I was just thinking about my general experience with buying gear, hardware, software, controllers, and trying to integrate it all together in various ways. It has often caused me stress and spoiled my enjoyment.
For example, I just bought a Subharmonicon and I’ve tried to put it together with my DT and ST. It all syncs OK but I’m finding that it’s actually a bit too much for my brain to have the 3 boxes running at once and it doesn’t quite feel right. It doesn’t all fit together, or at least for me it feels that way. The 2 Elektrons works very well together by themselves and the workflow all gels because they have the same basic behaviour.
I have considered (as I often do with such purchases) returning the Moog because it might not fit well, but it occurs to me that I could just as easily have a small eurorack setup and keep it totally separate so I have some choice. One day I might fancy some modular noodling, another day I could use my 2x Elektron groovebox setup.
Do other folks have distinct little (or not so little) setups? Any thoughts on this as an idea? I don’t want a huge wall of modular and I don’t have the cash anyway, but it’s more about accepting that I could have two separate mini setups that I can dip in and out of.
I’ve been doing this for a couple years now. I used to be the mad professor who would link every single bit and device together but found that uninspiring.
I now have 3 setups on three different desks.
1 - Daw with Akai force plus midi controllers
2 - Digitakt and Digitone keys
3 - Sp404mk2 and ‘other’
The ‘other’ is just space to put various, random small synths and other devices as I wish to use them. The other 2 areas also have space to add in a device when wanted.
I can decide to jam with my Elektrons, I can decide to explore the DAW and/or my Force (can use either or both in the current configuration)
I can sample and jam with the 404.
This also allows me to just concentrate on a device or two at a time. Better for me, but I appreciate the photos of the mega setups.
This thread resonates with me. I’ve had a very unsuccessful no gear new year this year, but I did learn a couple of things (an expensive lesson, but one worth to learn). One of my take aways is that I can’t/don’t want to deal with more than 2 boxes at a time. So for next year, I will just keep my current 3 mini-setups:
1 Ableton + Push 2
2. Digitakt + Digitone
3. M8
This gives me plenty of workflow options for sparking my creativity plus I don’t need to think about how to set things up. Also, It stops me thinking about “that one piece of gear that would complete my setup”.
There’s also a genre component to this sometimes. I note that some gear lends itself to a certain style of music, and you can use your setup to lean on a couple different styles. As others have said. hooking it all up can be more of a hinder than help.
Ah, so you’ve heard about it too!
I know it’s out there somewhere…
I also can’t keep track of more than two instruments at a time and found I’m much more productive with just a single box or pair.
I presently have a Syntakt and Opsix linked together as my main setup and it feels great.
Otherwise there’s a few portable things I’ll take around sometimes for when I get an itch.
T-8, Gecho Loopsynth, JU-06A, and the arcade Pocket Operator.
That PO has stayed in my car since I got it, but I use it on lunch breaks sometimes.
I’m still on the fence of selling my JU-06A for a J-6 so I have an alternate tiny setup if I pair it with the T-8.
I want to set up the Rytm based one again to record something I put off committing to months ago. My attention span for any one setup isn’t that good. I think next year I should cycle through things faster, with less pressure to polish and more sketching.
Once Upon A Synth used to do this series called “Will They Pair” where he’d take two machines and see what came of pairing them up. I think something like this could be super productive in terms of just limiting yourself and inspiring creativity in ways you wouldn’t think of if you just left everything wired up, or even had a few small setups. just leave everything in semi-storage (sitting on nearby tables or shelves) and set a few machines aside when the mood strikes. pair them up and see what you get. if it’s worth hitting record, or even adding another machine to it, do so. if not, match up some other machines.
for me, mini setups is the ultimate reason to buy gear.
i have quite a few, but always restrict myself to no more than 3 boxes at once (mixer not counted).
my very last mini setup is Syntakt + Uno Synth Pro + Jomox MBase 11 – a neat EBM / electro industrial rig.
(i prefer keeping one more Syntakt analog track for SY Raw machine, so using MBase 11 for analog kick.)
Been thinking a lot about mini-setups of late. My gear has naturally coalesced into 2 setups that both feel complete in their way:
Digitakt I’ve got as the midi brain for an analog/semi-modular setup (Mother/DFAM, Nymphes, 0-Coast) that’s an absolute blast for techno jams, but for health reasons I can’t sit at the desk as long as I’d like to after the workday.
Syntakt, solo on the couch, nothing I pair it with lasts long, I just keep returning to the immediacy of the one box, especially now with RK-002 for poly when I want it.
Every once in a while I pull out the Digitakt solo (with iPad + YouTube) to try my hand at chopping samples, but am an absolute beginner there.
Trying out different arrangements has been a really interesting part of exploring music-making and testing the strengths, limits or roles of different equipment.
I have a DT/DN/ST trio as my main setup, with a few pieces on the side that get less and less use lately.
The Elektrons are similar enough that my brain has a lot less context switching to do, especially for sequencing. But there’s enough variety in sound generation that I don’t find myself stuck in finding what I’m looking for during sound design and music making in general. But I also get to focus on just one or two boxes if I want, or even pull just one of them out to take with me somewhere else in the house or on a trip if I’m feeling inspired and depending on what types of sounds I want to focus on (samples, FM, analog, digital machines, etc).
Others might find just the three “Digis” limiting, and I get that. For me, I’m in my personal sweet spot of complementary, creative flexibility but with enough in common between the Digis that everything remains intuitive and my muscle memory is less likely to betray me when I go back and forth between machines.
Some of the newer additions such as an arranger on all three, some new machines on the ST, quality of life improvements, or even me getting a good handle on how to time stretch with consistency on the DT, all of this means I’m nowhere near “needing” any other gear at the moment to make the music that I want.
I do. For modular, I use a 4u and 7u Intellijel case that have drums, sequencer, fx, mixer and utilities and portable. My other portable setup that I recently put together is my new Digitone and Analog Heat combo that I love for hard hitting techno or house. Then I have my Elektron trinity of Rytm, OT and A4. My ultra portable setup is just a Roland SP 404 MK2 with OP-1 and TB03 all battery powered if necessary. These can be used with each other for infinite combos. I don’t think of how much I spent on gear anymore but I did not go in debt and I did not take a real vacation in many years and I invested in stocks before and gear came over time.
Great combo plus makes workflow easier. That’s why I love my Elektrons and Rolands since I’m familiar with their quirks. Roland could learn from Elektron on better sequencer and menu workflow.
I recommend having a core setup or two and a few independent devices that you bring in as needed. I generally have a bunch of things hooked into audio and MIDI interfaces when in the studio but I tend to work with up to 3 at a time. That’s not to say I don’t produce tracks using more devices, but because I have a fixed group of instruments for performance as my core now I tend to look at that as album dressing. If you think 2 or 3 isn’t enough, so did I until I got a Digitakt.
There is a lot to be said for finding instruments that go well together for you and tying them together as self-contained rigs, which is what a lot of people do too.
Oh yeah! One of my favorite methods is “small rig on the kitchen table.” Generally I grab a synth, a couple pedals, and a recording device. Maybe a drum machine or a bonus synth. I don’t even know how many EPs I’ve banged out this way.
I also use a small rig (currently OT/DNK) with my band, so the studio is usually broken up into pieces.
Digitone+OP-1 Field is a surprisingly excellent combo. Sequencer, four DN tracks, four tape tracks, and MIDI sync for bouncing 4 DN tracks down to one tape track.
If it did audio over USB it would be the ultimate moveable mini-rig.
