Thanks for acknowledging that collecting and playing synths without necessarily recording is okay. I actually sometimes feel quite awkward when people ask the dreaded « what’s your SoundCloud? » question. I enjoy playing and spend a lot of time tweaking my setup, workflow, etc. I hope to be able to record and make songs one day but for now, me and my synths are doing just fine :)
When i tell non-musos i play bass, i always get the same effing question: are you in a band? Not: How long have you been playing or What sort of music do you play.
Yeah I hate that question too. Having your stuff public doesn't cure imposter syndrome. Remember this mantra 'I am the process.' That's all that matters.
The last question goes far beyond "eurorack is for snobs". It is a relief that someone finally says that it is fine to invest in what makes you happy. At least, this is the message I got from the video, and I like it. :-) thank you Bo
I try to make songs sometimes, but... I don't regret the time I spend just turning knobs and grinning like an idiot. Anything that enjoyable, which doesn't hurt anyone, is a win. Or, as some would say, "Hey, don't yuck my yum!"
In my recollection, I haven't read anyone judging eurorack being for snobs. I think what most people are saying is that it's not for them because they don't like the price. I was planning on buying some eurorack, but for the price point, I wasn't sure I'd use it as much to justify the cost. So I switched over to VCV Rack and use that with my hw synths and software and am happy with that. I wouldn't then go poo-poo somebody else because they wanted to spend $20k on it. For me, my jaw would drop at the notion..lol. On the other hand, if they paid $10k, $20k, or more on it, and then it just sat there and collected dust, I'd probably make a judgement call about that. lol.
Top tip: Use a paint brush with the longest bristles you can find. This minimises the risk of catching the bristle collar, which is often metal, against the paintwork or knobs of your lovely synth.
I'd actually advise spending a bit more on a decent artist's paint brush. Their bristles are way softer and are far less likely to fall out. I'm curious why Bo said don't use a vacuum cleaner though. Is there some danger I'm not aware of?
Refreshing as always, Bo! I actually started working as a composer for a theatre company here in Brazil, but after the pandemic the work stopped almost completely and I felt really lost and uninspired. Making music seemed unimportant but my love for synths and experimentation only grew stronger, and that's when I started buying my first hardware synths. Many of my friends and family questioned my decision, I even went through a breakup because of that, but for me it was very clear that music is not just about making songs, it's about relating to the experience of sound and creation. I work as teacher now and I make just enough money to make a living and save some for instruments I dream of playing! Maybe someday I'll have the opportunity and energy to go back and make music professionally, but for now I'm very happy that I have my MiniBrute 2S and a DIY modular system that keep me entertained for hours everyday!
Speaking of buying a first synth with many knobs on: My first synth was a Yamaha CS-15 that I bought in 1982. I sold it two years later and bought a nice Nikon camera. But I could not stop thinking about my old CS-15 so 30 years later, in 2015, I bought back a CS-15 in mint condition. I will never sell it.
Really happy of your take on music as a hobby - I'm working as a professional and most of the time people talking to me about making music feel like making music as a hobby isn't valid and how they should take it more "seriously". Making music as a hobby is very valid, as much as doing it for a living! 💖 I'm like OH GOD NO YOU'RE DOING JUST FINE, I AM THE FOOL FOR MAKING IT A CAREER LOL. 🙏
So here are some questions for future episodes like this one: - How much "more" does 3 oscillators-per-voice add to sound quality or character, over having 2 oscillators? Would 4 oscillators be even "better"? - More synths are including those little displays that provide low-res oscilloscope images of waveforms. Are they useful for the player or simply a gimmick? - The arrival of tiny 9mm pots has permitted great functionality and control to be crammed into smaller spaces. How worried should we be about the lifespan of such smaller pots? - For those interested in modular approaches, whether Eurorack or some other form-factor, what sort of power supply should one be aiming for, to see them through for at least a year or two? Thanks for your lucid and balanced approach to the questions you addressed here in this episode.
Great video! Use pressurized air with caution. It can blow the dust in to your synths instead of away, get stuck inside and build up over time. Paint brush is safer.
Myself I use the good old plumeau, works like a charm and keeps the dust with it, not just moving it. Like mentioned before, be careful with the compressed air, it tends to spray dust over your previously cleaned area or worse, deeper into the synth
I clean my gear with a non used women’s blush brush in one hand, swiping the synth’s surface, while keeping the tube of a vacuum cleaner about 5-10 cm above the synth in my other hand. The brush is very soft and doesn’t scratch, while the vacuum cleaner sucks the dust away that is being loosened by the brush. This way the dust is not moved around in the studio but removed.
Hi Bo, I recently got into synths and discovered your channel, and it has been a blessing for me. I love how clear you explain and show everything in your videos. I ended up choosing the Minilogue because of your tutorials so thank you for what you do.
Thank you for the comments on purity testing and competitive synthing, it really is such childish playground behaviour. I love playing with synthesizers, sound design and just making vast endless spacious soundscapes using synths and recorded sound. It is such a wonderful therapeutic release for me, and takes me to a very happy place away from the reality real life. I have little or no interest in publishing music, making money from music or being productive in any way, I just want to enjoy that moment and drift away in my own sonic universe. For me it's a very personal private experience.
Cool advise: Cleaning Synths with a high quality paint brush! I have to try that, so far I have been using a different method! Have a nice weekend, Ralph
Thanks for doing this. You make some very good points in the video. I'd like to add a few things. This might end up being a bit long but some people might find it helpful. I'll start by asking a question though. 00:23 Cleaning your synth - If you use a vacuum cleaner with its soft "brush nozzle" (is that what it's called in English?) then is it really a bad option? There's usually a slider of some sort on most vacuum cleaners where you can set it to use less power. Just set it to use the least power you can get. I think the vacuum cleaner is a good option especially if there's a little bit more dust on a synth. 00:49 Your first synth - I like to add a couple more options here. I think the best and most fun would be a Yamaha Reface CS. You can definitely experiment with it and learn how everything works. I have many vintage synths and some other "virtual analogs" but the Reface CS is the most fun to use. Some people say that you can't save your sounds but you can do that by using a program called Ctrlr and then loading a "panel" to it. Then you have an option to save the patches as SysEx files (you might need to add the .syx to the name) to your computer and load them back to the synth. There's also the Yamaha Soundmondo of course. If you want a very capable but still affordable analog synth (maybe after the Reface CS) then get a Novation Bass Station II. It's only monophonic or duophonic but don't let it bother you. Most of the more experimental (multiple LFO and envelope modulations with high resonance etc.) sounds work best with monophonic synths (or monophonic mode on polyphonic synths) anyway. The best working polyphonic sounds are most often pads or strings, which usually need to be quite "mellow" for many reasons. You can easily save your sounds to the Bass Station 2 and don't let the name fool you... it can be used for much more than bass sounds. :-) You can get quite experimental with it. Try looping the envelopes for example and use its "Osc Filter Mod", which lets the oscillator 2 to modulate the filter's cutoff. It's a versatile little synth. 01:48 Analog vs. Digital - Not many people really know about synthesizers. Some of them still think that a digital synth sounds more or less like a Yamaha DX7 (It uses only FM, which is excellent at creating metallic bell-like tones for example, which are sounding a bit "cold"). Some also think of digital synths as 1990s "romplers" and workstations that have some low quality sampled sounds often available as wavetables. I've not used them a lot but some of them lack a resonant filter for example. It's harder to create typical analog sounds with them but you can say they have a different purpose. However, the digital synths have lately became very capable in replicating almost anything analog can do. Many digital "virtual analog" synths started to appear in the late 1990s and some of them were very good. You can think of it this way: A saw wave is always a saw wave. It doesn't matter if it's digitally generated. What matters is the quality of the filter and the controls and what happens when you start to modulate that waveform. They say that some early digital synths suffered from digital stepping of the values but it hasn't really been a problem for a long time. At least it isn't a problem with any of my virtual analogs. My Novation Supernova II is fantastic and it was released as early as in the year 2000. There are some things only digital can do. There are some acoustic modelling synths for example but I don't have to write everything here I guess. :-) This is a long comment but still just a scratch on the surface. One of the the reasons why an analog automatically sounds better is because it naturally drifts out of tune a bit. There are old school VCO synths with voltage controlled oscillators and DCO synths with digitally controlled oscillators. Both of them are actually analog but there's a difference. If you put two oscillators to the exact same pitch on a Bass Station II (DCO) synth, then you can just hear a perfect pitch on both oscillators. The only difference is that the volume gets a bit louder. That's why you need to detune the 2nd oscillator a bit. That's all. Just do the same thing with a digital synth. There can be a couple of special options available in some virtual analogs like an adjustable "VCO drift" option in my Supernova 2. You just need to get familiar with any synth you own. You can easily get a good virtual analog synth to sound analog. The preset patches aren't always helpful because they can be drenched in digital effects. (The digital reverb in the Supernova 2 is quite horrible but in the Novation Peak and the Summit it's excellent.) Those presets usually concentrate on sounds that seem to be popular at the moment, which is very limiting. I've heard many people saying that the Supernovas are synths for trance music or something very similar. Just don't let the presets fool you. There can be millions of very different sounds you can do with a synth. What sounds are usable depends on you. You are in control. Speaking of pitch and drifting out of tune... That drifting can be a problem sometimes. I've played a few gigs where an analog synth was suddenly out of tune... a lot. There are some real advantages with having a perfect pitch of course. It's a sound designer's dream. You can really tune the sound when you use a ring modulator for example and use that for some special lead sounds other than just effects. Some analogs keep in tune very well like my vintage Yamaha CS-15 and a few newer analog synths have an automatic calibration option. Well, I've used the Arturia MatrixBrute for example and I sometimes need to use that automatic tuning many times in a session. Some of them also need 30 minutes or more to warm up... The best option is to try every synth yourself. Most of the instruments such as synthesizers are just as good as the person using them. Synths are much more complicated because you can create "your own instruments" with them. There will be people who doesn't like that "your own instrument" sound that you've created and claim that it's too cold or too brittle or not interesting enough. The sound might be purposefully thinner by using a band pass filter or a high pass filter for example. If the sound works for you, then go for it. You can make almost any sound with these synths if you really get to know them. Take care and have a great day.
