I no longer want to collect everything. Too many options can be a creativity killer. - A day in the life of a Nordic synth artist and RUclipsr: • A day in the life of a...
Have also been selling off gear recently and not replacing it and its been liberating. Had a lot of guilt not using things and overwhelm and feel happier now, like a weight has lifted. Strange the hold it can have.
@@leftmono1016 ou yes it would be amazing to capitalise some good money on the “possession sindrome” of those rich kids (redistribution of the wealth ) by the way the JP4 sounds much better and unique than the jp8 once done some little CAP upgrades for tuning stability (easy stuff) and the key word here is “ How to bring unique sounds in a homologated contemporary environment “ which jp8 will not do even it sound great and warm everything on the jp8 sounds cliché.
@@Bigger-Circuitry-Bigger-SOUND - I also had a JP6 and really wanted a JP4 to make the holy trinity. A friend had one but wouldn’t sell it. The JP8 is a very nice thing to own, but as you suggest, it’s nothing special sound wise.
You are proof that you're not a furniture/trophy collector. You actually use what you own, and when you have no need for it, find a better place for someone else to enjoy. Kudos to you.
@@dankeplace The thing is Espen is now trashing synth prices, while at the same time also only willing to part with the Prophet VS for the right price. He's part of the problem, people hodling gear that they have it in storage and shelves, while also acting like he's so forward thinking to sell everything. He's a hipocrite and possibly a sour man at this point.
@@rmriwatch Espen can do what ever he wants, sounds like the only sour Karen here is you. You should try making some music rather than what gear other people have/have not. Shows us on the keyboard where Espen hurt you.
Not surprised the mighty Juno 106 made the cut. I've owned and sold a few of them over the years. It's the only one I regret selling. An easy to use workhorse of a synth and that can do almost anything apart from those Minimoog type leads. Sadly they are too expensive now and Roland refuses to re-issue.
It’s interesting to hear that former magazines were more focused on music techniques rather than gear. It’s a pity that such journalism is pretty much gone
I’ve been on a similar tip lately, selling synths that have good plug in versions instead. I also will never sell my Six Trak. It’s so useful with the cc control. Feels good to purge.
a room full of synths is still a "SUPER MINIMALISTIC SETUP" compared to doing music just in the box via Kontakt, UVI, Arturia etc etc etc... I mean, in sense of limitation and not getting blown away by possibilities.. Thanks for opening my eyes again! :-)
Glad you kept the Alpha Juno 2. I recently bought one after watching the videos you and Starsky Carr made . . . Loving it and already used it (and some of your patches) to record a new song!
Is going towards soft synths the biggest motivation for selling a lot of synths or some other factor. It was for me. I've replaced most of my hardware synths with software replicas, and I've been very happy with them. Only my Yamaha portable MODX is really needed of hardware synths, and a VST version of the Montage M is coming out in Jan 2024. I still like having at least one modern hardware synth and the MODX is highly portable for gigs too. Along with my laptop full of VST's, and additional MIDI controller keyboards, it's all I really need today. I collected synths & classic synths at a time when there weren't good soft synth clones of them. As mentioned many times, it was software synths that got me into synths in the first place back in 1985. I was amazed by what they could do then, and today, they've really come full circle and are far more about to replace countless keyboards as I once dreamed of with the technology. I still have several classic hardware synths in storage. I'll likely sell most of them eventually.
Not really. I just don't need 50 of them to get the jobs done. They only take up space and I wanted more room to breathe in here. It is after all where I spend most of my time.
@@EspenKraft 50 hardware synths is a lot. I'm down to 13 keyboards and a few sound modules, but as VST's continue to do a great job in cloning hardware synths, my collection will be shrinking a lot at some point when I feel like selling many of them. In the mid 80s when I discovered software synths, my vision was much as they are today. But by the early 90s as they hadn't taken off as I had expected, my vision became to have an entire room full of keyboards. I had the same vision of my basement for my arcade machines. Well, the basement did get full of arcade machines, but soft synths greatly improved it was simply no longer necessary for me to have tons of hardware keyboards. Arcade, classic console & vintage computer emulation is also excellent and I built 4 MAME machines. So I really don't need tons of arcade machines either, but it does give the look more of an arcade.
There must be something in the atmosphere. Just the other day I had an epiphany: I have too many synths & samplers. They take up too much room, and people make great songs with way less. The workflow is so different on many of them, and that has been scuttling my creativity. And my studio looks like a storeroom, not a creative sanctuary. Hard to admit, but time to streamline. Time to sell. And today I see this video from you. Too funny. I feel inspired... to carry through with my plan to downsize.
Looking forward to a QX-80 EX video - if you feel inclined to make one of course! I have 2 of them (neither of which belong to Anders Jensen). I’m fairly confident I know them inside out but an Espen Kraft video will likely reveal something hitherto unknown!
