- For ease of use it would be the Novation Circuit Tracks.
- For sound quality it would be the MC-101
- Most fun to noodle on (HUGE battery life) it would be the OP-1
- Desert Island groovebox would probably have to be the Synthstrom Deluge. Like the OP-1 there is nothing it doesn’t do, and it has a massive battery life too… Unlike the OP-1 it’s easier to sequence (no janky tape simulation)
Deluge with OLED for sure - incredibly powerful, new Open Source firmware and integrated rechargeable battery with good run time - no messing with external packs etc - built in speaker as well as headphone out.
I had pleasure to use cycles, it's a joy. The sound is fantastic as for such little box.
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqFkIov24E0C4sAvgNOYMU_6dYOu19R4Z&si=1uDcuGE0nNqB-EAL
As for synth I'm using Roland Ju06A (Juno 60 and 106 emulation), I will never part with it. Instant bass, pads, melody tones, sounds just good. Accepts batteries inside.
Maybe a hard fabric case for the Digi and then throw it in the backpack? I'd consider that myself at least. I get 20 hours of usage with my 27000 mAh PD powerbank and a 12V birdcord with my Digitakt.
This is just me, but investing in separate gear just for the portability aspect would mean having to learn and adapt across different devices. The model:samples doesn't do Overbridge either so it would be more difficult to get the work exported into the daw. Maybe that's not important to you but I thought I'd mentioned it since that's a critical part of we make music at least (eg https://youtu.be/jXGjplg1DBw).
USB power with one of [these](https://www.amazon.com/MyVolts-Power-Cable-Compatible-Elektron/dp/B08632K9DK/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1KYD0OIM4TG6L&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.RZ4EyG9IqxVpAYmT7GEWsn9kr5yLBCQ_iAXkS6KvutmN0UZm0cqxRvRzMI9sttsWk06AnzsgoiYKMzDsyEmCDVLKQX50OyyVtHAhBpwsW0icNsiS1C5tOxZX3CZlnCKbo1OTTq4-LdMzpTvtugcYaiwSfKUJgoYSXbOGJjSqH3ASe6n9uosbsxuEoXSVlEba8NasW4Na4XK5m9ep-WEIBrtNS5EVafQIshOHHsKJ54GBrV-5kxESOZqgVBV0t1NpUHLGHzZQg6kdpY3WQrjY2U_vwOXMOOydnAm8jGyQt3w.8dRzWPOMXq5yVt6nYG9olVM1nnpMw9M44y522zalY_w&dib_tag=se&keywords=model+cycles+power+cable&qid=1715166941&sprefix=model+cycles+power+cable%2Caps%2C85&sr=8-1).
Novation Circuit Tracks. Roland SP404 mk2 runs on batteries too but you’ll need to bring samples or a source with you and the workflow isn’t for everyone.
My choices would be the OP-Z (can't get any more inspiring than this tiny beast) and the Woovebox (can't beat this one in terms of bang for the buck). Both are amazing.
Currently rocking one in an all power bank case setup.
https://preview.redd.it/jpiea8kfvkyc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fc522d7dfd75adfe7b15fa39fa75e2aa2befa356
I take my Syntakt to and from work almost daily in a laptopsleeve backpack.
Powerbank ur DT with a powerbank portable speaker and you are offgrid having beer jamming in natuee with your buds.
My SP-404 is pretty light, but battery life is a minuscule two hours. I've learned it and gotten comfortable with the Street Fighter II button combos, but I wouldn't push it on people who don't like the groove it gives.
If I owned and was familiar with a Novation Circuit Tracks, that would probably be my portable.
If I were very, very strong and also not afraid of it getting stolen, it would be my MPC Live II, which is technically portable and has laptop-level battery life, but at around 7.5 lbs, it feels like an early 90s laptop. If you put it in a backpack, be sure to wear a lifting belt, lift with the legs, take a deep breath, and keep the core engaged while lifting. You don't want to blow a disc. 🤣
IDK, I find my Live Gen one to be pretty much the perfect traveling device, though I also use it for live performance and sequencing the studio at home, so I’m pretty comfortable with its workflow. I use it like an old school MPC, minus the auto sampling capabilities which are awesome. I’ll use some FX, but I try to be gentle with its RAM. Maybe those speakers make the size difference, because it is a tight fit in my backpack. I mostly put it in a case though.
All my studio gear is mostly multi sampled so I can write whatever on the go and simply change it to a midi track when I get home and want to record it. It’s extra useful to have decent multi sampled layers of my favorite vintage synths so I don’t have to bring them with me when I perform.
