Analog Cases Review

Analog Cases Review

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Analog Cases, a company from Los Angeles, California, was started in 2017 by Greg Pritchard, who like most entrepreneurs, discovered a market need based on a personal experience. Greg was collaborating on an experimental electronic music project with a few friends and every week he was forced to pack up his rig and commute almost 100 miles to their rehearsal space – talk about dedication. To secure his gear for the long journey, Pritchard repacked each bit of his kit, including the Arturia KeyStep, Arturia MicroBrute, Elektron Analog Keys, and his audio interface, into their original boxes, a cumbersome task. Pritchard felt there must be a better solution.

Analog Cases Unison Review FutureMusic

“I went onto Amazon and onto Google, and was very surprised to find that not only did Arturia not offer cases for the KeyStep or MicroBrute, no such cases seemed to exist anywhere,” reveals Pritchard. “I knew how popular the KeyStep and the MicroBrute were, so I inferred that if I was searching for a case, there must be many other musicians in the same predicament. The genesis of Analog Cases was the realization that the new breed of portable electronic instruments had been totally overlooked by the major case manufacturers, and that there was a real need for custom-fitted and user-friendly cases for this style of gear.”

In short order, Pritchard developed his first case, for the Arturia KeyStep, and launched Analog Cases. The lineup now features four distinct lines, Glide, Pulse, Unison and Sustain, each targeting specific gear. The Glide is custom molded for specific instruments and features a semi-rigid, water-resistant exterior with a soft velvet-lined interior. While not crush-proof, the Glide is a great way to protect smaller sound modules, especially when being transported in a back pack or duffle. Our reviewers loved the luxurious interior that “cradles your gear in love” and the exterior zipper. “One of the biggest achilles-heels for cases like these are the zippers,” stated one reviewer, “which can be rough, uneven and often stick. Analog Cases nailed the zipper on the Glide case for the Roland MC-101.”

The Pulse was the first case Pritchard created and some of our reviewers found it wasn’t as polished as the other offerings from Analog Cases. The zipper wasn’t as refined and the bigger teeth often led to it catching every so often when opening and closing. The interior, while soft, didn’t have the same plush feel as the Glide and the interior pouch for corralling your cables, was “floppy” and “too loose to be effective.” Reviewers did praise the textile exterior, which is different from the semi-textured, plastic outside of the Glide.

Analog Cases Pulse Case

The larger Pulse cases come with an nice, soft plastic handle, which retracts when not employed. “The Pulse handles are well-designed with indents for your fingers. [They are] comfortable to carry, especially when transporting heavier items, like the Polyend SEQ,” another reviewer cited.

Analog Cases Review

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Analog Cases Review FutureMusic

Although both the Pulse and the Glide carried the gear in style, and offered protection, there was one missing element that all reviewers mentioned that would be a welcome addition, “a foam top layer to protect, screens, knobs, sliders, buttons, switches,” and other delicate details found on all musical equipment. “I’m at a loss to why Analog Cases wouldn’t include a protective element for the top of your gear, easily the most breakable area…not only would it offer better protection, but it would secure the kit in the case to prevent it from banging around on the inside.” This seems like an obvious addition that most protective cases include, so we reached out to Greg Pritchard to find out why it was omitted.

“We focus on making cases that are ultra-compact, ultra-lightweight, and easy to travel with,” counters Pritchard. Our Pulse and Glide cases are made of molded EVA foam that is shock-resistant, rigid, and holds its shape. This thin and lightweight material offers great protection, without requiring additional padding, and this allows us to keep the size of the cases extremely compact – something that our customers really appreciate.”

Foam Protection

While our reviewers found the Pulse and Glide to provide acceptable protection, the Sustain and Unison cases were standouts. The Unison is Analog’s hard-case lineup and they hit the absolute sweet-spot between quality, excellent protection and price. The Unison utilizes an aluminum frame with solid plastic panels and an elegant silk-screened logo. The interior enlists a soft, yet high-density, foam, custom cut for all the current popular models, including the Roland, TR-8S, ASM HydraSynth Desktop, Ableton Push, Elektron Octatrack, Akai Force, Behringer Poly D, Moog Grandmother and many more.