Congrats on the clearance, it can definitely get out of hand. I'm shifting a lot of things at the moment and making some tough calls. Looks really neat and inspiring in your studio.
Thanks my good man! My channel had really grown over my head in terms of gear and piling up so I'm super happy with things as they are now. After a long period of getting very little done I'm now super inspired to just charge ahead. ;-) Best of luck with your own decisions and tough calls. :)
Its called trimming things down and refining the setup you keep. And there is still plenty of it there remaining behind. Lots in fact. Love the way you organise everything neatly as well. I am very similar. You are better off having a bit less and use the things you have more. The Prophet X will capture the best of that Jupiter 8 when it has to go back to its owner. Just make sure you do it. And I have got my DW8000 out on a strand and fully engaged with everything else. It's too good to be sitting in a case! Thanks to you I have got re know my DW8000 and got right back into it again. Your two excellent sound banks really got things started for me with the DW8000.
I have all my best Jupiter-8 sounds in the P X already. ;-) The DW-8000.... I might let that go too. Never use it any more really. I have sampled that as well, but I prefer the Kawai K3 to it.
@@EspenKraft There is new bank out for the DW8000 from Particular Sound (I think its called Vintage King) Its so good. Espen if you got it and tried it I am pretty sure you might change your mind about selling the DW8000. Didn't you have the EX8000 as well. Or maybe not. You had the controller at one stage. Do you still have that controller for it? I had a Kawai K5000 as well but found I preferred the DW8000 sound to it. The thing about the DW8000 is it always sounds analog to me.
I don't need other banks for my DW-8000. The two banks I've made has the sounds I need. Now I've also sampled those sounds so I'm all set. I hardly ever used it any more and the EX-8000 is gone as is the controllers.
Great point about the focus of the magazines. I really feel like the focus of synthesizers and the community have gotten very corporate and somehow the focus is on the business side of things instead of the creative side of things.
In fall 1985 I was deciding between a DX7 and a Mirage as my first keyboard. I decided Mirage and while waiting for a salesman to relieve me of my $1800, I spotted the new DW-8000 and it was cheap enough I could get the SDD-2000 delay/sampler too. I was ecstatic and loved that thing and probably knew it better than nearly anyone. I got another for US$100 or so a couple years ago as it turns on instantly and I can program any patch it is capable of in about 25 seconds. Interesting that you kept both. I'm toying with the idea of making a new CPU/oscillator board for it, but keeping the analog board, power supply, and everything else. My new design will have far cleaner treble and of course a lot more waveforms.
Thank you Espen as always I love to see what you are doing, I have in my workshop a Roland W-30 and a Korg 01/WFD both dead in need of repair by me, so far have found the Korg 01/WFD has no power on reset working so will pursue that fault and hopefully track it down, cheers from New Zealand.
Reminds me when JunkieXL had a massive clear out. I totally get it, as some point too much gear just hinders creativity and becomes hoarding for the sake of hoarding. Well done Espen for the courage to do it!
@@someoneanonymous1 As Mr. totopolo is probably not capable of explaining his statement, I will step in to help him. Many people, (possibly including Mr. totopolo) have nothing but their expensive gear to help convince themselves they are good musicians, so they buy all they can and would only sell it if desperate, unlike Mr. Kraft who is actually highly skilled and simply sometimes sells unneeded tools. Also, many have a hopeless desire for attention they'll never get from talent or accomplishment along with some jealousy for others who have it, so moronic and pretentious comments on the internet are their desperate attempt to get some attention, even if only for a second. Or, he could just be a twit.
Nice to see that you still enjoy the Roland MSQ-700. I was the who sold it to you (from Sweden). I had it for a couple of years but did not use it that much... Keep up your great work!
Good choice keeping the Sequential Circuits Six-Track. It's such a underrated machine. People stay away from it mainly because it's lack of knobs but, if you don't think of it as a performance synth and just use it for recording, it's up there with the big dogs sound wise. Saying it sounds "Fat" would be an understatement.
Impressive and chill little studio tour :) Really loved it. And i totally understand selling off gear that you really don't need when it's either barely used or you have found something more fitting to your needs. I might give the prophet VS a try as soon as the Behringer VS mini is available in stock and give that one a nice place in my setup. Yeah i keep my Arturia Microfreak too, mainly for the capacitive keys (i looooove those!!!) some of the synth engines (especially the wavetable mode that was added via Firmware update). The cassette Portastudios are awesome!! I have the biggest one of them, the 688 MIDI Studio and mainly got it to record and also do analog playouts from my digital multrack sources for achival purposes. Also having a Yamaha MT400 for analog Stereo Mixdown recordings or 4 track Demo-ing. And yeah xD like ALLLL Roland Synths (especially the vintage ones) they are definitely NOT worth the money people ask for xD But yes, they do sound amazing of course. But my god, are they oversold......