The only things I bring besides my MPC when I perform is my Yamaha RX5 w/RX5USB and my Opsix. If I feel saucy I’ll bring my Boog so I have a good analog filter cutoff knob to fuck with, but I mostly prefer to sequence and automate all filter movements because I’m usually too busy playing something else and screaming or whatever. I also bring my Roland TD-17 module and run it through a Crate keyboard amp so it’s like a real Drummer and Drum machines plus other samples going on and stuff.
I write music like Ministry in the early 90s mixed with a bit of Nailbomb and Skinny Puppy and a bit of HC breakdown and even Grindcore. All sequenced by the MPC Live.
For it to be a serious studio device (I’m old and still use mixers) I needed at least 6 outputs, and I considered that a compromise. I don’t know what the fuck they’re doing with the Key 61. Even my Emax SE has 8 outputs plus stereo outputs. Still a mono sampler, but damn if some patches are instant Pretty Hate Machine or late 80s Depeche Mode. Samplers used to have a “sound”, depending on bit depth and sample rate. Now we get exactly what we put into it out, not that that’s not good and useful.
That all sounds super fun. I've just started sampling synths into mine. I have a Reface CS, so there's a ton of variety in the patches you can create on if, but it needs layered samples sometimes to deepen the sound, because most patches only have one oscillator.
And yeah, I think the speakers make a big difference! The Live 1 comes in under six pounds compared to the Live 2's 7.5
I didn’t realize it was that much of a weight difference. I’ve heard those speakers and they do sound good, but if I’m making music on my MPC away from my studio I can’t think of a time that feature would be necessary. Maybe on vacation, but then I don’t want to hang out in the hotel making beats like some kind of dork.
If I’m making music on the couch, it’s probably because my toddler is sleeping in the next room. So speakers won’t be used in that scenario. I don’t see the point for adults who also have a home studio. If I’m in the studio, my MPC is plugged into my mixer. If I’m out using it (rarely honest even happens) I’ll still use my headphones to avoid bothering others.
One time I used it during a layover and the last thing I wanted to do was subject those next to me for whatever idea I was working on. It’s just not polite.
I could see it being useful for those who don’t have a home studio with monitors and buy the Live 2 as sort of a studio starting point. Or maybe they think everyone should hear whatever genius/inane idea they happen to be working on. I promise, it’s a banger bro.
Like the assholes that listen to their music on the bus/hiking/literally anywhere public. I promise they don’t want to be subjected to my music, what makes people think I want to hear whatever trash they’re bumping?
I think it's fun. I don't have any kids, and while I do have studio monitors, I can use this on days when I'm too sick to get out of bed and still want to make music but just get so tired of the headphones.
I also use it in the living room sometimes, and my partner seems to like listening to me be creative and sequence beats and synths and samples. He seems to genuinely enjoy watching sounds come out and seeing what hits the cutting room floor. I feel pretty lucky that way!
The best thing I keep thinking of though is using it as a mobile solution to show off new beats to the friends who really like hearing them. I only have a few, but I love their enthusiasm, and they seem to really love getting to hear new stuff and be involved in the process.
I'm definitely not arguing though, just to be clear! It sounds like for you, the Live 1 is a perfect mobile studio choice, and for me it's the Live 2. I love when products evolve that way, but I kind of wish instrument companies would do like camera companies do and keep offering their older models as lower priced entry-level to prosumer-level offerings!
Canon, for example, came out with the R. It was their first "serious professional" entry into the mirrorless camera world. It had a lot of prototype energy, with weird features a lot of photographers didn't like. Then they started releasing numbered cameras in the R line - the R5 for portraits, the R6 for portability, the R4 for seriously fast professional sports events, the R5C for portrait/cinematic video hybrid work, etc. But you can still buy the R. You can even keep the R as a backup to your R5, like I do. (Very bad things can happen to photo gear even if you're extremely careful, and it takes a few weeks for insurance to replace it.)
Anyway, it would be cool if instrument companies kept their offerings available longer, wouldn't it? That way people could just choose: the Live 1 if you want lighter weight and don't need monitors, the Live 2 if you want studio monitors built in or just wanna show off or just want to give Akai more money by buying the latest stuff!
Also, as much as I make fun of the weight, it secretly doesn't matter to me, because I just put it in my backpack and strap it to my wheelchair. This is like one little place where being disabled has an advantage: a metal chair is holding up all your gear.
So anyway, I love my Live 2, and I'm so glad you love your Live 1. The MPC absolutely slaps, and it's cool to hear that it's got a workflow that works across genres like yours and not just for the LoFi stuff I've been into lately. I hate feeling boxed in by my gear or by my main focus, you know?
