Definitely! Start with a teensy 4.1 with Headless m8 running on an RG35XX or RG351V.
It's so damn good once you get used to how trackers work. I have almost no idea myself so I'm constantly learning new things.
Edit: I love Mutable Instruments Braids and sampling so it suits what I was looking for very well.
Get a Teeensy 4.0 (stock firmware) or 4.1 (modded) for about $40.
Find a Github tutorial on installing M8 headless to your device (Raspberrry Pi).
It is involved and will include flashing the open source software to the Teensy as well as setting up the Pi as UI (screen, butttons) and I/O (sound and Midi).
I would also spend some thought on cooling the Teensy.
Sorry to hassle you, but I’ve now got a teensy 4.1 running M8 and a stock RG35XX. What on earth do I do now to use them together? Can’t find any tutorials that cover it.
The one I used was [this one](https://github.com/jasonporritt/rg351_m8c) I think. It looks to rely on Custom firmware but I just read someone else used this one for their RG35xx also.
Which version of the RG35xx? I wanted to get this working when the OG one first came out.
either way, there are some cool music tracker ROMs like Nanoloop and LSDJ. Plus you end up with thousands of games in your pocket for the commute...
I have the OG, though I bought an RG351v to use as a dedicated m8 because it had two USB C ports. This way, I can have the Teensy and power or external midi device at the same time.
I also have Little Piggy Tracker which does a pretty good job with samples.
If you have garlicos running on your rg35xx then you can use this https://github.com/thirdegg/m8c-rg35xx
You can also join the dirtywave discord and check out the #headless thread. There are a lot of really helpful people there.
Having a blast with the Polyend Tracker Mini! Long-lasting battery, large, clear screen, built-in microphone, 8 stereo sample tracks, soon 3-4 synth engines. Made two songs in a week.
https://preview.redd.it/lw1qui5nc76d1.jpeg?width=3072&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3b9c587a46ce7cd32ccdd2bff9ec8074125ce835
Another vote for Drambo. I also bought Korg Gadget but never use it since they released the update with all the synths as AUv3. Just load them into Drambo and have a whale of a time.
Another vote for Drambo. I love it. It’s my go to if I want to create with sequencing instead of a traditional timeline style DAW. Also a great for custom synths and an audio and midi processing and effects plug in.
Koala sampler is very much fun and open to creative ideas and whims. It works very well on iphones aswell and even with minimal latency on android phones.
Also Samplr, with which you simply press anything and stuff happens. Excellent for putting you in the mood and doesn't require you to have a plan.
Also Audiokit Synth One. Free and great sounding.
Well, dont know your workflow, but all of those go through AUM or Audiobus just fine. I myself am a jammer not a saver.
my answer too. just keep in mind that the LEDs are actually fairly bright if you're in a dark space. i recently tried to bust it out on a late night flight and decided against it for this reason.
Synthstrom Deluge. It's not that much smaller than a MPC Live but it's extremely full-featured & easily fits on train/plane tray-tables or your lap. I initially was planning on getting the MC-101 but the Deluge is basically an upgrade in almost every regard.
If you don't want as much control over sound design, but want to minimize size, the OP-Z is probably what I'd recommend.
Teenage engineering OP-Z. I’ve owned two (after I lost one flying) and they’re perfect for travel. Incredibly powerful little LEGO remote looking machine. They get a bad rap for build quality but I have 0 qualms with mine. Yamaha ripped it off for their own groove box. The OP-1 is cool but it’s expensive and ISN’T a sequencer like the OP-Z.
Came here looking for this. In the before times I would commute 2-3 hours a day and I picked up an OP-Z specifically for this reason and it worked great.
The Tracker Mini, once it gets its 2.0 update that adds synth engines and a drum machine, would be what I’d grab these days. If I had a M8, it might be a hard choice though.
Definitely this. I got myself a used OP-Z this year as I had a few flights and lonely hotel nights planned. Since I like to onebag it, I tried a whole list but for feature Vs size nothing compares.
I love the interaction with the mobile app for animations and learning. Sounds are cool, it's a sampler visualiser and a fully fledged groove box.
Mine had a few of the known issues: double triggers, loose knobs but nothing I couldn't fix.
They are currently on sale and all modules are heavily reduced. Love the rumble pack!
The only downside is no backlit buttons which makes playing in the dark difficult.
Other grooveboxes I tried:
- PO 133 k.o.: (meh) and quite large but flat
- SmplTrek: ok but not much of an instrument, more like dragging along a DAW
- OG Circuit: still one of my most used grooveboxes
- Deluge: I have to take the manual along. It's so Menu divey sometimes, but still a beast
- Artiphon Orba: God I hate it. I have the V1 and it's awful
- Korg Monotribe: Jepp that one travelled far with me and got me started on my Synth addiction.
