Bad Gear - FINALLY!!!

video upload by AudioPilz

"Welcome to Bad Gear, the show about the world’s most-hated audio tools. People of the the 90s weren’t exactly spoiled for choice when it came to hands-on virtual analog polys: the iconic supersaw, the nordic ice bath, the range that still sounds better than 90% of today’s synths and the one even Uli Behringer wouldn’t touch with a ten foot pole.

Today, however, we are FINALLY going to talk about the 1997 Yamaha AN1x and it is beyond me why it took me so long."

Bad Gear - ReBirth in a Box???

video upload by AudioPilz

"Welcome to Bad Gear, the show about the world’s most-hated audio tools. There are instruments that are apparently made for this format - not only because they’re bad but also because they seem to be tailor-made for my very personal yet not-so-singular tastes.

Today we are going to talk about Sonicware deconstruct MINIMAL and believe me - this feels targeted."

Bad Gear - Electribe ER-1

video upload by AudioPilz

"Welcome to Bad Gear, the show about the world’s most-hated audio tools. No, there is no episode about the Korg Electribe ER-1 out there yet - I had to look it up myself - and yes, the snares totally sound like sh*t!"

Chapters:
00:00 Intro tune
00:33 Overview Tempera
01:27 Percussion Synths
02:10 Low Boost
02:23 The Sample Situation
03:00 Master Delay, Ring Modulator
03:25 Audio Ins, Trance Gate
03:36 Accent Track, Motion Sequencer
03:58 Sequencer (Timing, Swing)
04:14 Quirks, Limitations, Versions, Pricing
05:10 H*te Screen
05:34 Jam 1 ( LoFi House )
06:25 Jam 2 ( Elektro )
07:30 Finale ( Retrofuturist Techno )
07:57 VERDICT

Bad Gear - Better buy a PLUGIN!!!

video upload by AudioPilz

"Welcome to Bad Gear, the show about the world’s most-hated audio tools. After almost 30 years of ruthless online battles on the topic of software vs. hardware, synth experts of all creeds and nations were finally able to agree on a firm and resolute 'YES'!

Today, however, we are going to talk about Modal Cobalt 8. While many high end plugins and top shelf hardware instruments evolved to coexist in our sonic toolboxes on an equal footing this 2020 VA synth…didn’t."

The LOST Bad Gear Episode

video upload by AudioPilz

"Welcome to Bad Gear, the show about the world’s most-hated audio tools. In a time like ours when material needs no longer exist in music production the accumulation of things seems to have become more important than ever.

Today we are going to talk about Novation Drumstation. While today’s synth clones are mostly used for home studio decoration this 1996 drum machine and shameless Roland TR-808 and 909 ripoff was more or less the only affordable way to actually tweak the iconic drum sounds. Simpler times."

Chapters:
00:00 I found the Lost Episode on an old Hard Disk
00:13 Intro tune
01:06 Overview Novation Drum Station V1
01:47 Limitations
02:02 Midi Control
02:24 Analog or Digital???
03:05 Workflow
03:32 Features
04:00 NoIsE iSsUeS
04:29 Audition/Auto-trigger
04:40 What else??? (More Features, Pricing, V2, D-Station ,...)
05:06 H*te Screen
05:35 Jam 1 ( Old School Techhouse )
06:25 Jam 2 ( Old School Trance )
07:28 Finale ( Old School Footwork/Juke )
08:02 VERDICT

Bad Gear - It looks AWESOME on Social Media

video upload by AudioPilz

"Welcome to Bad Gear, the show about the world’s most-hated audio tools. There are electronic musical instruments that are designed to sound good and there are those that were made to look awesome on Instagram.

Today we are going to talk about Beetlecrab Audio Tempera and chances are that quite a few people bought it for reason number 2."

Chapters:
00:00 Intro tune
00:39 Overview Tempera
02:00 Hands-free use
02:11 The Emitters
02:29 The Samples
02:44 Emitter Deep Dive
04:23 Filters, FX
04:46 Modulators (Envelopes, LFOs,...)
04:58 Live Grain, Sampling, Resampling
05:07 Memory, Connectivity, Availability, Thanks
05:49 H*te Screen
06:15 Jam 1 ( Experimental Techno )
07:07 Jam 2 ( Post-Jungle )
08:09 Finale ( Future Psy )
08:36 VERDICT

Bad Gear - How to become a WEIRDO

video upload by AudioPilz

"Welcome to Bad Gear, the show about the world’s most-hated audio tools. It is completely natural behavior for electronic musicians to obsess about oddly specific genres of which the undisputed final boss is - of course - ambient. For three reasons.

