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Post by freknur on Dec 12, 2021 10:34:34 GMT -5
I got a Casio CTK-900 as a permanent loan (lending...?) (old thing, in terrible condition, some of the keys have melted...). I am really enthusiastic about the sounds the keyboard makes. And there is a kind of song mode, which I still have to work my way into. But I think a lot can be done with it.
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Post by lesomor on Dec 12, 2021 14:42:01 GMT -5
I got a Casio CTK-900 as a permanent loan (lending...?) (old thing, in terrible condition, some of the keys have melted...). I am really enthusiastic about the sounds the keyboard makes. And there is a kind of song mode, which I still have to work my way into. But I think a lot can be done with it. I got my Casio CTK-573 the same way. The voices seem to be pretty good for old school DS. I really like the timpani and orchestra hits, they're incredibly cheesy in a great way.
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Post by bartizanier on Jan 5, 2022 18:58:35 GMT -5
Looking to start building a rig for live performance from almost scratch, and wondering what some of you would assemble if you were in my position.
At the moment I am producing my first DS projects fully in the box using Logic Pro on my desktop computer, a collection of VSTs, and a smaller Korg midi controller. I do have access to an iPad but I don't have an adequate laptop at this point.
Where to start? Would you advise finding a hardware synth or using a DAW? Do I need a sequencer?
Thanks for your thoughts.
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Post by mahrgdidj on Jan 6, 2022 9:59:14 GMT -5
I guess it depends mostly on your catalog. Will you be playing with a backing track or doing everything live? Only live shows I’ve done were with a custom version of my tracks with certain lines removed playing from a laptop into a guitar amplifier, and a single keyboard (plugged into the same amp) playing the parts that I cut from the backing track. Certainly not as impressive as a full live setup, but a lot easier to learn and transport. Plus, the amp EQ and drive sounds excellent in a room.
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Post by bartizanier on Jan 6, 2022 12:25:14 GMT -5
Hey thanks, was hoping to do as much live as possible. My tracks are fairly sparse so I figure there's got to be a way - using either a sequencer (I know next to nothing about these) or a looping device - to layer the parts live. So far my songs tend to max out around 5 tracks.
So I guess I need at least 1 synth device whether its hardware or midi controller > DAW, a sequencing device, and a mixer?
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Post by mahrgdidj on Jan 7, 2022 16:47:23 GMT -5
Depending on your songs I’d say that you could play just about anything with that setup. The only experience I have with any type of sequencer is the Behringer TD3 (Roland TB 303 clone), and you can program individual measures triggered by the keys to implement it more as a performance tool. I’m sure that’s probably a pretty common function. I’d love to see some videos when you get set up!
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Post by myrrys on Jan 13, 2022 5:37:40 GMT -5
Hey thanks, was hoping to do as much live as possible. My tracks are fairly sparse so I figure there's got to be a way - using either a sequencer (I know next to nothing about these) or a looping device - to layer the parts live. So far my songs tend to max out around 5 tracks. So I guess I need at least 1 synth device whether its hardware or midi controller > DAW, a sequencing device, and a mixer? So, there are few different ways you could go, depending on what kind of workflow you want, and how much you want to spend money, initially and in the long run. Two good options for a "brain" of the setup could be MPC Live 2, and Elektron Octatrack. I haven't used either of these, so this is just what I know from talking with people who use them, and yt videos etc so take this with grain of salt. Both of them can sequence, record audio and play samples (from a memory or directly recorded in). MPC Live is basically a daw in a box at this point. It has looping features, powerful sequencer and loads of different software syntherizers, effects and other tools. It's also easy to export the tracks you make there into a daw for mixing, if you want. It has loads of inputs and outputs, so you can use it to sequence and sample/loop other gear. It also cv outputs so you can use it with modular synth. It's also battery powered and has a small speaker so very portable. Octatrack is bit of a weird beast. It's more suitable for live looping, it has more four mono/2 stereo inputs. It doesn't have any synthesizers in it, but it has very powerful sampling engine and loads of effects and modulation options. So you can create synth-like sounds easily with it, ofc not to the point of actual synth can. It has 8 audio tracks and 8 midi tracks you can use to sequence other gear. And the sequencer is very powerful, both audio and midi tracks use the same. I have Digitakt myself, which is bit like smaller sibling of Octatrack, and it's sequencer is more or less the same. It's bit unique in how it works, and people talk about "the elektron workflow", which you either love or hate. The main thing in the sequencer is "trigs", which are steps in the sequence, and each trig can have multiple conditions in it. So at every step of the sequence, you can change pretty much every setting there is, for example note pitch, volume, effect amounts, filter settings, envelopes, even the sound itself. So even though you have 8 tracks for samples, each step can be different sample if you want them to be. So Octatrack might be good choice if you want to do lot of live looping and use other hardware synths with it. Both of these devices cost a lot, especially Octatrack. The Digitakt is cheaper than it, and somewhat cheaper than MPC. But it's not suitable for live looping, it's more of a