# Struggling here to make a decision......advice?



## Studio E (Jul 1, 2010)

Ok, so I recently quit the band I had been in for a few years. It was a cover band and I was playing keys. I've been a keyboard player for 26 years and I really just wanted to get away from the lifestyle of playing in bars, the partying, etc etc. At the same time, I was really looking forward to installing all of my hardware from the live rig (4 synths) into my studio as permanent fixtures for sequencing. 

So, I have been sitting here tonight rigging it up. Actually, I wired everything back in a week ago and am now trying to get everything set-up midi-wise. I have an 8 port midi interface and I have everything plugged in and out. Then it hits me, all the setup I did years ago for the couple of synths I have kept around. ALL of the data entry to have the presets at hand all the time. What a PITA!

I have a huge (like most of us here) collection of VSTs including an entire orchestra, top of the line synths, multiple perc libs, specialty libs, etc etc. Sure, there's always a few holes in the setup but, do I really need to have a korg and a couple of Roland synths around? Does anyone here really use such things anymore? I mean, of course not for orchestral mock-ups but I'm doing a lot of pop writing right now. Anyone have an opinion about this? I'm thinking that I could sell any one of these things and pick up Trillian (which would be a hole I have) then sell another two and get a UAD. Hmm, I'm not sure. I think I'm also a little sentimental....I dont know. Opinions please.


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## midphase (Jul 1, 2010)

YES YES and YES!!!

(actually let me read your post first)

Ok...so now that I read your post my answer is NO NO and NO!!!


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## Studio E (Jul 1, 2010)

Lol, thanks Kays. I knew you would come through for me. Now what the hell are you trying to say?!?!


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## stonzthro (Jul 1, 2010)

What do you need more - Trillian/UAD or hardware ROMplers? I'd probably keep at least one on hand in case you have nothing to do next New Years Eve.

If your synths are not ROMplers but actual analog synths, disregard and keep them to yourself!


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## gsilbers (Jul 1, 2010)

Agree.

If u want realiistic sounds then u need sample libraries. Something like Goliath from East west, 
ithink. It has all type of sampled instrument.
Or get native instruments' kontakt 4 that has a complete set of instrument samples.

Romplayers or keyboard sounds are good enough for live events, and maybe a few things here there for studio , but if u want to sequence with 
"real " sounding instruments it's better with sample player like kontakt. If sequence with onl keyboard u will noice it at the end. It will sound synthy. Unless it hiphop which what it's cool.

Romplayers/keyboards rely on little Memory for sample intrument so they cut corners to compensate.
U might be used to them nd think they are alright but once u sequence your 1st song, you"ll notice.


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## José Herring (Jul 1, 2010)

If they're the rompler based synths from the 90's get rid of them while you can still get a couple of bucks from them. Nothing dates your sound faster than those synths that everybody in the world had at some point. I was hooked on them to. The Korg M1, Korg 01/w and the Roland 880 were what I had. Got rid of them and got into VSti synths and I've never missed them for 1 second, literally.

Korg has vsti versions of those synths if you feel like you really, really need them, but I doubt if you will.


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## Narval (Jul 1, 2010)

If they look good, keep them - they will give a nice vintage _patina_ to your studio. Besides, some of those sounds may save your day at some point, you never know.


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## autopilot (Jul 1, 2010)

Keep the one with a good piano built into it and trash the rest. 

Midi is dead. It's all in the box these days.


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## kdm (Jul 1, 2010)

If they look cool enough and have some measure of synth milestone significance, or at least sentimental value, I would probably keep them. Like others said - probably wouldn't bother with keeping any run of the mill 90s Romplers though.

I still have my Roland D50 - takes about 10 attempts to get it to boot up, and it's lost half of it's memory permanently, but I still like having it around. The SH101 has a broken knob and is too noisey to patch in, but still kind of cool to keep around. Wouldn't mind adding a Prophet 5 and maybe a Memorymoog, or Jupiter 8 someday. A friend of mine sold his Prophet T8 a couple of years ago without telling me...grrr. He also found a Buchla in a dumpster and was repairing it with no intent of selling it - sigh. Not overly useful, but they are still cool boards. You have to decorate the studio with something.


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## Polarity (Jul 2, 2010)

It depends from you.
Personally I still have a Roland D550, a JV1080, a JP8080 and a Fantom XR, and also my 21 years old Korg M1.

Roland D550 and JV1080 I use them often in my tracks, for those unique sounds me and a friend programmed in them, that I will not find anywhere inside VST synths.
The others I turn on rarely, but when I do is just for some sounds that I don't find anywhere infact. My M1ex is completely reprogrammed by me...

And when I rearrange my old old tracks there are at least 30% of sounds that are simply IRREPLACEABLE, even if I want to give a different look for a song.

An example: my EMU Proteus 1 is always turned off...
but it has a preset of Wind Bells almost identical to a sound used by Vangelis in Blade Runner score. I've never found that sound anywhere, neither in the Free SoundFont taken from Proteus series.
One day I'll sample it inside Kontakt, but what money one would give to me for an original Proteus 1? ANY... noone would give money for it. No one wants it nowadays.
The same for other expanders/keyboards: too little money for their unique personal value.

So it's up to you.


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## Studio E (Jul 2, 2010)

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## wst3 (Jul 2, 2010)

two more cents...

If you have duplication I'd sell the hardware versions, because the software versions are easier to manage. BUT, there are keyboards out there that have not yet been duplicated, and you want to hold on to them!

