Synth Minimalism

[01010111]

I’m probably not the only person here who’s gathered more synths than they reasonably justify owning, and I’d like to try something a bit more minimalist. However, I can’t seem to make any traction. I can’t decide what to keep, or how much I should keep. I keep coming up with a strategy of some type, and I keep changing my mind within a few weeks.

Has anyone else been down this road? Have you tamed your synth gas and learned to love what you’ve got?

With pedals minimalism’s generally easy: find the smallest pedalboard you feel comfortable using, buy one size smaller, and maximize within the constraints of that pedalboard. It’s kept my board incredibly stable. Is that the secret? Buy a good platform for a coherent base and maximize inside that setup?

Or, am I doomed to buy/flip/acquire until I’ve hoarded a synth mountain to the delight of a handful of synth nerds on IG?

[raj007]

Use your pedalboard philosophy and apply it to synth. Go buy a cheap table and there’s your size limit. Anything that can’t fit on the table...adios.

[Bartimaeus]

Try writing a few songs within a few days and see which synths you end up using. I'm not sure what style you work in, but a good way to test out the synths would be musical minimalism, like Says by Nils Frahm or something. You'll probably end up with some synths you use a lot, and other synths you only use in one or two places. Try using the synth(s) you favor more to replicate the sounds of the synths you use less often, and see them off. Accept the fact that it'll never sound exactly the same, but the slight differences from the "ideal" sound you get by using one keyboard can be way more interesting, especially when the "ideal" is on a bunch of records already. Remember, you can even make beats with a Minimoog if you don't mind overdubbing.

[UglyCasanova]

iPad + Midi keyboard + delay + reverb.

My zen is strong in the synth world.

[Willem]

I could be minimalist with a polyphonic synth with presets (I own a Prophet 08) and a Moog Mono synth without presets (was thinking about the Grandmother but then they announced the Matriarch).

[nogodsnobedtimes]

iPad + Midi keyboard + delay + reverb.

My zen is strong in the synth world.

What apps are you using on the iPad? I've got an iPad sitting around collecting dust and would love to use it for something.

[odontophobia]

iPad + Midi keyboard + delay + reverb.

My zen is strong in the synth world.

What apps are you using on the iPad? I've got an iPad sitting around collecting dust and would love to use it for something.

Yeah, have been thinking about getting a a midi keyboard to pair with my iPad. Maybe get a new iPad.

[spacelordmother]

Currently in the same situation. Have nothing helpful to offer.

[MrNovember]

I've been working on synth minimalism for some time now. I never really got to a point where I had acquired a ton of synths, but I did get to a point where I had more synths than I'd ever use on one song or in one session. I'm mostly narrowing down my setup by keeping track of what I play every session. If I don't use something frequently, I try to figure out why. If I can cover similar sounds with other synths, then it's probably worth flipping.

At this point, I'm down to a small and very specific euro setup, a Digitakt, Peak, and DX7. And I'm going to try to sell/trade the Peak towards a Grandmother or Matriarch; Peak is way more than I really need and the Moog semi-modulars would fit in a lot better with my euro stuff.

[greyscales]

I could be minimalist with a polyphonic synth with presets (I own a Prophet 08) and a Moog Mono synth without presets (was thinking about the Grandmother but then they announced the Matriarch).

I would go a similar route if I had to minimize. Prophet Rev2 covers almost all of my needs, I'm mostly interested in the Matriarch for another filter sound and something that does more than mono without presets. Plus it'll integrate with modular (which I view as a separate thing personally).

Having too many options can make it hard to even get started. Like you always hear, limitations breed creativity. I think you're much better off having one or two really solid pieces than a bunch of cheap things that only make one or two sounds you like.
A welcoming interface goes a long way too. I've had three different Volcas, but sold them all because they never felt "real" or playable in my hands and the sound never justified that. Same for a Pocket Operator I've tried. Minilogue was a little better but I outgrew the keyboard and wanted a polysynth that really went all the way (aftertouch, velocity, 6+ voices, characterful filter). Get an instrument that invites you in and makes you want to touch it.

[Willem]

I didn’t like the minilogue too, the Prophet is rad and as you said, can do almost everything, the Moog bass sound apart. I miss the Subphatty I had for its filter and what I could do with the envelope filter.

[qersty]

What if you just tried to slim down to one with good (virtual) analouge sounds and one with good digital sounds, maybe some sample based thing to compliment. Replacing synths with rack versions may also be a good idea if you dont do that already

[01010111]

I think I’m going to try a mix of everything that’s been suggested. For what I own I really like being able to be portable. So, think I need to restrict myself to a case of some kind. I’ll limit myself to handful of synths: Deluge, SE02, JP08, and the Volca FM. Figure out the size of the case I’d need to make that setup work. Then after a month or so of using that setup, pull the trigger on a case and ride-or-die within the boundaries of that case.

Though, I’m not sold on keeping the Deluge or the JP08. I’d like to keep things analog as much as possible (I can’t defend it, but analog feels magical to me for some reason). So, the JP08 and SH01a are a little redundant, and I might get a DSI to replace them. The DSI rev2 seems like an obvious choice: lots of modulation options and the ability to have layer splits. Which would make it extremely handy in a minimalist synth rig... It’s good to know that it’s a good synth. I kept on reading things that said the oscillators sounded thin and hissy.

I’d like to include some modular, but it would mainly be used to interface musically with my Vidiot. I could theoretically build a little modular into whatever case I end up using. But modular’s a demon I’d rather not bargain with. Something like the Mother 32 would be perfect if it had an oscillator sync input (that’s almost required for video synthesis reasons).

For some reason I haven’t been overwhelmed by how many options I have. But I have been keeping everything on a shelf, and pulling out one or two things to use whenever I go to play with things. It’s fun, but it also means I can just keep buying things for the sake of buying things, and that’s bad.

[CSCD]

You could also build a setup with a specific live project in mind (even if that project never actually materializes). This way, you'll be forced to find the sounds you want within a limited number of synths, comfortable enough to haul to a potential gig/rehearsal. And you'll probably write a few tracks in the process. This approach works for me, at least

[01010111]

You could also build a setup with a specific live project in mind (even if that project never actually materializes). This way, you'll be forced to find the sounds you want within a limited number of synths, comfortable enough to haul to a potential gig/rehearsal. And you'll probably write a few tracks in the process. This approach works for me, at least

hmmm... this might be the best approach...

This would force me to work with the synths as tools, refining how I use them, and help me define what I need. If I somewhat arbitrarily sell what I think I don’t need and keep the handful I’ve listed above, then I might not be setting myself up with the “right” tools. And if I don’t go through the process of developing a live set with these, then I’ll likely keep repeating what I’m currently doing.

So, I need to define what I need musically, and then pair down my setup to what I need to fulfill that need. Only then will I be able to stop flipping and be happy with what I have.