Ableton Forum

zalo wrote:i want a nice analog rack synth for bass parts (any suggestions would be appreciated)

Waldorf Pulse

waldorf pulse : +1 for your needs (bass analog synth, rack, cheap (?))
if not cheap : ATC-X (the quad filter), or voyager rme...

Zalo wrote:dont get me wrong, i love a real hardware synth, my live set is based entirely around sending midi from ableton to hardware synths

i want a nice analog rack synth for bass parts (any suggestions would be appreciated)

but at the end of the day if i had to make the choice between my lemur and my hardware synths, i would go with my lemur all the way (not that its perfect, i bought a korg k61p for keys and a nanopad for velocity sensitive pads)

without the lemur i would need 3 trigger fingers, a bcf2000, and a i still would have to figure out a way to send some more difficult control changes

and thats just for the live set up, production i dont even want to think about

at the end of the day, a synth is a one trick pony, something i can recreate maybe not with exact precision but close enough for my uses inside ableton

and i understand the "feel" aspect, but 2 of the synths you listed require a midi controller and isnt the juno 2 a digital synth with analog filters?

im not trying to burst your bubble, im stoked that your stoked on synths, if i had it my way i would have everything, (and it seems like that is what im working on), but i only have 2 hands and separate boxes spread out across a table is difficult to play in a live situation, 99% of my live tweaking is done on my lemur, and for that i have to say it gets my vote

You're right zalo, I don't get you wrong (I guess)


I'd like a lemur (I dream about this sexy touch screen since it was released as a prototype by french students in... 2004 ? don't remember the date...)

but I'm into cheap purchases for now...

for the controllerism part, yes:

the evolver lacks immediacy, and the pots are crap. It's a kind of hell to program, despite the really clear and comprehensible edition matrix. I generally program the nocturn to control it for more immediacy. I would have bought the keyboard version if I had more $$$...

the mfb is 100% tweakable. but crappy. again that's a matter of $$$. soon as I can I replace it with a voyager rme, or a macbeth,... dunno, but this is definitively not for now

the juno lacks real pots, yes, but the edition is relatively easy. It could be more hands-on", but it's ok for me now, as I really love the sounds , and for its analog / digital state... it's a bit like the evolver : digitally controlled analog oscillators and filters. (I think).

anyway, you don't "burst my bubble" (funny sentence for the frenchie that I am), I completely understand your position

I'd love to have the lemur to control all those real synths + the rest of the software part...

cheers

ps: for the live gigs, I only bring my laptop and the controllers, no real synth on stage. I play and remix/demix/copulate my multitrack audio files and control fx, mix...

I don't know if I'm dumb to your eyes, writing this, but now I don't care. I feel cool. I don't feel the need for an extra LIVE 18.2.58 upgrade, or another u-he/waves/racks/glitch multiplugin, or a 2.500$ lemur or logic pro 12 or what else reaktor or NI kore... ((EDIT: well, huuh, REAKTOR I'm soon buying it in fact, but not for the VA synth part. the drummachines, glitchy fx and midi tools attract me.

well...

Machinesworking wrote: $300 van and over 5k in hardware synths, my old business partner would say a Fucked
up sense of priorities. I disagree!

As long as you don't live in that van, down by the river!

(inside joke for those familiar with the Farley SNL skit)

It is realy cool to get bac to real synths?

Who cares what's cool.
Just do feels right for you ...


I just packed up my old hardware synths (Kawai K5000s, Yamaha AN1-X, Korg Z1, Korg Prophecy, Korg DW8000, Ensoniq FIZMO) since they were just taking too much space up in my studio and they rarely get much use in my productions. Actually these old hardware synths are fairly dull by comparison to what my software synth arsenal achieves now.

It's hardly worth selling these old puppies off since people on ebay expect to pay next to nothing for them and I've always regretted selling gear. I'll just keep them around for video clip props I guess.

In place of the keyboard stands these puppies were set up on, I've now set up my DJ rig and enjoying all the extra space in the room and having space to groove around when doing mixes!

My studio's footprint is now largely consumed by control surfaces nowadays. MCU-Pro + MC-EXT + MC-EXT (and saving for another MC-EXT for a total of 32 flying faders!) + Maschine + Kore 2 + CME VX 6 ...

Hardware synths really have to earn their space in my studio now. They have to sound at least better than my soft synths! So that means the Arturia Origin, MKS80 and the 2 x Ensoniq ASR10 rack samplers are staying!

I like hardware too.

so there, my vote has been cast.

twisted-space wrote:

zalo wrote:i want a nice analog rack synth for bass parts (any suggestions would be appreciated)

Waldorf Pulse

+!, I have one and it's great, good for warm deep bass or harsh, acidic stuff. Matrix programming interface is a bit unwieldy, but does the job (or you can map it to a midi controller). It's only monophonic, mind, but that's ok especially for basslines. And, top tip, buy in the summer. Second-hand synths are cheaper on ebay in the summer... my experience...

8O wrote:

twisted-space wrote:

zalo wrote:i want a nice analog rack synth for bass parts (any suggestions would be appreciated)

Waldorf Pulse

+!, I have one and it's great, good for warm deep bass or harsh, acidic stuff. Matrix programming interface is a bit unwieldy, but does the job (or you can map it to a midi controller). It's only monophonic, mind, but that's ok especially for basslines. And, top tip, buy in the summer. Second-hand synths are cheaper on ebay in the summer... my experience...

are those analog? I thought they were digital?

monstrejumo wrote:the evolver lacks immediacy, and the pots are crap. It's a kind of hell to program, despite the really clear and comprehensible edition matrix. I generally program the nocturn to control it for more immediacy. I would have bought the keyboard version if I had more $$$...

That's why I bought my MicrowaveXT... immediacy:

Johnisfaster wrote:are those analog? I thought they were digital?

Digital control of analogue oscillators -> http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/1996_ar ... pulse.html

8O wrote:...Matrix programming interface is a bit unwieldy, but does the job (or you can map it to a midi controller)...

Here's my UC-33e controlling my Pulse: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsQz7IJvbZk

8O wrote:

Johnisfaster wrote:are those analog? I thought they were digital?

Digital control of analogue oscillators -> http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/1996_ar ... pulse.html

DCO's are okay but are the filters analog?

oh neet I found in that article that they are analog filters. Thats interesting, I've always thought the Pulse was a digital machine just by looking at it it looks like it's right out of the virtual analog hay day.

Johnisfaster wrote:

8O wrote:

Johnisfaster wrote:are those analog? I thought they were digital?

Digital control of analogue oscillators -> http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/1996_ar ... pulse.html

DCO's are okay but are the filters analog?

oh neet I found in that article that they are analog filters. Thats interesting, I've always thought the Pulse was a digital machine just by looking at it it looks like it's right out of the virtual analog hay day.

Yes, but to be honest, while the filter sound really nice, it's all digitally controlled and mapped to a midi control, so sometimes you do hear the discrete steps in the filter sweep. Not always, it depends on many of the other parameters you have set up for your patch, but sometimes you can get a very small step effect On the other hand the modulation matrix gives you massive internal routing options...

I'd definitely welcome a Waldorf Pulse in my rack ...