|
My immediate thought is that this is what I should have bought over the MPC One if it had been available at the time. It's basically why I wanted the MPC, and has no goober touch UI. The visual interaction vs digit-LCD is what kept me from looking at sp404 before. I'm not really going to change devices right now but I could see myself trading the One in for this, especially since I have the 1k I prefer atm. It's not apples to apples -- the One offers a bunch of cool softsynths and that is something I was planning on investigating in the future, but I could still see this being a decent trade. e: Quoting for new page: Matt Zerella posted:SP404MK2 review just dropped: Rolo posted:creating more lo-fi  vvvv some kinda jackal fucked around with this message at 14:55 on Oct 13, 2021 |
#
?
Oct 13, 2021 14:25
|
|
|
|
| # ? Jun 11, 2024 17:04 |
|
|
As someone who’s finding themselves creating more lo-fi, I think I like that thing.
|
|
#
?
Oct 13, 2021 14:47
|
|
|
I bet I can replace my vt-4 and 404sx with that. Maybe drop the ms70cdr as well
|
|
#
?
Oct 13, 2021 15:13
|
|
|
Power supply question. I'm planning on getting an Arturia Minilab MKII (because I need a controller) and a KORG volca FM (because). I know the KORG needs a power supply or batteries - will any 9-volt adapter do, or do I need a specific one? I think amperage matters, but I'm not sure how. As for the Minilab, I don't think it has MIDI out, just USB, and the FM only has MIDI in. Would I still be able to power the Minilab with the USB-B <-> MIDI connection, and control the FM at the same time? I could get just the controller in the meantime, since I have enough softsynths on my computer.
|
|
#
?
Oct 13, 2021 15:19
|
|
|
Googling leads me to believe that Volca FM draws under 1A so as long as it's the correct polarity (center positive based on google but definitely want to verify w/manual) any 9V 1A+ (just to be safe) should work. That being said I'm also not sure what size plug you'd need. Not sure on powering the Minilab from a USB-MIDI adapter. I'd be skeptical but I can't really think of what a proper solution looks like. Sorry, that was a whole lot of text which I now see translates to "  "
some kinda jackal fucked around with this message at 15:45 on Oct 13, 2021 |
|
#
?
Oct 13, 2021 15:43
|
|
|
Yeah, that's a bit unfortunate. Thinking a bit about what's going on: The volca series has a power jack, and MIDI in. The Minilab (and its younger sister, the Microlab) have USB-B out, which is also expected to provide power. No MIDI out. I think the two are just incompatible. The volca expects to be controlled by something, via 5-pin MIDI, that can handle its own power. The Minilab expects to control something, via USB, that it can draw power from. I have no idea if USB-MIDI is a thing or not, but I might be approaching this from the wrong angle entirely...I'll have to think about it. But for now, I need the controller more than I need the FM, so I'll get only the Minilab and save the volcas for later.
|
|
#
?
Oct 13, 2021 16:04
|
|
|
Martytoof posted:Googling leads me to believe that Volca FM draws under 1A so as long as it's the correct polarity (center positive based on google but definitely want to verify w/manual) any 9V 1A+ (just to be safe) should work. That being said I'm also not sure what size plug you'd need. This is something I asked this thread about months ago, got advised to get the Kenton USB MIDI host by my evil buddy, and I use it for stuff like that. Like I use it to control my NTS-1 over USB using a MIDI only keyboard. If I understand you correctly that would be a way of doing what you need, perhaps. There are also cheaper usb midi hosts out there from some of the cheaper companies that may or may not perform as well. ^^^^Just saw your reply. Yeah, you should look into the search term, "USB MIDI Host." It's a very specific niche, made for allowing some USB MIDI devices to connect without requiring a computer. petit choux fucked around with this message at 16:21 on Oct 13, 2021 |
|
#
?
Oct 13, 2021 16:19
|
|
|
Seems like a bit much for now. Considering the volca FM has keys of its own (just not terribly great ones), it's not impossible to play without a controller. It's a nice little module, but I think the controller is more important right now. I'll focus on that, and once I get better at hardware stuff, I'll indulge!
|
|
#
?
