And here I’m the exact opposite, my favorite thing about my HX Stomp is how easy it is to program without a computer. But to be fair, I’ve been using Line 6 Pods in one form or another since they came out so I’m used to they way they organize things.
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TE released it WAY too early, it took months before it was ready for prime time.
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You weren’t wrong! All the extra stuff that’s on my live board isn’t that critical. I could easily do live shows with just the TV. The DN2 and various pedals on the live board are just icing on the gravy 
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It just felt like changing things actively in a patch was such a process. For setting up prebuilt patches that you just switch between it makes all the sense and I get that.
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hits -
analog 4 mk1, keeper for life, absolutely sick box
digitone mk1
1010 bitbox micro
doepfer a-189-1, huge sleeper weapon for eurorack, really nice
korg ms-20 mini
strymon volante
great year for synths
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this is a common trend now…
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Some great value for the money classics right there! Wish I still had my A4 mkI.
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yup consider a used Digitakt I they are cheap now and great value. I returned my PWM Malevolent had too many issues. I also may return Shermanbank it is quirky and hard to dial in. May get Analog Heat FX or OTO Boum to replace it. My Hexdrums and soon to arrive Perkons already have tons of gain and compression needed.
This year was a part downsizing, part pivoting toward a more cohesive workflow:
Hits
1010 Music Blackbox
Very glad I downsized from my DT2 to this gem. The DN2 is my midi brain, and the DT2 was basically being used as a glorified looper. The BB is even better in this role with the quantized recording, and its DC-coupled outputs allowed me to sell my eurorack midi-cv utilities without loosing the option of converting midi to cv. The granular is a nice touch too. Plus it’s so very portable.
Moog Labyrinth
Caught the $150 off sale this summer and finally brought home a synth I had long been interested in. It sounds amazing, and its generative sequencer pairs so nicely with the quantized looping of BB, easy to loop a sequence and then record several iterations of it.
Misses
Korg Minilogue OG
I loved the sounds coming out of this thing, and designed my favourite patch I’ve created on it, but couldn’t update it with Korg’s old software and really needed access to the patch library, and some of viewing parameters. I realized that I’m happy with knob per function/wysiwyg, or a clear way to see parameter values, but not neither.
On the fence
Modern Sounds Pluto
A crazy amount of CV power in a small and portable device, decent sounding effects, and more fun in 4 step sequencers than I would have guessed. I just haven’t really needed as much external CV modulation with the Labyrinth as I expected, and think the TV will replace any need for other effects once I pick one up - probably before EOY.
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I never buy a lot of gear because I’m trying to keep my setup as minimal and focussed as possible, but I did get some new stuff:
Hits
- Trading my Moog grandmother for a Matriarch. I’ve had the gm since 2018 as my only synth and I love it. I found a good trade for a dark matriarch and made the upgrade. I always though the matriarch might lack some of the immediacy of the GM, but its amazing. The 4 voice paraphony adds a whole layers of sounds (chords!) you can make.
- Ableton Move. This thing is what I wanted the sp404mk2, OP-1 og, mpc 500 and roland p-6 (all sold) to be. The device feels sturdy enough to use it on the go, has great pads, and can sample from usb. The workflow is amazing and it sounds very good. Perfect machine for spontanious music making.
Misses
- Sp404mk2. Had one and sold it but decided to try again because of all the great functions. The workflow is convoluted but I can manage coming from the 303/404 og. The thing that completely kills this machine for me is its sound. This is completely subjective but to my ears it sucks the life out of samples like the OT does for some other people. Others make great music on it so I guess its me doing something wrong haha. Sold it after getting the move.
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this is very nice to hear - so BB pair well with Labyrinth?
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I think so! The Labyrinth only allows you to save one sequence saved in the buffer, but invites you to keep iterating on it, so being able to very quickly record those iterations in perfect loops without having to stop the sequencer is a really great workflow for me.
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That’s a wild take! It’s a very transparent sampler.
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Yeah I’m not sure how to describe it, every sampler, even the very clean ones, has a sound to it. To me, the digitakt sounds different to the 404mk2 or the move, while all of em are considered transparent.
With the 404mk2 to me its more a matter of it not feeling right than sounding objectively bad in any way. If I had to describe it to me it kind of sounds bad on transients and has too little character in the high frequencies but I hate it when people try to describe sound in such terms haha. I love the 404sx sound, which was also considered transparent by the way. Maybe this is all in my head.
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I actually wouldn’t say the Digitakt is transparent, fwiw (in a good way though).
I don’t want to deny you your own feelings or gaslight you into thinking you’re hearing something you’re not but I am tempted to say that yea it’s you 
Maybe you had something on bus 3/4?
Anyway you’ve found your box, which is the important thing 
The move is a very compelling package, I’ve heard a lot of good things about it.
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I don’t think I’ve mentioned it before because why would I when everyone else seems to enjoy the sound of it, but you’re not alone on this.
It looks such a useful thing to have around for its price point that I’ve spent hours over the years listening to demos, searching for ones outside the ‘lo-fi hip-hop’ wheelhouse (easier said than done), trying to convince myself and the thing just never sounds appealing to me. Part of it is the transients, I think you’re on the right track with that. I wasn’t even as high on the jpegmafia album where it turned out he was using it as everyone else was either 
Similar thing with the Octatrack for me, I want to love the way it sounds but despite my best efforts have never been close. One thing I’ve learned is that if I’m having to talk myself into it where sound is concerned it won’t end up staying around if I buy one.
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Nothing on the busses haha, I did actually think that was the thing for a moment but no. Really wanted to like the mk2 as I would love a 404sx with more functions.
The funny things is my dad used to teach sound and psychoacoustics in art college, I’m very aware of the fact that the way we perceive sound is shaped by the way a piece of gear looks and feels for instance. Might be the reason in this case, but either way I dont like its sound haha.
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agree for me the effects and sounds that I get out of the sp 404 mk2 are unique and amazing! the sequencer is a pain however
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I love mine but admittedly never sequence, I like that it gives me the opposite of what I get from an Elektron sequencer, it thrives for organic, humanised recordings. If I want sequences then I’d rather be in Ableton or a digi box.
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Hits:
- Hydrasynth Desktop
- Radial J45 Stereo Active DI – finally found the simple solution for integrating my Chapman Stick into the studio
- Arturia MiniFreak
- Digitakt II – my first Elektron box and immediately became my go-to for making things. So much fun! It definitely got me hooked…
- Digitone II – …enough to dip into the next quarterly bonus too. I hadn’t previously spent any time on FM but now I love it.
Misses:
- Kala mahogany U-Bass – bought for a project that didn’t materialize, and it’s cute but almost useless unplugged
Jury’s Out:
- Novation Launch Control XL Mk3 – planning to integrate with Digis and other HW but too early to judge
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