Wally1 Posted March 2, 2016 Share Posted March 2, 2016 (edited) I am thinking about getting this to hook up to my STE. https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=arturia+minibrute&&view=detail&mid=694A8E850FA130F35FAA694A8E850FA130F35FAA&FORM=VRDGAR any thoughts, guys? thanks to work with Cubase Lite Edited March 2, 2016 by Wally1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NightSprinter Posted March 3, 2016 Share Posted March 3, 2016 It looks like it could work. I'm not sure with Cubase lite, as I never used it (only MIDI program was TIGER CUB from TAMW). Anyone know if GenSys could be integrated? In the event that the synth can accept SysEx commands? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wally1 Posted March 3, 2016 Author Share Posted March 3, 2016 well i know the synth has midi in and midi out, so... but i dont know what gensys or sysex is my friend? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
galax Posted March 3, 2016 Share Posted March 3, 2016 It looks very cool and retro, but it's monophonic so if it's your only synth you'll be limited to sequencing songs that can be played with 1 finger. Might work well for a unique sound as part of a larger setup though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wally1 Posted March 3, 2016 Author Share Posted March 3, 2016 what do you mean by 'played with 1 finger'? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
galax Posted March 3, 2016 Share Posted March 3, 2016 It can only generate one note at a time, so if you try playing a chord with 2 or more fingers at once only 1 note will sound. With an old fashioned piano you can put your whole arm on the keyboard and play 20 notes at once - polyphonic. Modern MIDI instruments are usually polyphonic, they can play many notes and even many instruments at the same time, so Cubase can make it sound like a whole band is playing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atari74user Posted March 3, 2016 Share Posted March 3, 2016 (edited) Indeed this will work as it has MIDI, I have one hooked up to my Atari. It is of course supposed to be a bass synth so is monophonic like most bass synthisizers aka mono synths. It's quite beautiful, I would recommend. Edited March 3, 2016 by Atari74user Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wally1 Posted March 3, 2016 Author Share Posted March 3, 2016 (edited) tell me more about it please Edited March 3, 2016 by Wally1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atari74user Posted March 3, 2016 Share Posted March 3, 2016 (edited) Well the Arturia MiniBrute is a full anologe monosynth designed to make nice squelchy bass sounds, like the infamous Roland TB-303, although it is not a clone of the TB-303. It was Arturia's first move into making hardware, typically they were a music software company. It's beauty is it is full analogie, you tweek the knobs to tune and fiddle with sound, no preset sounds as a result. It has a developed Steiner Parker filter which sounds nice, and something called the Brute Factor which 'brutalizes' the sound to give it more weight. It has MIDI so you can hook it up to your Atari like all MIDI instruments, and record events you play via your sequencer of choice, then play back the events on your Atari's sequencer. As it has a keyboard, if you turn the volume down, you can use it as a contoller keyboard for triggering other sounds from other racked instruments if you so wish. My opinion is that it is this machine that has spawned a resurgence of monosynths in recent years, in it's own MicroBrute (you may also want to consider), Moog Minitaur (althoug modular in design), offers from Roland and Korg etc... See this article: http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/mar12/articles/arturia-minibrute.htm Edited March 3, 2016 by Atari74user Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wally1 Posted March 4, 2016 Author Share Posted March 4, 2016 what Atari programs do you use with it? can I use Cubase lite with it? thanks a lot Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atari74user Posted March 4, 2016 Share Posted March 4, 2016 (edited) Hi, Cubase Lite should be OK. I happen to use Cubase v3.1. Sent from my HTC One M9 using Tapatalk Edited March 4, 2016 by Atari74user Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atari74user Posted March 4, 2016 Share Posted March 4, 2016 (edited) Oh, also this can receive and transmit SysEx (System Exclusive Messages) over MIDI. SysEx is typically used for changing and updating parameters of your device (synth for example). A common use is to save the parameters (not saving the actual sound) of your sounds (patches) to a Patch Editor / Librarian on your Atari for example, and maintain a log of them to retrieve and use at will to your synth. This way your sounds are not lost. I haven't got that far with using the MiniBrute's SysEx and my Atari to date. Hope that helps. Sent from my HTC One M9 using Tapatalk Edited March 4, 2016 by Atari74user Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