Oct 13, 2021 16:25
|
|
|
Matt Zerella posted:SP404MK2 review just dropped: Fuuuuuuck I was starting to get a bit of GAS for a Digitakt to pair with my DN, but that's cheaper and looks fuckin amazing Guess I got some thinkin to do
|
|
#
?
Oct 13, 2021 16:25
|
|
|
On a slightly different note, I've noticed a couple DIY kits somewhat resembling the NTS-1, going to try one of them. 
|
|
#
?
Oct 13, 2021 16:30
|
|
|
Pollyanna posted:Seems like a bit much for now. Considering the volca FM has keys of its own (just not terribly great ones), it's not impossible to play without a controller. I would say just stick with software fm unless you need it on the go. The editing sucks on the volca anyway so you’re still going to need a pc to make patches
|
|
#
?
Oct 13, 2021 16:38
|
|
|
Pollyanna posted:But for now, I need the controller more than I need the FM, so I'll get only the Minilab and save the volcas for later. All presuming bypassing the computer as an intermediary at some point is of value to you. If not, nothing wrong with the minilab.
|
|
#
?
Oct 13, 2021 16:55
|
|
|
I don't know for sure how important no-comp is for me, but I do find value in just sitting around and making patches + using a keyboard, the PC can be distracting. We'll find out! But right now, I think I need to swap focus back to practicing composition and doing projects. Changing tack a bit - I've been playing around with Vital, and there's certainly a lot I can do, but I still feel the need for some reason to not touch the complicated preset waves that come with Vital and instead try to make everything out of basic waves (pulse, sine, triangle, saw). I don't know if that's a bad habit or not... Pollyanna fucked around with this message at 17:17 on Oct 13, 2021 |
|
#
?
Oct 13, 2021 17:06
|
|
|
If you get used to what you can do with the standard waves and where they are best used then that's gonna give you a really good foundation for pretty much any synth going. Learn your basics and expand. I've been messing with Pigments 3 quite a bit and other than when I'm exploring presets I'd say 80% of my own building time with it so far has been using the analogue engine rather than the wavetable or harmonic engines.
|
|
#
?
Oct 13, 2021 17:22
|
|
|
GAS always wins doesn't it? I preordered the 404mk2 because I put the equal of the MPCone cost in savings last week. Just saw it also has a guitar amp sim and a bunch of other stuff. Just seems like such an awesome portable little piece of gear and it should compliment my OP1 and guitar perfectly as well as have plenty of use with Ableton. Looks like Roland really knocked it out of the park.
|
|
#
?
Oct 13, 2021 21:50
|
|
|
I'm finally learning to use my Launchpad Pro Mk3 to do some live looping in Bitwig with the Wavedrum and it's so fun.
|
|
#
?
Oct 13, 2021 22:39
|
|
|
Trig Discipline posted:I'm finally learning to use my Launchpad Pro Mk3 to do some live looping in Bitwig with the Wavedrum and it's so fun. The step sequencer on it is awesome as is chord mode. It's an awesome piece of kit. I love mine.
|
|
#
?
Oct 13, 2021 22:45
|
|
|
Pollyanna posted:I don't know if that's a bad habit or not... Nah, study at your own pace. The additional waveforms can be viewed as shortcuts - instead of needing two oscillators to create two sines an octave apart, you can just edit the first waveform in the harmonic editor and achieve the same there with a single oscillator. In fact, you can sort of emulate a bunch of drawbars and various positions - just with a single wavetable. Additionally, some tricky waveforms like Wurlitzer or Rhodes - wavetables do these for the cost of having the WT position modulated by an envelope. There is this dude called Databroth on YT who does some absolutely sick Vital tricks and there are several Vital patches in https://github.com/instatetragrammaton/Patches
|
|
#
?
Oct 13, 2021 23:33
|
|
|
Matt Zerella posted:GAS always wins doesn't it? I preordered the 404mk2 because I put the equal of the MPCone cost in savings last week. Please report back on it. It’s the most interesting new thing I’ve seen in awhile. Does it have a release date yet?
|
|
#
?
