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Synth Choice

hey guys,

Hope all you are well with everything!

I am pondering or well tossing up the idea of investing in a hardware synth - as at present I am running all VST's and would like to have something i can touch besides my midi controller. If anyone thinks just stick with my VST's I would appreciate your thoughts as well as to why. At the moment im running Sylenth and Gladitor along with all onboard Logic stuff.

I have a reasonable understanding over parameter control as well though I am no expert - but would like to think i have an ear for sound.

I have been looking a Roland JP's and there seems to be better reviews for the 8080 than the 8000 the latter lacking in thickness but being good for pads and the like. I hav considered a Korg MS2000R or something along the lines of that and, one of the Virus range. I have even considered getting an SH1 as I had one before never used it. I really love the late 70's early 80's analogue sound and would love to incorporate that into my style of music - Hard Dance / Trance etc.

Any pointers appreciated or if i didnt explain myself please just ask me to be more specific!

Cheers in advance ...

Re: Synth Choice

quote:

Originally posted by Energy_3 ...I am no expert...

That has nothing to do with the choice between hardware and software. It's just a difference in workflow.

My best advice is to go with one of the more popular models (i.e., a good track record) and something that has a knobby interface (menu-diving on a h/w synth sucks the fun out of it). Kinda hard to go wrong with an older Virus, Nord Lead, Waldorf Q, or the others that you mentioned. Secondhand prices are fairly stable on all of them, so you should be able to sell it for about the same price you paid for it, if you end up not liking it, want to try a different model, etc.

Re: Re: Synth Choice

quote:

Originally posted by cryophonik That has nothing to do with the choice between hardware and software. It's just a difference in workflow. My best advice is to go with one of the more popular models (i.e., a good track record) and something that has a knobby interface (menu-diving on a h/w synth sucks the fun out of it). Kinda hard to go wrong with an older Virus, Nord Lead, Waldorf Q, or the others that you mentioned. Secondhand prices are fairly stable on all of them, so you should be able to sell it for about the same price you paid for it, if you end up not liking it, want to try a different model, etc.

I concur with this.

I'll add that hardware synths do sound different. I won't get into the debate about whether they sound better or not, but in my own experience and opinion they do. Of course there are a myriad disadvantages too.

Good choices would be :-

Roland JPxxxx
Nord Lead 2
Korg MS2000
Novation KS rack
Virus B/C

All of those are obviously VA synths and broadly comparable with something like Sylenth or ES2.

Analogue stuff tends to be more expensive, and in this budget range will most likely be monophonic.

I think if you're going to take the plunge and buy hardware you might as well buy something with a proper UI, so the little Mopho/Tetra desktop units are a no go imo. Something like the Mopho keyboard, Minibrute (very tasty), Slim Phatty or even Dark Energy would all promote tweaking. If you could extend the budget a bit you might be able to pick up a used Prophet 08 to give you some extra Polyphony. Oh, and maybe try and track down a Mono Evolver, those are awesome.

I even took it one step further, this is my new sequencer

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ciZpDnnnF2Q

You got it bad

Yeah, the urge to get out of the box has never been this big.
It's an irrational craving (as most things you can do with the Cirklon can be done in Cubase and then some) but it's about workflow, getting creative due to limitation

It does look good, but too much money for me. Pretty much �1500 with VAT and delivery. If it were half that money I'd grab one for sure.

Yeah, but then again I'm becoming an old fart fundamentalist with a hobby

Start to like to noodle around and really start to dislike the stuff that people are doing ITB nowadays. Totally irrational, I know, but I'm near millitant now, on how I want to produce my music going forward

- outboard only, no VSTi's
- midi sequenced only
- 1 run mixdown
- no audio or samples
- leverage onboard sequencers where available (i.e. Tempest, or TT303)

This will provide very minimalistic outcome, of which a lot pattern/sequence based.
No fx (unless generated as a patch via one of my synths), no uplifters, explosions, verby crash cymbals, complextro chops etc etc, none of that fashionable crap

No FX?!

Heretic, burn him!

Nice thread hijack

quote:

Originally posted by tehlord No FX?! Heretic, burn him!

Ok, ok the odd Valhalla plugs may be used

quote:

Originally posted by Raphie Ok, ok the odd Valhalla plugs may be used

God no.

I was thinking more like a Fireworx or Eclipse

I'm not that far gone yet, that all DSP needs to run on SHARC (might come though)

Love Strymon

quote:

Originally posted by Raphie Yeah, the urge to get out of the box has never been this big. It's an irrational craving (as most things you can do with the Cirklon can be done in Cubase and then some) but it's about workflow, getting creative due to limitation

No Raphie, its just about GAS

Re: Synth Choice

quote:

Originally posted by Energy_3 hey guys, Hope all you are well with everything! I am pondering or well tossing up the idea of investing in a hardware synth - as at present I am running all VST's and would like to have something i can touch besides my midi controller. If anyone thinks just stick with my VST's I would appreciate your thoughts as well as to why. At the moment im running Sylenth and Gladitor along with all onboard Logic stuff. I have a reasonable understanding over parameter control as well though I am no expert - but would like to think i have an ear for sound. I have been looking a Roland JP's and there seems to be better reviews for the 8080 than the 8000 the latter lacking in thickness but being good for pads and the like. I hav considered a Korg MS2000R or something along the lines of that and, one of the Virus range. I have even considered getting an SH1 as I had one before never used it. I really love the late 70's early 80's analogue sound and would love to incorporate that into my style of music - Hard Dance / Trance etc. Any pointers appreciated or if i didnt explain myself please just ask me to be more specific! Cheers in advance ...

