Akai Miniak - Hardware getting cheaper than Software!

[SLiC]

Just bought a Akai Miniak for £229 (Standard UK price now) and it struck me that hardware is getting cheaper than software now!

Could this be the return of Hardware (with the MiniBrute et al)

Akai Miniak spec for anyone interested- comes complete with Vocoder Mike.

Bargin of thew year?

Eight voices, each with three oscillators, eight multi-timbral parts with stereo effects and 40-band vocoder, Two multi-mode filters, three envelope generators, two LFOs, sample and hold, tracking

Dynamic real-time and step sequencers, arpeggiator, and drum machine/rhythm

Stereo bus effects including reverbs and delays
24-bit 1/4" balanced stereo analog outputs and inputs

37-key synth-action keyboard with velocity sensitivity

Oscillators: 3 per voice with continuously variable waveshapes, sync, linear and exponential FM, Ring Mod, routable modulation matrix per voice.

Filters: 2 multi-mode resonating filters per voice with 16 filter types

•Modulation: 2 LFOs with multiple wave shapes, sample and hold, tracking generator, freely-routable modulation matrix per voice
•Effects: 4 drive effects, 1 per part; master effects
•Sequencing: step sequencer, arpeggiator, drum machine/rhythm sequencer, and phrase sequencer
•Program memory: up to 1,000 programs and multi-timbral setups
•Velocity sensitive: Yes
•Keyboard: 37-key, semi-weighted
•External control: MIDI in/out/thru
•Inputs: 2 balanced 1/4" TRS, mic
•Outputs: 2 balanced 1/4" TRS, 1/4" TRS headphone
•Controls: pitch wheel, two assignable Q-Link modulation wheels, X, Y, and Z parameter knobs, pattern play, phrase arpeggiator, latch arpeggiator, keyboard octave, tap tempo, program controls, data push-knob, config, store, master volume
•Pedal Inputs: Assignable expression pedal, sustain pedal

[Kriminal]

but you cant run 30 instances at once for £229

[trimph1]

Is this a hardware vs software thread?

I agree with Dave here..it beats having to get a whole lot of synths in your home..or do you have a warehouse at your disposal?

[EvilDragon]

It's also discontinued. Hence the blowout price.

[SLiC]

Is this a hardware vs software thread?

I agree with Dave here..it beats having to get a whole lot of synths in your home..or do you have a warehouse at your disposal?

Not a warehouse, but plenty of room in my studio, need it for guitars




I have pretty much all the main softsynth....so I guess I am a fan of the softsynth world, I used to have a rack of synth and sold most of them for the conviniance of VSTi's (and I use Powercore for Virus etc,.) and to free up desk inputs!

However---

With the likes of Diva I am finding I am using one PC per plug (I have 3), so less room than hardware? Probably not, and considering I get an extra keyboard (no zoneing needed!) and knobs etc, bargin. + less rendering, freezing and no CPU hit

I like hardware and software....my point is that in relative terms, hardware is getting cheap compaired to software.

Without commenting on the quality of Arturia Softsynths (I have the V Collection!)- SEM VSTi plug in for 220 Euro or MiniBrute real analogue with keys for 499 Euro...

[rcat]

Many people, perhaps a majority, use computers and software on stage. I would never trust this myself, especially software. This is the reason I think hardware will continue to be a player. However, I'm old school.

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[SLiC]

but you cant run 30 instances at once for £229

No, but I can run 8 voices multitimbrle of VA with no cracles, pops or spikes guaranteed! I can only do 1 Diva on my i7 with any polyphony at one time currently (hopefully that will improve if it goes multicore!)

Just played with a couple of the software editors last night (midi editors like the old days!), makes it a useable beast with all perameters a ail able on screen and midi mappable (and feels more like a vsti )

A few pic's of the MiniaK software so you can make your hardware look more like a VSTi







Miniak to groove/drum machine

http://www.bizune.com/miniakgroove.htm

I'm really impressed with the sequencer/step sequencer; instant gratification and again, when used with the software editors available that include sequencers makes a nice analogue sounding drum machine.

Effects are pretty nice, there is stereo audio in for sound processing through he synth and effects (and of course the gooseneck vocoder, that's not my thing, but my 7 year old loves it

[Albert.VST]

but you cant run 30 instances at once for £229

No, but then make the full comparison. The £229 software in itself doesn't give you any audible result. So add the price for a decent (for sw like Diva even a very capable) PC/Mac, an audio interface, a USB keyboard controller, maybe host sofware (if you don't want to use freeware), and the hardware solution doesn't look that bad. That is, if you can live with it's limitations.

