M:C + M:S as only electronic gear?

Hi everyone !!
I’m really not into electronic gear at all (only playing the piano & singing) but I listen to a lot of electronic music – I’m a huge fan of the Demoscene (Amiga etc.) of the mid 80s to mid 90s and love artists like Mark Snow, FSOL, John Carpenter etc.

I want to reduce screen & gear as much as possible. My aim is to add some electronic layer to songs with my piano + voice.

I’ve just ordered a M:C and was wondering whether having the M:C + M:S combo would be good for my use case – as little hassle as possible, but a great scope of possibilities ? My aim is : sticking to those, not buying before they get out of order ; and NOT having to use screens ! (huge eyestrain)

Thanks a lot, cheers everyone :slight_smile:

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You’ll have loads to work with sticking to those two. Just note that you’ll need a computer for loading samples on the M:S and a mixer of some kind / soundcard to hear them simultaneously.

Edit: First of all, see how far you can push the M:C by itself. It may well be enough in your use case.

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There’s no definite answer to this, especially concerning the MS. It depends on the samples you load onto it(you’ll need a computer to load samples onto it)

Ultimately it depends on what sounds you want to make

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HI, thanks to the both of you !
@craig : I already have a mixer, yep, and I can use the computer to load samples and record. But I don’t want to use screens more than this. (been using screen for 30+ years, my eyes are in a bad condition !)

Indeed, I have to spend a couple of months trying to get the most out of the M:C first !

@Ryan : well, my main focus will still be on the piano + singing. The electronic layers I’d like to add would be kinda oldschool, like old computers / early tracking stuff (protracker !) Maybe some Jarre’s Zoolookesque stuff, some Carpentesque / Snowesque stuff…

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For the price of 2x models, you could get the Polyend Tracker. I love mine, especially as a granular/wavetable synth. Just a thought.

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@craig : yep indeed, I saw it, that’s a great idea. However, it wouldn’t work with my huge eyestrain issue - and looking for minimalism. Thanks !

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I’d say you can make pretty much anything with those two, only problem being you need to get samples from somewhere. Then again the internet is full of free sample packs. Are you comfortable working in a DAW? You might quickly realise that samples need a lot of polishing and editing, which is why I’d almost suggest you buy an Octatrack if you want to make music out of the box.

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The Models are a good choice for what you describe : fun boxes, full of possibilities (with indeed some limitations), very hands on… The screen is tiny tiny but once you’re set up, there’s no real need for it.

Upper tier Elektron boxes offer way more, but they rely way more on the screen, not a good idea if your eyes are wrecked.

Samplewise, there are some excellent sample dealers online. Go check Samples From Mars! From there, it’s a simple drag’n’drop bizness with Transfer, and you’re good to go.

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I bought the full Samples from Mars pack a few years ago and while the drum machine packs were just ready to load up to a sampler, the synth packs needed quite a bit of editing. They don’t just offer simple sounds, the samples are often full melodies or longer samples full of parameter changes. This means you have to really edit them before they’re ready for use. Just something to be mindful of.

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Hi, thanks everyone for the replies !
Are there other people here with my use case here ? (that is to say : those 2 devices and that’s it, and maybe vocals / piano too ?)
cheers !

Go check @pselodux music on YouTube, he has some really nice sessions featuring the two Models.

Edit: Vague Robot on YouTube

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I don’t see why it shouldn’t work. Screen reduction is pretty advanced with these two models. Sound is great. Electronic layers are easy. Complex rhythmic structures are a breeze. (No hardware based item nowadays can do the same in for melody and harmony - so nevermind). You can do a lot just by ear, because they are pretty much free tunable.

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Model:samples Electronic layers

Model:cycles Other layers

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Thanks, again, everyone, for your advice !
I eventually found a used Model:Samples in my area at a nice price so now I can devote the new few years trying to make a proper use of both devices !

Is there a place gathering the best tutorials & resources by any chance ?

Thanks again, everyone !

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on the tube…

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or a smartphone. Transfer-Samples is an app that seems to work pretty good with the model samples. The app is like $4.99 I think

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nice :sunglasses:

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Cuckoo is always good for beginners:

Just note that this is the first version of the firmware and it has a couple of extras now. Enjoy!

Also, the manual is very well-written and has everything from the latest firmware and more :slight_smile:

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Hi ! It seems transfer-samples is not available anymore on the Android store ? Cheers ! :slight_smile:

beyond capable

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