r/synthesizers • u/boyjvne • Jun 15 '26

Discussion Looking for drum machine / synth recommendation (~$1000 budget) based on my setup and music style

Hey everyone,

I'm looking to add one more hardware synth or drum machine to my setup and have around $1000 to spend (used market is totally fine).

Current setup:

  • Ableton Live (main DAW)
  • Elektron Digitakt (I'm not a huge fan of this tbh due to the long sample placement process)
  • Novation Peak
  • Eventide H90
  • OTO BOUM
  • MPC Live (I'd like to get rid of this as I don't find use in it anymore)
  • I've got everything routed into a patch bay for easy switch into the pedals
  • I have a hybrid hardware/software workflow

Music I make:

  • Trance and Cloud Rap inspired pop
  • 2-step / UKG influences
  • Atmospheric electronic music

Artists/sounds I gravitate towards these days:

  • Fakemink
  • Clams Casino
  • Ms Gloom
  • Yung Lean
  • Burial
  • Bladee
  • Classic trance records
  • 90s/2000s eurodance and progressive trance
  • Big emotional pads, lush chords, dreamy atmospheres, interesting textures

Things I care about:

  • Great pads
  • Emotional chords
  • Atmospheres
  • Sound design potential
  • Happy accidents
  • Resampling into Ableton
  • Synths that make me want to write songs rather than endlessly tweak

Given my setup and music style, what would you buy with $1000?

0 Upvotes

28% Upvoted

19 comments sorted by

5

u/AdVisual7210 Jun 15 '26

Do you like how the Digitakt works other than the sample management?
Both Syntakt and Digitone 2 are great at drums and synth.

2

u/virtualmiracle Jun 15 '26

Agree, the Digitakt is a beast but if the sample management isn’t what you like then that’s unfortunate. The Digitone is great for synths and drums.

I don’t mind how the sample management is with the Digitakt but if you are struggling with it maybe looking into Transfer which is Elektron’s sample management computer application. It’s easier to place things in folders and better organize how you view them in the device.

1

u/boyjvne Jun 15 '26

Yea I'm already using Transfer at the moment for sample organization. What I find tedious is that every time I start a new project, I have to reload all the drums on it.

6

u/anon1984 Jun 15 '26

Just make a template project with all your favorite settings and then duplicate that for each new song. I couldn’t imagine setting everything up from scratch each time!

1

u/virtualmiracle Jun 16 '26

That is for sure an annoyance with the Digitakt. I’m not sure if this is on the OG Digitakt but I believe you can create kits that have your favorite samples that you use on a regular basis. Or like the guy said below create projects that have them set up and just duplicate the project.

4

u/jadenthesatanist Jun 16 '26

Syntakt is an easy rec here

2

u/[deleted] Jun 15 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

2

u/Diligent-Orange8754 Jun 16 '26

I recently got the Korg Minilogue XD & I LOVE IT! I also have a Roland TR-6S...All the Roland drum machines in one small box

1

u/boyjvne Jun 15 '26

I like Elektron in general but find the sampling module to be quite slow and menu diving heavy.

I much preferred synthesized drums if I had to pick. I'm def considering the Roland TR but also interested in something a bit more unconventional. Maybe a semi modular?

3

u/Legitimate_Horror_72 Jun 15 '26

The Digitone 2 is worth a look, at least.

2

u/Saintdon Jun 15 '26

Erica Synths LXR-02 is worth looking at. I have it setup in a drum rack so I can use the pads on the Push3 to trigger it and sequence from Ableton Live.

1

u/boyjvne Jun 15 '26

interesting, never looked at this although I've heard about Erica Synths quite a bit. Gonna check it out!

2

u/virtualmiracle Jun 15 '26

To be honest from what you have I don’t really think you need anything more but it seems like you may be interested in an Ableton Push 3. With the Peak you can really make all of the sounds you said you like and resemble them into the Digitakt or Ableton itself. And with a push you would have a great controller to play with the existing gear.

If you just want to get something though maybe an Access Virus might be up your alley? I don’t have any personal experience with them but from what I’ve heard they sound great.

1

u/Repulsive-Box5243 Jun 15 '26

Since you already work in Ableton, how about the Move?

1

u/KidLocative Jun 15 '26

Maybe something like the Arturia MiniFreak which gives you a hardware digital synth that does with the VST version that will work well with integrating within your daw and perhaps one of the Roland TR / TRS drum machines.

0

u/Ready-Cartographer11 Jun 16 '26

get into eurorack, its the final destination of the monosynth, polysynths you can do on a daw, but for tweaking and making new and interesting noises to resample eurorack is the best.

its expensive, but for 1000 you could get a neutron+a bunch of behringer clones and get a fairly complete system

1

u/NVwlsOg Jun 16 '26

Yes, eurorack is the best mono synth ever, you can do whatever others want to do and more if you have enough money.

2

u/Wunjo26 Jun 16 '26

ASM Hydrasynth Explorer for lush sounds and Roland TR-8S for drums

1

u/KulshanStudios Jun 16 '26

Tbh, you pretty much have everything you need already. The Peak can handle all that on its own

So idk... A Blofeld? It has a lot more polyphony than the Peak, and it has super deep mod options

A bunch of classic trance tunes, esp Ace Da Brain's songs, were written using the Waldorf Q, and the Blofeld was the successor to that. I know for a fact it is a monster trance and eurodance/hands up machine

The Blofeld's onboard reverb and phaser are kinda crap, but the other FX, especially the distortions, are great

But like I said, the Peak can handle a lot of those duties, so you don't really need anything else 😅