I really feel the need to buy my first piece of hardware but I can't decide what to choose!

I don't want to spend all my money in, so I will not buy the last Virus or Nord Lead.. maby latter

I look for an expander/rack version of a cheap synth.

Something really editable and not sample based.

I find a JD-990 for 350€ but a wanted to know if it was sample based or with basic oscillators (like I search for) ?

I also think of buying A-Station for 150€ but it saddens me that there is no High pass Band pass filters...

___________________
Entice

Hey. From what I read into the JD990 on SynthSite and Vintage Synth, its a rompler (uses samples) but thats not a bad thing at all and according to the reviews, its a good thing on this synth. Supposedly, it gives a pretty decent analog feel on the oscillators and filters but depending on how much you are really willing to spend, there are better alternatives that are true analog synths for the same price or cheaper. I'd actually recomend between your two other choices, go for the Nord Lead unless you are looking for that hard edged hypersaw. I dont know much about the A-Station and doesnt appear to be a ton of info about it other than its based on the similar BassStation from Novation as well. From what I read, it also sounds like a good deal but it really depends on the type of sound you are looking for. A Nord Lead or Virus would serve as all purpose synths for sure. As for the A-Station and JD990, I havent a clue.

Cheers,
Zac

___________________
DarkSword - Turn On
DarkSword - Hell Bound
DarkSword - Fresh
DarkSword - Styled
DarkSword - Shadowed Sun
DarkSword - Turning Forward
DarkSword - ALLFRUIT
Pacific Mint vs DarkSword - Climax Zone 2005
SoundClick Page

---FL Studio 9 User---

JD 990 is a rackmount JD 800- which is a beast.

Can get some phenomenal sounds from it- but needs programming.
Its a digital synth not an analogue- but it has analogue like parameters you can edit. The screen isnt unlike an akai sampler- you can see the envelopes, filters etc- and its a large screen makes editing very easy
It has an internal effects processor too- and best of all has 4 stereo pairs of outputs ( I hate with a passion multitimbral synths with a single stero or mono output....totally useless).
I used to fool it into giving me 8 mono outputs using some programming trickey which made it even better.
There some great parameters- ring mod was particuarly impressive on it from memory- its cheaper than the keyboard (JD) version- but you lose some of the hands on and real time stuff so depends which suits you. the real bonus on the JD was all the sliders sending out sysex- which of course you dont get with this rack version. I seem to recall it was seysex compatible tho- so you can use a oc editor for it.

Oh- you can also add the roland expansion boards in- the most popular and easily obtainable are the dance and vintage boards which work well.

350 euros is about the going rate for one...although you can pay as little as £200 if you are really lucky and I have seen them for as much as £450 with a few boards thrown in.

A beast indeed- but depends on how you work. If you are looking for instant supersaws or an all in one groovebox instant trance box- then it is not for you.... If you can program then there are some pure evil sounds in it... liam from the prodigy used to swear by this- its sounds are all over the first two albums (all custom programmed of course)
Personally I love it- hugely under-rated synth and generally avoided in favour of the 800 which is a shame. It absolutely pisses on the jv 1080/2080 if that helps you make up your mind....

Last edited by Freak on Aug-26-2005 at 19:55

Thank you for these useful infos

In fact, i'm saving money for something like this :
And I realise I'm not going to spend more than 200€ In a synth.. At least untill I get my motorcycle.

But I just can't wait any longer for a synth !! I need to tweak, I want to have something under my fingers....

I think I will get the A-Station, It has exactly the same caracs as the K-Station and there are knobs and everything... For 150€ I think it worth it. September the 6th, my local shop will be open. they have the A-Station so I will give it a try.

For the nord lead, latter latter...

___________________
Entice

Last edited by everyMan on Aug-26-2005 at 20:11

I also find this about the JD800-990 : http://www.mindfield-e.de/sor-demos...jd800_160kb.mp3

From Sounds of Revolution

Some really nice sounds but the fact it is sample based is scaring me.

