in reference to the how evil is spotify discussion … in 2020 i spent hundreds of hours making music, 208 total hours of my tracks streamed on spotify, and earnings coming out to $6. 
the production thread
out today on insectorama’s new compilation, K102 is a side project i’m working on with another really talented producer from switzerland. K102 will be a much more techno and dancefloor focused than my solo stuff. hope you like it and i’ve included the link for the comp on bandcamp as well, it’s free or pay what you want to support the label.
nothing for a while, then two in two days haha. this is my new solo record, dub for the dance floor.
…pretty heavy for my taste but the mix is terrific.
Finally getting my home studio in reasonable shape, may be back here for mixing tips soon.!
Unbroken1 it’s definitely heavy, but thank you, getting the mix right is a real skill and i feel like i’m just starting to get consistent with it. sent my first cold call email with a demo to a label today, so we’ll see how that goes.
get it going, i’m looking forward to hearing what you come up with. and i’m not sure i have much advice to give, but always happy to help if i can. 
That’s ace that chief. As is the K102 track. A couple of very solid releases.
Really like that faKtor.OST track on that release too. Need to check out that gadge’s other releases.
thanks, glad you liked them. pascal and i really work well together and he pushes me toward a sound i really like. we actually finished helix back in june, just had it kicking around and this seemed like a good launch for us. if we keep working at the pace we have the last two weeks, we’ll have an album done by january.
i only got through the first 3 tracks on the comp yesterday, so i’ll keep an eye out for that one today.
apyssjw thanks. and yeah, my expectations are low, i submitted to hello strange for their “story” compilation series. it’s probably my best record to date, but we’ll see. i’ll just self release it if no one wants to pick it up. submitting it is a bit of a measuring stick – good feedback is difficult to find, but if someone is willing to put their name beside your work, i think that means something.
…looking to buy my first analogue synth in about a decade (since my ex-studio partner flogged my JP-8000 behind my back).
Don’t want to go crazy high-end… feel something like the Novation Peak would be perfect, but it seems a little much to spend when there are so many great options at the lower price point these days. Based on sounds/flexibility, current front-runner is the Minilogue XD- considering the module version as I have a decent 49-key midi keyboard and value my studio space. Seems crazy-good value at £450.
Any thoughts about/experience with these?
…tell me about it 
Still, I’m sure Behringer will knock-up a clone before long
Unbroken1 do you need/want keys? sequencer? poly/mono? looking for something for percussion, bass, leads & pads, a bit of everything? and what’s your budget?
i’ve only heard good things about the peak, but haven’t used it myself. the minilogue seems to be a good entry level synth, but again haven’t used it myself.
303abuser …leads/pads, generally melodic elements but a bit of everything I guess, poly preferably. Budget not a major issue, I mean, I don’t have an infinite amount of cash, but would be prepared to wait if, say a £900 synth was worth investing-in over a £450 one (+ another toy).
hugopal …really? I’m quite surprised, most of the reviews I’ve watched have commented on how phat it sounds. This fella is a fan and I generally find him to be pretty spot-on:
hugopal at that price point, i think it’s to be expected. the drumbrute is the same, but you’re going to process everything anyways. that’s why i asked a few questions too, there maybe better options, the a4 mki being the first that comes to mind. you can get a used one at a reasonable cost and it does everything from percussion to heavy pads and chords.
Unbroken1 most of the reviews I’ve watched have commented on how phat it sounds. This fella is a fan and I generally find him to be pretty spot-on:
and I have a quick check of the review and again to my ears it sounds thin/whiny/metallic/nasal. Same impression when noodling with it at a music store a while back. You may like the sound character though.
Unbroken1 ok that helps. the xd maybe sounds better than the original too, that’s likely. again you’re probably going to process it more anyways if it’s in a studio and not live.
i’m really partial to the elektron gear. you won’t find anything more versatile and the build quality is really good. check out the a4. it’s not the most “lush” sounding for pads, but that’s what a good reverb is for and the sequencer is worth the price alone.
if you don’t mind semi modular, i love the sounds of the moog stuff (subharmonicon and mother 32). they might be a bit techno, depends i guess on the sound you’re aiming for.
at the top of your price range, the peak is supposed to be really good and i like the prophet rev 2 desktop (8 voices should suffice). moog grandmother is in that range too.
below that, the deepmind maybe a good option. i know it’s behringer, but the reviews have been mostly positive (maybe some fan issues early on, but i’m not sure if that’s still a thing). roland se02 is worth checking out along with the other boutique models.
for me it comes down to two things: how it sounds and how it fits my workflow. the elektrons machines will never leave my studio and i’ll probably pick up more at some point. my ms20 mini sounds awesome and i can spend hours with it, but i really struggle to get it to sit in a mix so i’m likely going to sell it. just takes too much effort.
hope that helps a little. please ask if you have more questions too, i could talk about this stuff all day lol.