Post your keyboard controllers, synths, drum machines, etc!

[potetoboy]

After talking with complexz over on soundcloud, I ended up grabbing an MPC 1000. I'm more of a DJ than producer, but I have a lot of fun sampling and learning to sequence some basic beats and such.

Congrats on the MPC1000! That's the heart of my studio, i love mine to death.. one of my fave pieces of gear. Did you get the blue/red version or the black one?

 

[skate323k137]

Congrats on the MPC1000! That's the heart of my studio, i love mine to death.. one of my fave pieces of gear. Did you get the blue/red version or the black one?

The one I got was completely blacked out. I used paint pens to re-label the faceplate. It came maxed out with RAM, and the upgraded pad sensors too which was my main concern. This is how it showed up:

You can kinda see here how I ended up labeling it. Easier than replacing the faceplate

 

[potetoboy]

YES, nice Mario beat man!
also nice with the max ram + upgraded pad sensors. the pad upgrade is absolutely essential as the original ones they shipped with are crap. it also looks like it used to be a blue/red one before it was blacked out which is great as I've found the black ones to have a lesser build quality (more plastic-y bits, less metal). SCORE

 

[complexz]

MPC buddies 4 lyfe ^_^

the mario MPC finger drumming is awesome man

I did something simillar with tenchu wrath of heaven, but with worse results

 

[skate323k137]

MPC buddies 4 lyfe ^_^

the mario MPC finger drumming is awesome man

I did something simillar with tenchu wrath of heaven, but with worse results

Thanks man! I don't know if I'd say "worse results" there, around 1:00 was seriously sick.

 

[Cylotron]

In the meantime(until I can buy a piece of actual hardware), I decided to get both "impc" and "ielectribe" for my ipad. Obviously, they're just for playing around with.

I actually enjoy using the electribe over the mpc. With the electribe, it was more on the programming side & then hitting play... As opposed to constantly hitting record & mashing on the pads with the mpc.

Are both of those apps anything like the actual hardware? If so, I think I'm going to buy an electribe.

 

[complexz]

I don't know much about electribes, they are a synth, sequencer and drum machine in one basically no? if so the two are pretty different beasts. I imagine if that's the case the ielectribe is much closer to the original hardware than impc would be.

The MPC is not just for sampling, it's most powerful as a midi sequencer. So if you are a cool guy like potetoboy above and have a army of awesome synthesizers or any midi instruments at all, you can use the MPC to control all of them I have a midi keyboard going into my MPC and the midi outputs go out to my synths so I can control and record any of them independently with the one keyboard and then play them back all at once if I wish.

iMPC on the otherhand is mostly a basic version of just the sampling side of the MPC. I don't wanna quite say it's just a toy or just for fun as I imagine it's good enough that someone with some talent and alot of patience could make good music with it, but mostly I think it's something to just bang out ideas with on the go, it just doesn't have the features for chopping and layering samples to compare to a real MPC, but it's cool that it has a pretty accurate MPC style workflow.

as far as mashing pads goes... that part is pretty accurate sure you can step sequence on a MPC too, but I am all about mashing pads.

forgive the rambling, what I am getting at is a MPC is like a workstation you will use to bring everything together, a electribe is more of a instrument one might even use along side the MPC.

 

[BeefJerky]

In the meantime(until I can buy a piece of actual hardware), I decided to get both "impc" and "ielectribe" for my ipad. Obviously, they're just for playing around with.

I actually enjoy using the electribe over the mpc. With the electribe, it was more on the programming side & then hitting play... As opposed to constantly hitting record & mashing on the pads with the mpc.

Are both of those apps anything like the actual hardware? If so, I think I'm going to buy an electribe.

I would HIGHLY recommend getting the real Electribe. I had an EMX-1 and it's one of the few pieces I still really miss. They might still be on the pricey side, I remember paying about $500 for a new one about 6-7 years ago. But if you like the ipad version, well I can tell you, it's a cocktease compared to the real hardware.

 

[Cylotron]

Cool cool.

$500 isn't that bad, considering I was planning to spend $1,000 this Sunday. Oh, I did find someone wanting to sell an Electribe ES-1 for $150....

Other then that, I've been making electronic music 100% via software. I could do without hardware, but seems it would be nice to have & allow me to do more with sounds.

 

[Takumaji]

It's the other way around for me. Except for special type of software sequencers (algorithm sequencers and emulations of analog step seqs), I've never used anything but hardware for my music. I need buttons and knobs to fiddle with.

Most of my equipment is lo-fi and old, with the exception of a few cheap modern-day boxes like the Volcas, Nanozwerg, etc. I'm a firm supporter of the less is more approach and a true electric sound, if you know what I'm saying. Lo fi is the big thing at the moment but it's more or less an emulation of the old days and ways, people to go great extends to let their stuff sound old and give it the classic touch of ancient machinery. This often makes me chuckle, I mean, I don't need effect plugins and bitcrushers and whatnot but just switch on my gear, et voila, original crappy 80s sound right there...

About the Electribes, IMO they're still one of the best grooveboxes available. Try to get a ESX-1, it has a sampling option and vac tubes for a really fat sound.

I can also wholeheartedly recommend the Monotribe, it's an analog groovebox with three drums (kick, snare, hihat) and a monosynth with basic but very useful options, and it sounds great. It's inexpensive and gives your software-only digital environment that bit of analog dirt which makes things interesting and alive.

