Shadowbait

Since this community is going away and at least one other person sounded interested in a Discord server, I've gone ahead and created one:

https://discord.gg/CsGN9zzC

I've created channels for synthesizers and music production so far, but I'm very open to adding other channels depending on interest. If this doesn't get any traction in the next week or so it will probably be abandoned, so please drop in soon if you're at all interested.

(I'm "Thoughtquake" on Discord.)

I've seen several people recommend a soft-bristled brush for dusting off synths, but I'm not sure what's the best type, material, bristle length, or whatever else might matter. Can anyone recommend a specific brush that works well for this? Preferably something I can buy online or find easily in the US.

I think one of the things that helped keep r/synthesizers active was the automatic creation of weekly threads like "Friday Hangout", where you could leave casual thoughts that might not feel worthy of a top-level post. So, why not try something similar here?

Consider this a trial run. If people like it, maybe we'll make it a weekly thing. I welcome suggestions for a better title.

I've tried every major DAW and none of them seem to have really thought through hardware synth workflow - it's always takes some tedious trial and error to get everything set up right. However, I've figured out a setup in Bitwig that I'm really happy with so I'd like to share some tips to help others.

First, the Basics:

• Under Settings -> Audio, you'll need to set up the inputs for each synth on your audio interface. I find it helpful to name each input for what synth is plugged into it, even if I have to change that periodically.
• Under Settings -> Controllers, any synth you want to record MIDI from should be added as a controller. I usually add them as "Generic" "MIDI Keyboard".

Tracks and Devices:

• I recommend creating a group track for each synth, so both the return audio from the synth and any recorded audio tracks can be routed through the same effects chain.
• Within each group, add an instrument track with an "HW Instrument" device. Set the MIDI output and audio return here. In the bottom left of the "return" section is a button to automatically detect latency by sending a short note to the synth and measuring the time before audio comes back.
• The leftmost pane in Bitwig's UI allows you to change which MIDI controllers control the track (defaults to "All Ins", near the bottom). For keyboard synths, I usually set them to be controlled only by that synth's MIDI input. That way I can arm multiple synths for recording at once and play them independently.
• To avoid doubled notes without using "local off" on your synth, you can disable monitoring with the little speaker icon button to the left of the input selection in the previous step.
• If you'd like to automate loading a patch, click "Note FX" on the HW Instrument to expand that section and add a "MIDI Program Change" device. Importantly, DESELECT "Chain Only" or it won't work. Make sure it's in the blue Note FX section and not the gray FX section. The settings for bank changes often take some trial and error, as different synths represent their banks differently.
• If it's a multitimbral synth, duplicate this HW Instrument track for each timbre and change the MIDI channel setting accordingly.
• If you want an audio recording, just right click a MIDI clip in the HW Instrument track and select "Bounce". This should create a new audio track under the same group, thus routing it through the same effects. You may want to extend your MIDI clip a bit to catch any release or reverb tails.

Presets:

One of the nice things about Bitwig is you can save all the setup you've done on a HW Instrument device for quick recall, including the attached program change. That means you can save individual patches/presets on your synth as presets in Bitwig's browser.

And, of course, once you have everything set up the way you want, you can save the project as a template to get started quicker next time.

I hope all this is helpful to someone - let me know if you have any questions!

Edit: Added a couple more tips under Tracks and Devices that I forgot to mention.

I have a bit of a hardware synth addiction and spend way too much time talking about them... but we're trying to get a new community started so I felt the urge to jump in and talk about them some more.

The two Nords are my favorites. The Wave 2 is great for beautiful layered soundscapes, while the Lead 4 can quickly go into unusual and striking FM sounds. I love both for how easy it is to dial in performance controls affecting as many parameters as you want in different amounts.

In the middle between them, I'm experimenting with Nina. It has so much potential and so many clever ideas, but first impressions were not good with buggy firmware. I had to put it aside to actually get work done, but I'm about to give it another chance. I'll probably be posting more about it later.

I only keep 3 synths fully connected and ready to use at a time, mostly because I don't want to buy an audio interface with more inputs right now, but it also reduces option paralysis a bit. Everything to the right is basically on standby to be swapped out with the 3 on the left from time to time.

The Prophet 12 probably gets the most use out of everything on the right. It's quirky and a little hard to find interesting sweet spots, but the few good sounds I've made on it (and even a few factory presets) keep me coming back. It's probably the most unique-sounding synth I own.

The Peak is my go-to for anything I can't do on the Nords, if I'm not specifically looking for the unusual character of the Prophet 12. It's deep/flexible enough for most things I'd want to do, without being too menu divey. I really want to upgrade to a Summit some day.

The Modwave is the deepest synth I own, but I kind of hate the interface. Some basic things like unison are buried several pages deep in menu, and it's the only synth here I don't feel like I fully understand yet. I'll have to find time to reread the manual again soon.

The SH-4D is the newest addition, and I've got mixed feelings about it. Multi-purpose buttons make it really easy to accidentally lose work, the mod matrix is missing a lot of destinations I hoped for, and "D-Motion" is probably the most pointless feature I've ever seen on a synth. Who in the world actually wants to pick up a synth and tilt it in the air while cables are hanging off it during a performance? However, it's pretty easy to dial in some really solid bass and pad sounds, and the drum kits are pretty good too.

I saved the Korg Prologue for last because I'm probably going to sell it. It's a pleasure to use and sounds great, but it's pretty limited without 3rd party oscillators and I haven't had a lot of luck with those so far. I also don't like waiting for warm up and tuning when every other synth I own is ready to go in seconds.

Aaand I probably spent way too long rambling about all those, but I hope it was interesting to someone.