# What HW synths do you own and more importantly actually use?



## pmountford

So many videos of composer's studios with racks of synths but they're physically so far away from them working at the DAW it makes me wonder how much they get used. Yes, of course we have MIDI but you've still got to program and patch them. So while I'm starting to dip my toes in the HW synth world (well I will be when the Deepmind turns up sometime Feb next year...) I'm thinking that it needs to be close at hand when I'm composing to be twiddled and used? Or am I being obtuse...? 

So what HW do you use that actually contributes to your workflow?


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## shponglefan

There isn't really a singular way to setup/use synths. Consequently, workflows themselves can vary.

I do agree that having things within arms length is highly convenient. My current studio is set up such that I'm flanked by synth hardware on either side. I have a half-dozen synths within reach and all I have to do is rotate my chair.

Conversely, I also have a DAWless setup in my dining room with a drum machine and a couple synths just for random jamming. I keep a portable Zoom recorder at hand, so if I come up with anything interesting, I can record it and later port it to my DAW.


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## cloudbuster

Sold (almost) all my synths and outboard gear many years ago and don't miss anything, except maybe the Korg Monopoly.
Today I only have a Motif ES8, a bunch of different controllers, monitor speakers, cans, DACs, mics + amps and digital recorders, ..., everything else happens in the box(es).


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## Snoobydoobydoo

I dont own any currently anymore, but did own a lot (Virus B to some Ti's, Moogs, Elektrons, Prophet6/OB6),
and i used all of them more than vsti's because you just turn them on and get instant results without
any mouseclicks or staring at a screen.

So yes, they should be close at hand. I like to program sounds with the PC being off,
just hands on the Synth and....just get lost in the sound.
_*Thats why i will buy a prophet again next month, they are so musical i could sit for days
making a perfect pad, whether vsti's can easily bore me after 1-2 hours.*_

Workflow is on the other hand not more complicated, because you focus on getting the sound done
and then record it into the DAW. With Softsynths it can happen that you always change something
in your preset over and over while making music. <This kind of freedom is nice to have, but
too much freedom can lead to overthinking what you have already made and redoing it, at a point
where focusing on the music is more important than tweaking your vst because you think it could sound
better.> <<Limitation is a tool for me>>


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## Stringtree

Korg Triton and Novation X-Station. The latter actually has buttons and knobs that access lots of functions. Triton is clunky but still a lot of sonic fun.


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## vitocorleone123

I’ve gone all desktop modules so I can have my OB-6 module in front of me, and now 45 degrees to the left of that is a small, 3-tier stand, upon which there’s an SE-02 and ExtBox on the top, and Acidbox3 (with space for a pedal from Meris) in the middle, and a Digitone on the bottom (soon to be accompanied by a Meris Polymoon). And then that’s it. No more. I don’t want a mixer - if only as a forcing function to stop.

it’s a lot more fun than software, but I’m finishing fewer songs due to new toys and a new workflow. Good thing it’s only my main hobby!

Right now I used the SE-02 the least. It was my first hardware. The Digitone is the newest so it’s getting the most time right now, but the OB-6 makes me smile every time I use it it’s so amazing to me.

Everything is syncd with the DAW.


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## ThomasL

The instant gratification of just reaching out and turning a knob makes up for the space it occupies 

Currently using: Novation PEAK, Virus Indigo, Korg MS2000R (nice "vintage" digital vocoder!), DSI Mopho, Streichfett, Rocket, Blofeld Yamaha TG33. 

And, a must for peace of mind, VSTs controlling them all. No patch-saving, just turn the knobs, save your DAW project and everything just syncs when loading it up again.


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## José Herring

I know it's hard to imagine, but one could always get up from his/her chair and walk over to program a synth. We use to do that in the old old days like the 90's.

I still do get up on occasion. My hardware synths these days are 3 feet to the left of me but it feels good to get up and program.


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## TomislavEP

My primary source of income for many years is working as a live and studio keyboardist. My main rig for performances with a band consists of the Roland Juno DS (workstation) and Kurzweil SP4 (stage piano). I also have Kurzweil PC3 and Roland Fantom X, but I mainly use those in the studio. There is also my trusty Yamaha PSR-3000 arranger workstation for smaller gigs or for everyday practice and inspiration purposes.

I must admit that I don't use any of the mentioned synths (keyboards) in my compositional work. Virtual instruments are so much more practical to use and also far more powerful and flexible. In the future, however, I would like to add some vintage pieces of hardware to my gear, but for the time being, this is too much of a luxury for me.


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## Ned Bouhalassa

I just love making music away from the computer. I enjoy standing up while playing/mucking around, love moving physical knobs and faders, enjoy the musical challenge of hardware limitations. Time just seems to fly more (in the best way) when I use hardware. I also like that I have to commit more, hit record and live with what I make then and there.


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## Jaap

My Matrixbrute and Deepmind 12 are used every day here in my music productions and as much as I love all my softsynths, nothing beats tweaking real knobs on the fly!


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## vitocorleone123

What is this “standing up from the computer” of which you speak? 😀


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## whinecellar

I’m always messing with the ergonomics issue because I’m surrounded by hardware synths, and you raise a good point about that. Like others have said, I like the variety of having to move around to work with them all, but then you have the issue of losing the stereo image when turned sideways.

The solution for me is to have my most-used stuff on each side of me, with a pair of nearfields at each station, all fed from a monitor controller so I can switch to those pairs easily while working with those synths.

As to the question of favorites, for me it’s a handful of analog classics/reissues and a couple modern pieces: Roland Jupiter X and System 8, the new Prophet 5 rev4, Korg Wavestate, Behringer Poly D, Arturia MatrixBrute, and a Hydrasynth. The rest of my stuff is accessible or programmable by remote editors.

Whatever the case, I have come full circle from being all in the box to absolutely LOVING working with hardware. I get far more inspiration and great ideas from interacting with something other than a mouse and an on-screen interface!


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## pmountford

whinecellar said:


> The solution for me is to have my most-used stuff on each side of me


I think you could squeeze a few more synths in there somewhere...

Thanks for that photo and favourites though - precisely the setup I was wondering how you moved around and interesting how you've overcome the stereo imaging.


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## ed buller

Love Hardware:



best

ed


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## twincities

out of the ~dozen i own, i'll admit the juno 60 and moog sub37 are the only two that get turned on/recorded regularly. both just do their thing better (for me) than any software i own, or would care to find. otherwise i'm embarrassed to admit these things get dusty in exchange for finding software sounds most often.

but even then, both of these are midi ready, and honestly only live on maybe 3-4 different patches that just end up with some envelope tweaks depending on tempo, and filter adjustments.


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## Saxer

I have a few hardware synths (Peak, SE-02, Mini Brute, Microwave XT) but I rarely use them in production. It's a bit like a hobby between real jobs. Working for customers has too much editing work and I have to switch from project to project a lot. Doesn't make sense to record hardware as audio or save and reload sounds of external hardware when opening a song from last month for editing.

What I use in production is the hardware profile option of Omnisphere. This really works great: turning knobs of Peak to change the parameters of Omnisphere. It's much more than just midi-learn of some functions. It feels like using the hardware but it's saved with the song.


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## ALittleNightMusic

Novation Peak and Moog Minitaur for me. True analog and I like the hands on knob-per-function approach even though I have many software synths. Also being able to record through preamps, you do end up with a different sound to software.


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## szczaw

I own several and use none. Time to unload.


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## method1

I've been selling off my (mostly vintage) collection over the last couple years. 
I kind of miss them but don't miss the headache of owning vintage gear.
I still have a few of the classics, mostly Roland (jupiter 4,6,8 & Junos) but planning on selling those as well. 

Strangely the only synth I used extensively in the last year or so was the Moog DFAM, such a cool synth for cinematic textures and percussion.


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## AceAudioHQ

I have Kurzweil K2000VP, Roland JD-800 and MAM MB33 MkII. The Roland is the only one I use anymore, but not often.


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## dgburns

twincities said:


> out of the ~dozen i own, i'll admit the juno 60 and moog sub37 are the only two that get turned on/recorded regularly. both just do their thing better (for me) than any software i own, or would care to find. otherwise i'm embarrassed to admit these things get dusty in exchange for finding software sounds most often.
> 
> but even then, both of these are midi ready, and honestly only live on maybe 3-4 different patches that just end up with some envelope tweaks depending on tempo, and filter adjustments.



Moog Sub37, Juno 106, sometimes the JX8p. The Juno 106 surprises in that while simple, it can coax a wide range of sounds. 

End of the day, it’s just plain old more FUN!


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## AdamKmusic

I’ve been through a couple but now got 3 which I mostly use most of the time (not much recently though) which are the Arturia Minibrute2 /Sequential Prophet Rev 2 & the Make Noise 0-Coast


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## charlieclouser

Over the years I've owned a Junkie-XL-sized array of the big iron from decades past, but that was in the days before software synths and DAWs. Mass quantities of boat anchors have been sent to Davey Jones' locker, but the ones that have stayed are the ones that formed a critical part of important pieces of music that couldn't have been done in other ways, and have therefore earned a reprieve from the bottom of the sea:

- Prophet VS and VS Rack = These were an important part of the early NIN sound, and are still the only way to make certain super-aggressive digital unison synth sounds and lovely, synthetic-vocal-type pads. I have compared them directly to the Arturia simulation (you can actually dump the patches as SysEx from the hardware to the Arturia) and the hardware sounds (I hate to say it) much more "alive" and thick than the plugin. Mine are still loaded with my old NIN patches so there's some sentimental value I guess.

- Oberheim Xpander = there's a certain tonality that you can get from the weird filter types that only an Xpander has that I love, and like the VS was a big part of the early NIN sound. Used mostly for big unison sounds with that buzzy, phasey Xpander sound. I hand programmed some of my favorite patches into the Arturia plugin and I can get pretty close but it takes all 12 voices of Arturia to get the girth of only 6 voices on the hardware. My Xpander has the rare Oddenmart external audio input mod, but now that I have Doepfer's Xpander filters in EuroRack, I don't run audio through the Xpander anymore. 

- Waldorf MicroWave II xtk = The hardest of the hard-sounding digital synths from the 1990's. It can be just brutal. Some people like these for evolving wavetable sounds but I only use it for shorter sounds. Utterly hard attack, like a hammer blow. Sentimental value also since this is one of two that Waldorf custom-painted in shadow grey for NIN's performance at the 1999 MTV VMA awards show. New OLED display, re-knobbed, it's all good.

- Nord Lead 1 rack = this was my workhorse for so many remixes and album tracks for years. Cheap-n-cheerful and gets the job done in minutes. The oscillator FM via mod wheel has a sound that I can't seem to get (easily) in other units, very thick and nasty. As heard on the bass sound in NIN's "Into The Void" (might have been a Nord 2, can't remember).

- Roland MKS-80 with MPG-80 programmer = bought new when it was a current Roland product, this one has the super-saw and stacked-squares unison sounds like no other. As heard on White Zombie's "More Human Than Human" remixes. Big and fat and juicy, the slurpy bass sounds are to die for. Never use it for pads, only for the low bigness. Goes all the way down to DC.

- Roland V-Synth 1 and V-Synth XT rack = So weird, so unusual, the things these can do to samples are unique. The Roland time-stretch algorithm is so different from other units, with a glassy, non-granular sound character. Filters are meh but UI on the keyboard is great. The time-trip X-Y pad is tons of fun. The vocals singing "Re-ee-lo-o-oad" on Rob Zombie's "Reload" from The Matrix Reloaded is a sample of Rob's vocal with me jacking away on the time trip pad of the V-Synth 1 keyboard. Took five minutes.

- E-Mu Emax I rack = My favorite of all the old-school grungy samplers, and key to the early NIN sound as well. I have all the bit crusher and TAL Sampler plugins, but the Emax is still interesting and unique. That Bomb Squad / Public Enemy / Depeche Mode sound in a box. Hard and jangly sounding if you want, but with juicy analog filters. A great combo. OLED display and HXC drive make it much more usable. I just sample something into it, mess about, and record the output. I also have a few stored patches that are little fragments of sound with velocity>filter that I call "pocks" that use for arpeggio-like keyboard patterns now and then. Very early-NIN / early-Depeche Mode sounding.

- Korg MS-20 full-size re-issue kit = The original MS-20 was one of my first synth purchases, but my original unit is all funky so I wanted a fully-functional modern unit. It's great. All the warts of the original (noise bleed, etc.). But fun and aggressive. Like Aphex Twin's "Digeridoo" track? You'll like the MS-20. Although the Korg Legacy plugin is pretty good (and polyphonic too!). I have an MS-50 as well, so with all three units stacked things get ugly in a good way.

- Dave Smith Pro-2 = Bought it on a whim, and it turns out it's a great front end for the EuroRack stuff. The step sequencer is one of the best ever, and it has CV+gate outs. By itself it's not as alive as other pure analog units, and I may swap it out for a Pro-3 but no hurry.

- Waldorf Quantum = The king. It just sounds so good. One-knob compressor right on the front, and the sound quality is somehow more scooped and satisfying than the same sample played from Kontakt or EXS or whatever. Never mind that it's a granular / kernel workstation of doom. Used for granular sample mangling mostly. Big juicy satisfying clouds of sound. Sort of like Omnisphere in a box. Beautiful build quality and UI. 

- Korg Arp 2600 FS and TTSH 2600 = After owning so many messed-up original 2600's I just wanted one that worked. So I got the TTSH a few years ago and when the Korg re-issue came out I was lucky enough to get one. They are a little different from each other - the TTSH feels like a cleaned-up modern version while the Korg feels closer to the O.G. Purists claim it's not authentic, but at least everything works as advertised. Bought mostly out of anger and frustration at never having a "good" one of the originals. Great for those Harry Gregson-Williams style pulses that are half bass-synth, half drum-thing. 

- MiniMoog Model-D re-issue = It IS a MiniMoog. What more needs to be said? I hate to be "that guy" but there's a reason the MiniMoog is THE greatest synth of all time. The one whose picture is next to the word "synthesizer" in the dictionary. The range and calibration of the controls is just perfect, and the re-issue is very bit a MiniMoog (with mod-cons like MIDI and velocity). It doesn't do everything under the sun, but for what it DOES do it is simply the best. I needed a bog-simple "bwwooooaaaaaawww" sweep for the very first sound you hear in a score, and I did a shootout with every single synth and plugin I have, and the Mini won easily, with Serum (big surprise) as a close second. Nothing else was even in the running. Bought partly out of anger and frustration at the four MiniMoogs I've owned over the years that were each messed up in one way or another, but no regrets.

- Moog Voyager = Bought back in the day when we all thought Moog would go out of business any minute. One-off black enclosure (before they offered it in black from the factory), Bob's signature, and it's in the Moog documentary when Bob and Money Mark are playing it at my old house in Hollywood, so it gets to stay. Not as gnarly or instantly pleasing as a Model D but still a triumph nonetheless. The X-Y pad and dual filters are great and it mostly gets used for squelchy slurpy mid-range stuff and perky arps as opposed to big bass. 

- Soma Labs Pulsar-23 drum machine = This thing is utterly weird. Inscrutable, dirty, chaotic, it's half analog drum synth and half circuit-bent broken toy. The demo videos that Vlad made tell the tale. Difficult to comprehend, impossible to repeat what you had it doing yesterday, so be recording at all times. So weird, so different, just dripping with dirty personality. Very cyber punk. Waited 18 months for mine but worth it.

- EuroRack = Oof. Time suck, yes. Possible to spend six hours trying to make a bass pulse and wind up with a hi-hat pattern, definitely. But big fun when time permits. I grew up in modular, so it doesn't have the brave-new-world wow factor that it might for some folks, but that also means I'm usually not confused and fumbling. Usually. I need to trim the fat somewhat and re-think the ergonomics as it's gotten a bit large.

Given a blank slate and told to start over, I'd probably get the MiniMoog and the Quantum and go from there. On a lower budget I'd get a Behringer Model D, maybe a Neutron, and a Sequential OB-6 and start there.


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## pmountford

@charlieclouser thanks for the thorough reply.



charlieclouser said:


> On a lower budget I'd get a Behringer Model D, maybe a Neutron, and a Sequential OB-6 and start there.


Yep, 'fraid that's me.  So should I be looking at the upcoming Behringer UBXa as a wallet friendly alternative to the OB6? 

I'm also hoping that some of this HW will be for live use project aswell next year, not just the studio, which is why I like the comprehensive FX of the Deepmind as I'm likely looking for a mellower sound to work with piano and live strings.


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## charlieclouser

pmountford said:


> So should I be looking at the upcoming Behringer UBXa as a wallet friendly alternative to the OB6?



Yes. The UBXa could be quite good, especially for the price. I have high hopes for it. If they get the OBXa thing right it will have a sonic character different (better?) than the OB-6, which is more like an SEM. Still great, but different and not as wildly buzzy / fizzy.

I also do not mind the DeepMind at all - great effects, it does what it says on the tin, and the price is amazing. It's a great way to get into knob twiddling. Although it's not breaking any new ground synth-wise, it's a good synth on the level of the Juno-106. I have no problems with Behringer clones other than build quality - but at the price, when they break you can give 'em away and buy another if you want. Cheaper than repairing them.


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## charlieclouser

As an addendum - the list of gear I've owned but sent to Davey Jones' locker over the years is too long to type out, but here's some highlights and why I didn't like or care that much about them:

- PPG System = I had a 2.2, 2.3, and Waveterm A. It all worked... mostly. But it was fragile and temperamental and the build quality was not great. Keyboards felt like ass - wiggly and loose and clacky. Sonically it made two sounds I liked, and sampling on the Waveterm was kind of a joke. Once in a while you'd get a wonderfully gronky sound, but most of the time it was sub-Ensoniq-Mirage levels of satisfaction.

- Ensoniq Mirage = When they were first announced, I actually had my mom drive me to the factory in Malvern and I walked in and tried to buy one before they were on the streets, and the staff had a good chuckle at my ambition, but I did not walk out with one (did get a t-shirt and some stickers though). I did get one as soon as they hit and although many classic hiphop records used them to great effect I only ever got a handful of samples made that didn't suck. Decades later I grabbed a rack unit to see if there was still some magic in there... but there wasn't. The factory samples were on a level that I could not reach somehow. 

- Yamaha TG-77, TG-33, TX-802, DX-7, etc. = A good friend still makes cool sounds on his SY-77 but I never made a single sound that got used on any of these units. Okay, one sound. When my college got a brown DX7 I was determined to master it and spent long nights attempting, but I only wound up with one single woody, organ-like bass sound that I still use (as a sample). The TX-802 was permanently patched into the Roland SVC-350 vocoder to make wobbly pad sounds using random presets, but that's it.

