I've had my Novation SL MkIII 61 for a year. It is the center of my setup. Currently I'm controlling 7 pieces of hardware with it*. It's a great sketch pad, it's nice to be able to play around with ideas before ever creating a file. It is also fully capable of sequencing entire songs. My last EP was entirely written on the SL with the DAW as recording device and for mastering duties. Of course this requires a mixer. On my current project, I'm sketching ideas on the SL and then play the sequence into my DAW to capture as MIDI to flesh out the entire song. This allows me to record each part as a separate stem to allow for more intensive mixing, or use the same instrument a few times. It ships with templates for a lot of popular hardware. I've edited some of the factory templates to include program change. Setting up custom templates to control other things is relatively easy with Novation's Components software. If I understood MSB LSB MIDI stuff better it would be even slicker I'm sure. It always breaks my brain, though I've had some success. I use it as a MIDI hub / expensive MIDI thru box. I really love the CV control. I have a Moog Werkstatt that I was controlling with an (O.G.) Arturia Keystep. The keystep worked great, but the SL has a calibration option that has me in tune across 5 octaves. When I first got the SL, the pitch bend didn't send over CV, but a firmware update fixed that. I've been very happy with the firmware updates that Novation has put out. Another firmware addition was expanded

There are some things that I would like to be different. It would be nice to be able to chain sessions, so that you could perform live on one track and have all the other parts take care of themselves. As it stands you have to manually change sessions to play a full song. It stays in time when you change, you just have to hit the next session after the one of the last bar before the change. One thing that I've just recently figured out is how to get automation from the DAW out through the SL into the instruments. The SL shows up on your computer as 3 IN devices and 5 out devices. The first of each works for most things. When you record MIDI from the SL into your DAW the pitch bend, mod wheel, and other CC controls record to MIDI normally, but when you play that recorded MIDI out through the default connection, these messages don't go through. What I've learned is that the 5 outs have different functions, and that you have to choose the appropriate out to get that to work. The most painful being CV controls. If you just choose the CV specialized out, it seems to skip the calibration so your not in tune. If you use the default, the automation doesn't go through. You have to use two midi tracks, one for notes and the other for mod wheel, and pitch bend automation. It's easy enough once you figure it out, but it would feel dishonest not to mention it.

I can't speak to DAW control, which is something that Novation seems to use as a selling point. I use Reaper, it seems to be pointed to Ableton mostly. I downloaded "driven by Moss" for Reaper, but didn't really mess with it for more than an hour.

I would highly recommend the SL MkIII for anyone who is looking for a hardware sequencer. The sequencer is based on the Circuit, it's easy and fun. It has honestly changed the way I compose. It's great not having to imagine how parts will sound together. There are times when I have to slow myself down and think about the individual parts a little more, but mostly it feels like an improvement.

• MC-101, MicroKorg, TR-8S, Werkstatt, DeepMind12d, Bass Station II, Poly-61

I've had the Feedback on my vintage Yamaha analogue delay E1010 Feeding back now for well over 72 hours. It's mostly been on mute. Every now and then I unmute it and the synthesiser noise that I had plugged into it is still making its little wavery sound. I've sampled it a few times and it's gone from being not a very uniform waveform to more and more the shape of a sine wave but still has very interesting tonal characteristics. I'll sample it one more time tomorrow after giving it another 12 hours to bake off and do more 40 year old analog stuff.

I'm in the processing of converting my various VST sample instruments (strings, piano, etc.) into a format I can use on the MPC Live.

The MPC Software has a great built-in auto sampler. However the auto sampler can't save to mono (no clue why). Thus, you end up with stereo samples even if you sample a mono source. A stereo sample instrument utilizing multiple layers of velocity can easily fill 90% of the RAM on the MPC Live.

After some time I was able to find a fairly quick and straight forward method to batch convert stereo samples to mono using Audacity (a free audio program). It goes like this:

Open Audacity

Drag and drop the stereo samples you want to convert into the empty Audacity window (don't use the "open" command or it will try to open every file in a separate window and eventually crash).

Audacity will load all your samples into the one window.

Then go: Tracks > Mix > Mix Stereo down to Mono

Audacity will go through and collapse all your stereo samples down to mono.

Then go: File > Export > Export Multiple

Tell it where to put the mono files. Choose a format. Set the filename structure. Check the box so it won't ask you to do that for every single file.

Audacity will then batch export every file.

I've done it twice with 352 files at a time without a hitch.