sampling drum machine / sequencer. There are also other options but those two are probably the most feature-rich and both have good support and loads of tutorials. The Novation Circuit line has also some quite nice devices with good sequencers, and depending on the device, sampling and synth engines, and they are much easier on your wallet. With these you could both make tracks by composing, sequencing and editing them, and also in more improvisational, live playing manner. And mixing those two workflows together in different ways. You could also get an audio interface for that iPad, and some midi controller, and use the ipad as your sequencer/looper/sampler/synth, either by itself or in combination with hardware synths. There are some really great software for it, but it takes more setting up and fiddling around than hardware. You could also use the iPad as synth(s) with the other gear controlling it via midi. With all of these you could start without any hardware synthesizers, and probably would never even really need them, but it would also be easy to incorporate them into the setup later on. Then there are loopers like RC505, which you can use to loop up to 5 tracks iirc. It has bunch of effects etc as well, but no sequencing capabilities. With it your workflow would be something along the lines of having few synths connected to it, recording your playing to it and then looping those bits, building up the backbone of the track from those loops and then either playing synth lines on top of those, and/or playing around with the loops by effecting them. With it you would need other gear right away, otherwise it's quite useless. Even though you can preload samples to it and loop those but then you would be better of with a sampler. Depending on what kind your setup is, you might need a mixer, probably nothing too big, but something that has 4-8 inputs, aux send for hardware effects, and preferably some kind of monitor out that lets you listen to a chosen track without it going into the main output. Hope this is any help for you! I recommend checking out such channels on youtube as Loopop, Ricky Tinez, BoBeats and True Cuckoo. They go over all kinds of machines, both only the device itself and in relation to other gear. Especially Loopop has really well done reviews on samplers, synths and sequencers.
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Post by gambali on Apr 6, 2022 18:16:59 GMT -5
So I got my Korg M1 rebuttoned and dug up ye olde Soundcanvas SC-55. I should be good, right?
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Post by ETRI'RITH'RILLIA on Apr 21, 2022 9:25:55 GMT -5
So I got my Korg M1 rebuttoned and dug up ye olde Soundcanvas SC-55. I should be good, right?
I got an SC-88 recently and absolutely love it.
It feels like they finally figured out how to do menus and buttons properly so you don't spend hours menu-diving.
I plan on making it my main sound source after playing with VST's for so long.
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Post by mahrgdidj on Apr 21, 2022 9:57:30 GMT -5
I got an SC-88 recently and absolutely love it.
Nice, apparently the SC88 is what Nobuo Uematsu primarily used for the 16 bit Final Fantasy soundtracks. Tons of iconic sounds in there. I’d love to play around with one but honestly I get overwhelmed by anything that requires me to plug something into something else haha
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Post by andrewwerdna on Apr 22, 2022 19:53:29 GMT -5
The Sound Canvas VA VST has the SC-55 and SC-88. I love it, by far my favorite for coming up with compositions quickly, and I feel like it should sort of be the standard in every DS artist's arsenal.
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Post by bartizanier on Apr 27, 2022 11:58:45 GMT -5
I just noticed Chanterelle's latest album is made with a cheap Casio, and I've heard them lauded before in the community. Anybody have opinions on which are the best models for DS, or at the cheap price point is it just worth using whatever comes available?
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Post by mahrgdidj on Apr 28, 2022 14:51:04 GMT -5
I just noticed Chanterelle's latest album is made with a cheap Casio, and I've heard them lauded before in the community. Anybody have opinions on which are the best models for DS, or at the cheap price point is it just worth using whatever comes available? I think the Casio CZ models are the ones that come up the most in DS circles. I’m partial to the Casiotone MT series myself (play an MT-70) but those sounds aren’t generally what you hear on other DS records. I’d say look on your local Craigslist or some other auction site for whatever comes up cheap, then watch some YouTube videos to see if you like the tones. There’s something rewarding about working with the limits of cheap hardware.
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Post by andrewwerdna on Apr 28, 2022 17:58:15 GMT -5
I just noticed Chanterelle's latest album is made with a cheap Casio, and I've heard them lauded before in the community. Anybody have opinions on which are the best models for DS, or at the cheap price point is it just worth using whatever comes available? I've been able to find one pretty much every time I've gone to a Goodwill type store, and generally those will be cheap enough that I think it's worth taking a gamble on whether it sounds good.
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Post by mahrgdidj on Apr 28, 2022 21:52:19 GMT -5
I just noticed Chanterelle's latest album is made with a cheap Casio, and I've heard them lauded before in the community. Anybody have opinions on which are the best models for DS, or at the cheap price point is it just worth using whatever comes available? I've been able to find one pretty much every time I've gone to a Goodwill type store, and generally those will be cheap enough that I think it's worth taking a gamble on whether it sounds good. There’s also more magic in a gamble like that.
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