- Moog MemoryMoog = This thing still sounds great, but oh the pain. At one point I owned three at the same time, but I never had more than two of them working at once. With two you can do stereo! And it is the biggest and most gnarly unison synth ever, but the hassle just ain't worth it to me any more. Re-calibrating them involves flipping the front panel up and turning tiny trim pots while leaning over it to see the panel and trying to read upside-down, flashing, hexadecimal numbers on the tiny red alphanumeric display. I tried using a mirror so I didn't have to lean so far over but now it's upside-down, backwards, flashing, hexadecimal numbers. Oof. I still have an unused, new-in-box "MemoryMoog-to-MemoryMoog Plus" upgrade kit if anyone's interested. (Actually, the non-plus versions are more stable - but don't have MIDI). If someone dropped off a LAMM modded MemoryMoog on my doorstep I wouldn't kick it to the curb but I'm not paying $20k for the three sounds I'd use it for.

- Oberheim OB-8 = I got one for about $800 I think, and I thought it would be a bigger, better OBXa. It was not. Still a great synth, but not all that versatile and it became troublesome so away it went. I never had an OBXa though, but a friend did (and still has it) and it is a different sound - much more aggressive and spitty.

- Every Akai, Roland, Yamaha, and E-Mu sampler ever made = A pair of Akai S-900's, then S-950's, and finally S-1000's was every boy's dream in the 1990's. And I made a LOT of records with them. And they do have a nice, HARD, nineties sound quality. And I can move FAST on them. But these days just not practical for much. I stuck with Akai all the way up to the S-6000 and Z-8, but no more. E-Mu Emax II's and later E-4's made all the sounds on stage with NIN, and there are some cool Z-Plane filters in the E-4 series, and they do sound quite good (on a level with the Quantum) - but again, workflow-wise they just don't make much sense these days. Roland? Mostly garbage. Yamaha? Don't make me laugh. TX-16w had an OS created by Satan himself, and the A-series was equally trash. Good riddance. Seeing them in JXL's videos gave me a chuckle - then a shudder.

- Jupiter-8 = I gave it away to a friend. Sacrilege! Yes, it is the best looking synth ever, but it only made two sounds that I ever used and it had terrible MIDI implementation and a huge latency with the MD-8 DCB>MIDI box. I only paid $1k for it so no biggie. I prefer the Super Jupiter anyway. 

- Octave-Plateau Voyetra-8 = I'm of two minds on this one. It came out at the dawn of MIDI (with XLR jacks for MIDI!) and it CAN make some outrageously huge sounds, but operationally it was poor and stability was not great, and service is on the level of a 1928 Bugatti - like, there's one old guy who has the card riser needed to diagnose issues. It only made it onto one track, the remix of NIN's "Mr. Self Destruct" - it's doing the gigantic, detuned-unison bass blasts on the downbeats. At the time, through the big mains in the studio, it was heavenly. Absolutely room-shaking. But it was not a versatile unit for our needs, so away it went.

- Korg Poly-800 = It was all I could afford at the time it came out and it is garbage. Home-organ level of sound quality. No amount of delay, chorus, and reverb will help.

- Nord Modular = Revolutionary at the time, but very plastic sounding. Used a MicroModular as a live vocoder with NIN, so it's not all bad.

- Nord 3 = The knobs with the LED rings made for one of the best UI's in history, so I got one for that reason, only to find that it was basically a Nord Modular patch in hardware with dedicated controls, and had that plastic sound that I did not like. 

- Roland JP-8000 / JP-8080 = The JP-8000 was one of the first "super saw" VA synths, so I grabbed it on day one. But it never made it onto any of my tracks, so I gave it to Clint Mansell and he used it on his score for "Pi" back in the day. I then got the JP-8080 rack unit, and that one DID make it onto some tracks, including these huge bass wobs in the quiet section on NIN's "The Way Out Is Through" that I made by routing some drum samples through it in filter bank mode. Coming out of a concert PA those sounds shook the arena and were very satisfying. But all I ever used it for was as a filter bank. It is great for that however. Actually I think I still have the JP-8080 somewhere.

- Waldorf MicroWave, MicroWave II, Pulse, Q, Q-Plus, Q-Rack, etc. etc. etc. = I've had just about every Waldorf synth they've ever made (except Blofeld, which many consider a modern classic), and some are good, but the only ones that stuck with me are the MW2xtk (keys AND knobs, yay!) and the Quantum. MW1 was great at the time and had a lovely crusty sound, but it was limited for sure. Editing was a nightmare. But we did use it a bit on NIN before the others came out.

- Waldorf Wave = When it first came out their dealer sent one down to me in New Orleans and I naturally thought Trent would want two and I'd want one as well. After all, you could put a WAV file on a floppy and it would import it and turn it into a wavetable, just like we did in TurboSynth! But in practice that process just didn't sound great for all the hassle. The thing looked amazing and impressive, just pure luxury, but Trent took a spin on it and went "meh". I spent much more time with it but also went "meh". So we sent it back! Can you imagine? It was only about $6k as I remember but we ALL passed on it. Maybe I regret that one a little.

So many others, but these are the ones that I had the strongest desire for and the most disappointment with. Most of the others were "meh" when I bought them and equally "meh" when I sold them.


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## Greg

Mostly a prophet 10 rev 4, alesis andromeda, obxa, pro one. I dont always use them, sometimes soft synths do the trick just fine. But to me their sound is each unique and no digital synth has the same sonic character and "alive" sound. When I do anything that is synth focused, I would be lost without my analog synths and completely uninspired.


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## chillbot

whinecellar said:


> Arturia MatrixBrute


Your place looks a lot like mine though mine is a bit more spread out. MatrixBrute is my second favorite synth. If anyone gets a chance to check out the Sequential Pro3 it is the most fun, most intuitive, most refreshing synth I've had and I've had a lot of synths. Not on Charlie's scale but maybe getting in the ballpark. Anyway I rave about it a lot to anyone that will listen, it's so much fun.


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## peladio

Prophet-5, OB-6 and Voyager but they rarely get turned on..plugins are more convenient and sound as good as hardware nowadays..u-he Repro sounds identical to my Prophet..


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## charlieclouser

Greg said:


> ...obxa, pro one.



Very nice choices. I did have a Pro One at one point, not sure exactly what happened to it or why it's not still here. Definitely the machine of choice for industrial / EBM bass lines. Way more aggro than a MiniMoog or MS-20 for sure. 

I think the Pro One was actually the first synth I ever touched - the keyboard player in the terrible band I played drums in around eleventh grade had one and I borrowed it for a while - and my fate was sealed. Took me a few years to get one of my own though. I think I paid $250 for it out of a classified ad in the Village Voice around 1985.


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## pmountford

chillbot said:


> MatrixBrute is my second favorite synth.


I take it the Seq Pro is your favourite? I've watched a few videos of the matrix brute and poly brute and I particularly like what I hear. My concern as a synth HW noob is that I'd not get much mileage out of a mono synth but that's just from years of being spoilt with soft synths I guess. Any thoughts on the poly brute vs matrix? @Jaap seems a fan (along with the Deepmind). 

What a way to buy gear eh, purely on videos and recommendations...thinking about it though even pre covid though I don't think I ever auditioned before buying. Picking up both a Deepmind and Poly D for around £1k they're not overly expensive mistakes. Moving up to Brute territory is not quite an impulse purchase...


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## VivianaSings

Oberheim SEM - Really sweet dark, syrupy sound. Amazing for creamy leads and rhythmic perculations. The bandpass filter lets you make some great hi hats with it. Also gets an amazing bass tone.

Pro One - the Modulation matrix is fantastic and you can get some really fat bass with this because of the fact that you can use both the triangle AND pulse wave on osc 2 which is what sets it apart from even the prophet 5. Very easy to get around on. Use this almost always for bass if I need synth bass.

Minimoog model D - great for leads and all sorts of percussion sounds. I think the Pro One still sounds a tad fatter on bass, but depending on the vibe I'm going for, if it's 70s funk, the Minimoog is better on bass. If it's 80s synth pop, the Pro One is better on bass. Really fast to get around on and dial up anything. Massive sweet spot.

Arp Odyssey - Surprisingly fat sounding. Also good for leads and counter melodies. I originally got it because I wanted arp envelopes / filter for synth percussion sounds.

Oberheim OB-8 - Ridiculously versatile. Can do the 80s synth pop thing and yet still spit out creative sounds that easily rival today's synths. You have to spend time to really get to know it though to get the most out of it. The page 2 functions take it into the stratosphere. Doing a unison portamento, you can leave the timing analog and make the unison sound like a swarm of angry bees as each voice glides up at a different rate, you can have the portamento be timed digitally instead and have a perfect knife edge sharp portamento with each voice arriving at the same time. You can also quantize the portamento in half steps and and make it glide like a staircase. You can throw the pulse width modulation in VCO 2 180 degrees out of phase with VCO 1 so that when you do pulse width modulation you end up with the silkiest strings on the planet that I've never heard anything ever do because as VCO 1's square wave modulates to wide, VCO 2's square wave modulates to narrow so you end up with this insane shimmering where the strings are always moving but not going anywhere. You also don't get that dreaded dead zone in the sound if the square wave modulates too far because one wave is always going in the opposite direction.

Not only can you detune OSC 1 from OSC 2, but you can individually detune all 8 voices at once from each other with a twist of a knob for aleatoric sounding pads. You can instantly disable voices so that if you want a unison, you can have 4 or 5 voices to thin it out, or even 1 voice to simulate a monosynth. Just activate 2 voices when playing dyads to get Sem 2 voice type voice stealing.

Each voice has its own pan knob on the side so you can place each voice somewhere different in the stereo field. The OB-8 cycles through all 8 voices in order no matter if you take your hand off the synth (I think the Prophet 5 always resets to voice 1 if you don't play legato) so you can play percussive parts and arpeggios and have each voice jump out somewhere else in the stereo field as each note plays.

If you're the creative type, this one will keep you going for decades. Crazy that it came out in the 80s yet has features hardware synths today STILL don't have. Way ahead of its time.

Honorable mention - Elka Rhapsody. It's a little dated sounding but I don't care. Throw a phaser pedal on it and it's pure golden honey. I always find a place to slide it into a track.


----------



## Gerbil

Only three remain: a little Reface CS which I use to noodle with in the garden, a Microbrute that my son loves for its metallic knob, and a Vermona PERfourMER that I haven't been able to part with yet. A Model D, Voyager Old School, Juno 60, Prophet 5, Prophet 08, SY99, EX5, Sledge, MS2000 and more...all sold some time ago. I do miss the SY99 - that was a lovely digital synth(/sampler) with fantastic aftertouch - and think about buying another one from time to time. 

Fact is, I much prefer soft synths when it comes to making music. I can map things where I like, play them on an 88 note aftertouch weighted keyboard, and layer and split them with ease. It was getting to the point where I'd play tracks back and couldn't tell which was, say, The Legend and which was the Model D. Plus, I've really grown to appreciate minimal clutter around me.


----------



## AudioLoco

I use to have a studio with a partner in crime. 
He had a Minimoog, EMS Synthi, 808, 106, Prophet (5?) and few other classics.
I only miss the Minimoog (a bit). 
My own last synth standing was a JP8080 that I used a lot live as well and sold a few years ago.

These days I am happy enough with my soft synths. I am not saying they sound better then the hardware, but inspiring enough for my use.
If they are good enough for JXL, they are good enough for me too.

Unfortunately often (not always) what I hear from big modular systems enthusiasts etc is kind of the same-same-y type of sounds we heard in the last 60 years, and it just doesn't excite me...


----------



## pmountford

Thanks everyone for your input - all very informative and helpful. 

As much as I liked the sound of the Deepmind 12, I've cancelled my twice delayed order now. I've gone for the Novation Summit which from what I've read/heard should suit my needs better.


----------



## vitocorleone123

charlieclouser said:


> Yes. The UBXa could be quite good, especially for the price. I have high hopes for it. If they get the OBXa thing right it will have a sonic character different (better?) than the OB-6, which is more like an SEM. Still great, but different and not as wildly buzzy / fizzy.



Some people definitely like one over the other. I'm the other way around. I like the Xa sound, but I'd pick the SEM over it every time. Also, the OB-6 (being only half-Oberheim, if that) has a broad range outside the fizzy, at least as far as I've discovered in the 11 months I've had one... very few of the 250 or so different presets (not variations) I've made for myself are on the fizzy side. But, damn, open that filter up from dark to fizzy and it still can give me chills it sounds so good.


----------



## whinecellar

chillbot said:


> MatrixBrute is my second favorite synth.



Yeah, I went back-and-forth on that one until I heard a few demos that really got my attention. And once I brought it home and explored it a bit, I was pretty astounded at what it’s capable of. I absolutely think it can hang in Moog territory but with a real penchant for utter insanity with that mod matrix. It’s a deep synth. I also really love the sound of its analog effects - they can sound really textural and vibey. This one might be one of my favorites for arpeggiated patterns that can really generate some great ideas.

Hoping to get a PolyBrute in for review soon. If it’s a polyphonic version of the MB, I’d be floored!


----------



## charlieclouser

vitocorleone123 said:


> Some people definitely like one over the other. I'm the other way around. I like the Xa sound, but I'd pick the SEM over it every time.



Yeah, it's been a couple of decades since I had the OB-8, and I remember liking it but wondering why I couldn't get exactly to the Killing Joke sounds I fell in love with - and then I played my buddy's OBXa, and there it was. But I think the OBXa is less full-featured and of course no factory MIDI, so I never bothered to get one. 

But if the Behringer is half decent it might be worth a try. I will say that the OB-6 is my favorite of all the recent Dave Smith / Sequential poly synths, but I do not have one of my own.... yet.


----------



## whinecellar

charlieclouser said:


> But if the Behringer is half decent it might be worth a try. I will say that the OB-6 is my favorite of all the recent Dave Smith / Sequential poly synths, but I do not have one of my own.... yet.



Along those lines, I gotta say I am floored by their new Poly D... it is absolutely bonkers for the Moog thing. I had a Model D which really impressed me, and the Poly takes it up a few notches. Even the hardware feels great other than the action being a little light for my taste.

As for Sequential, honestly I was never a huge fan of any of their stuff - always seemed a bit vanilla to me. But I must say, the new Prophet 5 reissue has really surprised me. It’s just an excellent synth. Simple architecture, phenomenal raw tone, and built like the classic tanks of yesteryear. Extremely impressed!


----------



## vitocorleone123

whinecellar said:


> Along those lines, I gotta say I am floored by their new Poly D... it is absolutely bonkers for the Moog thing. I had a Model D which really impressed me, and the Poly takes it up a few notches. Even the hardware feels great other than the action being a little light for my taste.
> 
> As for Sequential, honestly I was never a huge fan of any of their stuff - always seemed a bit vanilla to me. But I must say, the new Prophet 5 reissue has really surprised me. It’s just an excellent synth. Simple architecture, phenomenal raw tone, and built like the classic tanks of yesteryear. Extremely impressed!



I feel the same way about Moog as you do about Sequential. People definitely gravitate toward different sounds. I can say the OB-6 is definitely NOT vanilla, but I tried to love the P6 (slightly more practical) and just only ended up at the really liking it level. Whereas the OB-6.... wow. I love the DNA of it's genesis and what resulted from that combo. I'd pick the OB-6 every day over the new P5, too. If someone gave me a P5rev4, I'd play it for a bit, then sell it for a second OB-6 and a Pro3.

It's pretty easy to acquire gear, like software. Only it takes more space! Hardware is such a premium, I can't imagine ever only buying what I'm pretty sure I truly love, and definitely only keeping the things I absolutely love.


----------



## pmountford

vitocorleone123 said:


> It's pretty easy to acquire gear, like software. Only it takes more space! Hardware is such a premium,


...but atleast you can sell hardware unlike most of the sample libraries many of us on this forum have invested in.


----------



## steveo42

Roland Integra-7
Roland RD-2000 (my controller)
Ensoniq KS-32
Korg 05/W
Kurzweil Micropiano

The only ones I use frequently are the Integra-7 and RD-2000 because it's also my controller.


----------



## whinecellar

vitocorleone123 said:


> ...I can say the OB-6 is definitely NOT vanilla...



Yeah, I should have specified and left that one out. It’s definitely a different flavor than the rest of their line!


----------



## Loïc D

Ok I don’t have many, I feel like a jerk compared to you all. 

- Virus B : did a couple of patch with it. I like it but too many menus for modulation,

- Yamaha SY35 : it was the only synth I could afford back in the days. A very cheap Yamaha but it was my friend of musical misery for years (with my strat). One day it will get legendary. In 3001,

- Nord Stage EX : I love the sound and love the keybed a lot. Not really a synth though,

and

- Roland SH101. My first synth. I bought it from a friend who wanted a guitar when I was 11 or 12. For 150FF ; I guess it’s around 30-40€ now. In late 80s, analog gear was merely given to ppl ! 
I didn’t know anything about synth and the original japanese / english manual was cypher to me. I played a bit with it and then... I fried it because of a faulty power supply.
It stayed in parent’s attic for 30 years, totally forgotten.
I found it again, and brought it to repair (Clavintage near Paris, incredible guy) and now it’s back to life ! I’ll get a CV/Midi one day to patch it in my setup. And now since I’m fluent in both english and japanese, I can get the cryptic meaning of the manual.

Nay, I’ll never sell it ! (don’t tell my wife).


----------



## bill5

vitocorleone123 said:


> What is this “standing up from the computer” of which you speak? 😀


I always do. I could never have a keyboard sitting right in front of the PC.

I didn't have any hardware synths or workstations (discounting a cheapie Casio I have now which gets no serious use); either I used someone else's or did without. Plus a lot of the synths people had were these little 49-key or less things which I can't use.


----------



## dgburns

charlieclouser said:


> Yeah, it's been a couple of decades since I had the OB-8, and I remember liking it but wondering why I couldn't get exactly to the Killing Joke sounds I fell in love with - and then I played my buddy's OBXa, and there it was. But I think the OBXa is less full-featured and of course no factory MIDI, so I never bothered to get one.
> 
> But if the Behringer is half decent it might be worth a try. I will say that the OB-6 is my favorite of all the recent Dave Smith / Sequential poly synths, but I do not have one of my own.... yet.



Killing Joke, now there’s a band I have not heard in a dog’s age. Brighter then a Thousand Suns.


----------



## Crowe

Currently, my only hardware synths are an OP-1 and Novation Circuit. Not at all suitable for the music I'm trying to make but just so much fun and very _portable. _I use them to have fun. Also I do some Sound Design on the OP-1.

There's some hardware synths on my list of future purchases but rounding out my Orchestral setup took priority. I've also got so many vst synths now anything hardware I'd get would need to be something special.


----------



## Greg

charlieclouser said:


> Very nice choices. I did have a Pro One at one point, not sure exactly what happened to it or why it's not still here. Definitely the machine of choice for industrial / EBM bass lines. Way more aggro than a MiniMoog or MS-20 for sure.
> 
> I think the Pro One was actually the first synth I ever touched - the keyboard player in the terrible band I played drums in around eleventh grade had one and I borrowed it for a while - and my fate was sealed. Took me a few years to get one of my own though. I think I paid $250 for it out of a classified ad in the Village Voice around 1985.



I freakin loooove how aggressive and snappy it is. Actually bought mine from Alessandro Cortini so will probably take it to my grave as he is such a massive inspiration for me


----------



## HeliaVox

I decided to go in the box over a decade ago, but I had to cave with the Korg Wavestate. 
I was a HUGE Wavestation user back in the 90's and was so thrilled to see it updated.
I also have a VL70m that I use with my WX5, and a Theremini.
But I rarely use either of those, and am thinking of selling them.


