Feels like you need one more, smaller, device to complete the setup.
Well, I do have another Op-1. But just after taking the photo I put a Volca FM on the desk.
I’m going to use one or 2 FX pedals for the Volca. Probably the Ottobit jr and BigSky. And that should be it.
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(Bah, the preview does not load the image, which is Trader Joe’s Irish Bangers, sold by a niche US supermarket owned by Aldi.)
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Awesome!!
Not sure if I should have posted it here or on the your setups thread. I robbed the Switch of my daughters. This will probably be my one and only setup for the upcoming month.
Goal is to do a mini album with this only, I took it for a spin for like 10 minutes while my gf was in the shower and already had the canvas of a decent but unmixed 2min30 electro track. It is quite limitated but the note sequencer and the song arranger are so quick to use and there is a record feature for automation . I may just add vocals with a DAW (but I may just try to use some voice effect thingy on my smartphone, koala and the superposition feature of the TASCAM to keep it small and focused).
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Oh!
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Lovely atmosphere/studio
This happened to me too. I spent way too much time and headspace trying to integrate MPC2500 and OT in years past. In the end, I settled for separate kit for separate purposes:
- OT, Rytm, Virus Ti - studio desk, I’m working on jamming material, not finished productions
- MPC live 2 - standalone take anywhere single box for full productions. I love the rechargeable battery and soundbar.
- SP404mk2 - fun, intuitive loops and patterns anywhere, small enough for a bus, train, plane etc. Good for screaming into for those noise jams too
There is a bunch of other kit boxed up to switch with the Virus when I want a change - modular, dreadboxes, DSI Evolver etc. I sold a chunk of stuff early in the year and more may go (for instance I might sell all the modular and keep only 0-coast for modular sounds to be sampled and layered, it’s very versatile and small).
This approach has helped me to keep a lid on GAS (no purchases since NY) and also use the very limited time I have to actually make sounds, rather than working on routing, setup, functions, etc.
Really enjoying catching up with this thread and everyone’s input.
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While I respect your opinion on the matter, I disagree. I can name off a bunch of things the genre has in common between artists - but then that’s just my opinion which is no more or less valid than yours and neither is a statement of fact.
I’d also have to care enough about grunge to list them, which I don’t because I think it’s silly, boring, unimaginative, and yawn inducing. Again, just my opinion, neither correct or incorrect no matter how strongly someone would argue why my opinion is ‘wrong’.
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I got into Elektron boxes/sequencing a few years ago, particularly the Digitakt and Digitone, as a kind of perfect (for me) balance of power and consistent accessibility.
Since then, other non-Elektron gear in my setup tends to vex me in small or big ways, so there’s an inherent mental resistance now to “complicating things”. I tend to fall back to just the DT/DN pair as the path of least resistance for me when doing OTB music making.
Now with the Syntakt in my setup, I think some of my other non-Elektrons are going to gather more dust, what with all these complementary sound generation tools in just three boxes, all with shared workflows and sequencing that makes my brain and muscle memory much less cluttered.
I tend not to be a collector, and only change my setup based on intent, with a lot of thought going into how each piece works with my music goals.
Oddly enough, given the breadth of Elektron’s products overall, the “Digi” boxes have helped in my gear focus, with my first box (the DN) resonating with me so hard that I quickly paired a DT with it and immediately sold off some other gear such as the MPC Live. Now I’ve become a bit set in my ways and resistant to anything that isn’t some variation of these mid-range little miracles. Good for my focus on making music instead of getting distracted by gear tinkering and good for my wallet.
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You think that’s complex try reining in 6 digital mono synths with a model:samples, also known as the D6 
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One of my favourite techno tracks. It does a lot with very little. I reckon it’s 8 sounds in total (in order of appearance: kick, snare/clap, riff 1, hat, perc, riff 2, vocal, hat 2):
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Oh, I didn’t notice this thread until posting in the “Your Setups” one, but I want to share here too if it’s ok.
I’ve been doing my damnedest to find the right mix of drums, polyphony, and FM sound for a while. I think I’m finally there.
I’ve still got a T-8, Gecho Loopsynth, and PO-20 that I bring out for playing on the sofa or for lunch breaks interchangeably.
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My setup is still going the other way, but I am removing gear that doesn’t gel and realising that the “Elektron box” really is my favourite way to work…
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AR2 does all the heavy lifting. a modest 24hp modular system based around Plaits and the 2600M are for noodling, inspiration or otherwise to fix an itch conventional avenues won’t scratch.
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Sorry to necro this thread but someone liked this old post of mine today, and it was cool to read back what my ambition was 2 years ago. I did indeed manage to completely focus on my ARmk2 + Moog GM setup for the last 2 years, and I released 4 instrumental albums and 1 rap album made entirely with this setup.
Looking back, focussing and really mastering the gear I had was indeed a great way to be both inspired and productive! I learned and made more than I’d ever imagined, and I can really recommend everyone to try this with a small core setup. Once I reached the limits of what the AR was meant to do, this forced me to find a way to make it do things it wasn’t made to do, which lead to both terrible and amazing sounds.
I’ve moved from the AR to an Isla s2400 a few weeks back, and my plan is to focus on that machine the coming year(s?). The GM is still there and will never be replaced!
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It looks like I’m gonna be using mainly just Pyramid, Virus TI, and Analog Rytm for the longer term. Making presets on the Virus is still kind of painful but I’m betting on me getting used to it. Rytm is a real unsung gem, especially now. And Pyramid while ergonomically infuriating at times (WHY isn’t the touchpad on the LEFT??) is definitely more fun and inspiring than sequencing on a computer.
And yeah, getting creative with AR’s unusual sound engine is the name of the game! I personally am having a blast seeing what it can do, and the dirtiness and unpredictability is refreshing …
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