Gearlists from famous progressive producers like Digweed etc.

**Decoy** · 07-14-2002

If anyone has some of these I'd love to see them!

Im into progressive house & trance myself, and Im really interested in what 'the big names' are using. Unfortunately Ive found very little information on this so far.

Help me out guys! And at the same time tell me what synths you think are best for making dose dark progressive chords that are so characterising to progressive in my other thread...

Thanks

**Soren** · 07-14-2002

People like Digweed (Bedrock) and Hook recordings have everything under the sun. Everything? Yep.

Start with this stuff:

$15,000 Pro-Tools Rig
Yamaha 02r digital mixing desk (v2)
Yamaha o1v digital mixing desk(live work)
Access Virus KC
Akai s6000
Akai s3000
Roland jp 8000
Nord lead 2
Nord lead 3
Nord Modular
Novation Supernova
Novation basstation
Novation drumstation
Roland jv1080
Roland TB-303
Roland DB-900
Roland XV-5080
Ensonique DP4 fx unit
Lexicon MPX1 fx unit
HHB Circle 5 monitors
Yamaha ns-10's monitors

That'll be a good start, just part (small part) of what Digweed has. Hmmm... Am I jealous?

**Decoy** · 07-14-2002

Who ever said I want to copy them...?!?

I just want to know what they're using to get a better insight on their approach to creating music.

If you dont look at what the competition is doing, good or bad, then you're lost. That's just the way it is, not only in music, but in every sport or business around the globe, face it! That doesn't necessairily mean you have to copy them..

**Soren** · 07-15-2002

Yeah I'm sorry... I've had the flu for like a week and I was feeling really ill and crappy last night when I responded. Plus normally when people say stuff like that all they wanna do is copy. But i've never cared before, dun know why I did then. I'm on a few boards and you have no idea how many people just pop in to all of them and say "I wanna sound like Oakenfold, what does he use?". Sorry...

Anywho, Digweed and all the other big names really do have everything under the sun. One of the keys to their extra smooth sounds is that they get other people in on their projects. Like maybe they will lay down the track and then get their friend the über mixer to mix it for them, then get other people to tweak it and so forth. You really can make any of the sounds you hear in modern progressive trance with any of the "good" synths. You said you already have the Virus B, that's an excellent start. It's the best workhorse synth there is in my opinion. And the K-Station is a good add-on.

I'd say learn those 2 synths really really well, get good other stuff like monitor speakers, sampler, mixer, and maybe a good external effects box, and read around about mixing down tracks and you should be all set to make any kind of electronic music there is (or isn't if you're really creative).

Lemme know if you need advice on anything you don't have so far. I think I have a decent grasp over what the best options are for people that don't have unlimited gear money. In the synth separtment you are definitely solid. Lemme know what else you have and what kind of budget (short and long term) you have and I'd be happy to give you my suggestions for an optimal "bedroom studio" setup

**Decoy** · 07-15-2002

No problem about your reply yesterday man

What you're saying is true, that's why I'm selling most of my other synths. I just wanna keep the k-station, virus b and the jd-990 (im thinking about bying the vintage expansion board for this one), and learn those very well, then maybe buy a nord micromodular and microwave xt, since they have different types of synthesis... My setup is already awesome as we speak, and I think I know it fairly well.. Like i said, i can make really nice dark progressive sounds on my virus, k-station and other synths already, but I was interested in what 'the ultimate synth' for these type of sounds should be.

Here's my kitlist:

Soundcraft Spirit Digital 328 Mixing desk
Soundcraft Spirit Absolute 4P Monitors

Lexicon PCM-81
TC Electronic D-Two
Digitech Studio Quad 4
Lexicon MPX 100
DBX 266xl Compressor
Behringer Ultrafex Pro
Roland a-880

Access Virus B
Novation K-Station
Clavia Nordlead I
Roland Alpha Juno 2
Roland JD-990
Yamaha FB-01

Akai s3000xl / 32mb ram / 8mb flash ram / scsi zip / cdrom drive
Loads of Sample cd's
Jomox Airbase 99
Sony DAT recorder DTC-1000s
Sony Minidisc recorder

Athlon XP 1800+ / 512mb ram & PII 366 / 512mb ram
SB Platinum + Live drive breakout box
2x19" monitors
Cubase / Soundforge / Plugins galore