----------



## charlieclouser

dgburns said:


> Killing Joke, now there’s a band I have not heard in a dog’s age. Brighter then a Thousand Suns.



Still one of my favorites. Hugely influential for everyone from Nirvana to NIN to Metallica and beyond, they are favorites of Jimmy Page and absolutely one of the original pillars of the big, dark, evil sound - tribal-industrial doom music for the ages. Jaz Coleman's voice is one of the most terrifying ever, and that album cover art from 1980 is one of my favorite images of all time:






Weirdly spiritual, ritualistic, war-music to listen to as you dance around the funeral pyre of civilization. 






I worked with them a few times over the years, and I saw them as recently as two years ago maybe? Geordie's still wielding the same weapon that he's played for 40+ years:






There's a fascinating documentary about the band called The Death And Resurrection Show, which you can watch on Amazon Prime , and Jaz has composed some impressive orchestral works as well. Here's a neat rundown of the band:









Killing Joke: The Weird, Wild Story of Revered Cult Industrial Pioneers


Metallica covered them. Nirvana ripped them off. Nine Inch Nails remixed them. But that's just the tip of the iceberg.




www.revolvermag.com





Great band.


----------



## charlieclouser

Greg said:


> I freakin loooove how aggressive and snappy it is. Actually bought mine from Alessandro Cortini so will probably take it to my grave as he is such a massive inspiration for me



Yeah, it's a mean little bugger for sure, love it. U-He's RePro captures the spirit pretty well too.


----------



## givemenoughrope

charlieclouser said:


> Still one of my favorites. Hugely influential for everyone from Nirvana to NIN to Metallica and beyond, they are favorites of Jimmy Page and absolutely one of the original pillars of the big, dark, evil sound - tribal-industrial doom music for the ages. Jaz Coleman's voice is one of the most terrifying ever, and that album cover art from 1980 is one of my favorite images of all time:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Weirdly spiritual, ritualistic, war-music to listen to as you dance around the funeral pyre of civilization.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I worked with them a few times over the years, and I saw them as recently as two years ago maybe? Geordie's still wielding the same weapon that he's played for 40+ years:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> There's a fascinating documentary about the band called The Death And Resurrection Show, which you can watch on Amazon Prime , and Jaz has composed some impressive orchestral works as well. Here's a neat rundown of the band:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Killing Joke: The Weird, Wild Story of Revered Cult Industrial Pioneers
> 
> 
> Metallica covered them. Nirvana ripped them off. Nine Inch Nails remixed them. But that's just the tip of the iceberg.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.revolvermag.com
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Great band.



love KJ. Caught the last couple LA shows. Still heavy as hell.


----------



## Banquet

I started building up some synths, but recently they came out of my studio room (small spare bedroom) while decorating and I just felt so much better about the room and lack of cables and associated dust everywhere!

So I thought long and hard about what I wanted from hardware and ergonomics are always an important issue for me. My conclusion for me was that as nice as Hardware is for turning knobs and the gratification of using it... in some cases that wasn't enough and I was tending to gravitate to software for actual recordings due to the ease of editing afterwards etc. However it's so nice with HW to be able to turn it on instantly, get an arp or sequence going and just get a jam started that is so creatively inspiring and that isn't something DAWs are very good at.

In the end I sold the synths that I felt, however much I loved them, were really only doing the same thing a software synth would do. That was the Novation Peak, MS20mini, Korg Arp Odyssey, Minilogue.

I kept what I felt would be harder to replicate in software, which is an Analog RYTM II (amazing sampler, analog engine, and for creating evolving beats on the fly with probability trigs, etc). And the Moog Grandmother, Mother 32 and Subharmonicon. The semi-modular aspect of these and the sequencers and arps with random elements you can modulate would not be in the same league on software. They are all also quite small and can sit nicely to the side on my desk with the DAW laptop. For the 3 Moog synths, I have 3 effect pedals (Strymon Volante, Chase Bliss Mood and Meris Mercury 7) so that I can get interesting effects without needing software for that. I also have a zoom recorder and hence I don't need to use software at all if I just want to make a track with this little but powerful quartet.

I also have a the Arturia Keystep keyboard that is midi sync'd to the hardware, but will run from the DAW. So I can load up DIVA, REPRO, Pigments - Eric Whitacre Choir even - whatever VST I want and sequence it from the Keystep and it becomes very much part of the quartet of hardware synths. Between them it's amazing what you can create in a small space.

So that's my kind of zen balance of hardware creativity without getting too unwieldy.


----------



## CGR

Recently sold a Korg Poly 800 after years of it collecting dust. Sold a few other modules (Roland JV1080, Yamaha 'something') and keyboards in the preceding years. Apart from a Yamaha CP4 Stage (great gigging board and controller for sampled pianos) the only synth hardware I still have is a Korg Wavestation SR (rack mount unit) with 3 expansion cards. Still fire it up occasionally - huge complex sounds. 

Biggest regret in selling my hardware: a mint condition Roland 808 with a memory expansion mod by Robin Whittle. That was many years ago when I was young & stupid.


----------



## CGR

Banquet said:


> I started building up some synths, but recently they came out of my studio room (small spare bedroom) while decorating and I just felt so much better about the room and lack of cables and associated dust everywhere!
> 
> So I thought long and hard about what I wanted from hardware and ergonomics are always an important issue for me. My conclusion for me was that as nice as Hardware is for turning knobs and the gratification of using it... in some cases that wasn't enough and I was tending to gravitate to software for actual recordings due to the ease of editing afterwards etc. However it's so nice with HW to be able to turn it on instantly, get an arp or sequence going and just get a jam started that is so creatively inspiring and that isn't something DAWs are very good at.
> 
> In the end I sold the synths that I felt, however much I loved them, were really only doing the same thing a software synth would do. That was the Novation Peak, MS20mini, Korg Arp Odyssey, Minilogue.
> 
> I kept what I felt would be harder to replicate in software, which is an Analog RYTM II (amazing sampler, analog engine, and for creating evolving beats on the fly with probability trigs, etc). And the Moog Grandmother, Mother 32 and Subharmonicon. The semi-modular aspect of these and the sequencers and arps with random elements you can modulate would not be in the same league on software. They are all also quite small and can sit nicely to the side on my desk with the DAW laptop. For the 3 Moog synths, I have 3 effect pedals (Strymon Volante, Chase Bliss Mood and Meris Mercury 7) so that I can get interesting effects without needing software for that. I also have a zoom recorder and hence I don't need to use software at all if I just want to make a track with this little but powerful quartet.
> 
> I also have a the Arturia Keystep keyboard that is midi sync'd to the hardware, but will run from the DAW. So I can load up DIVA, REPRO, Pigments - Eric Whitacre Choir even - whatever VST I want and sequence it from the Keystep and it becomes very much part of the quartet of hardware synths. Between them it's amazing what you can create in a small space.
> 
> So that's my kind of zen balance of hardware creativity without getting too unwieldy.



I like your reasoning.


----------



## rgames

After decades of never having one, I bought my first hardware synth three years ago. Now I have five.

Is there a support group?

They definitely get used in a lot of different tracks. The immediacy of labeled knobs and sliders is what 
does it for me. Software is more flexible but hardware is more engaging. It's a totally different experience that you have to at leat try at some point. But be careful because you might wind up like me - decades with no hardware synths then five in three years.

The Pro3 is probabaly my favorite right now. That "Old Saw" patch is soooooo juicy and fat and that synth just makes a lot of sense to me. I love that giant filter knob.

rgames


----------



## Crowe

rgames said:


> After decades of never having one, I bought my first hardware synth three years ago. Now I have five.
> 
> Is there a support group?



You mean like the one we have here for sound libraries that really only helps us feel better about being addicts?

You can try Gearslutz but they require installation of a snobbery-module when you sign up.


----------



## Banquet

CGR said:


> I like your reasoning.


Thanks, here's a couple quick pics of the setup. It works nicely for me. Another factor is I keep reading that limitation is great for creativity. I have so many VSTs and some I barely know how to use. But keeping the hardware to a handful of items, apart from saving space, I think is helping me in terms of simpler but more carefully thought out structure to music.


----------



## stixman

I recently upgraded my hybrid musical setup for live performances so not everything is connected right now about 80% there...I got my dream hybrid setup finally 5Tb sample library ryzen 3950x tb3 into usamo into Cirklon....I started to list my hw but after reaching 30 items I thought better to post some photos instead in a few days time..


----------



## CGR

Banquet said:


> Thanks, here's a couple quick pics of the setup. It works nicely for me. Another factor is I keep reading that limitation is great for creativity. I have so many VSTs and some I barely know how to use. But keeping the hardware to a handful of items, apart from saving space, I think is helping me in terms of simpler but more carefully thought out structure to music.


Nice one - looks like a well organised and efficient space for creating. My first job was as a Graphic Designer in a Graphic & Photography Studio in Melbourne, with an Arts based clientele. Early on in my career the owner of the studio was briefing me on a design job, and made the analogy of saying that creating a design concept with 3 or 4 grey lead pencils is likely to yield a result with more integrity than having a box of 72 coloured Derwent pencils to play with. Leave the colouring in till later.


----------



## vitocorleone123

peladio said:


> Prophet-5, OB-6 and Voyager but they rarely get turned on..plugins are more convenient and sound as good as hardware nowadays..u-he Repro sounds identical to my Prophet..


Agree to disagree on that plugins sound as good as hardware as a blanket statement.

Some plugins sound as good as some hardware. Most plugins still struggle with resonance, for example, in that it doesn't sound the same as hardware (it sounds worse... sometimes much worse). I also bought hardware for which there are no plugin emulations. That OB-6 you have - there's nothing that sounds the same in the plugin world (trust me - I looked and would happily have paid $500+ for a plugin that sounded the same before buying the hardware). 

Plugins ARE more convenient, but - and maybe this is because I stayed DAW-centralized and sync MIDI via a USAMO etc. with desktop modules all right on hand so I don't even have to turn my body away from the computer - recording my hardware is pretty easy for me at this point.


----------



## vitocorleone123

Here’s the current setup with the gaps on the shelves I mentioned that’ll be filled within the next month or so with 2 Meris pedals. And, yes, a fake track with no parts in S1 just so I could have something on the screen 😃






(and, yes, I monitor through headphones, not those tiny little Cambridge Audio desktop speakers I've had for 20 years or more)


----------



## Banquet

vitocorleone123 said:


> Here’s the current setup with the gaps i mentioned that’ll be filled within the next month or so with 2 Meris pedals. And, yes, a fake track with no parts in S1 just so I could have something on the screen 😃



Looking good. I would love the OB6 module!


----------



## Wally Garten

My approach to hardware has been that I either want sounds that aren't typically modeled in software, or I want a physical workflow that gets me out of my head, or both. To the latter point, a lot of my hardware use in the past year or so has been _controllers_: the TEControl breath controller, the Expressive E Touche, the Keystep. One of the things hardware is really good for is _performance_ -- I don't necessarily even mean stage performance, but just getting some human flow going.

But in terms of actual synths, these are my babies:

*Workhorses:*

- Make Noise 0-Coast: A tabletop synth that acts like a modular. It's billed as a hybrid of "East Coast" and "West Coast" synthesis, so the oscillator and what essentially amounts to a couple of different types of envelopes take some getting used to. But it's endlessly patchable, and those "envelope"-ish modules are so tight that it's capable of absolutely killer bass and percussive sounds. In the mainstream, non-modular market, there's nothing else quite like it. _If I had to choose a single hardware synth to complement my software, this would be it._

- Elektron Digitone: I think I'm in the minority, but I don't actually love Elektron's sequencing workflow. So I haven't used it as a groovebox as much as I should. But this is one of the best implementations of FM around, hardware or software, with clever onscreen visualizations that make it pretty easy to dial in a sound (certainly compared to fighting with DX-style programming, and I like it better than Dexed or FM8, too).

*Bastl Weirdos:*

I love the developer Bastl -- all their stuff is wild and mysterious, and I freely admit that after several years with each, I'm not that much closer to understanding how they work. But precisely for that reason, it feels a little like doing magic whenever I use them.

- Bastl BitRanger: A "patchable analog logic computer," it specializes in melodies with weird, off-kilter rhythms, thanks to a patchbay full of clock divider options that can be applied to both timing and pitch. It can quickly go into the realm of nasty noise, but it can also come up with strange melodic content that, if you control the timing with CV, can create a really hardcore groove. Sometimes sounds better with a bit of filtering to control some of the high-end shriekiness.

- Bastl SoftPop: High resonance, "acid" sound that's constantly changing, not entirely under any clear kind of control. To make up for that, it has a pretty good envelope follower -- so you plug in an external audio source and the SoftPop does weird, squelchy stuff to it. I find it basically useless for melodic playing, but great for effects.

- Bastl Microgranny: A lo-fi granular synth. It's a bit of a pain in the ass to load samples onto it, and this is the one I use least. But it's great for glitching.

*Fun Stuff:*

- Volca Sample: cool groovebox with a lot of limitations, but also a lot of crunchy, lo-fi sample-mangling capabilities.

- Roland VP-03: a decent, if digital, emulation of the VP-330, it's a nice-sounding vocoder and a simple string machine rolled into one. (If I were starting fresh, I might get the Behringer analog clone instead, but....)

- Teenage Engineering Pocket Operators: the smallest and cheapest of grooveboxes, but the programming is fun and easy once you get the hang of working within its limits, and you can quickly dial up a pretty cool rhythm part.

- Yamaha CP Reface: just a nice electric piano for noodling on the couch.

*Favorite Used-to-Have:*

Arturia Drumbrute: nasty, metallic analog drum machine with a great sequencer. Takes well to distortion. I can't say it will replace anybody's 808 (or, relevant to this sub, your orchestral or "hybrid" drum hits), but it's definitely a unique sound. I used it as my sole drum machine for a whole album.


----------



## khollister

I have a Roland System-8, ASM Hydrasynth keyboard and Korg Minilogue XD module. The only thing I'm jonesing for at the moment is a Moog Matriarch and Subharmonicon.


----------



## pmountford

vitocorleone123 said:


> And, yes, a fake track with no parts in S1 just so I could have something on the screen


Funny that, I've got quite a few Cubase projects that look just like that


----------



## dgburns

vitocorleone123 said:


> Agree to disagree on that plugins sound as good as hardware as a blanket statement.
> 
> Some plugins sound as good as some hardware. Most plugins still struggle with resonance, for example, in that it doesn't sound the same as hardware (it sounds worse... sometimes much worse). I also bought hardware for which there are no plugin emulations. That OB-6 you have - there's nothing that sounds the same in the plugin world (trust me - I looked and would happily have paid $500+ for a plugin that sounded the same before buying the hardware).
> 
> Plugins ARE more convenient, but - and maybe this is because I stayed DAW-centralized and sync MIDI via a USAMO etc. with desktop modules all right on hand so I don't even have to turn my body away from the computer - recording my hardware is pretty easy for me at this point.



Dear OB6 owners. Please enlighten me. I did a whirl with one at the local store a while back, the desktop version. Walked away feeling underwhelmed. I tried the Prophet 6 too, keyboard version, which for some reason fared better, but maybe only by a bit.
I keep hearing people rave about this OB6, and I wanna believe, but so far I’m not converted. What are the strengths? what are you turning to it for ? 

( gotta confess omni 2 is providing me with my oberheim fix )


----------



## vitocorleone123

dgburns said:


> Dear OB6 owners. Please enlighten me. I did a whirl with one at the local store a while back, the desktop version. Walked away feeling underwhelmed. I tried the Prophet 6 too, keyboard version, which for some reason fared better, but maybe only by a bit.
> I keep hearing people rave about this OB6, and I wanna believe, but so far I’m not converted. What are the strengths? what are you turning to it for ?
> 
> ( gotta confess omni 2 is providing me with my oberheim fix )



Well. I believe a synth will either "speak" to you, or not. Maybe you're a Moog person. Or a Roland. Etc. That's OK, and a reason there's so many options out there!

I turn to the OB-6 for almost any synth sound that isn't "digital" (in which case I turn to Hive 2 first) or heavily modulated (else I just add that in externally... but I generally don't add a lot of modulation to anything without external effects). Also, punchy basslines aren't necessarily it's forte, especially fast ones (in which case I turn to either Repro 1 or my SE-02). This is because of the 12db filter. Seeing as I've never had a lowpass filter on a synth, I don't miss it. That said, each osc is pretty hefty on the OB-6, and even just using the 6 voices of one osc is often enough. Both oscs plus the sub osc can be intense.

I liked the Prophet 6 a lot, but found it comparatively bland compared to using the OB-6, which gave me chills once I started turning that filter knob. First time that happened in my life from a musical instrument. There's no plugin like it (bx_oberhausen is probably most similar, and that's just barely so). Also, it takes time with both to really start getting the most from them. They need to be internally gain staged, too, for best results (turn down the amp envelope to 66% or so for starters). And then the knobs have wide ranges, so small movements can make big differences. I've had mine for 11 months, with regular and frequent use, and I'm still learning new things about what it can do.

Omnisphere is really not like the OB-6. I have Omni, too. So far, the OB-6 is a unique creation because it blends 2/3 Prophet 6 with 1/3 Oberheim. Or thereabouts.

The OB-6 can be so beautiful it can almost bring literal tears to my eyes. Or so nasty and clangorous that it's brutal and gets me pumped up. So sweet I can get lost in the sound for hours. So aggressive I'm practically pounding my fist on the desk next to it in time with the arp. The OB-6 has quite a bit of character. You can tone it down so it sounds like a more generic 12db filter synth, or you can let it rip and anyone with synth knowledge will know exactly what it is. And love it. Admittedly, it's easier to let the character shine through than to tone it down, but it IS possible to tone it down.

I'll have mine until it stops working and can't be repaired. However many years that is. May it be decades.


----------



## Stevie

I have my OB-6 for about 6 months and still haven’t dived into programming it. Due to lack of time I had to use some presets on recent projects. What would you recommend as a starting point to get familiar with the OB-6? You seem to have a really good understanding of the synth.


----------



## vitocorleone123

Stevie said:


> I have my OB-6 for about 6 months and still haven’t dived into programming it. Due to lack of time I had to use some presets on recent projects. What would you recommend as a starting point to get familiar with the OB-6? You seem to have a really good understanding of the synth.



Hi! Yeah, sometimes life and time are mutually exclusive.

If you haven't already watched them, I highly, highly recommend the whole OB-6 overview series by Automatic Gainsay on Youtube. Here's Part 1



Definitely turn your osc volume down to 75% or so to start, and the Amp Envelope down to 66% or so to start. This allows the synth to have a more dynamic response - going higher somewhere in that dial turn starts getting into some overdrive and flattening things out a bit. Also doesn't leave room for the LFO or aftertouch assigned to the amp if it's already at 100%.

Also, though the usability sort of sucks, I highly recommend spending the money to get the Sound Tower editor (not the VST one) for an almost 1:1 map of the synth in software so that you can deconstruct the factory patches. Additionally, consider buying some 3rd party ones that might be more closely aligned to your interests - if any exist... though you'll have to load them with MIDIOX or something similar that can send Sysex.

