Quick doodling synth? Pocket operator alternatives?

The Lounge Other Gear
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After searching for the best portable groovebox I found out that the best thing is just to carry around something to sketch and doodle and just have fun.

Now i am looking for it, the best thing that comes to my mind would be 3 Pocket operators glued together, but i don’t know if it exist.

I am searching for something easy to use, like turning on and straight to playing. Something that can offer quick doodling at first and if needed, some more in depth work later.

What I tried and opinions:

-Model:cycles, not portable and limited sound palette

-Nunomo qun, cheap and packed with features but too difficult to use + no internal battery

-Woovebox, they just need to get a better display and I am in for that even tho buttons shortcuts maybe annoying (also, scared of breaking while using it because seems fragile)

-Op-z, really powerful and easy to use with its own complexity but it’s not worth it’s full price at all due to his vuol quality. Ended up selling it because I was too afraid of using it and breaking it or creating double-trigger issues

-Op-1, being not sequence based was PERFECT, love the choice of the multitrack recorder and the slowdown option, perfect for ambient. Fastest device ever, started playing right out of the box, quality is not the best and definitely not worth more than 600€ imo due to lack of features, realtively sound palette and quality

-M8, I totally get why you love this, packed, portable and has even synth engines but definitely not fit for how I like to doodle and do things the quick way.

-Polyend Tracker, man, compared to M8, this guy is slow as fuck not gonna lie and 10x less capable, poor man

In conclusion, “op-1 field++plus” as a standalone workstation would be a nice thingie and knowing TE, it would cost like a small house in the mountains.

+Novation Circuit Tracks/Rhthm, even if I prefer the multitrack type of recording system, they win as Value for money. You can get one used for 200-250, start playing as soon as you get it. Quick and easy, some nice features, but i don’t like how the whole pattern/scenes worked, if they fix that we have a winner

I hope they make a new circuit tracks, it’s been some years

If you have any recommendations please drop a comment, there is for suere something that i have yet to know :slight_smile:

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3x PO = ~300€
I would look at the Yamaha SEQTRAK

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That is basically an op-z. Lots of fast fun to be had with it.

Or you could try a KO II EP-133 if you prefer a jumbo sampling PO.

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PGB-1.

Crowdfunding open right now, and exhibited at Superbooth next week. Watch the videos, this little thing is a beast.

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I’d prefer an op-z as it is smaller

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No no, sampling isn’t my main point. As for the Op-z, I read yesterday that it is rumoured to be released a new version so probably it is not the best choice if I will have to sell it in a couple months.

Anyway, I had it and it was really awesome for the price

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If it’s literally doodling, not making songs, Roland S-1 or T-8 might be best

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Sunvox for your phone.

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No sorry mate, I intended that as “sketching out a song”, the thing you do in the POs with patterns and pattern chaining

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I was thinking about hardware and not phone related :slight_smile: but if you know some cool GarageBand alternatives for iPhone tell me, I’m curious

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I will wait so new more of it, definitely interesting but we’ll see.
I’d probably go for an op-z instead of this even if it lacks the screen

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The Dirtywave M8? Not sure if that kind of workflow is something you’d want or if you’re looking for something more basic than that.

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Just sold it, it is really powerful and has a lot of good features but definitely it wasn’t good for how I’d like to doodle and sketch while on the go

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I suggest you take a good look at the Woovebox, it’s like a sampling, polyphonic 16-track Pocket Operator on steroids with an integrated song mode.

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I tried it and it doesn’t quite replicate the experience you get with the POs, they are l easier to use and with less options, this thing is really deep, I’ll recommend it too.
Unfortunately here it’s difficult to get and I had to sell mine because it had a small problem

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Sounds like 3 PO’s, not glued together, and you can just whip out one at time to use.

Easy!

For me it would be the iPad, there are one or two ok apps for it.

If I didn’t need pocket-ability, but just portable and battery operated, then it would be the sp404/2 fer sure bro.

It’s radikl

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If you want something both small and synth based I would say op-z is the best right now, you could probably wait and see post superbooth if anything else pops up but in my opinion its actually quite limited in option right now on the lower end ultra portable groovebox with synth engines especially if you don’t want a tracker-like workflow (M8, polyend Tracker Mini…).

We also know for a fact that the KO II is the first of its kind but not the last, so if you’re not in a hurry you could wait for the next instrument which will be synth based with a similar form factor (so basically a bigger pocket operator with incredible battery life).

As for the options right now this are my picks:

A)OP-Z By Teenage engineering, might be worth waiting post Superbooth in case they dropping a mk2/Field one.

B)Model:Cycles by Elektron, very FM sound palette, super fast workflow, surprisingly light and easy to carry around. You’d need a battery but you can absolutely 3D print the handle (bp-1) elektron refuses to remake and carry it around with your Model:cycles. It has kind a broad range but it will always sound like the cycles. Elektron Model:Cycles / Model:Samples Battery Handle by _porkloin_ - Thingiverse for the handle 3D print, Pad sensitivity fix for Elektron Model:Cycles / Model:Samples by hustletronics - Thingiverse model cycles sensitivity pad fix 3D print.

C) Pocket Operators, cheap, easy to use, very focused workflow, insanely tiny and fun. TE seems to have them all restocked as of now.

Anything else is either too big (Sonicware Livens), or too limited (Korg Volcas).

Honorable mention for the Circuit Tracks which is apparently quite small and easy to carry around. Never really used it but Im not a fan of the synth engines on this one.

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Yamaha QY70 / QY100

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I can’t think of anything portable that’s more useful and fun than the Dirtywave M8. You can sketch stuff out on the go and then export stems to work on elsewhere, or even finish tracks on it.

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as i said in another comment, i just sold it. it has many good features but it wasn’ good for how i like sketching a song while on the go. I found it mainly for making complete songs start to finish