Moderators: Sharp, X-Trade, Pepperpotty, karmathanever
amongst people who like to use "grooveboxes", i think it's a pretty common sentiment that workstations can be needlessly complex, unintuitive, and too "vanilla" to suit most heavily-electronic oriented music, especially dance. while a groovebox tends to be a sort of "jack of all trades" machine geared towards hip hop, techno, acid, industrial, or what have you, workstations are often expected to also cover jazz, blues, worship/gospel, scoring/soundtrack, rock, country, etc... with those sorts of far-reaching expectations, the intimacy and immediacy that grooveboxes provide is lost. i think buying a workstation for use in a primarily electronic project is like signing up for a decathlon when all you want to do is go for a run.jerseykorg wrote:Now that there are so many workstations what's the point of an all-in-one groovebox? It would just be a half-assed workstation for people with an overabundance of nostalgia for the 90s.
thanks!travisthered wrote:Good post killedaway.
Do you really think the monomachine is that superior? I have never used one.
can you name a groovebox from 1984? even if you're counting machines like the TR series (606, 707, 808, 909) and the TB-303 (which don't at all fit the description of a "groovebox"), not only were those not very "en vogue" in the 80s, but they really didn't come in to widespread popularity until the 90s. further still, those five machines are some of the hottest and most relevant electronic instruments today. those legendary artists? by and large, they're still using the old stuff. lastly, considering that the monomachine MKII just came out one year ago, and the Linndrum II isn't even out yet, i'd say these grooveboxes are pretty darn "cutting edge" after all.jerseykorg wrote: Also something to keep in mind is I know when you look up some of these old vintage grooveboxes on the internet there's always a huge list of famous musicians who used them...but remember they used them when they were still new! Using a groovebox or drum machine in 1984 was cutting edge. Which means if you really want to be like one of those legendary artist from the 80s you need to use whats cutting edge today not 25 years ago.
you're kidding, right? i see grooveboxes in almost every studio, and plenty of DJs and electronic musicians incorporate them in their live sets. in fact, i would say your average electronic musician is more likely to have a "groovebox" of some kind in their studio, vs. a workstation keyboard.jerseykorg wrote:Unless you're including akai style pads in the "groovebox" category the amount of people using these things today seems pretty slim.
) is outdated...it seems people do still want them though. One thing jerseykorg maybe hasnt considered is their value for people who dont want to be tied to the studio environment or want something they can take to work and use at lunchtime. i understand some of your points, but the above quoted portion is what i take issue with. i don't see how anyone could update something "too much". and if Korg does decide to do a massive update to the Electribe series, what makes you think it will be "expensive but not really competitive"? that's just pure speculation. the last time Korg updated the 'tribes, it was quite a success, with plenty of additional synthesis, sampling, and sequencing, while still maintaining a very reasonable price. who's to say they couldn't repeat that?jerseykorg wrote:...BUT the problem is update it too much and now it's just an expensive but not really competitive device or don't update it barely at all and no one has a reason to upgrade, so it's like they are stuck.
