We got a mover
Out of couriosity: wasn’t it you, who have just bought the complete Dark Trinity in September?
About when being in your shoes:
I can only agree with @Kegeratorz: I would also stop any purchasing plans until I secured a new income. Additionally as already also mentioned I would start using VCV rack seriously to see if I gel with patching in general.
Just configure a single rack in VCV rack with a handful modules and then use this rack for few days or weeks without adding more modules or changing them out. Treat it simply like a real rack.
This way you will quickly find out - without any costs - if it is just GAS or if you can get stuff done.
And afterwards you can still decide to keep or sell the empty rack.
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It’s not clear to me what you plan to get out of using hardware. Can you elaborate?
Everyone saying Digitone, IMO it’s great but if you’re used to ableton / ITB, you may find it limiting too… Limitations are a double edged sword, especially when you’re not certain “what you need”.
IMO VCV rack is a great way to keep the modular demon at bay for free.
In terms of gear. Re-iterating - get rid of the case, you can always get another when you’re back on your feet.
I’d focus on guitar + ableton for drums / other things imo + some vcv rack. (putting guitar through vcv rack could be awesome, using it for creatively trigging drums and everything!)
If you ever want to buy another piece of gear, first try to make a single song on the gear you have already, until you make a finished song don’t buy any more gear. Plenty of people make full albums just with ableton, so it’s defintiely possible!
If you do go down the hardware side again, ableton push could be a good addition. (Push 1 is super cheap atm, push2 is also well priced 2nd hand)
You have said you like working ITB. In my experience hardware is about inspiration. So if you like working ITB, then find interesting midi controllers that will inspire. Pads, knobs, keys. etc…
Various ways to make / sequence music rather, ableton already has all the sound generation you’d ever need!
Perhaps you might want something a bit more immediate as a synth… the minilogue can be picked up cheap and sounds great, lots of tactile stuff to play with and the layout makes sense…
all the bells should be ringing here
that recent trinity was your second tour around the trinity and it was even more than that which came and went from your radar - this should be the moment now when you realise it’s doubly not the time to be buying anything, certainly not when money is an issue - this is the advice i’d give if you were working
you won’t get meaningful connections with any gear when turning them around so fast and on the basis that these ideas clearly come and go you’ll not get on any differently with the Digitone - especially if you aren’t convinced - getting searching advice from the internet should be flag here
There could be a world of creativity just from the DT and maybe midi out to your laptop
Keep it focused and you’ll soon find what gear or sounds work for you then when you outgrow it look for one more piece
Don’t want to come across as preachy - but you took advice on whether to learn the trinity all at once recently and ignored that advice (to keep it to one or two tops) and then got shot of of it all (again) - that empty modular rack should be the reminder to stay well clear from any more impulse buying certainly where you are not so sure in the first place - i believe (reading between the lines) less is likely to be more in your case, some folk can juggle big setups
stick with what you have - let go of the rack - that venture is not for you at this time on a few fronts - maybe eventually complement the DT with a midi multitimbral synth (like a blofeld) which can be sequenced and captured - maybe find something more knobby and immediate
A DN will need an enquiring/persevering mind, it’s nowhere near as intuitive to use FM despite the DN making this simpler - if the A4 experience didn’t do it for you this won’t be much better in that style of gear-engagement - there’s 8 tracks on the DT, that’s a lot to be getting on with, you can’t have mastered/exhausted it in a few short weeks, so there’s plenty to sample up and construct and play with
Some gear will click better than others but almost always it takes time to truly know its strengths, ease off on the gas pedal for a bit and when circumstances are right add one thing at a time - the advice about looking at software is sound, find the synths that do it for you (all the arturia stuff can be tested free for 20 minutes at a time, noodle with that, sample that up)
Take this in the same way as any other reply, but at least sit on your decisions for a week or two and think twice about spending at all, really justify any spend, job or not
these are crazy times - keep it simple/thrifty for a while - play some guitar
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…i’d also say…get rid of that empty case…get rid of the takt even…
stay itb…get a decent interface…some speakers…a decent keyboard controler with some additional knobs to assign…record ur guitar…nothing too special…just little stuff and lots of sounds from abusing it…get nifty with some of those recordings in ableton…treat them like synthvoices…find new sonic ways…lean back and wait for better days to come for sure…
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I went ahead and got the Nord Lead A1 as my one and only synth to pair with the Digitakt
Have I made the right call? also any tips would be awesome
You can get along way with the digitakt alone. Download Adventure Kids Single Cycle Waveforms library and let Digitakt really dig in to them. You can create some really nice synth sounds with just that.
