The Hardware Megathread

#3980

Don’t sweat it, yesterday I burned 2 hours tearing my hair out while not correctly importing samples into a Sequential ProphetX, on the bands dime.

I figured it out, you will too if you haven’t yet.

#3981

The Nanokey Studio works sort of. The XY pad sends CCs the Cycles responded to, but I only could play track one of the Cycles. I tried changing the Cycles auto from channel 10 to 1 but it still didn’t want to act right. The Launchpad I set up to have 4 pads to channels 1-4 but they wouldn’t play the Cycles’ pads, and the scale players I had set up for Channel 10, the Cycles’ default auto channel, didn’t trigger notes, either. I suspect it’s more of a setting on my Oplab than the Launchpad (edit though I did just read what I did wrong on triggering the pads)

This morning, though, an unexpected champion arrived to save the day :open_mouth: my OP-1 came back to life! TL;DR - it refused to power on after sitting for a long period, wouldn’;t charge, either. TE wanted $125 plus shipping there and back to replace a $20 battery. I thought I lost parts after taking it apart, didn’t, and finally got the courage to swap the battery’s connecter to a battery I bought. It took days on the charger, but suddenly… it was on. Given the prices used I am tempted to sell it and pay the difference on a newer one. I paid under $800 due to discount codes back in the day, and I can get an open box for not much more than selling this one. It feels like a no brainer, and like the stars have aligned for me lol.

But I digress. My little champion’s MIDI mode is quick to switch MIDI channels. No velocity sensitivity, but I’m not even sure the Cycles responds to velocity other than its own pads. I had been looking at a Keystep or Keystep 37, which ave aftertouch even, but the main reason was quickly switching MIDI channels, and the DIN out. Sometimes programming sequences for a bassline or the Chord Machine is just quicker to play them.

I’m excited. I missed the little guy but just wasn’t willing to pay the prices for them. Now I don’t have to :smiley:

Oplab… TE doesn’t make these anymore I don’t think, and they are really nice for syncing everything. Two USB Host ports, its own USB connection to connect to say, a computer (I need to try it on the Maschine+ :eyes: ), MIDI DIN In and Out, three analog In and Out with switches for V/Oct or Hz/V and Gate or S-Trig, and the DIN Sync which is occupied by something I bought for it a long time ago called a Synclab that outputs various amounts of pulses from 4 different ports so syncing various pieces of gear becomes possible from one unit.

My tabletop jam area just got a heck of a lot more interesting and the possibilities are running through my head XD

Oh no lol. I don’t want to speculate what that would have done for my anxiety.

#3982

I could do with a multi input soundcard, I’ thinking Scarlet 8i6. Opinions?

#3983

MOTU IMO. although i never had and focusrite stuff so i cant comment on that

#3984

Only negative thing I can say is that on my Focusrite, it does that weird/wonky way of using the SPIDF that I mentioned, but it’s pretty quick/easy to change it. May not even be an issue for you if you don’t plan to use the SPIDF.

MOTU may have “better” sounding converters and/or pres, depending on the product. I have no complaints comparing to my 18i20, but then again I don’t have a more modern MOTU experience to compare it to. But I just run at 24-bit/44.1kHz anyway.

And with Focusrite you’ll get tons of software to give away because you hate ease of use DAWs.

edit actually as it comes/default setup if you use Focusrite’s guide, you can use it as a mixer essentially, and just play hardware through your speakers without any software but the computer running. The specific setting I turned off to stop that escapes me, though. It’s “Custom mix” on the Outputs 1 and 2 (Monitor outputs).

#3985

I’ve read lots of good things about Motu cards, BUT they will not be compatible with a feature that’s coming to one of my hardware bits.

I won’t need them to begin with, I doubt my setup will grow that much.

This is great to know!

And just so you know, I might use the software, I just finished a remix using only my DAW, not hardware!

#3986

I swear by my Clarett 8 pre, it cost more but you get what you pay for.

For half an hour i could hear the vast superior sound difference from the Apogee duet i had been using, like each individual sound had more surface mass, yet after half hour that sound different doesn’t mean anything as that becomes your norm :joy::rofl:

PS the SPIDF works flawless between clarett, ableton and expert sleepers ES-3.

#3987

I also use a focusrite 18i20. Not sure if the lower models have it, but the 18i20 has memory, so the input/output routings stay the same if you power it off/on even if you don’t connect it to a PC. For my usual playing, combined with a patchbay, the only time I have to hook it up to the computer is if I want to actually record something.

