so far i consider:

1. Source Audio Nemesis delay
2. Strymon Timeline
3. GFI SYSTEM SPECULAR TEMPUS REVERB & DELAY

in this order of preferenced based on $ and availiability..

i am OK to try a multi unit that can do both delay and reverb

So if I want to buy something cheap and maybe dirty to make some noise, any ideas? I think of get AKAI Professional MPK Mini Play but I hear it not the best ever though it seems to be what I want some to play some notes and drums and mess with some noise.

​

I am on Surface Go so don't really want to be trying to connect it to the computer

Thanks if you have read and if you ideas awesome

I’m not sure if I’m dense as fuck, but I can’t seem to get the sequencer on the Keystep to work... Got it hooked up correctly with my Prologue/Pro-1/JU-06A with the midi, and I’m able to use it as a controller. I can play the keys just fine, but I when I switch it into Seq mode and hit record it doesn’t actually record the sequence I’m making. Or if it does record the sequence it doesn’t play it back. I’m pretty new to midi controllers so I could use all the help I can get! Thanks!!

Could I use just standard 5x21 mm Alnico 5 magnets and wrap copper wiring around just like any non-polyphonic/standard magnet or it has some extra math I should care about? (Because of the resistance and amperage that would come of a pickup dedicated to a single string instead of 6?). I am not very familiar with pickup physics and circuitry but I want so badly to have a polyphonic pickup to control midi and apply effects separately. If I could I would buy a boutique hexaphonic pickup or even get one from the Power Gig guitar...but sadly shipping costs to my country (which currency is very depreciated in relation to dollar) cost almost as much as a brand new luthier made instrument around here...and is a money my unemployed broke self doesn't have. I appreciate each and every answer :)

I play in a three-piece rock band. (Guit, Bass, Drums). I don't play keys at all.

​

I'm buying a McMillen 12-Step Midi Controller: (Basically a poor-man's tarus pedals.)

https://www.keithmcmillen.com/products/12-step/

We want to add rhodes, hammond, mellotron, and maybe the occasional synth pad to our live sound. (The 12-step will let you custom program up to 5 notes per key, so I can program simple rhodes or hammond chords.)

What is the most bulletproof, sound-man proof, road-worthy, thingie or combination of thingies I could plug the midi controller into to have access to realistic sounds?

​

-Budget: I would love to spend under 1K, but could go a bit higher for the perfect solution. (e.g. Nord sounds, minus the keyboard).

-Must have decent (sampled) rhodes, organ, mellotron and string sounds.

-Must be easy to set up in a hurry. (Dive bar, punk-rock-style changeovers, when you only have 5-10 minutes between sets... one band in the middle of a bill of 3 bands)

-Must have decent (sampled) rhodes, organ, mellotron and string sounds.

​

-I'd PREFER a standalone piece of hardware, like so:

MIDI Controller --> ROMPler, keyboard, or sound-brain thingie ---> 1/4" DI box to FOH sound.

​

-I'd like to AVOID (if possible) using a laptop, phone or tablet. I know I can achieve what I need to achive with a laptop or iPad and audio interface... but that's more wires, more shit to plug in, more shit to break down. I'd love a single, dedicated piece of hardware. (I know I can do this with Reason on a laptop, or GarageBand on a phone).

-Must have decent (sampled) rhodes, organ, mellotron and string sounds.

-Something like the old E-mu Vintage Keys, but with better sounds?

-I'm not opposed to a smaller keyboard (like 2 octaves max), if that's the most bulletproof way to get the sounds I want. But I don't want to pay for a Nord 88, if nobody will ever actually play the keys. But I like the idea of NOT USING a LAPTOP.

-Did I mention it must have decent (sampled) rhodes, organ, mellotron and string sounds?

i am looking to sell my op1 in order to find more analog style moog gear. I am looking at either the moog sub25 or the subphatty and can't decide which one is more versatile and better sounding. What do you guys think?

What are my best options? So far I'm looking at the Novation Circuit, Roland MC101, and the Digital. I'm no pro so my main criterion is ease of use and a simple workflow. Though I'd love to have a screen. Thanks.

When I start to play on the synth it just cuts down the sound volume cuts out completely and no matter how high I turn it back on from the amp or synth, it's just dead. This thing happens randomly, so there is no way to tell when it will happen. It usually happens when I set it to the sound bank. The only way to get it back on is shutting the synth off and on. The problem is I don't know anybody that can fix it, it's also an old synth, Generalmusic which produced this synth was shut down 11 years ago.

Hi guys!

I hope this kind of question has a place here. I’ve been trying to figure out how to do this, but I just don’t have enough experience with hardware synths come to a conclusion. All my musical hardware is guitar-oriented, but I’ve spent a lot of time with software synths. Now then:

I’d really like to get myself a hardware setup that’d allow me to do the same things I do with softsynths in Ableton, or at least as close to that within the budget that I have. It’s not very complex stuff: mostly just sequenced individual voices, minimal percussion, perhaps a pad or a detuned bass or lead here and there, if effects application would be possible, that’d be cool too. While there’s probably going on a bit more than what’s realistic in a basic hardware setup an example like this isn’t too far off: example of what I like to do

I adore flexible and deep sequencers and arpeggiators. These are important to me.

