One synth!

popsicko · Post by **popsicko** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 4:28 am

Ok, as of taday I'm saving up for a synth. I used to have a garage full of hardware and I'm missing it. Some analogs, some VAs. I have a minimal prject in mind(minimal amount of gear not minimal genre). What would be THE ONE SYNTH you would recommend? I think I'd want analog. At least mostly. Like an Andromeda is mostly analog right, and Evolvers.
Anyways, I want to use Live as a "tape" record and play some analog goodness.
Let's hear it!
-b

v00d00ppl · Post by **v00d00ppl** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 4:30 am

what's your budget?

popsicko · Post by **popsicko** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 4:42 am

I don't have a budget yet. I just started saving today. I guess it's more of a price/featues/how long it takes to save that much money kind of thing.

I want knobs and sliders! Not opposed to modualr stuff, but that gets way out of hand in the the money sometimes. Something newer or reliable old stuff. Something noisey! Tweaky! Is anyone making somehting like a MS-20 these days? A clone?
I just want to get old school and make a cd like my old synth heroes had to. One or two synths, and whatever effects and creative stuff I can come up with.
Think Fad Gadget, the Normal, Human League, or weirder/darker.
-b

popsicko · Post by **popsicko** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 6:24 am

Maybe I'll build one!

Homebelly · Post by **Homebelly** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 8:02 am

Still only vapor wear,,
but it does look quite promising,,
http://www.waldorfmusic.de/en/products/stromberg

Fledz · Post by **Fledz** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 9:03 am

My personal favourite and the one I'm saving up for is the Alesis Andromeda A6. It's just sooooooooooo lush and perfect for melodies and pads.

minimal · Post by **minimal** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 9:06 am

monomachine from elektron

Synthbuilder · Post by **Synthbuilder** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 9:07 am

I used to have a largish collection of gear. Now I have just one real synth. The rest are soft.

I have a Moog Voyager although I modified it a bit inside because the stock one does some things I didn't like. Even so, the Voyager is a very capable unit and in conjunction with some guitar effects pedals it can pretty much do everything I want - except chords.

Buy second hand though. A good condition second hand voyager in the UK is typically going for around 1200GBP.

Little Phatty is nice although the second hand market has yet to build up.

Its worth trying out the DSI Evolver, but I found its sound a little too harsh for me. The new Prophet-08 looks nice too.

popsicko · Post by **popsicko** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 5:18 pm

I had an evolver and sold it. It was cool, but I just wasn't feeling it.
The Little Phatty doesn't have enough knobs. I want knobs! Little to no menu/matrix type stuff.
I was looking at a Voyager rack.
The new Prophet '08 looks nice.
Some weird independent stuff and DIY stuff. I want something that is capable of weird noises, great basses,pad, leads, and can make percussion sounds. I want everything all of the time starting now!!
I think I would go for a Pro -one. Vince clark used that synth like crazy back in the day. Trouble is, finding one in good shape that I can afford, and then somehow adding midi to it.
-b

husker · Post by **husker** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 10:00 pm

definitely Andromeda - and the signal path is ALL analog, despite what some may say

mercyplease · Post by **mercyplease** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 10:44 pm

im suggesting Fm7. It can sound analog its a million times better than operator and is easy to get a sound thats in your head plus it cuts through on busy mixes as fm always has done. Fm8 is to much of a cpu hog and the difference between the two is minimal. I think most of the analog vsts get lost in the mix. Steer clear of arturias modular stuff and native instruments jp8000 vst thing. i. anything that has scores of tiny swicthes and knobs is a no go.

djsynchro · Post by **djsynchro** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 10:51 pm

popsicko wrote:Maybe I'll build one!

http://musicfromouterspace.com/analogsy ... ndlab.html

You'll need a MIDI to CV converter as well... The PCB is $30 electronic parts will be $30-60 according to the author. I'm planning to build one over Xmas, had the PCB for a year now. Best thing for the knobs and switches is surplus stores, buy them in bulk. You'll have to knock up a box too. Oh yeah - I'm going to build mine with all the controls doubled on pach cables, so it's modular and it will "talk" to my other analogue stuff.

v00d00ppl · Post by **v00d00ppl** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 11:34 pm

nord lead 2x....20 voices will hold you over if anything get the rack and get a keyboard controller with aftertouch. the keyboard version of the lead 2x is only velocity sensitive.

thelike5 · Post by **thelike5** » Tue Oct 23, 2007 1:02 am

Dave Smith's Poly Evolver keyboard but that's just me.

Kodama · Post by **Kodama** » Tue Oct 23, 2007 2:36 am

Maybe a real MS-20?

Nasty evil crazy fun!