The M8 is my favorite hardware of all time. Sold my octatrack digitakt digitone hydrasynth and a bunch of other stuff because it all started gathering dust. I did get a second M8 too lol
Your points on the M8 are absolutely valid and there is no way of telling before getting into the tracker workflow, if it will click with you or not. I'm mostly an "instruments" guy, meaning I don't like programming notes in and all that, but for some reason the M8 just clicked with me on another level and what you call "forced" into a workflow I saw more as a blessing of getting out of the usual harmonies and rhythms my brain wants to default to. Anyways, enjoyable video as always 🙂
100% I use the Polyend Tracker Mini and full size as an idea starter. I know you can finish full songs on the trackers but I don’t have fun doing that.
Fair enough. I still think m8 is one of the best portable music making device out there. With one of the best synths and absolutely insane sampler. Tried polyend tracker mini but found it extremely limited. Have to say I tried it before recent update so may need to dive it a go again one day. But still, tracker mini still not as portable.
For me the killer was no built in mic on the M8. Also, while the synths sound great they just took me down the same path each time. Especially the Swarm synth. I'm not making complete songs in the Tracker, I'm just getting sketches together so I can bring them into the computer to flesh them out.
@@craigwilliamsmusicsure. Your opinion is valid and I respect it even though I disagree. This is the beauty of time we live in. We have so many choices. There are devices that other users swear by which doesn’t gel with me personally. Like Digitakt. Whenever I used it I ended up making same things again and again. Good luck and I’m certainly will be looking forward to more videos from you.
The microphone is the big selling point for the way I work on the Mini and one of the main reasons for me selling the M8. They both fun to use I just wasn't getting the very much out of the M8 that I was happy with.
Design over function seems to be Teenage Engineering's motto. The workflow/menu diving aspect has kept me from considering the KOII - if it's going to be a complicated machine, I'll take a screen 100% of the time over memorizing button combos.
I think many instruments push us towards some genres and some sound due to their workflow and interface. Two synths with the same functions but different workflow will push us towards different timbres so we choose what works best for us) For me M8 opened some new ways of making music and I finally started finishing tracks (it is harder for me to finish music in DAW because there are too many options to try)
The workflow I adopted within the M8 would lead me down the same path all the time which was great at first but after two or three songs I was a little over it.
I really love my M8, but I can understand your take on it. I too have the OP-1 OG that I bought used a year ago. It has not clicked with me, but I am keeping it one more year to see if things change. I really want to like it. I am a sucker for anything portable.
amazing video sir, I was constantly looking for shiny new toys as well but then came to realisation that hardware should fit the ideal flow that I already have in mind (in my case it should rely heavily on vocals, nicely sampled pianos and real time looping/dubbing ). For this, I believe, all I need is a good mic, ableton with NI piano VSTs and a 88 keys keyboard with comfortable keys. That said, I'm gonna get my hands on m8 headless on my steam deck soon (just to have some capable portable solution with me all the time). I wanted to buy the ko2 but ended up using kiala sampler ios app instead - fits well my on the go sketching needs.
Nice!!! It’s all about finishing the workflow that works for you. If you really click with the M8 headless on the steam deck you can always look at adding one of those to your setup.
Thanks matey. I def feel that if something gets you out of your normal way of working to help you create something fresh that is a great thing but I feel that the M8 walks me down the same path each time.
I think that the M8 excels when it's a primary device that you put in significant effort to learn. If you have tons of gear and occasionally open the M8 to make some loops, it's strengths will remain hidden. As a gear reviewer, I expect you have to split your time among a lot of different devices.
If you did purchase the one I was selling it is loaded with a bunch of my samples ready to get you up and running. There is also my go to Vinyl drum samples that I use all the time that isn’t for sale anywhere.
Yes, it was me on reverb. Your video at the end of the listing plus what I believe was a pretty fair price for the M8 pulled me to your channel and helped convince me that it was the one that I should buy.
As a M8 owner I have to shame you for selling. We will have the comity deal with you. JK I understand not liking the limitations of the product. Hope you find the gear that you are looking for it is a pretty deep unit. I love more on a nerd tinkering level when it comes to music for me.
Hahahahhaha I get it. I did like it but finishing tracks on the M8 was just a massive pain in the ass for me. I have written more starting ideas on the Polyend Tracker Mini and then exporting them into Logic to finish.
Do not store your gear away, like the KO 2, just sell it, your going to ruin its battery by having it sitting for months not doing anything and by the time You get it backmout the battery will probably not even charge so Sell it.
I get what you’re saying. I had to repair my KO2 when it arrived. While I’m pretty sure I did a good job I wouldn’t feel right selling it onto someone else.
I have the same feeling as you about the Dirtywave M8. I'm terrible at it and I'm not really that into chiptune music but I've heard some really cool stuff made by people like laamaa and red means recording and keeps me too inspired to get rid of it. The learning curve is huge but the community is so great.