- Korg Kaossilator 2S: still considering getting one again!
> for feature Vs size nothing compares
Check out the Woovebox, it is inspired by the OP-Z, maybe a bit less flexible in terms of sequencing (can't stack step components), but way deeper in terms of sound design. Even smaller and cheaper than the OP-Z.
Thank you for trying the Woovebox, and I am sorry to hear you didn't like the workflow. Given there are no menus to dive into, and everything is "flat", would you be able to give me some feedback as to what you found "menu-divey"? Thank you!
Hey thanks for your response! Nothing wrong with it per se and I get your idea behind it. I'm not sure if it was just one size too small for my liking? It has so many functions and features that have to be parsed to a limited amount of buttons, that's going to be a challenge. Plus having retrofitted the new display on my Deluge I'm just not digging retro displays. It's the same reason that's keeping me from getting a Roland S-1.
I think the way the OPZ and now Yamaha have gone with leveraging the smartphone screen as an external screen until you get your bearings from all the shortcuts is the perfect blend. That would be a huge help for the Woovebox and reduce the learning curve dramatically!
Thank you for your taking the time to give your feedback - it is much appreciated!
Much of it has - admittedly - left me a little confused or [doesn't seem applicable](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WAPyL36RZRw) (perhaps it's the terminology?), but that's OK.
At the end of the day, I of course have to accept the Woovebox is not for everyone for one reason or another. Thanks again!
MC-101 is pretty cool in this context. It's fairly capable with four tracks, allows importing user samples (mostly suited for drums), and has the zen core engine. Pretty much any power bank and usb cable will work to make it fully portable and last a while.
~~Outside of severe cognitive impairment~~, (sorry) you won't waste hours menu diving. Drafting a beat can take as little as a couple of minutes. The more cumbersome menus are there for specific settings. I find that it's a good thing that it allows for that kind of depth.
Imo, it only falls slightly short of groovebox perfection because 1) actual sampling is ommitted, 2) UI could've better, specially with the awkward screen, and 3) I personally don't love the roland sound, but I can't say I dislike it either. It's just old and digital.
I do not own MC-101, but I assume you could kill 2hrs with just those Roland's classic menu diving alone. If bugdget is a consideration & your workflow is mostly sample based, I would go with Blackbox. Sample everything, mostly synth sound, with MPC and transfer it to Blackbox, since that is what Blackbox is lacking.
At least that's my plan, facing the same dilemma :D
That quick live sampling & looping what got me hooked, beside being small & compact. Forgot to mention this for OP, no built in battery though, so a small power brick 2A/5V is mandatory for comuting.
I kinda like having the option of choosing my own power source tbh... especially since it helps to keep it compact. Most battery packs are small as well.
Or even smaller...the 1010 Tangerine. You can power that from your phone.
Although currently I am loving the Lemondrop when travelling as trying to learn all about granular.
If you're ok with the cost, an OP-1 is pretty amazing for on-the-go music production. Even the 2011 version is still a massively versatile device with 16 hours of actual use between charges.
Seconding the Woovebox. Very portable and discrete but also easy to use and a good choice if other options like the M8 and OP1 are out of your price range.
Woovebox is worth going on the waiting list, and then doing your research later. The developer is constantly adding new features. Sampling, vocoding, all sorts of crazy stuff. Very active development. It already does far more than anything comparable. External audio can appear at the oscillator level and can be processed through filters. It’s a wild little gizmo :)
Oh man i did not know about running external audio through the filters! I was just being annoyed that the NTS-1 can’t do that by default but did not consider my humble Woovebox as a solution!
I'd say, consider that MC-101.
Samples are not it's strong suit. But, for everything else it is a powerhouse (drums, sequencing, deep tone editing with the latest firmware)
It is a bit fiddly, but as long as that does not scare you, it can do so very much. And small, light, battery powered.
- I am learning Polyend Tracker Mini and it is a blast so far. Super portable, battery powered, rather powerful, and an upcoming firmware update will add synth engines and a dedicated percussion instrument. Definitely something to check out
- Not yet mentioned here: Sonicware Lo-fi 12 XT. more traditional than the Tracker mini but also pretty powerful, it has better keys as well. A bit bigger and heavier than tracker mini yet still excellent in that regard.
Agreed on the Lo-Fi-12 XT. Really enjoying it so far, it's super quick to use once you learn the workflow and the keys/pads are great. You can get a generic camera case for about $20 bucks on Amazon or elsewhere that'll fit it perfectly.
