No matter how complex the app .. you are adept at breaking it all down into sizable pieces to digest and assimilate ... thank you for another comprehensive run through .
This is such a valuable topic, it takes a lot of time and money to figure this out by yourself. I know from experience. 😅 Thanks for taking the time to talk about it!
2:10 not the licc! 😂 Great overview here, as someone who has been deep into this world for a few years now I wish I’d been able to watch this video when I was getting started! But it also helps for me as kind of a reassurance to at my setup has a bit of everything already - which keep the GAS at bay.
I am saying this before I watch the video. I look forward to someone sorting this out. Because I have seen many videos that conflict with each other, and I’m not smart enough to figure it out on my own… Let’s go Liam!
@@LiamKillen An observation and an opinion after watching your video. I would have put the Digitakt in the “sampler” category (based on what you said) and the MPC One in the groove box category. I can remove all the samples on an MPC One and still make music using the virtual instruments. That wouldn’t be as simple with a digitakt even with monosynth capabilities. That would be like using a screwdriver as a chisel. Yes you can do it… Anyway, just my opinion, thanks for the video.
nice video! I was looking for which MIDI controller that was and I think I found it. In case anyone else is curious, I believe it is the Arturia KeyStep 37.
yooo this is exactly the video I needed right now. I come from a live guitar/bass/drums background, but these days I've been looking to get into synths & sampling. I already own some of this equipment but have had *no* clue wtf to do with it, so thanks for clearing up my confusion! let me get my SP404 SX out and try to make friends with it again.
Thanks for this video! I made the terrible mistake last year of doing minimal research and purchasing a not so great device off of Amazon for my boyfriend that broke down in a few weeks. He deserves a lot better! I also peeped The Lick lol
Fabulous video production in this one Liam. I don’t need the content personally but I really enjoyed it and it will be hugely useful for beginners. Cheers. Lee
So I started making music on my own when my old band ended. I was the vocalist and had no songwriting skills whatsoever. But I always wanted to produce music and found a used Maschine Mikro mk1, bought it and started making beats. Because I didn't (and still dont) know how to play the piano I started learning to play the guitar, as it was the only reference I had, even though I only knew how to play powerchords on a drop tuning. After switching to logic and only using the Maschine for "backing tracks" I recently searched for a solution to make music away from the laptop, as I dont want to spend more time at the screen after work. Thought of getting the 404 but had the impression that the learning curve would be too much for my daily resources. Honestly I didn't understand the differences between samplers and groove boxes, I just thought the latter would be synths with a sequencer. Lastly I went with the Maschine + as it is stand alone and I am somewhat familiar with the software/workflow. I am looking to make tracks on it and get more familiar with the workflow and using it in new ways I hadn't before, like recording guitars/vocals straight into it - instead of importing the beat into logic and then doing "all the bandstuff" in the laptop. Very exciting, yet I know that there is so much more to learn.
Thanks for your video, Liam. Very informative for a synth rookie like me, I just play guitar and picked up a Minilogue XD with TR-06 drum machine and looking to hook it up to a groovebox. I liked the MPC One but not good for live performance.
I’d argue an MPC could be great for performance if you use it as the brain for your Minilogue and TR-06. You could use it to add backing tracks or play your Korg while you play guitar. I don’t remember how many midi jacks it has but you could get a midi through/splitter if you need one. If you want a performative sampler the SP-404 mkii seems the way to go.
i would love to find a system of one trick pony gear to build a setup. like it works with pedal boards and with the synth racks with modules. we already have masterkeyboards and pads recording devices, mixers, why not boxes with one or more VST ...
depends on the unit you're using - like maybe with the Digitone if you turn on arp mode it'll play back the notes in arpeggio form ? I'm not sure though! Haven't tried it.
Not a stupid question! A launchpad is essentially a controller - so you can control a DAW with it, or perhaps another peice of hardware. Some of them are super intuitive. If you're still in those beginner stages - this is a video that might help you out: ua-cam.com/video/s0QCB5xbMWQ/v-deo.html
7:57 How do I know If the sound, presets or parts of a song that I want to sample in a song or a beat is legal or not? There's like a website that tells if a sound or a song can't it be sampled?
