OP1 first and then?

An iPad is hardware.

If you load up Samplr on a current gen iPad, they’ll have to pry it from your cold, dead hands.

aye, samplr is a cool app.
I wish I could order pizza and then post it on facebook from my hardware :slight_smile:

The iPad Mini Retina was easily my best music-related investment, I use it extensively during recordings and on stage as well. Amazing and powerful music-making apps galore in the appstore, kinda everything is possible with them, musically speaking. And I am totally in love with Samplr - if I could use only a single app, Samplr would be it. @daninski your OP1 and potential new iPad Mini would get along so well, especially if you decide to make them your new holy trinity and buy an iConnectMIDI (or similar iOS/MIDI/USB-host) too! :slight_smile:

How about a JD-Xi from Roland?

It has a very intuitive workflow utilising the sequencing you find on the 808, 909, or Aira gear. It allows you to overdub in addition to the four specific instruments that run to separate midi channels. The four instruments are
Digital Synth 1
Digital Synth 2
Drums
Analogue Synth

The digital synths are powerful, the analogue synth will give you the warmth that digital can’t, and the drums are not an after thought. In fact, the drums are amazing! There are so many PCM drum sounds including the typical 808 and 909. Each hit can be edited with a knob on the front panel. For example, pick a hi hat and add a filter, choose the correct resonance, change the attack and decay time, you can then add one of four types of fx (distortion is one) and then another one of four types of different fx (flanger is one) and then you can add some delay, and adjust the reverb to taste. Enter it simply into the intuitive sequencer and off you jolly well pop. All the parameters are separate for each drum hit meaning the fx and filter type you used can be totally different for each drum hit.

The downsides to this synth are it has mini-keys and there is some menu diving. Menu diving is also a plus point though as here is where a lot of power lies. Including the panning of each separate drum hit.

Overall, you get a lot of bang for your buck and it has analogue… Analogue!!! Its footprint is also relatively small. It obviously doesn’t compare to something like a Sub 37 or an Analogue Keys but it’s a great starter and might be right up your alley given its versatility. Check out some vids on YouTube and cop the website for full tech specs fella. It can also plug into the Aira MX-1’s USB…
Which brings me on to…

the Aira gear…

That stuff is mind blowingly great!

Have you checked any of it out before?

Have a look at the MX-1, TR-8, System 1 & System 1m, TB 303.
I love it! I have all of it bar the touch bassline 303 and the System 1 because I use the JD-Xi for the same thing! I do have the System 1m as it has modular capabilities.

That should give you some food for thought!

I should add that the JD-Xi was my first keyboard thingy. I taught my self how to play chords on that thing and it helped me to understand a basic music theory.

Peace!

I

The iPad Mini Retina was easily my best music-related investment, I use it extensively during recordings and on stage as well. Amazing and powerful music-making apps galore in the appstore, kinda everything is possible with them, musically speaking. And I am totally in love with Samplr - if I could use only a single app, Samplr would be it. @daninski your OP1 and potential new iPad Mini would get along so well, especially if you decide to make them your new holy trinity and buy an iConnectMIDI (or similar iOS/MIDI/USB-host) too! :slight_smile:

…and “Patterning” coming tomorrow!!!

It’s another awesome thing about the iPad. Every week is like Christmas. Some brand new functionality for $5-$15 bucks.

I
The iPad Mini Retina was easily my best music-related investment, I use it extensively during recordings and on stage as well. Amazing and powerful music-making apps galore in the appstore, kinda everything is possible with them, musically speaking. And I am totally in love with Samplr - if I could use only a single app, Samplr would be it. @daninski your OP1 and potential new iPad Mini would get along so well, especially if you decide to make them your new holy trinity and buy an iConnectMIDI (or similar iOS/MIDI/USB-host) too! :)

…and “Patterning” coming tomorrow!!!

It’s another awesome thing about the iPad. Every week is like Christmas. Some brand new functionality for $5-$15 bucks.

Patterning looks sick!!! Thanks for sharing that one!

Do you think this will be the best drum machine on the iPad?

I
The iPad Mini Retina was easily my best music-related investment, I use it extensively during recordings and on stage as well. Amazing and powerful music-making apps galore in the appstore, kinda everything is possible with them, musically speaking. And I am totally in love with Samplr - if I could use only a single app, Samplr would be it. @daninski your OP1 and potential new iPad Mini would get along so well, especially if you decide to make them your new holy trinity and buy an iConnectMIDI (or similar iOS/MIDI/USB-host) too! :)

…and “Patterning” coming tomorrow!!!

