This is a FOLLOW UP to the podcast, explaining a few more things and going a little more in depth to some of the gear choices this was a request from a few people via feedback, so I thought I would do this follow up.
So the first piece of gear was:
Arturia BeatStep Pro: So for sequencing hard wear gear and external synths and using pads there's nothing better than the BeatStep Pro - Sadly the ship has sailed on the black limited edition version of the Beatstep Pro but that's OKAY, it's not the cosmetics that matters, it's how it makes you more productive and makes your job easier. I got asked if this would replace my Keystep 37 I don't think I would get rid of the keystep 37 if I got a beatstep, the only time I see the Ketstep 37 leaving me is if I am replacing it with the Black edition which they haven't released yet but we know they will.
The price on this is around $499.00 AUD which I think is pretty good for everything it does.
OWNED - Novation AFX Station: The box on it's own is a interesting piece of artwork and that's a good point but I have always wanted a Bass Station II and then I saw the limited edition AFX, which is cosmetically DOPE AF and LIT AF, the black and purple looks like it would match well with the ATH-M50XPB but sadly I missed that limited edition from Audio Technica wasn't willing to make the same mistake with this one to be honest with you and I realised that this limited edition was virtually sold out every where down under, with one store seeming to still have the remaining amounts of stock but my local main retailer still had one, (Had one) I ended up ticking this off my gear list and placing it on Laybuy.
I think the AFX station is an amazing piece of kit that will bring a mack load of new sounds and sound styling to the party, in my set up and allow me to explore the acid house genre of music even more, I don't exactly know where I will be putting the gear but that's a story for another day.
SRRP - $799.00 AUD if you can source one.
Roland MC-101: The roland MC101 has been described as a circuit killer I personally don't know if I would go that far though. I originally went out a brought a Novation Circuit due to the fact of BoBeats on YouTube and that's how my circuit journey begun. I think the MC-101 has a lot of potentional but also has some limits to it, but for a groovebox around 700 - 800 mark in Australia your options are kind of limited, but hey the Roland MC101 could be a very nice winner.
SRRP - 779.00 AUD
{OWNED} Elektron Model Samples: As I have in the past I don't have a dedicated sampler and a lot of people have commented your rig doesn't have a sampler, and I know it doesn't in the sense not that I can sample directly in to, and I really do like the look of the Model Samples, every man and his dog uses a Roland SP404A but for me I wanted to break the mould and work out side of the constraints of the real world or the industry normal, and I also didn't want to spend 889.00 on a SP404A to be reals, I remember when they were $699.00 lol so I gave that a miss.
Many YouTubers have said the Model Samples or Model Cycles is a good start to get in to the Elektron Workflow and why I have to sit there and go I want and need a digitakt and a digitone, I thought it made sense that I picked up this bad boy.
SRRP $599.00 AUD
So I now officially own the model samples as of the 7/4/2021 one item ticked off the list.
Modal Cobalt8 - This is the DEAREST piece of gear on the list, and possibly the most unlikely to actually own this year but man I can dream can't I? LOL just don't tell the girlfriend and she'll be mickey mouse when I tell her it's cost me $500.00 lol.
All the reviews I have seen makes this thing look hella epic and I really can't help but want to cop it, have you seen the colour scheme? The blue looks hella sleek to be honest with you and I think that's definitely a nice colour to have on a synth but I have said I don't know if I would buy the key version or the module considering I have the keystep I can easily control the module over MIDI without needing the keybed, but I feel like the Cobalt8 keybed would be hella amazing to be honest and that's just something I would have to work out should the time come.
SSRP $1499 AUD for the 37 key version, $1399 AUD for the module.
Conclusion: I think this list is just one part of what we will see this year, like I am working a long way in to polishing off items on the list and building a V2. I like how the list is shaping up but at the end of the day there's always more gear coming out and that can always pose more issues. As projects evolve so does the needs of my gear and equipment.