Synth Studio Practicalities + 5 Essentials under 50 bucks

[@MrEMann]

Two comments: 1) I'm a master electrician so I will weigh in on the "all on one switch" issue. There won't be a problem for the equipment but you could trip the circuit breaker feeding the outlet. Synths are basically like a computer and use the most power when you first start them up. I would recommend using power conditioner strips with surge protection (some even have amperage readings on board) and trying to use several different circuits to feed the gear. 2) thanks for the tips. I'm currently trying to fit my studio into what should be the 'dinning area' of my apartment 😅 like the idea of tiers. Can you please provide links to some that you like? Great content!

[@MidlifeSynthesist]

Dude thank you so much! This was just the info I was looking for👍🏼 thanks for sharing. As to the tiered racks, Thomann has a few that look quite nice, Jaspers is the brand: m.thomann.de/gb/search.html?q=jaspers. Thanks for stopping by my friend, hope to hear from you soon👍🏼

[@NateHorn]

Nice, master approved! Also good to keep an eye on the maximum amperage of your sockets if you don't want them to start smoking haha - here in the UK they're (normally) 13amps - if your setup is anything like mine you have to make use of large power strips and watch your numbers closely!

[@FuZZbaLLbee]

Yeah none of my synths turn on bu just plugging it it. They all have their own power button. Some pedals don’t have a power button though.

[@TheForeboding]

I'm far from a master electrician, but with experience and knowledge I can second that this is a great way to shorten the time between deciding to play and actually play. But... Some synths only revert to last settings when properly turned off instead of cutting power like that. The Prophet 6 is one of them. And yet, I still love this way of setting things up. It's all routed through a surge protector which doubles as a lightning protector in case a "few" more amps will attempt to rush the circuit. Also, if you're sporting a hybrid setup like I am, I would suggest setting up a template in your DAW. Load it up, hit the big red button and start making music while ready to record any and all tracks like you're using VSTs.

[@theholographicempire2550]

​@@MidlifeSynthesist To add to this - I'd say if you can run a hair dryer from the outlet (with your equipment disconnected, of course) that's going to pull WAAAYYY more than any equipment you're likely to plug in. If you can run the hair dryer for a few minutes and a breaker doesn't trip, then I'd say you're good to go. Quality power conditioners are great because they have large capacitors. This means the power ramps up gently and turns off gently, and if there are any fluctuations in power (since you're living in an apartment, there very well could be!) you'll be covered, as the capacitors will make sure to even out these fluctuations before they make it to your equipment. A good power conditioner will also let you leave the power switch on at your speaker monitors without hearing a nasty pop that you can get if just using a power strip (try it some time, you'll hear the nasty pop... it's awful). That's clear evidence of the signal ramping up and down. Finally, a good power conditioner means in the event of a sudden loss of power, your equipment will be fine. Rather than the voltage/amperage dropping like a rock, it floats down on a feather, courtesy of the caps. My grammarly subscription lapsed, so this may be wordy, and hard to read. :D

[@BeastlyAnteater]

I highly recommend getting a proper power conditioner for your studio rather than plugging all the synths into one power strip. Everything in my studio is plugged into a Monster Power Pro 5100 Conditioner, which can be programmed to turn on all of its ports on a delay. Meaning when I power up the conditioner, my gear turns on in stages; first my instruments, then my interface and computer, then my monitors. So just one button to turn on everything in my studio. It also helps to provide a stable source of 120 volts to all my gear, I’ve noticed analog and vintage gear definitely sounds better when getting clean power (we’ve done A/B tests). I used to work in a professional recording studio, and many of the studios I’ve been to all use these Monster Power conditioners and stabilizers. It’s interesting because they were originally designed for home theater use, but studio engineers noticed the difference these things make in keeping all the gear “happy.” I’m also pretty sure other brands like Furman make comparable devices, since the Monster Power ones are unfortunately discontinued

[@Bendy2K]

+1. I have three Furman's, and whilst they weren't the most fun purchase, they definitely helped me with the noise floor!

[@sub-jec-tiv]

Yeah i have a Furman rackmount studio power conditioner, had it for 20 years, never had anything blow up. And no ground hum. Plus it has built-in lights that make your rack gear look cool.

[@Bendy2K]

@@sub-jec-tiv I cheaped out and got the one without lights. Serious regret!

[@FetzAV]

Tip: if you don't have velcro, use twist ties for cable management. Just don't make them too tight. Cheap alternative you probably already have lying around. Thanks for the video! Always nice to get other perspectives on studio setups. Cheers!

