Hardware - Synths and Gear - What You Using?

Hey everyone!

I'm curious what hardware you guys are using with your MPCs?

I don't use these things as often as I should since my studio is in limbo (will we move, won't we move - depends on the day, lol).

But, I have been enjoying:

Novation Bass Station Swifty Edition - I have an original Super Bass Station Rack, and was looking for a analogue mono-synth. After a few beers (idiot) I decided to get this. I love it. Simple, goes from warm and squelchy to distorted and gnarly. My go to for bass sounds and leads right now.

Novation Peak: One of the most versatile synths I've ever played. It's gorgeous. Digital oscillators, but the basic shapes sound so nice. The filter sounds amazing...but the reverb. Holy heck it's lush.

Prophet 6 Desktop: Ashamedly I haven't used it much in the last few years, but this thing is legit. All the synthwave sounds you could dream of, super easy to program, and another unit with sublime distortion.

Louder Than Liftoff Chroma Plus: Not a synth, it's a DI. It adds lovely sparkle and sheen to anything you put through it. Great on individual instruments, plugins and even on the master. I had mine ship with the Implode color module - essentially an 1176 set at 4:1 or "all buttons in" settings. I love this thing.

What you folks rocking?

MPC Key 37
Akai Force
Tascam Model 12 mixer
Behringer XR12 as channel strip, vocal FX, and all around problem solver
SM58
Dean guitar and a multi effects pedal

I’m happy with various plug-in synths but one day probably will get a Deep Mind 12.

Insane what the current stuff does compared to older gear. Huge fan of MPC3.

mpc one
microkorg
zoom ms70cdr
numark mixstream pro
behringer UMC-1820 (i dont even need this anymore)

I sold the rest of my gear off. I am a MASSIVE fan of the microkorg. There should be one in every single studio. If not.. I am going home to get mine.. lol

Deluge for the MIDI brain and light sample/synth work. sequencing...
Roland Alpha Juno
Digitone Keys
PIPES sample playback box
RD-9
MPC One
2x RE-303

MPC Live 3
Dreadbox Nymphes
Nord Drum 3P
Moog Mother-32
Modded Roland TR-505
Korg Electribe ER-1
Guitars, basses, drums, etc
Various pedals
iPad apps
Roli Seaboard Block for MPE stuff
Arturia KeyStep 37
Tascam Model 16

UMC1820 and ADA8200
A pair of Launch Control XL Mk2 (still thinking of getting a third)

Hydrasynth
Bass station 2 (but out of action at the moment)
Behringer MonoPoly
LXR-02 Drum Machine
Taiga Synth
TD3 MO
Edge
Microfreak (but still not clicked with me)

I have Launchpad and a the Reface CP, WX5 wind controller and Pearl Malletstation as Midi controllers.

For instruments: Alto and standard flute, soprano sax, 2 electric basses and 1 acoustic, 2 electric guitars and 1 acoustic. I am not great at any of these, but the alto flute and electric basses are my favourite to play.

Neodymium wrote:Microfreak (but still not clicked with me)

Sell it. I can tell you why it is it hasnt clicked. It's got no chorus or reverb!! it's flatter than piss on a platter! I stuck mine in a box and found some dude who wanted it and gladly sold it. I havent regretted selling it but I did regret buying it. hmm i didnt list my guitars.. or other things.. edit time.

I also have a
BC Rich Bich,
a Jackson Minion RR,
shure pg 58,
behringer rx-1602,
numark mixdeck express,
numark battle pak (super old lol),
an akai mpx 8,
alesis elevate mk ii monitors,
3 sets if cheap dj phones, hf-125's. 4 if you count the set in my battle pak box. Og hf-125's.

i know im missing more stuff..

AH! my first kawai keyboard! I forget the model, still in there.

ooo and dont forget the most important non musical thing, but vital for the studio... a power conditioner!

I usually have several projects on the go, but based around the MPC:

Novation KS Rack
Korg OPSix
Akai S5000
Lexicon MPX something MultiFX

Fostex X77 4track (tape loops)
Fender Jazz -> Orange Bass Butler preamp
Pedals,guitars,amps, acoustic noise makers...
A few noisey toys from Resonance Circuits...

Links to my stuff nobody asked for:
Ambient/Soundscape/Drone https://karmaplease.bandcamp.com/
Sampled Beats:
https://773p.bandcamp.com/album/773p-vol-1

I'll bite...

MPC Live 2
Roland TR-08 (808 Clone, for the hoes)
Roland XV-5050 (OLD, but has everything from classical, natural sounds to almost chiptuney presets)
Ibanez Mikro Bass (Not good at it but, learning to play better each day)
Digitech BP-355 Multi FX petal
MXR Talkbox
A host of DJ gear from many years of spinning including:
Reloop Elite & 2x RP-8000
Pioneer Rev-7 (again, for the hoes)

Non-working gear currently:
Emu MP-7 with a host of 2000s Proteus Era Roms
(If anyone know how to fix this damn thing, please DM me. I think the PSU is dead, but I would love to have it working again.)

Ultros wrote:I am a MASSIVE fan of the microkorg. There should be one in every single studio. If not.. I am going home to get mine.. lol

I totally agree. It's a mini beast.

My turn:

MPC One.
Zoom R16 as the USB interface for the One.
M-Vave Chocolate to trigger play/rec on the One.
Kawai Piano (MP11SE)
A Tascam 4 track recorder for quick recordings.

I have other stuff: a studiologic numa keyboard, a microkorg, a couple rack synths, percussion instruments, mics, a looper pedal, my old DJ set, even a ukulele... but the above is what I actually use for making music.

Now I'm interested in the MicroKorg!

Also forgot some bits a bobs:

- UA Apollo X4
- Polyend Play (V1)
- Polyend Tracker (V1)
- Alesis Q6 (my first synth)
- Akai S2000
- Yamaha A5000
- Roland SH101 (got stolen a while back)
- Nord Drum 3p (also got stolen, but they left one drumstick so all is not lost)
- Novation Mono Station
- Elektron Model Cycles
- Akai Key 61
- Akai MPC Live 3

I have way too much stuff - most is in storage currently.

Find a second hand microkorg if you can, it's an amazing device that can serve for a lot of purposes: basses, pads, leads, a few classic M1 sounds...

I've always felt curious about the Polyend Tracker... Is it functional? Can you make music with it that doesn't sound too trackerish?

I did a lot of stuff with scream tracker and modplug, back in the day, and really liked the way of doing things, but I got tired of the sequences being too square . There was no swing at all. The quantization was strictly 1-2-3-4. I don't know if it's still the case with the Polyend.

The MicroKorg seems to be getting a lot of love. I'll investigate. It really sounds capable. I'm currently listening to a Red Means Recording demo of the MicroKorg 2 - know anything about that?

Gosh - I am having to squint to remember about the tracker! You can definitely get it to NOT be a junglist machine. And I know exactly what you mean by sounding square! ProTracker, SoundTracker, MED - as a teen my Commodore Amiga was my gateway into trackers....and other sequencers.

I'm pretty sure the Polyend has swing - it's a super well featured tracker, but still has those limitations you remember from software trackers. I'll try to bust it out this weekend and let you know!

- akai mpc x
- akai mpc key 61
- akai mpc live 3 coming this week
-roland fantom 6 (upgraded to ex)
- linux distro cachyos with bitwig studio 6