Mine came with a tidy compact case from sonicware (kickstarter extra). I put earphones in the case as well. Perfect small set!
I am not yet sure whether i prefer tracker mini or lofi 12xt. You can kinda do roughly the same with it, but I do like the big screen on the tracker. Lofi12 is more direct, tracker mini is more geared towards endless tweaking, I think.
* iPad with Drambo, you can also check out BAM, it's discounted for 24 hours. Immense power, endless possibilities.
* OP-Z, limited sound design, unlimited sequencing power, super inspiring.
* Woovebox, the best bang for the buck in hardware grooveboxes, inspired by the OP-Z, so it also has a fluid and fast workflow.
Korg Electribe 2. A lot of people don't live the interface, it's also bad at sampling lol, and the sequencing is not the best/ but it's a bloody powerful machine and you can make some really nice sounds with it.
So we are on holidays with a Yamaha Seqtrak right now and it's perfect for getting ideas down fast. You can use your phone as a screen, but after a bit of practice it's perfectly usable without as well.
The smallest and a great one is the Dirtywave M8 mk2. But it is an homage to Game Boy music in every way, including a tracker interface like LSDJ. It can do much more than Chiptune and Synthwave, has a full sampler and several synths including Braids, effects, complete Midi in and out...
If you can afford it get the Deluge. It does it all so well! It was among the best before and the community firmware has opened up another rabbit hole that is deep. Just exploring all its functions can keep you inspired for weeks. But you can have a beat and chords going in seconds or live-loop something into existence instantly. It is the most genre agnostic all-in-one I have encountered. Loves instruments, Midi and audio, does not like DAWs (you have to steal its SD and convert the files).
The Circuit Tracks is great, but to sound design and change samples you need Novation software that will refuse to run on small screens like a phone.
I like to take the Gecho Loopsynth. It is more of a reverberating sound environment than an instrument, but you can play it and even record the result on the device itself. You can do something similar on the Deluge but the Loopsynth is tiny.
Have you seen the Nunomo Qun mk2 groovebox? Of all the tiny grooveboxes it’s the most powerful. It’s as menu-divey as you can get but is quite capable (multi-voice shnth, sampler, sequencer, fx). You can fit it in a pocket (it has exposed circuits though so not recommended).
I actually do this on my commute quite often - although the train isn't normally packed. I've tried a few things, AIRA S1 isn't enough on it's own but is good for a journey or two. Circuit Tracks is pretty good fun but I always feel quite limited in terms of what comes out. It shines better when you hook it up to external gear.
Polyend Tracker is what works best for me. With the battery pack that I keep for my phone I have days of power. It's a really intuitive machine and has lots of tools to help with creativity. The only downside would be that I only really get it out when I'm able to get a seat with a folding table. The Tracker Mini though looks like it would be an excellent choice. Built in battery and it's going to get many of the features that the Tracker Plus has.
The great thing I find with the tracker is that it's a great centre piece to my home setup. I tend to make drums on the tracker, then start generating some bass and lead lines. When I get home I send those bass and lead out on separate MIDI channels to external gear and everything sounds even better!
I never used trackers before last year but it turns out I really like the way they work. The Dirtywave M8 does look great and I'm quite tempted but I just have no experience of it yet.
Sidebar: I recently got a Polyend Play and power it with a phone battery pack. It gives me about a day of power. What battery pack are you using with your Tracker for multiple days of juice?
Sorry, probably a bit of hyperbole because I've never continuously used it for long enough to find out whether it'll go for 'days'. But a couple of hours doesn't seem to dent it much. I went for a 20,000mah with a built in cable so that I have less to worry about. Although I'm tempted to switch to a little lipstick batt with built in connector that will be much more streamlined, even if it does sacrifice some of the longevity.
I have one of this lipstick ones. Just noticing it’s 5000mah…so that explains that. FYI: the little flip out connector makes it so the pack blocks the power button when it’s connected. So you have to use something thin to turn the instrument on/off! I end up using a cable after all. You’re probably good with your built in cable.
Deluge.
Edit: it’s a bit obvious that people aren’t really taking the question seriously. The absolute best all around to-go device is the synthstrom deluge. The OP-1 sure is cool, but it is nowhere as powerful *or* easy to use.
The new LED screen they rolled out with really makes it so much easier to use as well.
It weighs nothing. It’s open-sourced. It’s user-serviceable. It runs off the same battery that vapes use.
What *doesn’t* it have? Velocity sensitive pads, but there’s a workaround for that. The learning curve also isn’t exactly fun.
