I am familiar with most of that gear on a firsthand basis - here's what I'd do:

I'd use an MPC instead of the Electribe - 2500 is great but bigger to cart around - 1000 is fine and smaller - the pad mute and next sequence UI are great for live playing + the instrument feels more funky and pro than the Electribe to me. I like all the midi IO and the way I can have a broad overview of sample sequences and external midi at the same time.

I wouldn't make the 'foogers optional. They are the best analog LPF available for the price and it is such a beautiful and classic effect that works so well live - there is nothing like creating a filtered breakdown into a build by watching the crowd and doing it at just the right moment. Having the LPF on a send so you can route everything to it is crucial. The right use of a filter on the master can be all thats needed to make simple and repetitive house/techno/acid come alive.

Dunno about that mixer. I usually go for: weight (lack of), and easily exposed jacks when I am taking anything anywhere. I like my A&H 16:2 but its heavy and when racked the jacks are buried underneath. The 6 sends are however very valuable. Currently the fave for live is a Mackie 1202 but it is a bit shy on IO - only 2 sends. The 1202 does stress economy and simplicity, the value of which cannot be overstated - less confusion, less gear, fewer errors. My dream live board would be super light, open sounding, and would have a lot of sends. I rarely use EQ live - it is hard to keep track of (let alone hear clearly).

Bear in mind that these are not pronouncements of what-is-what but simply statements of what I'd do in case it helps - I hope it does.

The Rytm is brilliant. My 909 gets little use since getting one and I've been through lots of machines to try and find the perfect one (MPC 2500, MachineDrum, Arturia Spark, Electribe ER-1 plus some software ones).

It should be at the top of your list without exception imo.

Can't comment too much on your other choices though to be honest.

With your budget and needs I would only suggest a few adjustments...If I may-

RYTM (perfect for you and your tunes IMO)
Twisted Electrons Acid 8 or MAM MB 33 Retro (instead of Avalon)
Virus Snow instead of JU-06 and Volca FM
Eventide H9 (core is enough, max is awesome)
Strymon El Cap (GAS)
Octatrack instead of Electribe (also replaces Avalon sequencing)
MF 101 x1 and
Moog Slim Phatty (synth that can filter external signal and be heavily controlled/manipulated by Octatrack)
MacMillen QuNexus/Keyboard and Kenton USB Midi host
Midi Solutions Quadra-thru (powered by Octatrack, better than going midi thru)
Behringer mixer (model that fits your needs)
Pedaltrain Terra 42 to carry it all around.

RYTM and Octatrack seem like a match made in heaven for you. I know you already owned one, so you know what you are getting. Virus, while not analog does the sounds you are after with the Juno quite well, in addition to being a great FX processor and all the other forms of synthesis you can do on it- it is a very powerful module and has an equally small footprint. And it will run circles around the Volca FM no doubt. I suggested the cheaper acid boxes well...because it's acid, not rocket science, and I think they sound pretty good. Can sequence either from Octatrack. Eventide H9 for reverbs...just sublime really, it is always on. Slim Phatty instead of an additional Fooger because it's a synth and a filter that the Octatrack can surgically control. Run your acid machine through it and P-lock or LFO the cutoff, res, env, etc...QuNexus because you need at least something to play on every once in a while and its form factor fits Elektron's perfectly (almost exactly the same width) so it fits in a compact rig well. Kenton converter over MacMillen because it works with everything instead of just MacMillen units.

For a live setup, there is nothing in the world wrong with buying a Behringer mixer IMO. I own 2 that I have owned for over 10 years and used extensively over that time. They are built like tanks and have the most ins and outs and sends per channel per dollar. The pre's are sterile which for live I view as a good thing personally, although the eq's are also sterile, which I do not like as much. My Soundcraft EPM 8 has lovely pres and EQ's but it is larger than I like to use in a "leave the house" rig. There is a 6 channel model I may end up getting.

Anyway, that would be my take on your idea. Pretty sure it's still in budget and depending on the mixer you choose it would all fit in the case hooked up and ready to play. Good luck building your live setup.

Of course, if the OP is cost sensitive, you have to factor in the
cost of the ipad. Here in Canada they run about $600 for an Ipad
Air.
That could buy you another cheap synth.
And if he already has a computer....
if it ain't broke don't fix it!!!

I thought about that actually. It has it's pros and cons:

Pros:

- Samples sound great through it's analog circuitry
- Less machines to worry about

Cons:

- AR has no MIDI sequencer so I'd have to get a sequencer for the sequencerless synths (and kinda for the Volcas too, which only have 16 step sequencers) anyway or alternatively, re-think the whole thing and only get synths with internal sequencers (I know the JU-06 has one but it's just a very limited. monophonic sketchpad).
- Quite limited polyphony, so if you use a couple of AR tracks for samples, you lose some drums. Not necessarily a problem, but you'd have to make some tough decisions.



That's one option and of course it's 10 times cheaper. Then again, I think the Volca Bass is the weakest link in the series, never really heard anything really nice out of it, either live or on Youtube.

I've had other 303 clones before (Acidlab Bassline 2 and a X0xb0x) and as fun as they were they weren't ideal. I think the Avalon, despite being expensive, is worth it due the sound and the extra features.