[@martintews5453]

Great advice I learned elsewhere (guess it was Neon Vines' studio tour): if you have a lot of gear, try to create different more or less independent "creativity islands".

[@hovercat26]

heinbach is also a big advocate of this

[@symbiat0]

Yeah, I was gonna say Hainbach made a video about that in his studio

[@MorbidManoeuvres]

oh and to touch on the power surge, i use a energy conditioner (any surge the box stops it before it hits any synth) and best of all its made to take heavy energy to keep your synths well.

[@jennoscura2381]

Having everything ready to go is a must. I have a 24 channel console. I have 16 of those channels plugged into a patch bay. Patch bays are great if you have more audio outposts than inputs on your console. For MIDI I am currently using two 6 output MIDI through boxes. Each is connected to one of the MIDI outs on my KeyStep Pro. My DX7 goes to the MIDI in on my KeyStep Pro to use as a master keyboard. The KeyStep Pro is the heart of my setup. I can send sequences to any synth or drum sound source. For just having fun noodling I get a drum pattern and sequenced or arpeggiated bass line going and live play on top of it. Much more fun than a metronome or click track.

[@dalelaushman8749]

Excellent video! I have had the 1 switch to rule them all approach for the past 20 years and have had no issues. Currently I have about 25 pieces of equipment on my 1 switch on a 20a 4' strip and 3 or 4 additional 1' strips plugged into it with some daisy chaining. The 20a 4' strip plugs into a 20a isolated ground circuit and I also run a Mac on this circuit as well and a few lights. The 1 switch and 20a circuit operates all the synths, FX units, mixer, rack sub amp, powered monitors, cassette deck, drum machines, computer and lights. I have found that in addition to making turning the rig on/off a snap there is a side effect of eliminating ground noise issues. When turning the rig on or off I am very *precise* and *deliberate* about operating the switch *crisply*.

[@MorbidManoeuvres]

the colored cables just blew my brains, thank you

[@WrvrUgoThrUR]

I searched and searched for the right shelves, then I saw on Pinterest how one synth-head was using shoe racks to mount his synths. Not just any old Target shoe racks, but heavy duty Scandinavian (read IKEA) floor to ceiling metal shoe racks(they must have pretty substation hoofs in The Netherlands)😂 but seriously, IKEA Elvarli shelves mount floor to ceiling and are durable and metal and can hold 3 to 4 fairly heavy, 32” or less wide synths. They give you 8 selves with the deal, but synth playing range physically limits you to 2-3 considering the pre-notched adjustable slanted mountings. I have my 22 channel mixer near foot level-easily reachable while sitting.

[@immersivenarrative]

Man I don’t even own synths but your delivery and video production makes the videos so interesting!! You got a formula that works really well, keep doing THAT!

[@KostasC]

Last winter we had a very bad power overload that ended up setting our AC units on fire causing thousands of dollars of damage... Thankfully my synths were not turned on but that's when I decided I would invest in a Furman power conditioner. Best thing I have bought for my studio! not only my synths are safe but, the moment I put my headphones on there was no noise at all! I didn't know I had this issue until then.

[@MorbidManoeuvres]

great video/info sharing thank you. i'd like to add for laser fast track making (DAWLESS) i have main midi out from Mpc Live controlled via midi keyboard(sending midi to all my synths via midi thru box) and i have them all to a mixer of which i just send back into the In on the mpc.. like this i just midi all i come up with and record riffs / loops what ever into the mpc. and later structure it all via Ableton

[@davingerber]

Great video! For me a well labeled patch bay has made my life easier in the synth department. It might be a little OCD, but labeling your cables, mixer, and patch bays really help when it comes time to add or rearrange things.

[@MidlifeSynthesist]

I love that idea! Can you recommend a good patch bay to me to try out? Thanks for watching bro!

[@davingerber]

@@MidlifeSynthesist Yeah, I have two I can recommend. The Samson S Patch Plus, and the Behringer Ultrapatch Pro. I currently use the Samson as my used Behringer started having jacks become intermittent. Since I got that one used who knows what the previous owner did to it. Something I will say about the Samson patchbay is that there is hardly any room on front panel for labeling. I ended up with a strip of gaff tape over the switches in order to put my labeling.

[@fauxtapes]

Just added two patchbays to my setup. Both Samson S Plus. Also a 32 channels custom made snake with audio and also MIDI. Expect to drastically improve my setup flexibility. The mixer channels, interface ins and outs, instruments, effects, all goes to the patchbays and can be routed anyway I want.

[@2112jonr]

@@davingerber I have a Samson compressor, god gear for the money.

