With you here 100%. I don’t even use it anymore and I’m actually thinking of selling it. For me, that’s a HUGE statement. I have no patience for trying to learn all the menu diving. Unless you use it daily you forget what you learned. Incredibly powerful but “friendly” usability falls with each update.
1 Like
https://www.youtube.com/@thelastdj
When you think you’re too old…
This guy is inspiring. I’m 64!!
It ain’t over until they’re inviting people to the memorial service.
8 Likes
So Sempai=Oji-San…
Sorry for OT, my fingers were too fast.
1 Like
Tonight we have a 72 y old italo artist in town
Never too old
5 Likes
9 days ago they still throw partys in his name. I think he got to level 72.
1 Like
I’ll get the gear he’s on, please and thank you.
1 Like
Miss:
Pigtronix Infinity Looper:
I got this one with the intention to pair with guitar, bass, and M:S. I didn’t end up liking the looping workflow and the hassle of setting it all up, unfortunately. Not the machine’s fault though, midi sync worked great right away.
Hits:
Digitakt:
Bought shortly after DTII’s release after eyeing it for years. It felt immediately familiar coming from the M:S. Love it, especially the clicky buttons. M:S has been gathering dust ever since.
Zoom H1n field recorder:
Bought on a whim when it was on sale. I really enjoy collecting random sounds and sampling directly into DT. Fantastic for the little money I paid for it.
12 Likes
Post Holiday Bonus Hit:
It’s not even a purchase I made this year (originally bought in 2007) but I rediscovered Microtonic over xmas and really I don’t know why I ever thought I’d need anything else…Multi out, bit of processing, couple of choice fx under Push control and the ideas keep coming out. A true classic.
5 Likes
That surprised me - I have a mk1 version and I just bought it back to my pedalboard. The split inputs, allows me Al much creative freedom with two amplifiers and I have written a lot of material with it. As you say the midi is so good - looping on the fly with a sequencer is excellent
3 Likes
- Same age and life is sweet.
- Exercise every day, that’s my body and my mind
- Walk around problems don’t collide with them
- Be creative every day and soar at altitude
This year I increase my output to new levels and get more ideas completed!
8 Likes
Hits:
S2400 - continue to use this as my main brain and really started to get complete usage now I sequence my other synths with it as well. Love it’s song mode, audio sound and workflow
Oxi One - added this a few weeks ago. Use it to feed my S2400 sequences across all my gear. It’s a great combo, and the Oxi is a Swiss army knife sequencer, can connect it to my ipad, to my hardware ,laptop, etc.
Edge - barely use it for drums or percussion, instead i found it to be an amazing sounding bass synth and use it on all my tracks. The Oxi adds LFOs which was the only thing that it was missing.
Miss:
Push 3 SA - never hated a devices workflow as much as the Push. Prob most bugs i experienced have been ironed out, but all i remember of this machine was that by itself it ran well, hooked up to hardware was the worst timing I’ve seen out of any hardware device. The lack of pattern chaining, song mode just made this machine seem so useless to me. As an Ableton controller i see its benefits, but as a standalone device it’s just not for me.
9 Likes
Looping just didn’t work out for me. I’m too mediocre a player to get a satisfying loop going quickly. I found out I’d rather dedicate some time to proper recording and transfer that sample to the DT to work with.
Just personal preference. I don’t doubt that it’s an excellent pedal in the right hands.
1 Like
Hit:
Maschine Plus factory refurbished direct from Native Instruments for 550 quid. Absolute bargain for such a powerful stand alone groovebox.
Miss:
Roland Fantom. Only Roland could make a keyboard with a great touch screen, plenty of encoders, sliders and buttons and yet still have such convoluted basic functions.
2 Likes
Take on S3000XL
I got mine years ago for a lot less than they go for now which makes it easier to justify keeping it even though I’m not using it as much as I should. I think the problem is really that it’s so much quicker to do creative stuff in software or on more modern samplers, it is undoubtedly a massive pain in the ass to get anything up and running on the S3000XL and it’s rarely where I’d start from.
BUT, for me it is vibey as hell. I’ve seen a lot of debate about its sound and where it sits between MPC3k and MPC2k, which I don’t really have a view on seeing as I’ve never used either. And I don’t really care, when it works to my ears it hits the spot of classic Akai flavour plus modern sequencing. I also find that parts - especially hats but drums in general and chops - tend to become easier to sit in a mix when they’ve been run through it, also how it glues samples running a sequence through the main outs. I haven’t really gotten into building key group programs to use it as a synth, but I really should - it works well for monophonic lines.
I guess it’s pretty questionable whether it’s worth the hassle to use a box like this pretty much for flavour when all the main composition work has been done in the DAW or on other gear. For me I do think it has something that’s hard to get elsewhere, but probably there are plugins or emulations that will get you 90% of the way there.
This was supposed to be a no new gear year for me, got Push 3 late last year and love it to the point that I’d been considering selling everything else. For me it’s still a generational hit, easily my favourite single piece that I own.
