Thank you Gabe, you help an absolute beginner understand the details of electronic music production so clearly, I really appreciate your style and your content. Thanks so much!
Koala sampler is one of the most instant simple yet powerful, minimalist yet fullly capable sampler app, im not certain about android but on ios its one of those must haves. i like it because its so instant, no setup, you hit a pad and it’s sampling/ stop touching the pad and it stops and you automatically save in kits, no setup nothing. Its the best way to make custom kits if you can get a good recording into it ( close the windows turn of the buzzing and humming things, gag the gamer nextdoor and feed the begging cat ahead of time....)
Koala Sampler is way more capable than it seems on the surface, for sure. I've ended up with sounds so good I had to plug my phone into my interface to record it and use it in a track, which I definitely did not expect when I picked it up. Best $5 you can spend on music gear imo
I started making beats on iMaschine on iOS, and have full albums out with the software. I’ve graduated to the full Maschine suite and hardware, and am glad I did. One thing I’ve learned, it doesn’t matter how you start, just start!
My full setup: Roland TR-6S Yamaha Reface DX Novation Mininova Novation Circuit Tracks Akai MPX16 Sample Player Korg Kaossilator 2S Guitar + PODHD500 Yamaha MG06X mixer and Behringer mini to plug everything in. Without a doubt, my favourite piece of stand alone gear is the Circuit Tracks. What an insanely powerful piece of kit! I could use nothing but this one piece to do my entire production, but as I'm a live performer, the rest of the gear adds colour. Essentially, I use the TR-6S and MPX16 as a buffer to do something interesting in between projects on the circuit tracks, and essentially crossfade from one project to the next.
using the circuit tracks with my ipad has been awesome. Using AUM and setting the midi tracks to two different synths has really made it so i can get use of all those tracks on the go.
Question: Since circuit tracks cannot record from external inputs, how do you usually save things that are being sequenced on that other synths? Also, if I wanted to have this external audio processed with circuit recorded I would have to record it from circuits outputs, right? In this case there would not be other way than recording it directly from the device using a recorder or DAW, right?
@@GabeMillerMusic I’ve done the same and I use the Yamaha Bluetooth midi adapter: www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/MDBT01--yamaha-md-bt01-bluetooth-wireless-midi-interface I use the Korg BLE MIDI app to do the initial connection with the iPad and then do all the routing etc in AUM. Then just have a Y splitter audio cable, to go from the ipad headphone out, to the Circuit inputs. As previously said, that means you can pan two synths left and right to have them appear on the Circuit’s MIDI 1 and 2 tracks, for reverb, delay etc.
@@GabeMillerMusic I Just used a usb adapter. Sometimes i turn down the tracks and just set up 4 tracks in aum channels 1-4. The usb adapter has to have an audio jack built in also but anker makes them. It works for sure.
I love my MC101, it is such an inspiration machine and I have learned a lot from watching your videos! Now I am excited about trying some of these other budget pieces of hardware, those Teenage Engineering Pocket Operators have always seemed pretty interesting.
bought first the pocket operators, was kinda fun, 2nd the mc-101 and was working fine with starting projects but now im sticked for few months with the circuit tracks, easy to handle and sounds nice... and the workflow is butter :)
I know this might be obvious to Maschine users but it wasn’t to me - the whole “midi mode” is a joke - you still need to have the unit hooked up to a computer. Inside an iPad centered production, it’s useless. I wish more serious musicians would actually talk about iPad and stuff like that - it’s so hard to find good info on GEAR when used with an iPad. This channel is amazing though, don’t get me wrong. Nice work as usual Gabe - my first video of you was a review of an Alesis electronic Drumkit - if it weren’t for you I wouldn’t have purchased it haha.
Gabe. have you seen/played Sonicware's Liven 8bit Warps and Liven XFM grooveboxes yet? They're amazing and only two hundred bucks each. The XFM isn't far off the specs of the Elektron Digitone and it's like a third of the price. I wholeheartedly recommend both machines. Good calls on the Microfreak and Circuits btw.
@@GabeMillerMusic check out the demos @ChrisLody of the Liven XFM. He is getting insane varieties of sounds out of an FM synth, going to sell a few synths, killed GAS for a few others with the formant growling bass and super saw sounds he pulled out of it
@@GabeMillerMusic did you sell it? I have the 101 AND the 707 which I love but keep debating with myself about getting the Verselab as I’m more of a singer / songwriter :)
Nice video. I have been using FL Studio Mobile for about a week and it is surprisingly good. I'm going live with it in a couple of weeks. Going to try Koala Sampler too on your recommendation.
