KVR Audio

musikmachine · Post by **musikmachine** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 11:05 am

I'm will have some money soon and i've been looking into getting an RS7000 so i did a bit of searching on youtube and i found this guy:

And it's got me thinking about going for a complete hardware setup(this was the initial idea but i decided to get a laptop instead with a combination of Ableton/Reason using each like a virtual turntable)

I was thinking about upgrading my lappy(1.6m,1gb ram,7200rpm hd)so i can run more vsts and getting an SL25/0 for total integration but it would be cheaper to go for a hardware setup similar to that in the video(he uses a 303 clone but i can use phoscyon for that).

My reasons for considering a hardware setup are: i want to take the strain off the cpu and not be clockwatching all the time,i need toget more hands on than i can with a frickin mouse

,hardwares more stable(innit?),looks better live,more hands on

,flashing lights

,and i don't want to be starin at a monitor all the time(again not so good live).I'm also worried about the laptop failing etc and this would be on my mind in a live situation which i don't need.

I'm pretty much set on the RS and have been for a while,anything else worth considering(i've seen them go for around £400gbp)?Due to it's sampling capability,i can sample all my vsts and use that live with the kaos pad and the mixer.Is the korg esx worth considering?It's obviously the kaoss pad that he's cutting up the beats with,i'm not quite sure whats coming from the esx,is it the keys/synth?

Anyone else using a similar setup?Any pros and cons to consider?After using software and hardware i know which i prefer.I love my laptop,it's a whole universe of sonic possibilities but the minute i run a couple of decent vst in a project,well,better start bouncing down

and like the last thing(s) i need to be thinking about in the middle of a set is cpusage and system failure

I'll probably start with the RS and add a piece at a time but i'm wondering what other options are worth considering.I've heard mixed opinions about the electribes,anyone using them?I'd be interested in the ESX1 for sampling.Anyway such a setup would make for some interesting combinations and open up some new creative avenues...

Cheers!

musikmachine · Post by **musikmachine** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 3:39 pm

bump!

musikmachine · Post by **musikmachine** » Tue Mar 06, 2007 3:02 am

Anyone?Maybe i should post this over@SOS..I was initially thinking of geting an rm1x but i keep hearing the sounds are crap so the rs7000 seems the logical choice especially with the built in sampler.Any others worth considering?

A software alternative would be something like the spectrasonics stuff but aren't they cpu hogs?Which means i'd need to upgrade my lappy and it would end up costing more than the hardware!What aout kore?Or komplete?Just don't have a powerful enough pc to run the best vsts in realtime and it's a pita

Cheers ppl

Richard Lichten · Post by **Richard Lichten** » Tue Mar 06, 2007 10:04 pm

Rolands newer 80..whatever seems decent, and Ensoniqs ASR-X could also be an option.
Then there is the the older Yamaha one (follow-up to the A 3000, but i forgot the name - not rs 7000), 64 Mb max and sort of idiosyncratic design - more for complete loops than samples - but great FX and overall sound; also, it seems quite cheap on Ebay.
Personally, i also recently went hardware again and bought two sampler (Emu IV and Yamaha 5000) and am happy - hard learning curve and it takes to set these up, but soundwise its hard to come close using vsts only, if not impossible, and both are monsters in terms of mangling capacity, especially the Yamaha.

Dunno if this is for you, since these samplers arent exactly made as beatboxes...

Cheers, Richard

musikmachine · Post by **musikmachine** » Wed Mar 07, 2007 6:45 am

Thanks Richard.What were you using before and what type of music do you make?I've got a few more questions i'll post later.I don't think i'll get a dedicated sampler straight away as i'm looking for gear i can mix with live but thanks for suggesting it

I'm looking for something that will marry well with the RS with plenty of hands on control and tweakability

The E-mu PX7 looks interesting but i know nothing about it except it's got a lot of drums.The RM1X is cheap enough that i can save some money money for something else but are the sounds useable?I see new dance sounds appearing on ebay so it can't be all that bad,surely?Anyone using one?

I'll check out the roland and the ASR-X mate.

Cheers!

musikmachine · Post by **musikmachine** » Wed Mar 07, 2007 9:01 am

This is not a bump!

My posts don't seem to be appearing for some reason...

Is cos it's the hardware forum?

Richard Lichten · Post by **Richard Lichten** » Wed Mar 07, 2007 9:47 am

Hi musikmachine,

previously i used a laptop with live and muzys live, and some USb keyboard. Works, of course, but i don't like Computers for live; besides being notoriuosly buggy, you often have some stigma about using it ("ahh, its JUST a pc..." hehe).

I do downbeat with an experimental, sometimes industrial edge.
Basically, i was in the same situation; i considered beatboxes
- but most are limited if you also want to make serious production work, e.g. lackin individual outs - and too pricey;
my fave was the Korg EXS, but 700 € for 12 voices, some fx, a tube and 4 outs ? The Emu ones are used quite cheap, but the samples they are based on arent too great (i have the same ones - Orbit, Planet Phatt -in my Emu Sampler (Esynth version), though the filters of these modulues can do a lot and sound warm and powerfull.

My conclusion was that beatboxes are overpriced recylce of old synthesis methods with some controllers; if you invest 700 € in samplers and decent Midicontrollers, you get more.

For instance, 150 - 200€ buys you a used A 3000 on ebay, complete with HD and 128 MB ram which should be enough, with very good filters, excellent effects (far better than most plugins), and
a lot of featutres for beatwork... like chopping, realtime-timestrech, and a big controller matrix.
Most sampler have also some option for direct pc communication (editors), but you have to invest in a scsis card.
Add a mididrumtrigger (Akai for 160 e) and a decent midikeyboard with enough controller (200€), and you spent 500 € only, and have a more powerfull and flexible setup, though a bit more clumsy.

Cheers, Richard

musikmachine · Post by **musikmachine** » Thu Mar 08, 2007 8:06 pm

Thanks Richard.I found out today about the expansion for the RS7000!6 outs and digital i/o!!!So it can be used for serious production work

I've also found out hat there are 1000 synths onboard!!!Crikey.

Good points about the beatboxes though but i could sample into the RS and route to the individual outs of the expansion for further processing...whether the korgs are worth it is another question but the rm1x seems like a good option,really need to hear what it sounds like(and how do you create new soundsets for it?!)but the korgs seem like a lot of fun...

Anyway the RS is looking good but i'm undecided about anything else..ebay and youtube are my friends

Cheers

krylenko · Post by **krylenko** » Thu Mar 08, 2007 8:17 pm

I've heard good things about the RS7000 but never used one. I did however own an RM1X... the sounds really are pretty weak.

I think Richard forgot to mention you'd need a sequencer to run that sampler (unless you were playing everything live), but you're right, the RS will cover that ground.

Anyone using a hardware setup live?