best sketchpad and workflow I ever experienced 
build quality and synth sounds are not the best. But I never could make tracks as fast with any other device
10 Likes
+1 on the Maschine, was thoroughly disappointed by the hardware and software.
6 Likes
Shrman filter too complex to use and not easy to implement. I also find hard buttons, which are missing … kind of game
Waldorf STREICHFETT
A nice sound palette at the beginning.Then at the end, after several uses, I realized that the sounds were very similar.They lack depth /// Can be a pedals rack or effects to encircle the synth and push the sounds! //// But that requires investment and it’s not my destiny
XD5 KAWAI
It’s an old synth with super cool design. But pressure knobs are hard and no comfortable and fast use for fluidity. Aside from boring player the sounds are wonderfull.
2 Likes
volca FM
The fact that not everything recalls with the patch + pattern made me pull my hair out
waldorf blofeld
the UI was a nightmare to me, tried editors and everything, to no avail.
Roland boutique TR-08 & TR-09
Fooled myself into thinking they’d be OK replacements for the ogs for me. Missed selling my MFB522 as soon as I powered on the TR-08.
The TR-09 actually sounded usable but by that time behringer had already announced the RD-8 & RD-9 so sold both in anticipation of the behris. Havent been disappointed by the decision, much prefer the RD-8.
3 Likes
For people who used OP-1 and like the TE way, I get it. Glad people dig it, just not for me 
4 Likes
never touched an op1.
but I can see why the opz is not for everyone
3 Likes
Also bought a MS2000 secondhand. I really needed a decent polysynth at the time.
Spend a day loading presets to it, like I do with all my new synths, then realizing they all sound very thin and cheap, compared to my other synths.
It felt really cheap too. Never bothered too sell it though.
On the other hand, really love my Analog Heat and OP-Z ( except for the sounds, but as sketchpad or sequencer for other gear it is great.
Maybe I should sequence the ms2000 from the OP-Z and run it through the Heat 
2 Likes
Roland MC-09 Phraselab. It’s like the worst of the stuff that has been tossed from other product designs has been crammed into one box:
- shitty UI
- awful synth engines
- crappy looper
- SmartMedia
ZOOM ARQ AR-96:
A courageous design, impressive specs, but the operability sucks, even with the completely overhauled firmware v2. The ring as input device is (to put it mildly) suboptimal, the remaining UI features suck, menu diving and navigation mainly relies on a single cheap push encoder and a small color LCD screen.
2 Likes
This is true, somewhat… but I found that I was falling into the same formula with each track I made on it. I felt compelled to always make a bass sound on the bass track, a lead on the lead track etc. mostly because of the way each track is specifically tailored to that kind of use case. Not always a bad thing, but sometimes I need a lack of guidance in order to get a bit more experimental, if that makes any sense?
I did make a few great tracks with it though 
4 Likes
Bought a Dominion X second hand, build quality was awful, interface wasn’t great, some of the pots were broke, I sent it to manfred at mfb to try and fix it, he emailed me to say the knobs had been glued on with super glue so he couldn’t get them off to open it up, returned it to the seller who did give me my money back
3 Likes
Octatrack, by miles. This thing feels like making music with a calculator.
29 Likes
Thats what I love about my Octatrack, my MPC Live feels like a sampler 
9 Likes
Yamaha SU200. Worst audio quality ever. Useless, really.
Yamaha MODX. I was like ”Let’s be friends.” But it was like ”Your mum.” Rude piece of kit.
22 Likes
Synths with patchbays.
I realised I’m happy tweaking presets on complicated digitally controlled machines , and mostly used patchbay to route lfo into filter sweep
Neutron
Mother 32
0-coast
Any euro rack I went near
Reaktor ( happy with premade ensembles)
Nord g1. (Happy tweaking but now so much starting from scratch )
Most pocket operators , especially office
8 Likes
Love this thread! Cognitive dissonance. I thought I needed it, now I hate. Ha! Reminds me of the song “I want you to want me”
Ok, gotta say it: Ableton Live
Everything I make in the box sounds flat and lacks creativity. Guess I’m just not cut out for DAW workflow. GD man! It only took me like 20 something years to figure that out! Never getting that time back. Too many VSTs, effects, tracks, just too many options. Crazy right? Also, love my OT. It has changed the way I think about music production. Which is exactly what I needed after thinking about music production the same way for a long time. I’m more creative when I’m forced to work ideas out in a totally different way. Astonishing results. Oh, and I will probably never sell my microkorg. Always sounds phat and you can toss them out the window without damaging them. I love drop testing my instruments.
19 Likes
There’s such a wide range of tools and user preferences it’s great to read about. 
2 Likes
For me it was the Moog FreqBox. Admittedly I was only putting guitar through it (might be better with a synth now I think about it) but it made everything sound like an angry duck. Flipped that shit straight away.
1 Like
Arturia Microfreak
Dreadbox Medusa
Both returned the next day
3 Likes
Bought a Ensoniq VFX on recommendations by the engineer in the studio i was using a lot in the early 90s.
It was horrible, I never saw another and lost half the value before i managed to sell the crap again.
1 Like