Speaking of time, gotta go. Start with those and let me know what you think, questions, etc. I'm no professional, but I'll do my best.


----------



## Stevie

Thank you! That’s a lot of good info! I hope I can give it a huge spin during holidays 🤗


----------



## joed

My OBXa and D50 still get used from time to time.


----------



## shponglefan

vitocorleone123 said:


> Here’s the current setup with the gaps on the shelves I mentioned that’ll be filled within the next month or so with 2 Meris pedals. And, yes, a fake track with no parts in S1 just so I could have something on the screen 😃
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> (and, yes, I monitor through headphones, not those tiny little Cambridge Audio desktop speakers I've had for 20 years or more)



That is a lovely set up. What shelving system in that? I'd love to get something like that for my own desk.


----------



## vitocorleone123

shponglefan said:


> That is a lovely set up. What shelving system in that? I'd love to get something like that for my own desk.


Thanks!

KVGear

This is the M3 plus 3 medium shelves. They have a 2-tier that’s intended for larger synths (and can fit a larger shelf if desired). They also have a few other stands for Volca, Boutique, and Elektron, and more.

The new Gear Rail stand looks pretty good, too. I'd totally get that if I had a large keyboard on my desk rather than modules.


----------



## yves

Love reading all your posts . I used to own quite a few rackmounted hardware synths when I was touring in the 90’s and early 2K . Sold everything in the following years as I migrated to the laptop solution with all it’s pros and cons . One regret , I sold my mint Prophet VS rack . 
i think there’s great hardware synths produced nowadays . I think it’s all about workflow and how to integrate everything together .


----------



## givemenoughrope

DSI Prophet 12 desktop
Mutable Instruments Ambika
Ixox PreenFM2
(hope to get the FM3 soon)
DSI Tetra
(and selling a Mopho keyboard, any takers?)
DSI Evolver desktop
Waldorf Pulse 2
Novation BS2
Moog Minitaur
(might get a Slim Phatty eventually)

I bought all used. All portable. All save patches, mod matrix, plenty of CC's and software VST editors (some of them free).

I run them through an old Mackie mixer with the Strymon Timeline/Big Sky, Eventide H9, and a bunch of guitar pedals/Pigtronix reamp/dual fx loop pedal thing, Furman Spring Reverb and an old Echoplex that isn't grounded properly and shocks me occasionally. I treat them like one big synth. Sometimes I run the ones with only LP filters into the BS2 or Pulse2 for a HP too.

I'm happily synthed but still have a wandering eye when newer things come out. The only types I kind of lust over that I've never really had are Physical Modeling/Modal synths ala MI Elements and Intellijel Plonk but those are modular and the VCV Rack/AAS versions already exist...


----------



## Ndee

As a long-time ITB evangelist and a recent outboard acolyte, an old sampler is something I've founded hard to replace throughout the history of various setups.

While it takes time to program it and record samples (on actual disks!), my Akai s1100 gives me results I haven't managed to nail down otherwise.

Its DA converters def have a "sound", one which I like (neither hi-fi nor neutral...). And the way your samples clash together & the things you can do with built-in effects and lfo's and whatnot make for a very unique sound design experience. It just makes me think in different ways of layers and modulation.

What I like to do is program a beat or a melody with a softsynth/VI, and then sample bits of it with the S1100, create a MIDI pattern in my DAW for controling the Akai, then drive the signal through some outboard gear - a saturator, a high-end compressor and a dirty eq - and mix the "remixed" version in with the original sounds. There's nothing quite like it. Used the Akai for years, shelved it, and just recently pulled it out and am in love again.

I also use a monophonic analog modular synthesizer for background noises and FX sounds, rarely for melodies, actually. It's a wild beast, mkaing it incredibly easy to create pulsating, organic soundscapes or gnarly sounds without killing my wrists with drawing automation or whatnot.

Both tools I find indispensable for breathing some life into my audio work. I try to only buy outboard gear or instruments that actually make a difference and have a strong character - the pristine, flawless stuff is a breeze with a computer. Best of both worlds!


----------



## Stephen Baysted

Not in the studio at the moment, so I think I've covered everything: 

Roland Jupiter 80 
Waldorf Quantum 
Sequential Rev 2
Sequential Six Trak 
Tasty Chips GR 1
Korg Wavestate
Roland JD 800
Roland JP 8000
Roland V Synth XT
Moog Sub 37
Arturia Matrixbrute
Virus B
Roland XV5050
EMU Proteus 2000
Yamaha DX11
Novation KS Rack
Kawai K1m 
Korg Minilogue
Korg X5 DR

Everything is midi'ed up and goes through the patchbay so always ready to go and in my template each has its own midi and audio channel. Synths I use the most are the Jupiter 80, Waldorf Quantum and the Matrixbrute.


----------



## Ndee

therapy is nice, sure, but it was getting a patchbay that saved my mental health


----------



## Virtuoso

charlieclouser said:


> - Korg Poly-800 = It was all I could afford at the time it came out and it is garbage. Home-organ level of sound quality. No amount of delay, chorus, and reverb will help.


lol - that was my first keyboard back in 1983. I'm still haunted by the demo song which, if memory serves, you had to load in from cassette tape! I couldn't afford the DSS-1 that I really wanted and it took me another 3 years to get a used DW6000.

For about 10 years I've been using a Yamaha CP1 as my main controller alongside a Montage 8, a Fantom 8, an Avant Grand N3 and a King Korg (blame Cory Henry for that one). My only analog is a Moog Sub37. I still have an original Kronos 61 but haven't switched it on for about 5 years!


----------



## charlieclouser

Virtuoso said:


> lol - that was my first keyboard back in 1983. I'm still haunted by the demo song which, if memory serves, you had to load in from cassette tape! I couldn't afford the DSS-1 that I really wanted and it took me another 3 years to get a used DW6000.
> 
> For about 10 years I've been using a Yamaha CP1 as my main controller alongside a Montage 8, a Fantom 8, an Avant Grand N3 and a King Korg (blame Cory Henry for that one). My only analog is a Moog Sub37. I still have an original Kronos 61 but haven't switched it on for about 5 years!



Yup, cassette dumps. I had that process down to a science. There was a Radio Shack cassette recorder - the kind with the push-buttons along the front side - that had exactly the right signal levels to work every time, and we all had that deck. 

Somewhere I actually have WAV files of the last dumps from a few of my cassette-dump-only synths, but it's not likely that I'll ever use those!

The Sub37 and its various incarnations are great synths. Feature-wise they destroy the MiniMoog except for that third oscillator on the Mini, and I was always surprised that they didn't do a "Sub Mini" that married the advanced feature set of the Sub series (step sequencer, filter drive, etc.) with the basic engine of the Mini. A buddy who is an old-school purist and has slowly built up, as he puts it, "Stevie Wonder's rig circa '71", has assembled a collection that includes perfect examples of a B3+122, Wurlitzer, Rhodes Mk1 Stage 73, and a CP-70, and he wanted to get a vintage Model D but "settled" for a Sub37 - and he has no regrets. It's a great synth.


----------



## pmountford

I'm noticing quite a lot of love and use for the MatrixBrute monosynth. Would that be replaced by the newly released Arturia PolyBrute now or are they totally different beasts? I guess I'm asking if there is still a place for the MatrixBrute alongside the PolyBrute? (Curious as used MatrixBrute's are almost 1/2 the price of a new Poly).


----------



## whinecellar

pmountford said:


> I'm noticing quite a lot of love and use for the MatrixBrute monosynth. Would that be replaced by the newly released Arturia PolyBrute now or are they totally different beasts? I guess I'm asking if there is still a place for the MatrixBrute alongside the PolyBrute? (Curious as used MatrixBrute's are almost 1/2 the price of a new Poly).



I absolutely love mine - it's an insanely deep piece of gear and sounds incredible. I chose it over the competition from Moog, honestly - it can cover so much of that same territory and then some.

I haven't played a PolyBrute yet so I'm not sure how much overlap there is, but there certainly seems to be shared DNA. I'm hoping to have a review unit in soon... the demos I've heard sound really good!


----------



## Stephen Baysted

whinecellar said:


> I absolutely love mine - it's an insanely deep piece of gear and sounds incredible. I chose it over the competition from Moog, honestly - it can cover so much of that same territory and then some.
> 
> I haven't played a PolyBrute yet so I'm not sure how much overlap there is, but there certainly seems to be shared DNA. I'm hoping to have a review unit in soon... the demos I've heard sound really good!



Yep, agreed. The Matrixbrute is a great synth and really easy to program too. The mod matrix and sequencer are both brilliant.


----------



## Snoobydoobydoo

Man has DSI's quality degraded? I have just recieved a new Prophet6 and the wooden panels have dents (keybed inner side), the powerport is loose and one key is clicking, also the Sequential Logo looks like it was applied by an ape. Disgraceful. Contition was new, but the QA looks like a failure. Will send it back and get it replaced.


----------



## whinecellar

Snoobydoobydoo said:


> Man has DSI's quality degraded? I have just recieved a new Prophet6 and the wooden panels have dents (keybed inner side), the powerport is loose and one key is clicking, also the Sequential Logo looks like it was applied by an ape. Disgraceful. Contition was new, but the QA looks like a failure. Will send it back and get it replaced.


Wow, so sorry! I hope that doesn’t indicate a trend. I know they’ve had their hands full with the Prophet 5 reissue, and a few problems with those as well - thankfully mine was flawless. They’re a very small company so any bumps in the road are painful. Hope you get it resolved!


----------



## Snoobydoobydoo

whinecellar said:


> Wow, so sorry! I hope that doesn’t indicate a trend. I know they’ve had their hands full with the Prophet 5 reissue, and a few problems with those as well - thankfully mine was flawless. They’re a very small company so any bumps in the road are painful. Hope you get it resolved!


Yea, i hope they dont go the moog route, where customer support can be a pain 
and there are those troubles with power supplies...aside from QA on the keys.
I had a Prophet 6 some years ago already and that was flawless. Ill get it replaced,
and if they fail again, theres still the OB-6 on my list.
Still love the sound like nothing else, sweetspots everywhere and its so fast to get 
something done that i can just record the way it is, software cant compete for me
in terms of speed.


----------



## whinecellar

Snoobydoobydoo said:


> Still love the sound like nothing else, sweetspots everywhere and its so fast to get
> something done that i can just record the way it is, software cant compete for me
> in terms of speed.


Agreed. The Prophet 5 was never really high on my “must have” list, but it has completely up-ended my expectations. I’m going to be selling several of my hardware synths now - it’s just incredible how much better it sounds, and the inspiration I get from interacting with it over many of my other optIons. So good.


----------



## antret

Hi! 

Like a few here, I have had some hardware synths over the years, but got rid of them as I went in the box. I’m a guitar player, so most of my hardware gear really is amps and pedals. . Though I have a few left ... Yamaha ex5, Korg m3, newest electrons and the deep mind 12. 

The others are kind of set up in a ‘hardware only’ configuration on another desk. The ex5 is my controller and the deep mind sees the most action. 

Ergonomics and workflow are tricky with hardware, but I finally figured out how to share the deep mind usb connection between the DAW and software editor/ VST editor using a combo of midi-ox and Loop Midi (I’m on windows). This is a recent discovery, so the deep mind will see more track appearances I’m sure.


----------



## FGBR

Just got a reissue Prophet 10 rev 4, love it 
Also have a Pro 3 coming.




method1 said:


> I've been selling off my (mostly vintage) collection over the last couple years.
> I kind of miss them but don't miss the headache of owning vintage gear.
> I still have a few of the classics, mostly Roland (jupiter 4,6,8 & Junos) but planning on selling those as well.
> 
> Strangely the only synth I used extensively in the last year or so was the Moog DFAM, such a cool synth for cinematic textures and percussion.



method1, how are you syncing up the DFAM? 
I'm interested in getting one, but it seems a bit cumbersome without midi in.


----------



## method1

FGBR said:


> Just got a reissue Prophet 10 rev 4, love it
> Also have a Pro 3 coming.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> method1, how are you syncing up the DFAM?
> I'm interested in getting one, but it seems a bit cumbersome without midi in.


I'm using a korg sq-1 for sync.


----------



## re-peat

Yamaha Montage & Korg Z1.

_


----------



## whinecellar

FGBR said:


> FGBR said:
> 
> 
> 
> Just got a reissue Prophet 10 rev 4, love it
Click to expand...

Man, I can’t stop playing mine. Just an incredible synth all the way around!


----------



## FGBR

method1 said:


> I'm using a korg sq-1 for sync.


Thanks! I think I might give the DFAM a go, love the sounds and think it could prove quite useful. Should be possible to sync it with a Keystep 37 I have on the way now that I've looked into it a bit more. 



whinecellar said:


> Man, I can’t stop playing mine. Just an incredible synth all the way around!


Exactly how I feel, awesome synth!


----------



## cloudbuster

[/QUOTE]


charlieclouser said:


> - Korg Poly-800 = It was all I could afford at the time it came out and it is garbage. Home-organ level of sound quality. No amount of delay, chorus, and reverb will help.


I bought mine in '84 because I needed something polyphonic to travel ... bad idea, even my tiny Yamaha CS-01 sounded better to me but that was monophonic only. 
(I once had an argument with a dude on KVR who wasn't even born back then on how 'retro' or whatever the 800 sounded to him ... he probably never even tried one of those paddles; can't think of a single VSTi in my stash that sounds remotely lifeless, lol)



Virtuoso said:


> lol - that was my first keyboard back in 1983. I'm still haunted by the demo song which, if memory serves, you had to load in from cassette tape! I couldn't afford the DSS-1 that I really wanted and it took me another 3 years to get a used DW6000.



I never owned a DW6000 but like I've posted somewhere above the only synth I'm somehow missing is my beautiful blue Korg MonoPoly; I just love the sound of that thing, but not being able to save presets just drove me nuts back then.

(I still use the virtual MonoPoly from the legacy collection here and there; sounds pretty darn raw and close to the real thing, minus the bl..dy hum & noise, great for some 90s house and garage AND it lets me save those 🎛️🎛️🎛️🎛️🎛️🎛️🎛️🎛️🎛️ 😜


----------



## StillLife

My little story:

got my first synth in 1989: Yamaha sy55. Still have that one, thought it is in its flightcase, on top of a closet. This thread might lead to me to get it out again, though… Loved it, as it enabled me to play in a band. After a few years I decided to upgrade to a Motif 6. Served me well for a few year, before I sold it to get a Nord Electro 3, as I only played acoustic sounds at the time. Began missing synth sounds and sold it, to get a Nord Stage 2. Great sounding keyboard, but not so great keybed. Also, its synth capabilities were meagre. Then, september 2019, I saw video’s about the new Roland Fantom-series. I was flabberghasted by its possiblities, sold the Nord and my Kawai vpc1 controller and bought a Fantom7 for live use and an 8 for in the home studio. Incredible boards, but… too much possibillities were not used by me, I thought the acousitic sounds were a bit too digital and the weight of the Fantom7 in its case… not funny. Sold both after a year and replaced them with the new yamaha yc61 and an Arturia Polybrute. Both are fantastic: the Yamaha is great for band work and the Polybrute has learned me a lot about analog synthesis, and it is just so inspiring to play with. The poly will not leave the house, though, so I am thinking about adding a smaller, lighter synth to connect to the YC61. Contenders, thusfar: minibrute 2, minilogue xd, and Sequential pro3. And maybe a drumsynth one day? Drumbrute?


----------



## Ned Bouhalassa

What’s Eurorack ever done to you? Electric shock?


----------



## pmountford

StillLife said:


> Contenders, thusfar: minibrute 2, minilogue xd, and Sequential pro3.


Love my Pro 3 but not what I'd call lightweight for such a small keyboard. But it oozes personality.


----------



## zwhita

Ned Bouhalassa said:


> What’s Eurorack ever done to you? Electric shock?


Modern modular synthesis is naught more than a ruse created by laid-off electrical engineers to prey on the vulnerabilities of a very particular psychosis. Watch the full unedited documentary "I Dream of Wires" to get an idea of who is at risk.
Modular systems destroy bank accounts, precious time, even more precious creativity, and they tend to produce results that are either generally obnoxious or much more easily and cheaply reproducible by other means.

Just Say No Kids.


----------



## SupremeFist

StillLife said:


> And maybe a drumsynth one day? Drumbrute?


I just got a Roland TR-6S and love it. So much better than samples.


----------



## Wally Garten

zwhita said:


> Modern modular synthesis is naught more than a ruse created by laid-off electrical engineers to prey on the vulnerabilities of a very particular psychosis. Watch the full unedited documentary "I Dream of Wires" to get an idea of who is at risk.
> Modular systems destroy bank accounts, precious time, even more precious creativity, and they tend to produce results that are either generally obnoxious or much more easily and cheaply reproducible by other means.
> 
> Just Say No Kids.


How DARE you? These bleeps and bloops are unique and special!


----------



## Wally Garten

StillLife said:


> And maybe a drumsynth one day? Drumbrute?


The Drumbrute has a fantastic sequencer and is endless knob-twiddling fun. The actual sound, however, is very specific. (Kind of metallic.) So be sure you like that specific sound. 

Also, the different instruments are, strangely, not well-balanced to each other, so you have to fiddle with their respective volumes a good bit. It's by no means a dealbreaker, just something to be aware of.

But personally, I think it's a great drum machine!


----------



## mscp

pmountford said:


> So many videos of composer's studios with racks of synths but they're physically so far away from them working at the DAW it makes me wonder how much they get used.



It really depends what kind of work is involved. A lot of these newer synths are sterile and can be recreated on the computer if patience and time allow, but some are really interesting...for example Motor Synth, Vector something (forgot the name), ...



pmountford said:


> Yes, of course we have MIDI but you've still got to program and patch them.



Well, yeah. But it's fun, takes your eyes off the screen for a while, and the sound can be very rewarding in a shorter amount of time. One rule of thumb though for me is: I never sound design while composing. I always have my "sound design" hours. I can also just use it without having to turn the computer on, and depending how portable it is, bring it to another room. 




pmountford said:


> So what HW do you use that actually contributes to your workflow?


I have a few, but I'm always reaching out to Novation Peak (for quick custom patches) and my modular for sound design.


----------



## pmountford

Phil81 said:


> Well, yeah. But it's fun, takes your eyes off the screen for a while, and the sound can be very rewarding in a shorter amount of time.


I must admit when I started this thread I hadn't any synths in my studio so my questions were kind of trying to justify any investment. 8 months later and a handful of purchases, I'm having a little too much fun just learning and playing. There's so much more engagement that it's worth moving away from the comfort of the DAW.


----------



## mscp

pmountford said:


> I must admit when I started this thread I hadn't any synths in my studio so my questions were kind of trying to justify any investment. 8 months later and a handful of purchases, I'm having a little too much fun just learning and playing. There's so much more engagement that it's worth moving away from the comfort of the DAW.


If you want to play my game, tell me, for example, one synth you would be window shopping...and I might tell you why it would be a good or bad investment --- in my opinion of course.