[@zuur303]

When I redid my studio in 2020 (great timing) I labeled cables but also every power supply, since they aren't always company branded.

[@MarkGardner66Bonnie]

Excellent thoughts of yours... thank you for sharing... Did not even know that midi splitters were a thing...because I really need several.

[@IanWaugh]

I have my main synths on one plug board but only switch on the ones I want to use. However, I have a smart plug board 🧠 so can switch it on by saying:"Alexa switch on synthesizers". Other studio bits are connected to the strip so I can switch them on or off as required. This not only saves me crawling around on the floor to switch stuff on - it's also pretty cool 😎 😀

[@fizmo100]

A simple thing that made a big difference in my studio was labelling all the power plugs - I just write on each one with a paint marker what it is powering. That way not only can I unplug a piece of equipment without worrying I am going to unplug the wrong thing, it also means all those different PSUs which are particular to a specific bit of gear don't get mixed up. I'm in the UK and our 3-prong plugs are a bit bigger and have more space to write on that the US 2-prongs, but you could possibly put a label/tag on the cable next to the plug if there isn't enough space to write on the plug itself.

[@framzoid]

After years of having a couple pro studios near Chicago where space was NEVER a problem, I sacrificed all the spaciousness for a warmer climate outside Nashville. So for the past three years I have been repeatedly brainstorming to get the best ergonomically situated creative area I could muster in a quarter of the space. I wish this video had been around then as you've covered almost everything I've dealt with. Kudos and you have a new subscriber...

[@trademarx5054]

I definitely recommend the quick method. I flip 4 switches and and the studio is ready to go. Guitars, synths drum machine and mixers. It makes that when my mind is ready my instruments are ready!

[@samborn7120]

A great topic! Thank you for making this vid. It’s a very important topic when dealing with a growing studio. Aesthetics aside, placement of gear has become one of my bigger goals. Also prioritizing what you use and how much you use it, which affects where you keep it. Ergonomics in studio workspaces have become better focused and for that I am appreciative. On a side note, I keep multiple power conditioners in various racks around my room and try to keep them plugged into different outlets to spread the voltage and prevent overloading a single portion of wiring in the room itself.

[@Dchapah]

I need to have my significant other watch this video!! 👍👍😁

[@TheDavenport777]

i just leave my mixers on at all times my power buttons are easily accessed and i just turn on the gear i wanna use at the time. By the way of all the gear tubers, your channel is the most enjoyable. Videos are clear to the point and thought engaging. Keep it my dude this was an awesome life choice for the rest of us.Thank you. Dave Scott

[@MidlifeSynthesist]

Thank you so much Dave! I truly appreciate it as sometimes I wonder if I’m just being ridiculous 🤣 lots of love!

[@NateHorn]

I agree being able to get right to music making is so important for a setup - nothing worse than getting a burst of creativity but having to spend an hour sorting out your MIDI setup

[@coolhandluke9987]

Exactly this bugs the shit out of me lol

[@synthseeker]

I use splitter cables and high quality DC power supply to power multiple synths/effects that use the same voltage/polarity. You just have to be sure your power supply has enough amperage to supply the total for all the units. For example I have a single DC power supply and splitter cables powering all of the Moog Semi modulars I own. It's a single cable till it reaches the synths, then splits into multiple barrel plugs at the last 12 inches or so. It really cuts down on the power-cable rats-nest and is much cleaner. I am NOT a master electrician, but I've been doing this for years and nothing's burned up yet.

[@JamesRamboPearce]

I just got a Polybrute ❤️ any content on that would be ace, so far it's beautiful!

[@MidlifeSynthesist]

I’m on it! Congratulations! It is my favorite analog poly so far! Enjoy🤟🏻

[@JamesRamboPearce]

@@MidlifeSynthesist I'm so glad I bit the bullet on it! By far the biggest upgrade to my synth baby collection so far!

[@MilesKvndra]

Another great video and interesting topic mate! In my flat I just have about 1 square meter for my synths so I try to keep my dawless setup very limited and use a maximum of three machines. Of course the space is limiting but I find myself really learning the gear I have and at the same time reduce my GAS (at least a bit). Cheers buddy! 🙂

[@sub-jec-tiv]

Two more. 1. Bought some little velcro labels you write on, i put em on the end of my power cables and USB cables. Makes a huge difference when re-wiring. 2. Buy a studio-grade power conditioner! They are like a rackmount power strip, but they isolate your gear from surges or ground hum. I invested in one 20 years ago and still use it. I still have a powerstrip or two coming off of it, but you are way less like;y to run into power problems if it’s not just a strip plugged into the wall.