Also, when compared 1 to 1 (sw only vs hw), I know your capable but I think even you can't control 30 instances real time. So, apart from easier recall and edit, what's the real difference between running 30 instances from MIDI in a sequencer (you have to play and record as MIDI each track individually) and recording hw as 30 audio tracks?
Sure, sw has advantages, but these shouldn't be overexaggerated.

[Kriminal]

but you cant run 30 instances at once for £229

No, but then make the full comparison. The £229 software in itself doesn't give you any audible result. So add the price for a decent (for sw like Diva even a very capable) PC/Mac, an audio interface, a USB keyboard controller, maybe host sofware (if you don't want to use freeware), and the hardware solution doesn't look that bad. That is, if you can live with it's limitations.

well, the OP is using it with his PC, so you can add the cost to his too, and if he wasnt, you would need to add the cost of an external hardware recorder of some kind

Also, when compared 1 to 1 (sw only vs hw), I know your capable but I think even you can't control 30 instances real time. So, apart from easier recall and edit, what's the real difference between running 30 instances from MIDI in a sequencer (you have to play and record as MIDI each track individually) and recording hw as 30 audio tracks?
Sure, sw has advantages, but these shouldn't be overexaggerated.

the advantage is your speed/workflow i guess, i can lay all those down very quickly and change things very quickly in software

my original post was just a joke anyway, only slightly serious

[SLiC]

Yeh, I use PC's, but I like being able to work without them also! I have so much music software that sometimes it feels like all I have time to do is run all updates

You have to be disciplined to use software based DAWS + Instruments, or you end up just tweaking and playing due to the endless possibilities and complicity!

I still use my Alesis 8HD (mainly as a controller), lately I have been rediscovering how productive it is to just turn on and play/record in the built in sequencer!

I definitely wasn't trying to start a hardware is better than software argument (you need hardware to run your software ;-0); just point out the insane value of this little board at the current price, I also think the MiniBrute looks like great value.

I think software is 'so' good, that hardware manufacturers have had to/will have to up there game; I have no interest in the new uber workstations (like the Kronos, which are essentially computers in a keyboard)but have recently bought a Monotribe (and midi kit) and this Akai....
I'm looking with interest at the MiniBrute; it is the relatively low cost that is luring me back.

I remember a few years ago at the height of my VSTi passion saying I would never buy hardware again Things have a habit of coming full circle....

[whitecloud]

To the OP. In November 2011 I bought a new Miniak for $233.00. Years ago bought a Micron had to sell it. I kind of missed it and then I found out that the Miniak is basically a re-packaged Micron. Only with such better build quality. I don't know if you are aware of the cc controller aspects of this
synth. A nightmare as the knobs are 14 bit(which is good) but the Miniak responds more from NRPN's and most knob/slider ridden midi controllers are very hard to set up to use them with the Miniak. Join the Ion/Micron/Miniak Yahoo groups if you haven't already a wealth of info. For the most part Micron patches are compatible with the Miniak and there are a ton of them there. I also emailed the "Hypersynth" dude and he says that the editor will include midi learn in the next update. That will make things so much better, especially if you have a good midi/keyboard/controller. If you buy the current version the update will be free I found out from him. The " limited oscillators" doesn't detract from the diverse sounds you can coax out of this little Synth. There are nice Modulation options plus a wealth of different Filter types. What I like most is to create my own "Phrase/Seq's" you can edit them or the factory ones. It is very easy to do. I even use them to drive some of my VSTi's as you can send out the seq. data.
I went through and deleted stuff I didn't like and uploaded/auditioned the Yahoo offerings. I have quite a bit of memory left for my own presets etc.
have fun

[whitecloud]

Yeh, I use PC's, but I like being able to work without them also! I have so much music software that sometimes it feels like all I have time to do is run all updates

You have to be disciplined to use software based DAWS + Instruments, or you end up just tweaking and playing due to the endless possibilities and complicity!

I still use my Alesis 8HD (mainly as a controller), lately I have been rediscovering how productive it is to just turn on and play/record in the built in sequencer!

I definitely wasn't trying to start a hardware is better than software argument (you need hardware to run your software ;-0); just point out the insane value of this little board at the current price, I also think the MiniBrute looks like great value.

I think software is 'so' good, that hardware manufacturers have had to/will have to up there game; I have no interest in the new uber workstations (like the Kronos, which are essentially computers in a keyboard)but have recently bought a Monotribe (and midi kit) and this Akai....
I'm looking with interest at the MiniBrute; it is the relatively low cost that is luring me back.

I remember a few years ago at the height of my VSTi passion saying I would never buy hardware again Things have a habit of coming full circle....