----------



## Nick Batzdorf

Prized Yamaha VL1
Akai EWI 3020m (the underrated analog synth that goes with the EWI 3020 and also houses its brains)
Kurzweil K2500X (99% as a controller keyboard)

Oh, and who amongst us doesn't have a Yamaha FB-01 sitting around somewhere not being used?


----------



## pmountford

Phil81 said:


> If you want to play my game, tell me, for example, one synth you would be window shopping...and I might tell you why it would be a good or bad investment --- in my opinion of course.


Well I was picking up a Jupiter XM this week but I had to replace my DAW yesterday so no more synths for a while for me... But I'll gladly play your game, so let's say I am interested in window shopping either the Hydrasynth or Iridium... (so a poly that would compliment the only other polys I have which are Summit and MODX8)


----------



## mscp

pmountford said:


> Well I was picking up a Jupiter XM this week but I had to replace my DAW yesterday so no more synths for a while for me... But I'll gladly play your game, so let's say I am interested in window shopping either the Hydrasynth or Iridium... (so a poly that would compliment the only other polys I have which are Summit and MODX8)



Do you care about granular synthesis at all? If you do, and have a bit of time to dial in your own patches, I'd say go for the Iridium. It's a *beast*. You can also use the presets that come with it, but I found them to unlock only a part of what this thing is capable of. Mind you, the Iridium is a very "cold sounding" synth, but extremely 3 dimensional. I have one.

If you want to dial in a preset fast, don't care much about granular, and work with wavetables a lot, the Hydrasynth is your friend. Amazing synth as well, but I chose not to get it because I already have the equivalent in modular gear. This is a great synth for angry type sounds - either melodic or percussive.


----------



## pmountford

Phil81 said:


> Mind you, the Iridium is a very "cold sounding" synth, but extremely 3 dimensional. I have one.


So if I was window shopping at the other end of the temperature spectrum, are we talking Moog One?


----------



## mscp

pmountford said:


> So if I was window shopping at the other end of the temperature spectrum, are we talking Moog One?


To be honest, I wasn't inspired by the Moog One (especially the price). I do love my Voyager though. Not sure if I'd buy the One if I had the money. I'm super curious about the Motor Synth. https://www.gamechangeraudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/MS_MANUAL_DESKTOP_30_07_Download.pdf


----------



## digitallysane

As opposed to most on this forum, I'm a hobbyist and a beginner in both music and synthesis. So the interest in getting something that is inspiring as a learning tool in the first place (as opposed to a production tool).

So I just got a MODX6 and I enjoy it a lot so far. I find the workflow for programming it to be faster and more inviting than with a VSTi (especially for FM), and I love being able to just connect it to a pair of monitors and learn stuff without a PC.

Might complement it with a Reface CS or an UNO Synth Pro if I ever feel the need for analog, for now Falcon and Retrologue cover that nicely.


----------



## vitocorleone123

pmountford said:


> So if I was window shopping at the other end of the temperature spectrum, are we talking Moog One?


I think you'd be talking about The River, or a P5rev4, or maybe even an OB-6, over a Moog One (keeping it to polys) being more on the other end of the spectrum.


----------



## SupremeFist

Phil81 said:


> If you want to play my game, tell me, for example, one synth you would be window shopping...and I might tell you why it would be a good or bad investment --- in my opinion of course.


Novation Peak?


----------



## mscp

SupremeFist said:


> Novation Peak?


I have it. It covers a lot of ground for a polyphonic synth. Not sterile, but not a character synth either. With a little bit of patience, this thing can do everything you want (minus granular). You can also download lots of patches for it.


----------



## SupremeFist

Phil81 said:


> I have it. It covers a lot of ground for a polyphonic synth. Not sterile, but not a character synth either. With a little bit of patience, this thing can do everything you want (minus granular). You can also download lots of patches for it.


Good to know! I really like the look of the panel layout (separate sets of sliders for amp and filter envelopes), and the sound of the analogue distortion. Can the oscillators be made to drift/slop nicely?

Was also looking at the Rev2 but immediately Starsky Carr compared its filter to that of the P6 I lost interest in the former... (But I'm not a massive fan of the Prophet sound so don't want a P6 either.)

I would go Polybrute if money and space were no objects and might still...


----------



## mscp

SupremeFist said:


> Good to know! I really like the look of the panel layout (separate sets of sliders for amp and filter envelopes), and the sound of the analogue distortion. Can the oscillators be made to drift/slop nicely?



Yeah. It has two algorithms called drift and divergence.


----------



## vitocorleone123

SupremeFist said:


> Good to know! I really like the look of the panel layout (separate sets of sliders for amp and filter envelopes), and the sound of the analogue distortion. Can the oscillators be made to drift/slop nicely?
> 
> Was also looking at the Rev2 but immediately Starsky Carr compared its filter to that of the P6 I lost interest in the former... (But I'm not a massive fan of the Prophet sound so don't want a P6 either.)
> 
> I would go Polybrute if money and space were no objects and might still...


The upcoming Take 5 might be of interest? Prophet-y but not.

I tried the Peak and it wasn’t for me - too sterile to bother with vs softsynths and at least as much menu diving.


----------



## SupremeFist

vitocorleone123 said:


> The upcoming Take 5 might be of interest? Prophet-y but not.
> 
> I tried the Peak and it wasn’t for me - too sterile to bother with vs softsynths and at least as much menu diving.


Ooh that looks interesting!

And I've heard that about Peak from some people, need to find a store that has it in stock to try it myself...


----------



## Alchemedia

Buchla Music Easel.


----------



## pmountford

vitocorleone123 said:


> I tried the Peak and it wasn’t for me - too sterile to bother with vs softsynths and at least as much menu diving.


Not sure if there are more controls on the Summit than Peak but one thing I actually like is that I don't do much menu diving..


----------



## pmountford

vitocorleone123 said:


> The upcoming Take 5 might be of interest? Prophet-y but not


Thanks for the heads up. Where can you find out what's coming out? All I hear about are Behringer synths (which can take years to materialise..)


----------



## vitocorleone123

pmountford said:


> Thanks for the heads up. Where can you find out what's coming out? All I hear about are Behringer synths (which can take years to materialise..)


I'm on Gearspace (meh) and also visit /synthesizers on Reddit as well as drop by synthtopia to see what's coming out - though it usually trails the others by a day.

On Gearspace I've had to Ignore every thread using Behringer in the thread title so I could see something, anything else. I've blocked over 100 threads that way in just 3 subforums there over the last several months. So don't ask me about anything Behringer that's coming out as I have no clue!! Hah!

Since this was apparently a leak not an announcement about the Take 5, I don't know when it's coming. Sequential usually announce and then ship very quickly thereafter. My guess is September, though.

And there's still the rumored Sequential OB-X coming "soon", as well. That's the only possible synth that could maybe make me part ways with my OB-6, but it'd have to be better in all ways, not just some.


----------



## pmountford

Phil81 said:


> If you want to play my game, tell me, for example, one synth you would be window shopping...and I might tell you why it would be a good or bad investment --- in my opinion of course.


I like this game 😀 Let's play another round but with the Prophet rev2 vs Prophet 5 rev4 vs Prophet 6. How would you compare their characteristics?


----------



## mscp

pmountford said:


> I like this game 😀 Let's play another round but with the Prophet rev2 vs Prophet 5 rev4 vs Prophet 6. How would you compare their characteristics?


This sums up pretty nicely: https://www.davesmithinstruments.co.../06/DSI-Synth-Comparison-Chart-4.2.pdf?x72411

I find the Prophet 5 (rev1) to be a bit more biting than the others, but that's probably because of that Dave Rossum 2140 filter. It cuts deep through the mix.


----------



## vitocorleone123

pmountford said:


> I like this game 😀 Let's play another round but with the Prophet rev2 vs Prophet 5 rev4 vs Prophet 6. How would you compare their characteristics?


P08rev2 = design+sound
P5 = sound
P6 = sound+design


----------



## Nick Batzdorf

This is the one I have my "eyes" on.

I wrote the manual for the Matrixbrute - but didn't get a free one  - and this looks even more bitchiner.

Disclaimer: I'm the content director (editor) of Synth and Software, so I'm being a little bit crass. But I really do have my wallet - eyes, I mean eyes - on the Polybrute.


----------



## vitocorleone123

Nick Batzdorf said:


> This is the one I have my "eyes" on.
> 
> I wrote the manual for the Matrixbrute - but didn't get a free one  - and this looks even more bitchiner.
> 
> Disclaimer: I'm the content director (editor) of Synth and Software, so I'm being a little bit crass. But I really do have my wallet - eyes, I mean eyes - on the Polybrute.


I just went to a synth store and messed around with the PolyBrute and some others. Not enough to pretend I know what I'm doing with it. I would note that the nicest keybeds of the synths they had there were always the Sequentials. The Arturia and Summit were good but noticeably more in the direction of my Keystep vs. the Pro3 and Prophet5 rev4. I think the Summit felt a little nicer than the PolyBrute in terms of keys and knobs (and sliders). Not at all a sound comparison. Who cares about the sound? Sheesh.


----------



## rgames

vitocorleone123 said:


> nicest keybeds of the synths they had there were always the Sequentials


I think I might have said it earlier in this thread (getting old, memory going...) but the Rev 2 is a killer controller keyboard for softsynths in addition to being a great synth on its own. Really nice keybed and it has LABELED knobs for a ton of synth parameters. So your softsynths can *feel* like hardware. The exception, of course, is modulation routing but I actually prefer doing that with mouse/keyboard anyway, so it's a best of both worlds.

rgames


----------



## dunamisstudio

only got one, Access Virus TI


----------



## Nick Batzdorf

vitocorleone123 said:


> the nicest keybeds of the synths they had there were always the Sequentials


If I remember right, the one on the Sequential Prophet 2000 sampler I owned for a short time wasn't especially good.  (I replaced it with a 2002+ rack version that I owned for a very long time.)

Anyway, as long a synth's keyboard isn't totally horrible, its feel doesn't make much difference to me personally. 

I find weighted keys much easier to control, so I'd play any part that isn't basic on my controller keyboard. There's a reason unweighted keyboards are called "synth-action" keyboards.


----------



## vitocorleone123

Nick Batzdorf said:


> If I remember right, the one on the Sequential Prophet 2000 sampler I owned for a short time wasn't especially good.  (I replaced it with a 2002+ rack version that I owned for a very long time.)
> 
> Anyway, as long a synth's keyboard isn't totally horrible, its feel doesn't make much difference to me personally.
> 
> I find weighted keys much easier to control, so I'd play any part that isn't basic on my controller keyboard. There's a reason unweighted keyboards are called "synth-action" keyboards.


Yeah, I can't speak to the past. Just from my time in the shop yesterday playing around with a variety of current synths. The Arturia one felt the "cheapest" (but not bad) in terms of quality - more like the less expensive Korgs. But I don't know anything about longevity etc., this was initial impressions only.


----------



## Double Helix

In response to the original question, I have a Sub37 (upgraded to Subsequent spec), which I use occasionally--maybe posting this will inspire me to crank it up this afternoon--and a Korg Radias, which I enjoy just noodling around on. I did compose a "Bolero in 9" using the Radias' arpeggiator. It is irreplaceable.
I do use my Kronos2 88 every day, as it's my midi controller; frequently record the Karma engine--which has a bazillion patterns--with guitars and chamber string patches.


*Chiming in on the Sequential sub-topic, I gigged with a Prophet-VS rack via a Yamaha KX88 for several years. Just loved it. Sold it to some company out in California that was buying them up. . .


----------



## Begfred

I use a Matriarch and an MS20FS. The Moog is my workhorse and the MS20 is not so useful in my workflow. But it as a completely different filter flavor so it’s great to have both. And they are semi- modular so it’s an interesting combo. I ve never take the plunge into expensive polyphonic synth yet. I use Omnisphere, repro and Obsession for pads sounds. But the new low budget Sequential Take 5 could be my first polyphonic synth soon.


----------



## vitocorleone123

Begfred said:


> I use a Matriarch and an MS20FS. The Moog is my workhorse and the MS20 is not so useful in my workflow. But it as a completely different filter flavor so it’s great to have both. And they are semi- modular so it’s an interesting combo. I ve never take the plunge into expensive polyphonic synth yet. I use Omnisphere, repro and Obsession for pads sounds. But the new low budget Sequential Take 5 could be my first polyphonic synth soon.


I think a Take 5 paired with a Pro3 would be all the synth anyone would need (not want, ‘cause there’s always wanting more, but need).


----------



## mscp

Sequential just put out another one. Worth looking into it.


----------



## pmountford

Phil81 said:


> Sequential just put out another one. Worth looking into it.


Do you mean the Take 5?


----------



## mscp

pmountford said:


> Do you mean the Take 5?


yup.


----------



## pmountford

vitocorleone123 said:


> I think a Take 5 paired with a Pro3 would be all the synth anyone would need (not want, ‘cause there’s always wanting more, but need).


Too early yet for me to make that judgement on the youtube videos I've heard so far. I'm more in the camp to have variety of manufacturers rather than sticking with one, as great as Sequential undoubtedly are.

I'm saying that as the Pro3 owner as it is paraphonic so you're not limited to just a monosynth. And alot of the videos I've heard are playing arps on the Take 5. But looking forwards to hearing more.

It's a great time to get interested in synths...


----------



## zimm83

Two korg wavestate. Fantastic. 8 sounds that are moving all the way. And knobs !!!


----------



## pmountford

zimm83 said:


> Two korg wavestate. Fantastic. 8 sounds that are moving all the way. And knobs !!!


Two Wavestates? I've overlooked the Wavestate although I've seen it mentioned a couple of times now. What do you like about them so much?


----------



## zimm83

pmountford said:


> Two Wavestates? I've overlooked the Wavestate although I've seen it mentioned a couple of times now. What do you like about them so much?


Very cinematic sounds. The seq lanes....insane. Rythmic seqs with 1 différent sound per note. X4 per synth. Just watch YouTube demos. And the knobs modify the wave séquences in realtime. Great . And textures...sound design. .


----------



## RSK

Rev2, Wavestate, Kurzweil K2000, Behringer Model D.

And all of them within easy reach.


----------



## Phaedraz

I have, use and enjoy a Nord Stage 2, Pro 3 and a Legend Live. Thinking about acquiring a poly analogue as well. Rev 2 vs Take 5 maybe...


----------



## StillLife

Just purchased a second hand Minilogue XX, for live and on the couch.


----------



## muziksculp

*My HW Synths :*

* Yamaha Montage 7
* Moog Model D
* Moog Little Phatty Stage II
* Sequential Circuits OB-6 (Desktop Model)
* Sequential Circuits Prophet 6
* Sequential Circuits Prophet REV2 16 voice
* Sequential Prophet 8
* Clavia Nord Lead 4 (Desktop)
* Clavia Nord Lead A1 (Desktop)
* Clavia Nord lead 2X-R (Desktop)
* Access Virus Ti 2 (Desktop)
* Roland System 8
* Roland Integra 7
* Studio Electronics CODE 8 fully loaded


----------



## mscp

muziksculp said:


> * Studio Electronics CODE 8 fully loaded


Nice. Omega 8 is a little monster.


----------



## mscp

SupremeFist said:


> Ooh that looks interesting!
> 
> And I've heard that about Peak from some people, need to find a store that has it in stock to try it myself...


PEAK and soft synths cannot be put in the same basket, simply because part of PEAK goes through analogue circuitry.

Yes, do try it. It's so well-designed and straightforward, that a good 30 minutes with it is enough to know it inside out.


----------



## muziksculp

Phil81 said:


> Nice. Omega 8 is a little monster.


Yes it is. I have the CODE model, the cousin of the Omega 8. The CODE was their next model after the Omega.

But, not the easiest synth to edit though.

My CODE 8 was custom colored Blue, I think it is the only one I have seen in Blue.

Here is a pic :


----------



## vitocorleone123

Phil81 said:


> PEAK and soft synths cannot be put in the same basket, simply because part of PEAK goes through analogue circuitry.
> 
> Yes, do try it. It's so well-designed and straightforward, that a good 30 minutes with it is enough to know it inside out.


Side note: Anything digital can be run through analog circuitry - but it is an extra step/hardware. For example, I often run digital synths out through my AcidBox3. Not to distort, but for some saturation, and maybe push down on the high end a little. I tried the Peak didn't find the value or enjoyment.


----------



## SupremeFist

Phil81 said:


> PEAK and soft synths cannot be put in the same basket, simply because part of PEAK goes through analogue circuitry.
> 
> Yes, do try it. It's so well-designed and straightforward, that a good 30 minutes with it is enough to know it inside out.


For sure it's the analog filter and distortion I'd like to try out in person.


----------



## SupremeFist

muziksculp said:


> Yes it is. I have the CODE model, the cousin of the Omega 8. The CODE was their next model after the Omega.
> 
> But, not the easiest synth to edit though.
> 
> My CODE 8 was custom colored Blue, I think it is the only one I have seen in Blue.
> 
> Here is a pic :


That looks like my Supernova II Rack, which I really should get out of a box somewhere and see if I can still find a use for it before buying a new synth....


----------



## The Darris

I have two. A Roland Juno DS-88 and the Dreadbox Erebus v3. I use the Juno all the time in my non-scoring type projects and live gigs. However, recently I setup my workflow so that I can program midi through my DAW to control my synths so I'm able to use them in a sequencing role more often. 

I bought the Dreadbox specifically for a scoring gig where I used it for all of my synth tracks. The funny thing was that I got fired from the gig due to budget issues but I got paid for all of the work I did so it paid for itself in the end (that's always nice). Now, I use it in the same way I do the Juno but for more for synth bass stuff. It has a killer low end and it's routing capability within itself is pretty powerful. 

For me, it's really nice to have something tangible to control and manipulate live while programing synth parts. I don't have a desire to build up a huge synth rack because lord knows that'd be a waste of money for me to spend. But, a few "toys" in the studio are always welcome because they allow me to experiment and get me making music away from my computer.


----------



## mscp

vitocorleone123 said:


> Side note: Anything digital can be run through analog circuitry - but it is an extra step/hardware. For example, I often run digital synths out through my AcidBox3. Not to distort, but for some saturation, and maybe push down on the high end a little. I tried the Peak didn't find the value or enjoyment.


Different strokes.
Running synths through different analog gear in a particular signal chain will add THD/Colour - yes.
But, I love when companies build their own hardwired gear, because I want to hear what they had in mind when they built their products. The "what makes a PEAK a PEAK and not Zebra" factor.

Try replicating the sound of a Machinedrum with an 12bit outboard DAC (which is already rather pointless to have in the studio as a standalone unit). You won't get the same sound. Sometimes not even close... So, that's why I love how they put specific components into these boxes, and how they come alive.

I'm primarily a modular user (roughly 900hp worth of material), but I still identify myself with some hardwired synths because of a list of reasons. Perhaps a topic for another thread.


----------



## Kuusniemi

I have a meager setup of hardware, but love both of them:
Arturia MicroFreak - such a little beast of a synth, quirky, odd and absolutely fantastic.
Moog Sirin - tiny in size but oh man the sound is great.


