Analogue Synths

[Ed J]

Ok, I fancy grabbing an analogue synth to do some big fat basslines and overly screaming leads. I've been looking about on the net quite a bit and found that I like the noises of the ones below, so has anyone got any advice on the following? I'd rather not spend £800 on an LP and then discover that a Mopho would have been cool to, or just waste a few hundred quid on something that's got "coooool" factor but no real use musically!

MFB Kraftzwerg - Looks like a right load of fun, however have heard the MIDI-CV convertor is a bit dodgy
Doepfer Dark Energy - Currently thinking about getting this, the noises it makes (given the demos on youtube) are ace
Analogue Solutions Red Square - Crappy website but that too sounds like it can make some awesome noises
Moog LP - Pretty much a given that this is a standard for analogue mono synths, but would I be better getting a voyager, and is it really worth the £400 more than the others I'm listing?
DSI Mopho/Tetra - These look like they're a pain in the arse to use, but I've heard good things both from and about them

Any other suggestions for reasonably-priced stuff that does a nice fat analogue sound?

[Johnisfaster]

If it was me I'd pick the kraftzwerg out of that list. However, you might want to consider getting into eurorack modular systems as it's a rapidly growing industry. MFB which makes the Kraftzwerg also makes euro modules for instance (meaning you could actually build a kraftzwerg/doepfer/harvestman Frankenstein system)It depends on your budget though. But you'll never find a more flexible analog synth than what you can build in a modular.

Analoghaven.com is where I get all my stuff. Do a little snooping around.

[Silence]

if VA is ok... have u considered the Elektron Monomachine?

[cosmosuave]

Well this is exactly the same as the SIDbox stereo sid but he whole kit and kaboodle... Price is good if your into DIY...

Just came across this... Wilba from the midiBOX forum has a new SID kit on offer which eliminates all the modules with previous versions at a good price...

http://midibox.org/forums/index.php?/to ... prototype/

http://www.midibox.org/dokuwiki/sammichsid

[anybody human]

Why would the Tetra be a pain in the ass to use? I was thinking about Dark Energy until the Tetra came out, i'll have to check out some of the other ones on your list. Good topic.

[Newecho]

[quote="Ed J"]Ok, I fancy grabbing an analogue synth to do some big fat basslines and overly screaming leads. quote]

Give DCAM Synth Squad a look. It's software, but the software is based on discrete circuit modeling. Here is my review. http://www.modulatethis.com/2009/10/dca ... eview.html.

They also have a demo.

Mark Mosher
http://www.RebootAlbum.com

[Machinesworking]

Man, if I didn't go nuts over the last couple years and have a few sweet analogues I would seriously jump on this!

http://www.audiomidi.com/Tom-Oberheim-M423.aspx

http://audiomidi.com/VP_Tom_Oberheim.aspx

This is analogue at it's best, unhinged, and raw.

[Ed J]

If it was me I'd pick the kraftzwerg out of that list. However, you might want to consider getting into eurorack modular systems as it's a rapidly growing industry.

Yeah, the MFB does look cool. I'd go for a complete modular rack thing (probably a shedload of doepfer modules) but I have a pretty limited budget really (~£1500, maybe more if I really stretch the bank balance), and I think gearlust would take over as long as I had empty spaces in the rack

if VA is ok... have u considered the Elektron Monomachine?

If I was gonna go VA I'd probably get an Access Virus Desktop, but I'm still thinking true analogue.

Well this is exactly the same as the SIDbox stereo sid but he whole kit and kaboodle... Price is good if your into DIY...

They look cool, but I couldn't be bothered with having to build stuff I reckon

Why would the Tetra be a pain in the ass to use? I was thinking about Dark Energy until the Tetra came out, i'll have to check out some of the other ones on your list. Good topic.

Not enough knobs to be able to modulate most/all parameters at once. That's one of the reasons I'm moving away from VST instruments. (that and having about 10 now, most of which I can barely find uses for [damn gearlust])

Ok, I fancy grabbing an analogue synth to do some big fat basslines and overly screaming leads. quote]

Give DCAM Synth Squad a look. It's software, but the software is based on discrete circuit modeling. Here is my review. http://www.modulatethis.com/2009/10/dca ... eview.html.

