s. Whatever though. I was disappointed to find that the DT can’t record aftertouch, modwheel or pitchwheel data to the sequencer, but whatever again. I don’t need an infinitely powerful setup that can do everything, I just want to make my dumb songs, and the DT has been great for that. It’s another one that I’m going to be learning more deeply for a long time.
Dreadbox Typhon. Another that doesn’t need an introduction from me. Like I said, the Nymphes loves to be a bass, and I enjoyed using it as a mono synth - so it’s cool to have an actual mono synth from dreadbox. (I might love dreadbox.) As I imagine a lot of people do at first, when I got it I went way overboard with effects, but I think it really shines when they’re more subtle. This one doesn’t feel super complicated, just fun and sounds gorgeous.
Bastl Bestie Got a ridiculous deal on this too. Not really using it for the no-input thing much, and i don’t care that it can run on batteries, I’m just using it as a simple mixer. I do kinda wish it could eq stuff but that’s not what it’s for - I’m going to try not to buy anything next year except probably a proper mixer, like one of the Mackie 1202’s, because it would be nice to do some actual mixing. But the Bestie has been great for my humble setup.
MISSES.
Roland E-4 voice changer. Not sure why I thought I wanted this. I’m sure it’s cool for somebody but it’s not really what I do. Made me appreciate that none of my other gear is plastic.
Broken mpk49 I bought on cl for $40. Actually this was a hit, i loved playing it, i just fixed it up and sold it to buy the hydra.
Arturia Analog Experience Laboratory 49. Midi controller from 2008ish that I bought at a thrift store tenish years ago and used with Ardour. Not actually a miss either, just sold it to buy other stuff. Even though the software doesn’t exist any more, it was a great controller.
Keystep 37. Honestly, this probably isn’t a miss exactly, but I think I got synthfluenced lol. The sequencer and chord mode and everything is all great but mostly I just want a sequencer to record what I play then play it back - I don’t need a lot of what the 37 does. And it is so tiny! Like the keys themselves are fine, but the 37 made me realize that I don’t really feel comfortable on fewer than 49 keys. I’ll keep it around, it’s super portable and I don’t hate playing it. But I think the internet convinced me it would change my life. It didn’t.