Hopefully with prolific fun to follow!
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two things drastically improved my workflow ā Roland MC-707 and Novation Circuit (no matter which ā OG or Tracks).
Circuit has he most convenient sequencer ever, i always use it when working on riffs/patterns, then just record them to other machines.
707 has many advantages, but the most notable for me is that it set me free from sound design jobs. it was the very 1st machine that just made me happy with presets (and then with excellent Zen-Core soundpacks as well). the impact was huge ā since i do music in my spare time, i got a lot more time to fiddle with tracks arrangements and finish them.
(303 sound is a notable exception ā but @darenager solved this problem with his excellent 303 pack.)
4 Likes
Man i hear you with those Polys. Mono synths are like violins. Four strings and a bow. Limited but capable of beautiful compositions ranging from sad to lively.
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OP-1 got me into making tracks, together with op-forums battles.
It has been replaced by the Octatrack since, but it still has a special place in my heart.
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For me itās the Akai Force. It works so well with all the other gear. Wouldnāt want use it alone, but it makes it so easy to get ideas going.
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back in 2019 i was saving money for Force, but suddenly 707 happened.
in 2020 i realized that the only poly i need is this.
for all the rest i use mono synths.
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Bitwig.
Since my switch from cubase, both productivity as well as quality have improved. Itās more direct, more flexible, more creatively open. To the point i have not yet felt the need to integrate hardware (currently own OT, DN, ARmkii, summit). I am waiting for osmose though, when i receive that i expect i need to edit this post.
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(Digital) piano.
Once I spent enough time playing to be semi-proficient, I realised that I can write music much, much faster when Iām playing it than when Iām sequencing it. Theyāre better songs too.
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The white shelving unit.
Allowed me to have my synths and sequencers out, all connected via midi and to the mixer, avaliable at any timtime instantly, no faffing around.
Productivity went bonkers as a result.
13 Likes
For me DSI Tempest, i have it since a few years, but as its sound engine allows endless tweaks, its record, tweak. record.
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MPC Live. I had a Force, in theory more powerful and flexible, but I struggled to get things finished. With the Love (should have been Live, but Iāll leave the typo) being more focused I just get things done.
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Iām 100% about focusing the Love
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Studio efficiency is just as important as any piece of gear.
This is the way.
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1010 Blackbox.
Itās wired like my brain.
Whatever that means.
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The Digitone. Within a few months of buying it, I had also bought a Digitakt and had finished an EP that would not have happened (or been possible) without them.
Iāve drifted away from the DN recently as I have expanded my setup (and fallen out with FM a little), but I still have it and will be getting right back into using it when I start making music again (had a break recently due to some bad personal life stuff).
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Itās never been the most complex machine, or the most capable, itās always been the best sounding (to me).
So far that has been Novation Summit and after selling it the Prophet 10 desktop, although Iād like a Summit again one day.
Itās like I could sit there playing the same note over and over from a simple P10 patch, justā¦ listening to it. It sounds so good. Itās like a meditation, just listening to the electric tone, no note deviation, no adjustments. Just that perfect patch. Then I go from there.
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Monomachine for me
Prior to that I was bouncing parts with a pro 1 and sh101
When I added the a4 and md
Nothing else was really needed until very recently
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My Neutrik Patchbay.
Everything is patched in. Any connection between samplers, synths, modular, preamps, converters, guitar pedals, FX, Cassette deck, turntable, etc is possible within seconds.
Space saver, time saver and overall makes my life easier.
I love my Neutrik Patchbay.
6 Likes
This is going to sound bland. I wish I could say Bitwig, Digitone, DFAM, or Blackbox because they are endless funā¦ but the reality is a full-sized semi-weighted 49 key MIDI controller changed everything for me. If you are curious itās the M-Audio Oxygen Pro 49. Only DAW controls I use are the sliders for the tracks. Itās a little overkill (feature wise) for what I use it for, but the price is great! Itās the most enabling piece of kit I have. I started with Drums/Bass/Guitar so to me actually playing my instruments is the experience I like the most. I can get lost playing the same chords for hours! Opened up my use of my DAW and it makes everything else come to life.
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I was going to get this MIDI controller for my P10 desktop. Buuuutā¦ on Musicianās Friend there was an open box Argon8X. I think I paid around $650.
1 Like