But of course, it didn’t work out that way.
Miss - MPC 3.0
I’ll start here, because everything else pretty much follows. I consider this a new piece of gear even though it was an update to my 1st Gen MPC Live that I’ve had more or less since launch, but it’s fundamentally different in ways that really affected how I liked to use MPCs since I got the 1k about a decade ago. Until 3.0 I’d pretty much ignored all the plugins and DAW-lite stuff because I could just get on with the basics, for me it was a sample chopping and idea generator first and foremost - I don’t think I’d ever want to try arranging/mixing a track on this kind of box when actual DAWs exist. But 3.0 really went after the foundations of the MPC as I’d liked to use it, and not in any kind of positive way for me.
Hit - SP404 MKII
I’d kinda been curious about the 404 for a while but never really understood it very well, combination of changes to the MPC plus listening to a lot of Madlib pushed me over the edge. And it’s been great - I usually use it as a sidecar to my DAW or iPad over usb, and it has become pretty indispensable. It sounds really, really good at base level, and really offers so much - although I’m really only getting into my stride with it, there is a definite learning curve but it rewards digging in.
Hit - Roland P-6
I liked the 404 enough that I couldn’t resist the P-6 when it came out. It has similar advantages as a sidecar to the iPad / phone in particular. I find it pretty easy to get results I like with the granular engine, even if for the most part I’m just turning knobs, and I think again it sounds good in general. Plus the size. I think for both the 404 and this you do need to be willing to develop a case of Roland Brain to get all the shortcuts, but to be honest I find both pretty intuitive.
Hit - Ableton Move
Initially was gonna pass on this given that I already have Push. I’d had Note on my phone but it really never clicked, but once I decided to get into it prompted by the Move launch the capture process made perfect sense, so I went all in.
It’s had a much bigger impact on my process than I’d anticipated - thought I was just getting a sketchpad to cover situations where I don’t want to carry Push around, but what it’s really done is encourage me to play rather just than program.
I find Move super slick and playable, it’s so easy to generate melodic/rhythmic ideas as the basis for further development and jamming, rather than jamming and hoping the idea would emerge from there. I’d been going down a bit of a rabbit hole using Push primarily as a modular-ish platform with pretty complex Max sequencing which is a lot of fun for jams but not so much in terms of translating to tracks. It’s also gotten me into learning finger drumming and playing the pads in a more systematic way having half-assed it for years. There are still a bunch of room for improvement - especially around working with samples, but for me it’s been a real winner even in its current shape.
Between Move and 404 I’ve replaced the things that were broken in MPC 3.0 so I’m now a bit more inclined to give it a chance to develop or maybe try using it in different ways, so I’m probably not as down on it now as I was earlier in the year. Still a definite miss for me, though, but I might still hold off on selling just for now.
Would also count Live 12 as a hit - they’ve really turned things around in the past couple of releases imho. And a few plugins / max devices, but I guess I’ll stick with hardware.
18 Likes
Had to cut back but still bought more than I thought. More focused on effects for my main setup (keystep pro, db nymphes, te blastbeats, soma ROAT), which really grew together this year.
[Hits]
Boss BD-2w: Had a borrowed a blues driver before, knew I had to get my own. Great with synths because it can support the sound design I do further up the chain rather than overpowering it with e.g. distortion. Unless I need it to.
Boss SL-2: Great fun, and extremely useful for my role in the band. Love the rhythmic potential for supporting others or glitching out, but I still need to put in more work, write down the useful presets and such.
Demedash T-60: Less cost-effective, but I like the sounds, even if they are more subtle. Once again inadvertendly building a v cool pedal board for guitar.
Dirtywave M8: Saved up for this with birthday money and it got me out of a depressive slump. Coming from LSDJ I was instantly on board and was impressed with the sound design. Needs more work, obviously, I hope I can get back into it after my acoustic phase rn.
Lyra 8: Thought hard about what hardware synths are even worth getting now I’m starting to work in the box, and this one won out. The orange version looks like it fell out of 70s sci-fi, and it’s the best haptic experience I’ve ever had. And it sounds like routing a planetarium soundtrack through a radio telescope, that does good things to the adhd brain. Doesn’t neatly integrate with my main setup, but it’s the first synth I hooked up to Ableton and it helped me experiment with effects.
Thomann pedalboard: Fits my five effects and the nymphes. So much easier to pack for live gigs!
UA Volt 276 Interface: Got this cheap with a mic and finally, finally managed to start using Ableton after bouncing off multiple times. Just the improved monitoring and the ability to connect my synths made a huge difference, for now that’s way more intuitive than using VSTs and midi, I can learn that some other time. Slowly experimenting with mic recordings as well, that’s still intimidating though.
Honourable mention to the book “Mixing Secrets” by Mike Senior that a friend lent me, which gave me a huge boost when I was in another slump. Coming from live sound, I got the exact right level of information to understand the different workflows and priorities in a studio. Maybe I can make all of this work in a few years…
[Misses]
Dreadbox Hades: Solid case of GAS hangover, I thought I needed a dedicated bass synth but I ended up just undusting my Boog. Unfortunately the Hades sounds too good to sell, and I will use it on an album track at least.