How do you like your Monotribe? Have you updated the OS yet?. I am considering it, but don't know as I have been wanting a Mopho for awhile but I can afford the Monotribe right now. Don't know about the midi kit cuz that brings up the cost close to the Mopho. I am not really into the squelchy whistle acid type types stuff but from what I've heard you can coax some other tones from it. I think I would have fun with the seq sans drums. Is the midi kit really worth it? I thought the external audio sync works fine when you feed it the right signal from either a host or other hardware box. I would like to input notes more accurate within the seq. range via midi kit and avoid using the ribbon when do that although I do see some use of using the ribbon in some cases. Please reply as I may buy very soon. Thanks in advance.

[SLiC]

How do you like your Monotribe? Have you updated the OS yet?. I am considering it, but don't know as I have been wanting a Mopho for awhile but I can afford the Monotribe right now. Don't know about the midi kit cuz that brings up the cost close to the Mopho. I am not really into the squelchy whistle acid type types stuff but from what I've heard you can coax some other tones from it. I think I would have fun with the seq sans drums. Is the midi kit really worth it? I thought the external audio sync works fine when you feed it the right signal from either a host or other hardware box. I would like to input notes more accurate within the seq. range via midi kit and avoid using the ribbon when do that although I do see some use of using the ribbon in some cases. Please reply as I may buy very soon. Thanks in advance

I like the Monotribe a lot, its great to just pick and and fiddle with. I have updated to V2 and the 16 step synth is a great addition, drum flams nice also, sample and hold etc. I picked mine up in the US so it was only about £110 quid and a bit of an impulse buy, but yoiu can get them in the UK for £140 (I have seen them for $180 USD)

http://www.chemicalrecords.co.uk/sc/ser ... =MONOTRIBE

At that price, I think it is a bit of a bargin, I considered it more of a grrove box (808/303) type tool than a synth, but with the midi kit, who know (I ordered mine from US- £30 -

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Korg-Monotribe- ... 2318ceb8a1

Hasn't come yet, will report when it does! The audio/analogue sync works fine, but I want to 'play' it with a real keyboard and basically just mess about- as I already had the Monotribe, it is woorth it for me, but yes, your getting to aboyt £180 for a Midi monotribe, 270 for a mopho that has 2 OSc (but no drums). It realy depends on what tyou want it for, and youi can midi the monotribe for less than ten quid if you are prepaired to 'DIY'. all info on the web.

If you are an ipad/phone user (I am both ) there is a nice free app to link monotribe to korg apps like electrbe etc and midi clock/tempo etc.)

I think the Mopho looks nice, never heard one in the flesh and utube demos dont tell you too much..., given that it costs £280ish, I would wait and see what the minibrute retails at (499Euro list - £440 UK list- £399/$399 shop?)-

I still think at £140 the electribe is closer to impulse buy, and in the spirit of this thread, less than the cost of a lot of single VSTi 'download only' instruments or upgrades that I (and many others) have dowbloaded on impulse and there hardly ever used! You WILL play with the Electribe, it feels good And if you don't like it, they seem to sell on ebay for very close to the new price (see what you get for your software licence on re-sale!)[/quote]


PS- A few reviews I havew read say you realy need the software to get the best out of the Mopho, so you may want to consider that (or just buy Diva!!) I think the deal with Monotribe and MiniBrute is not just the analogue sound, but the analogue interfrace (a knob for everything, simplicity!)


http://rekonaudio.com/index.php?page=sh ... &Itemid=29


One last thought (to keep thread on track ) you can get a second hand as new Miniak 'virtual analogue' for $190

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Akai-Miniak-Vir ... 2318f8c15a

[bmot]

i've been getting into hardware more too recently. the details you posted on the miniak really made me sit up and think about whether I could use that sort of hardware. a bargain price, agreed. but there are some interesting products starting to come out now, i will wait for a while and see what 2012 has to bring us.

I bought the montribe last year, and bought the altitude909 midi kit you linked to a few weeks ago. I can confirm the kit is excellently made and does exactly what you'd expect. Both midi in and out work fine. I think the main benefit is to replace the limited sequencer on the monotribe. Plus it can only save 1 pattern at a time so this gives a way to save as many patterns as you want in your sequencer of choice. There's also some CC control included with the midi implementation so it really expands its capabilities if you want to programme patterns. If you have a monotribe it's pretty much a must have, expands it into a proper instrument for me.

otoh, if you don't have a monotribe, be aware that the sound is quite basic, it's a lot thinner and weedier than other analogues i've heard. which surprised me actually. the amp power output is very low which might account for some of this perception. the lfo can help coax some more unusual sounds out of it but mostly it's useful for classic (acid) bassline-type sounds. if you want a good variety of sounds then look elsewhere