[@SandersStuff4u]

Patch bays really help as well

[@Bananskuden]

Cablebug on wall wart power cables. If they are too loose tie a knot on the cable that goes into the cablebug. Use a label printer for labels. Can also be used on other cable types.

[@MilesAwayOfficial]

Great tips bro!

[@JeveMCD]

Just got a nice Furman Power Conditioner to power all my stuff.

[@astralbraintentacles1212]

I was trained in studios that have a one switch to turn everything on, EXCEPT the monitors to avoid DC offset thump. One switch to first turn everything on, then one switch for the monitors.

[@musahenderson]

You can get power strips that have a “soft on” takes a couple seconds to give full power so there’s no big surge.

[@_c_y_p_3]

My bluetooth midi (widi) dongle is my fav studio arrangement tool.

[@MidlifeSynthesist]

Cool! I’ve been meaning to try those out!

[@Sonikbytes]

I am from the 80's era so I like A-stands, poly synths, and no more than one mono. Behringer X air 12 mixer is great for small setup with basic recording capabilities for jamming and small footprint, midi patch bay will eventually come handy too as system grows. Synths (modern ones) draw very little current so no worry for the 'surges" which really is power sagging. Power Amps and Computers can do it which can have an initial high starting current demand. A power conditioner is good idea for larger studio.

[@HzofArt]

I would say rack with a rack mountable power conditioner helped keep things off the floor👍🏾

[@gabrielmartinelli2348]

I have all my pedals set up to a singe power strip, great little time saver and its satisfying to watch them all click on together

[@2112jonr]

Great to see your channel is taking off, well deserved! Keep up the good work ☺️ My tip is to turn off your monitor speakers first so that the synths being turned off don't cause them to pop.

[@TheBiggerNoise]

I put in some Standtastic wall mount stands last year and recommend them highly. It gets a little closer to the wall and helps minimize the stuff that's actually on the floor. Something that's still a bit of a work in progress is putting french cleats on the wall and putting them on the back of some gear. This lets me move things around, and keep accessory things out of the way. I also added a cleat with a clipboard clip for notes and some that have steel bars that can hold things with magnets glued to their backs.

[@2morningz]

French cleats - uh huh right! I use them at work mounting mirrors and cabinets. Thanks for connecting that to my workspace!

[@TheBiggerNoise]

@@2morningz yeah. I use thinner wood than the shop since this stuff isn't as heavy, but I just use poplar from Lowes.

[@m.s.4508]

Another great video! Can you make a video for absolute newbies (like me), on how to connect everything to your DAW, how you work with your recording mixer and show a little more of your workflow?

[@HzofArt]

I’m tuned in man 👍🏾

[@mrdavebach]

I bought a Liquid Stands z style stand with locking caster wheels for my 88 key electric piano. For about the same price as the stand itself I was considering adding the second tier attachment for a 61 key synth. However, I decided to instead buy a second identical Liquid Stands z style stand and with the synth stand in the highest vertical position and the piano in the lowest I just slide the piano stand right in front of the synth stand. The setup really functions and looks good and allows for more configurations overall.

[@SURCOlive]

Thanks again for the great video. I liked to organize my synths in work areas. My DAWless boxes (Electrons etc) are together as a group with a selectable set of monitors flanking them. I have my mono synths together to try out different bass lines and leads on multiple units as I'm jamming, and Poly Synths grouped as well. Another big one for me this year was an adjustable sit/stand desk in the middle of my setup. I got some Gator monitor stands that clamp to the desk for my main monitors, so they remain at ear level while sitting or standing since they raise with the desk. Thanks as always for your great content. See you in the next one. CHEERS!

[@kingalysterianlion5542]

Hey bro! Great video! I would suggest getting an APC Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS). Then you can connect your surge protectors to this. IT WILL PROTECT YOUR GEAR! We had a bad power outage. And my gear could’ve been destroyed but the APC protected it. IT professionals use them in data centers so they’re great for studios. And they have a batter as well for backup. Hope this helps.

[@WillsJazzLoft]

I currently have just a Casio WK 200. So of course, I use it for everything ( performance and practice ). I'm tentatively planning on getting a Yamaha DGX 230. It's priced right and has really bang up acoustic pianos and synths. My Casio ( which also was at a reasonable price ) has some really great EPs. There's one sample that sounds like the Carpenters or Donny Hathaway ( playing a Wurlitzer ) while another one sounds like Patrice Rushen or Herbie Hancock ( playing a Fender_Rhodes ). I expect patching and power requirements to be rudimentary. Of course this will depend on how much peripheral audio reinforcement might be involved. That hasn't been thought out. Your video has been helpful. Thank you

[@carstensorensen154]

Great video as usual from one of my favorite Tubers…..