It’s another awesome thing about the iPad. Every week is like Christmas. Some brand new functionality for $5-$15 bucks.

Patterning looks sick!!! Thanks for sharing that one!

Do you think this will be the best drum machine on the iPad?

I do indeed. If for no other reason than how easy it looks to adjust velocity, pitch, effects, etc. with step sequencers, it’s usually a real chore.

Niiiiiiiiiice!!!

I don’t use my iPad in my set up yet as it is a cold dead screen. I like buttons and knobs. However this would be pretty cool. Using a loop sample to add an extra little spice! I’m also thinking of getting a Kaos Pad app or something of that nature. Could you recommend any FX apps?

Niiiiiiiiiice!!!!!!!!!!

I don’t use my iPad in my set up yet as it is a cold dead screen. I like buttons and knobs. However this would be pretty cool. Using a loop sample to add an extra little spice! I’m also thinking of getting a Kaos Pad app or something of that nature. Could you recommend any FX apps?

I never understood the animosity to a touchscreen interface. The way it feels to manipulate a waveform under the sensitive touch of the finger… I could NEVER imagine a more organic way to do it. Imagine using faders and pots to work w/ samples, vs. Samplr’s approach? Inferior, in my estimation.

Knobs, keys and faders have their place, but it’s strictly Luddite to think of a glass panel as an inherently inferior control surface.

Try Flux:FX.

http://youtu.be/tsyRYccWbmg

Niiiiiiiiiice!!!!!!!!!!

I don’t use my iPad in my set up yet as it is a cold dead screen. I like buttons and knobs. However this would be pretty cool. Using a loop sample to add an extra little spice! I’m also thinking of getting a Kaos Pad app or something of that nature. Could you recommend any FX apps?

I never understood the animosity to a touchscreen interface. The way it feels to manipulate a waveform under the sensitive touch of the finger… I could NEVER imagine a more organic way to do it. Imagine using faders and pots to work w/ samples, vs. Samplr’s approach? Inferior, in my estimation.

Knobs, keys and faders have their place, but it’s strictly Luddite to think of a glass panel as an inherently inferior control surface.

Try Flux:FX.

http://youtu.be/tsyRYccWbmg

I’ve just been reading up on Samplr. It sounds fantastic! I’ll give it a go!

I use my iPad to DJ with a Vestax DJ Spin unit and it suits me. I have a lot of control over what I am doing and have fx a plenty. The thing is the place where I DJ there happens to be an owner who is an incredibly talented scratch DJ. He has vinyl, a mixer, and some app on his Mac and there is no comparison between the two. The jog wheels on my Vestax Spin can’t keep up with his speed and the iPad screen is way to small. He, like I and many others need to physically feel something.

Likewise, for my set up, there is no way the iPad is cool. I tried it as a synth but a problem occurred. When I play a chord on my synth. I feel the keys and press them, I press them down, they stay down while I shimmy over to another bit of kit to press a button or move a slider. With the iPad my fingers can’t tuck in under a key and my finger would slip and the next key would be pressed causing a musical meltdown.

When I DJ with the iPad I love it. I actually prefer it to using the Vestax DJ Spin. The iPad requires a lot of time and concentration. That’s why I like buttons and knobs because I can press them and I know I’ve pressed them. Like a cut of filter and a resonance filter. On my JD-Xi I love sweeping the frequencies and can do it with the utmost care and attention but when I used iGadget by Korg on the iPad it was completely different. I can look away and reach over and do something else whilst I turn the knobs on my synth. With the iPad, one little slip and the cut off stops and everything is ruined.

That’s why I was looking into something I can just press and not have to worry too much… like a KaossPad. I’ll look into the fx app too. Thanks a bunch for that.

The idea of Samplr sounds like it is best suited to the iPad and it sounds like fun. Something like Patterning would also be good as it doesn’t require too much attention for my particular set up. I think they will create and add a nice glisten to the fringe of my sounds!

HMD

Ideally I'd like it to be able to build tunes like the OP1 does. You know - no computer... The Analogue Keys appears to do that - but I'm sure there must be others too.