One, you can produce ambient on any piece of gear with a reverb, two, there are basically no limits to the size of your setup even if you have no idea what you’re doing and three, when your music sounds like a knot of psychotic toads on horse tranquilizers you can still pretend that it was an artistic decision.

Today we are going to talk about Sonicware Liven Ambient 0. This grooveless groovebox was brought to the market last year and puts you in the fast lane to becoming an ambient weirdo."

Bad Gear - Massive X

video upload by AudioPilz

"Welcome to Bad Gear, the show about the world’s most-hated audio tools. Today we are going to talk about Native Instrument’s Massive X.

This 2019 plugin is a cautionary tale for music technology brands about what NOT to do if they don’t want to end up as yet another pair of antlers in inMusic’s trophy room.

Chapters:
00:00 Intro tune
00:39 Overview NI Massive X
01:12 Why it's worse than OG Massive
01:38 OK, that's not soooo bad...
02:05 Oscillator Section (Yeah, it's a mixed bag)
02:32 Noise Section
02:39 Filter Section
02:59 Insert FX, Feedback, FX Section
03:32 Workflow (Envelopes, LFOs, Random)
03:56 The Dealbreaker
04:03 Trackers and yes, it can still do Dubstep
04:16 Animator, Massive X Player
04:40 Modular Environment, Presets, Pricing
05:09 H*te Screen
05:37 Jam 1 ( Massive X-only Psy )
06:31 Jam 2 ( Massive X vs. Analog Drums )
07:32 Finale ( Drum'n'Bass )
08:04 VERDICT"

Bad Gear - The BEST and WORST Synth EVER

video upload by AudioPilz

"Welcome to Bad Gear, the show about the world’s most-hated audio tools. Today we are going to talk about the 1998 Yamaha FS1R which is simultaneously the best AND worst synth of all time."

Chapters:
00:00 Intro tune
00:34 Overview Yamaha FS1R
01:40 Filters, FX
02:18 Software Editor
02:36 Why it is complex, Engine Deep Dive
03:14 Operators, Envelopes, LFOs, More Filter Stuff
03:43 UI Pain, Macros
03:58 Formant Synthesis, FSeqs
04:23 Multitimbrality, Patches
04:58 Price, Thanks
05:26 H*te Screen
05:56 Jam 1 ( Techno )
06:43 Jam 2 ( Drum'n'Bass )
07:56 Finale ( Retrofuturist Elektro )
08:25 VERDICT

Bad Gear - Looks like TEENAGE ENGINEERING

video upload by AudioPilz

"Welcome to Bad Gear, the show about the world’s most-hated audio tools. Today we are going to talk about MPC Sample.

This brand new toy aisle version of the iconic beat making cash register can be considered to be Akai’s return to the minimalist workflows and aesthetics of first-gen MPCs which - funnily enough - makes it look like it was made by Teenage Engineering."

Chapters:
00:00 Intro tune
00:43 Overview MPC Sample
01:47 Main Limitations
02:04 Sound Design Tools
02:40 Time Stretch, Resampling, Chop
02:50 Effects
02:19 Is it like an old MPC???
03:11 What else??? (Hardware, Pricing, Thanks,...)
04:13H*te Screen
04:43 Jam 1 ( House )
05:39 Jam 2 ( Downtempo )
06:40 Finale ( Synthwave )
07:10 VERDICT

Bad Gear - FORCE in 2026???

video upload by AudioPilz

"Welcome to Bad Gear, the show about the world’s most-hated audio tools. There are electronic musical instruments with a clear purpose: analog synths deliver classic tones and social media swag, plugins and workstations are great tools if you actually want to make money and Eurorack is still a healthier form of escapism than buying pills at a gas station.

Today, however, we are going to talk about The Force. The mission of this unholy 2019 lovechild of an MPC and Ableton incarnate was nebulous from the beginning and since then the machine was so profoundly transformed by a slow yet steady stream of updates that it is hard to tell whether it is still worth using it in 2026 - or if it ever was."

Chapters:
00:00 Intro tune
01:04 Overview Force
01:50 Differences to MPCs
02:33 Concept & Limitations
02:58 MPC & Ableton Compatibility, Connectivity
03:33 Touch Screen
03:49 Expandability
04:02 Rear Panel
04:25 What else? (Pricing, Thanks,...)
04:56 H*te Screen
05:20 Jam 1 ( 2010s Rave Music )
06:11 Jam 2 ( Downtempo )
07:13 Finale ( Micro House )
07:44 VERDICT
09:03 Patreon Vocoder Shoutout (Waldorf microQ)

Move got HACKED!!! w/ Native Classic Synth Engines

video upload by AudioPilz

"Hey everybody, as frequent viewers of this channel will know Ableton Move was an instabuy for me when it was released in 2024. Seamless integration into Live, tried and tested instruments and FX and a slick form factor turned my gear acquisition syndrome up to 11.