I use the Korg Electribe 2 & Modal Skulpt for my current Dawless setup. The Skulpt has a mono output, & with the audio in oscillator on the E2, I can set that up on multiple parts so I can pan the signal 2 different ways, & also have a bunch of processing options like different filters, modulation, insert effects etc. It's a really nice, inexpensive way to get around the limits that the mono output gives to the sound of the Skulpt. When it comes to processing audio along with sequencing other synths, the E2 is the best thing on the market (despite it's weird limitations) I'm having a blast with it.
@@Modrunnermusic it wouldn't function exactly like the tracks, as you don't have a transpose function on the E2. You should be able to trigger & sequence the 2 synths just fine.
You can't extract projects directly, but I did a video showing a workaround on the original (the process is the same on the Tracks): ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-OzXLsmDK4rE.html This also shows how to develop tracks once you've recorded them. You can also jam something out live, which I also did a video on: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-XY0ddnctAm4.html
I like making sample based tracks on grooveboxes, but also agree that a DAW is great for finishing off a track. Some good gear suggestions by Gabe. In terms of bang for buck, I am finding some of the IOS synth apps really good sounding, offer heaps of polyphony, low latency and very affordable compared to hardware, even compared to the same synths in Mac/PC plugin form. A favorite is the TAL UNO-LX, a really good emulation of the classic Roland Juno 106.
14:58 - yeah, i'm a little bit surprised that with your experience and preference for portability, you haven't really delved into iOS world. I was very skeptical of KORG's Gadget until i tried it - and they have electribes for iOS also - and there are other software options like Reason or the ones you mentioned. For those who already have iPads the additional cost of owning some 20 or 30 instruments, which add zero physical dimensionality, to use at will, at lunchtime or on a train, is surprisingly low for what you get. Hope you will get some time to experience those options and let us know your take on them.
It's been on my list of stuff to try for a while. I actually tried it back before I ever got a Circuit, but haven't had the time to dive into it since. I think the biggest thing holding me back is the lack of physical pads and knobs (but especially pads).
@@FatalFriction I got an iPad just for DJI camera control and Reason Figure - cos back then there were no other options. Most likely scenario will be that you won't just have one instrument once you own an iPad - so in that regard, YES it is worth it. My only advice is to get the biggest screen iPad you can - all other specs are secondary depending on what else you're planning to do, but anything with iOS11 and up will be safe.
This is off topic- But in your opinion, Which Drum/Beat Machine do you think fits Best for a Beginner..? (Both Controller & Stand-alone devices) Also, if this helps.. I’m a singer/songwriter btw
The 101 looks interesting. I have an MPC One but I don't find it conducive to jamming. I'm going to try a MIDI controller with the One but if that still doesn't work for me the 101 looks to have jam-ability without going all-out for a 707.
Fantastic review. Thanks to you, I got my first groovebox (Circuit Tracks). You're killing it. Keep going bro'. Question, as a bassist I was thinking about adding either a sampler or something that will enable me to trigger (one-shot) samples or instruments, in a band situation so without a computer. Since we don't have a keyboard player, we need to be creative here. What would you recommend? Thank you Gabe
@@boratezel Yeah, thanks for confirming and for taking the time to respond, appreciate. Was leaning towards the MPC1 already but wasn't really sure. And after watching many reviews of both MPC1 and Maschine+ and I was just coming back to the MPC1. Plus it is much cheaper. The main idea is to sample parts or instruments of a song (or even try to recreate them) and play them on the One, triggered by MIDI footswitch. Might turn out difficult but somewhat doable Makes sense? Thank you very much
Really thinking hard about a partner for my Tracks and I am so tempted by the MC101 as from what I understand it has an approach which suits song structure at least as much as just creating loops.