[@MidlifeSynthesist]

☺️ thank you my friend! I truly appreciate it!✌🏻

[@janzabram]

2 pieces of gear that changed my life: 1) patchbay - having all your 1/4” ins and outs easily accessible is a game changer. This is particularly important if you have ANY outboard fx or signal processors. 2) MOTU MIDI Express (I have the XT, but any will work). Splitters are fine is you only need one or two MIDI channels. As soon as you rig up a tempo sync’d delay, a poly or two, as well as mono, you’ll find daisy chaining you MIDI is a bad idea. With the Motu, each of my synths have their own dedicated MIDI port, and I can easily make any one of them the master for any other at any point. The idea behind both is to spend less time digging around for connections and having everything wired up from the get go in a manner flexible enough to still improvise with

[@djjuno106]

Here’s a cheap tip too give you extra room in your studio. Use height adjustable speaker stands to hold any desktop synths or drum machines you don’t have room for. I have multiples of these and I have synths like Roland mc101/uno pro synth/electron samples/zoom arq96/Novation circuit/Arturo’s micro freak on them. I have them behind my two tier synth stands ,and desk..there the perfect hight and have big top bases so are perfect..also there very cheap the tiger range which I have are under £50

[@synthlab]

Thank you for a(nother) great video. Wearing my physicist and electronics engineering hat i would advice against using one switch to power all your machines up in one move. Tons of parameters included, let's not bore everyone by getting deep into them, let's just say that you can do that using only specialized (expensive?) equipment and not just typical average power strips and switches. Besides, is it THAT slow and boring to turn on 5 or 9 machines (well ok, 28 in my studio) individually? And you don't need them all turned on all the time! I love the whole procedure, makes me feel i am starting a spaceship ...

[@MidlifeSynthesist]

Same here!! I love turning each one on! Cheers from my spaceship to yours!

[@gizmodyne]

I set up a few smart plugs that turn on with one voice command to Alexa. I turn off the monitors ahead to avoid a pop.

[@coopwerks]

I run two Black Lion Audio PG-1 power conditioners to power my entire setup, including all synths/pedals, monitors, sub, USB hubs, and interfaces. I was originally struggling with very noisy power, and the power conditioners made everything dead quiet. I also run my DAW computer through the always-on power outlet on the PG-1, so I don't get any power/usb noise at all. This setup allows me to turn everything on/off with two switches. Also, I the PG-1 has delayed switching, so the high powered stuff comes on after all the synths are already on. Additionally, I set up my default Ableton Live project to have all my external audio connections configured and ready to go on startup. So, from a "turn it on and get going" standpoint, I'm literally up and running in seconds.

[@ltnjones1714]

Very helpful video. This Digitakt stand seems very useful. I’m very bad at organizing my space, this video helps. Thanks a lot for sharing your experience !

[@BassBajo]

Excelente video amigo 👌

[@jamespingel8730]

Jasper's also sells add-ons to the stands that can extend them a bit. For instance they sell "monitor holders" (for studio monitor speakers) rated for 7 kilos... with the exact same holder arms as the main tiers. I see no reason that couldn't hold something like a Korg Opsix/Mother32/Sequential desktop synth. And in theory you can fit as many of those as you have tiers on your stand. They also sell monitor arms with VESA mounts on them, so you could VESA mount synths directly to your Jaspers setup (though from what I remember they didn't hold enough weight to mount what I wanted on them). One thing I will be adding for sure when I move or rebuild is lights in between the tiers of my stands. My synths are a bit flatter because of space constraints, so the functions towards the back are really in the dark. I figure some zip-ties and an LED light strip on the tube of the tier above would light the synth below nicely. Perhaps RGB for mood lighting too.

[@DFB-TV]

I give a lot of props to Xiaomi for budget smart home perks. I use programmable outlets and wireless switches to turn everything on without any monitor pops or extra work.

[@matthewtunnicliffe201]

Really enjoyed this. Good advice. I bought a Dreadbox Nyx 2 a few weeks back and I've been struggling to find a proper spot for it. I'm thinking of going down the dual laptop stand route, that way I can also move my Typhon which has been living on what was originally intended to be my drinks table - hahaha. I need to sort out my cable hell too, but I keep putting it off.

[@lomondelectronics3167]

I use mains distribution boards with 8 sockets each and having a neon-lit mains switch for each outlet. All my mains pligs are clearly labelled so that I know what is being switched on. Any not being use can be left off and there is no huge power surge! Also black power puge can be marked using a white aerospace marker or white tape with a black marker...