Oct 14, 2021 00:17
|
|
|
Rolo posted:Please report back on it. It’s the most interesting new thing I’ve seen in awhile. Does it have a release date yet? Rumors I'm seeing are late November but with supply chain issues and hype trains I'm not expecting it until January. I preordered on Sweetwater and will do a trip report. Just bear with me as I've never owned a sp404 before.
|
|
#
?
Oct 14, 2021 00:25
|
|
|
I want to share the results of an experiment I did. Running a little sequence on a simple oscillator, passing it through a filter, then through what I think is called rings (the resonator in vcv), I tried modulating a bunch of the parameters on the resonator with a sample of me yelling a shriek. Wow, that sure adds piles of texture!
|
|
#
?
Oct 14, 2021 00:30
|
|
|
Matt Zerella posted:GAS always wins doesn't it? I preordered the 404mk2 because I put the equal of the MPCone cost in savings last week. I almost called Long&Mcquade today to see if they would do give me enough on a used MPC One to just preorder the 404mk2 but I decided to hold off. Super super super interested in hearing how you find it once it ships.
|
|
#
?
Oct 14, 2021 02:22
|
|
|
Martytoof posted:I almost called Long&Mcquade today to see if they would do give me enough on a used MPC One to just preorder the 404mk2 but I decided to hold off. Super super super interested in hearing how you find it once it ships. Like I said earlier, I’ll do my best but I’ve never used a SP404 before so its probably going to take me a while to get going. I’ve watched a lot of the influencer reviews today and so far these are my favorites: https://youtu.be/B6oWrtVMxck https://youtu.be/n2XstUXm-pY Second one is more of a straight up hip hop walkthrough but hip hop and lofi are what im eventually trying to make so it works.
|
|
#
?
Oct 14, 2021 02:36
|
|
|
I think your vantage point will probably be way more valuable to me than someone who’s seasoned on a prior 404 tbh  Speaking of ‘influencers’ and general peeps giving impressions/workflows/etc I wish there were more YouTubers using MPC1K or 2.5Ks. A lot of people are either on the 2KXL or the Live/One/X now. A lot of stuff still translates over and it’s good to watch other people and learn from their workflow, but once we start hitting features that are NuMPC specific I’m kind of boned unless I want to forego. I’m kind of an oddball use case for an MPC — I’m really really interested in Jungle and minimal DnB which doesn’t really seem to have much of an audience on MPC-YouTube. There are a few, don’t get me wrong, but after absorbing those I’m kind of left wanting more. There are some legends like SpinScott but all he has are performances, not really any workflow tips or tricks. I guess at some point you can argue that what you need is just time behind the pads to knock out cool rhythms, not more tutorials, so I’m trying to take that viewpoint and just find my own way
some kinda jackal fucked around with this message at 03:04 on Oct 14, 2021 |
|
#
?
Oct 14, 2021 02:57
|
|
|
Martytoof posted:I think your vantage point will probably be way more valuable to me than someone who’s seasoned on a prior 404 tbh 
|
|
#
?
Oct 14, 2021 02:58
|
|
|
This is me+music in a nutshell. Yes I’m bad, yes this stinks, yes it was fun to make
|
|
#
?
Oct 14, 2021 03:04
|
|
|
|
|
#
?
Oct 14, 2021 03:19
|
|
|
Pollyanna posted:Power supply question. I'm planning on getting an Arturia Minilab MKII (because I need a controller) and a KORG volca FM (because). I know the KORG needs a power supply or batteries - will any 9-volt adapter do, or do I need a specific one? I think amperage matters, but I'm not sure how. Volcas don't draw a ton but the plug is weird. I think its center positive and its definitely a non-standard barrel size. People make dongles to run them off e.g. 1spots. I thinnnkkk the MS-20 mini uses the same one? Matt Zerella posted:Just saw it also has a guitar amp sim and a bunch of other stuff. Dope. I think I'm gonna try to trade for one maybe. All I wanna do these days is play guitar over drum sample loops.
|
|
#
?
Oct 14, 2021 06:54
|
|
|
JamesKPolk posted:Volcas don't draw a ton but the plug is weird. I think its center positive and its definitely a non-standard barrel size. Can confirm, they are reverse polarity from whatever most guitar pedals take.
|
|
#
?