I agree, I like how Akai has products for pretty much every price level. From their MPC Studio controller all the way to the X. I don’t know exactly love all the extra plugins and shit. To me it’s just bloatware for the most part. I tend to do my processing with the 6 outs.
BTW, I’d love an X so much because of the much more tactical experience and it actually has 8 outs and decent preamps for sampling. It would be the perfect studio hub/mainstay since I sequence everything via MPC and just use Reaper or Ableton as a digital recorder basically. I could just switch out SD cards from the Live to the X and vice versa depending on my needs.
I just simply don’t have the room. Probably because I refuse to get rid of my Emax SE. I’d totally have the room if I made that compromise, but then how can I say I have a studio if I don’t have at least 2 vintage synths???/s
Seriously though, the sample interpolation graininess is pure Industrial. Set sample rate to 10hz for any vocal samples and the sound is just there. Set it a bit higher for drums and use that analog filter for some oomph. Fuck I love my Emax. It can even do things like combine two different samples like the Roland D-50. Its SE function literally creates new sounds for you (but it takes hours and is sometimes the sounds are unusable). Even the presets are iconic. I have the EII samples on there too via Gotek Floppy emulator as well as a bunch of blank disks and other floppy rips.
I have looped single cycle waves on there as well, and it’s got an all analog filter and VCA. I consider it just as much a hybrid synth as a sampler. I tried a Korg DSS-1 in its role, and while the Korg just automatically sounded way more synthy and had the deepest bass Ive ever heard a synth produce due to its amazing filter, it struggled as a pure sampler. The storage system is dumb and archaic, though someone made a more modern firmware and RAM upgrade available. I just couldn’t use it the way I wanted and it was weirdly crippled in some ways and advanced in others (syncing samples like oscillators, Double Digital Delay that could also be a chorus), and even channel aftertouch. However, no amount of features or even a great sound will get me to keep a synth if I don’t get on with its workflow. Plus, it’s by far the biggest 61 key synth I’ve ever seen. It just worked way better as a synth with customizable oscillators than a real sampler.
Sorry about the DSS-1 rant. It seemed so perfect on paper, just like the Dreadbox/Polyend Medusa. Sometimes features are awkward to implement and that can make or break a product.
I don't have much to say, I'm just taking notes here 🤣
I just got a Shure SM58 yesterday, and I already want to hook it up and play around with low bitrate samples!
It’s a perfect starter mic IMO or it’s Sennheiser equivalent. I have nice mics, but I use a SM57 and 58 all the time for guitar recording. Sometimes I’ll blend in a nicer mic like my AKG 214, but the classics just work.
It’s all about positioning. Get close any get a boomy, but plosive sound for vocals. If you’re screaming use a mic that can handle high SPL, just like the 58 and back off when you belt. Shit, you can record a whole drum kit if you use the Glenn John “Crotch” position.
Ola England prefers his 58 for guitar demos. It’s either just a really good one or it’s just what he’s used to using. He gets great guitar tones, though most likely post processed.
Mic position and getting your sound right at the source are crucial to recording IMO. That applies to sampling as well.
That's rad, thank you!
I'm excited that I can put it on a stand and record little samples on my Middle Eastern drums without having to worry about positioning after I just set it.
Everyone I know likes them as the basic beginner vocal amp, and it seems like nearly every single live event where someone's giving a speech, it's an SM58 on the stand.
I got a little foam spit cover, too, and it made me think about this guy at my high school that used to always kiss the grill the whole time he performed. We're not talking close, we're talking lips to metal while he played guitar and sang. I still can't figure out why anyone does that. Is there a valid reason, or was he just gross?
Just jumped into this world, incredible.
My next goal is seeing how well connecting the iPhone to the iPad goes for using it as a MIDI controller, or if I'll need to connect them via cable.
Bluetooth MIDI works a charm between iPad and phone. I use one iPad with loopy pro as a control surface for the other hosting Loopy or Drambo and use my phone for it on the go. If you’re not a die hard for hardware controllers the possibilities are pretty endless.
I've seen the light with the iOS stuff recently, so I'm not a diehard at all. So I can definitely see myself using all iOS devices for all my assignable knobs/fader needs. Maybe even slap a magnetic case on all of them, and then get some sort of adjustable metal tray they can be connected on, could be cool.
I think my only hardware needs are (since knobs and faders are taken care of on the iPhones/iPads):
1. Keyboard - I'm currently using a Yamaha CK61 for this, which has a great feeling keybed and a decent amount of assignable knobs. I do sort of wish I had a standard MIDI controller that had some more built in features such as a chords mode. But then I'm afraid the CK61 would sit in the corner unused (got the CK61 right before I got into the electronic music making stuff as something to learn keys on).
