what synths to get for a new ndlr?

[MrPipes]

I just wanted to say THANK YOU again for all the help on this thread...and for the NDLR which I have now had for a few days

I love it

I thought I would be frustrated and would need to pay for some support from the local synthexperts....but actually the NDLR and I seem to understand each other

The NDLR is intuitive...and I was not expecting that

One more question - sorry - I love those youtube demos that visually show the notes being played by the NDLR...this feels like it could really help me a lot as I explore what the NDLR can do

I understand that Arturia Piano V is the software in those vids...and maybe I should save up for that purchase

But is there anything cheaper I can use (either on the ipad or iphone or a Mac running protools) that will do that same job of showing the notes being played by the ndlr in real time on a visible piano-like keyboard?

[MrPipes]

Hello
For IPAD, I recommend Caustic. That's what I mainly use with the NDLR.
I like to see the note evolving on the keyboard.

thanks Noiz...I have just bought Caustic, looks fun and I like the stackability....when you say you like to see the note evolving on the keyboard - is there a way I can get perhaps the Caustic sequencer to show me what notes are being noodled/ like with the arturia piano keyboards visible on eg loopops video demo? At the moment I can only see a small segment of the keyboard on my ipad screen

[Steve]

I was going to mention that Behringer now has a large line of really cool low-cost synths.
Of coarse a Deepmind 12 desktop is great for pads. The Model-D or Neutron can be found used occasionally for a really good price. And the other two new ones: the Pro One and Crave also seem like good candidates.

Adding a shout out to the Audiothingies guys, the Micromonsta is a great sounding little synth.  As is the Buzzy. 

The Korg Volcas are also really great for being reliable and small and easy to transport.  My favorites are the “FM” and the “Bass”

And I can’t help myself for giving tips. 
First - get to know each part of The NDLR separately, it greatly reduces complexity this way. 
Second -  Cut a small square from the sticky part of a Post-it note and apply it to each of your synthesizers and write the midi channel on it.  There are actually black Post-it note pads and I use a white marker. This often blends right into the synthesizer GUI.

Good luck with your endeavors
Steve

[Steve]

I just wanted to say THANK YOU again for all the help on this thread...and for the NDLR which I have now had for a few days

I love it

I thought I would be frustrated and would need to pay for some support from the local synthexperts....but actually the NDLR and I seem to understand each other

The NDLR is intuitive...and I was not expecting that

One more question - sorry - I love those youtube demos that visually show the notes being played by the NDLR...this feels like it could really help me a lot as I explore what the NDLR can do

I understand that Arturia Piano V is the software in those vids...and maybe I should save up for that purchase

But is there anything cheaper I can use (either on the ipad or iphone or a Mac running protools) that will do that same job of showing the notes being played by the ndlr in real time on a visible piano-like keyboard?

As others have mentioned there are a lot of free soft sense on the iPad. Some of these will show the keys being pressed as a note messages come in. So it may actually be something you can get for free. The Loopop video is really impressive with the virtual keyboard he uses. I can’t recall what it is but send him a message and I’m sure he’ll reply. We’re just looked through the comments maybe somebody else asked.

Glad you’re enjoying The NDLR.   I’m so glad it’s intuitive to you, it was intuitive to me :-) 

And thanks for everybody’s kind remarks on this forum. It’s really great that there’s a safe place to ask questions. With few exceptions the synth community is a pretty good that way.

Thanks,
Steve

[Jonny English]

The LooPop video is a really good one, well worth absorbing.
With regards to affordable synths, I'd second the suggestion of a Walford Blofeld, it's excellent value for money.
The interface gets a bit of stick, but once you've used it a few times it's really not difficult to master.

As an alternative to the SuperNova (which is a great synth BTW, but bulky and relatively expensive), or the Virus (which is equally excellent, but can be equally pricey), I'd personally recommend the Novation Nova.

Basically it's the SuperNova in a desktop module, same engine I believe, but half the price and quarter the size.
You don't see many on the market, but you should be able to find one in near mint condition for £230-£250 / $250-$300.
If you're put off by the horrible, what-possessed-them plastic wings, they're easily removed, and can be left either standalone or fitted with third party end cheeks. The only thing to watch is that when buying used it comes with a PSU, as it's a bit of an odd one with a DIN socket for some reason which might be a challenge to replace unless you're handy with a soldering iron, but other than that, there's no cause for concern.
http://www.vintagesynth.com/novation/nova.php

[MrPipes]

Garageband works with the NDLR!

(I am guessing this is obvious...and not news for most synth-experienced midi-literate people here)

But it was totally news to me despite all the kind help on this thread (apologies if I missed any reference to it - but Search Box searches for Garage and Garageband come up with zero results on this forum)

So I wanted to put this up on this thread for any potential purchasers because I would have loved to know this before buying my NDLR

So...if you have an iphone and Garageband and the Lightning to USB 3 Camera Adapter...you have EVERYTHING you need to at least get started noodling

[Darryl]

Garageband works with the NDLR!

(I am guessing this is obvious...and not news for most synth-experienced midi-literate people here)

But it was totally news to me despite all the kind help on this thread (apologies if I missed any reference to it - but Search Box searches for Garage and Garageband come up with zero results on this forum)

So I wanted to put this up on this thread for any potential purchasers because I would have loved to know this before buying my NDLR

So...if you have an iphone and Garageband and the Lightning to USB 3 Camera Adapter...you have EVERYTHING you need to at least get started noodling

Thanks for sharing that! In general, The NDLR should work anywhere a MIDI keyboard works. The NDLR is standard MIDI and sends MIDI data just like a keyboard (just lots more). The major difference is The NDLR supports 4 USB virtual MIDI cables (in and out), one for each part. This is supported by Windows and Apple OSs.

[malooka]

"Garageband works with the NDLR!"

Could someone please explain HOW it works with the NDLR?

Got my NDLR Friday, works great with hardware synths. Easy to get started.

Connect it to my Macbook Air M1 and I cannot find a way to change the MIDI channels on the tracks, inside the synths, anything.

Of course I searched, every place I can find says GB will not do this, you can't assign different MIDI channels to different tracks.

EDIT: I just bought Logic Pro so I don't have to worry about this any more, but would still like to know how someone got it working.

[Jesse Johannesen]

Here's what I was able to find when I googled "assign midi channels to different tracks in garageband":

https://smallbusiness.chron.com/record-m...28364.html

Although I also found this:
How do I assign MIDI in GarageBand?

Q: Can you use two MIDI controllers at once GarageBand?
Answer: A: All your external MIDI devices are recorded on the same MIDI Track in GarageBand. You cannot split them as multi-track inputs to different tracks based on the MIDI channel sent by the MIDI device. Oct 28, 2014

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There is always going to be some hoops to jump through when setting up any DAW, but once you solve the puzzle it usually pays you back for the effort.

Jesse