About your comment about the microfreak sounding 'digital' - and to address all other things about digital sounding different from analog: Do you even know about DSP? According to nyquist-shannon, you can perfectly reproduce functions if your sampling rate is more than double of the highest frequency component in your system. The math all works just like it would in real life in the simulation. Audio is usually sampled at 44.1kHz, or up to 192kHz if you have a decent audio interface. Human hearing for the best of us goes to less than 22kHz, thus, we can't hear any higher frequencies that would be lost. Now, yes, there are image frequencies that get induced when you sample a signal with a frequency too low - which is why, usually, a lowpass filter with an f_th at around 22kHz is applied, that solves that problem. Okay, ignore all of the above, and say that an analog synth still 'sounds better'. Where do you go with that analog signal? Do you record it onto tape? Tape also has a maximum frequency it can still accurately store. You want to play it on speakers or headphones? Drivers have maximum frequencies they can produce. You want to put it in your DAW? Oops. Now it's digital data. Analog synths are fun, and them still being made compared to digital synths - with the exact same 'UI', is cool. It's the equivalent of a Custom Shop guitar - great instruments, nice usability, BUT with a DSP chip that can accurately handle everything it should handle, you COULD make the exact same thing. If the production numbers are low enough, it's cheaper to build an analog synth compared to a digital synth, since software usually has higher development cost, but is 'free' afterwards.
Please note that I never said that analog sounds better that digital, just that the sonic profiles of digital synths can often be different from analog synths. That aside, this is a good explanation as to why analog synthesis can be overrated/overhyped or why being a purist is unnecessary.
My friend has used an MPK mini mk1 for 7 years as her go to controller but she is Russian, they are masters at minimalist wizardry, I prefer 37 key keyboards, I reallllllly think people should contemplate prioritizing 37key over 25 but she seems happy cuz she uses the MPK over her 37key novation but I would go for the 37key with aftertouch any day.
As a Russian, I was kinda touched by the “minimalist wizardry” :) Still saved up and bought A61, eight years of studying composing weren’t really tolerating my MPK mini mk2)
Hi Gabe, Is there a midi controller for Finger Drumming like MPD in terms of functions and pad sizes, but with a realiable sensitivity, cuz Akai has been disapointing in quality control. Plus, here in Brasil we have no product return law and our currency is waaaay devaluated, I mean a MPD218 here is about $1.500,00. I know that I could use Maschine as a midi controller but a device like this here is $5.000,00 (Mikro) and $7.500,00 the regular one.
Man, I am sick and tired of waiting for the sp404mk2 or the elektron syntakt. I'm about to get circuit rhythm or digitakt so I don't have to wait. I thought I was going to get the polyend play, but it just seems like it doesn't have enough functionality like synthesizer and stuff from the tracker.
It's definitely a good one for the money! I did a dedicated review that should help answer that question a little more thoroughly. Although bear in mind that there are a lot of good, more expensive grooveboxes for sequencing as well (Deluge, MPC One/Live, Digitakt, etc)
It's definitely a fantastic device, although not everyone's gonna vibe with its increased complexity or lack of portability compared to some of the budget stuff.
@@strandedaliensband I think it is that one. Read more. www.synthanatomy.com/2020/09/dirtywave-m8-new-open-source-battery-operated-handheld-synth-tracker.html
So a circuit? It’s under 300 sometimes lmao. Are all circuits standalone? And is the beats the only one that samples? Because that’s my idea I wanna be able to make some 80s ass backing tracks
Both Circuits are standalone, and they can both work with samples, but the Tracks can only use them as drums. The Rhythm can pitch samples to a keyboard and you can sample directly into it.
The whole Volca line is terrible, they are and feel cheap and toyish. At first I was excited for them and tempted to collect them at first but after returning a few of them I stopped bothering with them. Behringer is doing much more exciting releases.
Just saying if you take pitty on the poor people that are learning gear and are just starting out finally thanks to cheaper live gear daw less! I'll take anything off your hands if you feel like donating 👻😎
Hey Gabe I think I'm going Novation circuit rhythm game my name is Joshua but I go by rose-covered gas mask I've asked you some silly questions prior but things are going pretty damn good for the short amount of time I've been trying to do this become much much more didn't expect hey Gabe I'm in the process of making EGM Electronic Grass Music bro!!!!!! And in your mind what will help me most I'm starting to use Reason 10.2.2 and it's great but it's looking like I need a subscription to everything and I'm 32 with 4 kids in a Van down by the river....🥀🤣 so I'm rich lol Also don't know many people that are bent on the the world having Electronic bluegrass....🥀 🔥🥀🪕🎻🎚🎹🎛🥀🔥