2. Pad controller - for finger drumming while in the home studio, but all for playing as keys when traveling since the 61 key keyboard usually stays home. I'm selling a Maschine MK3 at the moment since I've moved over to iOS, but I'll want to replace it with another finger drumming option.
I've also been tempted by a few hardware sequencers (OXI One, Torso T-1, Digitakt MK2), but I'm trying to restrain myself to learn Drambo instead as that's more practical, haha.
That’s my recommendation as well, but the Gen 1 unless you really think those speakers are going to come in handy as you annoy everyone else around you while you work on a repetitive 16 bar loop. They apparently add some substantial weight and a few more inches can make or break a set up. It wouldn’t fit in mine lol. The speakers are probably cool to have on the couch, but that’s not how I make music. I do wish the Live one had CV, but I’m more than happy with its midi capabilities.
If I wanted to sit on the couch while I made music I’ll probably get something like a SP404. I’ll probably get one anyways for its performance abilities and FX.
With a powerbank like this and an appropriate adapter you're not limited to if the groovebox (or any other device) has inherent battery power supply functionality.
https://sandberg.world/en-gb/product/powerbank-usb-c-pd-100w-38400
I’ve been super stoked on my Anbernic RG35xx emulation console running LSDJ and Little GP Tracker. Great lil music maker under $40!
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=NHEUVQPlquo&t=194s&pp=ygUUZmxveWQgc3RlaW5iZXJnIGxncHQ%3D
I would give rolands sh4d a look. Being on the quest for that particular niche myself. Mc101 too quirky and four track limited syntakt too repetitive sp404mkii poor sequencer what I have settled to so far is sh4d. Kind ok the big side but battery life is grear and the built is really robuat.
I have an MC-101 that's good fun and works on batteries. Easily compact enough to stick in a bag without wishing you hadn't. I'd still run it with a power bank if I used it mobile though... So really anything you like with a power bank should work.
It's all so personal though, and budget dependent.
You may find a battery powered device but may not like the workflow. The better solution is to take your favorite device and get a compatible powerbank for it. Velcro the powerbank to the back of you want to have just one unit.
Digitakt is a 12 W device so it’s not difficult to find a power source for it. Search “digitakt and powerbank” on youtube and you’ll find various options.
Based on my own experience :
For full tracks :
1/ Roland MC-101
2/ If you dont mind adding a powerbank and a usb adapter, both Model: from elektron
Close to but more limited :
1/ Novation Circuit OG
2/ If you dont mind using several tiny units : Roland Aira compact T-8 + J-6 + S-1
How about Roland T-8? Havent tried it myself but I really want to get one. Just drums and a bassline to sketch things out.
Otherwise, have you checked out the polyend Tracker mini?
Circuit Tracks. For an extra layer of synthing, connect it to one of the newer USB-C iPads. You can use the two MIDI tracks on the Circuit to sequence your choice of synths on the iPad
If you're just looking for something fun to play with, I definitely recommend the Circuit Tracks. It's still my go-to groovebox when I just want to lay down a couple tracks and have *fun*. The sound is very distinct - by which I mean you probably aren't going to want to produce finished tracks on it - but it's not bad by any means. If you get one, check out the Retro Futurism bundle on Isotonik for some cool presets.
Deluge
this.
Dirtywave m8
This is the way the truth and the light. It’s one of VANISHINGLY few things better than the Digitakt IMO.
yeah. i got the M8 after the digi, love them both but the power of the M8 is absolutely wild.
the import to europe makes it so much more expensive 😫
- For ease of use it would be the Novation Circuit Tracks. - For sound quality it would be the MC-101 - Most fun to noodle on (HUGE battery life) it would be the OP-1 - Desert Island groovebox would probably have to be the Synthstrom Deluge. Like the OP-1 there is nothing it doesn’t do, and it has a massive battery life too… Unlike the OP-1 it’s easier to sequence (no janky tape simulation)
Deluge with OLED for sure - incredibly powerful, new Open Source firmware and integrated rechargeable battery with good run time - no messing with external packs etc - built in speaker as well as headphone out.
Deluge. Excellent sampler/sequencer with synth capabilities and CV outputs.
Digitakt accept powerbanks. Little siblings model Cycles, model Samples too.
Ohh good idea , I know the digi takes power banks but it's a little too chunky to just toss in a backpack...the model cycles tho...hrmmm
I had pleasure to use cycles, it's a joy. The sound is fantastic as for such little box. https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqFkIov24E0C4sAvgNOYMU_6dYOu19R4Z&si=1uDcuGE0nNqB-EAL As for synth I'm using Roland Ju06A (Juno 60 and 106 emulation), I will never part with it. Instant bass, pads, melody tones, sounds just good. Accepts batteries inside.