There are of course other acid machines out there as well. I really dig the Grendel Grenadier for example.

As you said, I've used to own an Octatrack. It excels at some things, but it's a bit problematic as a fun, easy live jamming kind of device. Mostly, it demands a lot of attention, which in turn means that the other machines get less attention. And it's of course very expensive even 2nd hand, I think too expensive when I don't plan on using a huge amount of non-drum samples (and the AR would handle the drum samples).

The Electribe is not ideal I know, I hope someone brings out something new the next 6 or so months, in the similar price category.

Hadn't really thought of a Virus. I've used them, but only some ancient models, which I didn't care that much about. Gotta check some demos of the more recent models!

Im putting together a flightcase containing an Electribe sampler and a Nord A1 keys. It is a great little live 2-piece setup...
The A1 can be vintage, or random, or digital, or modern
The A1 is MIDI input for the Electribe parts
The A1 is 4 part multitimbral with big 26-note polyphony
The Electribe will sequence the Nord on pads 1-4 [including polyphonic sequencing if I want]
The remaining 12 electribe channels are sample playback for drums, FX, bleeps, bloops (I have collected my faves over the years)
The Electribe will take the Nord audio in and I can apply motion seq FX to it
The Electribe has a built in kaoss pad for mix FX


Connections are really simple. MIDI I/O from A1 to Electribe, and stereo out from the A1 into the Electribe. The stereo outputs of the Electribe go to house PA/Interface. Nothing else required except power.

So, der blinkenlights knobjockeying in realtime ... and all out of a 76-note keyboard flightcase with room to spare for phones, leads, multiplug socket.

The Electribe is actually a great little sequencer, not as powerful as the Elektron stuff but a fraction of the price. what you lose in MIDI P-locks you gain in immediacy. In fact, the trade off power-vs-immediacy is equally true of the A1. You could say that these two items are built for simple instant rewards rather than deeper DAW-level automation [although the electribe is no slouch if you use the motion seq to its fullest potential... 24 lanes of automation per sequence gets you a long way]. One trick is to slow down the tempo, use step jump [a sort of p-lock] and realtime tweak the automation ready for when you speed the tempo back up.

I'm quite excited to get it built! I guess you could make it even cheaper by using an older Nord Lead 2X, or even go with a Nord rack if you're prepared to play the pads of the Electribe as a keyboard. An Electribe and Nord 2X rack would fit in a small mixer case and be entirely self contained.

Analog keys and 6U of modular in a suitcase..done

I'm not sure if I wanna go modular to be honest... Seems to an eternal moneysink and I rarely hear the kind of music I like that's made on a modular. Lotsa bleeps and drones, but I'm not into that.

Maybe it'd be nice as an addition to other stuff, but doing almost everything on a modular seems to be a bit difficult, workflow-wise, especially in a noisy dark club, after a few free artist beers.

I find it easier to construct techno style frameworks on modular than using a computer and DAW, there is something liberating about sequencing all those wonderful oscillators and filtering them out of a modular..

I thought about the Virus, reviewed my plans and thought about maybe replacing the JU-06 and the El Capistan combo with a more cabable tabletop polysynth with effects included.

But, instead of a Virus I thought about the Nord Lead A1r. I've heard some lovely demos, looks very simple to use, has an FX section, is probably capable of more variance than the simple JU-06.

Any thoughts about that?

just saw this yesterday - Mathew Dear/Audion doing a little jam with an octatrack and his modular.

Yes the Nord is far more capable than the JU, and it does look simple to use. Looks kinda expensive to me when compared to a Virus (which does more) but I just scored my Virus Snow for $850 which was a pretty good deal. The few Nord A1R modules that I have seen used (here on craigslist anyway) have been a up for a lot more. Just one thing to consider, not really defending anything...

Note the A1r was just discontinued... if you are buying new, whatever resellers have in stock is it... The A1 is still in production.

Had an a1 and sold it to fund a Prophet 6 last year. This year I wanted a nice sounding VA to pair with the P6... It turned in to a lot of trial and error. Had and returned a JU. It's nice but fiddley... You have to ride the output knob or amp as it distorts easy on certain patches... And working on a micro scale gets old quick... 1/8 outs suck... Etc.

Long story short I ended up back with an a1r. That thing is like a collection of greatest synth hits from the 80s... in HD... in one box, complete with nice digital waves (esp formants) and a great fx section. Cant recommend it enough... one massive sweet spot. It doesnt sound analog to me (well, next to the P6), but it sounds fantastic. A real gem.

Re the virus... My first synth was a Lead 1. Had it for years... Sold it for a Virus B... Had that for years until I upgraded to a Ti. The TI sounds great, but it has so many features ironically you end up menu diving in spite of the knobby ui. It also has a darker character that you can fight against at times. Eventually the TI was sold for an A1.

After nearly 20 years of swapping between Nords and Viruses I can say that while the Nords are a simpler class of instrument, they are also easier / faster to get working sonically with other gear, and they are more fun to use.

Anyway, I'm just an old hobbiest, not a pro, so take w/ a grain of salt...

Update of gear you own now?
A lot of new gear came.

I'm really interesting to hear how your setup looks like.

+1