|
Alan's List of Favorite Trance Hardware Synths
So, I've realized recently that I've owned A LOT of synthesizers in my day. Here is the complete list in chronological order: Novation A-Station, Access Virus Rack, JP-8000, Virus|Powercore, Nord Lead 1, Novation Supernova II, Access Virus B, Access Virus XL, Virus|Powercore (again), Access Virus Classic, Nord Lead 3 Rack, Access Virus TI, DSI Prophet '08, Nord Lead 3 Keyboard, Waldorf Blofeld, DSI Poly Evolver, Alesis A6 Andromeda, Poly Evolver Rack, Nord Lead 3 Rack (again), Virus TI2, Waldorf XT (Shadow), Moog Voyager RME, Waldorf Q, Waldorf Pulse, Studio Electronics ATC-1. Currently I own an Alesis Andromeda, NL3 Rack, Waldorf XT (Shadow), Waldorf Q.
It also occurred to me that some might like to know what I thought of each one... so here they all are in order of most to least favorite. Note that when deciding on the order, I considered the instruments sonic character, capabilities, usability, and typical eBay price.
1. Nord Lead 3 (audio demo)--Definitely the cleanest sounding virtual analog yet made. It's quite versatile sonically since its FM synthesis and ability to independently hard-sync each oscillator can make for some really awesome tech-trance sounds while its unison and stack capabilities make for FAT trance leads and basslines. The instrument's sound aside, with its LED knobs, it has the easiest and most intuitive interface I've ever used. Even using it in 4-part multi-timbrel mode is a breeze. If you can't afford a Nord Lead 3 or want something to use more as a classic analog, get a Nord Lead 2x. The original Leads are supposed to have a fatter analog sound and the 2x has lots of voices and 4-part multitimbrality. DO NOT bother with the Wave. It is monotimbrel, lacks the NL3's amazing LED interface, and has no unison/stack capabilities. Although the Wave does have the NL3's FM synthesis.
2. Alesis Andromeda (audio demo)-- Pure analog bliss. Just about everything a great analog synth should be is embodied within the Andromeda. It can sound like a Moog, an Oberheim, even a Jupiter 8. Its filters sound amazing and you get to choose between Oberheim 12db or Moog 24db. There are lots of neat little analog quirks with the Andromeda like different ways to overload the outputs to give it a very vintage character. The envelopes are a bit confusing sometimes but can sound punchy and snappy if used correctly. The multi-timbrel capabilities on the Andy are really nice, something that is certainly missing from the Prophet '08, but unless you want to hook up all 16 voices, only the two main outputs are useful for unison or polyphonic patches.
The interface may look quite daunting but it really isn't all that bad so long as you know the basics of subtractive synthesis to start. I think modulation confuses a lot of people, but once you understand how it's implimented, it's way more convenient than contant menu diving. Basically, there's a mod button for every source and you pick the destination on the LCD.
When you consider the requirement for modern (digital) innovations such as stable tuning, patch memory, and a full MIDI implementation, the only better poly analog is the Studio Electronics Omega (C.O.D.E.) 8. But be ready to afford the $3,000+ price tag. I paid 1/2 that for my pre-Numark Andromeda which has twice the voices. But the OSCs on the Omega are a bit more *natural* sounding. It's difficult to explain but it's as if they're much more their own entity rather than part of a whole which makes it feel more like an instrument. But even after hearing an A/B comparison of the Omega and the Andromeda, I'm keeping what I already have. The Andromeda is unfortunately plagued with reliability issues: voices going bad, not tuning, and the power supply breaking. If a voice goes bad, you can disable it in the software so it's not the end of the world, but If you can get a made-in-the-USA model, be sure to; they're more reliable. But the nice thing is that tons of these have been made so parts or a replacement won't be too hard to find and certainly easier than parts for a Jupiter 8 or Oberheim.
3. Waldorf Q-- The Q is a lot like having 16 Waldorf Pulses in one affordable box with a better interface, extra OSC types, more filters, and a sequencer. The two are VERY similar in sound with most of the difference lying in the Pulse's "character" which can be easily matched on the Q with a nice equalizer. I think of my Q as everything the original Virus wanted to be. Waldorf and Access were once in the same building in Germany, after all. Access was much more succesful but every synth dork (meet some) has quite a spot in their heart for Waldorf. The Q is as versatile as the original Access Virus but excels in a lot of areas the Virus fails. But the OSCs do suffer from a fair amount of phasing -- but when phasing is avoided, the instrument sounds great. The Q is unfortunately a bit rare these days but the MicroQ or even Waldorf's new Largo are great alternatives -- they, of course, are all not equal in sonic character.
4. Waldorf Pulse-- You get A LOT of sonic power for the money with the Pulse. That's the main reason it beats out the Moog. It has a few down-falls. It doesn't sound as "perfect" at times as it could. There's a pretty darn good amount of phasing on the OSCs, for example. And the filter doesn't "scream" as well as others. The interface may look a bit lacking, but it's a lot easier to program than you probably think. Vs the Moog, the Pulse sounds just as good (on most patches), but still very different. The Voyager sounds "smooth and "expensive" whereas the Pulse is "gritty and expensive". Like I said, the Pulse isn't as perfect as the Moog, but in most situations, it sounds just as good.
I'd recommend the Pulse especially to producers who use mostly or only VSTis and also to those who have never owned a real electronic instrument. Using the pulse for strong and "out of the box" sounds while backing it up with VSTis would make for a great starter studio. For $400, it's well worth grabbing. I sure wish I had known enough to buy this instead of the Virus Rack as my first real instrument!