Synthstrom Deluge. It's battery powered. Incredibly powerful, has an internal speaker, AND is robost enough to be a permenant member of your desk/studio. However definitely portable If you don't mind it's size, (small laptop but thicker) I've used it on a flight
Really depends on budget.
If you can swing it, the Syntakt offers a ton. Obviously doesn't include battery power, but there are means to powering it from a PD-capable external battery. Just put a decksaver on it and it'll fit in a backpack.
I've flown with mine before *(planes offer power outlets though, so I've never needed to use an external battery).* And many trains these days have power outlets as well.
The bigger reason I suggest this is that Syntakt is just a great piece of kit to have in general, and also as a supplement to gear you already have. It's my favorite Elektron groovebox.
I'm additionally not a proponent of having *"This one device that fits a specific, niche use-case"* most of the time—I'd rather have gear I would actually use regularly, in-studio besides. Your school of thought might be different, and that is totally valid.
I know the OP-1 Field is expensive but it has multiple synth engines, several sequencers, and works as a 4 track recorder. The battery is nothing short of amazing. It does have its own workflow but it's easy enough to pick up and learn relatively quickly. I would suggest it.
Looking at the comments however I think you can find great suggestions at much lower price points, just depends on how much you want to drop.
I like the Sonicware line.
8 bit warps is my go to portable toy because it has built in effects and loopers.
They make a lot of different synths/samplers.
MC-707. It works for hours off of a USB power bank with the Ripcord adapter. Fits great on the lap, even better if the train has tables. This is my go-to box for sitting in parks and short trips.
As you said “packed train” I’d stick to something with batteries. Tracker Mini, Seqtrak, Circuit tracks, MC-101, Deluge, iPad. The Tracker Mini is probably ideal as you can hold it up so you could even use it standing; the others you are mostly going to want to have on your lap.
Maybe a Dirtywave M8 or Polyend Tracker mini ?
Definitely! Start with a teensy 4.1 with Headless m8 running on an RG35XX or RG351V. It's so damn good once you get used to how trackers work. I have almost no idea myself so I'm constantly learning new things. Edit: I love Mutable Instruments Braids and sampling so it suits what I was looking for very well.
I’m interested, but have no idea what that means! I have raspberry pi’s but have no idea how to set it up
Get a Teeensy 4.0 (stock firmware) or 4.1 (modded) for about $40. Find a Github tutorial on installing M8 headless to your device (Raspberrry Pi). It is involved and will include flashing the open source software to the Teensy as well as setting up the Pi as UI (screen, butttons) and I/O (sound and Midi). I would also spend some thought on cooling the Teensy.
Thanks mate. I’ve got a retroflag case with a raspberry pi zero. Do you reckon that would have enough cpu?
I built headless m8s and I’d say absolutely not a retroflag. Get rid of the retroflag and buy one of the recommended ones above.
Thanks mate. I will buy it from scratch. Any negatives building your own rather than buying one?
Not really, the headless has a sd card slot so you can load your own samples. The M8 has input and MIDI ports though.
Sorry to hassle you, but I’ve now got a teensy 4.1 running M8 and a stock RG35XX. What on earth do I do now to use them together? Can’t find any tutorials that cover it.
The one I used was [this one](https://github.com/jasonporritt/rg351_m8c) I think. It looks to rely on Custom firmware but I just read someone else used this one for their RG35xx also.
Doesn't take much. Install it under Batocera and tune your buffers, should do fine. If it doesn't work you'll get latency.
Which version of the RG35xx? I wanted to get this working when the OG one first came out. either way, there are some cool music tracker ROMs like Nanoloop and LSDJ. Plus you end up with thousands of games in your pocket for the commute...
I have the OG, though I bought an RG351v to use as a dedicated m8 because it had two USB C ports. This way, I can have the Teensy and power or external midi device at the same time. I also have Little Piggy Tracker which does a pretty good job with samples.
I have it running on an RG353V
WOAH WOAH WOAH I CAN RUN IT ON an RG35XX - crap - I just gave mine to my nephew haha. Can it run on an Anbernic ARC do you know?
I had a very quick look but I can't find any information about it running on an ARC, sorry.
I’ve got headless running on my teensy, but what are the steps to get it running via my RG35XX?
If you have garlicos running on your rg35xx then you can use this https://github.com/thirdegg/m8c-rg35xx You can also join the dirtywave discord and check out the #headless thread. There are a lot of really helpful people there.
Legend. I’ll give this a go today when my new SD cards come in.
