a) things that make sounds = anything from rice in a can up to 10 grands worth of modular and anything in between

b) things that record sounds = from a handheld recorder/mobile phone to record sounds as youre wandering up to the daw of your choice to either record or upload your sounds from the mobile.

c) things that alter sounds = from basic fx to the more mental stuff

d) imagination = the most important part, as you already have a musical background and much equipment (i imagine) then just finding new ways to use those should be your first step...

as some trainer manufacturer says "just do it!"

And the first question you need is : what i want do with this controller..?

here from my experience,
if you need a small mixer for your track , check the korg nanokontrol2 (only this one in this series is interesting ) i you need a serious one , check the BCF2000 , with his motorized faders and midi feedback, he is the best for this job.

if you want control synthesizer ( hardware or VST) have a look on the BCR2000 , many knobs, midi feedback, a great tool.

if you want play pads or keys, the LPD8 and LPK25 are small and good quality.

All of this works fine with Usine of course , no automap but really quick midi learn and can be saved with your workspace/patchs.

Here my set :

Nice looking setup with the wood case.

It seems like you have the right idea in regard to an experimental approach to making music.
One thing I will warn about... be prepared to spend more time setting up than actually making music. Of course the ultimate goal is immediacy but when you start wandering off the beaten path (in terms of recording and playing techniques) it will require a lot of trial and error before you reach the point where you can just sit down and start jamming.
I've spent the better part of 5 years developing my workflow and I'm just now getting to the point where I spend more time making noise than preparing to make noise.

In that time I discovered that I really like using Ableton Live to capture ideas and for it's flexible signal and MIDI routing. In the last year or so I've also started using an Elektron Octatrack for quickly recording and sketching out ideas (it's great for mangling audio on the fly, when I don't want to turn my computer on).

I've also discovered that I like to keep things as modular as possible. I use an analog modular synth as my main instrument. Since it's connected to a patch bay, I can route instruments/microphones through it and I can route it through outboard effects and my DAW.

A portable recorder is essential for me. I carry it where ever I go. This way I can record ideas while I'm at work, I can capture interesting sounds when I'm out and about (I keep a nice shotgun mic in my car) and it can all be loaded into my DAW (or Octatrack) when I get home.

I like to have lots of options when it comes to sound sources. For that reason I have a lot of microphones, and lots of instruments (many that I don't even know how to play). I find a lot of inspiration from picking something up that is designed to be used a certain way and trying to get something musical out of it by using it differently.

Something I'll also warn against... getting stuck in a conceptual phase. I have lots of ideas that are not always well thought out and while the concept may be cool the execution doesn't always work. I found my self getting stuck on these ideas and trying to force something cool out of them when they were really just ill-conceived in the first place. Don't do that, it will lead to lots of frustration.
On the other hand, maybe you should do that... you might find inspiration is born from frustration sometimes.

AudioMulch has a way of really opening up things for me. Mostly because of it's Metasurface controller. It's absolutely brilliant how you can just mess around with the settings of your various plugins and contraptions, find a sound you like, save it in the Metasurface, collect a hundred (if you want) more snapshots of sequencer, synth, sampler, and effect settings, drag them on the Metasurface and then just play with them - transitioning between settings my moving (or hopping) around the surface. What really makes it killer is your movements across the Metasurface can be recorded into the automation (envelope) lanes. So you can mess around and then go back and make changes. It's a super intuitive way of composing that combines a performative approach I haven't seen in any other software. It's the best use of the mouse (or trackpad) I've seen, but you can control the Metasuface movements with MIDI, and I've had a lot of fun experimenting with different controllers.

AudioMulch patching is also incredibly elegant. Plugins and contraptions can be dragged into the Patcher area, and when held close to others show you the options for automatic wiring. To complete the connections just let go. It easily has the most simple, easy patching system of any modular host I know of, and really makes experimenting quick and fun. The quick patching also comes in handy in performative situations.

I'm a big fan of other hosts and apps, but I'm often finding a way to incorporate AudioMulch, partially because I find it so fun to use. If you're interested, examples of me using the Metasurface with other apps can be found in the two videos in this thread:
http://www.kvraudio.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=4893969#489396 9

I'm also going to put together a tutorial video of quick composing with the Metasurface for a friend, and will post it in this thread.

Just my two cents.
Of course, there are many other great programs with unique features, but I love how AudioMulch can tie them together.

justin3am, thanks for the warning. I'm a bit aware. It's intimidating and it will take a number of years. I remember when I first got into digital recording, everything was scary at first, but within a year or two, I was very comfortable. But that's in the world of "traditional" music; "experimental" is more difficult. Now I need to learn more MIDI, learn a new DAW, buy some gear (and probably sell some back and replace with others, trial-and-error).

In the meanwhile, I want to be immediately making music, hence the appeal of a small hardware recorder (e.g., 4-track); some random synth (e.g., meeblip), and a beatmaking machine (e.g., electribe). I can then at least be having immediate gratification, while gradually progressing for the long run.

I will find a way and a balance.

allofdrab, thanks for sharing your AudioMulch experience. It's definitely in my top 3 choice of environments right now. I've already downloaded the demo; I will give it a serious try.

For portable recorders on a budget the zoom offerings: h4n, r8, r16 and r24 are really great. Even when I'm using the computer I often like to record externally because if I'm experimenting with many audio and MIDI routings between programs it's nice to know the audio is going to a "safe" place.