#3988

I had a reply typed up then brain-farted and updated Vivaldi and lost it all…

I did figure out what to do with the Commodore, finally. My jam table has a permanent part of the tabletop that I can put it on, and the shelf behind it, with a little organizing/moving of things, stick a computer monitor on it flanked by some small powered speakers along the lines of the Eris 3.5s. And finally buy the damned MSSIAH thing already…

Or a temporary riser on my main desk and hook it into the front of the 18i20 and my big monitor’s second input for PIP.

I thought hooking various bits up and tearing them down would annoy me, but it’s become the exact opposite. It’s sort of soothing unhooking it all, carefully coiling the cables and putting things away, and leaving me with a space to use for something else when I want/need to.

Well yeah, the Clarret is their high end and it’s likely how I’d expand my 18i20 G3. My thing with the SPIDF is likely specific to my use case, tbh. Yours is probably much more “normal” ie I don’t want to leave something on all the time, while that ES-3 is just going to be there for sync purposes and it all works fine. In my case I just have to turn SPIDF sync on if I want to use the Proteus 2000; either way it will solve itself if I do add the Clarett, as the 18i20 is either/or for SPDIF RCA or ADAT lightpipe, it seems. Impressive it kicked the Duet’s butt, Apogee has a good rep on converters.

#3989

What’s this secret feature you speak of?

#3990

I can’t help but think the name Focusrite sounds like some dodgy homeopathic stress-reduction pill cross-contaminated with AIDS for sale on the internet with some cheesy BS line like “feel content now, with Focusrite – calm your mind and focus on what matters, the natural way. Available for just £49.99… per treatment.”

Though, from what I hear, unlike the above, the real Focusrite isn’t a bitter disappointment, but a pleasant surprise.

#3991

Yeah with the Apogee Duet (firewire) / clarrett sound difference, i only updated to get more ins and outs as i was perfectly happy with the Apogees sound but the sound difference was genuinely night and day it really did take me by surprise as it was something i was looking for or expecting, same room same monitors same audio chain same projects, im just not very good at explaining sound but each individual sound in the mix had more detail it was very striking.

#3992

One for my purple people…

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Being sold on FB Marketplace nearby

#3993

It calls to you. The Oracle of Purplentia has foreseen it. Beware the Ides of June… Et Cetera, et cetera, and other spooky synthy things.

…they’re probably selling it because they didn’t fully appreciate how modicum a drum machine a 606 is :eyes:

#3994

MFB 522 starting to seem kinda boring to me, finally. Pretty sure I’m ready to sell it on to someone that wants an 808 Mini Me. I love the size of it and what it does in that size, but its internal sequencer is super basic and it only has a MIDI In so without a MIDI copier (which I have) it has to be the last device, obviously.

And I just really like the Cycles as a drum machine right now. I have too many dedicated drum machines as it is anyway, imo… Time to be like Elsa and let it go. The thud never bothered me anyway…

#3995

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#3996

Analog Heat: any experience with it?
I’d like to have it somewhere where it can resample the Force and also affect the audio I record into it. So as I’m getting a Scarlet 8i6, which seems to have an audio loop, this seems possible?

#3997

Just putting this out there….

If anyone has a vermona mono lancet 15 they’re looking to be rid of I’m in the market. I’m in the US but shipping from somewhere else might be doable given the weight of the unit is small. I bought the last one from Perfect Circuit here in the states 10 days ago and have been messing with it since. Used price plus shipping from somewhere else in the world would have to be cheaper than buying another one new.

I really think, for my needs, it’s the best synth I’ve played. They really nail that pure vintage tone and the knob per function functionality suits it well for live performance. I had two moogs that I sold (sirin / minitaur) to fund a couple of these bad boys. But the used market seems to be in short supply.

It’s crazy how I used to be so caught up in having a multitimbral poly synth. It took me way too many tries and too much money to realize I actually hate screwing with multimode on most synths. Elektron has it implemented really well but even that doesn’t bring the immediacy of a one sound per device setup.

So yeah, if anyone is interested who might have one, let me know.

#3998

@Auto-meh-geddon I love the analog heat. It’s one of those devices that is difficult to justify but once you get into it it’s like “where have you been my whole life.” I have mainly used it for the clean boost / saturation circuit / eq. It’s an awesome finishing box that is highly recommend to anyone. I’ve had two over the last couple years. Not sure about your specific use case because I always just use it end of chain to process the stereo mix. But for that, at its price, it can’t be beat. You can find used mk1’s for super cheap these days. Only difference is the screen and general layout. Inner workings are the same.

#3999

I pretty much have zero interest in the latest Novation grooveboxes, they seem cool on paper but I never gelled with any of them in the past.