Discussion: putting together a single-synth Berlin School rig

[The Elf]

If you like the look of the XV then consider the Integra-7 too. It has all the XV expansion cards inside (you 'install' them virtually) and also a good smattering of Supernatural sounds too.

[Ben Asaro]

Thanks, Elf! I'll look into that as well!

The primary functionality I need is Performance mode that will allow me to assign a separate patch to each MIDI channel for simultaneous sequencer playback.

[The Elf]

I'm also wondering about Yoshimi...

[YashN]

K2000 + MIDI Controller would do it for me.

If you have the latest version of the O.S. and Setup chips, there's also a step sequencer in there.

Internal effects are based on DIgitech DSP 256 and known to be a bit noisy. You can use the trick of changing internal levels of the effects (increase them) so that you can reduce the Wet/Dry mix.

Both the grainy Digitech and the K2000 itself can get you the vintage vibe, especially if you roll off quite a bit within V.A.S.T. There are combination effects too.

No one would edit while performing live (or maybe I'd do that): you would want to pre-program as much as possible and leave the live perf. to the MIDI mapped controls. The mapping for realtime controls with FUNs for instance can be amazing. There is some realtime control possible for the internal effects as well.

As for synthesis itself, it's extremely powerful, to the extent you could even do delay/echo purely in V.A.S.T. and not touch any internal or external effect at all (goodbye background noise)...

Lugging a K2000 is like lugging a roomful of synths or 'the history of synths' as K. put it once.

[Dave B]

Yash, have a wander through the threads here and you'll see that this forum has one or two - ok, quite a lot of - Kurzweil fans ...

What you are saying is completely correct, but Ben tends to travel on the subway with gear ( hey - dose whacky New Yoikers) so size and weight are quite important to him. Even I - hardened Kurz fan that I am - have to grudgingly admit that the JV suits his requirements better. If he didn't have the size and weight restriction, it would be K2000 all the way.

[YashN]

size and weight restriction

I am thoroughly tempted to unscrew the long metal bar in my K2500XS...

Now that thing is heavy.

You can't lug a K2500XS under one arm.

A K2000, you can.

[The Elf]

I'm kicking myself that I didn't also mention the Audiothingies MicroMonsta 2.

The only problem is that they are rare as fish socks and the world is currently awaiting a new batch to arrive.

It is the size of a small paper-back book, powers from USB, 3-oscillators, 16-voices, or dual 8-voice... Really amazing synth at an amazing price,

[YashN]

Modal [Cobalt8, Argon8], Korg [Opsix, Modwave, Wavestate, Minilogue[XD]], etc...

Aren't we just spoilt for choice nowadays?

[Ben Asaro]

I'm kicking myself that I didn't also mention the Audiothingies MicroMonsta 2.

The only problem is that they are rare as fish socks and the world is currently awaiting a new batch to arrive.

It is the size of a small paper-back book, powers from USB, 3-oscillators, 16-voices, or dual 8-voice... Really amazing synth at an amazing price,

Does it play multiple parts, though? That's where the rubber meets the road for me, I need to have 3-4 sequences running at once on a single unit.

[YashN]

Big B's Deepmind 6 or 12D.

[The Elf]

I'm kicking myself that I didn't also mention the Audiothingies MicroMonsta 2.

The only problem is that they are rare as fish socks and the world is currently awaiting a new batch to arrive.

It is the size of a small paper-back book, powers from USB, 3-oscillators, 16-voices, or dual 8-voice... Really amazing synth at an amazing price,

Does it play multiple parts, though? That's where the rubber meets the road for me, I need to have 3-4 sequences running at once on a single unit.

It can play 2 parts in dual mode (2 x 8-voice synths) - buy 2 of 'em for 4 parts!

Seriously, for the money and physical size it would be worth considering.

[Ben Asaro]

I'm kicking myself that I didn't also mention the Audiothingies MicroMonsta 2.

The only problem is that they are rare as fish socks and the world is currently awaiting a new batch to arrive.

It is the size of a small paper-back book, powers from USB, 3-oscillators, 16-voices, or dual 8-voice... Really amazing synth at an amazing price,

Does it play multiple parts, though? That's where the rubber meets the road for me, I need to have 3-4 sequences running at once on a single unit.

It can play 2 parts in dual mode (2 x 8-voice synths) - buy 2 of 'em for 4 parts!

Seriously, for the money and physical size it would be worth considering.

I'm sure it is, but that starts the slippery slope of getting away from a single box solution.