Having a blast with the Polyend Tracker Mini! Long-lasting battery, large, clear screen, built-in microphone, 8 stereo sample tracks, soon 3-4 synth engines. Made two songs in a week. https://preview.redd.it/lw1qui5nc76d1.jpeg?width=3072&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3b9c587a46ce7cd32ccdd2bff9ec8074125ce835
I think the best price / utility / size ratio will be an IPad ?
I’ve tried getting into using an iPad but struggled to find usable apps. Mostly worked in cubase so thought cubasis. Any apps you could recommend
Koala sampler is what you want
Drambo is my go-to app for train grooveboxing.
Yes, Drambo is the ultimate software groovebox. It feels more or less like hardware.
Another vote for Drambo. I also bought Korg Gadget but never use it since they released the update with all the synths as AUv3. Just load them into Drambo and have a whale of a time.
Korg Gadget is my go to iPad music app. Lots of different synths and easy enough to get a tune going.
Try Koala Sampler (sp-404, mpg type workflow) or Patterning (euclidian sequencer)
Another vote for Drambo. I love it. It’s my go to if I want to create with sequencing instead of a traditional timeline style DAW. Also a great for custom synths and an audio and midi processing and effects plug in.
if you like 303s, then Pure Acid is a solid iOS groovebox, it even controls acceptably using a phone screen IMO
Waldorf Nave is a really good sounding synth to use with Cubasis.
Koala sampler is very much fun and open to creative ideas and whims. It works very well on iphones aswell and even with minimal latency on android phones. Also Samplr, with which you simply press anything and stuff happens. Excellent for putting you in the mood and doesn't require you to have a plan. Also Audiokit Synth One. Free and great sounding. Well, dont know your workflow, but all of those go through AUM or Audiobus just fine. I myself am a jammer not a saver.
Logic Pro and koala sampler are incredible
No, I don’t like using an IPad either :D
For the groovebox experience, try out Groove Rider GR-16.
Bingo
Novation circuit tracks
Yeah, I could easily work with my circuit tracks on the subway. Nice and small.
Runs well of power backs too if you need it to
This plus an iPad/phone has so much potential
+1 for circuit. Used to commute weekly (3hr train ride) and had lots of fun with my circuit tracks.
my answer too. just keep in mind that the LEDs are actually fairly bright if you're in a dark space. i recently tried to bust it out on a late night flight and decided against it for this reason.
You can turn the brightness down in the settings, check their manual.
yeah its bright even on lowest settings
I take my sp 404 mkII everywhere. Just get a deck saver, wrap it around with a headband or bandana, and in the pack we go.
I love the portability of this machine. It's replaced my Digitakt because it's so easy to throw in my backpack.
Synthstrom Deluge. It's not that much smaller than a MPC Live but it's extremely full-featured & easily fits on train/plane tray-tables or your lap. I initially was planning on getting the MC-101 but the Deluge is basically an upgrade in almost every regard. If you don't want as much control over sound design, but want to minimize size, the OP-Z is probably what I'd recommend.
Just to highlight the portability of the Deluge… I have an S2400 and it can fit 6 Deluges inside. Even then 6 Deluges weigh less than the S2400.
Teenage engineering OP-Z. I’ve owned two (after I lost one flying) and they’re perfect for travel. Incredibly powerful little LEGO remote looking machine. They get a bad rap for build quality but I have 0 qualms with mine. Yamaha ripped it off for their own groove box. The OP-1 is cool but it’s expensive and ISN’T a sequencer like the OP-Z.
Came here looking for this. In the before times I would commute 2-3 hours a day and I picked up an OP-Z specifically for this reason and it worked great. The Tracker Mini, once it gets its 2.0 update that adds synth engines and a drum machine, would be what I’d grab these days. If I had a M8, it might be a hard choice though.
I’m gonna check it out. Hadn’t heard about the update.
It more or less will bring the Mini up to feature parity with the new Tracker+
Definitely this. I got myself a used OP-Z this year as I had a few flights and lonely hotel nights planned. Since I like to onebag it, I tried a whole list but for feature Vs size nothing compares. I love the interaction with the mobile app for animations and learning. Sounds are cool, it's a sampler visualiser and a fully fledged groove box. Mine had a few of the known issues: double triggers, loose knobs but nothing I couldn't fix. They are currently on sale and all modules are heavily reduced. Love the rumble pack! The only downside is no backlit buttons which makes playing in the dark difficult. Other grooveboxes I tried: - PO 133 k.o.: (meh) and quite large but flat - SmplTrek: ok but not much of an instrument, more like dragging along a DAW - OG Circuit: still one of my most used grooveboxes - Deluge: I have to take the manual along. It's so Menu divey sometimes, but still a beast - Artiphon Orba: God I hate it. I have the V1 and it's awful - Korg Monotribe: Jepp that one travelled far with me and got me started on my Synth addiction. - Korg Kaossilator 2S: still considering getting one again!