 

[fake]

My set-up doesn't really warrant a photo, but I'll take one if someone wants. It's a two tier keyboard stand with a microKorg XL on top and an old M-Audio Keystation 49 on the bottom. On my desk is an iMac, PreSonus FireStudio mobile, Nintendo DS with Korg DS-10 and DMG Gameboy with LSDJ. The microKorg goes into the FireStudio with two 1/4" cables (L/R) and the Keystation just goes into the iMac. The iMac is running Logic Pro 9. I usually use Logic's own synths but I also use Arturia's Jupiter 8 emulator and plan on buying the Focusright Novation Bass Station emulator soon.

I was planning on spending my tax refund on the Korg Vintage Stage Piano but found a great American Fender Jaguar instead, so I'll have to wait until next year.

 

[Cylotron]

I ended up buying this tonight....

 

[Takumaji]

I was planning on spending my tax refund on the Korg Vintage Stage Piano but found a great American Fender Jaguar instead, so I'll have to wait until next year.

Check out the Sonic Lab review of the Casio PX-55 stage piano, it's really awesome. I'd get one if I had the money:



This isn't just an e-piano, it's a full-blown synth with lots of features and great sound. Suggested retail price is $999, street price is about $950 but I've already seen it for $899. Seems like a decent price for a board like that.

I almost bought a Casio XW-G1... it's still on my wishlist so perhaps I'll pick up a used one. Casio still got it IMO, even though people weren't too enthusiastic over the XW series. The XWs can be had for less than 400 bucks now.

Cylotron,

looks good, how much did you pay for it?

Hehe, I have to take a pic of my DJ setup one of these days... it's almost as ghetto as my Neo...

 

[Cylotron]

i paid retail for it. $999 USD

i suppose i should now invest in a decent pair of monitor speakers

 

[Takumaji]

i paid retail for it. $999 USD

i suppose i should now invest in a decent pair of monitor speakers

Thanks. Not as much as I thought.

Yeah, good monitor speakers are a must, specially in a production environment. I have a pair of old Tannoy studio speakers that are okay but nothing to write home about. I want some Yamaha MS-10s!

 

[fake]

Check out the Sonic Lab review of the Casio PX-55 stage piano, it's really awesome. I'd get one if I had the money:

Hmm, it has some nice features, but I don't love the sound. My only complaints about the Korg SPV are the lack of pitch bend and mod wheels and no access to an ADSR filter.

 

[Cylotron]

Thanks. Not as much as I thought.

There's only 1 other model that's more expensive then this... the DDJ-SZ and that costs $1,999.
After that, the next step would to move up to the industry standard & get a pair of CDJ2000 NXS' & a DJM900(or DJM2000) NXS mixer. Of course, that'd be around $6,000 - $6,500.

I'll go look at monitors tomorrow

 

[Takumaji]

Woah, didn't know the high-end DJ stuff is so expensive! Guess you have to be really successful to be able to afford the $6k combo you mention.

I try to keep things low in terms of DJ equipment, my current ratio of livegigs to DJ sets is 10:1 so it wouldn't make sense to invest that much in new gear. I have a cheap mixer, two old Monacor turntables, various CD players (not pitchable I'm afraid) and a laptop with Virtual DJ, that's all I need atm.

Man, the synth/studio stuff I could buy for $6k... my first purchase would be a high-end audio usb interface for recording. The Behringer UCA-202 I have is sooper cheap in every aspect... maybe I'm getting me one of the Steinberg interfaces, the specs sound good and they're not THAT expensive. I could also do with a proper preamp.

Damn, why doesn't money grow on trees.

Btw., I bought this sample package containing 125 processed kick drums a while ago:

http://www.resonance-sound.com/product/sor-prime-kicks-vol-1/

Can't go wrong for €5.95, eh... the kicks are great and really punchy. If you're looking for an inexpensive set of production-quality kick drums, look no further.

EDIT:

Hey, please keep on posting your setup pics, no matter how small!

 

[mainman]

Company gift. What makes mine unique is that I built and QC it.

 

[BeefJerky]

I ended up buying this tonight....

WHOA! HEY!

I need new glasses, can't really read the model at the bottom of the controller. Is that the DDJ-SX or the DDJ-SR? I had been looking at the SR, but was also considering the older S1, I don't know anyone with either to compare. Do you have much experience with Pioneer DJ controllers? I'd love to hear you weigh in on them.

 

[Takumaji]

mainman,

is that an automated mixing console? Looks interesting.

 

[mainman]

mainman,

is that an automated mixing console? Looks interesting.

It's a high definition Ethernet and wireless interface automated audio/video controller/editor.

 

[Takumaji]

It's a high definition Ethernet and wireless interface automated audio/video controller/editor.

Cool. I always wanted to try one of those to link visual stuff with my music. Making videos for my YT uploads is bit of a tedious affair... I'd love to have some old analog video mixing desk, the crappier, the better.

Maybe I'm going to record my vids on VHS and then digitize it back to PC... should add lotsa grit.

 

[Cylotron]

WHOA! HEY!

I need new glasses, can't really read the model at the bottom of the controller. Is that the DDJ-SX or the DDJ-SR? I had been looking at the SR, but was also considering the older S1, I don't know anyone with either to compare. Do you have much experience with Pioneer DJ controllers? I'd love to hear you weigh in on them.

The biggest difference of the SR/SX is that the SR is 2channel & the SX is 4channel.
There's an article here that goes over the differences of the SX & SR: http://djworx.com/pioneer-ddj-sr-controller-ddj-sxs-mini/#.U2V6A4nn_qA

(Sorry for not linking properly, I'm on my cellie @ work)


The one I have is the SX. It is also my first Pioneer DJ controller.

 

[fake]

Does anyone know what the most popular drum machines were for 80s pop music (something that would have been used on "Get Into The Groove" for example)?