suggestion for some new hardware

[stefanocps]

Hello, i am looking for some suggestionf for refreshing my gear
I have started doing home music since atari 520 with a non graphic sequencer (KCS) and then i used cubase, vst, and several keyboard/expander of all kinds. In the last decade slowly i got rid of all to simplify things. Now i have only an electric piano Casio PX3, audio card Focusrite 616, an maudio oxigen 8 controller and of course pc. I would say..i have vst..why shall i have all equipments??
NOw it is some year i do very little computer music, because i switched to video first, and also, may be , because having only pc may be it is not exciting to work with. Switching on an instruments, searching its functions, its sounds..i remember was excting and inspiring. I can search of course million of sounds in vst, but that is different..may be they are too many and i get bored
With all of these things, i am thinking to get some gear
I thought some old expander, or a old synth (with midi)..but is it worthy if compared to vst?
I don t know any of new keyboard model around, or any interesting pieces of hardware which could be worthy and interesting to work with, a part all the clavia, that i love but they are too expensive.
Sometimes i think at a good controller also..
One thing i would like to play with it is go more deeply with sound elaboration, that's why i thought an old synth (or again a good vst??)
I want to stay cheap.
Can someone give me opinions about?
thanks for your patience

[lfm]

Hardware or VST - that would be whether you want to dial own sounds and just fed up with mousefest clicks - then hardware is probably best way to go.

And it's one press of power button and off you go.

I tried with UC33 controller, that had panel overlays even for NI B4 hammond plugin - better but not quite there. I went external hammonds, that really sound better too.

But there are hardware with loads of sounds that are mostly romplers in that not much on panel to tweak anyway. Then it's browsing too.

About clavia - look at second hand - plenty out there.
I got my Nordlead 2X about half price or so.
I saw some Nordlead A1 at good prices too, not dirt cheap but doable if you want to change something.

Behringer DeepMind - maybe 6 voice or 12 voice - is incredible value. Also available as desktop modules.

But it's all down to if you want to create sounds as essential part.

But if "want to stay cheap" nothing beats VST's.

In general seems you have what you NEED - and just want to change something that boost creativity.

[stefanocps]

right, your last sentence is the point. I miss something new, some change to make the feeling of when i switch on, everything more excting because there is something to discover
i am leaning to a controller that can help in using better some vst
Also to a Behringer synth.
Someone indicated me the DeepMind yes.
And also BehringerNeuron and BehringerModel D. How would describe the differences?
Another option could be a drum machine, but this is less convincing...

[lfm]

And also BehringerNeuron and BehringerModel D. How would describe the differences?
Another option could be a drum machine, but this is less convincing...

Neutron and Model D is monosynths, and no presets you can save and recall. It's all about voltage driven operation inside synths, basically.

You rig one sound with cables and knobs positions and stuff, and if you want another sound you redo that in another configuration.

DeepMind is 1024 preset memories, and 6 or 12 voices to play polyphonic. So very different. Loads of effects and routing abilities in mod matrix etc.

If money is an issue, DeepMind 6 voice with keyboard is less than Neutron and Model D together. I have a DM6 and think it is terrific. Does not take much space.

I have a Neutron too, and fun to do this kind of routings and thinking too, just that monophonic is not a song writing tool for me. It needs to be polyphonic.

But if planning to extend later with more rack modules and go that route could be way to go.

[dark water]

I understand your desire for an old synth (I have always fancied buying a Synthex but the prices now have got a bit stupid).

But if you are willing to look at new, cheap and fun synths instead, check out Korg Minilogue XD.
I bought one last year and I am delighted with it.
It is excellent value for money and feels nice to play (imho, ymmv...); it has some brilliant effects and has a community which creates / uploads new FX for you to import into the synth; it allows you to create different tuning scales very easily; and it has a nice sequencer / arp amongst other good features.

Here is a pretty good YT video about it:


I honestly think that most people who buy a Minilogue XD will be thrilled with it.
(And no, I'm not on commission!)

[stefanocps]

ok yes, i 'd rather go for a polyponic one. Monophonic is too limiting i think. What about the capability of realtime sound changing with Depp MInd?
About knobs and slider. They can be programmed form sequencer, dont need to adjust them every time i want that sound,?( that could be a kind of replacemente for missing preset)

[lfm]

Everything of knobs, sliders and settings in display are saved.
But you can access to do realtime tweaking too if you want.

And if recording while tweaking from panel, these controls are often on a midi CC message and recorded as well, and there as played back later.

But it requires that preset is freshly loaded as you start recording, so that can be initialized from a know point.

[stefanocps]

what about the possibility of realtime porocess of sound with slider in deepmind?

[Cro-magnon]

If I were you I would save some money and buy a nice,quality polysynth instead of a toy otherwise you will be disappointed at some point,frustrated.
I have the Minilogue XD and I never use it after a few months,this thing sounds cheap.You can get some nice sounds sometimes but most of the times it sounds dull,muffled..It has high,low but no medium frequencies.Listen carefully the audio demos,I think you will get what I mean.The mini keys are not great to play with,the AD envelope for the filter is very annoying.
The Prologue 16 seems to sound better however,but I haven't any experience with it.
If I has to buy one and unique synth,I would look the Sequential offerings,or the Arturia Polybrute.The Novation Summit is great for the money too but it isn't full analogue.Anyways I would take an analog or hybrid analog/digital synth,for me digital synths have not much interest,your plugins do that already very well.
Just my 2 cents...