Great video. Balanced. About the purest thing, there is some context I want to add: From my experience, a lot of the criticism aimed at the owners of massive gear, comes when said owners don’t write, producer, or play BUT still CLAIM to be artists/performers. Some own synths/eurorack but only ever use it to make fart sounds, show off wealth, or use downloadable midi files or automatic melody algorithms to “write” music. It causes a problem IF and ONLY if they claim to be something they are not. True you don't have to record art to be an artist. The art does still need to be there though. Recording even a simple performance helps support one's claims. Simple raw recordings are not hard to make either. If one can't back any claims, they appear as a poser and it's no surprise when posers are flamed by actual artists/performers. This isn’t the situation in every case and there are varying degrees of significance of course. There’s nothing wrong with owning tons of gear and/or rare expensive gear. The problem happens if one pretends it automatically makes them an artist.
Two thumbs up for the advice about finishing songs in a DAW. Many beginners nowadays think they need to be 'dawless' , as that's the hot thing . But to really produce music you simply can not ignore the power of a modern DAW. So I also always recommend using the hardware sequencers to jam and come up with ideas but not to try fitting a square peg in a round hole by trying to do very complex arrangements on a device that simply wasn't intended for it while ignoring the actual solution.
the Analog/ digital answer was such a cop out. Analog does sound different, but from what I can tell almost exclusively due to the filters, or any noise or distortion picked up from cables or circuitry. So really if you want an analog sound, you just need to purchase some analog filters, albeit a few of them to ensure your getting a variety of colours. This is quite easy to do now with eurorack, and relatively cheap as well, though you could also just opt for a Behringer crave and use it to send audio into. The crave has a moog ladder 24/db only, so if you want a 12/db then the neutron or an arturia monologue is the next best option.
Analog is different in ways other than the sound though. When you're using a digital synthesiser, the sound of it is limited by the performance of the hardware inside the synth, or the hardware inside your computer if you're using a soft digital synth. With an analog synthesiser, you are limited by the amount and type of all the different hardware components. There's different limitations that will not only lead you to make different kinds of sounds, but also work with those sounds in different ways. digital synths can be used to emulate hardware synths as you said, of course, but there's sometimes obvious, sometimes subtle differences between analog and digital.
Thank you for the tips! Midi-through box, paintbrush and patchbay get on the list! If it comes to buying a musical instrument. Don't buy because you think you need it. Buy it because you feel it. The best place to check on this is in a music store. Some synths will give you magic at the slightest touch. Some will not even bother your attention... The instrument chooses you. If you can only order online: print images of synths you want, or if you don't know what to choose. Look at both images 1 by 1. Which made you smile the most? Even if it is a expensive one you picked out. Saving up for an instrument can be just as much fun as having it already! (especially synthesizers)
Good video. I got into making music at the height of the analogue fetish era, and simply by pure luck I bought a Blofeld (I just wanted a synth that I could afford, and did no research), and found that for my tastes (experimental/ evocative sounds) that I could get far more out of a complex digital synth than some retro analogue synth for 4 times the money. I think many people got sick of digital synths back when the DX7 was saturating music, and since then a digital synth is a completely different beast.
Tip on cleaning: DO NOT use the paintbrush with the metal ferule. One slightly "off" angle and you scratch things...badly. You can get those paintbrushes without the ferule (just plastic) which is meant for cleaning. For those of us in the Nordics. Clas O got them (a bag with various sizes). Also excellent for car detailing! Other than that i highly recommend a proper ostrich feather brush - it will take the dust of most anything, and is so gentle to the touch that it wont move any knobs or sliders (unlike Swiffer etc.). Notice that there are two kinds of ostrich feather dusters. The stiffer kind which feature large black feathers. And a type that much softer brown - beige feathers. It is the brown one you want.
I really appreciate your take on the "eurorack is for snobs" section. Sometimes I feel guilty about not creating or releasing music I've made but sometimes I really do just want to play in the moment but don't need the world to hear it.
1. Cleaning. Another good option is to get a duster (like a feather duster). These are designed for gently and quickly removing dust and work extremely well, Some types of dusters can get caught on knobs, but most work fine. 2. Analog vs. Digital. Analog synth do what they do well. But if you want realistic instrument emulation or the kinds of sounds that you can get from wavetable, FM or granular synthesis, than analogs just can't do it. The polyphony, versatility, reliability and stability of digital far exceeds that of analog. And digitals emulate analog synths almost perfectly, while analogs can't do digital-type sounds at all. There's a lot to be said for learning synths on an analog (or virtual analog) so you understand the basics of subtractive synthesis and control voltages. But for an experienced musician, a digital is often a better choice nowadays. 3. Splitters. I use a splitter to control multiple racks from one master MIDI keyboard. But there is an alternative, both for keyboard control and sequencing. Most synths have a "MIDI Thru" Port that allows the MIDI signal to pass back out and on to a second, third, etc. synth. So using the Thru ports, you can daisy-chain 4 synths, and use the MIDI channel to control which inputs it responds to. The delay is trivial, so even the last synth in the chain will stay in time to the clock. Every synth earlier in the chain needs to be powered on for the later synths to respond. You can also combine the two methods (for example a splitter on synths 1-4 and MIDI Thru for synths 5+).
Well that was a breath of fresh air! Thank you for such a candid and to-the-point view on these very common questions. I was most curious about the eurorack question, as I have always been baffled (if not insanely tempted) by the bleeps and bloops they make. It seems like such an inordinately expensive and complex way to make music. I've talked myself down from almost making a huge investmenet in eurorack gear and I'm glad about that for now. Maybe once I learn more about what I'm doing, and I've successfully robbed a bank or two. In the meantime, thanks for at least somewhat justifying my g.a.s. I love my gear.
