Single synth obsessions

The Lounge General Discussion
#114

Yeah mc202 is a bit like the sh101, but has some other tricks like accent i think! It does not need fx but opens a whole new beautiful world with FX, especially a bit of reverb or delay! It’s a classic synth that lots of warp artists used and i love the sound but it’s difficult to program. I still have mine but also have sh01a which is easier. I wanted to circuitbend/modify my mc202 but I haven’t used it in years (so many gear) but I certainly will because it would be superb to let it sequence by the A4 with conditional trigs! cv mods for filter trigged by A4 and audio routed to A4’s FX which is also sequencable!

I would try out the XD when it’s in the shops, then you can make a better decision!

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#115

Very good vid on the difference when bypassing the chip with proper cv gate mod!

the triangle mod which Behringer added as a slider on the 101 clone, based on the nova mods for the original sh101.

And this also:

I would love to have all those mods, think you could also have a distortion switch or pot to let distort the filter/env so you can sound like Josh wink acid.

@Ess please make a topic on the love for mc202 only!

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#116

I tried it a few months ago, where I created a track only using 808 sounds and Soundtoys effects and a track with only 909 and Soundtoys. The results where pretty surprising to me, but ok, I did use chains and chains of effects to get these weird and psychedelic sounds. I learned that with the combo of filter, delay and pitch shifting you can do some pretty awesome sounds with percussive elements.

Edit: I Know that it’s not ‘One synth’ or ‘One machine’, but I guess that it’s sort of the same principle :slight_smile:

#117

FX are essential for the one synth obsession.

Maybe Elektron take notice of this and will add in further OS update more options for the A4/Digi FX to tweak and fine tune. An additional pitchshifting mode, mmmm…

#118

The mc-202 is also the main instrument of John Frusciante. He sometimes uses 6 together.

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#119

i’ve read through this thread as someone who originally comes from filmmaking/videoarts and the analogy to directors using a single lens through the entire film is quite interesting here:


(especially the work of yorgos lanthimos, who is maybe my most favourite director (alive), is outstanding!)

in time-based-arts, such as music/film/performance-arts, this approach is necessary to keep the focus on the subject matter, a kind of “meditation” by using as few “instruments” as possible.

in this sense i think it’s quite hard to achieve this nowadays: machines are getting more and more complex, functions are getting added and most modern tracks tend to sound “overproduced” to me.

after studying media arts, my approach to producing works is that limitation is necessary to push creativity, but from a certain stage it is necessary to add something, when one thinks that it’s definitely “this” that could broaden the whole experience.

(in fact, most of my works that i personally like to review are produced in very limited production conditions…)

i appreciate the work of Æ here: working with max/msp & touchdesigner myself i still can’t wrap my head around using it without getting “lost in the void”; finding coherence and harmony in chaos is what drives me, what i still seek and cannot achieve (yet)…

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Roland MC-202
#120

I think the Octatrack is probably the ultimate “one box to rule them all” that I have used, it has a great balance of limitations and possibilities, and I’ve found that there really isn’t much that can’t be done using just it and even a single sample of pretty much anything.

I think it offers a lifetime of exploration too.

“Do not try and bend the spoon , that’s impossible. Instead, only try to realize the truth…there is no spoon . Then you’ll see that it is not the spoon that bends, it is only yourself.”

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#121

i have an OT, which i have formerly used for sequencing external gear to produce more “musical” stuff, leaning towards techno.

but now i am trying to use it as a hub for (re-)sampling generative stuff that i produce in max/msp (along with a ND2 & 0C) for using it in my further performances.

after being waay to overwhelmed by its capabilities it is going to the contrary side now: it’s getting more and more like a “prism” (sorry for sounding esoteric here…) that unifies the sonic worlds i discover with my setup :slight_smile:

and i think that the OT is a perfect example of forcing yourself to focus on something: otherwise you get lost in its complexity…

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#122

in a situation of single synth obsession, i highly recommend to have a swap single synth for another obsession. just in case.

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#123

Interesting topic, I’ve had this obsession in the back of my head since I first heard Todd Terje’s “It’s The Arp” EP which was made exclusively on the ARP 2600, including the masterpiece that is Inspector Norse, but also my favourite of his, Swing Star Pt1:

And recently I’ve been digging Simon Haydo a lot, and he works exclusively with a Korg MS-20 to get a really big sounding “minimalist” techno:

Also, and this is clearly a plug, I’ve worked on a Digitone only techno set a while ago, and the challenge is really interesting, on of the best ways to push your knowledge of a machine, a genre and music making as a whole. And also a lot easier on the brain to know the framework within which you’re working:

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#124

Nice sounds from the Digitone @Martebar

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#125

Great set, you’ve got a new subscriber. :+1:

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#126

Are you guys familiar with acreil’s work? Most of his albums are entirely made with Pure Data - which I find rather impressive. It sounds quite good too, in the vein of Autechre and such.

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#127

that’s great stuff, nice one :slight_smile:

#128

Yes! Was listening to his stuff just yesterday. Very nice indeed.

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#129

I believe single synth obsession exists for gear you can’t afford, you always wanted to have or play around with, some synthesis you don’t have in your arsenal. Once you have that synth it can turn in a love or hate or love and hate relationship!

So single synth obsessions:
-Andromeda A6, Ems Synthi, Arp2600, Nord G2, DSI PEK, Ensoniq Fizmo, Hartmann Neuron

Single synth love:
-Op1, MS20, tb303, A4, electribe emx1

Single drumcomputer love:
-MD, tr909, tr808, circuitbent tr505

#131

This one is entirely made with the op-1.

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#133

oh my

#134

Octatrack only… using some of my sample packs and one AKWF sawtooth sample.

Still my favourite electronic instrument. So diverse.

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#135

@Simon have you ever seen such MC202 for only 300euro starting bid :laughing: it has a midi kit but doesn’t work :rofl: no labelling! The guy bought an mc without enclosure years ago and has given up on his project.

https://www.2dehands.be/muziek/muziekinstrumenten/synthesizers/roland-mc-202-uniek-restauratie-customisatieproject-492794623.html