As far as what to do with the new found wealth, again it depends... Trillian is cool, and high on my todo list, but the UAD-2 would be higher, if I had not recently ordered one to supplement my aging UAD-1.

Synths are cool, samplers are cool, but the glue that (can) put it all together and make it sound "finished" is processing, and if I had to have only one suite of processors it would be UAD - I'd whine a LOT about it, but that's what I'd choose.

Have fun with your decision making!


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## Mike Connelly (Jul 2, 2010)

I rarely if ever use the midi boxes any more. If you have any sounds you really love, you can sample them yourself with something like Autosampler. Or just do some basic sampling yourself, most of those old romplers were sampled in a pretty limited way anyway, little if any velocity levels, round robin, and often not chromatically sampled.

Anything analog or good simulated analog you may want to hang on to...but you're never going to use the bassoon patch off a keyboard once you have even a basic orchestral VI.


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## Studio E (Jul 2, 2010)

Thanks everyone. I think I might keep one around in the Studio for clients to bang out ideas. Otherwise, it's out with the old and in with the new. Thanks!

E


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## chimuelo (Jul 2, 2010)

You are sick of the partying and live gigs....?
Good luck with your new life because you are going to be bored, well unless you are in Iowa or something. Ain't much variation in pigment in those parts of the world and the bars are packed with heffers. Everybody up there is so white they dont know how to have fun.
I went to a strip club up there and I thought I was in a Haunted House or something.

Also if you were at a decent gig you are going to miss coming to work everynight and having a DJ give you an introduction and people clapping and shit. No sir, I have the best gig in the world here in LasVegas. Chances are I will even score some trim everynight. Can you imagine the big butts from sitting in chairs all day that you are going to see...??
Wherever you get your next straight gig you will be bored....trust me. For example at the DMV ain't nobody going to clap, they don't care if you're there, yeah hello there, I am Studio E over at the Renewal registration window,.............ankyu...............aint nobody paying attention.
Jeez I go to sleep at night and have no idea where I am going to wake up the next day.................cant do that at some straight gig.

Im really sorry to hear another live player that found a girl and wants to settle down.
A year will go by,and you'll wake up everyday just bored to tears. Any composition skills you have you'll notice that you are enjoying more dissonance evryday to reflect the misery you have subjected youself to.
The worst thing is you'll be stuck with some gigantic Octo quad DAW that still makes you wait for presets which will anger even further.
The least you could do is get an XITE-1 instead of the painful latency compensated UAD's. Sure they sound great, but you may as well start making your own coffee as you wait.
Keep the board with the best Piano sound as was earlier suggested, but before you fall into the self congradualting world of VSTi's make sure you buy real time instruments because you are going to get tired of her/him and be looking for a gig before years end.................

My 2 cents.


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## Studio E (Jul 2, 2010)

Wow! I was going to say prick but I'll leave it as presumptuous wind bag. Sorry if that's a bit harsh but you just really came off as a know-it-all jerk face. You really don't know me.


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## chimuelo (Jul 2, 2010)

Its cool bro.............I know I am an asshole.
I apologise.
I see too many bros here do that and come back to get a gig fatter, broke and having less gear.

Good Luck.


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## Studio E (Jul 2, 2010)

Lol, it's all good then!


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## autopilot (Jul 2, 2010)

Just the other side of the coin - gave up the live gigging in cover bands to become a sound engineer to eventually write music full time and have never looked back.

I make music every day , pay my mortgage, see my kids, have a functioning liver, and hardly any STDs.  

Lots of different ways to get there - playing is one way, but there are plenty of others. Good luck!


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## Ned Bouhalassa (Jul 2, 2010)

You should especially get rid of any really old, useless synths. You know, the ones from the 70s and early 80s. Yuck. 

I offer to take them off your hands, when you're ready. I suppose I can make room in my back shed... :mrgreen:


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## Ashermusic (Jul 3, 2010)

chimuelo @ Fri Jul 02 said:


> Its cool bro.............I know I am an asshole.
> I apologise.
> I see too many bros here do that and come back to get a gig fatter, broke and having less gear.
> 
> Good Luck.



Jimmy is a really good good guy and means well, but his is an unusual situation as his gig is better than most gigs and he is well suited to the lifestyle. I ran a cover band in LA in the 70's and 80's for about 15 years, as well as Playing solo, duos, etc. and when I left that life to do musical director work and composing I never looked back. 

I am married 34 years with a 26 year old daughter. I get up early in the morning and go to bed at a reasonable hour. I don't miss the smoke, the booze, and was not then nor am I now looking for the next easy lay.

The only keyboard I sold and miss is my old silver top Rhodes suitcase and I love my UAD plugs and in Logic latency is not a problem as long as I wait until the mix stage to put them on the 2 buss.

And if I did want hardware synths, the Virus sounds better than the old ones.

So other than the fact that I respectfully disagree with Jimmy about everything he wrote, I agree with him


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## Studio E (Jul 3, 2010)

Thanks Asher, that's where I'm headed.


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## Ian Dorsch (Jul 3, 2010)

I still have a Triton, XP-50 and XV-5080 hanging around my studio. Depending on the day, I will either use the Triton or XP as a MIDI controller, and there are still some synth sounds in the 5080 that I come back to from time to time. I almost never use it, but I'm glad it's there. 

Sometimes I ponder selling the Triton, but it would be more of a pain in the ass to sell it than to keep it at this point.


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