5. Studio Electronics ATC-1-- Out of all the synthesizers I've owned, the ATC-1 perhaps felt the most like an instrument. Hardly any software, just buttons, a couple small red numbers flickering at about 40hz, and a big knob. I think it was the instrument's vintage sound and feel that made it like this. It's sound? Awesome. Snappy envelopes and extremely fat oscilators. It was especially cool how you can enable each osc type independently like on some modulars and the Andromeda. I had the ARP 2600 filter and it sounded VERY nice. I eventually sold the ATC-1 because I didn't like it more than my Andromeda enough to warrant the $500 I got for reselling. Mono synths bug the hell out of me but I'd still recommend it to anyone wanting a very vintage analog to back-up their VSTis.
6. Moog Voyager-- Every synth should do its job this well. This synth's job: sound like a Moog. Moogs have a very unique and vintage character that just didn't cut it for the edgy-ness I like in my music. The OSCs in particular are much smoother and sometimes too fat than I would like. But it is neat how perfectly the OSCs mesh on-top of each other. Not a single bit of phasing or other problems. My favorite parts of the Voyager were the filters and envelopes. The OSCs were my least favorite part. Step in, the Andromeda. It has similar envelopes and filters to the Moog but MUCH more modern sounding oscillators. I would have kept the Voyager if it had 4 or 8 voices. But $2,300 for one voice? I was expecting a lot more at that price.
| quote: | Originally posted by hexadecimal
The funny thing to me is how all the new kids are flocking to the Voyager after "deadmo4" showed off his elite preset using capabilities. That synth is really limited, and I doubt most of the people who are now flocking to them understand that the only reason it's around is because some old school analog purists want "that" sound.
As someone who has been using and has owned most classic analog synths for 14+ years, I can tell you that most people, myself included, wouldn't be able to tell the difference between a good minimoog clone VST/AU, and a real mini anymore.
I'd suggest that anyone looking at buying a voyager as their first analog synth, think long and hard about it, and consider buying something more flexible, like an Andromeda, instead. Other good alternatives as far as analog monosynths are pretty much all of the Studio Electronics synths. You could pick up a 4 voice Omega 8 for the price of a Voyager, and that's an incredible synth (and very expandable - up to 8 voices, and several filter types with drop in cards). |
7. JP-80x0-- SUPERSAW!!!... Truly a classic and a genre defining instrument. It can hardly compete with most modern VAa, but nothing else has this instrument's unique character and charm. The main problem, for me at least, is that when you use this instrument in a tune, everyone knows because its character is so unique and its been heard so many times before (possibly more than any other). Current used prices for this are quite low; you get a lot for the money and because the interface is so easy to use, it's an excellent starter-synth.
8. Access Virus TI (audio demo)-- A versatile work-horse that's more software than synthesizer. If there was ever a bloated synthesizer, it's the Virus TI. There are so many features, most mediocre, that programming this even on the Virus|Control is intimidating. Access is trying to do an all-in-one package with the TI. It has every major type of synthesis and sound effect out there but doesn't do a particularly great job at any of them. Because of its ridiculous amount of features, there is tons of "menu-diving" so, of course, you're going to use the software editor which completely sucks the fun out of owning a physical instrument.
9. DSI Prophet '08 (audio demo)-- It does its job but only barely decent enough. There just isn't anything special going on. Versus the Andromeda, the Prophet sounds either as good or nowhere close. Same story with it versus the Nord Lead 3. Its lack of sonic quality is caused by the, dare I say, "cheap" Curtis ICs which give the instrument a very gritty tone. I've never played an original Prophet, but have heard numerous demos. Versus the original, the new '08 does seem to have a similar sound, but I believe it lacks the original's clean tone. From what I've read, the Prophet '08 didn't even have the "Prophet" name until late in its development whereas, for example, even before the Voyager's first schematic was drawn, it was intended to be a remake of the original Minimoog.
10. Waldorf Blofeld-- Alright, first off, this instrument sounded great and the concept is awesome: a combination of the MicroQ and MicroWave. #1 problem: the Blofeld's interface is useless and buggy. But apparently a VSTi editor is being developed by Waldorf and will be released sometime in 2009 (*rumors rumors*). But even if they do, I still won't be interested because it has only a single analog out. I didn't think that would bother me so much when I bought it ...
11. DSI Poly Evolver (audio demo)-- I originally bought this because it has stereo outputs for each voice and it seemed like, basically, a massive Prophet 5 combined with a Prophet VS. Not at all, unfortunately. My #1 complaint may just be nitpicking, but the cheap Curtis integrated circuits DSI chose have this problem [link] and it annoyed the piss out of me. It made the analog OSCs useless for any sort of plucked or bass sounds. The digital side of the synth would be better if you could morph between waveforms like on the original VS. Why not put that in? On a $2,400 instrument, the extra $200 will make it much more loved by fans.
11. Nord Lead 1-- Sounds pretty good.. but it was meant to be a 'modern' Prophet 5. The original Nord Lead is much cheaper than a poly analog and sounds pretty close to one, but I'd recommend skipping a step and going for a DSI Prophet '08 instead. Also, having only two digits for the display made the instrument "feel" cold and lifeless. I may be too accustomed to instant visual feedback.
12. Novation Supernova II-- To me, it sounds like a cheap VSTi (V-Station?). Unison sounds absolutely horrible and the OSCs are weak and have lots of phasing. On top of all this, a used unit is rare and expensive. The original Supernova goes for less than $500 and isn't very different from the II, but I'd rather spend that money on something else.
13. Novation A/K-Station-- Avoid at all costs - Novation's V-Station is nearly IDENTICAL to both of them and is 5x easier to use, cheaper, and just as awful sounding. I've heard the X-Station has some improvements over V/A/K-Station but I'd still recommend anything from Nord over this.
___________________
Youtube || Soundcloud || Synth Patch Banks
Last edited by alanzo on Jan-04-2010 at 05:00
|
