Lol Simon I just got done telling Noir What a great job and I must do the same with you man. I am well into my eurorack life now and I share a lot of livestreams (closing on 1000 sub finally) but what is really funny is, my first introduction to you was in your bathtub going off on Jade (Dawless thingy) 😂😂 Something about ..... selling out for Namm???🤷🏼♂️😂😂😂😂 too funny, much respect! Love to be in touch on some gears and modulars and bending bending 👻
Halloween things are holding him back. His music is so good it’s heavenly and was made for God almighty and all things great. It’s the satanic vibe holding this guy back. Halloween is a whole dark spiritual realm within itself. Most people have no ideal what it’s about and flirt with the story book idea of it. He is soooo talented though.
@@Gooneridgetv It aint Halloween every day. That can't be what's holding him back, what about the other 360ish days in the year? Not to mention there's the same Satanic (Saturnalia) vibe with Christmas too.
Gotta tell you, even with the Halloween special theme and horror parody, this is a better video review of this instrument than the "demo" videos from Novation and Swee--('scuse me) Sourwater. Even with all the acting, you tell more truth about this mini-synth than anyone else does, probably because you aren't working for an advertiser...or because I really just want to hear about a musical instrument from someone who plays the instrument. Bravo, and thank you!
@@NoirEtBlancVie Cool video. At the end you gave this an 8 out of 10, and said only the jdxi is slightly better... You gave the jdxi 7.5 Let me know your final verdict because that is kind of conflicting (I'm deciding between the two)
@@TV-Villain it’s really not that either is “better” they’re more just different. The JDXi offers the supernatural engine and of course an analog voice, which expands the sonic palette far beyond the mininova. BUT, the JDXi has the menu system from hell and it sucks in my opinion. Mininova is much more acceptable to dive into. All this said, don’t take my word for it, I based everything off feel and fit creative flow. Please sit down with both of you can, they really feel different in practice.
@@NoirEtBlancVie Thank you very much for the feedback! Creative diversity is the best fit for my taste. I've heard about the menu on the Jdxi, but that's an obstacle, once overcome, can be akin to a knowledgeable access key Rolodex. Thanks again and keep creating buddy!
Great job dude. I wouldnt in a million years have guessed you were going to cover the Mininova. Must admit I've overlooked it over the years but this looks like it still holds up well. As always nice job on the video production too.
Thanks Dave, yeah, people don’t really get that this channel is all about me exploring pieces from my history, so yeah, old synths I never got around to are really the theme of the channel for the OMSRs. It’s a good thing for me because old gear is good too, I know YT peeps love new shiny stuff, but this is music right, if it can make harmony and a melody it never has an expiration date.
@@NoirEtBlancVie I smell what you're stepping in alright. I honestly believe one of the few things newer synths have going forthem is improved technology for connectivity. It just means the convenience of updates over USB is pretty painless, plus class compliance is becoming really common these days. A lot of manufacturers doing a great job of keeping the buzz factor up on their synths for an extended period by dropping big feature updates that are a doddle to quickly install. You're absolutely right about the older stuff being eveey bit as capable of making as good music too. I wonder has anyone ever done a video covering where cheaper, older synths have been used on big records? That's a common one in the guitar world, where guitar magazine cover famous recordings where cheap guitars, amps or pedals have been used and have taken nothing away from the quality of the song. I dont think I've ever seen an equivalent synth story though.
I have a MiniNova. Lot of different sounds in there. It can sound both digital and analog. The presets are drenched in effects, but you can change that with a knob turn. Not a bad little machine. The mini-keys are kind of annoying though.
great video! I worked very closely with the Mininova and have owned two JD-XI's and yes, the roland is multitimbral, has a sequencer and roland drum machine, there were many areas where MN outperformed the JD-XI. From a dawless perspective the JD-XI has the same ridiculous issues as other (cough) Juno Di (cough) Roland synths: Arp won't run under external sequencer control. (Rolands work-around is to record it to a sequence.. but then it's a sequence..) They make you menu dive for ADSR. There just isn't enough front panel control for it to be as fun or versatile as it looks. The way the effects are laid out and cut out the sound entirely when switching them makes the entire thing feel like a toy. Where the Mininova has the same type of button/knob matrix as a Venom or a Blofeld. That configuration is so powerful and accesses most of what you need right there. It will also run the arp on play start when you ask it to. I believe the vocoder is better as well. I love being able to make arp patterns in performance. I wrote an entire 9 point issue breakdown of the Roland. That really was the nail in the coffin. I'll take a MN over a JD any day of the week.