----------



## Phaedraz

muziksculp said:


> *My HW Synths :*
> 
> * Yamaha Montage 7
> * Moog Model D
> * Moog Little Phatty Stage II
> * Sequential Circuits OB-6 (Desktop Model)
> * Sequential Circuits Prophet 6
> * Sequential Circuits Prophet REV2 16 voice
> * Sequential Prophet 8
> * Clavia Nord Lead 4 (Desktop)
> * Clavia Nord Lead A1 (Desktop)
> * Clavia Nord lead 2X-R (Desktop)
> * Access Virus Ti 2 (Desktop)
> * Roland System 8
> * Roland Integra 7
> * Studio Electronics CODE 8 fully loaded


Which of the Sequential synths is your favourite? Since I am considering a REV2 I'm wondering what I will miss out on with the others.


----------



## vitocorleone123

Best reasons to consider the Rev2:
- Price
- Number of voices
- Sound design capabilities

Biggest issue reported on the Internet: the raw oscillators and filter sound poor compared to many others, including cheaper synths - very polarizing compared to most synths... some people love it, others hate it.

Be sure you're wanting to spend time crafting sounds to get the most out of the Rev2, and it's likely you'll be happy (hopefully you've tried one in person as well as listened to all sorts of videos on YT).

Sequential have released the Take 5 at around the same price point that is, in many ways, the inverse of the Rev2.


----------



## pmountford

vitocorleone123 said:


> Sequential have released the Take 5 at around the same price point that is, in many ways, the inverse of the Rev2.


Was going to ask thd same question re: 'best bang for buck' sequential poly synth. So your answer about the Rev2 has piqued my interest again in the Take 5 after I dismissed it.... I have a friend bringing his Rev4 round to the studio next week so finally be able to try a sequential poly for real.


----------



## Simon Ravn

Phil81 said:


> PEAK and soft synths cannot be put in the same basket, simply because part of PEAK goes through analogue circuitry.
> 
> Yes, do try it. It's so well-designed and straightforward, that a good 30 minutes with it is enough to know it inside out.


I just got a Summit. Loving it, seeing a lot of possibilities with it. Will have to adjust workflow of course, compared to being used to have everything in the DAW.

Considering adding a Prophet 6 too. Lovely, pretty special sounding thing.


----------



## creativeforge

Korg Trinity V3 (61)... Never tire of many of its sounds, plus and I have a ton of tunes (many unfinished) I created in the sequencer.


----------



## vitocorleone123

Simon Ravn said:


> I just got a Summit. Loving it, seeing a lot of possibilities with it. Will have to adjust workflow of course, compared to being used to have everything in the DAW.
> 
> Considering adding a Prophet 6 too. Lovely, pretty special sounding thing.


Have you tried an OB-6? The P6 would be somewhat similar to the Summit. Or maybe a Digitone for something further afield (plus gets you FM drums if you want). Also, Dreadbox supposedly are announcing one or two polysynths in September.


----------



## Simon Ravn

vitocorleone123 said:


> Have you tried an OB-6? The P6 would be somewhat similar to the Summit. Or maybe a Digitone for something further afield (plus gets you FM drums if you want). Also, Dreadbox supposedly are announcing one or two polysynths in September.


Haven't tried it no. But from what I heard and read, the P6 is probably more suited to my needs. And I don't think it sounds the same as the Summit/Peak. I think the OB6 has fair software emulations in "Obsession" and more. At least that's what I gather from my pretty extensive research so far. But I will look more into it since you brought it up for sure! Thx


----------



## SupremeFist

Simon Ravn said:


> Haven't tried it no. But from what I heard and read, the P6 is probably more suited to my needs. And I don't think it sounds the same as the Summit/Peak. I think the OB6 has fair software emulations in "Obsession" and more. At least that's what I gather from my pretty extensive research so far.


But there is also Repro!


----------



## vitocorleone123

Simon Ravn said:


> Haven't tried it no. But from what I heard and read, the P6 is probably more suited to my needs. And I don't think it sounds the same as the Summit/Peak. I think the OB6 has fair software emulations in "Obsession" and more. At least that's what I gather from my pretty extensive research so far.


OK... Except you have that mixed up when it comes to software emulations. Repro 5 is very close to a Prophet 5, and sonically close to a P6 (P6 can deviate from Repro5 in many ways as it's more modern). 

Obsession and other OB-Xa emulations are VERY different than the OB-6 that uses a SEM filter, and even the best SEM emulation, bx_oberhausen, doesn't really come close other than being vaguely similar with the filter wide open on it - as soon as anything at all is moved, it's very different (I've tried). The OB-6 is unique, in that it's a P6 that's been Oberheim-ized, with DNA from both. There's noting else that's ever sounded the same as the OB-6 (yet), or I'd have bought that thing, instead, if it was less expensive.

The P6 is, indeed, more similar to the Summit than, say, an OB-6. Definitely not the same. I mentioned some alternatives in case you were looking for something that was further afield and complimentary rather than closer to "home" with more degrees of overlap. Nothing wrong with a P6!


----------



## Simon Ravn

vitocorleone123 said:


> OK... Except you have that mixed up when it comes to software emulations. Repro 5 is very close to a Prophet 5, and sonically close to a P6 (P6 can deviate from Repro5 in many ways as it's more modern).
> 
> Obsession and other OB-Xa emulations are VERY different than the OB-6 that uses a SEM filter, and even the best SEM emulation, bx_oberhausen, doesn't really come close other than being vaguely similar with the filter wide open on it - as soon as anything at all is moved, it's very different (I've tried). The OB-6 is unique, in that it's a P6 that's been Oberheim-ized, with DNA from both. There's noting else that's ever sounded the same as the OB-6 (yet), or I'd have bought that thing, instead, if it was less expensive.
> 
> The P6 is, indeed, more similar to the Summit than, say, an OB-6. Definitely not the same. I mentioned some alternatives in case you were looking for something that was further afield and complimentary rather than closer to "home" with more degrees of overlap. Nothing wrong with a P6!


Thanks. But I am not a huge fan of what I hear on the OB filters in every demo I have heard. Everything sounds almost like there is resonance on it. Just too overpowering. And I havent heard anything from Repro that sounds like the hardware P6 demos I heard.


----------



## vitocorleone123

Simon Ravn said:


> Thanks. But I am not a huge fan of what I hear on the OB filters in every demo I have heard. Everything sounds almost like there is resonance on it. Just too overpowering. And I havent heard anything from Repro that sounds like the hardware P6 demos I heard.


It's a 12db filter vs 24 db filter. I like 12db filters better overall. Most people like the 24db filters, like yourself it sounds like. It's also not that hard to control on the OB6, though of course it's different no matter what - a lot of demos seem to lean into it and feature it, which can make it seem like that's all there is to it. I can tell you that what gets featured online only represents a portion of what it can do. I've made sounds VERY different from anything I've heard online. This probably applies to every synth.

Do you ever use synths with 12db filters? If not, you should try to find one, even if software, just to have a different palette available to you (same as I still use 24db filter synths). Can the Summit use a 12db filter? I forget.

Repro is closer to the P6 than any software is to the OB-6, is all I was saying. That's because the P6 is closer to a P5. You can get a P6 to sound a lot like a P5, esp. with the newer Vintage feature, which means a lot like Repro5. But the P6 can do more and sound different than a P5/Repro. I prefer the P6 to a P5, but I wouldn't buy either one, for myself. But I still keep Repro5 around even though I hardly use it, for the same reason: options and the overall palette available.

It sounds like you'd prefer something more similar rather than more different to the Summit.

Unlike a P5 where I'd sell it if someone gave it to me, I'd probably keep a P6  It really does sound good.


----------



## SupremeFist

Simon Ravn said:


> Thanks. But I am not a huge fan of what I hear on the OB filters in every demo I have heard. Everything sounds almost like there is resonance on it. Just too overpowering. And I havent heard anything from Repro that sounds like the hardware P6 demos I heard.


The "Classic Prophet" presets from Swan Audio sound amazingly close (to my inexpert ears anyway) to a P5 — not identical to a P6 of course but very similar vibe.


----------



## Simon Ravn

vitocorleone123 said:


> OK... Except you have that mixed up when it comes to software emulations. Repro 5 is very close to a Prophet 5, and sonically close to a P6 (P6 can deviate from Repro5 in many ways as it's more modern).
> 
> Obsession and other OB-Xa emulations are VERY different than the OB-6 that uses a SEM filter, and even the best SEM emulation, bx_oberhausen, doesn't really come close other than being vaguely similar with the filter wide open on it - as soon as anything at all is moved, it's very different (I've tried). The OB-6 is unique, in that it's a P6 that's been Oberheim-ized, with DNA from both. There's noting else that's ever sounded the same as the OB-6 (yet), or I'd have bought that thing, instead, if it was less expensive.
> 
> The P6 is, indeed, more similar to the Summit than, say, an OB-6. Definitely not the same. I mentioned some alternatives in case you were looking for something that was further afield and complimentary rather than closer to "home" with more degrees of overlap. Nothing wrong with a P6!


Oh sorry when I mentioned that I dont like the sound of the OB filters I actually meant the P5! I have to check out more on the OB for sure!


----------



## pmountford

vitocorleone123 said:


> Can the Summit use a 12db filter?


Yes, 24db and 12db.


----------



## mscp

Peak/Summit and Prophet have night and day sounds. The Prophet (regardless of which) has a more rasping, 80's horror (haha), vintage sound to its oscillators. The Peak is "cleaner/clinical" because of their modern Oxford oscillators. In order to 'fake' that vintage sound, you must program it well. Also, the Prophet comes with either a CEM or an SSM filter. The Peak comes with a SV OTA 2 or 4 stage (12dB/24dB) filter.

There are more differences, but to cut a long story short, different beasts.


----------



## pmountford

Phil81 said:


> Peak/Summit and Prophet have night and day sounds.
> There are more differences, but to cut a long story short, different beasts.


That's what I wanted to hear. 

So for a more wallet friendly Sequential : the Take5 or the Rev2? (From what we know of Take5 so far...)


----------



## mscp

pmountford said:


> That's what I wanted to hear.
> 
> So for a more wallet friendly Sequential : the Take5 or the Rev2? (From what we know of Take5 so far...)


I haven't really trialled the Take5 yet. Based on internet videos, it sounds like a cool synth with a vintage-y aural vibe because it sounds like they added a 4 stage, "gnarly"-resonant CEM filter in it (vaguely reminds me of a Prophet 5). It also sounds like those oscillators are real VCOs and not DCOs because I can hear some really gentle and organic tuning drift going on in one of the online videos I watched, though those could also be painstakingly programmed by a great sound designer.

To avoid sounding inaccurate though, I'd say visit your local shop and have a go at both. You could end up falling in love with either, depending on what speaks to your soul. 

In my case, I haven't really vibed with the Rev2 when I played with it in a local shop only because I already have quite a few VCO/DCO-controlled Sequential/DS synths. I think I'm covered for the next decades. lol.


----------



## SupremeFist

Phil81 said:


> It also sounds like those oscillators are real VCOs and not DCOs because I can hear some really gentle and organic tuning drift going on in one of the online videos I watched, though those could also be painstakingly programmed by a great sound designer.


They're definitely VCOs. This one has my close attention for that gnarly phat sound I don't hear in the popular synths with digital oscillators or even DCOs (Deepmind excepted: that one's still in my list to try out). But I worry how much 5 voices will be annoying for playing pads (though granted I usually orchestrate pads as 3 voices max, but releases and whatnot might still be curtailed?).


----------



## mscp

SupremeFist said:


> They're definitely VCOs. This one has my close attention for that gnarly phat sound I don't hear in the popular synths with digital oscillators or even DCOs (Deepmind excepted: that one's still in my list to try out).


The different between VCOs and DCOs is how they're kept in tune. VCOS may drift due to temperature. DCOs have digital counters that control the tuning of the VCO so they never drift, not even by a cent.

In terms of quality = zilch. They're both identical...provided who manufactured them.

The 'gnarly' aspect is related to the post-filter output. The filter section is responsible for it. hehe.



SupremeFist said:


> But I worry how much 5 voices will be annoying for playing pads (though granted I usually orchestrate pads as 3 voices max, but releases and whatnot might still be curtailed?).



Triad pads are the most common types, exactly.

Isn't the Take5 supposed to have one envelope per voice as all others do? If so, then you shouldn't worry about releases.


----------



## SupremeFist

Phil81 said:


> The different between VCOs and DCOs is how they're kept in tune. VCOS may drift due to temperature. DCOs have digital counters that control the tuning of the VCO so they never drift, not even by a cent.
> 
> In terms of quality = zilch. They're both identical...provided who manufactured them.
> 
> The 'gnarly' aspect is related to the post-filter output. The filter section is responsible for it. hehe.
> 
> 
> 
> Triad pads are the most common types, exactly.
> 
> Isn't the Take5 supposed to have one envelope per voice as all others do? If so, then you shouldn't worry about releases.


Aha thank you for the synth science, I have never owned an analogue synth (but might soon...)


----------



## Marsen

I owned an Matrix 6R and Waldorf Pulse, speaking analog synths.

Actually eying an Minilogue XD, or better to say willing to purchase shortly.
My favourite, soundwise would be a Jupiter Xm, but I spend too much on libraries.
...well, and some Sequential stuff (one can dream). (At least, I have my U-He Repro)

Still most used now is a Roland JP 8080 and some Emu Xl-1 Turbo, Mo-Phatt inc. Expansions.
I really have to say, that I´m a bit tired, surfing in digital menues too much. So knobs are essential to me.


----------



## mscp

SupremeFist said:


> Aha thank you for the synth science, I have never owned an analogue synth (but might soon...)



Haha. Sorry to bore you to death. It can be quite a yawner sometimes. lol.

If you're ever looking for a second opinion on hardwired, 5U, or Eurorack, soft synths, Modular software environments, modular hardware environments (e.g: Kyma, ...), I'm around. I've been using these little buggers for 20 years and counting.


----------



## vitocorleone123

SupremeFist said:


> Aha thank you for the synth science, I have never owned an analogue synth (but might soon...)


5 voices was popularized by the Prophet 5, of course. I'll just say that 6 voices on the OB-6 sometimes isn't enough for long release times, though it handles voice stealing beautifully (as can be done). I'm just talking about changing from triad to triad before the first 3 notes have stopped.

I don't know that I'd want another poly with even fewer voices. Honestly, the number of voices would be my #1 concern about the Take 5. All the rest looks/sounds great.


----------



## SupremeFist

Phil81 said:


> Haha. Sorry to bore you to death. It can be quite a yawner sometimes. lol.
> 
> If you're ever looking for a second opinion on hardwired, 5U, or Eurorack, soft synths, Modular software environments, modular hardware environments (e.g: Kyma, ...), I'm around. I've been using these little buggers for 20 years and counting.


Not at all, it's very interesting and useful! One thing I know for sure is that I will not be getting into Eurorack.


----------



## kilgurt

Waldorf Q, Nord Lead 3, Moog Sub 37, REV2, MS-10, Triton R, T-Rack, JD-900, D-550, Ti - lov'em all!


----------



## pmountford

SupremeFist said:


> Not at all, it's very interesting and useful! One thing I know for sure is that I will not be getting into Eurorack.


I'll second both of those comments... I dipped my toes with a DFAM earlier this year and it sounded fantastic but with no patch programming... taking photos for recall ain't for me! So same here..a Eurorack free studio! Each to their own though.


----------



## mscp

pmountford said:


> I'll second both of those comments... I dipped my toes with a DFAM earlier this year and it sounded fantastic but with no patch programming... taking photos for recall ain't for me! So same here..a Eurorack free studio! Each to their own though.


Yes, patching is required, because you're no longer "limited" to what you can do with it. I agree it's not ideal to plunge into it *unless* sound designing becomes a job requirement, or if you're a glutton for punishment. (latter part is a joke). It's super fun too!

Eurorack is beneficial for some applications, but *highly* impractical for others. From a sound sculpting perspective, it's brilliant if you can gather up great modules that will unlock your creativity (literally) past what hardwired synths can inherently do for you in terms of tone and rhythm - what I call the "oh, really?" factor.

I've thought about developing a fun course on modular and sell it to a company, but it's not economically feasible for me at the moment.


----------



## zwhita

pmountford said:


> I dipped my toes with a DFAM earlier this year and it sounded fantastic but with no patch programming... taking photos for recall ain't for me!


My bigger issue was with the TTL design 8 step sequencer. There's no means for doing a reset to step 1 or a step-jump feature(be that neither to a random step or a chosen step). It's not enough to trigger Adv/Clk externally to economize the steps. I guess that's intentional if it's designed to interface with modular gear, but I'm more inclined to twiddle and sample it.


----------



## vitocorleone123

vitocorleone123 said:


> Here’s the current setup with the gaps on the shelves I mentioned that’ll be filled within the next month or so with 2 Meris pedals. And, yes, a fake track with no parts in S1 just so I could have something on the screen 😃
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> (and, yes, I monitor through headphones, not those tiny little Cambridge Audio desktop speakers I've had for 20 years or more)



Just coming full circle to close that out that, yes, I did add the 2 Meris pedals (and swapped out the Keystep for a Keystep 37).


----------



## pmountford

Phil81 said:


> Yes, patching is required, because you're no longer "limited" to what you can do with it. I agree it's not ideal to plunge into it *unless* sound designing becomes a job requirement, or if you're a glutton for punishment. (latter part is a joke). It's super fun too!
> 
> Eurorack is beneficial for some applications, but *highly* impractical for others. From a sound sculpting perspective, it's brilliant if you can gather up great modules that will unlock your creativity (literally) past what hardwired synths can inherently do for you in terms of tone and rhythm - what I call the "oh, really?" factor.
> 
> I've thought about developing a fun course on modular and sell it to a company, but it's not economically feasible for me at the moment.


I'm sure you're absolutely right. And with sound design, I bet it comes into it's own. I just found that from the musical perspective and the way I compose (ie. repeatedly returning to a project), I could really do with instant recall so I can continue composing rather than twiddling to get it 'almost' what it was before and getting even more sidetracked!


----------



## pmountford

vitocorleone123 said:


> Just coming full circle to close that out that, yes, I did add the 2 Meris pedals (and swapped out the Keystep for a Keystep 37).


But is that now a real project I see in S1?


----------



## mscp

pmountford said:


> I just found that from the musical perspective and the way I compose (ie. repeatedly returning to a project), I could really do with instant recall so I can continue composing rather than twiddling to get it 'almost' what it was before and getting even more sidetracked!


Definitely.


----------



## vitocorleone123

pmountford said:


> But is that now a real project I see in S1?


Haha! More real than the last one - that loop might've become a track.


----------



## SupremeFist

Sounds very very tasty here, and — as important for me — looks really easy, direct, and fun to program:


----------



## pmountford

SupremeFist said:


> looks really easy, direct, and fun to program


Yeah, I'm with you on that. It does look like instantaneous fun, a lot like the Pro 3. For what I'm after, it all sound a little to in ya face from the videos I've heard. The YT videos of Rev2 are more to my liking. But that's surely got to be just the patches and not a reflection of the synth? With VCO as opposed to DCO and the incljsion of a Vintage knob, surely the Take 5 would be possible of more of a old school and dare I say warmer sound?