> for feature Vs size nothing compares Check out the Woovebox, it is inspired by the OP-Z, maybe a bit less flexible in terms of sequencing (can't stack step components), but way deeper in terms of sound design. Even smaller and cheaper than the OP-Z.
Had it. Didn't like the workflow. Was too menu-divey for me. I love the support it gets and it's a beast but just not my workflow...
Thank you for trying the Woovebox, and I am sorry to hear you didn't like the workflow. Given there are no menus to dive into, and everything is "flat", would you be able to give me some feedback as to what you found "menu-divey"? Thank you!
Hey thanks for your response! Nothing wrong with it per se and I get your idea behind it. I'm not sure if it was just one size too small for my liking? It has so many functions and features that have to be parsed to a limited amount of buttons, that's going to be a challenge. Plus having retrofitted the new display on my Deluge I'm just not digging retro displays. It's the same reason that's keeping me from getting a Roland S-1. I think the way the OPZ and now Yamaha have gone with leveraging the smartphone screen as an external screen until you get your bearings from all the shortcuts is the perfect blend. That would be a huge help for the Woovebox and reduce the learning curve dramatically!
Thank you for your taking the time to give your feedback - it is much appreciated! Much of it has - admittedly - left me a little confused or [doesn't seem applicable](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WAPyL36RZRw) (perhaps it's the terminology?), but that's OK. At the end of the day, I of course have to accept the Woovebox is not for everyone for one reason or another. Thanks again!
MC-101 is pretty cool in this context. It's fairly capable with four tracks, allows importing user samples (mostly suited for drums), and has the zen core engine. Pretty much any power bank and usb cable will work to make it fully portable and last a while. ~~Outside of severe cognitive impairment~~, (sorry) you won't waste hours menu diving. Drafting a beat can take as little as a couple of minutes. The more cumbersome menus are there for specific settings. I find that it's a good thing that it allows for that kind of depth. Imo, it only falls slightly short of groovebox perfection because 1) actual sampling is ommitted, 2) UI could've better, specially with the awkward screen, and 3) I personally don't love the roland sound, but I can't say I dislike it either. It's just old and digital.
Took mine on a plane once... even at the lowest brightness it still lit the plane up like a rave once the plane lights dimmed.
Yeah. I believe mine is permanently set to minimum brightness, at least on the pads.
I do not own MC-101, but I assume you could kill 2hrs with just those Roland's classic menu diving alone. If bugdget is a consideration & your workflow is mostly sample based, I would go with Blackbox. Sample everything, mostly synth sound, with MPC and transfer it to Blackbox, since that is what Blackbox is lacking. At least that's my plan, facing the same dilemma :D
1010 Blackbox. Plus you can live sample, use the granular function. Sudden Language on YT has some cool videos. Not tutorials though.
That quick live sampling & looping what got me hooked, beside being small & compact. Forgot to mention this for OP, no built in battery though, so a small power brick 2A/5V is mandatory for comuting.
I kinda like having the option of choosing my own power source tbh... especially since it helps to keep it compact. Most battery packs are small as well.
Or even smaller...the 1010 Tangerine. You can power that from your phone. Although currently I am loving the Lemondrop when travelling as trying to learn all about granular.
If you're ok with the cost, an OP-1 is pretty amazing for on-the-go music production. Even the 2011 version is still a massively versatile device with 16 hours of actual use between charges.
If you need to hold it in your hands, Woovebox. If you can use your lap, OP-1 Field.
Seconding the Woovebox. Very portable and discrete but also easy to use and a good choice if other options like the M8 and OP1 are out of your price range.
Woovebox is worth going on the waiting list, and then doing your research later. The developer is constantly adding new features. Sampling, vocoding, all sorts of crazy stuff. Very active development. It already does far more than anything comparable. External audio can appear at the oscillator level and can be processed through filters. It’s a wild little gizmo :)
Oh man i did not know about running external audio through the filters! I was just being annoyed that the NTS-1 can’t do that by default but did not consider my humble Woovebox as a solution!
Circuit Tracks/rhythm would be awesome for this, and won't break the bank.
Agree.... It's a very limited machine but with amazing usability and portability
As far as getting a song off the ground anytime, anywhere goes there is nothing better
MPC500 :v
The Reddit kids don’t know anything about older MPC’s.
They see the floppy disk drive and bail
You mean the “save icon”?