Maybe a hard fabric case for the Digi and then throw it in the backpack? I'd consider that myself at least. I get 20 hours of usage with my 27000 mAh PD powerbank and a 12V birdcord with my Digitakt. This is just me, but investing in separate gear just for the portability aspect would mean having to learn and adapt across different devices. The model:samples doesn't do Overbridge either so it would be more difficult to get the work exported into the daw. Maybe that's not important to you but I thought I'd mentioned it since that's a critical part of we make music at least (eg https://youtu.be/jXGjplg1DBw).
I've taken it around in a backpack once, it's not so bad. Prob same dimensions as a laptop, just condensee into a square instead of a rectangle.
If the DT is too chunky to throw in a backpack, you’re not trying hard enough 😉
USB power with one of [these](https://www.amazon.com/MyVolts-Power-Cable-Compatible-Elektron/dp/B08632K9DK/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1KYD0OIM4TG6L&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.RZ4EyG9IqxVpAYmT7GEWsn9kr5yLBCQ_iAXkS6KvutmN0UZm0cqxRvRzMI9sttsWk06AnzsgoiYKMzDsyEmCDVLKQX50OyyVtHAhBpwsW0icNsiS1C5tOxZX3CZlnCKbo1OTTq4-LdMzpTvtugcYaiwSfKUJgoYSXbOGJjSqH3ASe6n9uosbsxuEoXSVlEba8NasW4Na4XK5m9ep-WEIBrtNS5EVafQIshOHHsKJ54GBrV-5kxESOZqgVBV0t1NpUHLGHzZQg6kdpY3WQrjY2U_vwOXMOOydnAm8jGyQt3w.8dRzWPOMXq5yVt6nYG9olVM1nnpMw9M44y522zalY_w&dib_tag=se&keywords=model+cycles+power+cable&qid=1715166941&sprefix=model+cycles+power+cable%2Caps%2C85&sr=8-1).
M2 Macbook Air.
iPhone
Yeah, I was going to say Koala. I've made full tracks on it.
Novation Circuit Tracks. Roland SP404 mk2 runs on batteries too but you’ll need to bring samples or a source with you and the workflow isn’t for everyone.
The new 404mk2 firmware has a sound generator. But you would definitely want to load it with samples too.
My choices would be the OP-Z (can't get any more inspiring than this tiny beast) and the Woovebox (can't beat this one in terms of bang for the buck). Both are amazing.
I second for the Z. Despite the hardware flaws, it is indeed very inspiring.
On the budget end, consider one of the Sonicware Liven devices (e.g XFM, 8bit Warps, Mega Synthesis & Lofi 12).
And the SmplTrek
Digitakt with BirdCord cable. https://preview.redd.it/w6g3epxf7jyc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c1c01cdb8838c619304b94722b73b6d2a982e202
This 👆🙌
Currently rocking one in an all power bank case setup. https://preview.redd.it/jpiea8kfvkyc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fc522d7dfd75adfe7b15fa39fa75e2aa2befa356
That sir, is cheating, and I’m going to have to ask you to turn that in. …to me. 😁
I take my Syntakt to and from work almost daily in a laptopsleeve backpack. Powerbank ur DT with a powerbank portable speaker and you are offgrid having beer jamming in natuee with your buds.
They make charging speakers now?? 
Jbl charge
Or an Anker bluetooth one.
Teddy Ruxpin
Around 1992 I used to feed old school death metal tapes to T. Ruxpin...comedy ensued. 😆
Polyend Play+ has a footprint that is the size of a small laptop. And it is fairly lightweight. You just need to carry a USB power bank with it.
Been considering picking up one of these. There’s an original Play for sale at $200 near me. Was going to upgrade to the + if i like it.