I have seen those, they look cool but it's the same as before, I already have a shitload of VSTs, and you don't quite ever get the same sound as a proper analogue circuit.

Man, if I didn't go nuts over the last couple years and have a few sweet analogues I would seriously jump on this!

Totally, the SEM is beasty. However, they only sell them at audiomidi.com and I'm in the UK, which means death by import duty and shipping costs.

No-one had a play with the Analog Solutions gear then? That stuff looks really interesting, proper semi-modular rack-mounted goodness

[esky]

I wouldn't buy any analogue synth without testing them with my own ears, all the synth that are mentioned here sound totally different. You find a good overview about what's on the market here...:
http://www.schneidersladen.de/english.html

[amsonx]

You can think in the DSI Mopho, is a great anologue synth for the price about 300/350 bucks..and comes with really nice preset.

[kristian]

I've read really good reviews about the Future Retro XS :

http://www.future-retro.com/xsoverview.html

Kinda similar to the MFB *drool*

[itusuk]

I own both LP and MoPho plus a Voyager, I tried a dark energy as well and as one said your definitly gonna have to try them first as they're all very different.

First the MoPho wich is a desktop synth, you will have to add a keyboard (be sure to grab one with midi IN, your USB KB won't work) the sound is awesome, the suboscillators really thicken your sound.
The real pain in the ass is to program the sequencer through the interface. Much easier to do with the computer software, but then where the point if you want an analogue to use a computer to program it...another con, I really don't like the curtis filter...
Big pro for me, its so tiny! great for a gig!

Second (the Voyager being definitly out of this league), the Little phatty, not much control but very easy to use. Sound great, don't need nothing to make it work. great expandability with the CP251 and the foogers, the overdrive sound pretty sweet as well.
Definitely my favourite.

And then the dark energy wich I really don't like, only good point (and commercial argument), the price for a real modular.
But real modular...pfffff...One oscillator? You'll get bored very quickly, as the point of an analogue IMO is to get the kind of nice detuned effect on 2 or more oscillator than you can't really emulate with softwares. Ok, it has 2 LFO's but it ain't the same for me..
Sound funny enough though,even interesting depending on what you want to achieve, but if you wanna start a modular, go serious, and built your own piece by piece when you'll get the money.
Another thing, since it's modular, not very practical for live use.

Hope it will help!

Nico

[Ed J]

I've read really good reviews about the Future Retro XS :

http://www.future-retro.com/xsoverview.html

Kinda similar to the MFB *drool*

That sounds cool but for that price I'd probably save and get a voyager rack.

I own both LP and MoPho plus a Voyager, I tried a dark energy as well and as one said your definitly gonna have to try them first as they're all very different.

First the MoPho wich is a desktop synth, you will have to add a keyboard (be sure to grab one with midi IN, your USB KB won't work) the sound is awesome, the suboscillators really thicken your sound.
The real pain in the ass is to program the sequencer through the interface. Much easier to do with the computer software, but then where the point if you want an analogue to use a computer to program it...another con, I really don't like the curtis filter...
Big pro for me, its so tiny! great for a gig!

Second (the Voyager being definitly out of this league), the Little phatty, not much control but very easy to use. Sound great, don't need nothing to make it work. great expandability with the CP251 and the foogers, the overdrive sound pretty sweet as well.
Definitely my favourite.

And then the dark energy wich I really don't like, only good point (and commercial argument), the price for a real modular.
But real modular...pfffff...One oscillator? You'll get bored very quickly, as the point of an analogue IMO is to get the kind of nice detuned effect on 2 or more oscillator than you can't really emulate with softwares. Ok, it has 2 LFO's but it ain't the same for me..
Sound funny enough though,even interesting depending on what you want to achieve, but if you wanna start a modular, go serious, and built your own piece by piece when you'll get the money.
Another thing, since it's modular, not very practical for live use.

Hope it will help!

Nico

Yeah, I've got a Juno-D (great sampled piano) which has midi out, so that's not an issue.