I went through the whole video. This is so impressive and useful. I strongly agree with every point you said and you listed. I should recommend this video and your channel to all the people who want to get into the world of hardware synthesis.
for cleaning synths i also recommend foam paint brushes used for detail work painting walls and such. they are cheap, there are no bristles to lose and they can squeeze into fader tracks for example
Great video! The noob questions were answered eloquently and accurately, and the calling-out of common problematic behaviors was a refreshing dose of sanity.
People hate on the Roland jd-xi synth but I got it as my first real hardware unit because I could do whole songs on it pretty easily, Would highly recommend for someone who wants to create music without using to many daw features
@Luke Yeah with the twin digital parts and the analog and drums you can lay a track down in a single pass and the use the inbuilt vocoder to overdub the vocals. Instant hit ! Lol
In my lifetime, I’ve owned the following synths. Those still in my possession are denoted with an asterisk: - ARP Odyssey - ARP String Ensemble - MicroMoog - Sequential Circuits Prophet 5 (Rev3) - Moog Voyager * - Roland JD-800 * - Roland JX-8P * - Behringer Deepmind 12 * I’ve loved them all.
Some great advice. Buying your first synth can be tricky since you don't know what you don't know. Also believe it is easier with YT to get an idea while pre internet you had to go to a store to get informed. Synthesizers have become more capable and more affordable and words like cheap or overpriced are very subjective.
Thanks for this Bo! As a beginner into the music production world it’s often hard to differentiate between on RUclips what people are presenting as a creative passion project and something designed to appeal to a wide popular audience. I often feel like “I need THIS and I need THAT to do THIS but then there’s THAT first” when actually a lot people on RUclips may be just presenting their creativity. And that is an accepting thought. Cheers.
On youtube people are making a ”product” which is their videos, which represent a part of they creative ”scope”. Alot of stuff is not showcased and its easy to get the wrong impression. So never compare yourself 1:1 with a finished ”product”, like a released song or video, or artistic persona
@@BoBeats many thanks! I’ve used a lot of your ideas with my Minilogue xd. And I just got my behringer crave 2 days ago. Plenty of fun to be had so thanks for what you contribute to RUclips.
I just get to know hardware synth about 3 months ago. Now I’m a Matriarch, Take5 and Digitone owner. I can’t even use 50% of their potential. One reason is I’m a student with heavy academic pressure. The other reason is it takes time to learn, especially for the Matriarch, it’s semi-modular, it can be very creative. Also Digitone, it’s some kind of a small DAW like OP-1.They all need time to learn. And this is what’s so amazing: you get to push yourself forward through this process. You get knowledge about sound design, which you can use everywhere, from VST to another synth, especially subtractive stuff is universal. I personally think hardware and software nowadays are really really similar.The reason we bought hardware is more like “inspiration” and “feelings”. To see a real instrument in front of you is romantic; to tweak and patch and hear the instant change of sound is inspiring. When collecting and studying gears, you automatically absorb knowledge and experience. This is what’s more important, more important than synth itself.
Appreciate the candid answers. I'm not a big buyer of things...prefer minimalism. Yet, I have bought and sold many synths and modules. After years of doing this, my suggestion is to get a synth or gear that will help you learn synthesis. I had no idea if an interface/synth was a good fit since I did not know what the knobs/control do. I don't know if this is true for others, but I have better results connecting to hardware with a smaller / desktop footprint. I've recommended the Hydrasynth desktop a lot. Relatively small, clear interface and that thing can pretty much do it all...including things that usually are only found in modular.
Question 11: How do you clean pots, switches and keyboard contacts? This also applies to "newer" gear that gets old faster than most people would like to think.
Great video Bo! You always bring the good vibes. The last subject you talk about is cool and you *almost changed my mind. The glory of sharing your music with the world (however small or large that world may be) is something every musician could benefit from in order to really grow and transcend. I dig what you’re saying about collecting instruments and not having any recordings or performances. That is a totally different ball game. More of a collector thing vs a jam and create vibe. It is true what you say, but I’d ride the wave of encouragement to create and express. Paz y amor
Good advice. What I've learned is that in the end you just need to take the leap and buy a synth. For me, the way to make sure a synth works for you is to learn how it works by making music with it. Of course, I have many synths and over time some synths have become an integral part of the setup, and others I don't use at all. Then I guess it's time to consider letting them go and sell them to someone who can appreciate them.
This was fun. I've been a semi "professional" musician most of my life having been paid for gigs but never enough to give up my day job. But I played mostly acoustic free improv and jazz. I recently have been buying synths after an almost 20 years hiatus from electronics and the store owner called me a hobbyist and at first I was about to be offended but in truth these days, he is correct. I'm no longer getting paid to do gigs. And secondly there was no attitude in his voice at all. It was a comment, nothing more. So yeah, being at both ends of the spectrum; except for time there isn't much difference between pros, semi pros and hobbyists we all love music with all our hearts
Loved the way u dived into the analog/ digital debate - I dare say it will just keep going until the next brand new technology arrives whatever that may be..
I once saw a statistic that said that The Bee Gee's artistic output in their whole career amounts to about 1 hour per year. It's not about how much you do.
@@craigmoran893 That's why they moved to Australia. He graduated from phone boxes to post boxes and then it became serious and the police was closing in. When Michael Parkinson interviewed them about it I could tell who the guilty one was as you could see in his eyes even as a grown up he still got joy from the memory while the other two didn't look interested lol
I think most times when someone asks if they should buy synth x or z it’s just that they want to know what synth you like better (because you have used a lot of different hardware) even if they aren’t comparable.
@Luke there is nothing wrong with being a newbie. We were all there at one point. I'm sure Bo must have been amused at some of my questions a few years ago. I wasn't a newbie to hardware but I'd been away for so long I was starting all over again and needed to know about the new tech. Cool name by the way
The Roland MC-50 has eight tracks (plus a rhythm track and a tempo track). Each of the eight tracks can be assigned to one of the two(!) MIDI outputs (or to both) and each track can record all sixteen midi channels simultaneously, so it has 32 virtual tracks. No splitter needed. If you need a few more connections, you can daisy chain the synths via MIDI thru. Roland MC-50’s go for € 50,- to € 100,-.
I've recently got into making music with DAWs and synths. I absolutely love making sounds and rhythms just for me, my wife, and my son. I have never considered synths overpriced, just out of my casual hobby price range (and that makes me sad). Maybe some day I'll be able move beyond my Arturia mini, but in the mean time I just enjoy what I have and try to maximize the fun. I enjoyed the video, and I give you a sub, my good sir.
My first hardware synth arrives today, a Minilogue XD. I blame you, and my wife for nicknaming me 'Bo' a few decades ago. I just bought your XD Presets & Sequences Pack #1 to get started, now you need to sell me a t-shirt or something. Thanks for all the great content!
very good answers as usual! I suspect that SOME synth hobbyists like to build synths, and the junction between building and music is absolutely fascinating to me. Perhaps many who build Eurorack systems fall into that category? Not sure-but one thing is clear is that the goals of different synth lovers/buyers are very different-and that there is PLENTY of room for different goals and different types of hobbyists!
Nice one again, Bo! Agree with you on almost everything you said there... The last point, however, is the most interesting. When I only had 2 synths and a sampler I was way more productive and creative - and this bothers me a bit, but I shouldn;t let it bother me - I bought the gear, it's mine and I enjoy it for what it is!
Thanks for thoughts about "making music". I absolutely agree that nobody is required to have "grand artistic ambitions", or even release anything, just because they like to collect and play synthesizers.
