Hello all,
I’m cross-posting this to the 1010music forum; given that this is a digitakt-centric crowd, I figured cross-posting would balance out the bias.
I am new to synthesis, and new to beat making… having spent a few days and late nights here and there sitting in ableton messing around. I’ve since decided that I will focus on beat making as a hobby and want to dive right in with the right gear that will make flow easier.
tl;dr:
- just starting out seriously user manual diving.
- have a Korg ES-1 mkii, an arturia microfreak, a mini kp-1, a mini kaossilator 1, a mini kaossilator 2s, a worlde panda200 controller, and a (non-midi) mixing board.
- already sick of ES-1’s signal flow limitations (and mind you I don’t really know what I’m doing).
- want a sampler that will allow me to beat make, as well as sample stuff from my kaossilator(s), and microfreak, layer and organize it.
- want to stay DAWless for now, while I’m learning the basics, then will DAW myself later.
tl;
I bought a Korg ES-1 mkii a while back and didn’t spend due time on it until recently, having gone through the manual… I already feel that I’m pretty constricted with various features and flow. Ijust purchased a dollar-store midi controller (the worlde panda200), which support NRPN and should allow me more specific control over the ES-1… but certain things, like the signal flow (into effects for instance), lack of ADSR, lack of a proper hi and low pass filter (I feel like the part filter is bandpass), just generally annoy me (like “C’MON MAN!”).
Recently, I purchased a microfreak and am very happy with it’s versatility and I know it’s weird, but I believe it will teach me a lot about synthesis.
Basically, I imagine my workflow to be as follows:
- toss together a phrase on the microfreak.
- throw together a beat on the kaossilator and/or the sampler.
- sample at least one of the two.
- arrange it back and create songs (a la Ricky Tinez)
Discovering that I’m looking for something more than the ES-1 on the sampler front, I was only focused on the blackbox, but now am impressed with the possible vaporware pipes ([www.pipes.rocks](see web site pipes.rocks), although a MODEP box is just as appealing to me). Also, after watching several videos (cuckoo, Ricky Tinez, and a dude, VoltageCtrlRtv) I’m quite impressed with the flexibility and functions of the digitakt.
But, I feel that the Digitakt is an instrument first and an arranger second… where I feel that the blackbox is an arranger first and an instrument second. Not to say the blackbox’s community is non-existant, but the digitakt’s community seems much stronger, which means that getting questions answered or having video or written tutorials available will make the digitakt much easier to learn
I’m working my way through this thread on elektronauts which is filled with critical perspectives on both devices.
Has anyone used both? I’m wholly aware that they complement each other… that the digitakt can be used to control the blackbox… that, in a workflow, the blackbox is likely to sample the digitakt… but what is your gut feeling knowing what I’m looking for for which direction I should move?
Thanks!
[Edit]
Worth noting that the Octatrack mkii is a little steep pricewise for me. Thanks.
[Edit 2]
…but, apparently, the Octatrack mki is not too expensive.
[edit 3]
I bought a digitakt and a blackbox. I used them for about two weeks. I then returned them and bought an Akai MPC One, which is $700USD instead of $1400USD and essentially does the same things and arguably more things. hatersgonnahate.gif