Analog Cases Unison Review By FutureMusic

Each Unison case features two lockable latches and a “very comfortable carry handle.” But the best part is the case’s weight. Analog Cases claims the cases weigh a third of the weight of a typical flight case, but to our reviewers it felt “impossibly light.” Interestingly enough, each Unison includes a waffled foam insert to protect the top of your gear, something that our reviewers desired when evaluating the Pulse and Glide models. Analog Cases include a savvy cutout in the front of the foam allowing users to easily lift out their kit, as well as store power supplies, cables and other connectivity. “For $125 bucks (Roland TR-8S model), the Unison is a no-brainer if you gig, rehearse or bring your own gear with you to different studios. I don’t know of any other product that has much bang-for-the-buck. $#&%, there are companies selling plastic dust covers for $80!” raved one evaluator.

Last, but certainly not least, is the Sustain lineup, which currently consists of three models. These are more like traditional soft keyboard bags, but with a twist — they each can go from a traditional suitcase carry to backpack by unleashing a pair of shoulder straps. One of the Sustain cases is tailored for the Sequential Prophet Rev2, Prophet 6, OB-6, or Behringer DeepMind 12, which can fit snugly into its velvet interior thanks to beefy padded inserts. Another Sustain is made for the Modal ARGON8 or Roland Jupiter XM. The one we tested though was the Mobile Producer Backpack, which comes in two sizes, Standard or XL.

The Sustain Mobile Producer Backpack may be the perfect solution for gigging electronic musicians who want to be able to fit their entire live rig into one case. Again, four padded dividers with velcro are utilized to customize the interior to fit your kit. If you’re familiar with padded camera cases, it takes that philosophy and applies it to the keyboard case form factor.

Analog Cases Sustain Case Review by FutureMusic

All the zippers work well and the case has plenty of storage for cables and power supplies. The adjustable backpack straps are nicely cushioned and disappear behind a zippered back pad. “If you didn’t know the case had the ability to turn into a backpack, you’d probably never see the hidden straps,” observed one of our evaluators. The case is nicely padded on all sides with reinforced corners. The velvet interior cocoons your valued gear and the top of the case has velcro pads for ensuring everything stays put while on the move. “This is one really nice case,” affirmed one reviewer, “but without the bulk and weight I was expecting for something offering this type of protection.”

Analog Cases Sustain Case Review by FutureMusic

Conclusion

There’s clearly a lot to love about each one of the Analog Cases models, but the Unison and Sustain Mobile Producer Backpack are clearly standouts. What’s apparent in every detail of these products is that they were developed by someone who actually understands the needs of electronic musicians. By combining quality materials, great design and affordability, Analog Cases has positioned themselves to be the brand for anyone who needs to transport electronic instruments safely, securely and in style. Highly Recommended. To learn more about Analog Cases and its founder, Greg Pritchard, please read our interview below.

Rating: 94%

Cheers:

+ Huge Value

+ Materials

+ Construction

+ Lightweight

+ Design

+ Velvet Interior

 

Jeers:

– Pulse / Glide Need Extra Padding

– Pulse Zipper Not As Fluid As Other Cases

94% Rating - FutureMusic

Analog Cases are available now from $39 and up

 

The Future: We’d love to see the Pulse and Glide models add a custom piece of waffle foam in the top portion of the case to protect knobs, sliders and whatnot from unscheduled drop tests.

Speaking of which, we’d also like to see Analog Cases offer padded dividers as an accessory, so you can add more to the Mobile Producer Backpack, if desired.

 

To learn more about Analog Cases, FutureMusic interviewed founder, Greg Pritchard.