----------



## soundgrrl

In my studio I have a Moog Matriarch and a small Eurorack setup, and a few sequencing peripherals. I use them all the time for sound design and sample creation and then all the recording and arranging is done in Live or Bitwig. I run everything through the ES-9 expert sleepers module so it interfaces seamlessly with my DAW. It's a bit of extra work but I'm so much more inspired by the physical interaction and using just my ears (instead of a screen) that it's worth it. The sounds are not better than VST's, they are not worse, they are just different, more organic maybe? maybe it's a weird image but I feel like my hardware synths are a living organism. 

I also have a Digitone and Deluge in my living room for jamming in the evenings or while traveling. Sometimes I prefer a really simple setup that forces me to be creative in other ways. 100% sold on the Digitone, still learning the Deluge but my goodness it's such a joy to use.


----------



## stixman

Edit a lot 🎶


----------



## mscp

stixman said:


> Anima phi


Any comments on that? I'm waiting for the next batch so I can get my hands on it.


----------



## stixman

I haven’t really dug into it as yet but first impressions was good….i got in the early bird pledge….I will use bbc tec2 eventually…I’ve been busy doing live gigs drumming…I don’t have a gig till 3 weeks time so I should get around to it soon.


mscp said:


> Any comments on that? I'm waiting for the next batch so I can get my hands on it.


----------



## gsilbers

SupremeFist said:


> Sounds very very tasty here, and — as important for me — looks really easy, direct, and fun to program:



ive been eyeing this since the leaks. im tornbetween this one or the PRO3. both are close enough and both have its stregth and weakneses. Ill wait to see if a side by side comparison pops up in youtube to know which one should i get. 
I already have the sub37 which means i might get the take5. but that 3rd oscilator on the pro3 and 3 note paraphony might be all i need.


----------



## pmountford

gsilbers said:


> I already have the sub37 which means i might get the take5. but that 3rd oscilator on the pro3 and 3 note paraphony might be all i need.


Having the Sub37 and Pro3 here and they are quite different beasts. I'm looking forwards to hearing more from the Take 5 as I'm not hearing that much crossover on the Take 5 and Pro3 so far..


----------



## Begfred

My Take 5 just arrived! After 30 min of noodling I can only say it sound amazingly good. Hard for me to compare with the other sequential’s because it’s my first analog poly. But I’m happy to have very rich sound palette with My Matriarch/MS20/Take5 trio.


----------



## vitocorleone123

Begfred said:


> My Take 5 just arrived! After 30 min of noodling I can only say it sound amazingly good. Hard for me to compare with the other sequential’s because it’s my first analog poly. But I’m happy to have very rich sound palette with My Matriarch/MS20/Take5 trio.


That's a great, and varied, trio.

I've not heard one bad sound from the Take5. While I have nowhere to put one, I plan to go to try one out at Patchwerks in Seattle (now within walking distance to my house) tomorrow or Friday to hear it in person.


----------



## thesteelydane

I got my first hardware synth a few months ago. I went with the Minilogue XD. It was a royal pain in the ass to get it into the country (I live in Vietnam) as it wasn't available anywhere here. I basically had to order it from the US through a bunch of well connected shippers at great cost and it took 6 weeks, and then when it finally got here, I saw this:






It's [email protected]&$()! made here!!!!


Apart from that, I love it. I love turning real knobs and love how it forces me to move forwards when writing. Once it's committed to audio I can't be bothered to go back and change my mind, so it forces me to just pick an idea and stick to it. Doesn't mean the end result is better, but it forces me to be quick, so I can just start again if I don't like the result. It's good fun!


----------



## vitocorleone123

thesteelydane said:


> I got my first hardware synth a few months ago. I went with the Minilogue XD. It was a royal pain in the ass to get it into the country (I live in Vietnam) as it wasn't available anywhere here. I basically had to order it from the US through a bunch of well connected shippers at great cost and it took 6 weeks, and then when it finally got here, I saw this:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> It's [email protected]&$()! made here!!!!
> 
> 
> Apart from that, I love it. I love turning real knobs and love how it forces me to move forwards when writing. Once it's committed to audio I can't be bothered to go back and change my mind, so it forces me to just pick an idea and stick to it. Doesn't mean the end result is better, but it forces me to be quick, so I can just start again if I don't like the result. It's good fun!


I LOVE the XD. I almost bought one (ended up buying one for a good, longtime friend down on his luck at the time) until I used something way way in a different price range and ended up buying that, instead. I still kind of want one.

I settled and bought the Korg Polysix plugin on sale in the mean time.

And that's kind of crazy the synth had to be shipped around the world just to end up back with you.


----------



## zimm83

Hey ! KORG WAVESTATE is now 2.0 with editor and 4GO of SAMPLES import !!!!!!!!!!!!
We now can load our own samples ! YEAH !


----------



## thesteelydane

vitocorleone123 said:


> I LOVE the XD. I almost bought one (ended up buying one for a good, longtime friend down on his luck at the time) until I used something way way in a different price range and ended up buying that, instead. I still kind of want one.
> 
> I settled and bought the Korg Polysix plugin on sale in the mean time.
> 
> And that's kind of crazy the synth had to be shipped around the world just to end up back with you.


It's a lot of synth for the money, and I haven't even begun exploring user oscillators and effects, which makes it almost infinitely expandable.


----------



## oooooooooooooooooh

muziksculp said:


> *My HW Synths :*
> 
> * Yamaha Montage 7
> * Moog Model D
> * Moog Little Phatty Stage II
> * Sequential Circuits OB-6 (Desktop Model)
> * Sequential Circuits Prophet 6
> * Sequential Circuits Prophet REV2 16 voice
> * Sequential Prophet 8
> * Clavia Nord Lead 4 (Desktop)
> * Clavia Nord Lead A1 (Desktop)
> * Clavia Nord lead 2X-R (Desktop)
> * Access Virus Ti 2 (Desktop)
> * Roland System 8
> * Roland Integra 7
> * Studio Electronics CODE 8 fully loaded


Quite a list, sounds wonderful!

Actually, I do have a question--what do you use the Integra 7 for? I've been aware of it for some time and I'm not really sure who it's intended for and what it's purpose is...it seems like a ROMpler (maybe I just don't know enough about it), but in this age of excellent sample libraries, I wonder what its place is. I trust it must be for someone, Roland makes great stuff.


----------



## muziksculp

oooooooooooooooooh said:


> Quite a list, sounds wonderful!
> 
> Actually, I do have a question--what do you use the Integra 7 for? I've been aware of it for some time and I'm not really sure who it's intended for and what it's purpose is...it seems like a ROMpler (maybe I just don't know enough about it), but in this age of excellent sample libraries, I wonder what its place is. I trust it must be for someone, Roland makes great stuff.


Thanks.

Actually that's a good question. I have not been using the Integra 7, it's the least used HW synth I have in the studio. I was even thinking about selling it.

I don't think Roland is making them anymore. So, there might be some demand for it. I use their Software editor to edit it. The drum kits are wonderful, don't like any of the orchestral sounds, some of the world perc. are very good as well, but for synths, I don't use it much, it is quite capable, but I have so many other synths that do it better, and faster.


----------



## StillLife

This thread has fueled my lust for hw synths. Before I came to it, I owned ‘only’ a Polybrute. Now I have aquired a minilogue xd and I am seriously considering a monosynth to add to the studio. Maybe a moog subsequent 37 or 25, or a sequential pro 3. Can’t decide, so I might end up with two out of those three…

I do love their immediacy for making music. I now create in Maschine (synths, pianoteq 7 and maschine drums) and, when I have song fleshed out, plan to mix and master in Studio One 5.


----------



## pmountford

StillLife said:


> This thread has fueled my lust for hw synths.
> 
> Maybe a moog subsequent 37 or 25, or a sequential pro 3.


I have to take some responsibility for that sorry about that 😬 but its having the same affect here too... 

Hands down, Pro 3 BTW. Atleast that gets far more use here than the Sub 37. Very immediate, great fun, plenty of attitude.


----------



## Ned Bouhalassa

Just traded my Quantum for an Andromeda A6. Oh me, oh my - what a sound! I’ll post some music made with it next week,


----------



## pmountford

Ned Bouhalassa said:


> Just traded my Quantum for an Andromeda A6. Oh me, oh my - what a sound! I’ll post some music made with it next week,


Look forward to hearing. That's quite a change in sonic direction from Quantum to A6?


----------



## Per Boysen

I have sold all hardware synths and samplers except for my Oberheim Matrix-1000 that I bought brand new in the nineties. I have (multi-) sampled most of the 800 patches but the analog original behaves differently so I want to keep this module. In Cubase I have a wired input for the M-1k in my templates, as I did in Logic back when I mainly worked in that DAW. I never "search for sounds" in the Oberheim, since all patches are forever part of my brain so I only turn it on when I need a specific sound and immediately turn it into an audio file for the current project.


----------



## Ned Bouhalassa

pmountford said:


> Look forward to hearing. That's quite a change in sonic direction from Quantum to A6?


Oh completely! Forget granular synthesis, wavetables, modelling, etc. But with the Andy's Background Tuning off, the sound of up to 32 analog oscillators gently drifting is a thing to hear and cherish! 
There's quite a bit that inspired the MatrixBrute/PolyBrute in it from what I see, with the two different filters, filter feedback (Brute effect), simultaneous oscillator waveforms, simultaneous use of arp and seq, etc.


----------



## Micky201

Using Kurzweil PC3x. Excellent keyboard I first purchased as controller MIDI keyboard. I then discovered its sounds and tremendous synthesis. Wonderful!


----------



## DJiLAND

I only use HW synths that offer VST that can be recall via MIDI. Because I get requests for revisions often, otherwise it's too inconvenient. But the truth is.. Even that is only used for decoration with the lights shining..and I think plug in synth sound is more powerful haha
yeah... Analog warmth seems to exist, but I think it's not enough to overwhelm the convenience. The plugin sounds nice too.
The biggest advantage of hw synth seems to be that it is can easily access creativity.


----------



## Marcus Millfield

I have and use 2: Sequential Prophet 6 and Rev2-16 and I named them Dharma & Greg, after the TV show.

Dharma (Rev2) is all sparkly, fluffy, perky and energetic. But when she get's too busy, chaos ensues (i.e. software bugs, oscillators drop out, cuts out part of the filter or jumps pots for no reason). A bit of meditation (restart) does wonders and gets her right on track.

Greg (P6) on the other hand is all serious, frowning and a bit slow on the uptake, but when push comes to shove, he gets things done quickly.

Between the two of them, I don't have much need for softsynths anymore. Didn't like using them. The immediacy of the knob-per-function style interface as Sequential uses is perfect for me. Menu diving is for work, not play.


----------



## vitocorleone123

DJiLAND said:


> I only use HW synths that offer VST that can be recall via MIDI. Because I get requests for revisions often, otherwise it's too inconvenient. But the truth is.. Even that is only used for decoration with the lights shining..and I think plug in synth sound is more powerful haha
> yeah... Analog warmth seems to exist, but I think it's not enough to overwhelm the convenience. The plugin sounds nice too.
> The biggest advantage of hw synth seems to be that it is can easily access creativity.


If people can afford a hardware synth and have the space etc. to include it, I now always highly recommend one, because it requires a different way of working - and that can be liberating and get creativity un-stuck by coming at something a different way. Plus there's something tool-like for this human about turning dials and moving sliders than moving a mouse. On the flip side, I'd be intimidated and uncomfortable being surrounded by walls of hardware.

But, like you, I specifically chose synths that I could tightly integrate via MIDI and that have presets. I went further, and use a USAMO to clock them (ERM is on my wishlist, but that's a pricey and niche addition for a hobby) to tighten them up even further and act more like a plugin. And the Digitone actually has an amazing plugin interface.

Hardware should, in my personal view, provide a type of sound you cannot get within a plugin. For example, I'd never get a Model D or a Prophet 5 rev3 and some others because the plugins are 90%+ identical. But I did get an SE-02, heavily inspired by the Model D, but also rather different in character and with no equivalent in plugins. It has everything mapped to MIDI CCs, presets, sequencer, etc. The OB-6 isn't as MIDI CC friendly (requires NRPNs or some tricky workarounds), but... damn... the sound! And it has no plugin equivalent. And so on. I've no interest in clones, but I do seem to enjoy synths inspired by past synths but that provide a novel interpretation of them.


----------



## pmountford

@vicontrol123 can you expand on the significance of the USAMO clock device? I'm trying to get a convenient balance of syncing the arps/lfos etc with a midi clock. Sometimes coming from the daws but would like to be able to literally flick a switch and have them syncd when daw is off to either another midi device maybe like the Novation Circuit, assuming that throws out midiclock. Pita menu diving to keep changing syncing on each device. I guess I just need to always ensure daw is on. So interested to hear if the USAMO would give any options...


----------



## vitocorleone123

Sure. I think you want to look at the ERM Multiclock. The USAMO requires the DAW and computer. The Multiclock can work that way or independently. These units send more accurate clock with minimal jitter (midi notes don’t drift forward or back in time but stay spaced the same as played). You’d always set your hardware to receive clock, never generate it, once you have a dedicated unit to generate clock.


----------



## pmountford

vitocorleone123 said:


> Sure. I think you want to look at the ERM Multiclock.


Thx. The ERM looks very much like what I could do with.


----------



## Marcus Millfield

pmountford said:


> Thx. The ERM looks very much like what I could do with.



Check this out first:


----------



## Ned Bouhalassa

Having tons of fun with my new (old) Andromeda. For me, it's in the same sonic league as two synths I've played a lot: the Memorymoog and the Matrix 12. Here's my first demo with it. Note that the effects are not the ones built-in (Logic). I love any and all feedback:


----------



## vitocorleone123

Marcus Millfield said:


> Check this out first:



Reasons TO buy USAMO or ERM:

1) more stable clock than a DAW
2) less jitter (notes aren't drifting closer or further in time from one another)

YMMV depending on your system and gear. All I can say is that: the USAMO made things better for me and it cost < half the ERM (had to buy some Kenton gear to merge/split, whereas the ERM has more ports).


----------



## alcorey

Not too long ago we moved to a new place from the house we were in for 20 years - and I got rid of a lot of things I hadn't really been using enough, (or at all), to justify them coming along.
Arp 2600
Roland RS-09
Juno - 60
Korg O1W Pro-X

But I kept my Kurzweil K-2600XS and K-2500 RS - I don't really know why and will probably let them go someday soon also because I don't foresee myself putting them into my setup again - I guess I have a soft spot for Kurzweil


----------



## pmountford

Ned Bouhalassa said:


> Having tons of fun with my new (old) Andromeda. For me, it's in the same sonic league as two synths I've played a lot: the Memorymoog and the Matrix 12. Here's my first demo with it. Note that the effects are not the ones built-in (Logic).


Lovely sound and track. Retro and yet modern (to my old ears). Love the evolving stereo spread. Is that stereo movement from Logic?


----------



## Ned Bouhalassa

pmountford said:


> Lovely sound and track. Retro and yet modern (to my old ears). Love the evolving stereo spread. Is that stereo movement from Logic?


Yes, although I could have achieved the same on the synth using one of its LFOs.


----------



## kilgurt

vitocorleone123 said:


> Just coming full circle to close that out that, yes, I did add the 2 Meris pedals (and swapped out the Keystep for a Keystep 37).
> 
> Nice!


----------



## pixel

I have Behringer Model D and Odyssey. Oh and Roland JV1080 sleeping in a box.
As a kid, I dreamed about hardware synths but I couldn't afford them, then after years in ITB, I thought that I don't need hardware anymore and Roland Boutique strengthened me in that belief. But recently I became totally tired of working ITB and Behringer's offer of cheap analogues convinced me to try HW again. This time I got hooked.

Behringer Odyssey. people can say what they want, filter in this synth is gorgeous and I didn't hear anything like that from any plugin that I have or I tested. It's so tasty, full, pleasant  Same about oscillators.
Experience from playing it is great. Plugin + midi controller can't compete. it's just way more fun and inspiring. I'm so glad that I got it first because it makes me feel good to make music in a different way than keyboard/mouse/midi controller.
Model D while is great, I prefer the sound of Odyssey. Lack of keyboard definitely plays a role in it. I need to get one just for the Model D.
Saying all of this... at work, I'm using only vst: Kontakt, virtual instruments etc. Synths are for my side-project / hobby / after-hours music-making because my work doesn't require any synth sounds.

Having 2 synths is not a big deal. One is in the desk rack a few cm away from me, another on my left side.
Actually, the need to move away from the screen is good for health and the need to stand to play an instrument is even more healthy. Way more than sitting in from of a computer for hours. So IMO even just for that, it's a good excuse to have a few HW instruments around.


Now Modal Argon8x is on my list to serve as a WT synth and good midi controller (when I get one, I'll throw NI Komplete M32 through the window because it's a piece of buggy junk  ). I need one polysynth. Argon8 has 8 voice polyphony vs 4 in Minilogue xD which I like for the sounds but note stealing while playing chords is not for me. Analogue bass/leads I have covered so I'm fine that Argon is digital. I can't afford anything more expensive for now. I was considering one of Korgs: Modwave and Wavestate but both require menu diving and well... it's the opposite of what I want to use synths for. The more knobs WYSIWYG the better. I wish there were a bigger choice for 8 voice poly synths with 61 Fatar keybed up to 700 euro. Unfortunately now, even old used Nord Leads, Viruses or even JP8000 are above that price.

EDIT: Oh and getting those synths led me to another addiction: guitar pedals. I'm just starting mostly with cheap TC Electronic ones and Chinese clones. I don't want to buy single effects that are more expensive than synths that I have  Recently I bought GFI System Skylar reverb as an alternative to Strymon. Damn, this one is a real jewel that seems to be under the radar. If anyone is on the market for a reverb pedal, I highly recommend checking this one.


----------



## clusterchord

i use hardware for synthesis regularly, in symbiosis with kontakt, tracked
soloists, and few choice vsti.

within arms reach:

alesis andromeda - go to for dark warm beds, drones, polyanalog stuff.
beside tonal work, its a great sound design tool. instead of browsing
the samey big fish and zero g ambient libs, you create your own menacing
atmo, or industrial bed, within minutes. and it can be automated to
follow the scene.

rhodes stage - often write themes on it, lyrical or psyhedelic passages.
always inspiring. i track it when its central in setting the mood. if im in
a hurry, and rhodes is just a support within denser arr, i go with libs. 

prophet 5 rev2 - keeping it full operation has been an adventure, but
its a wonderous organic sound. used it in experimental film , or contemporary
dance projects, sometimes with nothing else but effects.

jupiter 8 - had this forever. gets clock from expert sleeprs, and it takes
care of all arpeggios. each voice is little different, which sounds amazing,
like running extra rows for modulation. when i want more uniform
performance i reach for sh101, or u-he repro.

yamaha cs50 - similar in use to prophet above. redo does pose a potential
problem, but this has been minimal, and i usually got away with audio
editing. have it setup with space echo and old 224x. its such a beautiful
sound, i don't feel i compose anything - it takes me on a ride.


also, tables in the back, are holding elka rhapsody, waldorf xt, ppg wave 2.3,
and a small specialized eurorack setup. while these are far from constant use,
each has unique sound and capability, that comes into play on specific projects.




admittedly, there is ton more gear in the storage room a few meters away.
and some does get taken out when needed, but for many the time constraints
and practical considerations do not let me incorporate them. so while i love
their tone, they gather dust. will have to sell them eventually. just not now


----------



## Marcus Millfield

@clusterchord : that's a well curated selection of synths/EP you have there! Should be a ton of aural delight creating patches on those instruments!


