Synth plugs, Nocturn, Midi keyboard and I'm bored to death..

[supamonsta]

well,

I sold my virus Ti a few month ago, but I don't regret it.

I was about to buy a second hand polyevolver keyboard, but the seller was a ***$$%** and the sale didn't occur.
Then my money began to vanish for some reasons, and I decided to go 100% software + midi control.

I purchased Massive for little bucks (thanks to nebulae and aizo), then bought a good midi keyboard (korg K61) for little bucks too, and a nocturn (95 euros @ Thomann).

But now... I'm bored.

I got a second screen in addition to my macbook, but I feel it is soooo boring to navigate thru multiple plugin instances, to move them so as to see what's under, and when I click on the nocturn software interface, it makes the plugins disappear, so I have to click on live's gui to see them reappear... and then it's all of a complex process to assign everything as I don't really know massive for now, so I don't know what to assign to tweak-and-test...

and so on and so on....

It is sooo un-natural, un-easy, un-ergonomic...

I have all this stuff for only 240 euros (laptop not included )... so not so much money involved, but...

I begin to think again about purchasing a REAL synth.

Shame on me.

Sorry for this depressive post, but what do you guys think about this?

should I try more and more with what I have now, to learn this process and perhap's feel it more natural after some times, or definitively switch to REAL HARDWARE ?

My girlfriend says I'm like a child, that I should learn to use what I get before saying it's crap...

Is it what I am?

I'm now and again dreaming about a PEK, a prophet 8, a supernova II, or else.... (and I also like the idea to be able to switch on the synth, and play. without having to use the computer, live, then choose the plugin, the control assignments, and so on and so on...)

Did I make a real wrong choice?

I'm running through some kind of depressive mood, but I know this will end. perhaps with new gear? or is this just an illusion?

cheers mates

[Geezus]

Listen to your girlfriend, she is the only one making any sense out of your post. You need to learn your shit. For instance, navigating the nocturn interface is easy and you dont even need the mouse to do it. Hit the view button to bring up the GUI, then switch between automapped fx/instruments/user MIDI channels using the navigation buttons on the bottom right, and tap the interface control that corresponds to the thing you want to control. Boom it pops up. Hit the view button again if you dont want the gui there anymore. Its dead easy and super awesome because it allows me to have infinite control over every single synth/fx/custom midi template in the entire project at the touch of a few buttons.

if you cant figure out massive, shelling out a bunch of money on a hardware synth isnt going to fix your problem of not knowing what you are doing. I suggest learning the basics on something like Sylenth or Synth1, the latter of which is free.

again, learn your shit

[leedsquietman]

I understand your frustration, but really, both your girlfriend and Geezus are correct. Spend a little more time learning how to use what you have and you may well come to appreciate you got a bargain and some good creative potential there. Massive is not too bad to use, once you know how - it's a bit more complex than say Sylenth, but it offers more synthesis choices too.

[logic_user99]

Can't say anything more than what's already been said, other than "I know your pain". Have been in the same boat, dude. Stick it out, learn your gear (what it can, can't, and shouldn't do!), and make some beautiful noise.

[NPC]

hey dude, dont know well your hardware or specifically massive-tried it out just a bit to understand it didn't fit me-but i can tell you one thing:drop native inst's stuff!not for any quality reason, they sound veery good and are more pro than lot of other stuff,but for "live" use the way to organize presets and all the time you have to browse just to hear that following sound is quite pointless.Although by now when playing with my band i play synth the least possible-and just my microkorg,as i am stuck with a 2005 g4 ibook to play a whole gig(!!)so softsynths arent really an option- i must say that at a certain point i swapped to what i call "single-page" synths-say imposcar or predator or stuff like that:and if you map say 10 key parameters to any button knob or fader you start playing and *puff*no longer hour-long browsing just to find one preset-tweak your way to hell!obviously is just my idea, i am not that great keyboardist-in fact i am a bass player-but i find this way much more fun and more "hardware-similar".hope it helps, just a direction

[NPC]

whoops, hope the former post didn't sound as if i was an anti-NI user.Not at all saying this, i was only considering that if the problem is boredom and not quality then maybe ni stuff is not the most immediate and plug-and-play..

[condra]

I feel your pain. We need better hard/soft integration.

[djsynchro]

Pussy!

[serge_a_storms]

Listen to your girlfriend, she is the only one making any sense out of your post. You need to learn your shit. For instance, navigating the nocturn interface is easy and you dont even need the mouse to do it. Hit the view button to bring up the GUI, then switch between automapped fx/instruments/user MIDI channels using the navigation buttons on the bottom right, and tap the interface control that corresponds to the thing you want to control. Boom it pops up. Hit the view button again if you dont want the gui there anymore. Its dead easy and super awesome because it allows me to have infinite control over every single synth/fx/custom midi template in the entire project at the touch of a few buttons.

if you cant figure out massive, shelling out a bunch of money on a hardware synth isnt going to fix your problem of not knowing what you are doing. I suggest learning the basics on something like Sylenth or Synth1, the latter of which is free.

again, learn your shit

+1

[adventurepants_]

i agree %100. I get very bored without real, physical instruments in front of me. Ive gone down that road, and soft synth with controller is absolutely not the same as a physical instrument (to me), that you can bond with and learn inside out.

I find it impossible to memorise the layouts of synths functions on midi controllers, and i can memorise the layout of most hardware synths in a couple of hours.

[sweetjesus]

i agree %100. I get very bored without real, physical instruments in front of me. Ive gone down that road, and soft synth with controller is absolutely not the same as a physical instrument (to me), that you can bond with and learn inside out.

I find it impossible to memorise the layouts of synths functions on midi controllers, and i can memorise the layout of most hardware synths in a couple of hours.

i disagree

Analogue is my little bitch

[ct43]

For me personally hardware stuff is more fun to play with but I really like software as well, you can achieve things with automation that you cant do live... swings and round-a-abouts I guess... though I must say that I own a Virus C and IMO Massive kills it for the sounds it can do and the modulation stuff...

At the end of the day though, if someone said to me you can only use Live + Massive I could make music forever and never run out of steam with those 2 I reckon... BUT at the end of the day its a VERY personal thing, if you prefer the hardware control like I do then it doesnt matter how much cheaper software is, its what you prefer eh...

[Kodama]

It's a very individual thing. I kinda feel that way, but more about sequencing, which is even worse to remedy.

It's all about creative steam. If you have it using one method, but find no inspiration using the other, then you might have to stick with the one you were "feeling".

You can't always trick or train your creative brain to be inspired by another method.

One thing to try is to get a controller with VA controls, (like the X-Station) and map its basic controls to your synths. Just forget about the more advanced stuff (multistage envelopes, etc...) for a while.

I have just gone the route of using Zebra mostly with the trackball and mapping its 8 performance XY controllers to phsyical controllers.

It sucks losing the whole physical connection, but to me software offers way to much wonderfulness in return. Especially Zebra, it makes me make sounds that can get my attention on my most apathetic of days.

I still lust for hardware sequencers like the octopus and want that rumored 10 inch iPod touch running some knock off Lemur software though!

[starving student]

contrary to popular belief a Mac or PC is not the best instrument in the world.

[Kodama]

...or they are. Or broken toys and hacked walkmans are.

I think it's whatever clicks with you!