10 Things You NEED to know before Building a Dawless Synthesizer Setup

Here's gear I recommend for a synth setup & your studio. This is almost exclusively gear I have used in my studio and know to work. (All links are affiliate links) MIXERS (all of these can record multiple channels at once) Bluebox Mixer US: imp.i114863.net/b4ELm EU: thmn.to/thoprod/504944?offid=1&affid=623 Soundcraft MTK 22 US: imp.i114863.net/6a2GG EU: thmn.to/thoprod/359305?offid=1&affid=623 Soundcraft MTK 12 US: imp.i114863.net/35b7d EU: thmn.to/thoprod/359304?offid=1&affid=623 Tascam Model 12 US: imp.i114863.net/Vro4E EU: thmn.to/thoprod/483453?offid=1&affid=623 (affordable!) Presonus 16 channel US: imp.i114863.net/RxJRb EU: thmn.to/thoprod/423722?offid=1&affid=623 Presonus 32SC (the one I use) US: imp.i114863.net/vLe2j EU: thmn.to/thoprod/462793?offid=1&affid=623 MIDI THRU BOXES (midi splitters) US: imp.i114863.net/LvenY EU: thmn.to/thoprod/220156?offid=1&affid=623 iConnectivity MioXL (there's a smaller one too!) US: imp.i114863.net/xxAy1 EU: thmn.to/thoprod/476770?offid=1&affid=623 SYNTH STAND Jaspers: thmn.to/thoprod/443021?offid=1&affid=623 GOOD FX Zoia US: imp.i114863.net/5b6MAL EU: thmn.to/thoprod/463334?offid=1&affid=623 Blackhole US: imp.i114863.net/jExYb EU: thmn.to/thoprod/503207?offid=1&affid=623 Tricerachorus US: imp.i114863.net/MXJDDK EU: thmn.to/thoprod/529760?offid=1&affid=623 EURORACK Rackbrute Case EU: thmn.to/thoprod/431059?offid=1&affid=623 US: imp.i114863.net/16j3g Nifty Case EU: thmn.to/thoprod/499147?offid=1&affid=623 US: imp.i114863.net/nOrmR Affordable eurorack modules (Dreadbox Chromatic Series) EU: thmn.to/thoprod/486796?offid=1&affid=623 US: imp.i114863.net/kjeaad PATCHBAY: EU: thmn.to/thoprod/118484?offid=1&affid=623 US: imp.i114863.net/XxbLLg SEQUENCERS (makes no sounds themselves) Novation SL Mk3 // 8 track keyboard/sequencer/controller: EU: thmn.to/thoprod/450573?offid=1&affid=623 US:imp.i114863.net/QqZ79 Arturia Keystep Pro // 4 track sequencer/controller: redir.love/wcdKr2aG EU: thmn.to/thoprod/483153?offid=1&affid=623 US: imp.i114863.net/M4G7Y SYNTH & SAMPLERS WITH SEQUENCER Roland MC101 // portable 4 track synth EU: thmn.to/thoprod/473345?offid=1&affid=623 US:imp.i114863.net/74Lq5 Roland MC707 // 8 track synth and sampler EU: thmn.to/thoprod/473348?offid=1&affid=623 US: imp.i114863.net/rvkmd Novation Circuit Tracks // 4 track Sequencer & Synth EU: thmn.to/thoprod/512775?offid=1&affid=623 US: imp.i114863.net/0kgRJ Elektron Digitakt // 8 track sampler, 8 track sequencer EU: thmn.to/thoprod/409950?offid=1&affid=623 US:imp.i114863.net/yDJYB Elektron Digitone // 4 track FM synth + 4 track sequencer EU: thmn.to/thoprod/431568?offid=1&affid=623 US: imp.i114863.net/4kOXL NI Maschine+ // standalone sequencer/sampler EU: thmn.to/thoprod/501389?offid=1&affid=623 US:imp.i114863.net/m69Yy GOOD STARTER SYNTHS Original Minilogue EU:thmn.to/thoprod/379052?offid=1&affid=623 US: imp.i114863.net/2PbZM Korg Minilogue XD EU: thmn.to/thoprod/465932?offid=1&affid=623 US: imp.i114863.net/Rxg72 Cobalt8 EU: thmn.to/thoprod/506277?offid=1&affid=623 US: imp.i114863.net/eDP4X Argon8 EU: thmn.to/thoprod/473936?offid=1&affid=623 US: imp.i114863.net/0bKWL Microfreak EU: thmn.to/thoprod/457192?offid=1&affid=623 US: imp.i114863.net/ZknZK Dreadbox Typhon EU: thmn.to/thoprod/496419?offid=1&affid=623 US: imp.i114863.net/GPva6 Korg NuTekt NTS1 EU: thmn.to/thoprod/473592?offid=1&affid=623 US: imp.i114863.net/2OR10 Reface CS EU: thmn.to/thoprod/368212?offid=1&affid=623 US: imp.i114863.net/PLJLR HydraSynth EU: thmn.to/thoprod/527778?offid=1&affid=623 US: imp.i114863.net/5b6MZ2 DRUM MACHINES Roland TR8S (very versatile!) EU: thmn.to/thoprod/434284?offid=1&affid=623 US: imp.i114863.net/PLJoR TR6S (tiny!) EU: thmn.to/thoprod/504204?offid=1&affid=623 US: imp.i114863.net/QBzL6 Analog Rytm MK2 (pricey but amazing!) EU: thmn.to/thoprod/503365?offid=1&affid=623 US: imp.i114863.net/WjW7O Pulsar-23 (a bit overkill for a beginner) EU: thmn.to/thoprod/504302?offid=1&affid=623 US: bit.ly/pulsar23 Drumbrute Impact EU: thmn.to/thoprod/444377?offid=1&affid=623 US: imp.i114863.net/LJod3 SPEAKERS: IK MTM EU: thmn.to/thoprod/457892?offid=1&affid=623 US: imp.i114863.net/XxbL25 ADAM EU: thmn.to/thoprod/540649?offid=1&affid=623 US: imp.i114863.net/mgAXoD Eve Audio SC3070 EU: thmn.to/thoprod/510035?offid=1&affid=623

