I’ve been writing about my journey into hardware-based music production for the last few years. It’s been a great experience so far, and I’ve learned a lot, but I know I still have a lot to learn. I started out by writing about a few devices which have greatly inspired me, each with its own unique workflow. I started my journey with a groove box, the MPC One, and shortly after I added another one to my setup. The Elektron Digitakt allowed me to create very interesting patterns in ways I never would have considered on the MPC, with the use of individual step parameter locks and other features which are hallmarks of the Elektron workflow, which I’ve really grown to enjoy. The first hardware synth I picked up was the Arturia Microfreak. I got it because of its mod matrix, which allows the user to modulate different parameters of a patch with other parameters on the synth. In a way it is kind of like modular synthesis, except the connections are done with settings on a screen, as opposed to using patch cables. I’ve created some interesting presets on the MicroFreak, which I’ve saved for future use on my tracks. Arturia is a well-known company in the hardware music world, and their products are of the highest quality, both in the hardware world as well as the software side of things. I found out how good the products were on the software side when I purchased my first Midi keyboard to control the MPC and hardware synths, since the Keylab registration also allowed me access to Analog Lab. I might write a post about Analog Lab in the future, but today’s post is strictly about hardware. So, when I got my midi keyboard I started learning the piano on YouTube in order to be able to create melodies I could play on my hardware synths, since I knew the MicroFreak definitely wouldn’t be my last one. After years of just using VSTs, I realized just how much more fun and immediate hardware was. It actually inspired me to create my own patches, rather than just using presets. I was hooked. My second hardware synth was the Elektron Digitone. As I mentioned, the Digitakt made me a fan of the Elektron workflow in general, and now I wanted to see how well it worked with a synth rather than a sampler. The Digitone is an FM synthesizer. FM synthesis stands for frequency modulation, and although it’s not one of the easiest forms of synthesis to master, that didn’t stop me from diving right in to creating patches on the Digitone. I’ve been slowly watching tutorials on FM synthesis, and although it’s still complicated, I’m slowly piecing the knowledge together and enjoying the learning process. As I mentioned in yesterday’s post, I started with an audio interface for recording my gear, namely the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2. Very quickly I upgraded to the 4i4, but eventually ended up picking up a hardware mixer for more hands-on control of the signals I recorded into FL Studio. I kept the 4i4 though, and to this day it is still incorporated into my general setup in a cool way I’ll describe in a future post.
I appreciate you reading.
rebel eye 