A couple of years ago I sold my DX7 which I really didn't use anymore and didn't have a place for it but lately I have realized that deep in my heart I still kind of regret selling it. 😢
@@EspenKraft well, my reason to keep most of them is that "I will eventually use it, when I setup my new studio", which is a real project I am working on but, well, I can use a portion of the gear and still have a very nice equipped studio. Yes GAS is an strong force to defeat!
I missed if you said this in the video...are the synth modules/drum machines/etc on the shelves still patched, or are they stored there and brought out if you need to use one?
That Presonus 16.0.2 is a neat little mixer. A customer directed me to get rid of a fifteen year old (but still totally functional) 24.4.2. I intend to fix it up and find it a nicer home than the landfill where it was otherwise headed (especially being in the US). Would love to keep it, but I already have 2 under-utilized mixers, including my own battle-worn Mackie I'm never getting rid of. 👍
I have owned pretty much every mono, poly synth and drum machine you can name, over a 35 year span, but now I have just 4 synths that I use and enjoy. Having a room full of old machines is cool, but you rarely get to use each on on every track made, and now the old machines are starting to fail with expensive repair bills and rare and even obsolete parts. I bought most gear in the late 80's when it was bargain prices, so made decent returns on the investment; and they got used on tons of records too. I find having just 4 synths makes me far more creative, less is definitely more in any studio.
What is left? - a lot is left! However, in comparison to what you used to have, it should feel like "light luggage" to you. Way to go! (...and all of the good old stuff from the good old days is stored in your Prophet-X...)
Yes, I’ve noticed your 1st series Keyboard issues no.1 with Chick etc. I have them all from the first year through the 80’s. Sold the CS 80, CP 70, D50, 8000, D6 clav, Mini model D, Prophet 600, B3, Wurlitzer, Rhodes, DX7FD2, Mirage, VFX, RE 200, 69 triple pickup SG and so much more. Maybe I should have kept them all but, then what? Sell em? I had fun touring with these for years. Time for the new. Jmo. Good luck Espen🤓
Love the 'Sorcerer' album cover, Espen !!! GREAT movie score by Tangerine Dream as it really drives the story onscreen and compliments the entire feel of the movie. Also love your Alesis HR16, Kawai K3m and K1m, and YES !!! Do a video on the amazing Kawai Q80EX sequencer (I have all of these Kawai units along with an original Q80 non-EX).
Like the videos much,i am not a synth collector,but i just enjoy so much the challence of creating new compositions.Its the best thing that excists,use ys100 two korg 05rw modules,one k1 module,akai patchbay and brother pdc 100 disc composer sequencer and also a mixing console.Keep up the good work!
Okay, congratulations on sizing down. If I could keep only 5 items in your set up it'd be the Jupiter 8, Juno 106, TR-808, MSQ-700, and D-550. If I could only keep 5 items from my collection it'd be the same. Although, the Jupiter X, Juno X, and TR-8S are great as well. By the way, I enjoy those keyboard magazines too. I bought a bunch on ebay and it's fun to go through the interviews. Anyway, take care and Merry Synthmas! Sam.
I've decided to go super minimal and Im in the process of selling everything except my Toraiz sp16 sampler an Elektron analog 4 and my iPad. Everything else is an indulgence.
I sold most of my gear about two years ago. I have a few things left but nothing really special except one thing, my tb-303 in mint condition. That beast is going down with me.
You've kept a lot, if you ask me, so now I'm curious how much you've sold :D Great video by the way. You're studio looks really nice. Keep up the good work!
Except the only reason we follow him is because he used to own the cool gear and made videos about it. If this was his first video, I think we wouldn't be so impressed? Just saying. It's because he owned all that cool gear we followed him.
You're free to leave anytime you want. It's what you use the synths for that matters. The creativity. Any monkey can collect synths for the sake of collecting.
Thanks for sharing as always. Just a room full of good sounds. Have you ever made a crazy midi programmed arrangement and just laid on the floor and listened to all those nostalgia machines sing?
You kept the Atari ST ☺️ A little sad the MKS-80 and MKS-70 appear to have gone though 😞 I hope Roland cloud, Cherry Audio or Arturia bring out an MKS-80 VST someday. It’s gorgeous for pads and of all my synths - it’s the only one I wouldn’t sell. I know there’s the Cloud Jupiter 6, and UVI have the Mercury-80, but they’re not quite there. Still a great collection (and the Jupiter 8 is ok too 😉)
With the amount of sequencers still in the studio I would argue that some of that collector gene might be present. Of course, I know nothing of the workflow so I might be way off base here.
Nice man ! I also sold a lot of stuff some years ago... but.. now my studio is full of synths again.. I guess I missed my harware synths although I´m usin lots of CST for my production... Yes.. I´m a Collector :-)
Great selection and great workflow to keep. Makes perfect sense. I would have kept JX8P over Juno106, but always those personal preferences.. :) All the best, keep enjoying music creativity.
