Tier-Listing Everything In My Entire Studio

[@BennJordan]

I'm going to update/rate anything I missed or forgot below in this comment: MPC Live - B MPC Force - D MPC Keys - B Yamaha H80 (1st gen) - A Mackie CR5-X - F Roland VP-770 - B MOTU 828 - F MOTU M6 - D

[@lisan_al-ghaib]

Great idea. Can you tier list plugins you use as well? (S - tier = can't live without / always used etc).

[@shayneoneill1506]

I havent played around with the MPC force, but it seems to be polarising, people seem to either be in love with them, or perplexed by them.

[@g3cd]

You should try the Squarp Hapax which does 10x more than the Pyramid ... even though stuff like the Deluge with it's open source Os can work as a live looper (and probably calculate your biorhythm with a dedicated knob on its front), the Hapax still replaced my Polyend Seq. Until I bought a 2nd Seq of course, which is a killer setup 😂

[@RoamingAdhocrat]

Every video should have an Errata Pinned Comment

[@jumbona03]

You said during the premier that you forgot to rate MOTU stuff you own btw

[@_DRMR_]

New challenge: take all your F-rated gear and make a track with it.

[@ColonDee.]

I really wanna see that happening

[@heavenly2k]

Amazing idea

[@brotherbarnes]

Don't challenge the guy, we want him working on the good stuff!!

[@obshaky]

Already done by Florian. Bad Gear. Best channel.

[@vladv5126]

This isn't bad gear 😂

[@RJ1J]

Watching this is like what I imagine hell to be. All the gear I'll never get my hands on, being shown to me and being packed away.

[@dannyatx]

for me it’s all the gear id want but then I get option paralysis and never finish a song 😭

[@gaithouri]

"packed away" is all you need to get some relief..

[@churricardo1457]

I wouldn’t know what to do with a collection that big, I would feel a giant responsibility to use all of it and feel shitty if I didn’t end up using some gear. Even if it was gifted to me, I’d probably end up giving 75% away just because of the overwhelm 🤣🤣 I have 2 synths and a guitar right now and I feel like I should be using them more lol

[@RickyTinez]

Yes to the TR-8! I'm all about its simplicity too. Great vid Ben.

[@tb.303]

i had the same regret selling my tr-8 and getting tr-8s instead. now i have neither.

[@GuidoGautsch]

Did he actually show the TR-8S or just talk about it when he talked about TR-8? I'm considering picking one up, but the TR-8 is a lot cheaper and does most of what I want...

[@bennethos]

I think you are way more original now vs others reviewing gear and we have finally someone who said it. Most gear reviewers are slaves of marketing and probably don’t even enjoy doing it long term .

[@CalTN]

Less than 1% of the people who make KZbin channels get a following and earn a living from ad revenue/patreon/endorsements. Its a mixture of luck, talent and hard work and even then there are thousands of good channels that won't get a following. Us average folks may get sick of outright shilling but if Boss, Roland, Moog, Arturia send you an email asking for a product demo ...most people would be thrilled.

[@brianbrill]

The most Benn And Gear episode ever.

[@dannyatx]

this is his prime

[@AndrewPRoberts]

@@dannyatxthe most gear and the most Benn

[@timothyharrison]

“Peak bed shit.”

[@almightyEsquilax]

I miss that opening jingle.

[@itowedin]

I get so much anxiety when you pick up something I own.

[@dcurry7287]

Benn would be the first to say he's just some asshole on the Internet. If you like it, *you* like it, and no one else matters. Until you get bandmates lol.

[@SlaserX]

TT-303 is the GOAT, I can go to bed happy

[@jamisondonald384]

Yo, that "syrup" rubber can actually be fixed by this cleaning spray called Mother's VLR. You can get it at places like AutoZone, etc

[@petermanning3811]

Thankyou, Thankyou, Thankyou! If this stuff makes my 55 y.o. O.G. Celesrton 8" Muskatov telescope useable (as in bearable to touch), I will owe you a beer.

