It’s funny, I nearly bailed on my MPC Live 2 three or four times in the first 2-3 months… I am SOOOO glad I didn’t now… once it clicked and I got over the hump, I think it’s THE best standalone sampler/sequencer there is, it’s unbelievably good.
The trap for the MPC is that it’s easy to get going on it from Day 1 and think you know what it’s about… that accessibility is a curse and makes a lot of people judge it from there.
In hindsight I realise I just needed to spend more time and get familiar with the workflow.
People think it’s ‘touchscreen’, but when you click/connect with the workflow you hardly ever touch the screen, it’s just a visual reference… I love the speed of the shortcuts now.
I feel a bit sorry for people who bailed out early on the MPC’s and not got to the true experience of them. Obvs appreciate not all devices are for everyone though, as this thread highlights…
Octatrack - After trying and not liking the Digitakt, I am super happy with the OT.
MISSES :
AKAI Force - Okay, bought end of last year, but nevertheless…I didn’t like the workflow (too much touchscreen, no p-locks), the layout (screen too far up) and overall feeling
Triton Taktile - Alright as a controller keyboard, but one should rather get a real Triton or X50/ MicroX, because the Taktile isn’t multitimbral.
minilogue XD - Not really a miss in terms of me liking it, but it just doesn’t fit my workflow. I like to keep my setup minimal, so it had to go.
Hit:
AaWewswwfaa to w
Miss:
Sorry to say it’s the Moog SubH. To start with I loved it but quickly grew tired of the lack of progression you can achieve with the sequencers, and I also began to find the sound quite samey and WWaaewaaswawa. It is very inspiring and innovative and I guess if you have a big studio and want something to dip in and out of when looking for something inspiring, it is awesome. But for me I have a small setup and so need more utility unit.
Lyra 8 - I could never figure out why this was at the top of the pile on Perfect Circuit. Finally I understood and bought one that week. It feels like chess. You can understand it and play immediately. Then you can spend years growing with it.
Synthstrom Deluge - Pick an aspect of music you want to work on, and the Deluge excels at it.
Modular
I made the plunge into the deep end of Eurorack and bought a ton of modular gear over the last year starting with a Doepfer A100 Basic system then quickly outgrowing that case and buying lots more. It’s very therapeutic for me and allows unique happy accidents. I love Mutable Instruments, Intellijel, Rossum, Noise Engineering and IME Harvestman modules plus sequencers are super fun. But I did spend way too much so I’ve slowed down to one or two modules a year now.
Make Noise 0-Ctl- so good like mini Buchla easel with my 0-Coast plus it works great with modular gear.
Analogue Solutions Leipzig v2
Bought on whim and in spite of its size and limits love this thing! It really lets you create a serious techno set with ease.
Misses
DFAM- it’s ok but not as hard hitting as my modular drum modules. Plus the sequencer is tiny and limited. I prefer patching up a few of my Eurorack drum modules to a sequencer and effects.
Elektron Rytm MK2- a friend let me borrow one and it’s ok but I really just prefer to use modular for drums now in spite of its challenges and limitations. Besides with modular sequencers like Metron and Eloquencer in my setups, I can store presets and patterns for later recall so it’s not bad. Don’t get me wrong it’s a great drum synth but at this point I’d rather just use my Octatrack for drums if I have to pick one grab and go machine or load a 6u case with a few Eurorack drum modules and a sequencer.
Hits:
Analog Four Mk2, wanted for the flexible synth engine and elektron workflow. Pairs nicely with OT.
Deluge, bought as a gap filler for the A4 and Ot. It provides sequencing, digital poly synths, digital drums and poly/chromatic sampling (backup drums to free up OT tracks).
Division Department 01/IV, analog drum module. Crazy knobby analog sound engine, typically sequenced via deluge. Wanted a knobby dedicated analog percussion box, didnt need the built in sequencer.
Hopefully future hit: Vermona Perfourmer is last on my wish list (knobby synth to pair with my current sequencers), luckily they stay out of stock so I can explore what I have.
I bought way too much gear this year really. Much of it buying back stuff I’d sold previously. Spent far too much time online instead of making music. Might have to self exclude if I’m going to get anything at all done!
Hits:
0-coast. Still the king of portable modular exploration for functions/hp.
Nyx v1. Unique sound with huge sounding oscillators, creamy filter and that crazytubes reverb. Almost endless modulation possibilities and hints of a mod sheet to come. Pairs nice with Erebus v1.
62hp palette case. Pretender to the 0-coast throne. Want to make a mutable mini-system with this next.
Happy Nerding FXaidXL. So many algorithms in 6hp and not just fx
BC Rich Warlock Bronze. Intention, drop-tuned death metal.
Boss SP303. Just because, untouched as yet but I’ll get there
Gameboy DMG1 + mods + LSDJ. Just because, untouched as yet but I’ll get there
Tascam 424Mk3. Just because, untouched as yet but I’ll get there
Shure M44-7 pair. Intention, learn to scratch finally
And finally, 50x random jungle/dnb 12 inches. I miss mixing and want to go back to it but change it up from techno a bit.
Misses:
Hologram Microcosm. A few things made me sell it, filter stepping, firmware problems but mostly the ambience and glitching I got out of it is just too nice for the music I want to make.
Korg NTS1. Amazing what you get for the money size, but in the end I wanted more/bigger controls. Back to using Space/Particle 2 for portable fx for now.
Hits:
Analog Rytm mk2 - switched up to this from the Digitakt and really love it. Deep Diving with a single kit and really setting it all up so you can “play” it is wonderful. Just completely clicked with it in a way I could not with ol’ digitakt who I used as a very basic drum machine most of the time.
Double Knot - just comically great sounding. somehow really easy to get a rhythm going that I could never design on purpose.
Oto Boum - love the filter on this thing.
Tascam Model 12 - so useful and easy to use for all kinds of tasks - as faders, as an audio interface, as a standalone recorder, etc. I’ve never recorded so much so easily.
Bitwig: I forgot that a DAW could be this snappy and easy to use. wow.
Cycles: I bit on the latest sales promotion so I’m still way in the honeymoon but I’m frequently surprised at how much I can get going so easily. The size is perfect for couch-jamming away from the main studio and it sounds good enough that you can use what you made.
Akai s612 - found one cheap locally and I can’t believe how nice it sounds. I love using it a kind of glitch machine recording into the buffer while looping a rhythmic sequence.
Misses:
Modor Nf-1m - the thing sounds great, especially the fx section - but the mini interface was just not very fun for me to program.
Ableton Live 11 - was so excited to get this rolling with MPE but it feels so sluggish. They might iron things out but I’ve basically switched over to Bitwig. The only thing keeping me in here now and again are the Max 4 live devices.
Sold more than I bought in 2021, but what I did get are all hits:
linnstrument 128
Very nice to play, very customizable in terms of layout and splits. I use it to play my DN (regular midi and pseudo MPE mode) as well as my digitakt. I never developed any significant playing skills with regular piano keyboards and as a guitar player, the linnstrument just feels much more natural for me.
poly beebo
Best value for money fx pedal out there IMHO, especially when combined with elektron gear for midi control. It also keeps getting better and better with every update. It’s also much more than an fx pedal, I use it mostly for the stellar mutable instruments ports.
Got myself a DT again after having sold it a few years ago to fund an OT. While the OT is fun, I never got things going quite as smoothly as I can on the DT, so it’s nice to have it back. I wouldn’t say the OT was a ‘miss’ in the end, but I’m glad I let it go.
🤦this was sat as a draft until my 5yr old daughter starting playing with my phone.