Probably because there is a very good emulation of JX8P available. Espen showed it in a video looong time ago and was very satisfied with it. And he is right there, because it sounds very good.
@@dussie920 I know, I got PG8X as well, sounds really awesome and emulates it pretty perfectly. But thats the case for most of vintage synths, VSTi are mostly extremely close and nearly impossible to distinguish from hardware. For me JX8P simply is inspiring, I like to play its mechanical action keyboard and I came up with quite a few of my tunes just from playing it and improvising, searching for ideas.
"Sold almost everything" but you still have so many beautiful synths left. ❤
Some of them are pretty ugly though.
Hell of a combo if you ask me....... @@EspenKraft
Like Rambo.
When a true synth head says : I sold every thing. you still get a video that shows a massive synth collection
Ha, this! I would be very worried if someone sold a Jupiter 8 (as you ain't getting another one anytime soon)
If it was mine I'd sell it. Today.
@@EspenKraft !!!
@@EspenKraft to me, hopefully! Like your Prophet VS :)
@@EspenKraftI have a mint MKS-80 Rev 4 for sale - less space same power? :D
Love that dark blue cladding! Good for you Espen, It's so easy to overcrowd your studio. Less is more creative.
Have also been selling off gear recently and not replacing it and its been liberating. Had a lot of guilt not using things and overwhelm and feel happier now, like a weight has lifted. Strange the hold it can have.
“ Jupiter 8 totally not worth the money “ but sounds nice 😅😅😅, love you Espen for beeing a straight shooter.
by the way your studio looks dope 👌
Cheers!
I sold a Jupiter 8 many years ago. If I could go back in time and get it back, I’d definitely sell it again!
@@leftmono1016 ou yes it would be amazing to capitalise some good money on the “possession sindrome” of those rich kids (redistribution of the wealth ) by the way the JP4 sounds much better and unique than the jp8 once done some little CAP upgrades for tuning stability (easy stuff) and the key word here is “ How to bring unique sounds in a homologated contemporary environment “ which jp8 will not do even it sound great and warm everything on the jp8 sounds cliché.
@@Bigger-Circuitry-Bigger-SOUND - I also had a JP6 and really wanted a JP4 to make the holy trinity. A friend had one but wouldn’t sell it.
The JP8 is a very nice thing to own, but as you suggest, it’s nothing special sound wise.
When they were worth 5k or less they were worth it but at today's prices definitely not imo
I agree with that mindset. I bought so many vintage synths over the years, only to keep my ultimate few favourites, which all get used more than ever!
You are proof that you're not a furniture/trophy collector. You actually use what you own, and when you have no need for it, find a better place for someone else to enjoy.
Kudos to you.
Cheers!
Except he has a storage and shelves full of synths and samplers, smh.
@@rmriwatch The butthurt is real.
@@dankeplace The thing is Espen is now trashing synth prices, while at the same time also only willing to part with the Prophet VS for the right price. He's part of the problem, people hodling gear that they have it in storage and shelves, while also acting like he's so forward thinking to sell everything. He's a hipocrite and possibly a sour man at this point.
@@rmriwatch Espen can do what ever he wants, sounds like the only sour Karen here is you.
You should try making some music rather than what gear other people have/have not.
Shows us on the keyboard where Espen hurt you.
I love your collection as it really covers all of the “basses.” 🎵.
Exactly. That's the point. So many misses that. ;-)
No worries, still a world-class collection. Mixing things up keeps everything fresh.
At least you kept a relatively nice collection of synths and units despite selling a lot.
I like to think so. ;-)
Not surprised the mighty Juno 106 made the cut. I've owned and sold a few of them over the years. It's the only one I regret selling. An easy to use workhorse of a synth and that can do almost anything apart from those Minimoog type leads. Sadly they are too expensive now and Roland refuses to re-issue.
Never liked mine personally. Very dry, 6 voices too few, not fat sounding compared to a Moog. I've never seen why they're so rated.
Love all 3 soundtracks on the wall. Tangerine Dream!!!
Last time i heard the Arturia Prophet VS against my Original there was a huge difference
1 vote for more of the "What was in it" for old Keyboard mags, those are great!
I`m impressed Espen ! , not only your willingness to sell gear no longer needed but also how streamlined everything now looks ! great job !
Cheers!
Glad to see you kept the Alpha Juno. I too use it for life shows when I need something analog that's relatively no fuss.
Yes, it's a keeper. Mostly for the live setup now. Perfect for that. Light and compact. Easy to haul around and sounds so good.
Always love a bit of practical talk. Hope you're having fun making music!
Fun is the foundation of everything. If I didn't have fun I'd quit. Today.
It’s interesting to hear that former magazines were more focused on music techniques rather than gear. It’s a pity that such journalism is pretty much gone
The audience is gone too.