[@jamisondonald384]

@@petermanning3811 happily, you will owe me a beer. This is one of my favorite tips I've learned. Get it on a rag, use elbow grease, and it works like gangbusters

[@hanfbrot]

The soft touch components which tend to gas out make the sticky feeling so one should just use some alcohol solution like isopropyl alcohol and you’re good to go! Stay away from acetate/acetone solutions as they can make it worse

[@alex.web.techno]

@@hanfbrot I also use IPA with a rough cloth to clean mine, works well

[@treblegrey]

@@hanfbrot I recently tried 90% iso on a syrupy Quneo and it had no effect. :(

[@sean808080]

I can’t believe I watched the whole thing. I often wonder if I’m a gear hoarder but thanks to you I feel like Marie Kondo 😊 love your content. Keep up the great work.

[@colinrussell2017]

One nice thing about the internet is you can always find someone who has got it worse than you

[@brendanmattson]

Everybody loves studio tours, even one in deconstruction. Can't wait to see the new studio build video.

[@vishnusriram]

As a beatboxer who loves the RC505 mk1, uses all 5 tracks with my hands, and holds on it to avoid the menu diving of the newer mk2, this video still has my full support 🎉 Thank you for this glorious tirade 😅

[@DJDrue]

Hey Benn, Just wanted to say a HUGE "thank you" for rating ALL of your gear! Your intelligent and concise review of everything in your studio, combined with the tier ranking was a real fun experience to watch. So much of the gear you had tucked away was stuff I'd seen for sale and never really had reviews on, and some of the S-tier stuff you mentioned, and the passion with which you spoke about it really made me want to look at a few of those that I hadn't seen before. In addition, you helped me make some decisions about gear that I had been on the fence about. I can understand how that whole experience must have felt invasive, and I just wanted to express my appreication for pressing on and making yet another amazing video that keeps me coming back to your channel again and again. Well done!

[@makeperceive]

this is a great format for a gear video. quick, to the point, ruthless.

[@ClifBratcher]

Had a similar experience to the Zoom F3 data loss issue with a Tascam DR-05. Was recording a once-in-a-lifetime jam session with an incredibly prolific producer/DJ directly off a main mixer. In the days that followed, I spent so many hours trying to recover the missing files. They were just not there.. Like the unit gave up and just stopped writing. I've gotta have multiple recorders for any similar session now. I'd rather have duplicate copies than none at all.

[@positronalpha]

I feel you. I still save compulsively in any software due to Photoshop's habit of simply and suddenly disappearing back in the late 90s/early 00s. Lost many hours of work before developing the habit of saving between every action...

[@subfifth]

Next up: Tier-listing Every Type of 7UP in my Fridge.

[@jamesburke2311]

Read this as 7HP the first three times

[@brianhintze6440]

Ahhhh hahahaha…funny comment indeed

[@politesociety]

there is more than one type of 7UP??

[@JoshuaNeedham]

The honesty and candor in this video is gold!

[@jjptech]

Please, keep doing gear reviews, there is nothing that I love more than seen gear that I can’t afford in the hands of people I admire. Seriously

[@ProckGnosis]

Excellent post! Now I need to let my wife watch this, so she'll know it could be much worse. Good plug for the Medusa. I helped write the v1 version of the manual, and early on, much closer to the scheduled release date than it should have been, the list of capabilities was still far from solid. Best thing is that Polyend ran with it none-the-less, patching some of the early issues, and coming up with some GREAT ideas (a lot beyond anything initially discussed), and they really brought it home with the updates.

[@Cull_Obsidian]

Benn, do you not have an Elektron Machinedrum? I was really looking forward to your review, especially after all this time and how highly sought after/regarded it is. Did you sell it? Either way, that must have been a mammoth video to make so thank you for it

[@carlosguillen2307]

This was thoroughly enjoyable and very insightful!! S Tier Video!! Thanks Benn you are a champion.

