opinions please?

[mattb]

I'm getting ready to purchase a whole slew of new kit, as I'm bored with my current rig, and I'd love to get some opinions on my selections. This is my "short list" and I'm 89% sure on these items but thought I'd query the collective genius of the board. If you have any firsthand knowledge of any of these, I'd love to hear it. and nobody tell me "VST's are cheaper, save your money" sorry not my style. I'm buying all this stuff second hand or used. thanks for the input.

Oberheim matrix 1000 - this is in every trance producers gear list. I don't do trance but I understand it is a reliable sound source. and it's cheap right now.

BBE Sonic Maximizer 882i - useful studio tool, if there's a better replacement, i'd love to know. don't want to spend too much on this one.

dbx 166xl Compressor/limiter/gate - another studio tool, any alternatives? again, it's cheap right now, and i know there are $$$$ units that do the same thing.

Korg MicroKorg - Pharell of the Neptune's secret weapon, and again it's a bargain. plus it runs on batteries, for portable programming.

Roland SH-32 - Even with the step filter problem, I'm willing to take a chance on this one.

E-MU XL-7 Command Station - I love working with the groove box style sequencers, and this unit has the same engine as the very well received extreme lead sound module.

Jomox Airbase 99 - This drum unit is killer I hear, some say it makes snare sounds better than a TR-808, and it's half the price. we shall see.

Clavia Nord Micro Modular - a quirky little VA unit with the same guts as the nord lead series, and you can edit patches on a PC. not quite sure on it though..

Thanks!!

[buzzboy]

Korg MicroKorg - Pharell of the Neptune's secret weapon, and again it's a bargain. plus it runs on batteries, for portable programming.
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i've wanted one of those for a lil while but i never seem to have enough cash lately, i just dont like how small the keys are.

[Milkman John]

i would go with the jomox piece and the nord modular...the modular is sick. don't waste your money on the nord micro modular though, get the big daddy. Another idea is to get a seperate comp and BUY a copy of reaktor and a 24 bit sound card with reliable a/d converters...there are enough pre-made synths for reaktor that it's nuts...

but stick with modular pieces or virtual analog...otherwise your shit will begin to sound stale using the same presets, just like everyone elses regurgitated crap...

also for drums and such, if you can't afford a hardware sampler, go for NI's kontakt or intakt....very usefull and really nice filters and effects....

shit, just buy a bad ass comp and go all out with NI stuff....and save your money for tube pre-amps, levelers and compressors(like universal audio junk) and a nice pair of reference monitors....

(oh, and vst's may be cheaper, but ya know, to get good sound from hardware, you aren't gonna get it from pieces under 800 bucks, you gotta spend some money...like at these places :

http://www.bigcitymusic.com/

http://www.novamusik.com/

[the sex molesters]

i want a microkorg! and an 808 and a 303. that's all i would need i think.

[psion's gate]

I'd suggest the Nord. Honestly though, check ebay for old Yamahas...they made some really great sounding keyboards, and they don't go for much more than $150. Get a bunch of cheap keyboards, and just process the shit out of them. Make sure you have a damn good compressor though. BBE or Alesis are great for the price.

[psion's gate]

I'd suggest the Nord. Honestly though, check ebay for old Yamahas...they made some really great sounding keyboards, and they don't go for much more than $150. Get a bunch of cheap keyboards, and just process the shit out of them. Make sure you have a damn good compressor though. BBE or Alesis are great for the price.

[Tails]

The Modular is nice; Nord recently announced a new G2 Modular at Musickmesse so I'd expect the prices to have recently dropped -- you should insist that you're not paying full price for a piece of kit that was "recently outdated."

The Sonic Maximizer is good stuff.

No Access Virus on the list? I'm a little suprised there, though I suppose it depends on the style of music.

I read what you said about VSTi's, but you'd be insane not to use a software sampler these days, IMO..

[EL Nemo]

for an affordable compressor check out the focusrite compounder, it does wonders on the low end of your mix and you can get one used for about $400, also if your looking for an fx processor check out the ensoniq dp 4, it has 4 processors in one box that you can chain for around $350 used, and it sounds sick, I have both of these in my setup and could not imagine working without them, i was also surprized to see no virus or andromeda on the list

[swiff]

Roland mc909!

[psion's gate]

no virus or andromeda because they are generally expensive...I just chose to list cheap stuff...

[PYVND]

The SH-32 is ok because it has a nice arp and the 808/909 drum kits. It is not, however DSP based. All of the sounds of wave forms. It sounds ok, but the oscillators do not have a lot of sonic complexity. If you are trying to get VA on the cheap, you could maybe do better with an AN1x or AN200. I can tell you right now that the AN200 sounds much fatter than the SH-32, but the SH-32 has lots of extra and useful features.

I have had a crush on the Emu PX-7 for months now and have heard nothing but good things. Sure, it's sample-based, but the modulation capabilities and those Emu filters will take you far. I don't like the color of the XL-7 myself, and you can always buy the XL-7 ROM and put it in the PX-7. If the PX hit $399 I'd buy it in a heart beat. Or maybe not, I have too much gear and not enough time as it is. The drum sounds of the PX-7 are beautiful and not the same old analog drum sounds. Real drums are the new and next thing.

You should also consider the Emulator X Studio package. All that nice recording hardware and ease of software sampling in one box. And then add a nice VA or real afforable analog (Dave Smith Evolver is another crush for me) and you're good to go for a while.

[nickn]

i've wanted one of those for a lil while but i never seem to have enough cash lately, i just dont like how small the keys are.

you should check out the ms2000. it's the synth they based the micro off of which itself is based off the ms20 - classic korg warmness.

[PYVND]

I saw Thievery using the MS2000. Another option is the Alesis Ion which I have heard great things about (good review in EM a few months back). I would wait for a rack version of the Ion however, as the keyboard is not very good.

[nickn]

yeah i'm waitin on the rack ion too

[the sex molesters]

this thread just convinced my friend to buy the microkorg.

....i'm just waiting for him to get it, so i can gank it from him for a couple of my songs. hehehe