My new addition to the analog synthesizer setup is a GRP Genesi - a recreation of the ARP Pro Soloist in rack form that just arrived a few days ago.
You can immediately see there’s almost nothing to program on this device. It’s great.
I will admit, I think I don’t like programming synths when I have to think about it.
This is why I have typically preferred simple mono-synths that don’t have presets where you just adjust the volume and filter ADSRs randomly, flip the waveform switches, and have at it. Here though, a super small amount of presets (instead of knobs) similarly freeing. (My collection until now has been a GRP A4, Moog Model D reissue, and a SE Midimini)
The Genesi is probably about as expensive as you could get for a 16-preset synth that is not really programmable outside of the presets, but this is just what I like about it. If you want to quickly experiment with changing the vibe of a track, you can just push random buttons and see which one you like the most. That is magic. One of the drum settings also has a nice sine-wave bass/kick sound that reminds me of pinging a Serge eurorack. Are some of the sounds dated? Yes, but if you want to evoke, say, Perry & Kingsley, that is what you want. If you want brass it is just a button away. Add (mostly software) effects to taste.
While intended for keyboard soloing according to the original name, it doesn’t have to be just for that. I think, rather than doing a lot of things with pads now, or even worry about programming pads, I can just stick the Genesi on a track with a very wet reverb and one of my favorite “bad type” simulations like Sketch Cassette 2. Why do pads need chords? That’s a bit heavy-handed sometimes, telling the listener what to think by including a major or minor key. We can then just add a good drum beat from something like XLN Audio’s XO and we are good to go. Playing with effects to get the sounds I want then becomes more fun than programming synths. The aftertouch can also add some variety and is easily programmed in DAWs like Bitwig. Pretty cool!
In other news, I still really need to work on making compositions a lot simpler. Listening to something like Robert Hood’s Minus, there isn’t too much going on rather than some filter and volume and tempo changes - and this makes things better. Similarly, in so doing, we are more likely to keep our self habits out of the compositional picture - something I read recently that John Cage was trying to do - helping to keep from falling into the same ruts. Will I end up still making things too complicated? Yes, because that is also me. But having less choices in sound selection and making things more physically accessible (knobs) means more energy for finishing tracks, or at least playing around with them.
The more choices we have, quite often, the less we get done.