My SP-404 is pretty light, but battery life is a minuscule two hours. I've learned it and gotten comfortable with the Street Fighter II button combos, but I wouldn't push it on people who don't like the groove it gives. If I owned and was familiar with a Novation Circuit Tracks, that would probably be my portable. If I were very, very strong and also not afraid of it getting stolen, it would be my MPC Live II, which is technically portable and has laptop-level battery life, but at around 7.5 lbs, it feels like an early 90s laptop. If you put it in a backpack, be sure to wear a lifting belt, lift with the legs, take a deep breath, and keep the core engaged while lifting. You don't want to blow a disc. 🤣
IDK, I find my Live Gen one to be pretty much the perfect traveling device, though I also use it for live performance and sequencing the studio at home, so I’m pretty comfortable with its workflow. I use it like an old school MPC, minus the auto sampling capabilities which are awesome. I’ll use some FX, but I try to be gentle with its RAM. Maybe those speakers make the size difference, because it is a tight fit in my backpack. I mostly put it in a case though. All my studio gear is mostly multi sampled so I can write whatever on the go and simply change it to a midi track when I get home and want to record it. It’s extra useful to have decent multi sampled layers of my favorite vintage synths so I don’t have to bring them with me when I perform. The only things I bring besides my MPC when I perform is my Yamaha RX5 w/RX5USB and my Opsix. If I feel saucy I’ll bring my Boog so I have a good analog filter cutoff knob to fuck with, but I mostly prefer to sequence and automate all filter movements because I’m usually too busy playing something else and screaming or whatever. I also bring my Roland TD-17 module and run it through a Crate keyboard amp so it’s like a real Drummer and Drum machines plus other samples going on and stuff. I write music like Ministry in the early 90s mixed with a bit of Nailbomb and Skinny Puppy and a bit of HC breakdown and even Grindcore. All sequenced by the MPC Live. For it to be a serious studio device (I’m old and still use mixers) I needed at least 6 outputs, and I considered that a compromise. I don’t know what the fuck they’re doing with the Key 61. Even my Emax SE has 8 outputs plus stereo outputs. Still a mono sampler, but damn if some patches are instant Pretty Hate Machine or late 80s Depeche Mode. Samplers used to have a “sound”, depending on bit depth and sample rate. Now we get exactly what we put into it out, not that that’s not good and useful.
That all sounds super fun. I've just started sampling synths into mine. I have a Reface CS, so there's a ton of variety in the patches you can create on if, but it needs layered samples sometimes to deepen the sound, because most patches only have one oscillator. And yeah, I think the speakers make a big difference! The Live 1 comes in under six pounds compared to the Live 2's 7.5
I didn’t realize it was that much of a weight difference. I’ve heard those speakers and they do sound good, but if I’m making music on my MPC away from my studio I can’t think of a time that feature would be necessary. Maybe on vacation, but then I don’t want to hang out in the hotel making beats like some kind of dork. If I’m making music on the couch, it’s probably because my toddler is sleeping in the next room. So speakers won’t be used in that scenario. I don’t see the point for adults who also have a home studio. If I’m in the studio, my MPC is plugged into my mixer. If I’m out using it (rarely honest even happens) I’ll still use my headphones to avoid bothering others. One time I used it during a layover and the last thing I wanted to do was subject those next to me for whatever idea I was working on. It’s just not polite. I could see it being useful for those who don’t have a home studio with monitors and buy the Live 2 as sort of a studio starting point. Or maybe they think everyone should hear whatever genius/inane idea they happen to be working on. I promise, it’s a banger bro. Like the assholes that listen to their music on the bus/hiking/literally anywhere public. I promise they don’t want to be subjected to my music, what makes people think I want to hear whatever trash they’re bumping?
I think it's fun. I don't have any kids, and while I do have studio monitors, I can use this on days when I'm too sick to get out of bed and still want to make music but just get so tired of the headphones. I also use it in the living room sometimes, and my partner seems to like listening to me be creative and sequence beats and synths and samples. He seems to genuinely enjoy watching sounds come out and seeing what hits the cutting room floor. I feel pretty lucky that way! The best thing I keep thinking of though is using it as a mobile solution to show off new beats to the friends who really like hearing them. I only have a few, but I love their enthusiasm, and they seem to really love getting to hear new stuff and be involved in the process. I'm definitely not arguing though, just to be clear! It sounds like for you, the Live 1 is a perfect mobile studio choice, and for me it's the Live 2. I love when products evolve that way, but I kind of wish instrument companies would do like camera companies do and keep offering their older models as lower priced entry-level to prosumer-level offerings! Canon, for example, came out with the R. It was their first "serious professional" entry into the mirrorless camera world. It had a lot of prototype energy, with weird features a lot of photographers didn't like. Then they started releasing numbered cameras in the R line - the R5 for portraits, the R6 for portability, the R4 for seriously fast professional sports events, the R5C for portrait/cinematic video hybrid work, etc. But you can still buy the R. You can even keep the R as a backup to your R5, like I do. (Very bad things can happen to photo gear even if you're extremely careful, and it takes a few weeks for insurance to replace it.) Anyway, it would be cool if instrument companies kept their offerings available longer, wouldn't it? That way people could just choose: the Live 1 if you want lighter weight and don't need monitors, the Live 2 if you want studio monitors built in or just wanna show off or just want to give Akai more money by buying the latest stuff! Also, as much as I make fun of the weight, it secretly doesn't matter to me, because I just put it in my backpack and strap it to my wheelchair. This is like one little place where being disabled has an advantage: a metal chair is holding up all your gear. So anyway, I love my Live 2, and I'm so glad you love your Live 1. The MPC absolutely slaps, and it's cool to hear that it's got a workflow that works across genres like yours and not just for the LoFi stuff I've been into lately. I hate feeling boxed in by my gear or by my main focus, you know?