Another reason why hardware synths are expensive: Research and Development! A new hardware synth just doesn't fall from the sky. It takes years to develop it, many prototypes etc. That's time you have to pay and you haven't sold any unit so far. I could now rant about the company starting with a B and where their stuff is sooo cheap, but what ever **shrug** :)
My only issue with Eurorack is a movement that happened a few years back to cram as much as possible in as little space as possible. Don't get me wrong, small size can be handy, especially for a travel rig, but it's a lot harder to use those modules as an instrument once you add in the spaghetti (cables). And sure, I do love the dotcom format, but it's also an insane space hog, so I'm happy we're seeing various companies focus on gear that's medium sized for a rack, but still very VERY usable as an instrument. ^_^ Eurorack feels like a "don't have a choice but to get one" kinda thing for me though, but that's partially because a lot of what I'd like... Is only available in Eurorack. Thankfully there's still plenty of dotcom I can look at too, although I sure miss my old modular synth.
remember that if you decide to dive into hardware, you can sell anything you buy and reclaim most of the cost if you keep it (and the box) in good condition. If you have buyers regret you can always either reclaim your money or swap what you have for something else. idk how long VCV will keep you occupied but for me it didnt do much to silence the siren call of hardware.
9. from jam to finished song: Such a great idea. Arturia's live steams have great real-time examples of this, often creating the entire composition from a single instrument.
I dunno, synth pricing varies depending on the choice of the manufacturer. I can source all the parts, order the pcb and panels as a consumer for about half or more as many synths...I think a lot of pricing has to do with brand name, not all but a lot. That's why I won't touch the new Korgs, I know they are way overcharging for the OPsix, wavestate...because they can.
Yeah, I’ve noticed this too, I also find it interesting how you can sell what amounts to a $40 VST on a $20 computer for $1000 if you have the brand name power, I can’t remember what synth it was but it was just a ras pi 0 with some special software installed. Nothing special, your PC is guaranteed to be more capable of doing this. And I get it, hardware is fun, but seriously at least give a damn about how much they’re overcharging you
The neverending debate: behringer practices are ok or not. Not interested about your position on the matter, whether you're pro or against it. Interested in knowing what you think about the debate behind it.
That was a great vid! Thanks! Curious to get your opinion on live performances with synth. You proposed using DAW to finish songs, but how that can translate into live performances. I get that most won’t bother into thinking about live performances, but it’s a concern for me! Thanks!
What do you think the future of DAWs will look like? Have the major players reached their peak in terms of functionality, or are there still new features you see room to grow? What about new players in the DAW market?
About a year ago, I picked up a drum machine and a synth to just fool around with (Beheringer RD-8 and TD-3 -- I chose them because I was familiar with software versions and I like the sound at 1/15th the price of vintage gear), and I have absolutely no intention of actually releasing a single track ever outside of my neglected soundcloud account. ...and you know what? This is fine. I ended up picking up a Korg Monotron Delay a while ago, and then a Behringer Crave recently, and the whole setup a ton of fun to mess around with. I literally just make beats to have a soundtrack for my house. Is this a cheap hobby? Not really, even considering that I have low-budget gear. Do I enjoy it immensely? ABSOLUTELY. What all of this boils down to is that most hobbies aren't cost-effective and that's perfectly ok.
Fantastic video Bo. Thanks for talking about people who don't record. I'm a hobbyist who love tinkering around but I still feel like I should be releasing stuff so its nice to be reminded that it's not a necessity.
As a guitar player. I think people should at least understand what synthesis is. it has definitely opened and expanded my understanding of sound. I love my synth. and not even just sound but a deeper understanding of a lot of other aspects of life. everything has a signal flow. I just drink my coffee.. lol
I have a simple question. I have a Minilogue XD, an Alesis SR16 drum machine, and wouold like to add a small synth, probably a Microfreak. My problem is that I want to wire these three up to my digital recorder, which only has two inputs. What sort of mixer, with how many inputs and outputs will I need? Cheers!
I definitely want an analog synth. Having said that, I think only synth players can tell analog hardware from a plugin, and I think that mixed into a track, many of us couldn't tell the difference unless they were side by side. This reminds me of amp simulators (Helix, etc) in the guitar world - big name bands like Metallica now use amp simulators instead of real amps on tour, no one can tell real from digital in a track, but there are endless debates because people love gear. Me too.
I mostly produce harsh noise and death industrial. People critique the amount of synths and gear I have all the time - but guess what? I enjoy collecting gear and have fun with it. Do I care that you think it sounds like a construction site? No, I really don't.
I agree on most of the things you say. The supposed quality difference between the sound of analog and digital has however become rather irrelevant. This used to be true but nowadays having the right production skills is much more decisive. Some examples are the dimunitive Axoloti sound card or Bitwig Studio 3 modular Grid synth. Both can sound very analog AND have character. Furthemore: The "lack of inspiration" problem has nothing to do with modular and Eurorack or not. And I do agree on your remark that everybody should just do what they like wihtout getting judged over it. On the other hand peoples lack of creativity is actually the most dominant factor in music today. Too much "white noise" is in the way of the really interesting stuff to enable it to stand out. In a way the situation has actually become worse then in the days of few dominant record labels. Instrument manufacturers however actually fare well by it. "This next tool is the only thing that is still keeping me from never running out of inspiration again!" For the next week or so! :-)
Today I am answering 10 synth questions honestly. How to clean your synths? Do people actually make music with eurorack?
Gear mentioned (affiliate)
Cobalt8 (virtual analog poly synth)
EU: thmn.to/thoprod/506277?offid=1&affid=623
US: imp.i114863.net/eDP4X
US: bit.ly/cobalt8PC
UK: tidd.ly/3MM6OAi
Argon8
EU: thmn.to/thoprod/473936?offid=1&affid=623
US: imp.i114863.net/0bKWL
US: bit.ly/3ME4f3i
UK: tidd.ly/3oh7fIz
Korg Minilogue XD
EU: thmn.to/thoprod/465932?offid=1&affid=623
US: imp.i114863.net/Rxg72
US: bit.ly/43pwF77
UK: tidd.ly/3zRzrV7
Korg Wavestate
EU: www.thomann.de/se/korg_wavestate.htm?offid=1&affid=623
US: imp.i114863.net/6a3mE
US: bit.ly/3GBQXAl
UK: tidd.ly/3KQ9oTx
Kenton Thru-5 (split a midi output into 5 midi outputs)
EU: thmn.to/thoprod/220156?offid=1&affid=623
US: imp.i114863.net/LvenY
US: bit.ly/3zRPyC1
UK: tidd.ly/407Opkl
PATCHBAY:
EU: thmn.to/thoprod/118484?offid=1&affid=623
US: imp.i114863.net/XxbLLg
Love the comment on purity testing. Don’t shit on someone having fun...their having fun and not hurting anyone.
Christian Wheeler yes thank you I needed to hear this even tho I've been telling myself
Thanks for acknowledging that collecting and playing synths without necessarily recording is okay. I actually sometimes feel quite awkward when people ask the dreaded « what’s your SoundCloud? » question. I enjoy playing and spend a lot of time tweaking my setup, workflow, etc. I hope to be able to record and make songs one day but for now, me and my synths are doing just fine :)
When i tell non-musos i play bass, i always get the same effing question: are you in a band?
Not: How long have you been playing or What sort of music do you play.
Yeah I hate that question too. Having your stuff public doesn't cure imposter syndrome. Remember this mantra 'I am the process.' That's all that matters.
The last question goes far beyond "eurorack is for snobs". It is a relief that someone finally says that it is fine to invest in what makes you happy. At least, this is the message I got from the video, and I like it. :-) thank you Bo
I try to make songs sometimes, but... I don't regret the time I spend just turning knobs and grinning like an idiot. Anything that enjoyable, which doesn't hurt anyone, is a win.
Or, as some would say, "Hey, don't yuck my yum!"
In my recollection, I haven't read anyone judging eurorack being for snobs. I think what most people are saying is that it's not for them because they don't like the price. I was planning on buying some eurorack, but for the price point, I wasn't sure I'd use it as much to justify the cost. So I switched over to VCV Rack and use that with my hw synths and software and am happy with that. I wouldn't then go poo-poo somebody else because they wanted to spend $20k on it. For me, my jaw would drop at the notion..lol. On the other hand, if they paid $10k, $20k, or more on it, and then it just sat there and collected dust, I'd probably make a judgement call about that. lol.
