Starting over from scratch

[mwbassguy]

Hey Gang.

This was me, five years ago:
http://www.vintagesynth.com/forum/viewt ... start=1312

All of this is gone now, either sold or broken. My entire "rig" has been reduced to a macbook running Ableton Live, a baritone guitar, and a Shure SM-7A, because that's all I ever used 98% of the time. The main impetus for this is my impending move from Boston to NYC in a week, but all that gear was as emotionally heavy as it was physically. If you've ever watched the show Hoarders, or dealt with GAS yourself, then you know what its like.

Anyways, once I'm resettled I'm not getting any more synths but I do need:
Monitors, ideally powered
Controller keyboard, 49-61 key, giggable, with a couple of knobs
Decent audio interface, maybe even incorporated into the controller - I'm _really_ trying to minimize here

I know a lot of you guys are quality snobs, and you're going to tell me "You need to spend at least $800 on monitors, anything else sounds like dogshit" but let's be honest here; I'm not a professional musician or an audiophile. I like playing songs and listening to mp3s and having money to spend on food. I don't need studio-quality anything, I just want good, reliable equipment that I can plug a guitar into and play sad songs about girls.

[Stab Frenzy]

Well how much do you want to spend then? I use Yamaha MSP5As, the current version of them is the MSP5 Studio, they're about $500 a pair. I think they're great monitors, I've been using them for about 7 years and am still happy with them.

Controller keyboard: I don't really know that much about them sorry.

Interface: How many ins and outs do you want/need? The Apogee Duet just got discontinued, see if you can pick up one for cheap if it suits you needs. They're great interfaces and if you can get one cheap it's a good deal.

[nathanscribe]

Controller keyboard: my own recommendation would be to avoid M-Audio. I've used one of the cheaper Keystations and it works but feels... cheap. I had an Axiom 61 which had aftertouch and a few knobs/sliders/pads, but it had the most horrible action I've come across in a long time. Again, it depends on your budget vs. how fussy you are. Try first if you can. Novation seem to be OK from my limited experience of them, and I hear good reports.

[th0mas]

I would second the "avoid m-audio". Maybe the akai MPK line? You get drum pads and the knobs/faders (judging by my MPD32 anyways) are pretty good.

[TheKeytarist]

I second the idea of the novation. In fact, I'd recommend an sl mk2 or a nocturn. I've only heard good reports about novation's controllers and the automap technology is a huge bonus. As for an audio interface, how does the idea of a pre-sounus audio-box usb sound?

[Stab Frenzy]

As for an audio interface, how does the idea of a pre-sounus audio-box usb sound?

If it sounds anything like the firebox (which was more expensive) then it sounds terrible.

[organsymphony]

I've got the presonus firestudio mobile (updated firebox) and the drivers are rock solid and it sounds great. Never had any experience with their USB interfaces.

I've got the m-audio axiom 61 and its all fine and dandy. The keys aren't amazing, but they're not the worst. The faders are s**t. The drum pads are drum pads to me. I use them to trigger the occasional sample. Work great for me.

My friend just got the Novation SLMK II 61 key version. The keys feel pretty good. Its enjoyable to play. The faders are way better than the axiom. The drum pads are smaller and arranged 1x8 as opposed to 2x4 if that matters at all.

If you want to spend the extra cash then the novation is worth it imo.

[silikon]

So I'm sort of going against the grain here.

I read a few people poo-poo M-Audio stuff here... I've got an Ozonic (which fits your idea of controller and audio card in one), and it's traveled the world twice over and been thrown about, and not a single issue thus far. By far it's not the most awesome in terms of feel, but it has all the parts covered; and it seemed to do what I asked of it well.

I've had lots of M-audio stuff (granted, not any of the most-most recent stuff) and had really no issues with reliability. Not the best, but certainly not the worst.

I have owned a Novation X-Station (which I would say might be the best option since, in addition to an audio interface and midi keys, it has a built in VA synth). I thought (and still do think) that it was a superb little machine. Midi, audio interface AND a Synth? Titties. Nice, bouncy, happy titties.



If you want compact and completeness, I suppose this would be a path you could follow.

Alesis M1 (Mk2) Actives are reasonably nice monitors, and won't break the bank.



KRK makes reasonably priced monitors that sound great...