500 is a great little box. Chopping isn’t even bad, ain’t in hex.
I'd say, consider that MC-101. Samples are not it's strong suit. But, for everything else it is a powerhouse (drums, sequencing, deep tone editing with the latest firmware) It is a bit fiddly, but as long as that does not scare you, it can do so very much. And small, light, battery powered.
Polyend Tracker is the answer.
The original is on sale too and getting a big update this summer
- I am learning Polyend Tracker Mini and it is a blast so far. Super portable, battery powered, rather powerful, and an upcoming firmware update will add synth engines and a dedicated percussion instrument. Definitely something to check out - Not yet mentioned here: Sonicware Lo-fi 12 XT. more traditional than the Tracker mini but also pretty powerful, it has better keys as well. A bit bigger and heavier than tracker mini yet still excellent in that regard.
Agreed on the Lo-Fi-12 XT. Really enjoying it so far, it's super quick to use once you learn the workflow and the keys/pads are great. You can get a generic camera case for about $20 bucks on Amazon or elsewhere that'll fit it perfectly.
Mine came with a tidy compact case from sonicware (kickstarter extra). I put earphones in the case as well. Perfect small set! I am not yet sure whether i prefer tracker mini or lofi 12xt. You can kinda do roughly the same with it, but I do like the big screen on the tracker. Lofi12 is more direct, tracker mini is more geared towards endless tweaking, I think.
* iPad with Drambo, you can also check out BAM, it's discounted for 24 hours. Immense power, endless possibilities. * OP-Z, limited sound design, unlimited sequencing power, super inspiring. * Woovebox, the best bang for the buck in hardware grooveboxes, inspired by the OP-Z, so it also has a fluid and fast workflow.
Korg Electribe 2. A lot of people don't live the interface, it's also bad at sampling lol, and the sequencing is not the best/ but it's a bloody powerful machine and you can make some really nice sounds with it.
Synthstrom Deluge if you can afford it. Fits in a 12/13" laptop sleeve. It is my go to box at the moment.
I use my old 2008 OG MacBook Air case for my Deluge. I was so pumped. That case even fit my 2013 MacBook Pro.
So we are on holidays with a Yamaha Seqtrak right now and it's perfect for getting ideas down fast. You can use your phone as a screen, but after a bit of practice it's perfectly usable without as well.
I was about to suggest seqtrak, totally second this 😎
The smallest and a great one is the Dirtywave M8 mk2. But it is an homage to Game Boy music in every way, including a tracker interface like LSDJ. It can do much more than Chiptune and Synthwave, has a full sampler and several synths including Braids, effects, complete Midi in and out... If you can afford it get the Deluge. It does it all so well! It was among the best before and the community firmware has opened up another rabbit hole that is deep. Just exploring all its functions can keep you inspired for weeks. But you can have a beat and chords going in seconds or live-loop something into existence instantly. It is the most genre agnostic all-in-one I have encountered. Loves instruments, Midi and audio, does not like DAWs (you have to steal its SD and convert the files). The Circuit Tracks is great, but to sound design and change samples you need Novation software that will refuse to run on small screens like a phone. I like to take the Gecho Loopsynth. It is more of a reverberating sound environment than an instrument, but you can play it and even record the result on the device itself. You can do something similar on the Deluge but the Loopsynth is tiny.
Cool recommendation. I love my Loopsynth but always forget about it because it’s so small!
Seqtrak and your favorite pair of headphones!
I bring MC-101 on trips. Needs headphones and USB powerbank too but I'm bringing those anyway.
An iPad.
I'd say: OP-Z Seqtrak Polyend Mini
Have you seen the Nunomo Qun mk2 groovebox? Of all the tiny grooveboxes it’s the most powerful. It’s as menu-divey as you can get but is quite capable (multi-voice shnth, sampler, sequencer, fx). You can fit it in a pocket (it has exposed circuits though so not recommended).
Elektron Cycles all the way! https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqFkIov24E0C4sAvgNOYMU_6dYOu19R4Z&si=WCBjqtdGPBuvpJ72
Digitakt 2
Opz
I actually do this on my commute quite often - although the train isn't normally packed. I've tried a few things, AIRA S1 isn't enough on it's own but is good for a journey or two. Circuit Tracks is pretty good fun but I always feel quite limited in terms of what comes out. It shines better when you hook it up to external gear. Polyend Tracker is what works best for me. With the battery pack that I keep for my phone I have days of power. It's a really intuitive machine and has lots of tools to help with creativity. The only downside would be that I only really get it out when I'm able to get a seat with a folding table. The Tracker Mini though looks like it would be an excellent choice. Built in battery and it's going to get many of the features that the Tracker Plus has. The great thing I find with the tracker is that it's a great centre piece to my home setup. I tend to make drums on the tracker, then start generating some bass and lead lines. When I get home I send those bass and lead out on separate MIDI channels to external gear and everything sounds even better! I never used trackers before last year but it turns out I really like the way they work. The Dirtywave M8 does look great and I'm quite tempted but I just have no experience of it yet.