2 x Technics sl-1200
Rodec Mx180
Pioneer EFX-500
JBL eon speakers

**Soren** · 07-15-2002

Well, U got it all

Nice stuff! The chords used in Dark Prog stuff are fairly easy to make with any good synth. I think to make the "ultimate" ones you just need to make your chord and then EQ/ Filter/ Compress/ Add Effects properly. As far as making "generic" (don't have a better term sorry) pads and dark progressive noises I think the Virus, Novation stuff, Q, and Nord Lead are all very similar. I don't own a Q or Lead, but I used them and I own a Virus and had a Supernova. Really the one that makes the "best" prog noises is pretty much user preferance. I have read of lots of the big time producers using the Supernova and the Virus especially, but the end all be all synth for those kinds of sounds is really just user preferance cause all good VA synths have a fairly similar range for Pads...

Personally I think the Novation stuff and Nord Lead have a "smoother" sound to them and the Virus and Q sound a little rougher or dirtier. But all of them can be smooth or rough if you know how to program them correctly, or add external effects, so it's kinda just a toss-up depending on what you like....

EDIT: I went to another board and read a few threads like this one (Which synth is best for Progressive) and everyone pretty much says the same as me: Virus or Supernova. With a few people saying Q, Nord Lead, or XXX real analog kit. I personally find most modern synths to be more than capable of making just about any sound you want and the only real difference being which one you like most. I personally like the Virus cause I think its got a great user interface and I like the generally dirtier sound that comes out of it...

**Decoy** · 07-15-2002

Thanks for the info

I like my virus a lot too, but lately i tend to make more sounds on the k-station, and faster too! It's such an intuitive unit. Ive had it for 2 weeks now, and spent around 3 hours in total on it, which got me about 25 good sounds! I never even came close to that ratio on the virus b.

Any thoughts on the nord (micro modular) and the microwave xt?

Im with you on the fact that most va's can do similar stuff, but they do all have their own strong points. That's why I dont really see myself bying another VA, unless it's a Supernova to replace the k-station, but that's pretty unlikely since i really dig this little synth!

It's not like I need this setup but what would be the perfect synth setup for me:

* Novation K-station: VA, smoother stuff
* Access Virus b: VA, dirtier stuff
* Microwave XT: Wavetable, so different from everything else, although i heard it has a steep learning curve
* Nord Modular: Modular synthesis
* Hartmann Neuron: The new synth on the block, which sounds like the future of synthesis to me
* JD-990 with vintage synth exp.: Sort of a museum of analogs

**Soren** · 07-15-2002

"Any thoughts on the nord (micro modular) and the microwave xt?"

Well I have a Virus (like you) I had a K-Station (I got it right away when they were all full of bugs and took it back, I don't pay to Beta test) and if I were to buy another synth I would most likely get the Nord Modular KB or the Microwave... so wow, you were thinking the same 2 as me. Just a few things:

Why not the MicroModular? My friend has the MicroMod and it's amazing! I got to play with it till he moved...

But anyway, there are a bunch of really good effect patches available for the Modular, like Milti-Band Compressors and stuff like that, but they take almost 100% of the DSP power of a chip. But since the Modular KB has 4 DSP chips you could run the out on your mixer back into the Modular KB and use it as a live compressor/ effects box and still have 1-2 DSP chips to play Modular sounds. That's important to me cause i like minimal setups. Also, the MicroMod is running ~$375 used and the ModKB is ~$900 so for only 2.5X the price you get 4X the processing power and a keyboard. But if that's not important and you don't want/need all the DSP then definitely get the Micro.

The Microwave was also my second choice cause it's Wavetable and that's different. But I have never used it or any Wavetable synth so I'd have to try it before I bought it, but in concept it's very neat.

I also know nothing about the Neron, it seems cool, but personally if I was gonna spend a whole ton on a synth I'd probably get an Alesis Andromeda or a Jomox Sunsyn, but that's just me and I really know nothing much about the Neuron and haven't heard it yet...

**Decoy** · 07-15-2002

Actually, I was talking about the micromod

They run at 250 euro used over here, so that's pretty cheap. In my opinion the modular's interfaces aren't that great anyway, with either micromod or full modular, so im not gonna spend 900$ for that. 4x the power yes, but i dont really need that since i have the other synths...

Ive had my eyes on the Microwave XT for a couple of years now, and every time i demo one it sounds great! I guess it's becoming a must-buy for me.

If I bought both, they would set me back for only 750 euro, which is nothing for 2 great synths...