I’ve been on a similar tip lately, selling synths that have good plug in versions instead. I also will never sell my Six Trak. It’s so useful with the cc control. Feels good to purge.
I took for granted exactly how much equipment you had when 2023 began, Espen. I can’t question your choice of what to keep.
Looks clean and streamlined! I dig the shelving for the gear. I need to get me a Prophet X too. 😎
It's great.
That intro tune ❤
Love it! Those Keyboard magazine covers were Nostalgiac. I had many of them - proving my age!
a room full of synths is still a "SUPER MINIMALISTIC SETUP" compared to doing music just in the box via Kontakt, UVI, Arturia etc etc etc...
I mean, in sense of limitation and not getting blown away by possibilities..
Thanks for opening my eyes again! :-)
Still an amazing collection, now with tighter curation.
I like this shelving idea, might have to try something similar
I’ve never owned a synth or made music, but I find these videos of yours really interesting.
Cheers!
Glad you kept the Alpha Juno 2. I recently bought one after watching the videos you and Starsky Carr made . . . Loving it and already used it (and some of your patches) to record a new song!
Yes! Juno 2 is so underrated
Most envious of that Virgil Fox issue of Keyboard
My friend , you are giving me hope and support to keep my vintage stuff but for EE TMIs ....
Is going towards soft synths the biggest motivation for selling a lot of synths or some other factor.
It was for me. I've replaced most of my hardware synths with software replicas, and I've been very happy with them. Only my Yamaha portable MODX is really needed of hardware synths, and a VST version of the Montage M is coming out in Jan 2024. I still like having at least one modern hardware synth and the MODX is highly portable for gigs too. Along with my laptop full of VST's, and additional MIDI controller keyboards, it's all I really need today. I collected synths & classic synths at a time when there weren't good soft synth clones of them.
As mentioned many times, it was software synths that got me into synths in the first place back in 1985. I was amazed by what they could do then, and today, they've really come full circle and are far more about to replace countless keyboards as I once dreamed of with the technology.
I still have several classic hardware synths in storage. I'll likely sell most of them eventually.
Not really. I just don't need 50 of them to get the jobs done. They only take up space and I wanted more room to breathe in here. It is after all where I spend most of my time.
@@EspenKraft 50 hardware synths is a lot. I'm down to 13 keyboards and a few sound modules, but as VST's continue to do a great job in cloning hardware synths, my collection will be shrinking a lot at some point when I feel like selling many of them.
In the mid 80s when I discovered software synths, my vision was much as they are today. But by the early 90s as they hadn't taken off as I had expected, my vision became to have an entire room full of keyboards. I had the same vision of my basement for my arcade machines.
Well, the basement did get full of arcade machines, but soft synths greatly improved it was simply no longer necessary for me to have tons of hardware keyboards. Arcade, classic console & vintage computer emulation is also excellent and I built 4 MAME machines. So I really don't need tons of arcade machines either, but it does give the look more of an arcade.
Baby dont hurt me, dont hurt me ,, no more
So many gems, you have great taste, Espen.
Cheers!
There must be something in the atmosphere. Just the other day I had an epiphany: I have too many synths & samplers. They take up too much room, and people make great songs with way less. The workflow is so different on many of them, and that has been scuttling my creativity. And my studio looks like a storeroom, not a creative sanctuary. Hard to admit, but time to streamline. Time to sell. And today I see this video from you. Too funny. I feel inspired... to carry through with my plan to downsize.
Do it! :) It's so refreshing and it frees up creativity, inspiration, efficiency and money too of course. Cheers
Looking forward to a QX-80 EX video - if you feel inclined to make one of course! I have 2 of them (neither of which belong to Anders Jensen). I’m fairly confident I know them inside out but an Espen Kraft video will likely reveal something hitherto unknown!
Congrats on the clearance, it can definitely get out of hand. I'm shifting a lot of things at the moment and making some tough calls.
Looks really neat and inspiring in your studio.
Thanks my good man! My channel had really grown over my head in terms of gear and piling up so I'm super happy with things as they are now. After a long period of getting very little done I'm now super inspired to just charge ahead. ;-)
Best of luck with your own decisions and tough calls. :)
He also clears comments too! @AlexBallMusic, btw your GF packs are awesome!!!!
Good that you are keeping your essentials :)
Its called trimming things down and refining the setup you keep. And there is still plenty of it there remaining behind. Lots in fact. Love the way you organise everything neatly as well. I am very similar. You are better off having a bit less and use the things you have more. The Prophet X will capture the best of that Jupiter 8 when it has to go back to its owner. Just make sure you do it. And I have got my DW8000 out on a strand and fully engaged with everything else. It's too good to be sitting in a case! Thanks to you I have got re know my DW8000 and got right back into it again. Your two excellent sound banks really got things started for me with the DW8000.
I have all my best Jupiter-8 sounds in the P X already. ;-) The DW-8000.... I might let that go too. Never use it any more really. I have sampled that as well, but I prefer the Kawai K3 to it.