Given that qualification, the Analog Keys may indeed be the most appropriate next step amongst hardware synths. Although my initial reaction to your question–“What’s a natural instrument to graduate to do you think?”–was 2 more OP-1s! Cause everyone wants to be this guy:




Do you have any other requirements, so we can narrow down our suggestions better, as there’s so many viable choices now? Any preference for certain sounds, compactness/portability, key size, etc?
Likewise, for my set up, there is no way the iPad is cool. I tried it as a synth but a problem occurred.
I got my first iPad recently, and I've found that a lot of the synths become a hell of a lot more usable with a decent midi controller. I have a CME Xkey, which is pretty rad and super portable. Suddenly you have a multitude of synths that are highly playable and sound as good as or better than most 'hardware' digital synths out there. That said... when an app takes full advantage of the touchscreen, e.g. Animoog, you can get a type of multi-dimensional expressiveness that doesn't exist anywhere with hardware except for maybe a Continuum, Soundplane or Linnstrument, which are all fairly expensive.

I guess what I'm saying is, that I'm an iPad convert for sure. I don't know about the older models, but it sounds like recent apps are really taking advantage of the 3-core A8X chip and 64-bit architecture of the newer ones. It's some powerfull shit.
Likewise, for my set up, there is no way the iPad is cool. I tried it as a synth but a problem occurred.
I got my first iPad recently, and I've found that a lot of the synths become a hell of a lot more usable with a decent midi controller. I have a CME Xkey, which is pretty rad and super portable. Suddenly you have a multitude of synths that are highly playable and sound as good as or better than most 'hardware' digital synths out there. That said... when an app takes full advantage of the touchscreen, e.g. Animoog, you can get a type of multi-dimensional expressiveness that doesn't exist anywhere with hardware except for maybe a Continuum, Soundplane or Linnstrument, which are all fairly expensive.

I guess what I'm saying is, that I'm an iPad convert for sure. I don't know about the older models, but it sounds like recent apps are really taking advantage of the 3-core A8X chip and 64-bit architecture of the newer ones. It's some powerfull shit.

That’s ace and I am happy for you! Sounds like you’ve found a way that you like to work. I’ve been down the digital path and have been on it for over a decade. I use and still use a MacBook and I have an amazing array of softsynths that have a lot of power and use a lot of CPU and I have an Akai MPK mini, nanoPad2, and nanoKontrol to control them. The Akai is super light but I don’t think this is a good thing. It felt hollow and like a shell to me. I need things that will take a bit of a beating.

Nice point about the power that is possible with digital synthesis. Although it can never be analogue some interesting attempts are being made for digital to have the same analogue warmth and workings like the Arturia softsynths and Aira’s analogue modelling behaviour which works a treat on my TR-8 by the way.

I do enjoy the digital side and my Waves Mercury Bundle gets caned. If I could have the real units then I would. I don’t like looking at a screen when I’m creating, mixing, or mastering music personally.
:slight_smile: but each to their
own :slight_smile: thanks for the discussion. Good luck on your musical ventures and I look forward to hearing your creations!

HMD

I use and still use a MacBook and I have an amazing array of softsynths that have a lot of power and use a lot of CPU and I have an Akai MPK mini, nanoPad2, and nanoKontrol to control them. The Akai is super light but I don't think this is a good thing. It felt hollow and like a shell to me. I need things that will take a bit of a beating.
Yeah, I hear you. I still mainly use my Macbook 'in the studio' with an Akai MPK49 and some analog gear, but I am loving the portability of the iPad/Xkey combo (and OP-1). And I do think that lately a lot of folks making apps for iOS are really thinking out of the box and coming up with things that actually sound 'new' to me. For so many years everything coming out in the digital realm was some sort of same-ish sounding VA or FM-based deal, which always just pushed me towards sampling. That said, NOTHING is more satisfying than playing my actual Moog. :)

I guess another rationalisation of why I don’t want to use a screened device is I spend all day infant of many many screens in work. It’s nice to have something else. I’ve no problem with touch screens at all. I’m a technology addict! I really like the Analogue Keys the more I look at it. I guess you just can’t plug it into the OP1 - I’d need a controller thing between them? Plus just audio jacks to use the 4track on the OP1.

Oh, there’s some great keyboards being recommended here too btw!

Although my initial reaction to your question--"What's a natural instrument to graduate to do you think?"--was 2 more OP-1s!

Can you sync them via Oplab? Someone owns at least 2 OP-1?

I was at a party recently, and randomly, one of the guys there just happened to be an Elektron sales rep. The dude throwing the party had an Analog Keys, and the Elektron guy gave us a super in-depth walk-through. It totally blew my mind. That thing is a monster.

I think I’ll have to keep my eye out on eBay. Did you not try and get a mates rate discount? :smiley:

Octatrack.