You have to make sure that you read up on that ! From wherever you got the samples from - super important! But also, if you change the sample up enough so that it's 100% indistinguishable from the original, then I think you're good to go on that too.
@@LiamKillen hi Liam just a quick one is there a box that can produce a continuous flow of music that I can manipulated to create what I want to hear in real time? I've been watching yours and a few other channels and groove boxes look like the thing. We want to be able to make music on the sofa and then be able to pass it to my partner to continue the flow. Cheers Tom. This sounds like a dream to us
Grooveboxes gRule! 13:19 (and they all _should_ have sample loading at least, MIDI, and battery. though some do not... ) Even though I don't always like that term, because what if the music being made isn't Groovy?
Thx for walking me through here. What would you choose as a beginner, a groovebox for 1k or get a drumcomputer first and than expand with additional machines? Cheers
pro going with groovebox: all included in one unit. con: sometimes hard to really get into the details of sound design with it pro going with drumcomputer + stuff: fine control over all the sounds, being able to use the stuff later without drumcomputer con: need to connect everything audio and midi, u need a mixer or an interface with several inputs to hear all the stuff at once. ---- btw, u can also get a groovebox and other gear xD
I started with a groovebox years ago with the Roland MC-303 back when you recorded to a digital recorder like the Roland VS880 and connected a 1x CD burner over SCSI (it was mind boggling at the time and it failed to burn 30% of the time) or an ADAT. DAWs we’re just coming into existence. I personally enjoy a DAW and think a DAW with a MIDI keyboard is the best way to start, but if I were going DAWless, I’d look at the Roland MC-707 or a Maschine+. I love the Digitakt but I don’t consider it a groovebox because it doesn’t have an onboard synth. It’s a sampler/sequencer with effects.
Make the Deal of my Life, got this Machine for about 65€. Already own a an1x, but this was a nobrainer 😎😁 Does anybody know where to Download the CD-ROM with Sounds, Editor etc? Thx
i guess the question is, what is the bottom end of ”groovebox”? can sth be a groovebox without being a sampler? what features does a sampler lack to make it a sampler but not a groovebox?
There’s a fine line there. Some grooveboxes can sample + have a synth. Others just sample and others just have a synth feature (along with a multitude of other features). A lot of it is just how the machine is marketed. Like the sP-404 mk2 is a sampler but it can practically be marketed as a groovebox.
"can sth be a groovebox without being a sampler?" yes, there are several oldskool grooveboxes out there with only built in stuff "what features does a sampler lack to make it a sampler but not a groovebox?" simple, not being able to sequence the samples is number 1 difference. check out all the akai stuff, s950, s1000. these machines need stuff to trigger the samples.
I’d consider a groovebox something that has a synth, sequencer and fx. That’s how they were originally marketed. A sampler was a separate piece of gear. Some grooveboxes may have had samples as presets, but the ability to record your own samplers was not included in a groovebox initially.
So with the sp it sounds like it's like a pocket operator KO on steroids. I want to get either an s.p or MPC one but the s.p seem easier to learn as iv never used an MPC ..I would be more confident saving up if I knew the workflow.. I mastered the pocket operator k.o in a couple of hours so I'm sure I'd be able to figure them out
if you're already a DAW user, the SP might actually be a more difficult learn- the MPC One is essentially a DAW in a box, so you might understand that workflow quicker. Here's a comparison actually: ua-cam.com/video/w7N_EX37qds/v-deo.html
Thanks video. Love the channel. One thing. If the way you pronounce MIDI is part of your brand, well ok fine. But if not, it just sounds weird and tends to distract me from your actual content. It’s a commonly used term in them electronic dawless world so that’s a lot of distraction! Each time I hear that “meedi” it’s like ouch! It’s a me problem I guess. But maybe other fans of your channel feel similarly?