That is the hardware that I have experience with at least. IMHO, the Novation and the M-Audio have audio interfaces, given your parameters, would serve you probably rather well.

I just posted a couple off ebay here so you could get an idea as to prices and what I was speaking about, if there was any question. Illustration with text sometimes impart a better reference.

[krzeppa]

I'll second the X-Station as a controller. You get a good midi controller plus a synth in one. You mentioned that you don't really want another synth, but the X-Stations price is not much different than some of the midi-controllers for sale right now. I think you would get the most bang for the buck. I think the keys are pretty good on it, and it is has plenty of controls.

As for monitors, I have a really small room I use for studio (almost like a glorified broom closet), and I have been using a pair of Mackie MR5s. I think they are really great for the price. You have to get used to the bass/low-end with them. At first I was mixing things and when I listened to them on my stereo/car/iPod/etc. The bass was insanely booming. I have since found the sweet spot, and my mixes turn out great. I think they are a good option if you are looking for something on the less expensive side.

[mwbassguy]

Thanks guys, I'll definitely have to check out the x-station. Anyone else have experience with the m-audio ozone controllers? And any idea how I could A/B them?

[mwbassguy]

Update: the m-audio keystudio retails for about $100, which certainly is an attractive price. I used to have an 88es and while it wasn't amazing it was certainly acceptable. Anyone have any thoughts on the quality of the preamps/ converters? Certainly better than a behringer mixer plugged into the line in, right?

[silikon]

The Keystudio is another option, but bear in mind that it's a very generic controller without alot of tactile input other than the keys. At the price point you defined (100 dollars), I can't imagine the quality to exceed that of a behringer mixer, but who knows...

If you're looking for the full kit, I would stress you look into something that has more tactile control so you can midi-map your soft synth parameters (that you use frequently) to the knobs and sliders on whatever you get.

[blavatsky]

+1 x-station, its a controller, its an audio interface, its a decent synth, its runs on C cells that recharge themselves via USB. As stated, the tits.

The one thing about M-Audio i will say is my BX-5A monitors (I know, cheapo but ok reviews and on a budget) had capacitor issues and I had to buy new ones and re-solder to the board. So avoid those.
I have also heard good things about the Alesis M1 monitors.

[astroidmist]

I have an Axiom 25 (1st gen) and I really like the feel of the keys. The knobs are annoying because they snap into place every few millimeters making a ratchety type of zipper feel which is not fluid at all. But they fixed this in later generations. The pads are nice and soft and the pitch wheel is robust. I don't like the transpose keys because they are dual function and easy to screw up. But overall it's a good piece of gear. It has aftertouch and sustain and expression inputs. The expression pedal is a real plus for modulating sounds. I just wish I had bought the 49 key keyboard instead. 25 keys just is not enough. But their semiweighted feel is really nice. It's not too heavy so you can still play fast riffs on it. The keys are NOT clunky.

The only problem I have with M-Audio is they discontinue their stuff pretty fast. The Axiom 25 was very expensive when I bought it, but now that they have the 2nd gen and also their expert pro line, it's massively devalued. They have a good help forum online but their contact support is weak from what I hear.

I also have an M-Audio KeyRig 49 and it's synth action keys ARE clunky. It's too bad. They are ok if you play really lightly, but they have an annoying thud against something inside. It seems like they could have fixed this with some kind of kinetic buffer or bumper made or rubber or felt or something but they didn't do this I guess. It has better transpose buttons and a volume fader but no aftertouch and no expression pedal input.

I meant to tell you. I respect that you were able to compact and minimize your setup. Breaking the hoarding habits is definately worth it from an artistic perspective because that way you get more familiar with what you have and can maximize the results. I respect you on that.

[th0mas]

had an axiom 25 and kinda hated it. the encoders are detented (so they click every step), and amazingly the drum pads do NOT send velocity when sending notes (!!). I would strongly suggest spending the $ and getting an akai mpk instead. I have not used the mpk but I have the mpd and find the build quality a notch above the m-audio axiom.

Note: I have not used the new axiom version (came out last year), maybe they fixed the issues I've mentioned. Unsure.

edit: I also had an oxygen61 and while it lacked pads and the keybed was cheap, the knobs and sliders were less annoying than the axiom ones. One time it lost my preset though in a gig so I had to menu dive on my blofeld to do the parameter changes I usually did in the tracks (awkward)