Mininova needs more love, great video, what reviewers rarely mention is the fantastic mininova editor vst that brings all the functionality and effects within much easier reach. What an amazing little synth this is. I also have the JDXi which is great also with its 4 track poly sequencer and analog mono synth but it just cant freak a sound like the mininova. But it’s like our secret :)
One of the best buys I made. I had a MicroKorg before but didn’t like it much. Finally got a Mininova like I wanted to start with and never looked back.
💀 Wooowww the twiddle zone!!! Omg this was so creative !!!! 🕯 You’re such a great actor while still doing your thing! Hahahhaa the humor in between! 😂That voice! The animation! What?!!
Warms my ❤️ to see mininova love, what a GEM!!! Can't say enough about how the Animate buttons are like built in effect pedals. The size of a Dave Smith desk Module with endless sonic possibilities. Awesome upload
One of our fave features on the Mininova is the oscillator Density feature - being able to make SuperSaw leads across 3 oscillators without impacting polyphony is a huuuuge plus, after working with the Blofeld, and MicroKorg XL - it ranks up with the Nord Lead 3 for that kind of baller functionality
Awesome vid and review about an awesome synth. Laughed out loud several times. I absolutely love my MiniNova! So glad that the Ultranova at Guitar Center was is less than adequate shelf demo shape with the German menu loaded, no less-that I went with the MiniNova.
Ah the mini nova, the second synth I ever bought and currently still one of my personal favorite for its vocoding capabilities, arpegiator, and awesome bank of sounds as well as being able to produce an easily modifiable Talkbox Sawtooth sound
Sounds quite comparable to the Arturia microfreak in those regards. Have you used this synth at all to compare the two? Actual keyboard vs the capacitive touch keybed on the freak might be a dealbreaker for some.
I didn’t know it was the theme from “The Exorcist”- I thought it was Mike Oldfield’s ‘Tubular Bells’. That’ll teach me to listen to music when I should have been sneaking into x-rated movies!
@@constantfind9052 easy, no, easier than say other digital synths with menu systems you have to dive through, yes. It’s probably the easiest type of this kind of synth I’ve used. That said, I’d much rather make sounds with dedicated knobs, but that’s gonna cost way more!
Mininova is fantastic. Tons of excellent presets and fun, responsive, controls. And if you don’t mind the menu diving, almost nothing you can’t do with it. Every time I think about selling it (because of newer fancy expensive synths) I remember how great it sounds and can’t bear to let it go. Wonderful vid!
Dude! Your video absolutely convinced me to purchase the mininova for customizing sounds for my Halloween laser/light show. I was on the fence but your experience, humor and originality won me over. Thank you and subscribed!
Even if I've already seen a million reviews and know exactly how the synth sounds I can't help but click on your reviews. This Halloween special was just as creative as last years, and your production is always top notch. Really happy to see you doing more videos this year.
Yeah love it! This was my first digital synth, got it dirt cheap on ebay. It's definitively a overlooked gem. Check out the Morodernova patches, they're really good!
The intro was a masterpiece. Kudos to the fellow doing the Rod Serling monologue! I personally hate bright sound most of the novatin presets have, but I definitely respect their synth engine prowess. Also, RIP Chris Huggett, designer of the nova synth engine as well as many other synths. Now back to my Friday the 13th Marathon, I'm on part III already.
Well-done and fun! I've had a Mininova for a couple of months now, and I too have played a lot of synths. The thing is mind boggling. If you can imagine it, you can probably create it on this lil' beast! I will completely forgive Novation for going cheap and creaky on the case for the astonishing guts inside. Their decisions, after all, are why my next serious synth is going to be a Peak!
@@NoirEtBlancVie he loves the xd , too 😄 do you know ,, Bad gear,,? Check him out , he makes real entertaining reviews about , shitty gear . You and him are my covid-good-mood-anyway-emergency-program😁
The Halloween specials are always the best! The mini keys teeth gag was just great, hahaha. Other faves: the shrug + knife stab shot, the descent into insanity intro, etc... totally hilarious. 💯% I feel like I am watching the best UHF station show of all time on geeky synths
nice vid - I got one of these when it came out and was pretty blown away with all the features and sound options - make sure you load the "MoroderNova" presets if you like Giorgio Moroder stuff - FYI the MoroderNova version was their first attempt at the AFX Station "upgrade" idea, where the firmware and presets work fine in the original model I'm glad you mentioned the animate buttons, as they are my favorite feature and they make a huge difference in patch tweaks and are amazing for live performance - the fact that you can stack several at once with multiple fingers or via the hold button (or some hold, some live twiddles) is crazy good and makes for a lot of fun surprises as the modes interact in different ways, and helps to make up for the lack of aftertouch on the keys having 2 different MicroKorgs, this unit, and the JD-Xi has been fun to see how each subsequent unit has borrowed and improved or modified stuff from the previous unit - the JD-Xi has the pitch-to MIDI function on the mic input which is also really cool if you adapt other instruments to it like another synth, a guitar, or a theremin. :-) keep up the good work By the way, did you check out those other wind controllers I mentioned?