galax Posted March 4, 2016 Share Posted March 4, 2016 Oh, also this can receive and transmit SysEx (System Exclusive Messages) over MIDI. SysEx is typically used for changing and updating parameters of your device (synth for example). A common use is to save the parameters (not saving the actual sound) of your sounds (patches) to a Patch Editor / Librarian on your Atari for example, and maintain a log of them to retrieve and use at will to your synth. This way your sounds are not lost. How would that work with the MiniBrute? I thought the knobs/sliders were connected to passive components (e.g. potentiometers) that were part of the analog signal generation circuitry. If that's true there would be no way to save nor restore their values via MIDI - you have to physically turn the knobs to the position you want. MIDI SysEx could maybe be used to control the arpeggiator etc. if that's a digital component. Looking around a bit people tend to save their patches by either taking a photo http://imgur.com/gpe6y3xor by recording the positions of the knobs/sliders somehow: http://bradyjacobsen.com/microbrute/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atari74user Posted March 4, 2016 Share Posted March 4, 2016 (edited) Ahah indeed you are right, SysEx is not covered in the manual, this I know. In terms of the MiniBrute, patch editing is not viable, SysEx is limited. It appears the Arpeggiator you can mess with via SysEx. However as this is undocumented, it is deemed a 'hack'. Apparently you can change the Arpeggiator into the Sequencer of the SE model for example. So it can receive SysEx but limited to updates and 'hacks'. I agree, if a first synthesizer, you may want to explore a polyphonic synth to give more of an array of sounds, as the MiniBrute, as beautiful as it is, is a synth for the sole purpose of creating analogue bass sounds. More of a beautiful addition, as opposed to a main synthesizer. Sent from my HTC One M9 using Tapatalk Edited March 4, 2016 by Atari74user 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wally1 Posted March 4, 2016 Author Share Posted March 4, 2016 (edited) whats a good first synth? korg m1? yamaha dx7? ``` yamaha dx reface? i was thinking Edited March 4, 2016 by Wally1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atari74user Posted March 4, 2016 Share Posted March 4, 2016 (edited) Korg M1 is a good choice, as well as the DX7 as you say, both a fine choices and classic synths, along with the Yamaha SY77, SY99 and SY85 (although different in architecture to the other SYs) with it's AWM, but beautiful nonetheless. Even the Roland XP series. The MiniBrute is great, but has a sepcific purpose, the others mentioned are of the period of the Atari ST etc... so although not obligatory to have something of the period, work well with the Atari. However anything with MIDI should integrate well, it's only that you get specific editors for say an SY77 or SY99 etc...available on the Atari. So it is nice to have something of the period to allow that ease of integration, only my opinion. As Galax has alluded, such synths have more sounds (voices) to give you a good basis to start with. I don't think you would go far wrong with any of these. Take a look at: http://www.vintagesynth.com/ I like the idea of the Reface, this skipped me by. It has MIDI (DIN) so will connect to your Atari, interesting. Edited March 4, 2016 by Atari74user 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrPastGlory Posted March 5, 2016 Share Posted March 5, 2016 (edited) The question is how digital or analogue the preferred sound should be and how deep a user wants to get into programming sounds. Problem with the old synths from the 80s, from my experience, is that You need to have a good technician at hand in case of repairs and possible failures. Btw. some spare parts are hard to find these days. From the range of 80s polyphonic synths I prefer the Roland JX-3P (with Organix MIDI Upgrade), the Kawai/Teisco SX-240 and the Akai AX-80. From the range of 90s synths my absolute favourite is the Korg Z1. Here in Germany the Z1s are still pretty cheap (if You find one), around 400 - 700 EUR, depending on condition and configuration. It's a great allrounder but it's not easy to program sounds on it, therefore not really a beginners synthesizer. A 'pseudo-retro-synth' from the 90s is the Roland JP-8000, which offers more direct control of the parameters. Another 'new' retro synth I would really recommend is the reissue of the Arp Odyssey by Korg, which is duophonic. Great synth for genres like Wave and Indutrial. Edited March 5, 2016 by MrPastGlory Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wally1 Posted March 6, 2016 Author Share Posted March 6, 2016 does a synth need midi in and midi out to work with the atari? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
galax Posted March 6, 2016 Share Posted March 6, 2016 It depends what you want to do with it. If you want the synth to send MIDI messages to other instruments or the ST then it needs MIDI out. If you want the synth to receive MIDI messages from other instruments or the ST then it needs MIDI in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atari74user Posted March 6, 2016 Share Posted March 6, 2016 In terms of the DX Reface, it looks like it has MIDI over USB, and MIDI (DIN). You will be interested in the latter. Seems as though it has both In and Out via one single DIN. Sent from my HTC One M9 using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wally1 Posted April 5, 2016 Author Share Posted April 5, 2016 (edited) what is a good and simple synth all purpose around 4 0r 500 dollars how bout Yamaha MX49 Edited April 5, 2016 by Wally1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ayreon Posted April 5, 2016 Share Posted April 5, 2016 Maybe this is a nice toy : https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/844778849/st4-hybrid-synthesizer-tracker/description Ok the kickstarter is over, but I'm sure it'll end up in their webshop some day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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