So this looks real neat-o. I was pleasantly surprised to find that these both come in under $2K US for what amounts to one hell of a statement piece.
I’ll have to revise my review of the SP-16 at some point as mine shipped with the original, promises yet to be met firmware 1.10…upgrading to 1.60 makes it a whole new machine.
Relatedly…I can’t say enough good things about Legowelt’s free vintage synth sample collections. They sound like pure cheese off the bat but you have to imagine the possibilities in your sampler.
edit 1: I can see why ya’ll having a proper song/arrangement mode on the modern MPCs…SP-16 feels like a good compromise between working hardware and using a DAW in that regard.
And Akai does the MPC Studio 2 for $270 and it’s essentially exactly why I got a Maschine Mikro mk3 vs the OG Studio because they couldn’t be found for less than $500 and I wanted a computer travel controller.
Oh well, I’m in Maschine Land, now, Akai. Which reminds me that I have three Expansion Vouchers to use very quickly before they expire…
Isla update apparently they still don’t even have the latest shipment due to congestion at Miami harbor. Some day…
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Wow. I didn’t know any of the MPC standalone hardware was so inexpensive. Not that I want or need it but I’ll bu looking the MPC Studio 2 just out of pure curiosity. EDIT: Ah, I see, it isn’t standalone. But still, depending on the software that price isn’t anything to shake a stick at.
I had an original Maschine for a long time. I liked the way they did things from the get go.
I’m kinda of in standalone heaven with the Mpc at the moment. Being super busy, time is a premium and an all-in-one solution is just great
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Your MPC absolutely has more onboard, but I already know the SP-16 is going to become my centerpiece. It does as much or more sound design wise than the Digitakt. It samples directly, resampling is easy, it has a proper arrangement mode. It can render both the master and individual tracks–as loops or the entire arrangement. The giant screen that includes touch function is so nice. And its a part of the Pioneer ecosystem. I like the delay less than the DT’s and there is only a master reverb. I also think it has way more storage, which is USB compliant drag and drop on top of being able to stream directly from USB stick. It also does P-locks and I think you can record knob movements.
I say all this realizing that when the SP-16 came out it cost twice as much as a Digitakt but now…man…I gotta say…if I had to choose.
Right now the only thing I wish it had was an envelope modulation destination or a 2nd envelope for modulation. But the DT doesn’t have that either. But kinda who cares because I can whip up something in my DAW, render the audio, and drop it right on the SP 16…
I may have to turn in my Elektron Fanboy Membership Jacket. I don’t want to get ahead of myself but its really making the Digitakt feel redundant. However, I have not yet done the big update on the DT so there is that.
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I don’t have any Elektron at the moment, but I already bought a 2nd hand SynthTakt, just in case…
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I’ve got a buddy who uses the SP16 along side his modular, seems like a great combination.
YouTube NastyNachos if you want to check his stuff, I think you’d dig it.
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I will peep his channel for sure, thank you!
I’m actually thinking about 42 Hp of modular, I already have the lunchbox and the power…
It would be a sound generator, not fx, but not sure what to add.
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www.modulargrid.net - lay out your modular plans
www.vcvrack.com - free modular eurorack simulator
it’s kind of interesting to see what one could cram into 42hp… is there an associated power module that takes up space?
I’m interested to see if more comes out of TipTop’s collab with Buchla. Like, if they’ll eventually do a 208 or some of the crazy arbitrary function generators. I’d get into eurorack for that, compared to getting an actual Buchla system. The new Easel is $5k, but if I can get a eurorack buchla system for half that and then mix some of the Rossum stuff I’ve always lusted for in there I’d be thrilled.
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I’ve noticed that even when I work in software I tend to adopt a more minimalistic “hardware-style” workflow. I have 8 tracks or less, don’t go overboard with effects, mixing might be minimal, to the point of I want it to sound more raw and unprocessed, ie not overproduced. I just like it that way and a bonus is it’s less to think about lol.
Granted, things like the modern MPCs and Maschine+ can do a fine job at mixing and piling on effects. But in the end I just want to get an idea down or even more just have fun with what I’m doing.
I realize mixing might be fun for a lot of people, and even me at times. I’m definitely a fan of panning and volumes, but EQing not so much. I just try to use sounds that don’t clash from the get go at this point.
those buchla/tiptop module are so well priced they’ll fly off the shelves, i’ve not been active modular wise for sometime however id be tempted to grab up all those modules.
“but EQing not so much”
although you don’t know it yet, you really do need the “NoiseAsh Rule Tech” EQ in your arsenal 
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EQing sucks balls.
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I remember a time where I blindly slapped an EQ on everything to “roll of the low end”. Totally shitty lifeless mixes
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That’s pretty much my approach. Mixing happens during sound design whenever possible. Obviously sometimes you just can’t (samples, field recordings, etc), and thing inevitably need tweaking later, but any time I can I’ll make sure a part is in the ballpark before trying to mix the whole shebang. It goes a long way towards me not getting frustrated with the process.
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@Koldunya is absolutely spot on. That was the “magic” that finally helped my mixes fall into place. You can get really far thinking ahead and using just gain staging and light panning.
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I think using hardware a lot helped in that regard. I hadn’t thought too much on it until one day I realized "I’m not really mixing much and especially not using EQs unless it’s a “musical” one for a flavor, and then I was sharing some things I was working on with someone who told me “You are really good at using sounds that work together” or something like that, an ear for sounds, and I finally allowed myself to think “maybe I’m finally getting it” XD
And lately most of the time when I’m using hardware it’s all going into a Zoom H6 so all I have are the sounds and levels.