Great take on purity testing and a great reminder that the vast majority of us are engaged as hobbiests. Thanks for keeping it real.
Top tip: Use a paint brush with the longest bristles you can find. This minimises the risk of catching the bristle collar, which is often metal, against the paintwork or knobs of your lovely synth.
And the brush shouldn’t be too thick, so you can easily clean between the knobs.
And avoid black and white China bristles as they are more likely to leave light scratches.
I'd actually advise spending a bit more on a decent artist's paint brush. Their bristles are way softer and are far less likely to fall out.
I'm curious why Bo said don't use a vacuum cleaner though. Is there some danger I'm not aware of?
Refreshing as always, Bo! I actually started working as a composer for a theatre company here in Brazil, but after the pandemic the work stopped almost completely and I felt really lost and uninspired. Making music seemed unimportant but my love for synths and experimentation only grew stronger, and that's when I started buying my first hardware synths. Many of my friends and family questioned my decision, I even went through a breakup because of that, but for me it was very clear that music is not just about making songs, it's about relating to the experience of sound and creation. I work as teacher now and I make just enough money to make a living and save some for instruments I dream of playing! Maybe someday I'll have the opportunity and energy to go back and make music professionally, but for now I'm very happy that I have my MiniBrute 2S and a DIY modular system that keep me entertained for hours everyday!
Speaking of buying a first synth with many knobs on: My first synth was a Yamaha CS-15 that I bought in 1982. I sold it two years later and bought a nice Nikon camera. But I could not stop thinking about my old CS-15 so 30 years later, in 2015, I bought back a CS-15 in mint condition. I will never sell it.
Really happy of your take on music as a hobby - I'm working as a professional and most of the time people talking to me about making music feel like making music as a hobby isn't valid and how they should take it more "seriously". Making music as a hobby is very valid, as much as doing it for a living! 💖
I'm like OH GOD NO YOU'RE DOING JUST FINE, I AM THE FOOL FOR MAKING IT A CAREER LOL. 🙏
The humble brag
So here are some questions for future episodes like this one:
- How much "more" does 3 oscillators-per-voice add to sound quality or character, over having 2 oscillators? Would 4 oscillators be even "better"?
- More synths are including those little displays that provide low-res oscilloscope images of waveforms. Are they useful for the player or simply a gimmick?
- The arrival of tiny 9mm pots has permitted great functionality and control to be crammed into smaller spaces. How worried should we be about the lifespan of such smaller pots?
- For those interested in modular approaches, whether Eurorack or some other form-factor, what sort of power supply should one be aiming for, to see them through for at least a year or two?
Thanks for your lucid and balanced approach to the questions you addressed here in this episode.
Great video! Use pressurized air with caution. It can blow the dust in to your synths instead of away, get stuck inside and build up over time. Paint brush is safer.
Very good point!
Myself I use the good old plumeau, works like a charm and keeps the dust with it, not just moving it. Like mentioned before, be careful with the compressed air, it tends to spray dust over your previously cleaned area or worse, deeper into the synth
I clean my gear with a non used women’s blush brush in one hand, swiping the synth’s surface, while keeping the tube of a vacuum cleaner about 5-10 cm above the synth in my other hand. The brush is very soft and doesn’t scratch, while the vacuum cleaner sucks the dust away that is being loosened by the brush. This way the dust is not moved around in the studio but removed.
Hi Bo,
I recently got into synths and discovered your channel, and it has been a blessing for me. I love how clear you explain and show everything in your videos.
I ended up choosing the Minilogue because of your tutorials so thank you for what you do.
loved the "Yeah, they are."
Correct answer
And then he plays the Summit.
Brilliant - love your candor and particularly the last point regarding purity testing. Creativity for creativity’s sake is a wonderful thing.
Such a refreshing take on just buying gear in order to have some fun with it!
Thank you for the comments on purity testing and competitive synthing, it really is such childish playground behaviour. I love playing with synthesizers, sound design and just making vast endless spacious soundscapes using synths and recorded sound. It is such a wonderful therapeutic release for me, and takes me to a very happy place away from the reality real life. I have little or no interest in publishing music, making money from music or being productive in any way, I just want to enjoy that moment and drift away in my own sonic universe. For me it's a very personal private experience.
That muted Argon 8 Piano sounds fantastic Bo! Thanks for taking the time to explain all of this for everyone.
Hej Bo... I liked the golf analogy. We need more of that in the community.
Cool advise: Cleaning Synths with a high quality paint brush! I have to try that, so far I have been using a different method! Have a nice weekend, Ralph
Thanks for doing this. You make some very good points in the video. I'd like to add a few things. This might end up being a bit long but some people might find it helpful. I'll start by asking a question though.
00:23 Cleaning your synth - If you use a vacuum cleaner with its soft "brush nozzle" (is that what it's called in English?) then is it really a bad option? There's usually a slider of some sort on most vacuum cleaners where you can set it to use less power. Just set it to use the least power you can get. I think the vacuum cleaner is a good option especially if there's a little bit more dust on a synth.
00:49 Your first synth - I like to add a couple more options here. I think the best and most fun would be a Yamaha Reface CS. You can definitely experiment with it and learn how everything works. I have many vintage synths and some other "virtual analogs" but the Reface CS is the most fun to use. Some people say that you can't save your sounds but you can do that by using a program called Ctrlr and then loading a "panel" to it. Then you have an option to save the patches as SysEx files (you might need to add the .syx to the name) to your computer and load them back to the synth. There's also the Yamaha Soundmondo of course.
If you want a very capable but still affordable analog synth (maybe after the Reface CS) then get a Novation Bass Station II. It's only monophonic or duophonic but don't let it bother you. Most of the more experimental (multiple LFO and envelope modulations with high resonance etc.) sounds work best with monophonic synths (or monophonic mode on polyphonic synths) anyway. The best working polyphonic sounds are most often pads or strings, which usually need to be quite "mellow" for many reasons. You can easily save your sounds to the Bass Station 2 and don't let the name fool you... it can be used for much more than bass sounds. :-) You can get quite experimental with it. Try looping the envelopes for example and use its "Osc Filter Mod", which lets the oscillator 2 to modulate the filter's cutoff. It's a versatile little synth.
01:48 Analog vs. Digital - Not many people really know about synthesizers. Some of them still think that a digital synth sounds more or less like a Yamaha DX7 (It uses only FM, which is excellent at creating metallic bell-like tones for example, which are sounding a bit "cold"). Some also think of digital synths as 1990s "romplers" and workstations that have some low quality sampled sounds often available as wavetables. I've not used them a lot but some of them lack a resonant filter for example. It's harder to create typical analog sounds with them but you can say they have a different purpose.
However, the digital synths have lately became very capable in replicating almost anything analog can do. Many digital "virtual analog" synths started to appear in the late 1990s and some of them were very good. You can think of it this way: A saw wave is always a saw wave. It doesn't matter if it's digitally generated. What matters is the quality of the filter and the controls and what happens when you start to modulate that waveform. They say that some early digital synths suffered from digital stepping of the values but it hasn't really been a problem for a long time. At least it isn't a problem with any of my virtual analogs. My Novation Supernova II is fantastic and it was released as early as in the year 2000. There are some things only digital can do. There are some acoustic modelling synths for example but I don't have to write everything here I guess. :-) This is a long comment but still just a scratch on the surface.