Nord Lead is a great first synth to get, great interface and sound, reasonably priced

quote:

Originally posted by Raphie Yeah, but then again I'm becoming an old fart fundamentalist with a hobby Start to like to noodle around and really start to dislike the stuff that people are doing ITB nowadays. Totally irrational, I know, but I'm near millitant now, on how I want to produce my music going forward - outboard only, no VSTi's - midi sequenced only - 1 run mixdown - no audio or samples - leverage onboard sequencers where available (i.e. Tempest, or TT303) This will provide very minimalistic outcome, of which a lot pattern/sequence based. No fx (unless generated as a patch via one of my synths), no uplifters, explosions, verby crash cymbals, complextro chops etc etc, none of that fashionable crap

I originally was all outboard and tried various sequencers. My mate bought lovely Fostex hard disk rack recorders - nothing ever looked that nice imo.

I once showed 2 tracks on here from that time and even L4C said something like 'how did you go from there to where you are now', I think he mean't in terms of the sound because he assumed we'd used some hi-end desk with a limiter per channel, but in fact it was a 16 channel TASCAM / TEAC desk made of glorious grey plastic.

We whacked everything through either a bottom end DBX or Beringher compressor.

I think it was somehow a more pleasant sound but I'm not sure if that is just my mind playing tricks.

The synth I would love to try and never have, is the Jupier 8, but also the Jupiter 6 and 4 looked other worldly to me and I really dream of trying one.

Also I have fond memories of noodling with massive KORG Tritons (I think) and being in awe, but never see these mentioned so I'm sorta thinking perhaps they weren't that special afterall.

OP - if it were me I'd go for maybe the Poly Evolver as an all round solution - not sure if in budget though?

quote:

Originally posted by Richard Butler OP - if it were me I'd go for maybe the Poly Evolver as an all round solution - not sure if in budget though?

I don't know that I'd call the PE a good all-arounder. It's one of my favorite synths ever, but it's more of a niche synth in many ways and the 4-voice polyphony can be pretty limiting.

I agree with evo8 and tehlord's suggestions, esp. the Nord - it's hard to go wrong with that synth.

quote:

Originally posted by Richard Butler I originally was all outboard and tried various sequencers. My mate bought lovely Fostex hard disk rack recorders - nothing ever looked that nice imo. I once showed 2 tracks on here from that time and even L4C said something like 'how did you go from there to where you are now', I think he mean't in terms of the sound because he assumed we'd used some hi-end desk with a limiter per channel, but in fact it was a 16 channel TASCAM / TEAC desk made of glorious grey plastic. We whacked everything through either a bottom end DBX or Beringher compressor. I think it was somehow a more pleasant sound but I'm not sure if that is just my mind playing tricks. The synth I would love to try and never have, is the Jupier 8, but also the Jupiter 6 and 4 looked other worldly to me and I really dream of trying one. Also I have fond memories of noodling with massive KORG Tritons (I think) and being in awe, but never see these mentioned so I'm sorta thinking perhaps they weren't that special afterall. OP - if it were me I'd go for maybe the Poly Evolver as an all round solution - not sure if in budget though?

I meant that you went from ok to kinda shitty in 10- 20 years. Software just allows people to fuck things up more

cheers for the response much appreciated.

I have had a few virus' in the past KB and TI etc both full boards and I had a KS5 as well.

I do have a preference for a true analouge sound i guess or something that will as close as mimic it where possible. I have spent a lot of time using the parameters and controls on my previous hardware so looking to get involved again.

But after a solid synth for leads and bass as well.



P.S i missed you guys its a been too long

I dont mind saving and buying a decent analogue as well - im in music for life so if its the right gear it will stay with me.

quote:

Originally posted by Energy_3 I dont mind saving and buying a decent analogue as well -

Keep an eye out for steals on Prophet '08s after the Prophet 12 gets released in coming months. Or, just save $3K and get in line for the P12 (analog/wavetable hybrid).

quote:

Originally posted by cryophonik Keep an eye out for steals on Prophet '08s after the Prophet 12 gets released in coming months. Or, just save $3K and get in line for the P12 (analog/wavetable hybrid).

They just have it pinned down now, what a beast.

I wonder when Japan will wake up to this market? Perhaps it doesn't want to.

quote:

Originally posted by Richard Butler They just have it pinned down now, what a beast. I wonder when Japan will wake up to this market? Perhaps it doesn't want to.

Yeah always been keen on a Prophet they defintely look the part and from what i here punch out some mean sounds, second hand one would be the go then!

Cryo from memory you have one of Prophet yes?

Yo, just check out NI Komplete. It's all you need.

quote:

Originally posted by Energy_3 Cryo from memory you have one of Prophet yes?

Had one...well, had two, actually. Great synth - the only reason I got rid of it was because I downsized and only kept my Virus and PC3X, which each have very specific roles in my workflow. If prices on the P08 drop enough after the P12 comes out, I might consider another one.

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