All modern synths have presets??? How about Moog Matriarch, Grandmother, DFAM and that entire line, most of the modular stuff, MFB machines, Pulsar 23, Soma, synths like Analogue Solutions instruments (Impulse Command, Fusebox, not to mention Colossus).... a LOT of contemporary synthesizers do not have presets and are not built with recall state in mind - I understand you are targeting the video towards the people just starting out and I understand what you meant, but because they are starting out, all the more reason to be precise.
@LiamKillen True. However, there are still some few classical samplers left e.g. the SP-404 mk2 which doesn't have a synth engine yet and is not really suitable to be the centrepiece of a setup.
@@JoergWessels Good point. But I guess the second "I" must be pronounced "ee" because English could not pronounce a word ending in the sound that begins "Instrument" - what would it be, "MID ihh?" The words are in English, as defined by Dave Smith who named it! "MID ee" ua-cam.com/video/Jq6_vy4Pcwk/v-deo.html
Once you hit your late 20’s to 40 it’s all genetics. I’ve seen guys in their 20’s that look 35. I’m 40 and most people think I’m 28-32. They’ll say “you might be too young to remember…” when I’m older than they are. I’m tempted to say “I saw Nirvana live while you were riding a bike with training wheels.” I’m too nice to say it, but I’ve thought it.
Distribute your music with DistroKid - 7% Discount Link:
►distrokid.com/vip/liamkillen
As a newbie, I was drowning in a sea of confusing equipment and terminology. This was def the lifeline I needed; thank you!
Awesome! Glad to help out
Ditto
No matter how complex the app .. you are adept at breaking it all down into sizable pieces to digest and assimilate ... thank you for another comprehensive run through .
Thanks as always for watching!
I'm just starting on this vast world. This video has been very helpful. Thank you!
My pleasure!
This is such a valuable topic, it takes a lot of time and money to figure this out by yourself. I know from experience. 😅 Thanks for taking the time to talk about it!
It's my pleasure- thanks for watching :-)
LK's edutainment in the synth/sampler/groovebox/sequencer community is unparalleled, second to none!
Hey thanks! 👋
I mean, he called a sawtooth wave a triangle wave, and he calls an Envelope "ADSR". I'd say the education part of
"edutainment" is slightly subpar.
@@Chop_69 ..nobody is perfect 😆
@@aseomg no but you said "unparalleled, second to none!" which is indeed incorrect.
@@Chop_69 ..my words aren't facts 👽
2:10 not the licc! 😂
Great overview here, as someone who has been deep into this world for a few years now I wish I’d been able to watch this video when I was getting started! But it also helps for me as kind of a reassurance to at my setup has a bit of everything already - which keep the GAS at bay.
Yeah that’s the purpose of this video- for anyone who’s just beginning + needs some clarification
The forsaken lick lol
One of the more informative and helpful explained videos I've seen so far getting into this
Always love to hear comments like this - glad as always to help :-)
I am saying this before I watch the video. I look forward to someone sorting this out. Because I have seen many videos that conflict with each other, and I’m not smart enough to figure it out on my own… Let’s go Liam!
This is a video that I wish existed when I first jumped into the synth world!
@@LiamKillen An observation and an opinion after watching your video. I would have put the Digitakt in the “sampler” category (based on what you said) and the MPC One in the groove box category. I can remove all the samples on an MPC One and still make music using the virtual instruments. That wouldn’t be as simple with a digitakt even with monosynth capabilities. That would be like using a screwdriver as a chisel. Yes you can do it… Anyway, just my opinion, thanks for the video.
you can simplify things into ONE device,like the PolyEnd Tracker...
@@michaels8088 not if you perform live.
I just wanted to get back into DJing and now I’m down the live performance rabbit hole 💀
Great video! Thanks for breaking everything down
You're on the journey ! And thx for watching :-)
Thank you so much i have an exam tomorrow and you've made everything so much easier 😭
A synth exam ! I love it haha - glad to help.
My goodness this video was so well put together and helpful. Subbed and liked
Wow- I really appreciate that - thank you :-)
nice video! I was looking for which MIDI controller that was and I think I found it. In case anyone else is curious, I believe it is the Arturia KeyStep 37.