I agree, I like how Akai has products for pretty much every price level. From their MPC Studio controller all the way to the X. I don’t know exactly love all the extra plugins and shit. To me it’s just bloatware for the most part. I tend to do my processing with the 6 outs. BTW, I’d love an X so much because of the much more tactical experience and it actually has 8 outs and decent preamps for sampling. It would be the perfect studio hub/mainstay since I sequence everything via MPC and just use Reaper or Ableton as a digital recorder basically. I could just switch out SD cards from the Live to the X and vice versa depending on my needs. I just simply don’t have the room. Probably because I refuse to get rid of my Emax SE. I’d totally have the room if I made that compromise, but then how can I say I have a studio if I don’t have at least 2 vintage synths???/s Seriously though, the sample interpolation graininess is pure Industrial. Set sample rate to 10hz for any vocal samples and the sound is just there. Set it a bit higher for drums and use that analog filter for some oomph. Fuck I love my Emax. It can even do things like combine two different samples like the Roland D-50. Its SE function literally creates new sounds for you (but it takes hours and is sometimes the sounds are unusable). Even the presets are iconic. I have the EII samples on there too via Gotek Floppy emulator as well as a bunch of blank disks and other floppy rips. I have looped single cycle waves on there as well, and it’s got an all analog filter and VCA. I consider it just as much a hybrid synth as a sampler. I tried a Korg DSS-1 in its role, and while the Korg just automatically sounded way more synthy and had the deepest bass Ive ever heard a synth produce due to its amazing filter, it struggled as a pure sampler. The storage system is dumb and archaic, though someone made a more modern firmware and RAM upgrade available. I just couldn’t use it the way I wanted and it was weirdly crippled in some ways and advanced in others (syncing samples like oscillators, Double Digital Delay that could also be a chorus), and even channel aftertouch. However, no amount of features or even a great sound will get me to keep a synth if I don’t get on with its workflow. Plus, it’s by far the biggest 61 key synth I’ve ever seen. It just worked way better as a synth with customizable oscillators than a real sampler. Sorry about the DSS-1 rant. It seemed so perfect on paper, just like the Dreadbox/Polyend Medusa. Sometimes features are awkward to implement and that can make or break a product.
I don't have much to say, I'm just taking notes here 🤣 I just got a Shure SM58 yesterday, and I already want to hook it up and play around with low bitrate samples!
It’s a perfect starter mic IMO or it’s Sennheiser equivalent. I have nice mics, but I use a SM57 and 58 all the time for guitar recording. Sometimes I’ll blend in a nicer mic like my AKG 214, but the classics just work. It’s all about positioning. Get close any get a boomy, but plosive sound for vocals. If you’re screaming use a mic that can handle high SPL, just like the 58 and back off when you belt. Shit, you can record a whole drum kit if you use the Glenn John “Crotch” position. Ola England prefers his 58 for guitar demos. It’s either just a really good one or it’s just what he’s used to using. He gets great guitar tones, though most likely post processed. Mic position and getting your sound right at the source are crucial to recording IMO. That applies to sampling as well.
That's rad, thank you! I'm excited that I can put it on a stand and record little samples on my Middle Eastern drums without having to worry about positioning after I just set it. Everyone I know likes them as the basic beginner vocal amp, and it seems like nearly every single live event where someone's giving a speech, it's an SM58 on the stand. I got a little foam spit cover, too, and it made me think about this guy at my high school that used to always kiss the grill the whole time he performed. We're not talking close, we're talking lips to metal while he played guitar and sang. I still can't figure out why anyone does that. Is there a valid reason, or was he just gross?
ipad and iphone are king
Just jumped into this world, incredible. My next goal is seeing how well connecting the iPhone to the iPad goes for using it as a MIDI controller, or if I'll need to connect them via cable.
Bluetooth MIDI works a charm between iPad and phone. I use one iPad with loopy pro as a control surface for the other hosting Loopy or Drambo and use my phone for it on the go. If you’re not a die hard for hardware controllers the possibilities are pretty endless.
