Favourite Hardware Synth?

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err_fatale
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Post by err_fatale » Fri Jan 13, 2006 6:15 am

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the KURZWEIL K2600/K2661

hands down. Anyone who knows anything about synthesis knows that this is the mother of all synths. The only comparison is Reaktor, because the k2600 is pretty much a modular environment. It is my favorite instrument ever and the best musical investment I ever made. It is a synth, digital synth, analogue synth emulator, sampler, fx processor. You can even run live sound thru the synthesizer engine AND fx processor ala Reaktor/Max MSP. AND it is stable as hell (mine is at least). I have owned a K2000 and K2500 and now this. I also have an access virus C, which I hope to sell soon to put $$ towards a Virus TI. I would like to have a nord modular g2, but nothing can touch a Kurzweil.

Note that Ray Kurzweil is a genius and way ahead of his time. He designed the original K250 with Stevie Wonder's input as Mr. Wonder wanted a synth that emulated real instruments more realistically than the analog synths of the 70's 80's. Kurzweil is also one of the fathers of voice recognition technology and a leading proponent of the concept of Artificial Intelligence.

The thing is, it does so much, and is so complex that it intimidates most people, and very few scrape the surface as far as it's potential is concerned. A few of my friends bought a kurzweil after seeing me get busy on mine, only to find that they didn't have the patience to scour the sonic depths, and gave up on it, either selling it or letting it collect dust. If you want instant gratification, a VIRUS is the best, if you want to go as far out as possible, the K2600 or K2661 is the shizzy.

i would say on an almost even par but not quite is the VIRUS, and third is the NORD Modular G2. those three synths are all you would ever need...
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Last edited by err_fatale on Fri Jan 13, 2006 6:21 am, edited 3 times in total.
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bigbadotis
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Post by bigbadotis » Fri Jan 13, 2006 6:19 am

My Moog Liberation will destroy all of your synths. Nothing beats a strap-on.

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err_fatale
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Post by err_fatale » Fri Jan 13, 2006 6:24 am

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this, the K2661,is actually a little more advanced than the K2600 as it has a smart card reader and 8 digital ADAT outs
and it's smaller and cheaper

Kurzweil's V.A.S.T. system was a favorite of Dwayne Goetell of Skinny Puppy (R.I.P.) and Trent Reznor during the "Broken" and "Downward Spiral" days
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Kodama
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Post by Kodama » Fri Jan 13, 2006 5:51 pm

If it was a new hardware synth, the ones that intrigue me are:


Evolver

Modular G2 Engine

ESX-1 - Not a synth, but cool nonetheless...
GO VEGAN!!! - Macbook Air, Bass Station II, Some Korg shit, Live Suite, U-He, Audio Damage, Microtonic, Ohmicide, more soft stuffs, awesome controllers, euro rack modular synth,an awesome cat.
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Farr
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Korg MS2000B

Post by Farr » Fri Jan 13, 2006 6:26 pm

The Korg MS2000B

No arguments.

Huge bass

It's all I need.
Farr
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elemental
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Post by elemental » Fri Jan 13, 2006 6:37 pm

Waldorf Pulse
Evolver
modified MC-202
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googoo
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Post by googoo » Fri Jan 13, 2006 6:41 pm

Korg MS-20, Roland JX3P.
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kennerb
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Post by kennerb » Fri Jan 13, 2006 6:54 pm

as far as "feel" goes I love my Nord Lead 2. There is something so sexy about a mod wheel made of stone and a pitch stick of wood.

On another note.

I just got my Moog Rogue back from repair. Yay!


The thing is I need some other mobile gear pretty bad. i.e. portable multiple in and out card, multiple midi interface, and another controller. I know I can fetch a few pennies for the Rogue but I like it so much. I just don't know what to do.
3ghz Pentium 4 (Prescott), XP Sp2, 1gig Ram, Dual Monitor with Matrox Millenium, MOTU Traveler, Event EZ8 Adat card. Also IBM THinkpad t40 1.6 1 gig ram
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M. Bréqs
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Post by M. Bréqs » Fri Jan 13, 2006 7:30 pm

sweetjesus wrote:
Mbreqs .. I didn't even have to open the thread, as soon as I saw your name as the latest post I knew you were gonna say the Andromeda.
Now you sold yours, would it make you jealous to say that the last studio I worked in I was using 2xA6's in the room?

:D
Nah, you only need one...

I was inches away from buying another one on ebay for $1,750 US. Soooooo close.

Gotta admit that the Waldorf Pulse is a monster too though.
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M. Bréqs
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Post by M. Bréqs » Fri Jan 13, 2006 7:35 pm

kennerb wrote:as far as "feel" goes I love my Nord Lead 2. There is something so sexy about a mod wheel made of stone and a pitch stick of wood.
Word. I would love it if Nord would let their "pitch stick" patent lapse so that other companies could use it. It's WAAAAAAYYYYY more expressive than a wheel. Honestly, that pitch stick is a keyboardist's / synthesist's dream come true, and I would REALLY consider a Nord just for that, without even considering how wicked those things are supposed to sound (I've never heard one loud, just played with a Nord Lead quietly in the store and went bananas on the pitch stick).
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xpl2003
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ms2000

Post by xpl2003 » Fri Jan 13, 2006 8:26 pm

Korg MS2000B :D

It can be fat for certain bases, prodigy and drum and bass basses with mod wheel rock on it.

Glad to see people are still into hardware, i just got my new soundcard and putting the hardware to the test!
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Komplex
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Post by Komplex » Fri Jan 13, 2006 8:47 pm

DSI Evolver, Nord Modular and Oberheim Xpander are the only hardware synths that I NEED to own. I have the first two and after playing with the Xpander at work (for almost two hours), I NEED IT. heheh
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kabelton
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Post by kabelton » Fri Jan 13, 2006 9:22 pm

the only synths i have (after selling some others) and need are...

dsi evolver
clavia micromodular
waldorf pulse
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funk313
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Post by funk313 » Fri Jan 13, 2006 9:43 pm

Prophet 5, Fr 777, Sidstation and 808 here.. would very much like to get a Voyager
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kennerb
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Post by kennerb » Fri Jan 13, 2006 9:47 pm

kabelton wrote:the only synths i have (after selling some others) and need are...

dsi evolver
clavia micromodular
waldorf pulse


What's up with the micromodular. I have been eying it for a while but don't know of anyone with one.
3ghz Pentium 4 (Prescott), XP Sp2, 1gig Ram, Dual Monitor with Matrox Millenium, MOTU Traveler, Event EZ8 Adat card. Also IBM THinkpad t40 1.6 1 gig ram
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