[@jeffkraj]

Thank you for the video. Your suggestions for MIDI…USB set ups VS DIN . Would be a great video ! I like how you lay things out .

[@jupitermarx]

Great Name!! I belong here 😊

[@MidlifeSynthesist]

Hahaha! Welcome home buddy!🙌🏻

[@blacktminister415]

Thank you. Like your video’s a lot. Love to hear and see more tips about organizing a studio that has outboard gear. Midi connections, for instance, sometimes still puzzle me… Greetings from Amsterdam

[@Ongaku101]

I agree with the master electrician @jack of all trades and will add also get a UPS Battery Backup, especially if your using a desktop PC, also in the event of a power outage if your using your synths or computer you will have power for a while and be able to safely turn off everything

[@coolhandluke9987]

Woah, what a collection😶✊

[@JaseLovesDub]

I have six switches for my setup. Everything but the mixer and amp is powered up sequentially, then the mixer and amp strips get fired up. Biggest boon for me? Surge protected strips with USB power outputs.

[@Recloh]

I have one main power supply coming out of power backup/conditioner going out to several, which are based on how often I use the gear. Some things are always on, others only when I need them. I do global on/off on the main one but fragile/old/rare things get turned off first 😜

[@knockoutcustoms7477]

I’ll bet it smells a whole lot better in your house now🐍🦎

[@MidlifeSynthesist]

LOL 🤣 indeed👍🏼 the cricket breeding bucket was the worst 👃

[@EverywhereisHE]

Invest in a Furman power conditioner. Like the PL-PLUS DMC with SMP, EVS Lift. If you use a power strip, place it after a quality power conditioner. A power strip is worthless by it self, and has NO real protection from surges and over voltages. Like you said “ If you invest thousands in your equipment. Why are you risking it with a worthless piece of crap?” Surges can be caused by many different variables. Motors and compressors in your household cause small voltage drops when they startup. Grid generated surges can come from several possibilities, such as storms, transformer malfunction, and connection issues. If you insert a UPS (uninterrupted power source) prior to your power conditioner, it will help protect your equipment by allowing you to safely shut down your gear during a power interruption.

[@thesesmallboxes]

This is great advice! I’ve enjoyed your content (old and current) and the presentation style since sub’ing recently. Keep up the great work!

[@mauchkimberly]

This is all so true. I have a very minimal set up. And I play some of my instruments away from my main synth set up (like on the couch, etc.). I have found it invaluable to have a portable mixer/multitrack recorder that's small enough to be used anywhere, and power strips/extensions hidden throughout my space so I can plug in, no matter where I want to work in my space. As to the vertical management, I haven't really gone that far, but mainly because my set up doesn't require it currently. But, I have found it incredibly important to have my table area open, except for the pieces I use most and together. In my old place I had everything arranged on my table nicely, and it "worked", but it was tight and I had to rearrange a lot to bring a piece closer to arms reach. Now, in my new place, I keep a chunk of the table empty, and I keep everything on a shelf, but with outlets easily accessible at the table, so I can grab what I need, plug in quickly and get to it. Regarding power strips, totally agree again. But I have found that my issue hasn't ever been with "cheap" power strips (I look for certain features so cheap doesn't really draw my attention) but rather, strips that aren't designed for a synth user. Outlets that are close together mean that I ended up using less than half (because the plug blocked access to adjacent outlets), and i needed more strips. With my current arrangement I went for a strip with widely spaced outlets for machines that live there, and a small outlet strip that can be clamped to the back edge of the table, for instruments that get changed out frequently.

[@plumcharlie]

Great idea on the midi splitter. Thanks! If you're looking for a video idea, I would love to see your zoom l12 in action from synth idea to transfer to DAW. What's that workflow look like for you?

[@stevep6428]

All great ideas. I really need to go vertical. I have consumed an old dinner table and I hate the layout....

[@JeffHopkinsMusic]

Not everyone has a whole dedicated room, in fact i have only a desk and a closet. My closet holds everything from guitars, saxophones, melodicas, ukuleles, etc and my desk has a large eurorack 3U 420hp case, a Matrix Brute, Keystep Pro, Korg X5DR (great little synth for generic poly sounds), and mixer. Ive recently moved to a tiered desk, still small, but allows me to have so much more usable space. And I’ll 2nd little velcros, and patch cable racks for sure.

[@MidlifeSynthesist]

Velcro wraps are some of the greatest unsung heroes of our time👍🏼

[@FuZZbaLLbee]

Even tough I reserved a special corner of the house for synths, I still prefer just using a few synths I put on the dining table.

