Zynthian Workflow

It's been a productive couple of weeks getting to know the Zynthian. Thanks largely to some incredible work from @riban on ZynSeq, I'm actually further ahead than I thought I would be.

The ZynSeq updates aside, a friend has loaned me an Akai MPD32, which at first I thought might be superfluous given I already had an MPK Mini MK2. How wrong I was.

There's so many benefits to the MPD that it has completely revolutionised my workflow, and made it possible to be as productive as I have been.

Not only does the MPD allow you to map the device in real-time, without having to go back to a computer, it also has DIN MIDI in and out. The whole device is configurable, and of course the configurations can be saved and recalled as required.

Being based on the MPC means I feel at home with the MPD, and with 8 level sliders and nearby toggle buttons, a full set of sixty four pads spread over four banks, and twenty four assignable rotary controllers, it makes the perfect companion to the Zynthian.

Probably due to my familiarity with the MPC, getting the MPD opened up a pathway to a totally workable workflow that, while still being tweaked and perfected, has already enabled me to be productive, and produce sounds that could almost be mistaken for a song.

There's other parts of my workflow that I'm slowly getting used to, including creating soundfonts, and narrowing down my instrument and effect selection to a core few that I can get to know well over the next few months.

None of this sounds terribly sexy, but I can tell you that I have been having a ball, and am even quietly proud what I've been able to produce so far.

I will write a more detailed post about my workflow, mostly for my own reference. I'm still forgetting simple things, and making basic mistakes, but I'm having a blast.

Posted: 2021-02-17

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