Synths and Synthesis MkII: All gear is shit, Hail Satan

The Something Awful Forums > The Finer Arts > No More Drake > Musician's Lounge > Synths and Synthesis MkII: All gear is shit, Hail Satan

Count Thrashula: Jun 1, 2003; Death is nothing compared to vindication.; Buglord

I've played around with VST synths in the past, but after watching "I Dream of Wires" on Netflix, I want a modular synth SO BAD :stare:

gently caress

What's the cheapest that one can get away with fiddling with patch cables and knobs?

# ¿ Aug 20, 2015 03:38

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# ¿ May 20, 2024 10:40

Count Thrashula: Jun 1, 2003; Death is nothing compared to vindication.; Buglord

MockingQuantum posted:

Speaking as someone who just got into modular, I currently have three modules sitting around doing very little and a bank account that can't support any more for the moment. It's significantly less satisfying than just buying a single unit that does cool things without needing multiple other less cool things to support it.

This is pretty good advice, and probably the reality check I need. There's a big difference between "gear I will love to look at" and "gear I will actually use".

# ¿ Aug 20, 2015 04:04

Count Thrashula: Jun 1, 2003; Death is nothing compared to vindication.; Buglord

sliderule posted:

There are also virtual modular software solutions if you're just looking for ultimate configurability. It's not tactile, it's not analog, but it does provide you with the ability to architect a synthesizer voice from scratch. You can fiddle with (virtual) wires this way, and if you grab a BCR2000 or the like you can twist knobs, too.

Reaktor and Max are each pretty powerful. Then there's Patchblocks which shares the visual modular paradigm, but is less powerful. It's still in Beta though, so it's growing. The editor/emulator is free, so you can always download and play with it. The bonus is that you can export the patch to Patchblocks hardware if you want to get back to the analog domain.

Then there's the Nord Modular / G2, but I don't know what that would cost and you'd have to deal with ancient hardware to program it (I think).

Patchblocks looks really cool. But... I can see it being a flash in the pan and not really gaining traction. But who knows!

I think my short term is to get an MS-20... but I really like the idea of VSTs, and getting something I can use as a MIDI controller as well. I have a lovely old M-Audio O2 that I use as a controller, and that's honestly about as far as my hardware synth knowledge goes. Everything else I know has been software.

Can the USB port on the back of the MS-20 turn it into a controller as well?

Sorry for the stupid questions :ohdear:

# ¿ Aug 20, 2015 14:11

Count Thrashula: Jun 1, 2003; Death is nothing compared to vindication.; Buglord

wayfinder posted:

I like to think that there are no speakers, that those fuckin' dorks are just staring at their blinking lights while saying to themselves, "yeah... oh yeah... that's nice... *twiddles knob*, ahhhh... yeah...".

# ¿ Aug 25, 2015 18:22

Count Thrashula: Jun 1, 2003; Death is nothing compared to vindication.; Buglord

After years of VSTs, and weeks of mulling over my first piece of hardware, I've got a Korg EMX-1 on the way to me :ohdear:

I'm unreasonably excited but it's a lot of money for a poor guy like me!

# ¿ Aug 28, 2015 23:01

Count Thrashula: Jun 1, 2003; Death is nothing compared to vindication.; Buglord

Verdict: the EMX-1 owns, for a dated piece of kit.

Literally an hour after unboxing it, I had figured it out and was making as least passable patterns. Had a little fun with it:

Not saying it's a good track, that's just me fiddling with knobs for a minute using some simple patterns I keyed in.

# ¿ Sep 1, 2015 01:55

Count Thrashula: Jun 1, 2003; Death is nothing compared to vindication.; Buglord

Mr. Sharps posted:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EeM6eUtF4rw

Time to put together an album I guess.

I'm in love with this.

# ¿ Sep 1, 2015 17:50

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# ¿ May 20, 2024 10:40

Count Thrashula: Jun 1, 2003; Death is nothing compared to vindication.; Buglord

wayfinder posted:

Can someone tell me how to direct the aliens to my house please?

# ¿ Sep 8, 2015 18:50

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