[@prinzbach]

I sold all my synths and went down the modular road. it seemed like the only way to gather as much synth as I could in a single space... Now I have one rack that contains all the synths and drum machines that I like (909, 303 and 101)! It's an expensive road to take... But it was worth it for me. (also, it took me 3 years to "final" my setup... I worked 2 jobs to afford it... So yeah... Be patient if you go modular)

[@nigelrogers8690]

The spiders Web of cables has caused many a frown in my house 🤣 velcro straps are a must and it stops them getting tangled in a bag 👍🏾 Thanks for sharing 🙏🏾

[@MidlifeSynthesist]

#velcrogang🤟🏻🤣

[@Tape_Echo_Player]

Happy to sub. You deserve it

[@lokologico]

Power wise , use a ups or one of those current cleaners/stabilizers . I prefer ups and not a cheap one; if your power flickers, surges, or is unstable, your gear will remain protected. In a power outage situation, give you enough time to power down, computer included. By the way, to avoid ground loops/hum, I heard the star or starfish method of plugging in your power bars to a single source.

[@wildnotemusic]

Great thoughts! I'm in the process of setting up my first home studio in a very small apartment in Hong Kong, so these are very helpful tips to think about!

[@H3ath]

My advice is to buy a desk worth at least half as much as your best synth hahahah. Good desks are game changers and nice ones often have cable management built in.

[@frankcostell8928]

I use colored electrical tape and a P Touch label maker instead of colored cables. Red and green tape for left or right or the P Touch for what synth and L or R

[@Centar1964]

The "power surge" would be on the unit supplying the power, ie. the power strip/switch. There is no "power surge" through any of the equipment. Although I still wouldn't recommend switching the power via the AC supply as some keyboards will have soft switching (which means it won't work) or possibly may require standby power for memories, etc. Always best to power up/down using the units power switch.

[@QuirqUK]

You can't beat a Dymo label maker when it comes to cables and plugs

[@chrisperpina6326]

I’m a sparky … just like the electrician below.. and from multiple circuits,but you should have a type 1 type 2 and type 3 surge protection… type 1 is an extremely high voltage spike protector cartage system connected to the earth which diverts the high voltages to earth isolating the house from the power all together the cartridge must be replaced , which is normally located in the switchboard of the house .. the type 2 is a surge protector for mid high voltage which is normally in the switchboard it’s like a circuit breaker with a multimeter and shuts off automatically.. type 3 are ups powerbords that have surge protection this helps with more spikes in voltage and in most occasions filters it to the normal operating voltages , it I always completely unplug everything when not in use … hi voltage can jump even circuit breakers when they are off.

[@IhorMedia]

These are great tips! Thank you! One power button method scares hell out of me too! I’d rather carefully switch one and every of my babies on and off manually ❤️

[@MidlifeSynthesist]

Thank YOU so much for hanging out me, have an awesome week my friends! How would you like to help support this channel? Use any of these amazon affiliate links to buy one of the studio essentials (I get a small percentage of your purchase at no extra cost to you, so win win! Thanks!) Versa Monitor stand for Digitakt / Digitone: amzn.to/3DYl6qX Hosa Color Cables: amzn.to/3DPaHxt Velcro Cable ties: amzn.to/3n58iZu MIDI Cable Splitter: amzn.to/3zMFzMK Power Conditioner: amzn.to/3ttLcx8

[@drewmorrismusic]

1000th like! (I'm digging your channel!)

[@truechristianity74]

I work in electronics you can do that as long as it’s on a power surge protector

[@andrij.demianczuk]

A sit/stand desk is essential for me. I feel like my studio can morph at the push of a button. I prefer to stand when I’m jamming and riffing, but prefer to sit when I’m refining tracks in my DAW. It cuts the need for two spaces down to one.

[@remka2000]

Living in an area where eartquakes are fairly common, I always worry about putting expensive machines too high. These days I just pull out the setup I want to use everytime, plug it to a patch bay, then leave the other synths in the cupboard in boxes. Cumbersome? Certainly. But it also forces me to think twice before changing everything, and also to try to explore an existing setup a bit more, instead of being paralyzed by the number of options on hand (ok it's a very me priblem 😂).

[@freshkidblaze]

I have mostly desktop synths so i have them a in drawer. I rarely use two synths at once ( I like to mix my hardware with my softsynths).

[@kylesilver844]

Do you have any advice for creating a set up on wheels, one that can roll into a closet when not in use. I have a very small NYC apartment, so it would be nice to be able to roll out a cart with all my gear, plug it in and get going quickly in whatever room is not in use for a few hours.