One of the the reasons why an analog automatically sounds better is because it naturally drifts out of tune a bit. There are old school VCO synths with voltage controlled oscillators and DCO synths with digitally controlled oscillators. Both of them are actually analog but there's a difference. If you put two oscillators to the exact same pitch on a Bass Station II (DCO) synth, then you can just hear a perfect pitch on both oscillators. The only difference is that the volume gets a bit louder. That's why you need to detune the 2nd oscillator a bit. That's all. Just do the same thing with a digital synth. There can be a couple of special options available in some virtual analogs like an adjustable "VCO drift" option in my Supernova 2. You just need to get familiar with any synth you own. You can easily get a good virtual analog synth to sound analog. The preset patches aren't always helpful because they can be drenched in digital effects. (The digital reverb in the Supernova 2 is quite horrible but in the Novation Peak and the Summit it's excellent.) Those presets usually concentrate on sounds that seem to be popular at the moment, which is very limiting. I've heard many people saying that the Supernovas are synths for trance music or something very similar. Just don't let the presets fool you. There can be millions of very different sounds you can do with a synth. What sounds are usable depends on you. You are in control.
Speaking of pitch and drifting out of tune... That drifting can be a problem sometimes. I've played a few gigs where an analog synth was suddenly out of tune... a lot. There are some real advantages with having a perfect pitch of course. It's a sound designer's dream. You can really tune the sound when you use a ring modulator for example and use that for some special lead sounds other than just effects. Some analogs keep in tune very well like my vintage Yamaha CS-15 and a few newer analog synths have an automatic calibration option. Well, I've used the Arturia MatrixBrute for example and I sometimes need to use that automatic tuning many times in a session. Some of them also need 30 minutes or more to warm up...
The best option is to try every synth yourself. Most of the instruments such as synthesizers are just as good as the person using them. Synths are much more complicated because you can create "your own instruments" with them. There will be people who doesn't like that "your own instrument" sound that you've created and claim that it's too cold or too brittle or not interesting enough. The sound might be purposefully thinner by using a band pass filter or a high pass filter for example. If the sound works for you, then go for it. You can make almost any sound with these synths if you really get to know them. Take care and have a great day.
Great video. Balanced.
About the purest thing, there is some context I want to add: From my experience, a lot of the criticism aimed at the owners of massive gear, comes when said owners don’t write, producer, or play BUT still CLAIM to be artists/performers. Some own synths/eurorack but only ever use it to make fart sounds, show off wealth, or use downloadable midi files or automatic melody algorithms to “write” music. It causes a problem IF and ONLY if they claim to be something they are not. True you don't have to record art to be an artist. The art does still need to be there though. Recording even a simple performance helps support one's claims. Simple raw recordings are not hard to make either. If one can't back any claims, they appear as a poser and it's no surprise when posers are flamed by actual artists/performers. This isn’t the situation in every case and there are varying degrees of significance of course. There’s nothing wrong with owning tons of gear and/or rare expensive gear. The problem happens if one pretends it automatically makes them an artist.
Two thumbs up for the advice about finishing songs in a DAW. Many beginners nowadays think they need to be 'dawless' , as that's the hot thing . But to really produce music you simply can not ignore the power of a modern DAW. So I also always recommend using the hardware sequencers to jam and come up with ideas but not to try fitting a square peg in a round hole by trying to do very complex arrangements on a device that simply wasn't intended for it while ignoring the actual solution.
that argon 8 piano patch was amazing
was half expecting AudioPilz to show up during question 5 and say "well......"
I was disappointed a bit when he didn’t.
I was waiting for the "Welcome to baaad Geeaaaaar!" intro as well :)
The crossover we really needed.
@Luke - you’ve already heard it ... (in your mind, in this case)
Fantastic video! Keep up the great work. I never considered a patchbay... until now! 🙏
You cleared up my biggest question with connecting synths together for a hardware setup. Thank you!
Great video! Thanks for all you do in our community.
the Analog/ digital answer was such a cop out. Analog does sound different, but from what I can tell almost exclusively due to the filters, or any noise or distortion picked up from cables or circuitry. So really if you want an analog sound, you just need to purchase some analog filters, albeit a few of them to ensure your getting a variety of colours. This is quite easy to do now with eurorack, and relatively cheap as well, though you could also just opt for a Behringer crave and use it to send audio into. The crave has a moog ladder 24/db only, so if you want a 12/db then the neutron or an arturia monologue is the next best option.
Analog is different in ways other than the sound though. When you're using a digital synthesiser, the sound of it is limited by the performance of the hardware inside the synth, or the hardware inside your computer if you're using a soft digital synth. With an analog synthesiser, you are limited by the amount and type of all the different hardware components. There's different limitations that will not only lead you to make different kinds of sounds, but also work with those sounds in different ways. digital synths can be used to emulate hardware synths as you said, of course, but there's sometimes obvious, sometimes subtle differences between analog and digital.
Thank you for the tips!
Midi-through box, paintbrush and patchbay get on the list!
If it comes to buying a musical instrument. Don't buy because you think you need it.
Buy it because you feel it.
The best place to check on this is in a music store. Some synths will give you magic at the slightest touch. Some will not even bother your attention...
The instrument chooses you. If you can only order online: print images of synths you want, or if you don't know what to choose. Look at both images 1 by 1. Which made you smile the most? Even if it is a expensive one you picked out. Saving up for an instrument can be just as much fun as having it already! (especially synthesizers)
Good video. I got into making music at the height of the analogue fetish era, and simply by pure luck I bought a Blofeld (I just wanted a synth that I could afford, and did no research), and found that for my tastes (experimental/ evocative sounds) that I could get far more out of a complex digital synth than some retro analogue synth for 4 times the money. I think many people got sick of digital synths back when the DX7 was saturating music, and since then a digital synth is a completely different beast.
7:30 -- midisport/midiman, and a daw that lets you define the channel per port, too. Helps when 5 separate synths are hard-coded to use CH1/2/4
Quality, honest and organic as always, Bo. Thanks for sharing!
Tip on cleaning: DO NOT use the paintbrush with the metal ferule. One slightly "off" angle and you scratch things...badly. You can get those paintbrushes without the ferule (just plastic) which is meant for cleaning. For those of us in the Nordics. Clas O got them (a bag with various sizes). Also excellent for car detailing!
Other than that i highly recommend a proper ostrich feather brush - it will take the dust of most anything, and is so gentle to the touch that it wont move any knobs or sliders (unlike Swiffer etc.).
Notice that there are two kinds of ostrich feather dusters. The stiffer kind which feature large black feathers. And a type that much softer brown - beige feathers. It is the brown one you want.
I really appreciate your take on the "eurorack is for snobs" section. Sometimes I feel guilty about not creating or releasing music I've made but sometimes I really do just want to play in the moment but don't need the world to hear it.
1. Cleaning. Another good option is to get a duster (like a feather duster). These are designed for gently and quickly removing dust and work extremely well, Some types of dusters can get caught on knobs, but most work fine.
2. Analog vs. Digital. Analog synth do what they do well. But if you want realistic instrument emulation or the kinds of sounds that you can get from wavetable, FM or granular synthesis, than analogs just can't do it. The polyphony, versatility, reliability and stability of digital far exceeds that of analog. And digitals emulate analog synths almost perfectly, while analogs can't do digital-type sounds at all. There's a lot to be said for learning synths on an analog (or virtual analog) so you understand the basics of subtractive synthesis and control voltages. But for an experienced musician, a digital is often a better choice nowadays.
3. Splitters. I use a splitter to control multiple racks from one master MIDI keyboard. But there is an alternative, both for keyboard control and sequencing. Most synths have a "MIDI Thru" Port that allows the MIDI signal to pass back out and on to a second, third, etc. synth. So using the Thru ports, you can daisy-chain 4 synths, and use the MIDI channel to control which inputs it responds to. The delay is trivial, so even the last synth in the chain will stay in time to the clock. Every synth earlier in the chain needs to be powered on for the later synths to respond. You can also combine the two methods (for example a splitter on synths 1-4 and MIDI Thru for synths 5+).
Well that was a breath of fresh air! Thank you for such a candid and to-the-point view on these very common questions. I was most curious about the eurorack question, as I have always been baffled (if not insanely tempted) by the bleeps and bloops they make. It seems like such an inordinately expensive and complex way to make music. I've talked myself down from almost making a huge investmenet in eurorack gear and I'm glad about that for now. Maybe once I learn more about what I'm doing, and I've successfully robbed a bank or two. In the meantime, thanks for at least somewhat justifying my g.a.s. I love my gear.