I’ve loved the DW8000 over the years. I half expected to see a DSS1 there somewhere...@@EspenKraft
The DSS-1 is gone. Even made a video about it's demise.
@@EspenKraft There is new bank out for the DW8000 from Particular Sound (I think its called Vintage King) Its so good. Espen if you got it and tried it I am pretty sure you might change your mind about selling the DW8000. Didn't you have the EX8000 as well. Or maybe not. You had the controller at one stage. Do you still have that controller for it? I had a Kawai K5000 as well but found I preferred the DW8000 sound to it. The thing about the DW8000 is it always sounds analog to me.
I don't need other banks for my DW-8000. The two banks I've made has the sounds I need. Now I've also sampled those sounds so I'm all set. I hardly ever used it any more and the EX-8000 is gone as is the controllers.
Looks much more streamlined and manageable, well done. I should follow your lead and thin the herd a bit but i keep making excuses to keep them
So great to see the Old School gear! The Jupiter 8 was my dream synth. Still have the SRV-2000 and Six Trak that you have. E-Mu2 and DW-8000? Wow.
Great point about the focus of the magazines. I really feel like the focus of synthesizers and the community have gotten very corporate and somehow the focus is on the business side of things instead of the creative side of things.
In fall 1985 I was deciding between a DX7 and a Mirage as my first keyboard. I decided Mirage and while waiting for a salesman to relieve me of my $1800, I spotted the new DW-8000 and it was cheap enough I could get the SDD-2000 delay/sampler too. I was ecstatic and loved that thing and probably knew it better than nearly anyone. I got another for US$100 or so a couple years ago as it turns on instantly and I can program any patch it is capable of in about 25 seconds. Interesting that you kept both. I'm toying with the idea of making a new CPU/oscillator board for it, but keeping the analog board, power supply, and everything else. My new design will have far cleaner treble and of course a lot more waveforms.
Very cool. I‘m always very interested in these things. 👍🏻💪🏻🙏🏻
Thank you Espen as always I love to see what you are doing, I have in my workshop a Roland W-30 and a Korg 01/WFD both dead in need of repair by me, so far have found the Korg 01/WFD has no power on reset working so will pursue that fault and hopefully track it down, cheers from New Zealand.
Cheers!
Reminds me when JunkieXL had a massive clear out. I totally get it, as some point too much gear just hinders creativity and becomes hoarding for the sake of hoarding. Well done Espen for the courage to do it!
in this case he is desperate for money
Sure, selling vintage synths and then buying modern ones for the same money... yeah, I must be desperate.
@@totopolo2379 this is not a very kind response. What are you hoping to achieve with it?
@@someoneanonymous1 As Mr. totopolo is probably not capable of explaining his statement, I will step in to help him. Many people, (possibly including Mr. totopolo) have nothing but their expensive gear to help convince themselves they are good musicians, so they buy all they can and would only sell it if desperate, unlike Mr. Kraft who is actually highly skilled and simply sometimes sells unneeded tools. Also, many have a hopeless desire for attention they'll never get from talent or accomplishment along with some jealousy for others who have it, so moronic and pretentious comments on the internet are their desperate attempt to get some attention, even if only for a second. Or, he could just be a twit.
@@TB-wvvvw Dude, relax! Yes whatever the tools, creativity is key but if you haven't seen it coming you do not need glasses but a dog.
Keeping the best!
Nice to see that you still enjoy the Roland MSQ-700. I was the who sold it to you (from Sweden). I had it for a couple of years but did not use it that much... Keep up your great work!
Thanks! This is not that one though. The one I bought from you I sold. This is another. ;-)
Aha, wow!
@@EspenKraft
I get that way sometimes. I often fantasize about having a limited number of synths. Then I get GAS
Getting back to the core
Cool to see this kind of video as opposed to hoard-inducing ones. Thanks! (Curious to know why you got rid of your series 500 rack.)
I prefer to do all the processing in the box now. Faster, easier and cheaper. And it sounds just as good.
Seeing the S330 - I knew that sampler inside out! Wonderful to see one again and in use. :) Loving the channel!
Jupiter 8 is the goat looks awesome still
Nice to see that you kept the Alpha Juno 2 & the Korg DW8000 - My fav's
The cheapest one's withalmost no maintenance ;-)
Good choice keeping the Sequential Circuits Six-Track. It's such a underrated machine. People stay away from it mainly because it's lack of knobs but, if you don't think of it as a performance synth and just use it for recording, it's up there with the big dogs sound wise. Saying it sounds "Fat" would be an understatement.
