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I'm demo-ing a micro brute at my local store saturday and wandered if anyone could recommend any other hardware synths in that category to also maybe look at.

its gonna be my first hardware synth, i don't want it for anything particular but to give me something to play with and maybe help me understand sound design furthermore.

i make music within the 135-140 bracket which is on the deeper side of things, making sounds like maybe the old headhunter, martyn kinda tip if that helps with things?

mac wrote:I'm demo-ing a micro brute at my local store saturday and wandered if anyone could recommend any other hardware synths in that it siundsategory to also maybe look at.

its gonna be my first hardware synth, i don't want it for anything particular but to give me something to play with and maybe help me understand sound design furthermore.

i make music within the 135-140 bracket which is on the deeper side of things, making sounds like maybe the old headhunter, martyn kinda tip if that helps with things?

If you can demo a Bass Station II do it. Different vibe than the MicroBrute. I love my MiniBrute though...which is fairly similar in sound. You could probably also get Blofeld at that price range figure...more versatile but has matrix style controls. You could also get a used Nord Lead 2x which is my next big synth purchase.


Fwiw I use my MicroBrute on every track since I got it. Usually not for bass deep bass...though it can do that. Also like a lot of analogs it sounds dusty/dry...needs some rich fx to really bring it to life.

I loved the Bass station II when I demo'd it. Can get some really huge sounds

Have a look at the Novation Mini Nova.

+1 for checking out the Bass Station II. I love it.

microbrute is cool for sure

fragments wrote:Also like a lot of analogs it sounds dusty/dry

Dusty and dry?

Simulant wrote:

fragments wrote:Also like a lot of analogs it sounds dusty/dry

Dusty and dry?

Maybe not the best descriptions. Just feel like it really comes alive with a bit of chorus or delay.

EDIT: I know what I want to say. It sounds raw, which can work on its own depending on what you are going for. I've had a MicroBrute and a Mopho desktop, both have aggressive analog filters with filter feedback distortion of some type (if I am not mistaken). A nice, lush delay based FX can do wonders for getting something a bit more tame out of these boxes.

I really like the K station too.

Novation do great synths on a budget.

fragments wrote:EDIT: I know what I want to say. It sounds raw, which can work on its own depending on what you are going for. I've had a MicroBrute and a Mopho desktop, both have aggressive analog filters with filter feedback distortion of some type (if I am not mistaken). A nice, lush delay based FX can do wonders for getting something a bit more tame out of these boxes.

Yeah I see what you're saying now. I find that a touch of reverb with pre-delay can work wonders on some synth patches.

fragments wrote:

Simulant wrote:

fragments wrote:Also like a lot of analogs it sounds dusty/dry

Dusty and dry?

Maybe not the best descriptions. Just feel like it really comes alive with a bit of chorus or delay.

EDIT: I know what I want to say. It sounds raw, which can work on its own depending on what you are going for. I've had a MicroBrute and a Mopho desktop, both have aggressive analog filters with filter feedback distortion of some type (if I am not mistaken). A nice, lush delay based FX can do wonders for getting something a bit more tame out of these boxes.

Who wants tame? haha

I know what you mean though I think. Lots of reverb on my old MS20 changes it from sounding thick and dirty and moves into Sci Fi lead territory.

wolf89 wrote:

fragments wrote:

Simulant wrote:

fragments wrote:Also like a lot of analogs it sounds dusty/dry

Dusty and dry?

Maybe not the best descriptions. Just feel like it really comes alive with a bit of chorus or delay.

EDIT: I know what I want to say. It sounds raw, which can work on its own depending on what you are going for. I've had a MicroBrute and a Mopho desktop, both have aggressive analog filters with filter feedback distortion of some type (if I am not mistaken). A nice, lush delay based FX can do wonders for getting something a bit more tame out of these boxes.

Who wants tame? haha

I know what you mean though I think. Lots of reverb on my old MS20 changes it from sounding thick and dirty and moves into Sci Fi lead territory.

Yea...raw as fuck can be good...real good... but sometimes you gotta break out the silk sheets n whatnot.

legend4ry wrote:I really like the K station too.

Novation do great synths on a budget.

yeah i got the bass station 2 a few months ago, not super pricy and definitely worth it! can get all sorts of cool sounds, i really like Novations synths (for the price)

elyhess wrote:

legend4ry wrote:I really like the K station too.

Novation do great synths on a budget.

yeah i got the bass station 2 a few months ago, not super pricy and definitely worth it! can get all sorts of cool sounds, i really like Novations synths (for the price)

I'm really trying to not want a BSII since I already have two mono synths...

My answer might sound a bit bummer-ish and un-fun, but the first thing you should buy is a decent interface/soundcard.

I've got a pile of synths at home now, and no proper way to really record them.

andius wrote:My answer might sound a bit bummer-ish and un-fun, but the first thing you should buy is a decent interface/soundcard.

I've got a pile of synths at home now, and no proper way to really record them.

It would be a great start hah!

I just ordered this : http://www.thomann.de/gb/zoom_r24.htm cause the Saffire 6 is WAY to limiting.

legend4ry wrote:

andius wrote:My answer might sound a bit bummer-ish and un-fun, but the first thing you should buy is a decent interface/soundcard.

I've got a pile of synths at home now, and no proper way to really record them.

It would be a great start hah!

I just ordered this : http://www.thomann.de/gb/zoom_r24.htm cause the Saffire 6 is WAY to limiting.

Nice. Been eyeballing that Zoom series for a while

fragments wrote:

legend4ry wrote:

andius wrote:My answer might sound a bit bummer-ish and un-fun, but the first thing you should buy is a decent interface/soundcard.

I've got a pile of synths at home now, and no proper way to really record them.

It would be a great start hah!

I just ordered this : http://www.thomann.de/gb/zoom_r24.htm cause the Saffire 6 is WAY to limiting.

Nice. Been eyeballing that Zoom series for a while

i have a question on that unit. from the below picture;



that's the back of the unit. each channel has an input, the black connectors. however there is only one input 'socket' per channel, whereas synths/drum machines etc have a dual L/R output, like a red/black phono cable.

is there a convertor that changes the red/black phono to a single big connector to fit into the back of that unit, or do you lose either the left or right channel depending?

or do you run the left into one channel and the right into the other?

this may be a bit of a dumb question but i've not used a lot of hardware.

Each strip apart from the master is a mono input.

You'd use a cable like this :

Then plug it into 1/2, 3/4, 5/6 or 7/8.

so using that cable i'd have to have each side going to a different channel if i wanted stereo?


or if i outputted from the synth or whatever with only one channel, and just hard pan it right or left depending on which side i'm using?