Oct 14, 2021 07:03
|
|
|
The volca mix comes with a DC adaptor and three weird DC cables so that you can plug 3 volcas to be powered by the volca mix it is strange.
|
|
#
?
Oct 14, 2021 11:03
|
|
|
 Oh yeah geez, it's good that it's at listed at least. I wish there were more of a push to standardize (all) equipment but there's probably a lot of momentum in their product line or something, who knows.
|
|
#
?
Oct 14, 2021 13:05
|
|
|
Hmmm, good to know. Maybe in the future I’ll grab one, but I’ll focus on softsynths for now. My big reason for wanting some hardware is the ability to focus on sketching and experimentation. Softsynths and DAWs are great, but production and development are very different - the goal of the former is to put pen to paper, the goal of the latter is figuring out what to write in the first place. It helps immensely to have a physical and mental space dedicated to the latter, where you can’t get distracted by setting up VSTs or tweaking your levels or checking Discord or watching YouTube. The best mix in the world can’t help you if you don’t actually compose anything.
|
|
#
?
Oct 14, 2021 14:06
|
|
|
For me I think it comes down to: The best instrument is the one you use. When I'm in a DAW or iPad I'm always alt tabbing and distracted. When in front of a keyboard there are still distractions but I find I can focus more. It's probably entirely dependant on personality -- some people have laser focus and get into a groove and can ignore distractions, and I am definitely not that personality type :P So in all honesty, I would probably get much more done on a $300 Yamaha keyboard than I would on a powerhouse computer loaded with a DAW and terabytes of NI software and libraries. I could probably achieve MORE with the DAW but given that I instantly float off into googling for tips and tricks and end up on wikipedia reading about the Bermuda Triangle or who the 33rd Prime Minister of Japan was, the net result is zero 
|
|
#
?
Oct 14, 2021 14:20
|
|
|
Software is superior for production Hardware is superior for fun I'm playing with synths for fun so the choice is simple for me
|
|
#
?
Oct 14, 2021 14:44
|
|
|
Martytoof posted:For me I think it comes down to: Yeah I’m seeing this as my buddy, who is also into synths, got a Digitakt and it’s fun seeing his love for music reintroduce itself with the new equipment. He’s on it all the time, calls me to talk about it all the time and the sketches he’s sending me are getting cooler each time. Likewise, there’s something about the workflow that I look forward to when I sit down with my OP-1. Step one is I lay down a simple beat with a bass line, usually with a show or something on in the background while I try different things. When I find something I like I turn everything else off and listen to my own beat on loop while experimenting with laying synths on top of it. Sat there for an hour yesterday without really recording anything, just vibing to different melodies. It was like reading a good book. Super chill. 2 months in, I’m still glad I took a chance on the expense.
|
|
#
?
Oct 14, 2021 14:51
|
|
|
SpaceGoatFarts posted:Software is superior for production
|
|
#
?
Oct 14, 2021 14:57
|
|
|
B33rChiller posted:Trombones are superior for business Oooh. So that's why I keep overhearing my colleague talking about his rusty trombones!
|
|
#
?
Oct 14, 2021 15:18
|
|
|
SpaceGoatFarts posted:Oooh. So that's why I keep overhearing my colleague talking about his rusty trombones! Just talking about mah rusty trombones multiple times within your earshot range by random chance, thanks! petit choux fucked around with this message at 15:51 on Oct 14, 2021 |
|
#
?
Oct 14, 2021 15:49
|
|
|
Laserjet 4P posted:Nah, study at your own pace. The additional waveforms can be viewed as shortcuts - instead of needing two oscillators to create two sines an octave apart, you can just edit the first waveform in the harmonic editor and achieve the same there with a single oscillator. In fact, you can sort of emulate a bunch of drawbars and various positions - just with a single wavetable. Additionally, some tricky waveforms like Wurlitzer or Rhodes - wavetables do these for the cost of having the WT position modulated by an envelope.  Goddamn. I wonder how much of the music I've heard was actually clever use of LFOs rather than explicitly composed progressions and notes.
|
|
#
?
Oct 14, 2021 16:05
|
|
|
|
| # ? Jun 11, 2024 17:04 |
|
|
Pollyanna posted:
|
|
#
?
Oct 14, 2021 16:20
|
|