First synth for a junglist: Microkorg or Roland S-1?

The Lounge Other Gear
21

Alright, after checking out all the suggestions given (massive thanks 'n shoutouts to you guys), i narrowed it down to the MC-101 or the Microfreak/Minifreak.

from what i understand, most of the early jungle scene were using romplers and samples from other records, which is what I already do anyways making hip-hop, so the MC-101 seems to be a modern update of the Roland JV series in a smaller box, which I can definitely dig. I’d have to get a Keystep or a Novation Launchkey if i wanna play it on a keyboard, but it is what it is.

The Micro/Minifreak seems to be the wave for messing around with making my own patches, which I’m down to do as well. since it’s a fully-fledged synth, it’d be cool for exploring other genres n whatnot, and it’s just small enough to fit under my desk with a sliding keyboard tray. i’m leaning more toward the Minifreak since I can’t get over how weird the keys are on the Microfreak. if anyone’s got experience with the MC or the Minifreak, lemme know what I should be aware of before I get it!

1 Like
22

I mean, you don’t have to make it however people made it with romplers or on an atari ST or an akai s9000 or whatever. You could just make it how you want to and if you’re happy with how it sounds then who cares, right? It’s important to respect tradition, but it’s also expensive, so given the option I’d rather make decent music than authentic music.

Not saying that either of those wouldn’t be fine purchases but did you even try it with what you already have? Just one perspective though. Not trying to sound like a hater.

4 Likes
23

I did consider using single-cycle waveforms and basically using my 1000 as a synth that way (and honestly it sounds super cool to do still), but since it doesn’t have any way to generate its own waveforms or patches or whatever else, my only other options are synths or romplers. I could always find sample packs on the internet and call it a day, but I wanna have fun with how I make my music. I could sell all my records and just go to using Reaper if i just wanted to use what was most convenient, but I like trying to do what the people who came before me used!

EDIT: The MPC i’m using is the 1000, not the One. Only thing my baby can do is sample but it does it just the way I like it.

24

I mean, you’re misinterpreting what I’m saying but I understand your position and I wish you the best in your endeavors here.

25

Maybe I’m misunderstanding, what do you mean using what I have?

26

I’ve been on a budget my whole life bro. You got a couple of synths, do you have something to sequence them with or a midi keyboard at least? I assume MPC 1000 has some midi sequencing capability but I don’t know the extent of your ability to send cc automation or whatever.

A lot of what you’ll be using is samples anyways for breaks and vocals etc. so what we’re really talking about is stuff like pads and basslines which I think if you play around a bit and then pitch the results down or up and layer them can produce reasonable results with what you have.

There is nothing saying you can’t use both of your synths together to create more complex sounds, but some of it is probably going to require learning and being creative. Single cycle waveforms, which you mentioned, are also a very powerful tool to have in your arsenal.

Use what you’re good at, hearing the sounds that you like and then sampling and resampling them to create new sounds, but now add to that more manipulation of the sound itself.

I would really need to research the capabilities of the MPC1000 to tell you what it can or can’t do because I don’t know, I’ve never owned one, but it can probably do a lot of what you need.

Having a complex sound source and controlling a complex sound source in time with the music are two completely different things. That’s why a lot of people like the elektron sequencer because it allows you to do complex modulation of sounds.

I feel like it’s probably better to just let you do what you want here and maybe it’s worth a couple hundred bucks to not have to work harder because for me, that is absolutely the case sometimes, but like, having the sounds is really only going to give you some sounds in the vein of what you’re looking for. Yeah it’s cool to make them, but there’s more than one way to do that.

I hardly work on computers to make music at all, it makes my skin crawl. Spending money on software feels like I’m wiping my ass with my money, but I get why people do it and sometimes I gotta edit something in a daw because my skills are not as good as my ideas, but at the same time like 94% of what I do is hardware and it isn’t that it’s good, it’s just that you are misinterpreting if you think that I’m suggesting you use software because it’s the path of least resistance.

If you don’t have a sequencer which is capable of putting those synths to work and making the sounds which you want them to make, then consider spending your money in that direction, or at least just see what you can do with what you have. Sample some sounds and then mess with the samples.