___________________
Entice

I'd recommend going for something like a Novation Nova laptop. It is tweakable, small, inexpensive, has a vocoder, flexible filters and mod routing, lots of sounds available on the net and sounds fantastic. It also has true multitimbral effects, not globals. I picked mine up for $265USD on ebay. If you wanted to go really cheap I also like the not so popular Roland SH32, dead easy to program and use. The JD990 sounds great but is certainly not real tweakable unless you went for the JD800.

Last edited by Degradation on Aug-27-2005 at 03:34

The JD990 is actually easier to edit than the JD800. This is because its much clearer seeing the large LCD screen representing filter and amp envelopes etc, (when one is selected, the other is shown in the back ground of the screen in fainter highlight) Also it can take the internal expansion cards, where the JD800 can't. The analog card is a real killer with Prophet, Oberheim, Moog, Roland waveforms. Here are some JD990 ( and JD800) mp3's
http://www.babic.com/SYN/JD990-BladeOfGlass.mp3
http://www.babic.com/SYN/JD990-Patches.mp3
http://www.bluesynths.com/3Soundfiles-e/jd800.html (JD800 mp3's, but a JD990 is a JD800 plus extra features)
Hope these help!!!

I've owned the A station and though it has the great Novation sound, same as the K Station, it is monotimbral and only has one filter type and no way to name patches. The KS rack would be a better choice for a little more but still not as good as the Nova. Here are my pics for inexpensive, small and tweakable hardware synths in order:

Novation Nova
Waldorf Micro Q
Novation KS rack
Nord Lead
Novation A or K Stations
Roland SH32
Yamaha AN200
Red Sound Elevata and Dark Star

More money:

Virus B
JP-8080
Nord Lead 2
Virus A

Last edited by Degradation on Aug-28-2005 at 05:06

nova, Q, Ks, nord lead are too expensive..
i'll give a better look at the SH-32 it seems very interresting for the same price as an A-Station!
It has only 2 oscs but 32 voices poly and 4 parts multitimbral. there is no FM ?.. How does it sound ? how is the unison ?


hum I can't see the oscillators on the AN200!?
the Red sounds products seems to be quite rare, I don't think i will find a good offer..


all the mp3 from the JD800/990 sound very nice

___________________
Entice

Last edited by everyMan on Aug-27-2005 at 10:23

Have you considered an An1x??
Again, hugely overlooked in favour of the nord, JP and other virtual analogues and as a result under-rated.
For the price you can pick them up for you would be daft not to consider. If you shop around you can pick one up for less than an A station. For the price of a jd 990 you could pick up two an1xs if you get lucky.
If you want something old- then maybe a juno 106? (again, roland and cheaper than the jd990)

What exactly are you after in a synth/module? Hands on controls? Midi? patch memorys or presets? What sort of sounds are you after.... plenty of great machines out there- both old and new.

I won't find the An1x for less than twice the price of an A-Station!
300€ for the An1x / 150€ for the A-Station / 170€ for the SH-32
But I know that it is a great synth for much less than others in his category.

I've heard about the beautiful filter of the Juno106! but the price is beautiful too! 450-500€ second hand.. I would get a nova, a nord or a virus for this price! Maybe I can buy one with some knobs broken and use it via midi... until the sound module die ... hum

I own a Keystation 49e


So I need a rack with knobs or editable without sequencer because I'm leaving home in 1 week for my studies and I will not have any computer there, but I still want to be able to tweak it.
It has to be cheap and effective, no matter what kind of sounds old or new I will adapt, but quite heteroclite. I want to be able to do deep and hard basses, Leads, Pads, Fxs!!!

I think the A-station is a good choice, really cheap and I'm quite in love with V-Station. The only shadow is that it only have LP filters..
I still need more infos on the sh-32...

___________________
Entice

quote:

Originally posted by Freak Have you considered an An1x?? Again, hugely overlooked in favour of the nord, JP and other virtual analogues and as a result under-rated.

Correct me if im wrong (and I am a fair bit) but doesn't the AN200 and the AN1x essentially run the same PLG150AN board? wouldn't the AN200 be the cheaper way to go for an almost identical sound?