FutureMusic: Please tell us about your background.

Greg Pritchard: I came up playing guitar in punk and hardcore bands in the mid 90s in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It was an amazing time to be involved in that scene, and the “DIY” ethos was really inspiring to me. I started publishing my own fanzine and booking shows at age 14, and many of my friends were also starting their own independent labels and releasing 7″ records from local bands. I credit this upbringing in the DIY hardcore scene with setting me on the path that ultimately lead to becoming an entrepreneur.

Greg Pritchard - Analog Cases

Some of my favorite mid-90’s bands, like Unwound and The VSS, were experimenting with synthesizers, and this is how I was first introduced to electronic sound. While still deeply immersed in the punk scene, I also began discovering artists like New Order, Aphex Twin, and DJ Shadow. I was captivated by the expansive sonic possibilities of synthesis and sampling. I soon acquired a Roland Juno-1, a Sequential Circuits TOM drum machine, and a Moogerfooger MF-101 filter (back when the company was still called Big Briar) – those were my first three pieces of electronic gear. Within a few years, I’d traded up to a Rev3 Prophet 5, and had shifted from being primarily a guitarist, to primarily performing on synths and samplers.

I spent several years touring in various bands, and eventually hung up my touring hat around 2008, and shifted into a career working in advertising. After a decade of experience in advertising, helping to build other brands, I eventually felt that the next logical challenge would be to build a great brand of my own, by founding my own company.

FutureMusic: What was the genesis of Analog Cases?

Greg Pritchard: I eventually moved to Los Angeles, and in 2017 I was collaborating on an experimental electronic music project with a few friends who lived in Bakersfield, California, about 100 miles away. For about six months, I’d regularly pack up all my gear and drive up to Bakersfield to record with them. Some of the gear that I was using at the time included the Arturia KeyStep, Arturia MicroBrute, Elektron Analog Keys, and of course, my audio interface – and not having cases for any of them was a real challenge.

One day as I packed the items back into their original cardboard boxes, getting ready for the trip to Bakersfield, it occurred to me how ridiculous it looked to be transporting professional gear in a cardboard box. So I went onto Amazon and onto Google, and was very surprised to find that not only did Arturia not offer cases for the KeyStep or MicroBrute, no such cases seemed to exist anywhere. I knew how popular the KeyStep and the MicroBrute were, so I inferred that if I was searching for a case, there must be many other musicians in the same predicament. The genesis of Analog Cases was the realization that the new breed of portable electronic instruments had been totally overlooked by the major case manufacturers, and that there was a real need for custom-fitted and user-friendly cases for this style of gear. Within a few short months I had quickly developed some prototypes, and our first product, the Pulse Case For The Arturia KeyStep, hit the market in November of 2018. It’s still one of our best selling products. 

FutureMusic: Tell us about the team at Analog Cases and how they came together.

Greg Pritchard: Jelani Yorker is our Operations Manager. I was following Jelani on Instagram because I love his music, and one day, he posted about how he was looking for a new role. I immediately reached out, and the rest is history!

Liam Killen is our Head Of Social Strategy. Liam was one of our very first customers when we launched, and he was a huge fan of the products. We became friends, and before long, he became part of the team, launching our YouTube channel and overseeing our social media presence.

FutureMusic: What makes Analog Cases different?

Greg Pritchard: Electronic music gear has changed tremendously in the past several years, but before Analog Cases, cases for music gear had barely changed since the 1950s. Today’s electronic music artists don’t want to settle for a generic gig bag. We’ve all come to expect that our iPhones and our laptops should have custom-molded cases, at Analog Cases, we believe that musicians deserve the same level of customization and protection for their gear. The Teenage Engineering OP-1 is a $1300 synthesizer that’s portable, and incredibly popular. If you own an OP-1, you absolutely need a high-quality case. Devices like the OP-1 are only becoming more and more common, and mobility and wireless power are some of the biggest trends in music gear. Analog Cases are the first cases that are specifically designed for modern electronic musicians, whose gear and lifestyles are heavily mobile.

