I love Sonic Pi and use it in CS classes that I teach. But I’m also amazed at the gear that’s available for making electronic music. I’m specifically blown away lately by stuff from Behringer(Neutron, K2, Model D, etc.).
Has anyone used any of these with SP? Impressions?
Bumping. Lots of views but no replies. Guess no one has used this gear?
Perhaps suggest something you have used with SP?
Hi Bob,
I own a Waldorf Blofeld, which I can control via Sonic Pi (Midi). But I havn’t had much time to get it to know. Just discovered a nice application to control the Blofeld settings via an external Midi controller such as the Beatstep I also own. Still a long way to go until I can operate the Blofeld…
Thanks for the reply, Martin. I looked at that Blofeld some time ago. It seemed kind of pricy for what it provided, but I’m no electronic gear expert. I guess the attraction of the Behringer stuff is price point, but a lot of people say their gear closely resembles the classic gear that they’re modelled after (or copied, really!).
oh, no. Quite the opposite. See e. g. the review on SOS: “… In fact, the ability to mix these forms of synthesis freely and route the results through some seriously good filters (and, indeed, some seriously wacky ones) already puts the Blofeld beyond most hardware synthesizers made today, let alone at this price point…” And yes, Behringer synths do not cost a lot compared to the originals - though the company strategy is somewhat controversion (if you care about that).
Point taken. I’m currently also looking at the Korg Volca FM, which is 1/2 to 1/3 the price of the Blofeld. But not sure if and how it can mesh with SP. Have you looked at this one?
Hi Bob,
yes, I have read a review a while ago. Seems to be an interesting choice. It has got midi in so should be no problem to connect to SP. If you are even more willing to experiment the Korg Volca Modular also seems to be an option.
Actually I chose the Waldorf Blofeld because it has a lot of options to modulate the sound with nearly everything which can serve as a modulator. I am still interested not only in using presets but to create new ones and thereby learn how a synth operates and how to operate a synth. (Probably some day I will switch to a real modular system. But until then I first have to get started with the stuff I have.)
Sounds like we’re in the same headspace atm. I’m also experimenting with sound creation and learning how a synth works. What does the Volca Modular have that would make it a better choice than the FM, I wonder.
Well I am not sure but I suspect if you want to learn about synthesis the Modular offers a few more options and at the same time kind of gently forces you to learn just because of that. But that’s just an assumption. Nevertheless you can start without having to patch first because there seems to be a default routing.
Of course if you are into FM-sounds (Yamaha DX-7) this is probably not possible with the Modular. It subtractive synthesis as far as I understand.
As I read, both come with a step sequencer. That’s good. But on the other hand. That’s actually what you might want to program with SP.
So you should get both 
.
Disclaimer: I have no affiliation with Korg or Blofeld. And: My information about the Korg is solely from reading some web pages, I have no practical experience!
Haven’y tried any Behringer stuff. What I have used are;
virtual instruments eg Qsynth and Helm
an old Korg X5DR module
a MatrixBrute Synth
connection to Logic Pro and Live
connecting to ModeP modules on a pisound card
Various sound apps on my iPad eg MusicStudio, St Just Organ, Korg iMS-20
As long as what you’re using supports MIDI (which is probably every synth on the market) and you have the right cables and setup, it should work fine. Connecting two software synths (Helm and Dexed) took five minutes. Both of these are free, so you could start out by trying them out. If you’re on Windows, I use LoopMIDI to create channels which can be seen instantly in Sonic Pi.
I would definitely look at Helm first if you’re starting out with learning synthesis. Subtractive synthesis is much easier to understand and work with than FM synthesis (which is what Dexed does). While Helm isn’t completely modular, it had three LFO’s you can patch into other parts of the synth to make the sound move. For example, using a LFO to control the detuning of one of your oscillators can make some pretty gnarly sounds.
Guilty!
I’ve only recently made a return to SP, as most of the time I’ve had available for music recently has been geared toward setting up a new home studio; hardware, cable management and Bitwig in Linux.
Had problems building the stable version of SP, but dev is up and running and I’ve only tested virtual MIDI so far, but hey, it was a fantastic moment hearing SP trigger external devices.
Not tested audio inputs yet but I’m really looking forward to trying SP MIDI and audio in with the following hardware;
Korg Volca FM (Thinking about putting the modular on my withlist)
Korg Monologue
Novation Nova
Just a plain old electric guitar and pedalboard 
The only Behringer gear I have at present is a hardware mixer. Not super quiet but awesome valule for money and suits my needs just fine.
James
I’d love to hear your impressions of the Volca stuff. I’m looking hard at the FM atm.
Thanks for replying.