gear whore and the synths of today

hacktheplanet · Post by **hacktheplanet** » Fri Dec 21, 2007 11:17 am

Automat + Nord Lead 2 is a wonderful combination. I don't need anything else.

See if you can pick out which sounds in these two tracks are Automat and which are the Nord:
http://www.fakecomputermusic.com/etc/fresh.mp3
http://www.fakecomputermusic.com/static ... kwoods.mp3

adrianalex · Post by **adrianalex** » Sat Dec 22, 2007 5:41 pm

Just to add a bit: A lot of that vintage sound we chase comes from "noise" in the system...My Alesis Andromeda is a beautiful beast and a lot of fun, but it has this kind of really hard sound to it that most people would associate with digital...

But put it through some Boss pedals, a cheap outboard Aphex and it just sings...

We forget that back in the day, keys and drum machines were put thru amps and cables and all sorts of leaky gear, then tamed back again in the mix by engineers with golden ears...

I am wishing I lived in the states right now, because I am itching to hit a pawnshop and buy some real off-brand junk to run through my mixes. We all keep chasing those Lexicon Reverbs and such, but I have been getting some really nice drum sounds running my Machinedrum thru a crappy old Tascam 4-track..

pawnshops, cables, crappy old gear, run hardware or virtual synths through it...gives it some character

Man I would kill for a pawnshop. It sucks here in China. Gear is crazy overpriced and rare...

Now if I could just stop being a gearwhore and actually sit down and finish a track...

heh heh

mr.e hurtz · Post by **mr.e hurtz** » Mon Dec 31, 2007 1:01 pm

dj superflat wrote:there seem to be at least two kinds of sounding better: sounding better in a way that inspires you to play/write better stuff, and sounding better in a way that's meaningful to the audience. while every little bit of better sound helps (in terms of audience appreciation), i think the more meaningful part of sounding better for many musicians is the inspiration, whether you're talking a HW synth, or a great old amp, or whatever.

that's why i think HW wins for many -- sounds a little better, and is way easier to tweak (for many). actually, it was put better above -- just much more like a real instrument, rather than programming.

Well said.
I think there are many of us that get very caught up in all the specs and technology, while forgetting that much of the greatest music comes out of the least desired instruments of their time.

Machinate · Post by **Machinate** » Mon Dec 31, 2007 1:11 pm

Hello, my name is Andreas, and I'm a gear whore.

(hi, Andreas!)

The best kind of gear-whoring is the kind that gets you all excited about making music. To me it can just as easily come from the very pleasing act of re-organizing the studio (again! - for the umpteenth time) and thus wringing out even more creative power from the same set of equipment.

mr.e hurtz · Post by **mr.e hurtz** » Mon Dec 31, 2007 1:31 pm

Machinate wrote: the very pleasing act of re-organizing the studio (again! - for the umpteenth time) and thus wringing out even more creative power from the same set of equipment.

thank god I'm not the only one!!!

Yhtomit · Post by **Yhtomit** » Mon Dec 31, 2007 1:52 pm

morerecords wrote:nothing sounds like hardware, mixing them gives you twice the musical depth

try layering a soft-synth bass WITH an old roland bass

Hello. I dont agree with you. If you use a quality softsynth and a quality soundinterface with quality DA' s, you will get phat sounds from your computer synths. However if you use a free, thin sounding softsynth with an M-Audio soundcard you will have shitty sound. Of course an old analog Roland is really really nice because its pure analog but todays softsynths can compete with ease against todays VA s, without a single doubt.

Machinate · Post by **Machinate** » Mon Dec 31, 2007 2:20 pm

mr.e hurtz wrote:
Machinate wrote: the very pleasing act of re-organizing the studio (again! - for the umpteenth time) and thus wringing out even more creative power from the same set of equipment.
thank god I'm not the only one!!!

hello brotha!
No, you're definitely NOT the only one. I have one mate, who stopped making music just to set up equipment at home. I believe he's still at it.

And then there's me mate Schack, who may be an even bigger rig-nerd than me, and you can tell he's getting his money's worth:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4Z-JAf4kKE

mr.e hurtz · Post by **mr.e hurtz** » Mon Dec 31, 2007 3:04 pm

Machinate wrote:
mr.e hurtz wrote:
Machinate wrote: the very pleasing act of re-organizing the studio (again! - for the umpteenth time) and thus wringing out even more creative power from the same set of equipment.
thank god I'm not the only one!!!
hello brotha!
No, you're definitely NOT the only one. I have one mate, who stopped making music just to set up equipment at home. I believe he's still at it.

And then there's me mate Schack, who may be an even bigger rig-nerd than me, and you can tell he's getting his money's worth:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4Z-JAf4kKE

I've gotten to the point of building my own furniture to suit my needs, then rebuilding, and again...

radib · Post by **radib** » Tue Jan 01, 2008 3:29 am

I´m bored of synths. And of sequencers/drum machines for rhythm patterns.

All I do meanwhile is manipulations of recorded material, sampled and just explored and developed into something new. So you get most original sounds and the work is much more exciting then again and again doing just the kobs and switches. The core of the tracks get developed on piano or guitar, and then you can put it all together without ever really knowing where the whole thing is to go or end.

cabletone · Post by **cabletone** » Tue Jan 01, 2008 3:32 am

softsynths can do everything analogs can do. analogs just do it bigger.

radib · Post by **radib** » Tue Jan 01, 2008 3:33 am

digital/analog in every aspect is a real and true difference. digital is just shitty and thin, cold. but most people don´t get it, dumbed senses everywhere.

condra · Post by **condra** » Tue Jun 24, 2008 5:18 am

mr.e hurtz wrote: Try making the Bassline from Mr. Oizo's Flat beat with a softsynth.

No offence but, you've got to be fucking kidding me.

condra · Post by **condra** » Tue Jun 24, 2008 5:23 am

radib wrote:digital/analog in every aspect is a real and true difference. digital is just shitty and thin, cold. but most people don´t get it, dumbed senses everywhere.

It could also be argued that there are too many analog snobs (and wannabe analog snobs)

"Digital is just shitty and thin"
WTF?! We're not talking about early Roland GM modules here.

Johnisfaster · Post by **Johnisfaster** » Tue Jun 24, 2008 7:11 am

condra wrote:
radib wrote:digital/analog in every aspect is a real and true difference. digital is just shitty and thin, cold. but most people don´t get it, dumbed senses everywhere.
It could also be argued that there are too many analog snobs (and wannabe analog snobs)

"Digital is just shitty and thin"
WTF?! We're not talking about early Roland GM modules here.

"digital is just shitty and thin"

digital is only shitty and thin when you can't figure out how to use it.

although I do think analog has alot to offer over digital, but digital has alot to offer over analog. when was the last time you saw an analog synth with 4 lfo's, lp hp bp and notch filters and fm built in? probably never, but you can find it in software

hacktheplanet · Post by **hacktheplanet** » Tue Jun 24, 2008 7:42 am

RISE FROM YOUR GRAVE

gear whore and the synths of today

Re: gear whore and the synths of today