Unfortunately, the little groovebox had been collecting dust ever since - mostly because of a lack of essential features we will talk about in a bit.

However, not only did Ableton iron out major flaws in firmware 2.0 - Move also got hacked in the most beautiful way possible and is now capable of running classic synths right on the machine.

Move got HACKED!!!
Classic Synths on Move

Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
00:40 What is Ableton Move??? (Official Update)
02:04 What's New???
02:20 Schwung (formerly Move Everything) Hack Installation
03:23 How to use Schwung
03:46 Schwung Structure
04:44 Additional LFOs
04:57 Legal Disclaimer
05:16 Instruments ( Yamaha DX7 , Access Virus , Roland JV-880 ,...)
06:58 Schwung Effects
07:28 Schwung Jam
07:56 Workflow Improvements ( Stem Separation , Autosampler ,...)
09:01 Outro"

Bad Gear - The 2000s are BACK!!!

video upload by AudioPilz

"Welcome to Bad Gear, the show about the world’s most-hated audio tools. After years of turning nostalgia into profit by bringing half-baked reissues to the market there is still one era mostly untouched by the profit maximization of music tech executives.

Today we are going to talk about Waldorf microQ. This virtual analog synth was spawned into existence during the dawn of the DAW revolution of the early 2000s, it was - in a way - itself a half-baked reissue, dated on release and yet there’s no one to take the disposable income of both, sentimental Gen-x ravers and trance revival-obsessed zoomers."

Chapters:
00:00 Intro tune
01:02 Overview micro Q
02:04 Oscillators, Wavetables, Sub OSC
02:25 FM, Sync, Ring Mod
02:49 Filter Section, Difference to Q
03:28 Modulators
03:48 Mod Matrix
04:00 Arpeggiator, FX, Vocoder
04:31 Multitimbrality, Outputs, Drums, Patches
05:00 Pricing, DSP Emulation
05:16 H*te Screen
05:39 Jam 1 ( PresetMaxxing )
06:33 Jam 2 ( Downtempo )
07:33 Finale ( Sleaze House Bass Line )
08:03 VERDICT

Bad Gear - THIS is a JOKE!!!

video upload by AudioPilz

"Welcome to Bad Gear, the show about the world’s most-hated audio tools. Today we are going to talk about Digitone Keys. This 2019 FM synth, Photoshop gag gone wrong and lost sibling of the original Digitone who seemed to have shown a little too much interest in the family medicine cabinet not only comes with more or less the same underwhelming spec sheet - other brands are already embracing the meme power of its design philosophy."

Chapters:
00:00 Intro tune
00:47 Overview Digitone Keys
01:48 Concept, Additional Features
02:48 Synth Engine
03:54 Filter Section, Envelopes, Overdrive, FX
04:25 LFOs
04:33 More Gimmicks
04:51 Pricing, Midi, Decksaver,...
05:18 H*te Screen
05:46 Jam 1 ( Lyrical Techno )
06:33 Jam 2 ( Multitrack Noodling )
07:35 Finale ( Contemporary Dance Floor Brutality )
08:04 VERDICT

Bad Gear - It's a MESS!!!

video upload by AudioPilz

"Welcome to Bad Gear, the show about the world’s most-hated audio tools. Today we are going to talk about Make Noise 0-Coast. This 2016 wannabe music tech influencer must-have and flyover state synth tried to bridge the gap between buchlaesque exploration and moog-ish accessibility and offers a wide range of modular flatulences with a mostly useless built-in anti-Eurorack safeguard. What a mess!"

Chapters:
00:00 Intro tune
00:47 Overview Make Noise 0-Coast
01:24 Oscillator
01:35 Overtone, Multiply, Linear FM
02:07 Random Generator
02:19 Slope
02:50 Contour
03:04 Mixer, Dynamics ( Buchla-style LPG )
03:32 Make Noise MATHS (stripped-down version;)
03:41 Midi, Menu LFO, Arpeggiator
04:14 Patches (Yes, I did a Krell Patch ;)
04:47 Pricing, Thanks
05:02 H*te Screen
05:25 Jam 1 ( Nerdy Techno )
06:14 Jam 2 ( Nerdy Elektro )
07:21 Finale ( NormCore )
07:48 VERDICT

Bad Gear - I don't WANT THIS!!!

video upload by AudioPilz

"Welcome to Bad Gear, the show about the world’s most-hated audio tools. Teenage Engineering is a great company, not only because they are the most reliable ragebaiters in the synth world but also because they are among the few manufacturers of overpriced music toys I have no interest in spending money on.

