I create this topic in view to avoid off topic on the evolver good companion for OT (these days in other gear part of forum), and because if the topic has already open in Elektron user old forum, it’s too hard to find here if it already exists.
So here my experience.
The companions my MD mkii had depend of the combo objective, are following :
Waldorf pulse plus (old version of Pulse), that you can find for nothing on AF, for example, is nice.
Because of his electro/cold/but deep sound first. Second because of his ability to immediately, without blip or craqle, change bank preset that allows you to produce weird thing in conjunction with prog change button and p.locks. A marvellous tip.
Evolver desktop, because of his 4 oscillator and the same ability to change preset without delay or buy. More expensive than the Waldorf, but very different bass sounds, and good crying sounds. Even if I’m not very found of its delay sound.
Studio Electronics SE1/1x, wich produce nice basses but hard to mix well with MD sounds, because of the deep basses wich necessity good mix to avoid sound gap with MD. But there you can’t reasonably play with prog change button. That’s a pity.
had the Bass Station 2 routed into the MD for a while, … must say… what a partner! … leaves space for a destinctive dedicated synth player (mid and hi notes… slash one shot synth samples within the MD+drive) …
easy switch between native sounds from BS vs resampling and mangling thru input machines …
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techy sound without too much bells and whistles, to keep clear track without all the universe to try out…
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.BS II sequenceable via MD !
bs powered either psu or usb cable … computerless setup possible…
Actually I use to sequence and control reaktor’ensembles on my macbookpro via a midi track on MD. In this way I can use my laptop as an instrument, not as a daw.
I recently got myself a Mutable Instruments Shruthi XT, and even if I haven’t had time to extensively test it in my set-up yet, I already feel it’ll be a great companion for my MD-Uw, because of its large palette and possibilities. Also got a Nord Modular G2, and even if I find it great, and probably never part myself from it, I find it too ‘kind’ sonically sometimes…that’s way I bought the Shruthi. Highly recommended.
I got a Volca Sample this week. Haven’t played with it a ton, but I did play with it mapped to the MDUW a bit, which was a blast. Lots of complaints online about the midi being a sample per midi channel, but this is great for sequencing from the MDUW since you can p-lock just about every control. Plus, you can use the Step Jump feature even if you sequence it externally, which is way fun. I had only really planned on using the Volca Sample for couch jamming, but I’m thinking it might spend a good amount of time connected to my MD midi out now.
Any device with really good midi specs is a blast with the MD. If youre bored and really feel like wasting track slots, you can do some semi-modular-esque stuff. Then if you plan on what needs to be automated you can turn the base channel thing on… Still messing with this and trying to get it just right…
for us