I went through the whole video. This is so impressive and useful. I strongly agree with every point you said and you listed. I should recommend this video and your channel to all the people who want to get into the world of hardware synthesis.
Thank you!
for cleaning synths i also recommend foam paint brushes used for detail work painting walls and such. they are cheap, there are no bristles to lose and they can squeeze into fader tracks for example
Great video! The noob questions were answered eloquently and accurately, and the calling-out of common problematic behaviors was a refreshing dose of sanity.
People hate on the Roland jd-xi synth but I got it as my first real hardware unit because I could do whole songs on it pretty easily, Would highly recommend for someone who wants to create music without using to many daw features
Yeah a JD-XI is a good keyboard, doesn’t matter if you are beginner or a master on electronic gear.
@Luke Yeah with the twin digital parts and the analog and drums you can lay a track down in a single pass and the use the inbuilt vocoder to overdub the vocals. Instant hit ! Lol
Excellent advice as always. And your new studio space looks amazing. Thanks Bo x
In my lifetime, I’ve owned the following synths. Those still in my possession are denoted with an asterisk:
- ARP Odyssey
- ARP String Ensemble
- MicroMoog
- Sequential Circuits Prophet 5 (Rev3)
- Moog Voyager *
- Roland JD-800 *
- Roland JX-8P *
- Behringer Deepmind 12 *
I’ve loved them all.
Haha, you're stoking the fire there (1:48). :-) Great video. You're dang right.
Some great advice. Buying your first synth can be tricky since you don't know what you don't know. Also believe it is easier with YT to get an idea while pre internet you had to go to a store to get informed. Synthesizers have become more capable and more affordable and words like cheap or overpriced are very subjective.
Your studio looks freaking great man. I am not afraid to admit, i am a little jealous. It looks beautiful and the sound in there must be like velvet.
Thanks for this Bo! As a beginner into the music production world it’s often hard to differentiate between on RUclips what people are presenting as a creative passion project and something designed to appeal to a wide popular audience. I often feel like “I need THIS and I need THAT to do THIS but then there’s THAT first” when actually a lot people on RUclips may be just presenting their creativity. And that is an accepting thought. Cheers.
On youtube people are making a ”product” which is their videos, which represent a part of they creative ”scope”. Alot of stuff is not showcased and its easy to get the wrong impression. So never compare yourself 1:1 with a finished ”product”, like a released song or video, or artistic persona
@@BoBeats many thanks! I’ve used a lot of your ideas with my Minilogue xd. And I just got my behringer crave 2 days ago. Plenty of fun to be had so thanks for what you contribute to RUclips.
Glad to hear it!!
Yup. It’s just fun to create and that’s all that matters. Wether anyone likes it or not hardly matters.
Yes, I also use a paintbrush for dust. That's very good advice
What a GREAT video! Very good insights, I'm definitely sharing this to whoever asks one of these questions
"Are there bad synthesizers?"
AudioPillz: hold my Bad Gear series
I just get to know hardware synth about 3 months ago. Now I’m a Matriarch, Take5 and Digitone owner. I can’t even use 50% of their potential. One reason is I’m a student with heavy academic pressure.
The other reason is it takes time to learn, especially for the Matriarch, it’s semi-modular, it can be very creative. Also Digitone, it’s some kind of a small DAW like OP-1.They all need time to learn. And this is what’s so amazing: you get to push yourself forward through this process. You get knowledge about sound design, which you can use everywhere, from VST to another synth, especially subtractive stuff is universal.
I personally think hardware and software nowadays are really really similar.The reason we bought hardware is more like “inspiration” and “feelings”. To see a real instrument in front of you is romantic; to tweak and patch and hear the instant change of sound is inspiring. When collecting and studying gears, you automatically absorb knowledge and experience. This is what’s more important, more important than synth itself.
Glad that you have entered this world and that it is inspiring. Thank you for sharing
Appreciate the candid answers. I'm not a big buyer of things...prefer minimalism. Yet, I have bought and sold many synths and modules. After years of doing this, my suggestion is to get a synth or gear that will help you learn synthesis. I had no idea if an interface/synth was a good fit since I did not know what the knobs/control do. I don't know if this is true for others, but I have better results connecting to hardware with a smaller / desktop footprint. I've recommended the Hydrasynth desktop a lot. Relatively small, clear interface and that thing can pretty much do it all...including things that usually are only found in modular.
Question 11: How do you clean pots, switches and keyboard contacts? This also applies to "newer" gear that gets old faster than most people would like to think.
Great video Bo! You always bring the good vibes. The last subject you talk about is cool and you *almost changed my mind. The glory of sharing your music with the world (however small or large that world may be) is something every musician could benefit from in order to really grow and transcend.
I dig what you’re saying about collecting instruments and not having any recordings or performances. That is a totally different ball game. More of a collector thing vs a jam and create vibe.
It is true what you say, but I’d ride the wave of encouragement to create and express. Paz y amor
Good advice.
What I've learned is that in the end you just need to take the leap and buy a synth.
For me, the way to make sure a synth works for you is to learn how it works by making music with it.
Of course, I have many synths and over time some synths have become an integral part of the setup, and others I don't use at all. Then I guess it's time to consider letting them go and sell them to someone who can appreciate them.
This was fun. I've been a semi "professional" musician most of my life having been paid for gigs but never enough to give up my day job. But I played mostly acoustic free improv and jazz. I recently have been buying synths after an almost 20 years hiatus from electronics and the store owner called me a hobbyist and at first I was about to be offended but in truth these days, he is correct. I'm no longer getting paid to do gigs. And secondly there was no attitude in his voice at all. It was a comment, nothing more. So yeah, being at both ends of the spectrum; except for time there isn't much difference between pros, semi pros and hobbyists we all love music with all our hearts
Please use a swiffer duster for keeping your synths dust-free. It's soft and holds the dust instead of moving it around with a paintbrush.
Loved the way u dived into the analog/ digital debate - I dare say it will just keep going until the next brand new technology arrives whatever that may be..
A good and honest video Bo, lots of information there thanks for sharing.
I once saw a statistic that said that The Bee Gee's artistic output in their whole career amounts to about 1 hour per year. It's not about how much you do.
But did that include writing, rehearsing, recording and doing coke?
@@craigmoran893 or setting phone boxes on fire in Chorlton, Manchester? lol
@@RoomAtTheTopStudio They had it coming!
@@craigmoran893 That's why they moved to Australia. He graduated from phone boxes to post boxes and then it became serious and the police was closing in. When Michael Parkinson interviewed them about it I could tell who the guilty one was as you could see in his eyes even as a grown up he still got joy from the memory while the other two didn't look interested lol
I think most times when someone asks if they should buy synth x or z it’s just that they want to know what synth you like better (because you have used a lot of different hardware) even if they aren’t comparable.
That was me comparing the minilogue xd to the modal cobalt8. Both great, but I got the minilogue xd
@Luke there is nothing wrong with being a newbie. We were all there at one point. I'm sure Bo must have been amused at some of my questions a few years ago. I wasn't a newbie to hardware but I'd been away for so long I was starting all over again and needed to know about the new tech. Cool name by the way
Bo: There are very few bad synths.
Audiopilz: WELCOME TO BAD GEAR
I gave you a thumbs up just for 4:56. "They make the sounds...bebeep bebeep...." LMAO!!
The Roland MC-50 has eight tracks (plus a rhythm track and a tempo track). Each of the eight tracks can be assigned to one of the two(!) MIDI outputs (or to both) and each track can record all sixteen midi channels simultaneously, so it has 32 virtual tracks. No splitter needed. If you need a few more connections, you can daisy chain the synths via MIDI thru.
Roland MC-50’s go for € 50,- to € 100,-.
