The Hardware Megathread

#3261

I am going to, for the first time since I worked at my current employer, get paid for weekend work. I worked 14 hrs two weekends ago, and will do at least another 8 this Saturday. :money_mouth_face:
So I started thinking about where I could best…er…invest my gains…and stumbled onto this beauty:


I have passed it by many times in browsing synths, as it looked “basic” but after watching a few YT vids, man the sound is just gorgeous. and the clever interplay between the 4 synths looks really inspiring. Anyone around have one that can comment on it? I would love to get some forum feedback in addition to the usual Google infos. I cannot test one, so if I pull the trigger it will be sight-unseen.

That, or I get a Circuit Tracks and an Ottobit pedal…depending on how the OT works out after taxes.

#3262

I wish I could say something about it. I feel like Vermona products and the Per4mer specifically get mentioned often enough on forums. I hate to send you away from IDMf but the forum that shall not be mentioned…coughGScough…will almost certainly have a long, long thread about it.

I haven’t looked that deeply into it but I’ll have to watch a video or two now, as you say on the surface it looks pretty basic.

I would check the used prices just to see what you’d be getting into if you ended up selling one OR looking into a place with a great return policy. Even a modest restocking fee might be worth it to “rent” one for 30 days to try it out.

On the other hand Novation is working up a strong following with its new Circuit series. I’ve only ever tired the MonoStation but it is in never-sell territory for me and a quick look at that Ottobit pedal I can see why its tempting.

Happy to hear you are getting compensated nicely enough to treat yourself like this. Take a good close look at the Vermona. I don’t remember what all you own and I can’t think of a better way to put it right now but it is really nice to own a “big boy synthesizer” that is all around high quality.

#3263

Vermona makes great stuff. I’ve considered a MK1 Perfourmer several times. I’m not downplaying their sound, they definitely can sound superb. But, there’s no effects. I’d take a look at what people are using in those videos for effects and consider that in your budget as well. Because that’s where at lease some of the goodness is coming from. Unless you’re planning on running it through your computer and effect in your DAW. Nothing wrong with that.

Just something to think about.

If I had Per4mer money for a synth right now I’d probably put it towards a Novation Peak. In a sea of uninteresting offerings from most synth makers these days I feel the peak sounds good enough to justify having one.

#3264

I’m really lusting after a synth with a keyboard, 37 keys max, size don’t matter.
OP SIX could be a tough cookie, but super interesting.
The upcoming Modwave seems super cool and I like wave modulation.
and prices on the minilogue XD are quite low now…

#3265

The OP Six looks quite cool. It seems they have “simplified” FM synthesis here a little bit? For me that would be of concern, but with the knobby interface it might not be as bad to learn what’s going on intuitively by twisting dem knobs.

The air, the sparkling highs that aren’t piercing, I’m really liking the sound. The reverb seems very usable from the Sonic State review.

#3266

On the other hand, my gear lust made me look more into the very simple 2 mods FM of the Microfreak.
This is a patch I just made and recorded on the Force with only added reverb.
You see why I like that synth so much.

Also the more time I spend with the Force, the more I like it’s reverb…

#3267

I have to be honest, I’ve been playing with Vital some over the past few weeks, just the free version, and it has killed a lot of synth gear lust for me.

OB-6? I’m getting that morphing filter action in a way I like here.

Iridium? I have stereo warpable wavetables that sound great here. Stereo modulation too.

DUNE 3 (yeah I know it’s a softsynth)? The unison engine on this thing is really, really good with very precise control over the detune voicing.

#3268

Yea, it seems like you are getting there tone-wise with the Microfreak. I am assuming I’ve been hearing the Force’s reverb on you tracks recently, it has been fitting the bill there nicely.

#3269

I’m quite impressed with the modal electronics last 2 synths. Nice interface nice size, 37 keys etc. Argon and cobalt seem great IMO.

#3270

Responding to both RFJ and Relic here. I currently have an OG Circuit, Monostation, PreenFM2, Monologue, Meeblip Triode, LXR and a MicroGranny. I like the Per4mer because I think it gives me something different as it can be mono, duo, or paraphonic. Plus you can do FM, link the voices in 7nteresting ways and it has a “one knob per function” setup. Also nice big knobs. The Tracks ticks other boxes…more midi channels, probability, mutate etc…these are features I would use a lot. With the OG and MS tied to it for program changes I can expand my hardware arrainging a ton. The Per4mer scratches a different itch, as I really like the sound and I think it would be a workhorse. Ofc the effects help a lot…I have some decent pedals so I think I can do it justice. I will sit on it for a bit, I think the OT will be paid in March anyway…but lusting after new gear is half the fun right?

#3271

I know I lauded it a bit before so I might sound like a broken record, and it’s not specifically what you asked about, but I’m still in love with the Arturia Keystep. It’s really a swiss army controller for dirt cheap, and it’d allow you to have a keyboard on basically everything you own that has a MIDI in. I know it’s not as GASsy or flash as a whole new synth, but it adds so much utility to a hardware (or software, or hybrid) setup at a fair price.

#3272

If it sounded like I was discouraging you from the Per4mer mkii I wasn’t : ) Also with this message it really sounds like you know where it fits in your setup. The only thing I can think is that maybe you might want more polyphony but you’ve got a couple channels of that with the Circuit and i know that is a damn good synth engine.

I am also a total mono synth whore.

And yea, waiting on something a little bit is a good thing. There is way too much instant gratification in the Western world.

#3274

No worries, i was not discouraged. :slight_smile: The Circuit and the Preen are poly, plus I forgot to mention I have an old school Kawai K4 too. So 4 analog type voices sounds good to me right now. A minilogue XD would do as well, or the Peak really…decisions decisions.

#3275

Minilogue Xd is high on my wishlist too, but I’m waiting for savings, space and the Modwave release

#3276

For those who are interested, this guy Federico Chiesa makes a few killer vids on the Perfourmer. I also really liked his other vids on reverb and “how I play live” great info all around:

#3277

@Creepr cool thanks for the video. I’d like to know a little more about it since it seems to have more up its sleeve than I thought.

#3278

I love my Perfourmer, it was during lockdown i decided to go through the manual and learn it inside out, i’ve had it for years and didn’t realise the LFO had an extra hidden Waveform, you can change the Saw tooth to Square by pressing Edit / parameter 7 / TriG… Exit edit mode by pressing edit again.

#3279

Just want to say this guys channel is fantastic. I think he just changed his YouTube name like the day I subscribed to his channel. But yeah, amazing informative stuff. Love the improvisational bent he’s on.

#3281

New picture coming up later, stay tuned.

#3282

well…there is a fucking stray cat holding itself hostage in my studio…it some how became liquid and seeped out of its cage at like 3am last night…I got things covered with a blanket while he hid in some nook and or cranny…there may be a murder if any of my gear gets damaged…currently have the live trap setup in there and there is no other food in the room…hopefully hunger makes him stupid.