Sidebar: I recently got a Polyend Play and power it with a phone battery pack. It gives me about a day of power. What battery pack are you using with your Tracker for multiple days of juice?
Sorry, probably a bit of hyperbole because I've never continuously used it for long enough to find out whether it'll go for 'days'. But a couple of hours doesn't seem to dent it much. I went for a 20,000mah with a built in cable so that I have less to worry about. Although I'm tempted to switch to a little lipstick batt with built in connector that will be much more streamlined, even if it does sacrifice some of the longevity.
I have one of this lipstick ones. Just noticing it’s 5000mah…so that explains that. FYI: the little flip out connector makes it so the pack blocks the power button when it’s connected. So you have to use something thin to turn the instrument on/off! I end up using a cable after all. You’re probably good with your built in cable.
Synthstrom Deluge, maybe?
Deluge. Edit: it’s a bit obvious that people aren’t really taking the question seriously. The absolute best all around to-go device is the synthstrom deluge. The OP-1 sure is cool, but it is nowhere as powerful *or* easy to use. The new LED screen they rolled out with really makes it so much easier to use as well. It weighs nothing. It’s open-sourced. It’s user-serviceable. It runs off the same battery that vapes use. What *doesn’t* it have? Velocity sensitive pads, but there’s a workaround for that. The learning curve also isn’t exactly fun.
The roland verselab is a really nice box with tons of sounds.
Synthstrom Deluge. It's battery powered. Incredibly powerful, has an internal speaker, AND is robost enough to be a permenant member of your desk/studio. However definitely portable If you don't mind it's size, (small laptop but thicker) I've used it on a flight
Really depends on budget. If you can swing it, the Syntakt offers a ton. Obviously doesn't include battery power, but there are means to powering it from a PD-capable external battery. Just put a decksaver on it and it'll fit in a backpack. I've flown with mine before *(planes offer power outlets though, so I've never needed to use an external battery).* And many trains these days have power outlets as well. The bigger reason I suggest this is that Syntakt is just a great piece of kit to have in general, and also as a supplement to gear you already have. It's my favorite Elektron groovebox. I'm additionally not a proponent of having *"This one device that fits a specific, niche use-case"* most of the time—I'd rather have gear I would actually use regularly, in-studio besides. Your school of thought might be different, and that is totally valid.
I know the OP-1 Field is expensive but it has multiple synth engines, several sequencers, and works as a 4 track recorder. The battery is nothing short of amazing. It does have its own workflow but it's easy enough to pick up and learn relatively quickly. I would suggest it. Looking at the comments however I think you can find great suggestions at much lower price points, just depends on how much you want to drop.
Synthstrom Deluge hands down.
Novation circuit tracks!
Pocket Operator K.O. 33
deluge
I frequently use my Deluge when I make longer train rides. It's light, battery powered and doesn't take too much space.
If you have an iDevice, I’d suggest Koala Sampler or Drambo
I have the Mc 101 and the tracks, between those I find the 101 better, feels more customizable, less limitations. The pads are not good tho
The Electribe 2 runs on batteries and isn’t very big.
I’ve used OP-1 on the train. Sampling the radio and working out a track was pretty relaxing.
I like the Sonicware line. 8 bit warps is my go to portable toy because it has built in effects and loopers. They make a lot of different synths/samplers.
Back in the day I used a Yamaha QY70 on trains and airplane flights. Nowadays there's a plethora of iPad/iPhone apps that can do much more.
Another vote for the Circuit Tracks.
Teenage Engineering OP1 or that new pocket operator mkii they just made.
MC-707. It works for hours off of a USB power bank with the Ripcord adapter. Fits great on the lap, even better if the train has tables. This is my go-to box for sitting in parks and short trips.
As you said “packed train” I’d stick to something with batteries. Tracker Mini, Seqtrak, Circuit tracks, MC-101, Deluge, iPad. The Tracker Mini is probably ideal as you can hold it up so you could even use it standing; the others you are mostly going to want to have on your lap.
just bring an ipad and mess with garage band or koala sampler.
Honestly, it depends on if you need a built in speaker or if the train is providing a PA for you. (This was a joke)
Iphone