What would be the a good next step?

  • Thread starter Thread starter SaltSlasher
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SaltSlasher

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I have started my home studio and I need helping to figure out what I pick between a few things.

So far I already have studio monitors, usb interface, mics, and software.

I work with ableton mainly, then the CuBase and Komplete 7.

There are two particular pieces of equipment that I am looking to get. I will only be able to afford one of them, and then the one I don't buy, well I might be awhile before I save up enough.

Anyways the one I am leaning to get is the NI Maschine 1.6(education discount), and its obviously why I want it, because its probably the coolest thing I can buy besides a lemur.

2nd, I was leaning on the Novation 49 SL Mk2 for awhile, until I realized what the Maschine could do.

I am into the whole house/electronic(a)/DJ thing, so done the road I will buy things like the launchpad and a nice DJ controller. But I want to start producing some sounds and get my music going.

Pretty much I have the CTK6000 workstation keyboard, which can only strike midi through its keys(which the keys are really casio quality, and are bound to break).

So you can see why either ones will increase my overall ability to control my software, giving me a wider range of things to do, with less walls.

If I could only have one, I would probably get the keyboard. But since I know I will eventually save up, I figured it would be best to get the maschine on account it is really cool, and will take me longer to figure everything out, not to mention it will give me a good boost in the right direction!
 
KCearl should be able to help you unless he is still over on the macrame for inmates message board.
 
pretty much the maschine costs more, if I get it, everything it does, is stuff I don't have period. IF i get the 49SL keyboard controller, then technically my ctk can do mostly everything the it can as far as the keys goes, besides for after touch and the quality(which is very terrible on the ctk). If I don't get it, I will still have something to trigger sounds, but I would still not have the insanely amount of control over the daws,

Which doesn't seem like a bad thing, cause I will be so lost in my Mashcine that i will probably forget I have a ctk, and will only want the SL 49 when I want to play chords with any sound, through the maschine or all the other extra functions that go along with having a midi controller hoooked p to a maschine!
 
i mostly play guitar so cant be too much help... all the electronic stuff I have done is on an ASR-10 - not quite as fancy as the maschine but anyway - good luck :) and welcome to the forum

you might want to look at some of the other forum sections - you might find some people with more specific experience
 
I have been on here a few times, but I have been mainly on future producers, and everytime i post something, I just get trashed talked by people who are rude and never help.

My typical work day(when doing music), has been creating sounds with in ableton, and combining them into the tracks and so I have a bunch of synths lines.

I personally never really learned drums beyond, a several rock songs, but I have impeccable piano skills compared to drums. So I have used my keyboard, and the software to make beats.

My weakest link would be my overall beats and drum lines. There always basic 4 counts with a differnet last two notes on the 16th count. I have been working on 8 and 16 count drum lines, instead of this repeating crap I do.

Anyways, I can make my cheap guitar sound good, same with my keyboard. But my drums need serious work, and the maschine will give me the power I would get with a drum machine, and all the other wonderful things it can do!

I know the maschine is great, I just happen to have an extra load of money that comes next weekend, so i will have this one big purchase until I order my mac book pro in august for school. So my summer savings will maybe 500-700 on the side, while left over loan money will get the MacBook, so unless I get some part timer that is for straight money saving, then I will only have one or the other to work with all summer on my time off!
 
I have been thinking about this for about week, and I have slept on it enough.

The best choice is the Maschine, for several reasons.

Mainly the tide turner, was my extra use of my ctk6000 when the power went out. Since I have been school, I haven't had much time one her, and have only figured how the sequencer, tons, rythems and storage goes.
I found that I can edit each sound, with 60-200 dsp effects, about 40 arpeggiators, and a bunch more.

So until a key brakes completely the CTK will work just fine, for a workstation, and will be ok for sending midi.

Since The Maschine is going to probably take me a month or two, to figure out all of it's secrets, I won't be wanting to use that midi in, at first, so I can hold off until I raise another $400 for the SL 49!

The biggest differences are, I don't have any drum pads, and I have nothing that the Maschine can do. So everything it brings to my studio will be new! The SL MK2, will only be bringing one of the best controllers(knobs, sliders and buttons) which will all be new, but the keys can be mimicked at this point in time, I just have a pitch wheel.

The thing I find so cool is, that you see these producer videos and these guys got like 100,000 studios, with the huge mixer boards, screens built in, custom built studio monitors and like 50 rackmounts. But they put the maschine right in the center and use it for center piece. Some even claim that there 2,000 MPC along with there vintage collection of every MPC is now collecting dust.

Then to top it off, there was a super awesome producer, and guess what he only had his iMac, SL 61 Mk2 and the Maschine, for his entire studio(or atleast what was at the desk, and in frame)! This is pretty much what my studio is going to look like at first, but with a PC and a MacBook Pro.

But I think its so cool that I don't need 20,000-100,000$ to start a home studio, when I can spend a couple grand between software and hardware and have what the pros are using! Besides for my Bx5a's, I wouldn't mind some Adams or Genelecs with a sound treated room, then I would be in business!
 
Ive been looking at maschine...now it hosts vsts its almost a no brainer..Ive been getting more outboard recently but that thing draws me in to software again

when you're starting out Id watch when spending money on controllers..I think keys are necessary but things like pads and faders, well you tend to end up just using the mouse or your keys anyway..unless they are motorized faders are pretty useless imho

I will say there are a couple of very good value softsynths that you may look to adding to your shopping list, lennardigitals sylenth 1 and refx Vanguard..I use outboard, including analogue now, and these two softsynths still hold their own in the mix..I doubt anyone could say what were soft synths and which werent
 
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