That's the only one that I have left !
yooo this is exactly the video I needed right now. I come from a live guitar/bass/drums background, but these days I've been looking to get into synths & sampling. I already own some of this equipment but have had *no* clue wtf to do with it, so thanks for clearing up my confusion! let me get my SP404 SX out and try to make friends with it again.
Awesome! Glad to have helped ! :-)
Thanks for this video! I made the terrible mistake last year of doing minimal research and purchasing a not so great device off of Amazon for my boyfriend that broke down in a few weeks. He deserves a lot better! I also peeped The Lick lol
Glad to help you out ! :-)
I'm just starting and this video was really well made. Subbed and liked - thanks man!
I appreciate you checking it out :-)
Loved this video! Chalk full of some good info!
Glad to help! 😊
Fabulous video production in this one Liam. I don’t need the content personally but I really enjoyed it and it will be hugely useful for beginners. Cheers. Lee
Oh and where did you get the yellow SP-404 (or is it a cover). Desperately want that baby…
Thanks Lee! 🍻
Style flip 😏
So I started making music on my own when my old band ended. I was the vocalist and had no songwriting skills whatsoever. But I always wanted to produce music and found a used Maschine Mikro mk1, bought it and started making beats. Because I didn't (and still dont) know how to play the piano I started learning to play the guitar, as it was the only reference I had, even though I only knew how to play powerchords on a drop tuning.
After switching to logic and only using the Maschine for "backing tracks" I recently searched for a solution to make music away from the laptop, as I dont want to spend more time at the screen after work. Thought of getting the 404 but had the impression that the learning curve would be too much for my daily resources. Honestly I didn't understand the differences between samplers and groove boxes, I just thought the latter would be synths with a sequencer. Lastly I went with the Maschine + as it is stand alone and I am somewhat familiar with the software/workflow.
I am looking to make tracks on it and get more familiar with the workflow and using it in new ways I hadn't before, like recording guitars/vocals straight into it - instead of importing the beat into logic and then doing "all the bandstuff" in the laptop.
Very exciting, yet I know that there is so much more to learn.
Thanks for your take on this and for watching :-)
The Yamaha Rs7000 is 3 in 1 a sequencer, sampler and synthesizer. Love it. I use it as the master and the modx6 like a slave both are great together.
Hitting it from all angles if ya know what I mean.
@@LiamKillen I prefer hardware over software because of the latency issues computer daws are unstable. Have more control over my sounds.
Thank you for the overview! It really made a difference!
Glad to help
Great treatment of these basics!
Thank you for watching ! :-)
Excellent content as usual good sir!
Appreciate you!
Very informative!! Very cool!! Thanks!
Thanks for watching and glad to help!
liam has everything i need, back when i was teenager
lol
Great video. Thank you sir
Thx for watching :-)
@@LiamKillen 🙏😊
Thanks for your video, Liam. Very informative for a synth rookie like me, I just play guitar and picked up a Minilogue XD with TR-06 drum machine and looking to hook it up to a groovebox. I liked the MPC One but not good for live performance.
Glad to help! 😊
I’d argue an MPC could be great for performance if you use it as the brain for your Minilogue and TR-06. You could use it to add backing tracks or play your Korg while you play guitar. I don’t remember how many midi jacks it has but you could get a midi through/splitter if you need one. If you want a performative sampler the SP-404 mkii seems the way to go.
LoVe this vid man!! Thanks 🙏🏾
Thx Dusty!
Great video,
perfect video to get new people into the cult of Dawless
LOL
i would love to find a system of one trick pony gear
to build a setup.
like it works with pedal boards and with the synth racks with modules.
we already have masterkeyboards and pads
recording devices, mixers,
why not boxes with one or more VST ...
The closest thing to that is Ableton Live / BitWig.
I am looking for something to loop many hardware synths. I have a boss 505 but need more than 5 pads
A good sequencer I think would cover you on that - the Oxi One is a great way to go :-)
Great video, thx man!
My pleasure
is there something which makes arpeggios from the notes i send via MIDI
depends on the unit you're using - like maybe with the Digitone if you turn on arp mode it'll play back the notes in arpeggio form ? I'm not sure though! Haven't tried it.