Impressive and chill little studio tour :) Really loved it. And i totally understand selling off gear that you really don't need when it's either barely used or you have found something more fitting to your needs. I might give the prophet VS a try as soon as the Behringer VS mini is available in stock and give that one a nice place in my setup. Yeah i keep my Arturia Microfreak too, mainly for the capacitive keys (i looooove those!!!) some of the synth engines (especially the wavetable mode that was added via Firmware update). The cassette Portastudios are awesome!! I have the biggest one of them, the 688 MIDI Studio and mainly got it to record and also do analog playouts from my digital multrack sources for achival purposes. Also having a Yamaha MT400 for analog Stereo Mixdown recordings or 4 track Demo-ing. And yeah xD like ALLLL Roland Synths (especially the vintage ones) they are definitely NOT worth the money people ask for xD But yes, they do sound amazing of course. But my god, are they oversold......
Hey, you kept a DSM-1 ! Makes me want to have mine repaired. I've had it for 30 years. I had a tons of fun programming and sampling with this machine.
No analogue filter though right on this rack vs DSS-1??
@@theaudioeng Yes, same analogue filter as on the DSS-1, but no resonance unfortunately.
Wrong. It has the analog filter. It's lacking a RESONANT analog filter.
🤩 what a dream of a studio!!
Clear out all those sequencers from the shelves and put there the Alpha Juno and the DW 8000, they deserve to be there! :)
Can't do it. They're too long to fit in there.
You are my hero!. I wish I had the nerve to sell all the gear that I don't use 😅
Hoarding is a disease, so I fully understand that letting go can be hard. ;-)
A couple of years ago I sold my DX7 which I really didn't use anymore and didn't have a place for it but lately I have realized that deep in my heart I still kind of regret selling it. 😢
It's only a dead thing. If you sold a family member, now THAT would be something to regret. Regrets don't work.
@@EspenKraft well, my reason to keep most of them is that "I will eventually use it, when I setup my new studio", which is a real project I am working on but, well, I can use a portion of the gear and still have a very nice equipped studio. Yes GAS is an strong force to defeat!
I missed if you said this in the video...are the synth modules/drum machines/etc on the shelves still patched, or are they stored there and brought out if you need to use one?
That Presonus 16.0.2 is a neat little mixer. A customer directed me to get rid of a fifteen year old (but still totally functional) 24.4.2. I intend to fix it up and find it a nicer home than the landfill where it was otherwise headed (especially being in the US). Would love to keep it, but I already have 2 under-utilized mixers, including my own battle-worn Mackie I'm never getting rid of. 👍
I have owned pretty much every mono, poly synth and drum machine you can name, over a 35 year span, but now I have just 4 synths that I use and enjoy. Having a room full of old machines is cool, but you rarely get to use each on on every track made, and now the old machines are starting to fail with expensive repair bills and rare and even obsolete parts. I bought most gear in the late 80's when it was bargain prices, so made decent returns on the investment; and they got used on tons of records too. I find having just 4 synths makes me far more creative, less is definitely more in any studio.
I was affaid for the DX7, phew! Yep got to make use of the Jupiter-8 while you can :-)
What is left? - a lot is left! However, in comparison to what you used to have, it should feel like "light luggage" to you.
Way to go! (...and all of the good old stuff from the good old days is stored in your Prophet-X...)
Cheers!
Feels good to let gear go!
Nice studio. I liked seeing so many magazines featuring Chuck Corea, too.
Cheers!
Yes, I’ve noticed your 1st series Keyboard issues no.1 with Chick etc. I have them all from the first year through the 80’s. Sold the CS 80, CP 70, D50, 8000, D6 clav, Mini model D, Prophet 600, B3, Wurlitzer, Rhodes, DX7FD2, Mirage, VFX, RE 200, 69 triple pickup SG and so much more. Maybe I should have kept them all but, then what? Sell em? I had fun touring with these for years. Time for the new. Jmo. Good luck Espen🤓
Cheers!
sold "almost everything" , still have endless tons of stuff :)
"Endless tons" is a very relative term I'd say.
Love the 'Sorcerer' album cover, Espen !!! GREAT movie score by Tangerine Dream as it really drives the story onscreen and compliments the entire feel of the movie. Also love your Alesis HR16, Kawai K3m and K1m, and YES !!! Do a video on the amazing Kawai Q80EX sequencer (I have all of these Kawai units along with an original Q80 non-EX).
I'm a big fan of TD. ;-)
Like the videos much,i am not a synth collector,but i just enjoy so much the challence of creating new compositions.Its the best thing that excists,use ys100 two korg 05rw modules,one k1 module,akai patchbay and brother pdc 100 disc composer sequencer and also a mixing console.Keep up the good work!
an 80s dream
in an attic
nice room full of legendary soundtools and magacines
great studio tour!
Cheers!
Still a lot of cool stuff for sure! I also spied a Minifreak box under the Jupiter 8 xd
Yes, I haven't had the time to check that out yet.