[@decaystar]

Correction: Korg Volca FM has as many operators as DX-7 else you wouldn’t be able to load DX-7 patches, but it only has 3 polyphony, where DX-7 has 16.

[@heavenly2k]

What language are you speaking?

[@decaystar]

@@heavenly2k My language is called Yautja, and you?

[@serialistic4321]

@@decaystar Gringlish

[@alecdurbaville6355]

You’re correct but so is Benn. It’s got the same number of operators ‘per voice’, if there’s less voices there’s also less total operators.

[@decaystar]

​@@alecdurbaville6355 If I follow your logic, are you saying that Korg Volca FM2 has 12-OP, due to that it has 6 voices instead 3? [Double as many voices as Korg Volca FM1]

[@3-Rex]

As a recent subscriber, this was really cool watching you give an opinion on gear that was never even on my radar. It was also a little heart-wrenching seeing gear I genuinely like get a lower rating than I'd like, but all the more reason why I enjoy the candid takes!!

[@kagisokgabo3601]

Thanks for making me feel good about my TR-8

[@BobDole1216]

Yeah, as someone else who bought a TR-8 early on and has always felt some regret about not having the S, hearing that felt like having something deep inside me healed.

[@allysterlaw777]

duuude i felt the exact same way 😂

[@400800D]

23:08 literally made me pause the video, grab my iPad and went out to do some jam in the nearest coffee shop. Well done, sir.

[@acidbasement]

Great video to watch in the background while cleaning. I learned something. Thanks!

[@DaKink]

it's been lovely to see how much things one can collect and how they've been part of your music. Love it!

[@pxqify]

Sometimes I look at my cluttered studio and think to myself "Well, you've done it. You've achieved maximum gear acquisition and am now a golden god." Then I see how much shit Ben has. And there's clearly levels to this game.

[@BobDole1216]

As a huge fan of Marc Rebillet, seeing the RC-505 get a D and a "who is this *for*?" hurt my soul a little. 😅 Love the video though, and it's simultaneously a helpful series of snippets and a good reminder that a lot of taste is subjective and people don't have to like the same things. 💜

[@MeditativeSpaces]

Thank you Jordan for taking all this time to create a video that is both fun to watch, as well as quite educative! And most importantly, I feel it will inspire a lot of us to get rid of all the useless gear we have somehow mindlessly accumulated through the passage of time. It will surely bring a lot of relief, as well as contribute to our mental peace. Thank you!

[@Appleloucious]

Dear Benn, many many thanks for all your works! Looking forward to all you are going to be sharig with us! Most health, peace, love and happiness to each and everyone! One Love! Always forward, never ever backward!! ☀☀☀ 💚💛❤ 🙏🏿🙏🙏🏼

[@YVNSVNG]

I was REALLLLLY hoping for another Moog Labyrinth video. MAN ALIVE! What a time to be alive. Like a thousand Moog Labyrinthvideos appeared in my feed in a single day!!

[@bugglebegger143]

if you dont buy one you wont be able to make good music

[@YVNSVNG]

@@bugglebegger143 I bought three of them just to be safe

[@cupofdirtfordinner]

More or less completely off topic. I _adore_ your rug in the new studio

[@kurtholloway7102]

I have used many of these devices or many iterations of them. I really enjoyed this.😊

[@morrower1067]

Very cool to see the focusrite compounder techno machine get some love

[@moonmonkey303]

Thanks Benn. I agree, i wish other well known producers would simply talk us through their kit in an honest reflective way. It might be a long video but your kit list actually seemed really reasonable for a successful professional artist with a long career. I see so many you tubers with huge stacks of expensive keyboards behind them and just think they are just kit hoarders who don't actually make music with any of it.