FutureMusic: What have been the biggest challenges for you professionally?

Greg Pritchard: Having enough time to work on my own music, while also being the CEO of a fast-growing company! Also, hiring and building a team is absolutely the biggest challenge for any startup CEO. The first few hires that you make are absolutely critical. It’s so important to find people that share the passion and drive to build an amazing company and an amazing brand.

FutureMusic: Who are/were the biggest influence(s) in your life and career? How have they shaped you?

Greg Pritchard: There’s a term called “Minnesota Nice” and as I’ve grown older, I’ve come to appreciate how embracing the “Minnesota Nice” attitude has been really beneficial throughout my career. I try to build really meaningful and friendly relationships with everyone that I work with, and there’s no question that my upbringing in Minnesota influenced that approach. 

The DIY ethos of the punk and hardcore scene was the most important influence that shaped my perspective – making me believe that nearly anything can be possible with enough passion and hard work.

Some of the greatest marketing geniuses I’ve ever encountered were DIY show promoters and label owners. They inspired me to believe that you can achieve real greatness, even on a shoestring budget with very limited resources. Being a touring musician – without any roadies – was also an extremely important influence: since I carried my own gear every night, I became very aware of the importance of having lightweight and durable cases.

Lastly, I would say that travel has been a huge influence for me. During my career in advertising, I had the opportunity to spend time working in the UK, Japan, Germany, South Korea, Australia, Mexico, and Colombia. Working with teams all over the globe vastly improved my communication skills. I learned how to quickly communicate an idea in a universal way, that would resonate among people of various cultures and backgrounds. And I came to understand how fundamentally connected our entire planet and our entire global economy are, and this has caused me to always envision Analog Cases as a global company from day one, creating products for musicians all over the world.

FutureMusic: How do you develop your cases? Do you set a price and work backwards, or do you create a case and price accordingly?

Greg Pritchard: Our focus is to create high quality products that will be affordable to musicians of any budget. For example, with our Unison case lineup, our products are all priced under $200 USD. We believe by keeping the price point within that range, we can make our products available to a much wider audience of musicians, from professionals to amateur enthusiasts. We want everyone to be able to use Analog Cases. That philosophy absolutely guides our pricing and our strategy.

FutureMusic: The Unison case (for the TR-8S) ticked all the boxes for us: a) Good protection, b) lightweight, c) reasonable price, and d) a nice balance between a full-on flight case and one of your soft cases – can you elaborate on this case’s development?

Greg Pritchard: They’re called Unison cases because they’re designed to protect the “one” piece of gear that’s of central importance to your music. For many of our customers, that could be the Akai MPC Live 2, the Ableton Push 2, or the Roland TR-8S – those are some of our best selling Unison cases. When you rely so heavily on a particular machine, you want to make sure it’s well protected, and that’s where Unison cases come in.

Traditional flight cases were incredibly heavy and difficult to travel with – not at all well suited to the lifestyle of today’s ultra-mobile producers. With UNISON cases, we utilized materials that are durable and protective, but also extremely lightweight.

FutureMusic: Where do you see Analog Cases in five years?

Greg Pritchard: We expanded into Europe in 2019, and Japan in 2020, and we plan to continue expanding globally at a rapid rate. We’re on a mission to protect every piece of electronic gear that producers travel with – from audio interfaces, to pedals, synthesizers and drum machines – but we’re not stopping there. We want to protect all the machines that you’re passionate about – which will eventually include camera equipment, and portable gaming devices as well. Lastly, as our reach and our audience grows, we’ll continue to expand our horizons as a media platform, promoting and collaborating with amazing artists all over the globe. We’ve already done this through our YouTube channel, and we look forward to actually releasing music and promoting live events through Analog Cases in the near future as well.

Author: FutureMusic

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