I’ve seen this topic loads of times but I couldn’t help asking… With the new MIDI learn, Stereo samples and 8 page grid I feel like you can get even more out of an external synth.
I’ve been looking for a nice desktop synth for a while, since I tried the DN twice but couldn’t get the sounds I was looking for (and too many Elektron sequencers do not work for me).
I’ve tried the Micromonsta, but it was too small and menu-ey,
I’ve tried the Volca FM 1, which was great but a bit difficult in terms of interface.
Now I’m looking for something <€500 second hand to pair with the DT2 (eventually, I’ll be fulfilled with just the DT2 for a while probably). Something that gets it’s use from the MIDI Learn stuff. I like warm sounds, pads and keys mostly.
I’m going to pair with a disting ex. It will give me either multisamples, 4x plaits, 4x rings, or 4x dx7 voices. It’s the king of menu diving but midi learn should help alleviate that.
We are not too spoiled for multitimbral synths as of now. Supercritical Redshift 6 is coming up that seems very interesting but that is more than 2x500€…
You say that you don’t want a too menu-ey synth but the new MIDI learn is good for precisely those synths, no?
If you want multitimbral synthesis around 500ish, I think Waldorf Blofeld and MC-101 are one of the few choices? An Ipad also becomes an even better companion for DT now with MIDI learn and the addiotional freedom of up to 16 midi tracks.
Roland sh4d – sounds very nice! It has very nice sounding drums + a different types of synth engines. 4 synths + 1 drums tracks that can be sequenced from external sequencer. It also has a built in sequencer and if you sync sh4d via midi you can sample it to DT2 as a perfect loops. Or MC101/707 – Rolands usually sounds great but sequencers and workflows are not so nice as elektron’s. I’d buy sh4d as it has more controls on the plate.
I would suggest the iPad because it provides you with a zillion apps to play with from sounds to effects and everything else which you can all control with the DTII.
It takes up minimal space. You can get one under 500,- (I bought a Mini last month and love it) and you can use the DTII as the audio interface. I think those two are a extremely great combo with endless possibilities.
What adapters/cables do you use? Had an Ipad a while back but it got busted, might have to consider another one at some point. My previous adapter setup was a bit flaky…
Yeah fair play. So i guess menu-ey synths do come into play. But even so I do like to be able to tweak it a bit on the synth itself. Not to make a sound from scratch but to tweak patches.
Hydrasynth Desktop is my workhorse subtractive synth. It can cover a lot of sonic ground, easily the most versatile synth I’ve ever owned.
It can do warm VA as well as cold digital stuff.
Limited FM and a fairly basic wavetable (‘wavescan’) mode are the main limitations plus slightly anaemic onboard FX (especially the reverb). You also have to gain stage the different internal modules quite carefully as the Hydra is prone to clipping inside the synth engine.
But other than that, the physical UI is genius, it is superbly well built and overall sounds pretty great.
Slightly OT but I’m beginning to realise that with DT2 plus ST with the Hydra serving as sample food for the DT2, I’m pretty much set with maybe an iPad for an occasional sampling sound source for the DT2.
I’ve had the sense in recent months that three boxes is the right number of boxes to do cool stuff. My setup is bigger than that… but for some reason everything I create only ever seems to revolve around three boxes, max.