[Drew Stephenson]

Isn't that what the second, portable, modular set-up is for?

[The Elf]

I'm kicking myself that I didn't also mention the Audiothingies MicroMonsta 2.

The only problem is that they are rare as fish socks and the world is currently awaiting a new batch to arrive.

It is the size of a small paper-back book, powers from USB, 3-oscillators, 16-voices, or dual 8-voice... Really amazing synth at an amazing price,

Does it play multiple parts, though? That's where the rubber meets the road for me, I need to have 3-4 sequences running at once on a single unit.

It can play 2 parts in dual mode (2 x 8-voice synths) - buy 2 of 'em for 4 parts!

Seriously, for the money and physical size it would be worth considering.

I'm sure it is, but that starts the slippery slope of getting away from a single box solution.

Glue them to a piece of wood - it would still be lighter and smaller than any rack.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Ben Asaro]

Isn't that what the second, portable, modular set-up is for?

If I had my druthers, I would do this in 104hp with the NerdSerq, Chainsaw Quad VCA, and 4 filters ... but that creates more problems than it solves. I've played maybe 300 gigs in NYC over my lifetime and I know enough to know that ideally I want a maximum of 3 devices, no more than 5 cables, and less than 10 minutes (preferably 5) for setup and breakdown.

I need to get from my building onto a bus, the subway (1-2 trains) and back, so multiple power supplies, spare cables, even a tuner adds too much overhead to the travel requirements.

[Ben Asaro]

Modal [Cobalt8, Argon8], Korg [Opsix, Modwave, Wavestate, Minilogue[XD]], etc...

Aren't we just spoilt for choice nowadays?

I'm not sure you read my OP; do any of those offer a significant improvement over what I already have? And if so, what? Just listing a bunch of synths isn't very helpful and I've already explained at length what my use case and needs are.

[YashN]

Modal [Cobalt8, Argon8], Korg [Opsix, Modwave, Wavestate, Minilogue[XD]], etc...

Aren't we just spoilt for choice nowadays?

I'm not sure you read my OP; do any of those offer a significant improvement over what I already have? And if so, what? Just listing a bunch of synths isn't very helpful and I've already explained at length what my use case and needs are.

I sure did, because who wrote this, me?: "Or perhaps some other option?" I'll leave you to do the research on the other synths mentioned, e.g. on YT.

Re-read my post on the Kurz above (or perhaps you didn't find it helpful), but if you've already made up your mind not to use it, then go with the JV.

Either way you look at it, by your own admission, you haven't even programmed the JV in any depth. The Kurz either.

Had you done some work on the Kurz, you'd find it covers a lot of bases, to the extent you'd GAS less on additional synths.

For me, I'd definitely consider modular/analogue: a good portion of what constitutes the Berlin School is Tangerine Dream, and early TD had a lot of that.

That style is often fairly minimalist, the background being an 8-note sequence with played variations on top.

I can do that kind of thing in a single program, a single key played and the whole track evolving like that on the Kurz, with the ability to do more if I want, like playing live tracks manually...

Daniel Fischer did a whole Pink Floyd track on a Kurz like that once...

[N i g e l]

I was going to suggest a Waldorf blofeld but although its a small box, its solid and isnt tempo sync friendly.
Apart from that, its a competent VA, can do FM squeels, has a PPG filter & of course the PPG wavetables. Easier & quicker to program than a Kurzweil. .

for 10x the price theres Nord Wave II - does knobby hands on VA, FM & has sample replay - which is nice because Nords have access to the original mellotron master tapes. Some of which are customer specific, like the Tangerine dream reels.

that was pre-recorded and not synthed live ?????? All good fun
https://www.nordkeyboards.com/sound-lib ... ist-sounds

if time is not of the essence, Behringer are probably just finishing off their PPG wave 2.2 but that might only be duo timbral and Ive not heard if it includes the sequencer.

[John Stafford]

For me, a sequencer like the Korg SQ-1 would be a must for a Berlin School setup.

You could carry the SQ-1 in your pocket, so it wouldn't feel like carting more gear.

[Ben Asaro]

Just had my first round of editing an Init patch in the JV-1080. Patch Base is great in that it gives visual feedback. However, I am struggling to figure out how to apply the filter envelope in a way that will result in a decent pluck. I'm not even hearing the filter envelope, actually. Going to keep plugging (plucking?) away, I'm sure there's something obvious I'm missing. With an analogue synth, it's easy peasy. Back at it!