[@MePeterNicholls]

I keep my synths on, which in winter saves on hearing costs 😂

[@fiscaldisco5234]

Essential for me: Running all my synths through a mixer and I then have most of my effects hardware hooked up to an FX send channel on that mixer. That allows me to feed however much I want of each mix channel to the FX send. Basically it allows me to share my effects with all my synths and other hardware without having to be plugging and unplugging things.

[@WrvrUgoThrUR]

I do similar setup. I run all the synths and drum machines to a 22 channel mixer and sun out to a Presonus interface when I want to route one of them love to Maschine or Logic Pro.

[@fiscaldisco5234]

@@WrvrUgoThrUR yeah actually talking about Maschine, another thing I do is use groups outs in my mixer (Yamaha X12). So stereo master out goes to my audio interface and monitors, but group out goes into the ins of my Maschine+. So on each channel strip I can select if I want the output to go to the interface, Maschine or both.

[@RubenSainiuc]

The automatic captioner understood "over dumbing" at 4:59, but I am sure you said something else.

[@dialnfornick]

Having synths without a keybed saves a bit of space if you have a decent master keyboard. Depends on the synth etc. Dave Smith instruments usually have the keyless option for eg 😁👍. Like I say depends on the brand

[@ChristopherOrth]

Your quickstart point is the main (among many) reason I went back to hardware synths. The process of firing up a daw, loading synths, making routing/connections etc, would just kill my desire to make music. Weird, but true. Flipping a switch and instantly making noise is zero friction for me. I would encourage any "all in the box" people to have at least one fun, easy to use synth always connected directly to your studio monitor output, just for this purpose.

[@mk1st]

When you show your tiny room I feel I have an embarrassment of riches as I'm finishing up a 400sq ft studio above my garage. Will soon be building in a couple of desks and mounting instruments so this was very timely. I'm thinking of mounting slat board (used in retail store displays) to the wall so it will be easy to mount stuff vertically but also to reconfigure.

[@davidpinto1195]

this is premiering 6am in my country :S, where are you at? thanks for the great content

[@MidlifeSynthesist]

Lol, I set these up the night before for 8pm New York time. I live in Chile though! Where are you from?

[@dxtrs_mnpltr]

Those Hosa colour cables are super nice, I just can’t seem to get hold of them in the EU Does anyone know of any dealer in EU selling them?

[@mechatomb2921]

There’s other instruments beyond Digitone and Digitakt?!?

[@WrvrUgoThrUR]

I’d be curious to know how others are using USB switching. I have hardware synths and run iOS synths from iPads and use simple 4 to 1 and 2 to 1 usb selectors to route my Keylab 61 controller between iPads and a Mac as well as using hardware synths as controllers for iOS apps/synths. I have found the more professional USB routers way too complicated. And that’s saying a lot coming from a guy who configures and uses AJA video routers in his day job.

[@huit-cell]

Hi, just discovered your channel, love your videos man. I have a question since I'm new in the synth world I don't know much, I would like to have a piece of hardware that could help me arrange full tracks without a daw, a bit like the op-1 tape mode can do, what would you advise me ? I'm selling my op-1 because it doesn't suit me and someone wants to trade it with a 2019 deluge, can it suit my needs or is there something that could be better ? thanks !

[@kinnectar820]

The Deluge will be a huge step up for sequencing, arranging, and sample playback but if you are looking for it to replace the sound design capabilities of the OP-1 I wouldn't recommend it. I have a Deluge and the synth engines are capable, but nothing to write home about in my opinion. That said the sequencing capabilities and connectivity are off the charts, it's truly an amazing piece of gear, but works best with samples or running external gear.

[@huit-cell]

@@kinnectar820 Thank you for your response, I'm going to think more seriously about it ! Do you know any more devices where I could just record sounds from my synth and nord grand and arrange it to make a full track (and then having the possibility to export it to my daw for mixing and adding effects) ? I'm a bit lost

[@kinnectar820]

@@huit-cell Sounds like you want a sampler/sequencer. Deluge is a pretty good option. MPC One, MPC Live 2, Maschine + would all be good options. Electron Octatrak MKII is also very popular for this. Polyend Tracker could work for you if you can get into a tracker workflow. 1010 Blackbox is pretty cost effective if you don't mind a touch screen workflow. Lots of options, comes down to your budget and what features are important to you. I recommend you take a look at Midlife Synthesist's MPC videos to see if that seems like the kind of thing you're interested in vs. the Deluge.

[@huit-cell]

@@kinnectar820 Thank you very much ! Going to check all that