The thing that worries me about the mopho is the controls, like you say it looks like a total arse to use, not enough knobs!

The LP is definitely a contender, and I'm going to buy one at some point, it's whether to get something smaller and cheaper first to fill the gaps left by my VSTs before I start to splash out on deluxe gear

What in particular don't you like about the DE? The things that've stopped me buying one right now is the single oscillator and the lack of sine: one of the reasons analogue is way better than softsynths is it's easier to get those really punchy sine/lowpass-saw combo sounds without it sounding dead fuzzy and shitty, so I'd quite like sine.

As far as live goes, it's not really an issue, this is mainly for dance music and making pointless noises when I'm bored, so anything live is likely to be sampled

Decided that the Red Square is off the list, bluesynths' review of it pretty much rips it to shreds, and their mp3 demos of the flat sounds from each oscillator make it sound really weedy!

[itusuk]

I've read really good reviews about the Future Retro XS :

http://www.future-retro.com/xsoverview.html

Kinda similar to the MFB *drool*

That sounds cool but for that price I'd probably save and get a voyager rack.

I own both LP and MoPho plus a Voyager, I tried a dark energy as well and as one said your definitly gonna have to try them first as they're all very different.

First the MoPho wich is a desktop synth, you will have to add a keyboard (be sure to grab one with midi IN, your USB KB won't work) the sound is awesome, the suboscillators really thicken your sound.
The real pain in the ass is to program the sequencer through the interface. Much easier to do with the computer software, but then where the point if you want an analogue to use a computer to program it...another con, I really don't like the curtis filter...
Big pro for me, its so tiny! great for a gig!

Second (the Voyager being definitly out of this league), the Little phatty, not much control but very easy to use. Sound great, don't need nothing to make it work. great expandability with the CP251 and the foogers, the overdrive sound pretty sweet as well.
Definitely my favourite.

And then the dark energy wich I really don't like, only good point (and commercial argument), the price for a real modular.
But real modular...pfffff...One oscillator? You'll get bored very quickly, as the point of an analogue IMO is to get the kind of nice detuned effect on 2 or more oscillator than you can't really emulate with softwares. Ok, it has 2 LFO's but it ain't the same for me..
Sound funny enough though,even interesting depending on what you want to achieve, but if you wanna start a modular, go serious, and built your own piece by piece when you'll get the money.
Another thing, since it's modular, not very practical for live use.

Hope it will help!

Nico

Yeah, I've got a Juno-D (great sampled piano) which has midi out, so that's not an issue.

The thing that worries me about the mopho is the controls, like you say it looks like a total arse to use, not enough knobs!

The LP is definitely a contender, and I'm going to buy one at some point, it's whether to get something smaller and cheaper first to fill the gaps left by my VSTs before I start to splash out on deluxe gear

What in particular don't you like about the DE? The things that've stopped me buying one right now is the single oscillator and the lack of sine: one of the reasons analogue is way better than softsynths is it's easier to get those really punchy sine/lowpass-saw combo sounds without it sounding dead fuzzy and shitty, so I'd quite like sine.

As far as live goes, it's not really an issue, this is mainly for dance music and making pointless noises when I'm bored, so anything live is likely to be sampled

Decided that the Red Square is off the list, bluesynths' review of it pretty much rips it to shreds, and their mp3 demos of the flat sounds from each oscillator make it sound really weedy!

For the Mopho it's actually easy to use the controls, as you can very easily map them on the assignable knobs. Like I said the sequencer is a pain in the ass, but hey?! nobody force you to use it!
Maybe you could wait for a Mopho KB version, or you could as well go for an Evolver or a Prophet 08, they goes around £600 and £1000 on the second hand market. You'll even get polyphony as a bonus!
Concerning the DE, it's just a general feeling, its limited and it's not something I would use, very nice piece of gear though, look very classy.
Regarding your concern about a sinewave, from my knowledge you won't get any on those synths!
IMO you'll get the better (purest) sine wave with... a software!!!

Nico

[hurlingdervish]

modular =/= excuse for leaving the resonance knob at 100 percent for 8 minutes on youtube.


god how annoying