I really dislike when someone says “how can I do it with what I have” and the token response is “you can’t” followed by a dollar sign. I think that unless you’re prepared to spend money it is 100% less expensive to go on youtube and learn about how pads are made than it is to add something to your cart and buy it.

But at the same time if you got ends and you’re looking for the shortest line, then everyone can always use another few synths, me included so don’t let me dissuade you if that’s the situation, but you came in here like

and ended up like

So maybe I’m the one misinterpreting the direction of this, and I don’t mean that in any disrespectful way. It is always easier to have and use the proper tools, but at the same time when I ask did you try it with what you have, I am being 100% straight faced when I say that.

Please do not let me interfere with you buying a synth, I have something showing up thursday that I traded for and am looking forward to using for at least a week until I want something new but I digress.

6 Likes
27

Ohhhh, I see where the disconnect is. I didn’t mean that I actually had a Microkorg or an S-1, I mean that I had picked them in the sense that I was actively considering buying them. I don’t have a synth at all!

2 Likes
28

Then this is not the conversation I thought we were having and I apologize but I stand by what I said if the situation were the other way around.

3 Likes
29

i can dig it, and i appreciate the apology.

30

“Authentic” Jungle doesnt have to mean expensive. You can buy second hand Amigas for peanuts, and many a jungle tune was just an Amiga running into a crappy mixer, running into a DAT tape. Its all about the samples, and trackers

so the sample side, everybody pretty much has that covered. Tracker side, you got all the vintage classics, Renoise, or any Elektron in song mode… and you have that classic workflow covered. Rest is up to your creativity and chopping skills

1 Like
31

Can I just off-topic for a second and really appreciate this comment and the very thoughtful reply it is apologizing for?

The internet needs more of both

4 Likes
32

Hi there! :slight_smile: I think that the reply from jm2c was really on point, and wanted to complement it by
Amiga Protracker clone for modern operating systems

You can of course use Renoise as well, which is excellent and have more features like a modern DAW. Microkorg and S-1 seem like good choices! Just tweak some cool sounds, sample some chords and basses and go to town! <3

Here are a couple of examples of jungle made on the Amiga:
Temple of Sun Remix by Yolk & Legend
amiga 1200, octamed 4 - 8bit jungle
Chatta B. - Bad Man Tune - AMIGA Protracker 2.3f MOD

33

Why a synth? If you already have a sampler just go online and find all the samples and more you need, ranging from the classic sample CD"s that defined early jungle/d’n’b to presets from classic ROMplers.

If budget is a thing, maybe look for a secondhand Roland JV1010 or JV1080 for all those ROMpler sounds. Or go MC101.

Otherwise if you can stretch it, and also need a little controller/midi keyboard, an Arturia Astrolab 37 might be the ultimate soundsource.

1 Like
34

You can also just demo and sample the classic Korg VSTs like Wavestation, M1, Triton, Trinity, etc. They work for 20 minutes and then can be restarted again AFAIK. You would want to sample them anyway as the basis for building these particular types of sounds.

Sample one note (e.g. C3) for multiple patches. Throw everything into a multisampler and build your key groups, round-robin order, etc. Or like is more commonly done, play chords from that single note and resample. Example played as a chord with 7 voices in ping-pong sample playback mode:

Under the hood, this is just a single Triton note at C3, which took 10 seconds to record as a sample. What more does one need?

5 Likes
35

all you need for oldschool jungle is a sampler , not synth :

image
image1600×664 106 KB

4 Likes
36

check arcologies channel , he’s doing a lot of stuff with oldschool sampler and romplers. Quality stuff
https://www.youtube.com/@arcologies/videos

3 Likes
37

Microkorg with the BOC presets.

38

No joke I could listen to that patch for hours.

1 Like
39

Was wondering why this thread was so active. This is the answer. Only synth you might need is a monosynth with an lfo on the pitch so you can do the dub alarms, but of cousre any sampler can be a monosynth

1 Like
40

Also, grab a cheap 90s romper, such as a Roland JV1010 or a Korg 05R/W. They’ll have some of the fundamental pads that popped up in that era and they’re pretty cheap now.