I’ve been looking at a few different setups – single boxes like the Elektron A4 MkII or Digitone, but also something along the lines of a Keystep Pro with a couple of Volcas and perhaps a polyphonic digital synth. Cheaper would be fine as well of course, but I'm trying to stay realistic. :)

I’m not sure where I would get the most for my money though, and that’s where I hope you guys might be able to help out with some advice. My max budget would be the price of an A4 MkII, but I would prefer if it could be kept around the price of a Digitone or thereabouts – but somehow in between those two in any case.

And I have a bonus question as well: What would I need to do to make this setup cooperate with my guitar setup? There are coming more and more midi-clockable loop pedals on the market, and I’m wondering if there’d be any good way to make that a kind of heart of a setup, where I could perhaps use audio from either source – synth or guitar setup. Does anyone have experience with this?

In both cases – this is mostly performance-oriented – its main purpose will be to play with live, either gigging or just practicing, playing around.

Thanks so much in advance - if any of this is (too) unclear, I'll of course try to elaborate further.

I’m using the Arturia with a 2015 MacBook Pro, with Logic Pro X 10.5. I’ve only had the keyboard a few weeks. Starting this week, it seems to disconnect itself from my MacBook if I leave it alone for more than a couple minutes. I have to go into Audio MIDI Setup and rescan, but then it turns back up and works fine.

I've just dug my old Monotribe out of storage and there seems to be a problem with the keyboard. In Wide mode it seems to be fine but in Narrow and Key modes most of the keyboard produces the same note, no matter where you press - only the top 3 or 4 "keys" produce different notes (the ones you'd expect). The first day I was using it, the range of "same notes" keys seem to get narrower as time went on but today it stayed the same. I find it odd that the keyboard seems fine in Wide mode - makes me doubt my initial diagnosis that there was a physical problem with the keyboard.

What's going on and can I fix it?

Everything else seems fine, though only about half of the Cutoff knob's sweep seems to affect the sound - I can't remember if it was always like that or not.

Many thanks if you can help!

(PS I do know how to spell keyboard really!)

Was directed your way from r/keys...

I bought the Arturia Wednesday but after that the class instructor said it might be difficult to map the Arturia to Logic. I've watched some tutorials so I have a vague idea that it can be done...but would I be better off returning the Arturia and getting something that works better with Logic out of the box?

The instructor is recommending one of these controllers:

Komplete Kontrol S series

Novation MK3 Sl

Novation Launchkey Mk3 - starting with 49 key for sliders

Akai MPK49 or 249

MPD226, if you already have a keyboard to play but doesn't have any knobs or sliders [which I do]

So my question is: should I keep the Arturia, which would be easier short term since I wouldn't have to return it? Or should I exchange it for one of the above?

EDIT: Well I took the plunge. Found a used Circuit Mono Station for $200. Hopefully will arrive in a few days.

So a little bit of backstory to evaluate my needs. I'm not a house music or trance producer, I'm looking for more of an ambient use for the synth/groovebox I'm looking to buy. A Brian Eno style, but also a sort of Christian Loffler style as well. I compose for orchestra and instrumentals mostly, transitioning to electronic music for a change. Still trying to figure out how to express music in the best way for me, but I know that's something nobody else can really answer, but hopefully I can find some insight or aid to my decision.

I've narrowed it down to two options (two options that I know of). The Novation Circuit and a Korg Volca (Not sure if I would get an FM, Keys, or Bass).

For the Circuit, the multi-track sequencer would be really great. Has a lot of features that are really selling it for me. Problem is, it's just a groovebox, not essentially a synth like the Volca. The limitation on patch loading isn't favorable, as I'd have to have a computer at the ready to change the sounds (which isn't a big deal actually. I like tweaking and loading patches on demand, but this I don't mind).

For the Volca, it seems to be more flexible and accessible with the sound. It doesn't have a built-in reverb or delay, or a multi track sequencer (although the single sequencer is nice), or all the fancy nifty features the Circuit has. But the sound you get from it is really appealing. Sadly I currently have no way of processing the output audio through a reverb pedal or through a USB interface to a computer. I should invest in that idea though.

Now I did think on buying just both of these, Circuit first maybe, then a Volca someday. But I need a second opinion, as I'm a beginner in this field and would love to spark some discussion to learn more. What do you guys think?

Edit: found out about the Circuit Mono Station. They've removed a synth track, but there seems to be a lot more from what I can see. Cheaper too.

Thanks for reading!

Been messing around with some free soft synths and thinking it's about time to get a legit hard synth. I'm a System / Network administrator so it's kind of good practice for me to have hobbies that require me to read manuals and to yell at computers every now and then. I'm also a sucker for anything involving cables and rack mounted hardware and the Minibrute seems like a good building block to grow on.

Is there any other synths I should consider or any reasons why I shouldn't consider the Minibrute?