Dunno if you'll see this, and this might be a dumb question, but are launchpads considered a type of sampler?
Not a stupid question!
A launchpad is essentially a controller - so you can control a DAW with it, or perhaps another peice of hardware. Some of them are super intuitive.
If you're still in those beginner stages - this is a video that might help you out:
ua-cam.com/video/s0QCB5xbMWQ/v-deo.html
@@LiamKillen thanks a ton man!
7:57 How do I know If the sound, presets or parts of a song that I want to sample in a song or a beat is legal or not? There's like a website that tells if a sound or a song can't it be sampled?
You have to make sure that you read up on that ! From wherever you got the samples from - super important! But also, if you change the sample up enough so that it's 100% indistinguishable from the original, then I think you're good to go on that too.
Brilliant, thank you
It'a a pleasure.
@@LiamKillen hi Liam just a quick one is there a box that can produce a continuous flow of music that I can manipulated to create what I want to hear in real time? I've been watching yours and a few other channels and groove boxes look like the thing. We want to be able to make music on the sofa and then be able to pass it to my partner to continue the flow. Cheers Tom. This sounds like a dream to us
Grooveboxes gRule! 13:19 (and they all _should_ have sample loading at least, MIDI, and battery. though some do not... ) Even though I don't always like that term, because what if the music being made isn't Groovy?
Interesting point :-)
Just in time! Thanks! What would you recommend for finger drumming?
MPC one!
Thx for walking me through here. What would you choose as a beginner, a groovebox for 1k or get a drumcomputer first and than expand with additional machines? Cheers
It really depends what you’re going for!
Digitakt / OP-Z are great starters in that range.
TR-6S is also ultra underrated
pro going with groovebox:
all included in one unit.
con:
sometimes hard to really get into the details of sound design with it
pro going with drumcomputer + stuff:
fine control over all the sounds, being able to use the stuff later without drumcomputer
con:
need to connect everything audio and midi, u need a mixer or an interface with several inputs to hear all the stuff at once.
----
btw, u can also get a groovebox and other gear xD
I started with a groovebox years ago with the Roland MC-303 back when you recorded to a digital recorder like the Roland VS880 and connected a 1x CD burner over SCSI (it was mind boggling at the time and it failed to burn 30% of the time) or an ADAT. DAWs we’re just coming into existence.
I personally enjoy a DAW and think a DAW with a MIDI keyboard is the best way to start, but if I were going DAWless, I’d look at the Roland MC-707 or a Maschine+. I love the Digitakt but I don’t consider it a groovebox because it doesn’t have an onboard synth. It’s a sampler/sequencer with effects.
Make the Deal of my Life, got this Machine for about 65€. Already own a an1x, but this was a nobrainer 😎😁
Does anybody know where to Download the CD-ROM with Sounds, Editor etc? Thx
🚫 🧠
i guess the question is, what is the bottom end of ”groovebox”? can sth be a groovebox without being a sampler? what features does a sampler lack to make it a sampler but not a groovebox?
There’s a fine line there. Some grooveboxes can sample + have a synth. Others just sample and others just have a synth feature (along with a multitude of other features). A lot of it is just how the machine is marketed.
Like the sP-404 mk2 is a sampler but it can practically be marketed as a groovebox.
"can sth be a groovebox without being a sampler?"
yes, there are several oldskool grooveboxes out there with only built in stuff
"what features does a sampler lack to make it a sampler but not a groovebox?"
simple, not being able to sequence the samples is number 1 difference. check out all the akai stuff, s950, s1000. these machines need stuff to trigger the samples.
I’d consider a groovebox something that has a synth, sequencer and fx. That’s how they were originally marketed. A sampler was a separate piece of gear. Some grooveboxes may have had samples as presets, but the ability to record your own samplers was not included in a groovebox initially.
Akai
My guy
So with the sp it sounds like it's like a pocket operator KO on steroids. I want to get either an s.p or MPC one but the s.p seem easier to learn as iv never used an MPC ..I would be more confident saving up if I knew the workflow.. I mastered the pocket operator k.o in a couple of hours so I'm sure I'd be able to figure them out
if you're already a DAW user, the SP might actually be a more difficult learn- the MPC One is essentially a DAW in a box, so you might understand that workflow quicker.