Ooh, you should definetly get rid of the case. Now is not the time to go modular for you, it takes such a huge amount of time just to research what modules to get and once o you’ve bought them you realize that you bought the wrong ones.
I’m 9 months into modular and I’ve just started to get a set up which I like.
My tips are to stick with that setup for at least six months. Do not add more gear. The Nords (I have the much older Lead 2X) are superb instruments and they sound amazing. If you can’t make music with a laptop, DT and Nord Lead A1, it’s not going to change by switching things in and out. Only get something else if you’ve really hit the limits of what can be done. But as I say, that setup covers everything imaginable. Get creative!
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curious why you went for that model, I’ve been reading and quite a few people are vouching for the older model
One came up locally (which is very rare in Malta) at a good price - I did a straight swap for my less-than-perfect condition Digitone. 20 voices is luxurious compared to Elektrons. Also, as a huge fan of Autechre, I couldn’t resist going for something they are famed for using alongside the Nord G2. Regardless, your A1 should do everything needed and more. No FX on the Lead 2X, for example.
Edit: if you really want to delve into my thought process:
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This isnt a music making dilemma. Its a gear buying dilemma.
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It’s tough to recommend things without knowing what kind of music you make or hope to make.
Me personally, a nice realisation for me recently was that processing can be just as productive, or creatively inspiring, as sound sources. I agree modular can be daunting, but in lieu of some synths and still wanting that modular approach, I’ve recently found guitar pedals to be extremely satisfying for expanding sonic palette, the Digitakt or Mac can then take things further with chopping, arranging and editing. Good luck!
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Digitone. Why?
A: nice investment, especially when boughy second hand. If you need cash in near future it can easily be sold for the same amount
B: Modular is mainly mono synth, it’s possible to do chords but if you want a multi analog oscillator, envelope, filter setup you’re wallet itself has to be sold.
C: if you wanna do modular, sell that case, buy some rails, wood and some busboards. Your done under €90,-
D: modular is a great experience, you get lost in time, money and not to forget money. You’ll end up in the moment and rarely a finished song if that’s what your aiming for
E: you can plug your guitar in one of Digitone’s input and use reverb, delay and chorus!
F: it’s great to sequence VST’s with dt and dn . Just make a template in DAW. Power of monitor and jam semi dawless.
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I say sell everything and try to stick with one thing for a while. You can’t buy your way into making interesting music, unless you pay someone to make it for you. You need to work at it and buy gear out of necessity rather than hoping for a feeling of completion when you finally have the “perfect” setup. People have done much in the way of making incredible music with very little. It’s the person, not the gear.
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100%.
Do this. Make 20 tracks. See what is lacking, examine, and act accordingly. Add or subtract what is needed, repeat protocol.
But unfortunately I don’t think this OP is that interested in taking this advice.
because:
again - 100%
No one can answer that question but you, so why bother asking it?
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All you need is Ableton Live Suite and a MIDI keyboard. The instruments and FX are top notch. Max for Live is endless possibilities.
I could sell everything I own and only use what comes with Ableton and make great music with that. Actually I’d probably make more music if I did that.
All this other gear is just inspiration or a different way of working. Blinky lights for a vibe in the room. Just make some music until you know what you want for sure.
This is just my opinion, everyone has their own reasons for what they think helps or doesn’t help. You don’t need much at all in reality.
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I was missing some keys in my setup and now I can use this beast as a midi controller too.
I know it felt like I had everyone on the bend but a Digitone really wasn’t all that inspiring to me for some reason FM synthesis doesn’t really call out to me.
I’ve messed around on the A1 and it sounds really good so far. Definitely need to read the user manual.
I probably shouldn’t have got this considering we are approaching another lockdown but I guess moneys there to be spent in search of some sort of happiness.
Looking forward to sharing my music with you guys and appreciate the patience haha
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When in doubt, scale down to a smaller setup and learn it better. This has helped me many times. There’ll always be stuff to buy on a sunnier day.
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