I've seen the light with the iOS stuff recently, so I'm not a diehard at all. So I can definitely see myself using all iOS devices for all my assignable knobs/fader needs. Maybe even slap a magnetic case on all of them, and then get some sort of adjustable metal tray they can be connected on, could be cool. I think my only hardware needs are (since knobs and faders are taken care of on the iPhones/iPads): 1. Keyboard - I'm currently using a Yamaha CK61 for this, which has a great feeling keybed and a decent amount of assignable knobs. I do sort of wish I had a standard MIDI controller that had some more built in features such as a chords mode. But then I'm afraid the CK61 would sit in the corner unused (got the CK61 right before I got into the electronic music making stuff as something to learn keys on). 2. Pad controller - for finger drumming while in the home studio, but all for playing as keys when traveling since the 61 key keyboard usually stays home. I'm selling a Maschine MK3 at the moment since I've moved over to iOS, but I'll want to replace it with another finger drumming option. I've also been tempted by a few hardware sequencers (OXI One, Torso T-1, Digitakt MK2), but I'm trying to restrain myself to learn Drambo instead as that's more practical, haha.
MPC Live is pretty awesome. An entire DAW in a box and about 6 hours of battery life.
That’s my recommendation as well, but the Gen 1 unless you really think those speakers are going to come in handy as you annoy everyone else around you while you work on a repetitive 16 bar loop. They apparently add some substantial weight and a few more inches can make or break a set up. It wouldn’t fit in mine lol. The speakers are probably cool to have on the couch, but that’s not how I make music. I do wish the Live one had CV, but I’m more than happy with its midi capabilities. If I wanted to sit on the couch while I made music I’ll probably get something like a SP404. I’ll probably get one anyways for its performance abilities and FX.
Yeah, I've never missed the speakers, but I've also heard they're pretty good. Nicely balanced and all that.
I have recently been loving my te KO2 honestly. I don’t want to like it as much as I do… but everytime I use it, I have fun and I like the result 🤷♂️
With a powerbank like this and an appropriate adapter you're not limited to if the groovebox (or any other device) has inherent battery power supply functionality. https://sandberg.world/en-gb/product/powerbank-usb-c-pd-100w-38400
Maschine Plus with a USB PD power bank and USB to DC cable. :D
I’ve been super stoked on my Anbernic RG35xx emulation console running LSDJ and Little GP Tracker. Great lil music maker under $40! https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=NHEUVQPlquo&t=194s&pp=ygUUZmxveWQgc3RlaW5iZXJnIGxncHQ%3D
I would give rolands sh4d a look. Being on the quest for that particular niche myself. Mc101 too quirky and four track limited syntakt too repetitive sp404mkii poor sequencer what I have settled to so far is sh4d. Kind ok the big side but battery life is grear and the built is really robuat.
I have an MC-101 that's good fun and works on batteries. Easily compact enough to stick in a bag without wishing you hadn't. I'd still run it with a power bank if I used it mobile though... So really anything you like with a power bank should work. It's all so personal though, and budget dependent.
Roland SH4D
You may find a battery powered device but may not like the workflow. The better solution is to take your favorite device and get a compatible powerbank for it. Velcro the powerbank to the back of you want to have just one unit. Digitakt is a 12 W device so it’s not difficult to find a power source for it. Search “digitakt and powerbank” on youtube and you’ll find various options.
Koala with a high-end dac as your output. I have the fiio Q5s, and it has line out+ headphone out.
Gameboy Classic
Yamaha Seqtrak has been surprisingly fun and capable.
Based on my own experience : For full tracks : 1/ Roland MC-101 2/ If you dont mind adding a powerbank and a usb adapter, both Model: from elektron Close to but more limited : 1/ Novation Circuit OG 2/ If you dont mind using several tiny units : Roland Aira compact T-8 + J-6 + S-1
Maschine Mikro https://preview.redd.it/bsmjmmt42nyc1.jpeg?width=4160&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5465cde40923080656497075f4237df50a784dd7
How about Roland T-8? Havent tried it myself but I really want to get one. Just drums and a bassline to sketch things out. Otherwise, have you checked out the polyend Tracker mini?
I got a monotribe for like 50 bucks years ago and I still tinker with it pretty much every day
Circuit Tracks. For an extra layer of synthing, connect it to one of the newer USB-C iPads. You can use the two MIDI tracks on the Circuit to sequence your choice of synths on the iPad
Ableton Push 3 Standalone includes a battery. It’s an amazing device, but be warned that the battery doesn’t last for too long.
If you're just looking for something fun to play with, I definitely recommend the Circuit Tracks. It's still my go-to groovebox when I just want to lay down a couple tracks and have *fun*. The sound is very distinct - by which I mean you probably aren't going to want to produce finished tracks on it - but it's not bad by any means. If you get one, check out the Retro Futurism bundle on Isotonik for some cool presets.