[@neuronist]

It helped me fall asleep! Thank you 😊

[@jonathanb5367]

I can't believe I watched this entire thing. Rating this an A+ :)

[@TomBrislin]

Excellent rendition of the Casio SK-1 Human Voice preset at 4:37

[@KordTaylor]

Nymphs an A? Ok. Thanks for this and all the others. This is a long but great video. Thank you! ❤

[@ProduceGuitarPop]

loooooove the light vibe of the new space

[@makeperceive]

looking forward to hearing new music from you, congrats on new space

[@CatFish107]

Thanks for the insight into a real world melodica use case. That's neat!

[@heavenly2k]

This is the first time anyone has spoken/wrote this sentence

[@derrickdaugherty3445]

Thanks for finishing this, it is very much appreciated and I too would love to see more artists do this.

[@bushmann9272]

this is single handedly one of the most important gear videos for people like me with huge GAS. Benn knows gear and i truly respect his opinion

[@benwaardenburg]

I have the same Tascam DR-60D and it was the backbone of so many events I covered and only had one bad recording when I removed the external power too early. Sorry to hear you had a bad experience with it but I love it so very much.

[@GuidoGautsch]

Yeah, never had issues with mine either.

[@pccpwsv3760]

I saw you in Chicago with Bogdan many many years ago and you were using that air fix and I was like whoa that awesome. Then I bought one and I was like whoa this is shit lmao.

[@thomasyon4332]

Thanks for Dreadbox (I own the Hades and Nymphes; love them). Thanks about Polyend (you well sell to me).. Very good show. From Normandie. Cheers

[@meanmr.mustard]

That sticky rubber can be removed with paint thinner. Just check on the back of your gear if the plastic or what ever it's made out can handle this liquid. This way I revived some sticky bite alarms (among other stuff) that were too gross to handle.

[@CatFish107]

The return of BENN AND GEAR!!!!! Cool. Do yer thing boss. This comment brought to you by getting 2 birds stoned at once.

[@CatFish107]

Extra engagemometrics boost from microfreak touchplate Stan here! Can't believe you dislike it, AND have failed keys. Super disappointed on multiple fronts. (Not really)

[@wadeofearth]

The Launchkey, for Ableton workflow, is incredible. When paired with a launchpad, their ability to control the software is unbeatable for the price. Solid A tier for Ableton users. Maybe not FL users.

[@MathHammer]

Yeah, I am not a fan of DAW-focused controllers. However, it seems like the Launchkey line is fairly programmable. I watched Taetro's video on creating a template for the Launchkey Mini for the Yamaha SeqTrack and almost bought one on the spot since they were on sale for under $100 at the time. I fought back the GAS successfully.

[@dirtrockground4543]

Just want to let you know I watched the whole thing and learned some new details about gear that will come in handy. For example I had never heard of RME audio interfaces

[@jammadamma]

I have a laptop. It does all things, S tier

[@XXIII_89]

Yeah, anything he showed my first thought was can I do it with my laptop? Theres a couple things he showed that definitely would enhance what my laptop does though, like the Sub Bass Monitor, the MRCC Ringo Starr controller!

[@MasDouc]

The s key sticks a bit though, brings it down to an A

[@neoncyber2001]

Hey!that's @playpm 's comment!

[@agerven]

That is, it does all things for a few years. After that you have a mix of different versions of everything installed, running out of local RAM, and basically extremely sorry that you ever started going DAW.

[@PWMaarten]

Shit ui for a musical instrument though.

[@stephencoakley]

Happy to see the S-tier rating for the MRCC, it is indeed a huge problem solver and ingenious. Fact that it is rackmountable too is awesome. If I only had one complaint to make about the MRCC is that the small screen menu navigation just is kinda clunky. I don't mind small screens for something I don't need to change settings on very often, but I feel like a lot of other things out there have done a much better job with menu navigation in the same form factor. Like, it *could* have been better.