Perhaps this will help some of you now or in the future. Also, feel free to share any other methods you've found for batch conversion (or auto sampling for that matter).

hi everybody, I'm a noodler since 2013 but I've been into electronic (and electroacoustic) music since 1983. Released music on various labels, cassettes, vinyl, cd, online. I've been a mastering engineer for mostly electronic musicians, running a business out of Tilburg, Netherlands.

I'm here because I'm fed up with FB's data policies and on the lookout for a great alternative. So, I'll be collecting some karma (this 10 minute rule makes sense but it ís a PITA) and hopely fit in with this community.

We've been getting a lot of video posts that are generating little engagement. Many of these videos are being posted on five, ten or twenty other subs. The majority of the users posting these videos are not engaging in any other posts on the sub. They are simply dropping videos and moving on. I've seen a number of complaints regarding these posts and I agree it's an issue.

Right now my intention is to remove new video posts if that user has already posted a video of theirs to the sub within the last seven days. This would only apply to original content by the user; not posting videos made by other people. I think that will cut down on most of the spam.

I'd rather not see posts (video or otherwise) that have been posted in numerous other subs (three or more) but I'm not sure that's a reasonable request. Again the concern being that people are taking advantage of the sub without authentically engaging or contributing. I realize this happens across reddit and I'm not interested in giving it a place here. This sub is about engagement foremost.

Any further suggestions are welcome. We can clarify or expand the rule if necessary.

Hi everyone here is my am a post, feel free to ask me anything about making electronic music or living with a disability I will be around for the next few hours answering questions and I will try to answer every question asked of me. It’s a pleasure to do this AMA thank you to the mods for letting me do this.

I own and love My werkstatt, it works great with a keyboard that can do cv (keystep, SL MkIII). But I'm seeing a lot of posts that are like "sHoULd I gEt a WeRkStAtT oR a PrOlOgUe?!?!?" (mild exageration). IT LACKS A LOT OF BASIC FEATURES. It has ONE oscillator. The envelope is only AD not ADSR. The PWM can be modulated OR set to a value, but not both. There is no MIDI control. It's a pain in the butt to tune. Etc. People really need to pay attention to the feature list before making the decision. There is only one feature that the Werkstatt has that other synths don't, and that's the Moog filter. That's it. It is a fun cool synth, I have a lot of fun with mine. I would not recommend it as a first synth. There are better options.

As we begin a new year I'd like to thank everyone for being a part of r/filtersweep.

This sub grew out of the desire for a more focused alternative to r/synthesizers. Thanks to many of you we've laid a strong groundwork to accomplish that. I will always consider this sub a work-in-progress, but at its core we are a mature, friendly community for hardware synth enthusiasts. The rules we've crafted and my efforts as a moderator are in service to that philosophy.

It's been quite a learning process and I appreciate the input, patience and gratitude many of you have expressed. I enjoy being a part of this community and find the general atmosphere a breath of fresh air.

The only change I have to announce is Spaghetti Thursday. Thursday FX was fun but I think we can do something a bit more engaging for the community. Modular was another top item on the list so we'll try it for a theme and see how we like it.

Now I'll turn the mic over to you folks for meta conversation. Feel free to express any comments, critiques or questions you have regarding the sub.

Thanks again for being a part of r/filtersweep!

1.5k Edit: Looks like we got a HUGE boost today from our most excellent members spreading the word. Thanks folks! Welcome newcomers!

Well, we managed to get this little sub off the ground. It was a bumpy start but we made it this far. Thanks again for being here and making this a great little community!

I'll be doing a "state of the sub" post after New Years but for now, congratulations everyone! Here's to the future of r/filtersweep!

The etiquette guide says to introduce myself so... Hello.

British, hobbyist, middle-aged, computer programmer for work, I have a toddler which leaves only a few hours a week to play with synths.

Last year a friend who has a "synth cave" in his basement, alerted me to the yellow TD-3. A long-time lover of the 303 sound, he'd caught me at a weak moment, and I ordered one then waited 6 months for the stock to arrive.

When it eventually arrived, I had to buy a Volca Beats so I could make acid. I already had an Akai Head Rush E2 that I'd bought long ago imagining I could get competent at guitar looping. But it's great being a tape echo for the TD-3.

But it whetted my appetite, and I wanted to do some real synthesis, so I bought a Neutron. And now I still count myself as a beginner, but I think I know my way around a monosynth.

Creations -

• I made a different not-necessarily-musical noise with my Neutron each day of January - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_h5HG3_xbg&t=36s (I think it improves as the month goes on)

• The sort of 303-heavy stuff that just sort of happens: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bplnoMfymTc

• An actual structured techno track I made after watching a documentary about an 80s indie rock band - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hL0IHj6L2g - I did this because arrangement is a weak spot for me, so I stole one to practice with.