Audiomulch is great. Personally, I think five12 Numerology is worth buying an apple computer for. Check out sunvox too http://www.warmplace.ru/soft/sunvox/

And since you said you like linux: http://dinisnoise.org/ http://drobilla.net/software/ingen/

It really sounds like you need to relax. The setup you choose at the end of the day won't dictate whether or not your sound is experimental. That really just depends on how creative you are. My advice is to learn a DAW regardless of what you plan to do with it. Don't be anxious about buying expensive gear or buying external gear just because you think it will stop you from being experimental. You can record a guitar in any DAW. At the end of the day I recommend Ableton because that's what I use and that's what I'm used to but everyone should experiment until they find the DAW that is right for them.

On experimental sound. If you want experimental sound, the modular environments you mentioned would be great, but MaxForLive is a good starting place because it's quite easy to pick up once you get the hang of Ableton.

@Rpm : Just for info , if you want test Usine stage, there is a a 50% off spring promo :only 19 € :http://www.sensomusic.com/forums/index.php
Last edited by nay-seven on Sun Apr 22, 2012 5:24 am; edited 1 time in total

Thanks again people, I downloaded SunVox. I'm mostly staring at these apps and tinkering without knowing what I'm doing so far, but eventually I will learn one of them.

Syncretia, you're right, I need to relax. However, I'm not so concerned with what kind of music I end up creating. I'm more concerned about being able to use my small budget well and ending up with gear that allows me to play around comfortably.

Last night, I recorded an experimental (I use this to contrast my other, traditional line of pop/rock music) track. It felt good to create. However, I recorded it in Reaper, and while it's great for easy recording, I can't wait to break free from this linear approach.

I'm realizing more how much what I most need is a MIDI controller, so I can stop having to make beats with a keyboard.

Hi rpm. You just made me think of my own MIDI controller situation, and how over the last year I made a switch that really broke me out of my previous way of working, and has got me thinking in new ways.

I'm a classically trained pianist/keyboardist, but was finding a standard keyboard layout challenging for triggering a variety of differing percussive sounds mapped to the keys. I was having trouble looking at the individual keys on the keyboard as triggers that weren't necessarily related to a specific note/pitch. I wanted to think about the organization or placement of the sounds from different perspectives. Perhaps group things by qualities that didn't correspond to the note-oriented one dimensional keyboard layout.

Where I live there's a great musical instrument store (imo) that rents at very reasonable prices, so I tried an Akai MPD pad controller (with sliders and rotary knobs). After having it for a week I decided I had to have one. The switch in paradigm was exactly what I needed. I could experiment with assigning and grouping sounds anywhere on the 4 X 4 pad grid, and actually remember which sound was where for a change! I was no longer straining to remember where on the one dimensional keyboard a specific sound was, because I now had an extra reference point - a second dimension - columns!
Before I had one row, now I had 4 rows and 4 columns. It was more like a map.

That was great, but I also discovered that my piano skills benefited my playing of this new instrument as well. It felt completely natural as a single hand/finger controller. All my technique (fingering) learned from playing piano, seemed to work with the touch-sensitive grid too. The grid was just the perfect size for moving around quickly and accurately with one hand. So then I thought, hell, I want another one for my left hand now, and now I have two, and am still finding them inspiring.

I'm not exactly suggesting that you get an MPD or two, but I do want to recommend exploring a paradigm shift - a different way of controlling the information you want to use to make music. It can really open things up, and you may find that much of your experience with your former instrument can be applied to the new one. Of course, what may also happen is that the controller you choose informs the sounds you choose to use with it, or how the sounds unfold. Which is great too, especially if you're itching to do something different. For instance: I'm now starting to look at the pads as not just for single hits, but as also triggers that move me through a sequence of sounds.

Anyway, I guess I'm saying, if you have a way of renting some things and trying them out, that could be really good.

All this said, if you're comfortable with the keyboard as your instrument, perhaps consider an addition to it that allows you to alter your approach to playing it. One addition I employed in the past (and still do sometimes) is a MIDI foot controller. I played in a band years ago with a Roland JX3P synth, which was capable of creating some sounds I loved, but which I was always frustrated with, because it didn't have velocity/touch sensitivity. I was improvising with a drummer, and wanted to be able to explore a spectrum of sound. So, because playing softly wasn't an option, I got thinking about how else I could alter the sound, and realized that simple, considered preset changing (with foot-switches) gave me a lot of expressive possibilities. Especially since I didn't have to lift my fingers off the keyboard - I never HAD to stop playing - to adjust the sound - I could do it with my feet, and stay in the groove.

An 8 button MIDI foot controller can be limiting if each button is a preset, but you can use just two buttons to move up and down through a list/bank of a hundred (for instance) presets and explore a huge range of sounds while playing.

Just some thoughts off the top of my head.

Actually that's one of the things I love about AudioMulch - it comes with it's own controller (the Metsurface) - that's so flexible, I don't think you really NEED anything else. Just maybe a nice mouse! I've been thinking about setting my wireless mouse up with it's own table, and so that I have to move it A LOT to move the cursor a LITTLE. That way it would hopefully be more of an expressive LOOKING instrument than it normally is on stage.

Thanks allofdrab. I'm at a similar point to when you rented the MPD. I might not be able to rent (and might have to wait to visit the US to get things much cheaper than in my home country) but I'm definitely going to get a MIDI controller, most probably with pads. Keys just doesn't do it for me anymore.

I want the pads foremost so I can play beats; second to be able to trigger loops easily. I also need knobs for tweaking synth/effect parameters on the fly.

While exploring Audiomulch demo last night, I did notice the Metasurface; if I understood it correctly, it's a nifty idea.

No problem, I think about this stuff ( daily, and am happy to share my discoveries.

It's pretty brilliant. My video tutorial for rapid composing using the Metasurface should be done this week. I'll post it in this thread.