So currently, I have an OT and a PT and while I enjoy learning and discovering stuff with the first and be productive with the second, I am on the verge to sell both in order to go for a drum machine and synth set up.
My main issue is sampling for now, I don’t have the time to filter ans restrain my self to a small sound pool and abuse the one-wavecycle, granular and wavetable synths in both OT and PT, I feel that I am looking for a more direct and rewarding duo.
I have in mind :
Erica Synth LXR02 and Erica Synth DB01
Arturia drumbrute and minibrute 2s
Digitone ans DT or ST
And other mix en match kind of duo. Looking for synthesis and kinda half preset machine to have my fun.
I was also looking to find just Korg Wavestate and just geek out on it.
I feel you should keep a sampler handy, just in case. I see you put a Digitakt on your “maybe” list, so why not keep the OT and use it in a more simple way?
The rest of your list is interesting.
the Erica pair are really focused and have a distinct sound: do you like that sound? Do you want those limits? Will you be happy sticking with them for long enough you complete your longer term projects?
I don’t know much about the Arturia Brutes. Do they give you some semi-modular features? Do they have powerful enough sequencers for your needs?
the Syntakt is awesome - if you’re considering slimming down to those two Erica’s, also consider just the Syntakt to save a bit of money, whilst keeping a fairly broad sound palette. It’ll do the acidy techno stuff without blinking; it has pads and granular-ish sounds, the chip tune sounds are awesome, and you probably know the industrial hell that @Jeanne summons from its depths
Good point and the difference between the Erica duo vs Arturia is in the sound palette where the first seems able to go from soft-ish to hell and the second from microsound to funky.
For sure the sequencers would be restrained but not too much in the Arturia.
And after I look at the Digitone and/or the Syntakt looking at exactly what @Jeanne is getting out of it and everything seems possible just with one of the two if not the two 🫣
For the digitakt, it is a part of me not ready to let go a sampler but also budget management to swap the OT by it. Maybe a more straightforward UX could help me
I run a syntakt into an M2 Mac with ableton live and a push2. Sampling, great looper. I mainly use Arturia’s Analog Lab V for synths. A 8-track template keeps creation simple.
Multitracking 12 Syntakt tracks over one USB is great.
Wavestate Native has (or had) a demo version, so you can fiddle around with that to see if you like it. I didn’t enjoy the UI of the wave sequencer, but I recognized the power.
The LXR02 has a specific sound - its a nice, aggressive sound, but I wondered about the range while I had it (and I felt the Syntakt could do similar stuff though it’s distortion and noise both have a different color), so I kept the ST. I like the idea of a small mono like the DB01, but I would rather have something like a mono lancet and sequence it from a ST or DT, so most of my pattern sequences are in the same place (you can do that with the DB01, but you’re paying for a sequencer you won’t use). On the other hand, a narrow range can be a good thing because you’ll focus more on composition, which sounds like what you’re looking for. The perFOURmer gets you more parts, but at that price point the Analog Four is really worth looking at.
For a duo, I’d probably start with ST or A4 and then add either the DT or AR (or some other sampler drum machine if you already know the workflow - but I like that the ST+DT and A4+AR are so similar you can change menu settings on both at once in tandem with both hands).
Just the ST (or maybe the A4) can get you a long way. Lots of presets (and machines in the ST) and enough parts to make lots of things (you need to be more creative with the A4 but it is very doable).
I would grab a Syntakt, use it for awhile, and then determine what you feel you’re missing (if anything). You’re getting the best analog drum synths from AR (IMO), dual VCO for bass, chord machine, digital metal percussion.
I find DT is the best all in one box. I would say get a DT first, simpler and more fun than OT to compose tracks.
DT can make serious synth tracks as well with single cycle waveform.
To pair with a DT, I would go with a real different thing the DT can’t already do. I would go for a big analog synth, a sound you can’t achieve with thoses digital box. A Moog, DSI, Vermona, or at least a Nord Lead A1.
Digitone + sampler has been a powerhouse for me. DN is great at drums and just incredible for adding layers to sampled drums.
I second the sentiment about keeping a sampler around. I guess it really depends on how you want to work, but the way I see it it’s an insurance policy that you can use it for any sound at all if you find yourself with a vision for a track and can’t quite get there with the other stuff you have. But I probably find myself rescued in that way more that most, since I focus on sampling and synths are usually seen as “things to sample.”
