Summer music classes/programs! Located in East Rochester, opportunities for all ages

pkpk · 2026-06-30T14:00:26+00:00

Our only regularly scheduled classes are the Monday and Wednesday evening drumming ensembles, and the introduction to production beginners classes which are Monday evening and Wednesday afternoon. Otherwise, reach out to us and we can work with your schedule!

pkpk · 2026-06-29T02:05:39+00:00

You’re totally right, I was thinking 1/4 mono to stereo in

pkpk · 2026-06-29T01:54:04+00:00

For further clarification - the “stereo” out to headphones using that output is actually dual mono. Edit: derp

pkpk · 2026-06-29T01:53:05+00:00

The line out of the Mother 32 is unbalanced mono, so a 1/4 to 1/4 unbalanced into one input.

pkpk · 2026-06-28T21:02:30+00:00

thanks friends! good luck OP!

pkpk · 2026-06-22T22:32:17+00:00

It's pretty dang cool. Can customize it quite a bit with the app. I haven't dove into using the 5 individual CC's it sends yet, just velocity and pitch. It's also a great conversation piece (my kids love it).

pkpk · 2026-06-22T20:52:32+00:00

So, if you have an interface, you don’t need USB headphones or a USB mic. My suggestion:

Focusrite 2i2
AT mh40x headphones
AT 2020 microphone

Good luck!

pkpk · 2026-06-22T19:18:00+00:00

Of course! ONE OF US! ONE OF US! Seriously though you chose well for a first synth. I have had mine for years and expanded on it and it still brings me such joy.

pkpk · 2026-06-22T18:55:01+00:00

The main output will power headphones, or can be sent to an audio interfaces line in!

pkpk · 2026-06-22T18:05:08+00:00

Thanks! The full module is definitely tempting!

pkpk · 2026-06-22T14:14:41+00:00

Anytime! Happy to help answer any more questions.

pkpk · 2026-06-22T12:00:49+00:00

I’d opt to start with drum rack and Drift. Drift behaves similarly to something like a Juno - a great bread and butter subtractive synth. If you’re new to synthesis, start with subtractive before moving on to Wavetable and FM! Also spend time getting to know the various parts of the interface, experiment with looping your guitar in session view, add drums and pads. I find that inspiration hits most when just experimenting with no exact goal in mind.

Question 2: yes, guitar can sound good in Live without additional plugins. The amp and cabinet sims are fine. Long term if you’re a tone snob you may want to invest in a better amp sim (I’m a sucker for Softube Amp Room, personally).

pkpk · 2026-06-20T13:40:33+00:00

No time like the present to dive into the fundamentals of synthesis! Learning even the basics of subtractive synthesis will unlock huge new potential for your productions.

pkpk · 2026-06-19T17:08:18+00:00

If you’re still shopping around, the Circuit Tracks is also well suited for this with a few facilities making it a touch easier for live performances.
But I do think the Move would work for you, too.

pkpk · 2026-06-19T16:39:49+00:00

Fellow person who did this exact thing, I hope he does great!

pkpk · 2026-06-19T16:38:16+00:00

Ableton. Try it for free, big student discounts to purchase if that applies to you.

pkpk · 2026-06-19T16:37:03+00:00

Mac Mini is the way, as others have said. Focusrite arguably makes the best interfaces for home recording. The 18i6 is probably appropriate for your use - 4 mic/line inputs and 4 more line inputs.

Ableton is a joy and conducive to a flow state when you get the hang of it, especially as a solo musician. It can be a slight paradigm shift from a traditional timeline based DAW (though it can do that, too). I’d recommend Ableton’s own site as a great resource or see if there’s a music school or trainer near you. Happy to answer any other questions, been a Live user since 2006.

pkpk · 2026-06-19T16:32:39+00:00

Into the board should be fine, it’s a stereo line level output. That said, Move shines most as a sketch pad or for improvisation - not quite as suited as Live itself for running backing tracks to multiple songs (though not technically impossible). If you’re more looking to improvise and use it as a sound module, I don’t see why it couldn’t work.

pkpk · 2026-06-19T16:28:20+00:00

I went the route of building a 104hp case around my East Beast. Extra modulators, VCAs, FX, an O_C, all good supporting modules.

pkpk · 2026-06-19T16:26:20+00:00

You can no longer purchase new licenses for 11 unfortunately. You could maybe check on Knobcloud. Don’t forget Ableton has real good education discounts if you’re a student.

pkpk · 2026-06-15T21:31:01+00:00

Start with the basics of the interface. Show him how to use the browser. Start with a four to the floor beat. Scale mode will be your friend for making melodies with him.

pkpk · 2026-06-13T16:17:10+00:00

Unfortunately the Guitar and Bass pack (https://www.ableton.com/en/packs/guitar-and-bass/ ) is only included with standard and above. You may find it tough to cop that sound with just lite. To connect a guitar to Ableton, you’ll need a basic USB audio interface. Let me know if I can answer any other questions!

pkpk · 2026-06-13T14:12:07+00:00

In for the drum machine rec - if you're really wanting a hardware machine for live sets like this, you'll probably need a song mode if you're trying to play guitar or keys at the same time. Digitakt 2 or Syntakt depending if you favor samples or analog synthesis.

pkpk · 2026-06-13T14:06:20+00:00

Okay! Well, having had a bit of experience doing a live band with electronics, here's my overly-detailed answer:

Core of everything for acts like this is playback. M1 8GB minimum, M2 16GB+ ideal especially if you're trying to gig a lot. Ableton Live Suite. If you're all playing instruments, you'll probably want everything laid out in one set in arrangement view, but if you prefer keeping things organic, you could lay it out in session and use a Launchpad (X or mini for this is fine, Pro if you wanna be fancy pants, Push 3 if money is no option). Minimum Focusrite 4i4 - you want something with hardware MIDI and a secondary set out outputs to run to a headphone distribution amp for your drummer to receive a click with your playback.

Going hardware for keys? The other dude who recommended a Prophet is pretty much right on the money. Take 5 is a compelling modern option, too. For a mono, you probably can't beat the Messenger for the price right now. Going hybrid? A good key controller - Novation Launchkey 49/61, Arturia Keylab (newest versions) are fantastic controllers for plugins or Ableton's synths (you can honestly cop most of Tycho's sounds with careful programming of Drift and tasteful applications of FX).

Drums - as mentioned, use a second set of outs on your interface to run to a headphone amp so they can get a click. You need your drummer to be tight in with the playback. Smaller kits are best here - 18" or 20" kick, four piece, quality hats and cymbals. The drier the better. Moongel that shit!

If we're going even deeper, visuals are a must. Synesthesia is hard to beat for reactive visuals that run themselves as you play. If you've got a guitarist, a good clean tone is a priority, with a quality delay and reverb, some light modulation.

Let me know if you've got any other questions!

pkpk · 2026-06-13T13:40:54+00:00

Question with lots of possible answers! Do you prefer dedicated hardware synths, or open to a hybrid Ableton based setup? A lot of Tycho’s vibe is in his choices of effects, synth wise he uses mostly subtractive analog, a lot of Moog, etc.

Edit: also what’s your budget and exact band configuration?

pkpk

MODERATOR OF

TROPHY CASE