Sonicware Mega Synthesis: Was mesmerized by the sounds and thought I could use it to compose tracks on train rides, as an upgrade to the 4-track gameboy. Unfortunately not nearly practical enough, too convoluted interface. Not even used in a jam so far…
And then there’s the opsix module I got very cheap on black friday that hasn’t arrived yet 
6 Likes
Hits
1. Ableton Move (… and Push 3… and Note)
Move has been my biggest hit for 2024, because it has successfully consolidated the Ableton Live environment for me. I’d been back and forth with Push 3, but Move’s simplified approach has just got me thinking in ‘that’ Ableton way, and it translates to Push 3 and Note. I’m loving Push 3 now, thanks to Move.
2. OTO BAM
I love how playable the BAM is, and it reaffirms the importance of hardware (for me). I could do everything BAM does and more in plugins, but the tactility elevates it beyond software.
3. Yamaha CK-61
I got the CK-61 thinking I was getting the Reface boxes in one larger keyboard; and it’s not far off that… but, it’s been a hit because I didn’t realise how much I was missing a straightforward all-rounder like this; keys, synths, pianos, strings, basses, perc… I love it’s form and functionality, and being able to dial in sounds stupidly fast.
Normally I’ll go deeper into sculpting sounds than the CK-61 allows, but it’s the best ideas generator I’ve owned, there’s minimal friction between switching it on and playing.
On The Fence
Squarp Hapax
I’m not selling it, because I think a situation might arise when it’ll come through for me. I already really dig what it does, but, Push 3/Live gets me there quicker, and I’m predominantly working with audio.
Misses
Yamaha Reface CS
I thought this was a no brainer after having the Reface DX and CP, and really liking them… but, the CS doesn’t live up to them to me; I’d rather use the Minifreak.
11 Likes
Big agree on the CK-61. I put mine in my living room to just sit down and play. Not connected to anything studio wise. Just an instrument to enjoy. It’s one of the best decisions I’ve made in years.
3 Likes
Hydrasynth is a beast for pads. Glad to hear the Nina does bass and leads well. Thats top of my list for 2025.
3 Likes
This is my first year of DAWless synthesizing. Ive learned a ton, but just wanted to put that out there so people dont give my opinions more weight than they deserve. 
Hits
MC 707
Best piece of gear I own. Essential kit for full DAWless. 8 tracks + midi send per step for patch and CC control of external instruments.
Its all menus, but I clicked with the menu system and controls right away. Way less fuss than a DAW imo.
• Infinite poly
• massive roland drum and synth sound library
• Sampler with chop and edit
• Drum compressor
• Effects library
• Huge sound design possibilities
• Big brain - track, step, pad, and phrase controls on almost everything internal and external send.
• Pro sound - probably the most important thing
After owning this for months and using SE02 for sound design I tried some design on the 707 on a tone track, and OMG is this powerful. 3 osc with bevy of waves, filters (ADSR +), effects, LFOs… Very menu driven, as with just about everything in the 707. But very focused and quick to build the sound you want if you’re ok with subtractive synth.
Caveats :
OMG menus
SE-02
Moog quality sound with patch save for less than $500. Bring your own knobs.
This is a dense little machine. It took me a couple days to click with the kindof arbitrary xmod but now that I have its the quickest path to killer leads, full bass madness, and filter sweeps so crazy it will make your moog blush.
Caveats :
Tiny knobs
Set up your Arturia Keylab with SE-02 MIDI CCs and you win. This improved the sound design and performative experience massively. You’ll need the manual from Sunshine Jones bcz the roland manual is actual trash.
Behringer Air XR16
Great feature rich mixer with effects, great EQ and flexible routing and headphone mix. Now I can go from composing to mixing instantly. DAWless and simple.
Caveats :
Finicky setup. I was not able to get its broadcast network working, but its great on my LAN.
Requires app to work or is a useless brick.
On the fence :
Hydrasynth
I have spent the least time with this one, but struggling to click.
Great at pads. Lots of power and interesting features, but not the workflow dream I thought it would be.
Its a lot of extra work to get it to sound “analog.” And while you can fine tune in a way thats tougher with analog, I find sound design pretty laborious.
If you want experimentation and non-outcome based noodling style sound design this is great.
For me, very tough to design the sound I have in mind quickly. SE-02 for mono and 707 for poly are just so much easier and sound at least as good.
Keeping for now.
Upside :
Pads, ethereal and atmospheric BEAST
My advice to ASM - maybe dont default the sustain to max in every envelope? they dont act like envelopes unless you know what you’re doing and fix them. WTH.
7 Likes
(Turn on Random Phase (makes a huge difference) as well as a bit “Analog Feel”. If you use Warm Mode, add an EQ to add the high-end back.)
2 Likes