[@enigmeta]

5:32 lol'ed so hard at the poor APC64 :-)

[@dylangonzalez1688]

My fav video to fall asleep to

[@imactuallyih3697]

I too bought a QY10 because I hate myself. Please make a video on it though, that would be hilarious

[@Ikon_Sound]

nice one Ben, I have just got an MRCC too and plugging it in and looking forward to using it 👍🏻

[@mrdavies7894]

Super fun and enjoyable video, thank you Benn! Ironically, I was kinda hoping to fall asleep to it and catch the remainder in the morning but nope, I’m still fully awake and engaged. 😂 Also looking forward now to what you’ve got in store for the channel this coming year!

[@mrdavies7894]

Looking forward to the studio reveal!

[@chuckyb_]

Haven't even seen more than a minute of the video and already love the premise XD ggwp 👏

[@hheerth]

was honestly thrilled when I hovered down and saw the video was an hour and a half long. I've spent so much time researching gear but never getting to be hands on with whatever it is that I can't afford myself so this video was very enjoyable to watch.

[@communityoflearners]

Great video. Sorry to hear the Zoom F series has been failing you, I use an original 24 bit F8n for lots of personal recording but would probably never let it touch something where money is on the line. You are probably already familiar with lots of production sound gear given the amount of field recording that you do, but just in case you are not, you might find something like the Sound Devices 833 interesting?

[@theorize999]

I really like the people at polyend too, they are great

[@colinrussell2017]

I loved this rapid fire, highly subjective tier list video. Congrats on your new studio Benn! Your content is refreshing and inspiring in a world that rewards toxicity.

[@fxberg]

Watched the whole thing and I'm happy (and lucky) to say almost every piece of gear I own (and you obviously) is either s or a, guess the sorting put process went well :) good luck moving (I just did that so that's that) :)

[@pikkedieff]

Even with the 82 minutes runtime, this is a greatly condensed source of useful and widely applicable information. Nice one! And very nice to see the Korg Radias in the A-tier!

[@SirTigerSauce]

Absolutely love my Aonic 50 Gen 2s. Glad to see them get a mention

[@clonemeister9097]

Why did I just watch 1+ hour of nerd talk about studio equipment? What’s wrong with me?? Can’t wait to see the 3 hour special of Benn building his new studio! 😂

[@xlat808]

A "D" for the Boss 505? I love this looper. It's such a fun way to draft music. I guess it's about the opposite of a tracker, which seems to be your go-to starting point, so it makes sense.

[@twjamjam]

Oh my god Benn Jordan my beloved blessed us today

[@JaceInman]

Analog Four is S tier, C is such an insane take for that. Entertaining video though.

[@rustyjaw]

“Peak bed-shit” is the funniest thing I’ve heard all week. Thank you. Another great video too.

[@aeonvoid_]

that sneeze was wild... rad video though!

[@danhat606]

I BLOODY WELL WISHED I LIVED LOCALLY TO YOU! I'D BE ROUND ALL THE TIME ASKING WHAT WORK NEED'S DOING. GREAT VID, BIT LIKE A REVERSE UNBOXING VIDEO, ONLY YOU WANNA HEAR WHAT EVERYTHING DOES!

[@flahobino]

Glad to see you back man!! Hard agree with the TR8 take, definitely one of the most immediate drum machines I’ve used and sounds great

[@elybeth]

23:06 caught me off guard !

[@williambrandon9660]

yoooo ben! You mentioned itemizing for insurance earlier, could you do a video elaborating on insurance as it relates to music and live shows? Honestly, it would be amazing if you did some vids on the backend stuff, considering your time as a paid musician and experience. Appreciate you, keep being you and the massively helpful content!

[@eviloatmeal]

Thank you for making the video. I really did help in at least one of those esoteric ways you listed.