I love synths and it's fun to go shopping, but remember yalllllll: Be a creator, not a consumer! Great video Bo, good advice as always!

Great points in this video. I know a few people who don't use a computer at all, and they all have something in common - they dislike computers in general, and none of them understand computers enough to operate them trouble-free. This is a HUGE factor. Computer nerds develop background skills that they're not even aware of. Simple things like a backup schedule aren't obvious to non-nerds. I see multiple comments in this thread about running into issues on a computer and giving up. Not everyone wants to spend countless hours mastering the dark art of troubleshooting Windows issues.

Thanks for the shoutout homie! Suuuper appreciate it :)

I started out with an Electribe 2 as main sequencer, having no clue of midi sequencing in the beginning there were some hard (and costly) lessons learned. Now I am using a Synthstrom Deluge, a very flexible unit with great connectivity, internal synth, FX, drums and sampling ability. The grid based sequencer is a great help to me... My tips is to go for: - good sequencer - drumcomputer (tr-8 ish) - a solid monosynth - a simple polysynth (minilogue-ish) - start out small - get to know the gear you have and only then buy more... - buy second hand and have patience, do not buy impulsive like I did a lot of times. - get yourself a nice mixer with plenty channels and FX send/return possibilities. - FX will beef up your sound! Get some great sounding FX (pedals or rack mounted) for reverb, delay, distortion etc... Midi connectivity can be useful (especially for delay effect). - use midi splitters like a kenton 5 e.g. - have patience and do not expect to turn out hits all the time. - when not using a DAW to record, use a good recording device like a Tascam dr-5 e.g. - keep on practicing and force yourself into the studio even when you don't feel like jammin. Getting started sometimes is the hardest part. But when you're get going it's tons of fun!!! Hope this will help you! Sweet jamming✌️✌️

My advice, buy one thing and learn it. Read the manual from cover to cover. Then play it endlessly. Then read the manual again. Until you reach its limitations you won’t reach yours. Which means you ain’t growing

The limitations of the hardware is whats inspires me. Give me everything and i don't know what to do with it.

