The GGOAT (greatest gear of all time)

PO-33
My Martin

4 Likes

bad ass kit! I love Bosphorus cymbals. older Avedis are also awesome, but more for a rock setting (for me). I had never heard of Sleishman drums (haven’t shopped for drums in quite a while) but they’re quite interesting. they took the concept of the Pearl “free floating” snare drum and made a kit out of it. awesome idea. I’m sure they sound incredible!

2 Likes

Matrix 1000

Because you can’t hide an OB or Jupiter from your S/O when it’s time to be responsible

5 Likes

I think the Dominion 1 serves a place in this list. I regretfully sold it due to lack of space. Such a great mono synth.

Another vote for the SH01a/JU06a Really direct, compact good sounding thingies.

Octatrack off-course. For its obvious reasons.

Digitone. So fun to build melodies and seems to never run out of voices.

Analog four, so much Analog goodness together with great functionality.

2 Likes

For the money, the Microfreak is simply a work of art.

2 Likes

I loved my Eventide Space, made everything sound amazing but didn’t use it enough so regrettably sold it but might get another in the future

3 Likes

Probably the A4 for me. I find it’s the one instrument that can do everything. I tend to play mine with a Little Phatty perched on the stand beneath it, so that’s my makeshift AK combo. :slight_smile: It’s also the primary controller for my small modular rack. I’d be lost without it now.

4 Likes

Octatrack - Nothing like it. I love all of the textures and rhythmic goodness I can get out of it.

Virus TI - Endless Possibility and can mimick almost anything. Can sound very organic and has ways that everything interacts in the synth that’s hard to explain. Great distortions and useful FX.

Waldorf (Digital ones especially, Blofeld etc…) - The most organic 1’s and 0’s! So alive for being made up of code. Endless modulation possibilities.

ERM Multiclock - Combining hardware and software finally worked, for everything, without problems.

Digitone Keys - Such a huge sound pallet and really fun to play and program every time I turn it on. Best feeling pitch and mod wheels I’ve ever used, so much that I actually use them :joy:

Shruthi - Oscillators for daze! I’m always finding new sounds for such a seemingly simple synth.

Analog Rytm MKII - the one that slowed (almost stopped) my endless search for a better way to do drums. Drum synths that I actually like and a workflow that doesn’t feel like a chore.

Ableton Live and Max - No need to say anything more.

Just finished building my Ambika so I’m not sure yet if it fits in the list, time will tell.

There are probably more but these stand out in my head right away.

8 Likes

Great idea for a thread, I always find it interesting to read about what and why gear is prefered by different - definitely better than arguing the minutiae of specs or whether a clone is authentic enough… I’ll need to mull this over and come back to the thread.

I was definitely guilty of overlooking it for years because of how fixed the sounds are but, whilst I’ve never had the pleasure of the real-deal, when I’m using x0x samples I find the 606 a go-to as it just works… the hats and cymbals are beautiful.

And I’d thoroughly agree with those sentiments and that I’ve never had the real deal here either… the kick, snare, clap are so perfect. And yeah, the cowbell is just iconic sample through distortion and it sounds great tuned and playing melodies.

Spoilert alert!!! This will be featuring on mines…

4 Likes

…the art of sampling…was my gamechanger…

with the mpc 3000…back in the days…then again, with the 1000 AND jjos…then with octatrack…

in synthesis…a moog prodigy to begin with…and an a4 to finish the story finally…

1 Like

Yamaha EX5
Roland V Synth
Korg M3
Roland MC909
Access Virus TI
Yamaha MOXF

2 Likes

If we are talking ‘of all time’, my list would be something like this-

Akai MPC 60 - started it all off
Roland TR-808 - more influential than the 909, IMO
Eventide H3000 - creation in a box
OT mk1 - the new standard
Arp 2600 - still coveted for a reason!
Digitone - future classic :slight_smile:

1 Like

Hmmmm.

Octatrack- one of a kind.
V-Synth- misunderstood at the time, still does astonishing things now.
ERM multiclock:- bridged otb and itb beautifully.
iConnectivity mio:- Any workflow I can think of I can do with this thing.
Nord lead 4- Not flashy, not the best sounding, but I love making sounds on this thing. The Virus Ti is unquestionably more versatile, but I prefer the Nord. Probably the ultimate “more than the sum of its parts” synth for me.

1 Like

Monomachine
DSI Pro 2
Ensoniq ESQ-1
Gibson SG Special
Octatrack and MPC1000jjos

3 Likes

Separating these into era + most important moments in my musical journey/output.

  1. Korg Wavestation / Boss Dr660 / Roland s760

  2. Clavia Nord Lead 3 / Akai s5000 / TC Electronic Fireworx x 2 / M3000

  3. Korg Oasys / Virus TI Polar + Destop / Machinedrum x 2

  4. Currently - Octatrack MKII / MPC One / TC Electronic Fireworx x 2 / M3000 / Triton Rack / Nord Drum 3P

2 Likes

Another „the gear I like the most“ thread.
The best thingies I ever haf (well have) is OT2, 707.
I‘ve never been more productive!

1 Like

Digitakt

4 Likes

Ableton live - fav music creation tool, more important than any hardware i tried or own.
The way it handles audio, the flexibility of effect racks, the potential of follow actions, dummy clips and all that fun stuff, as well as the jam like character of session view… just love it. Not just another DAW

Octatrack - most powerful hardware box I ever touched. Allowed me to make my first tracks with metronome or input noise as sound source. Has a hard time to compete with ableton as my main „writing“ tool. Unbeaten for jams and livesets though

Digitone - favorite synth. Love the sound, love the workflow. Pure magic

Ipad - initially loved apps like patterning, elastic drums, animoog or samplr, but had a hard time to find a workflow. But aum, beatmaker 3 and auv3 instruments, mainly from brambos and audio damage changed that. Use it all the time

Analog four - unbeatable features, but love and hate relationship with the sound. Sometimes it blows my mind, sometimes I have to fight for a good sound. Know its strenghts and weaknesses quite well now.

Nord Rack 2x - sold and miss it. Has a very nostalgic character to me since it was our first band synth 15 years ago and because it was featured so heavy on 90s autechre and NIN. Great interface

honorable mentions:
Digitakt
OP1 and OPz
SH01a
Toraiz AS1
0-coast

8 Likes

Sure is.

1 Like

Almost…
Mr Don Sleishman, invented the suspended shell system. He has making drums for many decades. He went and worked with Pearl and helped them develop their free floating snare.
Sleishman also invented the double kick pedal, and a few other things.

2 Likes