Because since the hype is lost and you can't get anymore views on gear you don't actually use, you need to recoup money to buy the next hot new electronic thingy and repeat the process all while making content? Hey, this is an interaction! Lovely video. ❤☮
I buy things that excite me and will hopefully fill a gap in my studio. I try not to buy the new hot items. I don't have a Digitakt II since I have the original and it's still awesome. I also made samples for the Digitakt II. My general rule when buying gear is "will this piece make music XXXXX more fun or XXXXX better" the XXXX being the price of the piece.
![Felix "Unfair" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Oswujxm2Ag0/mqdefault.jpg)
The M8 is my favorite hardware of all time. Sold my octatrack digitakt digitone hydrasynth and a bunch of other stuff because it all started gathering dust. I did get a second M8 too lol
That’s awesome. Finding what works for you is the key. If you’re having fun and creating a bunch of music your have struck gold.
I have the octa and the m8, and they are both such incredible devices. Deffo different use cases for me, but the m8 will never go.
I have 3 of em!
Your points on the M8 are absolutely valid and there is no way of telling before getting into the tracker workflow, if it will click with you or not. I'm mostly an "instruments" guy, meaning I don't like programming notes in and all that, but for some reason the M8 just clicked with me on another level and what you call "forced" into a workflow I saw more as a blessing of getting out of the usual harmonies and rhythms my brain wants to default to.
Anyways, enjoyable video as always 🙂
100% I use the Polyend Tracker Mini and full size as an idea starter. I know you can finish full songs on the trackers but I don’t have fun doing that.
The secret to selling gear is always sell the most expensive, least used, easily replaceable stuff first
I tend to hang onto gear since I use loads of different pieces to make sample pack. These items have been long overdue for sale.
Fair enough. I still think m8 is one of the best portable music making device out there. With one of the best synths and absolutely insane sampler.
Tried polyend tracker mini but found it extremely limited. Have to say I tried it before recent update so may need to dive it a go again one day.
But still, tracker mini still not as portable.
For me the killer was no built in mic on the M8. Also, while the synths sound great they just took me down the same path each time. Especially the Swarm synth. I'm not making complete songs in the Tracker, I'm just getting sketches together so I can bring them into the computer to flesh them out.
@@craigwilliamsmusicsure. Your opinion is valid and I respect it even though I disagree. This is the beauty of time we live in. We have so many choices. There are devices that other users swear by which doesn’t gel with me personally. Like Digitakt. Whenever I used it I ended up making same things again and again. Good luck and I’m certainly will be looking forward to more videos from you.
100000% I have seen some people make awesome music on a device and when I get a hold of it I sound like I’m banging rocks together hahahahahhaa
Also not a big fan of Polyend as a company
I just FOMOd and pre ordered the dirtywave model 2 as I’ve loved the tracker mini so much .
See what happens
The microphone is the big selling point for the way I work on the Mini and one of the main reasons for me selling the M8. They both fun to use I just wasn't getting the very much out of the M8 that I was happy with.
@@craigwilliamsmusic FYI the M8 Model:02 has a microphone as well.
Design over function seems to be Teenage Engineering's motto.
The workflow/menu diving aspect has kept me from considering the KOII - if it's going to be a complicated machine, I'll take a screen 100% of the time over memorizing button combos.
I feel that. I think with one or two tweaks the KOII could have been one of my favorite boxes.
I think many instruments push us towards some genres and some sound due to their workflow and interface. Two synths with the same functions but different workflow will push us towards different timbres so we choose what works best for us)
For me M8 opened some new ways of making music and I finally started finishing tracks (it is harder for me to finish music in DAW because there are too many options to try)
The workflow I adopted within the M8 would lead me down the same path all the time which was great at first but after two or three songs I was a little over it.
@@craigwilliamsmusic do you have a video about gear you own for a while and it works well for you don't plan to sell it?)
I'm putting together another studio tour showing everything that I have in my studio and I'll go in depth on what is working.
M8 is the fastest machine to make music if you dig trackers.
I feel that. I will always be faster and have more flexibility on a MPC and DAW. I use my Polyend as my idea starter.
@@craigwilliamsmusic yes m8 + exporting stems into daw is my go to!
I really love my M8, but I can understand your take on it. I too have the OP-1 OG that I bought used a year ago. It has not clicked with me, but I am keeping it one more year to see if things change. I really want to like it. I am a sucker for anything portable.
Same, I love boxes that I can just dive into and get a load of crazy sounds and ideas from.
Been eyeballing some of these...good to see this.
Def do some more research and see what fits your needs and if possible get a hold of one of the devices your looking at and see how you like it.
amazing video sir, I was constantly looking for shiny new toys as well but then came to realisation that hardware should fit the ideal flow that I already have in mind (in my case it should rely heavily on vocals, nicely sampled pianos and real time looping/dubbing ). For this, I believe, all I need is a good mic, ableton with NI piano VSTs and a 88 keys keyboard with comfortable keys. That said, I'm gonna get my hands on m8 headless on my steam deck soon (just to have some capable portable solution with me all the time). I wanted to buy the ko2 but ended up using kiala sampler ios app instead - fits well my on the go sketching needs.