My first synth 😭 I still use it, however I always had a persistent urge to get a Minilogue as well for those true analog oscillators, and luckily I waited and the XD came out, so now I have both. This is still a very powerful synth, and even after owning it for so many years, there are still many features and potential I have yet to unlock. It really can do anything, and I'll always have a soft spot for it. Plus, it's just beautiful! It's basically a Microkorg but easier to program and look at.🎹
Well done! Your production style continues to set your videos apart. For the future, a comparison of the Microfreak and Mini Nova vocoders? Rock M Sock M robot voice off....
Your microfreak halloween episode is the one that make me subscribe to your channel. And this halloween mininova is RAD!! I want those two nightmare-ish Synths!!!
This is amazing. On every level. And appreciated. First video of yours I've ever ran into. Was just looking to hear some mininova noises. Got way more, lol.
The Ultranova is also a beast! I think It's the mininova... but in a bigger shell. I may need fact-checking on that one! Oh, it has full-sized keys too ;) Great vid as always!
Loved the production. Very funny stuff. I am not an autograph person but if I saw you in person , I would want your autograph. Only one critique, make the demo sounds louder so I don't have to boost my volume and then lower it when you start talking again. I have been around for ever (to give you an idea, my mother bought me a Korg ms-10 when I was a kid) (and I was playing Boston Foreplay at 17). I don't have a ton of gear and most of it is old (like me) but I like seeing the new stuff come out and how they continue to remake synth technology even though the sounds are still decades old. I'm not sure if you did a review on the Behringer Deep Mind 12 but would like to see that. That is another one I am impressed with.
8:17 - People say the software editor is great, but what you are expressing here is about how I feel about it. What you were about to say at the end too. Maybe not your exact same complaints, but your tone. Even once it's working, there are just so many frustrating and weird bugs. Mostly little things like stuck keys and skipping options, but it's really frustrating when it keeps happening. I vastly prefer using the device's menu and knobs for most things, though it does get a little bit tedious in the Mod Matrix. Mainly because those options are so numerous. It's a lot of scrolling to get to some of them. I eventually settled into making a general template on the computer, assigning the FX/LFOs and modulation, and routing some of the Tweak controls to settings I knew I'd want to change later. Then when I actually make a patch, I load up my template and do the fine tuning on the synth, in the menu. It's much less stressful than dealing with the computer. One small update I'd like would be the ability to assign the Vocoder and Vocal Tune toggles to Perform pads. I use both a lot, and there doesn't seem to be any way to turn those off or on without going in the menu. The reason that wasn't done is most likely because of compatibility with the UltraNova. That synth already has a Vocoder button, and doesn't have Vocal Tune. But just putting those options in the Mod Matrix would be enough of a fix, without requiring more buttons be added to the MiniNova.
Thanks for this Halloween Special and this wonderful review of one of my fav synths that I own. Happy, that it got 8 /10, which seems fair. See you next year or (maybe) earlier again. Have a good time, mate!
What’s up man!? Oh yeah, long time sub! Always ready for the new upload, hope my music fits! (Also hope you’re enjoying the Tesla 😉) I should have listened to you when it was $250 pre-split 😅 Thanks for stopping by man!
Ive owned mine for just over a year. Its awesome. So versatile, has a good selection of pre sets, and once you get into twiddling, it gets really nice! I love to use it for spacey pad sounds and drones, usually with my eurorack and Volcas. 👍
@@TLGElectro i found the files i have to download but there is no info... there are two upgrades. 1.4 and 1.5.... should i install only the last one? both? there is lack of info there. thank you again for your time!
New fav show :D I would love for you to make more beginner videos. I just bought my first (except for the one I got 20 years ago and never learned to play and that lil piano book with a battery driven piano in from when I was 5), a little microfreak. Fun, overwhelming and hard to learnd and get into this stuff and all that these amazing creations can do!
I wait all the year for this chapter, and, as always, it's awesome. And yes, botched firmware updates are the worst nightmare. I almost bricked a recently assembled NTS-1 when I tried to update the firmware and no windows PC in my house can recognize it properly and send the entire file. Fortunately I have a Mac lent to me for working at home and with that I unbricked it in a breeze. A lot of cold sweating, even if is only a 100 usd device. Imagine that with a multi-thousand machine. That's scary.
This is a fantastic video Noir, well done, always love your Halloween specials! I love my MiniNova & its engine has stood the test of time. As you've described really well, what hurts it is just that due to its age, for whatever reason, it can't be integrated into Components which really sucks because that engine really is amazing.