Buy second hand. Then when you have collected a lot of gear the you don’t actually use, it is easier to sell without losing a lot of money.

Great video. I’m a drummer and also play guitar, and a friend showed me his Korg Volca bass. Being a long time fan of Kraftwerk, I just thought that little thing was so cool! A few years later I finally got one and told myself ‘this is really the only electronic gear I’m interested in’ Six months later I’ve got several of the Volcas and now I’m just so intrigued with everything. Just got a MS20 Mini so I can learn modular. It’s sure addicting! Lots of fun, and very different from making music with a drum kit and electric guitar. Thanks again for the video. I’ve subscribed to your channel and look forward to more of your videos.

Most important step: ideas. If they are lacking, DAW or not will make no difference

I’ve struggled a ton with this. Back and forth, back and forth. I fall in love with using a DAW and then some weird computer problem makes me swear off computers forever. What I’m accepting though is that feeding a computer a bunch of pure hardware and treating the daw as a very efficient multitrack recorder/editor + effects processor is a great balance of all of it. It seems to be the most straightforward path for me to get musical ideas into a track and fully realize what direction I want to take it in. I don’t care about crazy pitch correction or carefully sequencing a million different tracks but I could never discount how great a DAW is for organizing and exploring ideas.

Thanks for describing the Roland MC-707 as a sequencer because the idea is the golden ticket that I needed to hear for creating and maintaining a dawless setup! 🏆🎉🔥🎊

I tried to go Dawless for a while, but in the end I went with a hybrid setup where I use Ableton to sequence my hardware analogs live. That way I can get the best of both worlds. I use a Lanchpad so I can control any number of sequences and synths cleanly and easily

I have a bunch of videos on the topic of building a hardware synth setup: Reasons to have a SMALL synth setup/home studio: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhP1UathnLc&t=239s How I sequence all of my synths: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYhMrsURTUo&t=640s How I record all of my synths: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H93rvSmM7ow&t=473s Basic Tutorial on Hardware Synth Setups: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIle3IU42gU&t=13s Basic Tutorial on Hardware Synth Setups Part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQz5xifbPFw&t=1s Overview of how to record your synthesizers and the options available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pnHFgf19kb0&t=13s

I did exactly what you were talking about, and got what I really wanted and started off with a sampler first

Back in the early 90s all I had was a hardware sequencer a few synths, drum machine, and guitars. I had great fun pairing the hardware into a analog 4-track recorder mixer. After moving to the DAW setup I’ve found it feel much more like work, with software issues ruining the day.

Still recording into ableton but playing everything live has changed my approach to music entirely. Amazing the difference in fun playing hardware/eurorack vs software :D

After watching your vids got myself a MC707, CS Reface and Circuit Mono Station to learn and noodle. Loving them!

This is a great video, and it’s still funny to me because I’ve always stayed hardware mainly because the DAW-studio really intimidates me. It seems like lots of work and hassle to make music that way, and I find hardware way easier to deal with. Maybe this has to do with the fact I don’t use computers in my everyday life, I guess they are less scary when you work with them in an office or something. Sometimes I ponder going soft, but I just imagine years of frustration and headaches before I can actually get some music done on a computer. Therefor I giggle a little bit inside when people say that it’s more complicated to make music without computers. Thanks for another great video Bo.👍

What I recommend for starters is a circuit tracks with 2 external synths because you can control 2 midi tracks independently and even automate effects on your synths from the circuit tracks! You have an amazing sequencer and 8 instruments to control in total (2 internal synths on the tracks, 4 sample tracks and 2 external synths). For the external ones I recommend the arturia micro freak and a volca as they're pretty compact.