Here's a comparison actually: ua-cam.com/video/w7N_EX37qds/v-deo.html
@@LiamKillen ah thanks all check it out
🍖 y 🎮! 😃 (I'm a visual thinker). Great channel!
Appreciate you being here! :-)
This is awesome! Do you do lessons?
I do! Here’s info on how to book: www.liamkillen.com/book-a-lesson
Thanks video. Love the channel. One thing. If the way you pronounce MIDI is part of your brand, well ok fine. But if not, it just sounds weird and tends to distract me from your actual content. It’s a commonly used term in them electronic dawless world so that’s a lot of distraction! Each time I hear that “meedi” it’s like ouch! It’s a me problem I guess. But maybe other fans of your channel feel similarly?
It’s been brought up a few times lol - 🥩 🎮
2:09 adam neely ?
I'm assuming that's where "the lick" is? lol
For the lead at 15:10, does the sequencer still have 16 steps, or is the lead part longer than the other sequences?
I can't remember exactly to be honest but with the OP-Z you can certainly have different length sequences / part.
You don't have to necessarily have to sample from pre-recorded audio.
You are right
Triangle is meant to be saw I suppose 😉
Mmhmm!
Great use of The Lick!
lol thx
🔥🔥🔥
🍻
i just brought a computer, youtube is awesome
😏
All modern synths have presets??? How about Moog Matriarch, Grandmother, DFAM and that entire line, most of the modular stuff, MFB machines, Pulsar 23, Soma, synths like Analogue Solutions instruments (Impulse Command, Fusebox, not to mention Colossus).... a LOT of contemporary synthesizers do not have presets and are not built with recall state in mind - I understand you are targeting the video towards the people just starting out and I understand what you meant, but because they are starting out, all the more reason to be precise.
Ya got me bro
@@LiamKillen Wasn't bad intent, I know what you meant.
I disagree labelling a MPC one a sampler. Despite of being able to be used with samples, it is a full groovebox.
Lines be blurred these days.
@LiamKillen True. However, there are still some few classical samplers left e.g. the SP-404 mk2 which doesn't have a synth engine yet and is not really suitable to be the centrepiece of a setup.
Can't a drum machine be a sequencer?
It certainly can.
Meaty controller
🥩 🎮
Nothing made by Elektron? No synth, no sampler, nothing..?
I'm not sure what you point is 🤔
I hate being that guy, but it’s pronounced MID-EE, not MEAD-EE!
🥩 ee
because the I stands for Instrument!
@@VJFranzKIf the first I is short because it's for instrument does that mean, the second I is also short because it's for interface? Obviously not.
@@JoergWessels Good point. But I guess the second "I" must be pronounced "ee" because English could not pronounce a word ending in the sound that begins "Instrument" - what would it be, "MID ihh?" The words are in English, as defined by Dave Smith who named it! "MID ee" ua-cam.com/video/Jq6_vy4Pcwk/v-deo.html
Sampling is for the soul. Synth is some wack laser sound mainstream shit.
lol!
How are you? You look sad 🦥
With a UA-cam handle like yours there's a good chance that you are projecting.
I’d have to go w placid.
@@LiamKillen 😊
Once you hit your late 20’s to 40 it’s all genetics. I’ve seen guys in their 20’s that look 35. I’m 40 and most people think I’m 28-32. They’ll say “you might be too young to remember…” when I’m older than they are. I’m tempted to say “I saw Nirvana live while you were riding a bike with training wheels.” I’m too nice to say it, but I’ve thought it.
Also in response to OP, making content is exhausting especially when you have a job and a life. Maybe he was tired. Your comment is rude.
I love your furry paws. Twist off that red rocket 🚀
lol!
Also, big thanks to Liam. He motivated me to start to buy some boxes, and boom, I had already released two tracks (also, with distrokid) 🎉🎉🎉 👏👌🤏🏽🤌✨✨✨❤
Oh awesome! Appreciate you watching 😃
@@LiamKillen 😋✨