Nice!!! It’s all about finishing the workflow that works for you. If you really click with the M8 headless on the steam deck you can always look at adding one of those to your setup.
Your points on the M8 are great, I felt the same. I would struggle just to get close to what I would normally make.
Thanks matey. I def feel that if something gets you out of your normal way of working to help you create something fresh that is a great thing but I feel that the M8 walks me down the same path each time.
Every time I see you two interact online, it feels like a cross over episode
Hahahahahhaha Ricky is the reason I started the channel back up again. We have also been mates for 10+ years
I think that the M8 excels when it's a primary device that you put in significant effort to learn. If you have tons of gear and occasionally open the M8 to make some loops, it's strengths will remain hidden. As a gear reviewer, I expect you have to split your time among a lot of different devices.
Well, I hope I enjoy your m8. Been having a great time with headless but I can understand your thought process on it.
Did you purchase my M8 from reverb?
If you did purchase the one I was selling it is loaded with a bunch of my samples ready to get you up and running. There is also my go to Vinyl drum samples that I use all the time that isn’t for sale anywhere.
Yes, it was me on reverb. Your video at the end of the listing plus what I believe was a pretty fair price for the M8 pulled me to your channel and helped convince me that it was the one that I should buy.
@@craigwilliamsmusic looking forward to seeing what you have on there. That's a pretty sweet bonus. Thank you
Thats awesome!!!, so happy that someone from our little synth community got it. I'm sure you will have a load of fun with it.
i have a hydrasynth. just a hydrasynth. i don't think I'll ever want to buy another piece of gear again, this one is so good
That is the goal, just have pieces that you can get the most out of.
"who cares what you make music with" agree :) you may care if it's more fun, but otherwise, no one really does!
100% It always has to be fun!
I dig your thoughts.
Thank you!
As a M8 owner I have to shame you for selling. We will have the comity deal with you. JK I understand not liking the limitations of the product. Hope you find the gear that you are looking for it is a pretty deep unit. I love more on a nerd tinkering level when it comes to music for me.
Hahahahhaha I get it. I did like it but finishing tracks on the M8 was just a massive pain in the ass for me. I have written more starting ideas on the Polyend Tracker Mini and then exporting them into Logic to finish.
Do not store your gear away, like the KO 2, just sell it, your going to ruin its battery by having it sitting for months not doing anything and by the time You get it backmout the battery will probably not even charge so Sell it.
It doesn’t come with a battery, it comes with slots for replaceable disposable batteries
I get what you’re saying. I had to repair my KO2 when it arrived. While I’m pretty sure I did a good job I wouldn’t feel right selling it onto someone else.
@@zpurpz Yes good point.
@@craigwilliamsmusic I understand that.
Good list, if i had it i would sell it too for the same reasons
You never know unless you get the items and have a go.
@@craigwilliamsmusic true
so in actuality you're selling just the M8 and OP-1 then?
everything else you're keeping...!
I think the money I would get for the Pocket Operator and KOII isn't worth the hassle of selling.
Do you not like tracker / chiptune music?
Tracker music - yes
Chip tune - no
@@craigwilliamsmusic Oh wow, not even any of the Tim Follin stuff?
I haven’t heard any of there material. I just don’t gravitate to Chip Tune music. I’m not saying it’s bad, it’s just not for me.
*new craigwilliams video* --- :)
*sells dirtywave m8* --- >:(
It is time. It's been sitting there mocking me because I haven't been using it hahaha
@@craigwilliamsmusic hahaha I feel you, just teasing. I’m glad you at least gave such a good go at it!
Hahahahhaha for sure. These pieces were mocking me everyday I didn’t use them. It’s time someone else can have some fun with them.
Wow u think most the music made on the m8 is trash. Admit it m8
Hahahahahahaha I thought the ideas were kind of cool but I wasn’t over the moon excited for them.
I have the same feeling as you about the Dirtywave M8. I'm terrible at it and I'm not really that into chiptune music but I've heard some really cool stuff made by people like laamaa and red means recording and keeps me too inspired to get rid of it. The learning curve is huge but the community is so great.
I think Laamaa makes the best music on the M8 from anyone that I have seen. I picked up a few of his releases to see how he does things on the device.
@@craigwilliamsmusic I'm weary of buying m8 bundles since I bought the red means recording's and now it sounds weird on the 4.0 firmware.
@@craigwilliamsmusictry Tristan Baldi : the other huge M8 expert
Because since the hype is lost and you can't get anymore views on gear you don't actually use, you need to recoup money to buy the next hot new electronic thingy and repeat the process all while making content? Hey, this is an interaction! Lovely video. ❤☮
I buy things that excite me and will hopefully fill a gap in my studio. I try not to buy the new hot items. I don't have a Digitakt II since I have the original and it's still awesome. I also made samples for the Digitakt II. My general rule when buying gear is "will this piece make music XXXXX more fun or XXXXX better" the XXXX being the price of the piece.
youe selling so much over priced and hyped shit. do hope you get the money back mate.
I got good amounts for each piece I sold and picked up some new bits for the studio.