Today, however, we are going to talk about OP-XY and I’m still doing a pretty good job at convincing myself that I don’t want this."

Chapters:
00:00 Intro tune
00:48 Overview OP-XY
01:26 Instruments
01:55 Sampling
02:22 Synth-like Structure, Pitch Bend, Arpeggiator
02:50 Sequencer, Velocity, Polyphony
03:45 Auxiliary Tracks
04:28 The BRAIN
04:45 Mixing, Mastering
05:01 Connectivity, Pricing, Microphone, Speaker
05:39 H*te Screen
06:00 Jam 1 ( 128 BPM Techno )
06:31 Jam 2 ( Downtempo )
07:53 Finale ( FuturePsy )
08:21 VERDICT

Bad Gear - The OG

video upload by AudioPilz

"Welcome to Bad Gear, the show about the world’s most-hated audio tools. By now it must have dawned on even the most terminally online late GenX/early millennial person that calling something The OG is cringe.

Today, however, we are going to talk about Novation Bass Station. This 1993 mono synth and predecessor to the incredibly popular Bass Station 2 is more than deserving of the title because A - it was one of the most important heralds of the 90s analog revival and B - it even got a little shoutout by The Wu Tang. Dolla Dolla Bills y’all.

Chapters:
00:00 Intro tune
00:55 Overview Novation Bass Station I
01:39 Synth Engine, Oscillators
02:06 Filter
02:21 LFO
02:38 What's under the Hood? (UI Problems)
03:18 OG Bass Station vs. Bass Station Rack
04:16 Build Quality, Pricing, Thanks
04:42 H*te Screen
05:07 Jam 1 ( Acid )
06:05 Jam 2 ( Drum'n'Bass )
07:05 Finale ( That other Acid )
07:34 VERDICT

CLICK FOR MORE »

Bad Gear - You GET what you PAY for

video upload by AudioPilz

Chapters:
00:00 Intro tune
00:26 Overview Moog Sirin
00:55 Structure
01:18 The Moog Taurus Heritage
01:41 Hard Sync, Note Sync
02:02 VCO 2 Beat
02:13 Ladder Filter
02:36 Envelopes, LFO
03:11 How to Fake PWM?
03:50 Differences to Minitaur
04:07 Why is it so expensive?
04:38 H*te Screen
05:04 Jam 1 ( Nordic Techno )
05:54 Jam 2 ( Drum'n'Bass )
07:04 Finale ( Melodic Downtempo Techno )
07:34 VERDICT

With the Moog Sirin.

Bad Gear - He tried his best to HATE IT

video upload by AudioPilz

[Funny side note: I just saw that episode of Myth Busters with the truck plowing through cars, just yesterday.]

"Welcome to Bad Gear, the show about the world’s most-hated audio tools. There are a few learnings to be taken from years of ploughing through music production gear like an 80s rock band shopping in a liquor store: don’t believe the hype, everything has been done before and never trust a stylish instrument sold with the promise to give you all you need in a compact form factor without compromising sound quality and usability.

Today we are going to talk about Dirtywave M8. This hardware tracker and mini DAW comes with more red flags than the average dating app experience like a cult-like following, a Game Boy-inspired workflow and believe me - I tried my best to hate it.

CLICK FOR MORE »

Bad Gear - PROTEIN

video upload by AudioPilz

"Welcome to Bad Gear, the show about the world’s most-hated audio tools. Every once in a while we have to remind ourselves why we still prefer the luxury of tangible hardware to the unlimited possibilities of plugins: unique tones, ergonomic control surfaces and - ideally - a timeless piece of music history that effortlessly weathers the decades.

Today, however, we unfortunately need to talk about Protein."

Chapters:
00:00 Intro tune
00:45 Overview Waldorf Protein
01:28 One Problem becomes obvious immediately
01:50 Synth Architecture, Oscillators
02:28 Noise (Dirt), Filter Section
03:02 FX Section
03:14 The problematic Envelopes
03:46 Mod Matrix, LFOs
04:01 Synth Nerd Tic Tac Toe, Flavour
04:20 What else? (Scales, Chords, Arp, Seq, Multis, Thanks)
05:18 H*te Screen
05:38 Jam 1 ( Techno )
06:22 Jam 2 ( Downtempo )
07:27 Finale ( Dub Techno )
07:58 VERDICT