I've recently got into making music with DAWs and synths. I absolutely love making sounds and rhythms just for me, my wife, and my son. I have never considered synths overpriced, just out of my casual hobby price range (and that makes me sad). Maybe some day I'll be able move beyond my Arturia mini, but in the mean time I just enjoy what I have and try to maximize the fun. I enjoyed the video, and I give you a sub, my good sir.
Great video Bo! Comparison videos of two totally different products/brands makes me triggered every time.. apples and bananas!
My first hardware synth arrives today, a Minilogue XD. I blame you, and my wife for nicknaming me 'Bo' a few decades ago. I just bought your XD Presets & Sequences Pack #1 to get started, now you need to sell me a t-shirt or something. Thanks for all the great content!
Bo, great video. Nice, direct and punchy.
very good answers as usual! I suspect that SOME synth hobbyists like to build synths, and the junction between building and music is absolutely fascinating to me. Perhaps many who build Eurorack systems fall into that category? Not sure-but one thing is clear is that the goals of different synth lovers/buyers are very different-and that there is PLENTY of room for different goals and different types of hobbyists!
Richard Devine, Ann Annie, R Beny to name a few who make utterly beautiful music on their modular.
100% got an interview with Ann Annie on the channel and its one of my fav moments
Nice one again, Bo! Agree with you on almost everything you said there... The last point, however, is the most interesting. When I only had 2 synths and a sampler I was way more productive and creative - and this bothers me a bit, but I shouldn;t let it bother me - I bought the gear, it's mine and I enjoy it for what it is!
Thanks for thoughts about "making music". I absolutely agree that nobody is required to have "grand artistic ambitions", or even release anything, just because they like to collect and play synthesizers.
This was great Bo; thank you.
And yes, I have been a subscriber for a long time. :) Thank you for all the great videos!
Another reason why hardware synths are expensive: Research and Development! A new hardware synth just doesn't fall from the sky. It takes years to develop it, many prototypes etc. That's time you have to pay and you haven't sold any unit so far. I could now rant about the company starting with a B and where their stuff is sooo cheap, but what ever **shrug** :)
My only issue with Eurorack is a movement that happened a few years back to cram as much as possible in as little space as possible. Don't get me wrong, small size can be handy, especially for a travel rig, but it's a lot harder to use those modules as an instrument once you add in the spaghetti (cables). And sure, I do love the dotcom format, but it's also an insane space hog, so I'm happy we're seeing various companies focus on gear that's medium sized for a rack, but still very VERY usable as an instrument. ^_^
Eurorack feels like a "don't have a choice but to get one" kinda thing for me though, but that's partially because a lot of what I'd like... Is only available in Eurorack. Thankfully there's still plenty of dotcom I can look at too, although I sure miss my old modular synth.
I was gonna gas buy some modular gear bur i found out about vcv rack so now im learing before buying
Solid choice!
remember that if you decide to dive into hardware, you can sell anything you buy and reclaim most of the cost if you keep it (and the box) in good condition. If you have buyers regret you can always either reclaim your money or swap what you have for something else. idk how long VCV will keep you occupied but for me it didnt do much to silence the siren call of hardware.
9. from jam to finished song: Such a great idea. Arturia's live steams have great real-time examples of this, often creating the entire composition from a single instrument.
I dunno, synth pricing varies depending on the choice of the manufacturer. I can source all the parts, order the pcb and panels as a consumer for about half or more as many synths...I think a lot of pricing has to do with brand name, not all but a lot. That's why I won't touch the new Korgs, I know they are way overcharging for the OPsix, wavestate...because they can.
Yeah, I’ve noticed this too, I also find it interesting how you can sell what amounts to a $40 VST on a $20 computer for $1000 if you have the brand name power, I can’t remember what synth it was but it was just a ras pi 0 with some special software installed. Nothing special, your PC is guaranteed to be more capable of doing this. And I get it, hardware is fun, but seriously at least give a damn about how much they’re overcharging you
You put am Ambient music course on your Skill Share ad. That's a really low punch. I ended up subscribing! Thank you ;)
I always love your videos Bo!!!
For those interested in more power when dusting your audio gear: X-Power A2.
Love your content
Another great one! ❤️
what other questions should I answer!? let me know
Great video! Maybe you could talk about inspiration and how to get rid of blocks?
What's de difference between powered Midi Thru Boxes (Kenton) and unpowered ones (Solutions)?
The neverending debate: behringer practices are ok or not.
Not interested about your position on the matter, whether you're pro or against it.
Interested in knowing what you think about the debate behind it.
That was a great vid! Thanks! Curious to get your opinion on live performances with synth. You proposed using DAW to finish songs, but how that can translate into live performances. I get that most won’t bother into thinking about live performances, but it’s a concern for me! Thanks!
What do you think the future of DAWs will look like? Have the major players reached their peak in terms of functionality, or are there still new features you see room to grow? What about new players in the DAW market?
About a year ago, I picked up a drum machine and a synth to just fool around with (Beheringer RD-8 and TD-3 -- I chose them because I was familiar with software versions and I like the sound at 1/15th the price of vintage gear), and I have absolutely no intention of actually releasing a single track ever outside of my neglected soundcloud account.
...and you know what? This is fine. I ended up picking up a Korg Monotron Delay a while ago, and then a Behringer Crave recently, and the whole setup a ton of fun to mess around with. I literally just make beats to have a soundtrack for my house. Is this a cheap hobby? Not really, even considering that I have low-budget gear. Do I enjoy it immensely? ABSOLUTELY.
What all of this boils down to is that most hobbies aren't cost-effective and that's perfectly ok.
Always love a good BoBeats vid
Fantastic video Bo. Thanks for talking about people who don't record. I'm a hobbyist who love tinkering around but I still feel like I should be releasing stuff so its nice to be reminded that it's not a necessity.
Awesome vid, Bo!
Why did I never buy a paint brush to clean before??? seems a 38mm nylon brush is a good all rounder.
Excellent as always! Thanks...
As a guitar player. I think people should at least understand what synthesis is. it has definitely opened and expanded my understanding of sound. I love my synth. and not even just sound but a deeper understanding of a lot of other aspects of life. everything has a signal flow. I just drink my coffee.. lol
When buying a brush, go with a brand like Wooster or purdy.
Valuable advices! Thanks!
I have a simple question. I have a Minilogue XD, an Alesis SR16 drum machine, and wouold like to add a small synth, probably a Microfreak. My problem is that I want to wire these three up to my digital recorder, which only has two inputs. What sort of mixer, with how many inputs and outputs will I need? Cheers!
0:50 "My name is Giovanni Giorgio, but everyone calls me Giorgio."
I definitely want an analog synth. Having said that, I think only synth players can tell analog hardware from a plugin, and I think that mixed into a track, many of us couldn't tell the difference unless they were side by side. This reminds me of amp simulators (Helix, etc) in the guitar world - big name bands like Metallica now use amp simulators instead of real amps on tour, no one can tell real from digital in a track, but there are endless debates because people love gear. Me too.
I subscribed when he called us out at the end 💀💀 very good youtubing Bo you are appreciated 👏
I mostly produce harsh noise and death industrial. People critique the amount of synths and gear I have all the time - but guess what? I enjoy collecting gear and have fun with it. Do I care that you think it sounds like a construction site? No, I really don't.
I agree on most of the things you say. The supposed quality difference between the sound of analog and digital has however become rather irrelevant. This used to be true but nowadays having the right production skills is much more decisive. Some examples are the dimunitive Axoloti sound card or Bitwig Studio 3 modular Grid synth. Both can sound very analog AND have character. Furthemore: The "lack of inspiration" problem has nothing to do with modular and Eurorack or not. And I do agree on your remark that everybody should just do what they like wihtout getting judged over it. On the other hand peoples lack of creativity is actually the most dominant factor in music today. Too much "white noise" is in the way of the really interesting stuff to enable it to stand out. In a way the situation has actually become worse then in the days of few dominant record labels. Instrument manufacturers however actually fare well by it. "This next tool is the only thing that is still keeping me from never running out of inspiration again!" For the next week or so! :-)
Fine I finally subscribed … you have a great channel