Okay, congratulations on sizing down. If I could keep only 5 items in your set up it'd be the Jupiter 8, Juno 106, TR-808, MSQ-700, and D-550. If I could only keep 5 items from my collection it'd be the same. Although, the Jupiter X, Juno X, and TR-8S are great as well. By the way, I enjoy those keyboard magazines too. I bought a bunch on ebay and it's fun to go through the interviews. Anyway, take care and Merry Synthmas! Sam.
I've decided to go super minimal and Im in the process of selling everything except my Toraiz sp16 sampler an Elektron analog 4 and my iPad. Everything else is an indulgence.
With my Fantom-8 EX I also sold almost all my vintage synths! Never regret!!!
I sold most of my gear about two years ago. I have a few things left but nothing really special except one thing, my tb-303 in mint condition. That beast is going down with me.
looks more tidier now :)
Great samplers choice, S330 warm, S1000 boss sound, S900 hitting
Glad to see that your Korg DW 8000 made the cut !
I might sell that as well.
That prophet vs has to be all things to all men ( and women!) analogue, wave and digital …amazing.i wouldn’t think there are too many of those around
You've kept a lot, if you ask me, so now I'm curious how much you've sold :D Great video by the way. You're studio looks really nice. Keep up the good work!
Cheers!
You are still my champion of the retro synthesizers , kudos Espen! great video as always
Thanks! I still have a few. ;-)
Except the only reason we follow him is because he used to own the cool gear and made videos about it. If this was his first video, I think we wouldn't be so impressed? Just saying. It's because he owned all that cool gear we followed him.
You're free to leave anytime you want. It's what you use the synths for that matters. The creativity. Any monkey can collect synths for the sake of collecting.
6:11 You don't have to switch it off on the bottom: just press an d hold the STOP button for one second. Press any key to wake it up.
Wow Espen a really great video !! Amazing keys samplers and drum machines but more importantly in the hands of a maestro!
Cheers!
well done, good luck
Cheers!
I’m not getting rid of any of my gear. They can bury me with it 😤
If you don't want help that's fine with me.
Thanks for sharing as always. Just a room full of good sounds. Have you ever made a crazy midi programmed arrangement and just laid on the floor and listened to all those nostalgia machines sing?
No, that's not what I do. ;-) Cheers
selling and consolidating right now. Thanks, Espen.
Best of luck!
Good choice on the Juno.
You kept the Atari ST ☺️ A little sad the MKS-80 and MKS-70 appear to have gone though 😞 I hope Roland cloud, Cherry Audio or Arturia bring out an MKS-80 VST someday. It’s gorgeous for pads and of all my synths - it’s the only one I wouldn’t sell. I know there’s the Cloud Jupiter 6, and UVI have the Mercury-80, but they’re not quite there. Still a great collection (and the Jupiter 8 is ok too 😉)
We have time traveled about 30 years into the future!
"I'm Espen Kraft and I'm selling off the 80s" :)
Is that the vibe you got from seeing 4 walls full of 80s gear? :P
@@EspenKraft There's nothing more 80s than selling off the 80s
having a master keyboard where you can't put your legs/knees under it is insane
I don't PLAY it when it's on there. :P
Good to see you kept the K3m.
With the amount of sequencers still in the studio I would argue that some of that collector gene might be present. Of course, I know nothing of the workflow so I might be way off base here.
Correct. You don't. ;-)
@@EspenKraft good to have that verified at least :)
My reasons were answered very early in this thread btw.
@@EspenKraft do you mean the comments? I have to admit that I have not read all of them, and they are sorted by most popular.
When something is asked a lot, like your question, I answer it once. Maybe twice. Then all others must read those answers. ;-)
Nice man ! I also sold a lot of stuff some years ago... but.. now my studio is full of synths again.. I guess I missed my harware synths although I´m usin lots of CST for my production... Yes.. I´m a Collector :-)
Collect away my man! :)
Willo do @@EspenKraft , and you can visit anytime 🙂
That Prophet VS preset at 4:54 reminds me of the intro of Gimme Gimme Gimme by Abba.
Great selection and great workflow to keep. Makes perfect sense. I would have kept JX8P over Juno106, but always those personal preferences.. :)
All the best, keep enjoying music creativity.
Cheers!
Probably because there is a very good emulation of JX8P available. Espen showed it in a video looong time ago and was very satisfied with it. And he is right there, because it sounds very good.
@@dussie920 I know, I got PG8X as well, sounds really awesome and emulates it pretty perfectly. But thats the case for most of vintage synths, VSTi are mostly extremely close and nearly impossible to distinguish from hardware. For me JX8P simply is inspiring, I like to play its mechanical action keyboard and I came up with quite a few of my tunes just from playing it and improvising, searching for ideas.
@@DestroyER82100% true. Inspiration, nostalgia, the touch and feel, the design. It all contributes.
Exactly. I feel the same way. I just choose not to have 50 synths for that. I can get there with a lot less. ;-)
I'm sorry for your loss
These are days of rejoice.