[@positronalpha]

Loved this video! Made some cloudberry jam while watching/listening to it :). You validated some of my gear choices and also helped me towards the realization that I don't need to have everything plugged in and ready to go - it's such a boring quest that requires so much infrastructure and a million cables. I should just make and record some noise instead of trying to make everything work together (without a DAW). All of your videos are a joy to watch. Thank you for sharing!

[@rolymiller]

Thanks for the vid. I can’t believe how much I enjoyed it. Also how you snuck in a Jazz version of “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” Kudos!!

[@raysubject]

man for me Nord Lead is like S+ tier :-) My most favourite synth of all times .. absolute cult item for me ❤

[@night_speed]

i take a piece of masking tape and label both ends of PSUs. that way when they're plugged into a surge protector under a desk where you can't see the wall wart you won't get confused as to which one goes where.

[@mudsh4rk]

You can tell a person of true distinction by their Pioneer SR-202w.

[@Mazda13bRotary]

Benn's vibe always chills me out immediately

[@parsoakhorsandmusic]

Glad you have so much stuff that you like! On a personal level even the knowledge that I have this many devices (even if they are packed away in boxes hidden in my basement) would drive me crazy haha

[@tc-bladeofgrass6719]

Couldn't agree more on RME I had 2 at one point, one in my studio another for live. I sold the more expensive AIO card as I didn't need it and just kept the OG Babyface, I've had that about 13 years as my only interface and it's never crashed never failed, never misbehaved. the audio quality is flawless. Definitely S+++

[@KeyhanAkbarzadeh]

it was fun to watch 🤘thanks

[@ktreier]

Absolutely love the NDLR. Arpeggiator on steroids doesn’t even do it justice. I almost bought the MRCC but have the iConnectivity MioXL which I like better because 1) it’s rack mounted and 2) the browser based UI is excellent.

[@SuperChaoticus]

This might be the greatest humble brag I won't have the time to watch.

[@joyboricua3721]

@ 13:15 Remove those batteries if storing them in the container

[@MuadDib74]

Hilarious amount of gear, all the more so that you can remember what it's all like to use.

[@NamelessSmile]

I appreciate your candor around the actual practicality of using some of the Erica / Soma things. I feel the same, really nice to use but would never end up in a track

[@orincat10]

15:52 qy10's not that bad imo. it's basically like an arranger keyboard that you can quickly make your own styles with (albeit with the difference that you have to program the chords ahead of time). it's kinda fun.

[@AndyVonal]

Thanks, Benn! You did a great job!

[@jc2414]

When you gave the XR-20 an "A" I was like...I guess I'm keeping mine? So I did.

[@dbregel]

I did fall asleep, but eventually rewound and watched the rest. Strong B. Would definitely watch more of these from other people and assuming that those vids would move this up to A tier.

[@PeetSneekes]

Benn, I just love this! Love the tone, the opinions and the wealth of experience you share. Stuff like the goop-rubber and years and years of field experience is just invaluable. Sorry to hear from the Zoom recorders. I hear a lot of production recordists loop through their recorder output in a tentacle track-e, Tascam DR10 Pro, or another mobile recorder. I tend to use the Zoom F3 and 6 myself too and probably add that piece of insurance myself. Any way, thanks again!

[@MEAREMLG]

This video was quite interesting, introducing me tons of gear I've never even heard of. It had a proper balance between serious info and *flashy* attitude. That being said, it's certainly not Mr. Jordan's greatest work, but it still stands as a video well worth watching. As a bonus, I got to hear Benn's voice for over an hour straight. I'll give it an A

[@StaK_1980]

I probably get why you feel this video felt a bit intrusive for you, this was also kind of a re-view of what you did in the last 30 odd years as a musician. I couldn't understand half of the stuff you were talking about but I always love your delivery of complex issues. Do please keep on making awesome videos! :-)

[@amadeodesouza5543]

I just picked an akai fire but to use with ableton and the max for live objects that come with isotonik crossfire (remote script). Perfect for prototyping your own sequencers