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## Ned Bouhalassa

PPG Wave... oh me, oh my...

And that CS-50 ring mod. The best.


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## timprebble

My first two synths were a SC Pro One and a Korg MS20
Sold both to fund going to Film School...

30 years later this is my analog orchestra
Roland SH101 + MC202 + Juno 106 + MKS80 Super Jupiter
TT303, Korg MS10 + SV88, Oberheim OB6, SC SixTrak, Buchla Easel,
CS Deep Bass Nine, MAM MB33, CS01 x3, MicroFreak, ASM Hydrasynth
+ a large Eurorack modular spread across 8 cases
all locked via Innerclock SyncGenPro > Cirklon

love the immediacy and the individual character of each...


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## pixel

I was waiting for Behringer to get poly analogue for pads, but it may take even another year of waiting (if not more), so last week, I bought myself a Christmas gift: Modal Cobalt 8. Yes, it's digital VA, "so it's an expensive plugin", but I must admit, this one can make delightful sounds. Solid, lush, full pads, brasses, leads and even basses. Also, the Fatar keyboard in a synth in this price range... delicious.
Cobalt 8 replaced Model D for a bassline task in a track that I'm currently working on.  

At this point, Bodyssey and Cobalt 8 are two synths that I'm using. Model D seems to be the least. IMO, Odyssey is way juicier, fuller and crispier like fried bacon (thanks to a fantastic filter) than Model D. With just two oscillators I can make bold pads and basses without beating - it's not that easy to do on Model D.


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## vitocorleone123

pixel said:


> I was waiting for Behringer to get poly analogue for pads, but it may take even another year of waiting (if not more), so last week, I bought myself a Christmas gift: Modal Cobalt 8. Yes, it's digital VA, "so it's an expensive plugin", but I must admit, this one can make delightful sounds. Solid, lush, full pads, brasses, leads and even basses. Also, the Fatar keyboard in a synth in this price range... delicious.
> Cobalt 8 replaced Model D for a bassline task in a track that I'm currently working on.
> 
> At this point, Bodyssey and Cobalt 8 are two synths that I'm using. Model D seems to be the least. IMO, Odyssey is way juicier, fuller and crispier like fried bacon (thanks to a fantastic filter) than Model D. With just two oscillators I can make bold pads and basses without beating - it's not that easy to do on Model D.


If at some point you want to replace the D with something like it but more modern, I’d suggest the SE-02 (unless you plan to perform live, which i wouldn’t recommend as that’s when the small knob proximity can seem to be an issue). Presets, sequencer with song mode, after touch, and it stays in tune or can be tuned with a button combo (mine never needs it). And a more crisp, modern sound.


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## pixel

vitocorleone123 said:


> If at some point you want to replace the D with something like it but more modern, I’d suggest the SE-02 (unless you plan to perform live, which i wouldn’t recommend as that’s when the small knob proximity can seem to be an issue). Presets, sequencer with song mode, after touch, and it stays in tune or can be tuned with a button combo (mine never needs it). And a more crisp, modern sound.


I had JP Boutique, and I sold it. Those tiny knobs are not for me 
I know it's blasphemy, but sound-wise, Model D/Minimoog/SE-02 (and other clones) is nothing spectacular, IMHO. If I had to replace it, I would get K2 / MS20 this time. This one has real character! 

I should make myself t-shirt 'MiniMoog sucks' and go with it to some synth events - something like satanist going to church :D


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## vitocorleone123

pixel said:


> I had JP Boutique, and I sold it. Those tiny knobs are not for me
> I know it's blasphemy, but sound-wise, Model D/Minimoog/SE-02 (and other clones) is nothing spectacular, IMHO. If I had to replace it, I would get K2 / MS20 this time. This one has real character!
> 
> I should make myself t-shirt 'MiniMoog sucks' and go with it to some synth events - something like satanist going to church :D


Fair enough.

I think the SE-02 >>> Model D because of the extra sauce from Studio Electronics. It's MUCH more aggressive than the clone or the original. I find the knobs really easy to use here at my desk (it's on the top shelf of a desktop stand from KVGear) and, even if not, 99% of the functionality is MIDI CC mapped from the release. Add in the ExtBox and you get a 4x size 100% analog cutoff knob, analog overdrive, an analog HP filter, a second output jack, and more.

I don't really care for the sound of the Model D or Minimoog, myself. Also, to correct a misconception you hold, the SE-02 isn't a clone - it's more akin to the Pro3 vs Pro2 (or at least a P5rev4 and P6): similar, with similar intent, but a different synth with a different sound and different features. If you try hard, you can get pretty Minimoogy with the SE-02, but it doesn't like to be so tame. It has loads more character, to me, than a standard Model D/minimoog. Many people seeking the original sound don't like the SE-02.


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## Stevie

Ned Bouhalassa said:


> Having tons of fun with my new (old) Andromeda. For me, it's in the same sonic league as two synths I've played a lot: the Memorymoog and the Matrix 12. Here's my first demo with it. Note that the effects are not the ones built-in (Logic). I love any and all feedback:



Damn you Ned! I had removed the Andromeda from my wish list. But now I want it again. Great track!
i always thought of it as sone machine in between Prophet 5 and OB-Xa. 
What kept me from getting it was the unreliability of the Synth in terms of encoders and some other issues. might keep my eyes open…


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## CATDAD

I have a Minibrute 2S with a light set of Eurorack modules, and a Hydrasynth.

What I have learned workflow-wise:

The Minibrute 2S sees use for simple-but-beefy bass patches, and the Eurorack bits get included when I want to just hit record, turn knobs, and chop up samples out of what I get. I can do this easily enough with VSTs, but the hardware really gets me in the mood to fearlessly make some bizarre things! 

For things that involve more precise modulation and/or polyphony, the Hydra comes in. The main difference for me between it and a VST, is it's more interactive to build patches for, and because it can save them, I can still recall them to work on a previous project or instantly bring them up on a new one. To me, it also has a sort of sweet spot where it is quite powerful, but still has just enough limitations so I don't tweak a patch for an eternity and eventually just start recording.

VSTs now mostly come in for things that are beyond the capabilities of those two machines, like Pigments for granular+additive patches, Chromaphone for some synthetic-yet-dynamic tuned percussion, or if I have a patch in mind that would require very specific modulations that would take ages to make on hardware. Or even if I'm just in a hurry, have something specific in mind, and can't be fussed to take time to do it on hardware.

The hardware certainly isn't something I need sonically (the Minibrute 2S bass patches definitely have a little extra something to them but I could live without it), but it is something that gives me joy, which is hard to put a value on.


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## antret

pixel said:


> I was waiting for Behringer to get poly analogue for pads, but it may take even another year of waiting (if not more), so last week, I bought myself a Christmas gift: Modal Cobalt 8. Yes, it's digital VA, "so it's an expensive plugin", but I must admit, this one can make delightful sounds. Solid, lush, full pads, brasses, leads and even basses. Also, the Fatar keyboard in a synth in this price range... delicious.
> Cobalt 8 replaced Model D for a bassline task in a track that I'm currently working on.
> 
> At this point, Bodyssey and Cobalt 8 are two synths that I'm using. Model D seems to be the least. IMO, Odyssey is way juicier, fuller and crispier like fried bacon (thanks to a fantastic filter) than Model D. With just two oscillators I can make bold pads and basses without beating - it's not that easy to do on Model D.


Modal makes very cool stuff! I have the tiny Modal Skulpt on the way to the house as we speak. . 

This thread made me pull out my Novation Ultranova to use as my controller again. The VST editor does make it fit into my workflow a little better. The Modal stuff has VST editors. I don’t think the Behringer ones do? My deepmind 12 has a 3rd party created one…. Not full featured at all. 

Like s few folks here, I found that a VST editor is a must for me. It’s just how I seem to work nowadays.


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## Ned Bouhalassa

Stevie said:


> Damn you Ned! I had removed the Andromeda from my wish list. But now I want it again. Great track!
> i always thought of it as sone machine in between Prophet 5 and OB-Xa.
> What kept me from getting it was the unreliability of the Synth in terms of encoders and some other issues. might keep my eyes open…


Those issues are real! Thread carefully, friend.


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## Stevie

Ned Bouhalassa said:


> Those issues are real! Thread carefully, friend.


Gaaaah!
How did you prevent that? Got one in a very good condition?


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## Ned Bouhalassa

Stevie said:


> Gaaaah!
> How did you prevent that? Got one in a very good condition?


It looks gorgeous. But it's temperamental, as most of them are, due to their processor being pushed to its limit (typical for hybrids before/around 2000). Trying not to think about it too much. Working on a very tight budget time-wise, so it's all Omnisphere for now. I'll get back to being nervous about it in a few weeks! FWIW, I have a few other vintage goodies (Memorymoog+, AKS Synthi, Maxikorg), so I'm kinda used to being nervous around my instruments!


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## Stevie

The main problem is that the ASICS seem to fail over time and they are not built anymore, right?


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## Ned Bouhalassa

Correct


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## Ned Bouhalassa

It still plays, though, so it could be much worse.

I know of a CS-80 in town that has sat unused for years because several replacement parts can’t be found.


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## Stevie

The pure horror of every synth owner


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## Vik

szczaw said:


> I own several and use none.


Same here. I’ve had synths by Oberheim, Sequential Circuits, Access, Waldorf, Yamaha, Korg and others – and have sold all of them but one (which I don’t use).


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## AdamKmusic

Picked up a DFAM the other week, I love it! I’m trying to resist getting a small modular setup based around it!


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## Ned Bouhalassa

GREAT choice! A terrific instrument, I can’t get enough of it.


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## pmountford

AdamKmusic said:


> Picked up a DFAM the other week, I love it! I’m trying to resist getting a small modular setup based around it!


Gorgeous sounding instrument but I had to let mine go earlier this year as I just couldn't get it into my workflow. And at that point I really didn't want to go down the modular rabbit hole... 6 months later, now I too am peering over the edge into that 'dark hole', I probably would have kept it. Good luck - they do sound lovely.


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## antsteep

I try to stick with one good poly synth and one good mono synth.

Currently I have the Novation Summit and a Moog Sub 37. I am considering swapping out the Sub 37 for the Sequential Pro 3 though.


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## pmountford

antsteep said:


> I try to stick with one good poly synth and one good mono synth.
> 
> Currently I have the Novation Summit and a Moog Sub 37. I am considering swapping out the Sub 37 for the Sequential Pro 3 though.


Similiar thoughts here. Although I liked the Sub37 tone, I wasn't getting the use out of it compared to the Pro3 I have, so that was sold on earlier this year. My main poly is the Summit aswell.


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## Snoobydoobydoo

Getting a P6 tomorrow. Hope DSI will not disappoint again with build quality. The last two P6‘es and one OB6 had quality problems that were not acceptable. Uneven keys, buttons that were loose and even worse things. My last try with DSI. But i want to keep it so bad :/


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## khollister

I have sold everything except my Moog Matriarch, a medium sized modular system and a Hydrasynth (going on Reverb soon as well). Partly for studio streamlining as well as the fact that I just didn't use them much.


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## Double Helix

Not wishing to start a new thread (which has traditionally proven to be the kiss of death), this article landed in my inbox a few minutes ago--I'm sure some of you have already read Jim Aiken's thoughtful article about software versions of hardware synths, but for the one person in the multiverse who isn't subscribed to _Synth and Software_, here's the link:








Should Vintage Synth Recreations Incorporate 50 Years of Improvements?


Jim Aikin ponders why anyone would want an old, obsolete instrument The art and technology of synthesizer design has changed enormously over the past 50 years. All the new instruments today are so amazingly powerful, it’s hard to see why anybody would dream of owning, much less drool over, a...




synthandsoftware.com


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## CShorte

I have had a Matriarch since they were introduced. It was always in a situation where I had to stand and reach above my head to play it. I have recently moved it to within arm’s reach and I cannot take my hands off of it! I really do not like the idea of not being able to store a patch but whenever I find a sound that I like, I record something with it. I dread the wires but it is a lot of fun.

i have a Prophet X that needs some hands on attention but ergonomics and space are a real issue. It’s ability to be used to control and interact with Omnisphere is a very exciting aspect. However, it does not seem to do much with the new Sonic Extensions.


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## Marcus Millfield

Snoobydoobydoo said:


> Getting a P6 tomorrow. Hope DSI will not disappoint again with build quality. The last two P6‘es and one OB6 had quality problems that were not acceptable. Uneven keys, buttons that were loose and even worse things. My last try with DSI. But i want to keep it so bad :/


Hope it worked out for you. Having a P6 myself, I find the build quality to be "okay" at best. Especially the knobs and keybed aren't filling me with confidence (too much wiggle in the knobs, uneven keybed and pressure control for AT), especially for a machine at that price point. The Rev2 has a better build.


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## Snoobydoobydoo

Marcus Millfield said:


> Hope it worked out for you. Having a P6 myself, I find the build quality to be "okay" at best. Especially the knobs and keybed aren't filling me with confidence (too much wiggle in the knobs, uneven keybed and pressure control for AT), especially for a machine at that price point. The Rev2 has a better build.


Thanks. Seems fine so far. No visible faults with this one.


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## Snoobydoobydoo

Ok, aint normal that the leds go wild when using the pan spread knob or key mode button, right?


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## Marcus Millfield

Snoobydoobydoo said:


> Ok, aint normal that the leds go wild when using the pan spread knob or key mode button, right?


Depends if you're sober


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## Orchestrata

Of all my physical synths my Bass Station 2 gets the most use in actual projects. It was the synth I learned synthesis on years back and I can still get more or less anything I want (in conjunction with some FX plugins) in seconds. Love my Moogs and Arturias (and the half dozen other synths I've bought and sold over the years) but muscle memory is more important to me than most other things when I'm on a deadline. Considering a Summit or Peak just based on how much I click with Novation's workflow and designs.


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## ed buller

MOOG/MOON Custom Modular...get's used a lot

e


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## Ned Bouhalassa

Now *that’s* a very beautiful thing - congrats!


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## Snoobydoobydoo

Marcus Millfield said:


> Depends if you're sober


Maybe the unpacking smell influenced my senses, but that brandnew P6 is faulty…again. Done with DSI now. Or maybee…noo i can withstand another one.


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## Snoobydoobydoo

ed buller said:


> MOOG/MOON Custom Modular...get's used a lot
> 
> e


Does that even fall into the synth category? I had to invent some new description, seems more like a lifeform.


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## Marcus Millfield

Snoobydoobydoo said:


> Maybe the unpacking smell influenced my senses, but that brandnew P6 is faulty…again. Done with DSI now. Or maybee…noo i can withstand another one.


Are you sure? I wouldn't be want to be without a DSI synth, but I'm a fanboi of so there's that.


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## Snoobydoobydoo

Marcus Millfield said:


> Are you sure? I wouldn't be want to be without a DSI synth, but I'm a fanboi of so there's that.


Pretty sure now. From 4 new purchases, zero luck. Considering the pricetag, its not a hard decision to stay away from it now.
I can live with little quirks and some cosmetic flaws, but not with that kind of failures. Bye DSI.


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## Marcus Millfield

Snoobydoobydoo said:


> Pretty sure now. From 4 new purchases, zero luck. Considering the pricetag, its not a hard decision to stay away from it now.
> I can live with little quirks and some cosmetic flaws, but not with that kind of failures. Bye DSI.


I can understand, especially for the premium prices.


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## Phaedraz

Snoobydoobydoo said:


> Getting a P6 tomorrow. Hope DSI will not disappoint again with build quality. The last two P6‘es and one OB6 had quality problems that were not acceptable. Uneven keys, buttons that were loose and even worse things. My last try with DSI. But i want to keep it so bad :/


Mine is perfect! Got it a couple of months ago.


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## Phaedraz

antsteep said:


> I try to stick with one good poly synth and one good mono synth.
> 
> Currently I have the Novation Summit and a Moog Sub 37. I am considering swapping out the Sub 37 for the Sequential Pro 3 though.


I have a Pro3. It's a beast indeed!


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## Marcus Millfield

Phaedraz said:


> Mine is perfect! Got it a couple of months ago.


So you don't have wobbly knobs, uneven keys, issues with after touch not responding or unevenly responding in certain keys or other build quality issues? I never came across anyone who didn't have at least one of these issues with a P6!


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## Phaedraz

Marcus Millfield said:


> So you don't have wobbly knobs, uneven keys, issues with after touch not responding or unevenly responding in certain keys or other build quality issues? I never came across anyone who didn't have at least one of these issues with a P6!


All my knobs feel solid. The keys are well aligned. Have not noticed any strange touch response so far. After touch, not noticed any problems there either... Maybe I am very lucky.


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## Marcus Millfield

Phaedraz said:


> Maybe I am very lucky.


Well, good for you!


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## IFM

Just finally just acquired a very good example of the MiniKorg2 (Univox badge). This is one of those synths I've lusted after for a long time...already has made it onto the next album.


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## Ned Bouhalassa

Fantastic, looks great!


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## DJiLAND

I'm torn between Summit and Polybrute. Summit is cheaper and has a more cinematic and massive sound in my opinion. However, Polybrute is a bit more refined and has great intuitiveness. And Polybrute's Morph knob feature is really killer. I don't know what to buy. Sounds like the Summit has more sweetspots, but the Polybrute is also powerful.


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## Zero&One

DJiLAND said:


> I'm torn between Summit and Polybrute. Summit is cheaper and has a more cinematic and massive sound in my opinion. However, Polybrute is a bit more refined and has great intuitiveness. And Polybrute's Morph knob feature is really killer. I don't know what to buy. Sounds like the Summit has more sweetspots, but the Polybrute is also powerful.


I had both kept the Polybrute. Summit was excellent, but I was menu diving more and that ultimately made my decision to let it go. I'll probably get a used rack Peak one day. Latest firmware on the PB is fantastic. Very different beasts, I feel the PB is more like an instrument and almost impossible to make a bad patch. But for sound design and electronic the Summit all day. Depends what you're lacking I'd say. Get both!


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## ALittleNightMusic

Zero&One said:


> I had both kept the Polybrute. Summit was excellent, but I was menu diving more and that ultimately made my decision to let it go. I'll probably get a used rack Peak one day. Latest firmware on the PB is fantastic. Very different beasts, I feel the PB is more like an instrument and almost impossible to make a bad patch. But for sound design and electronic the Summit all day. Depends what you're lacking I'd say. Get both!


I have a Peak and it's great - relatively compact. I need to load it up with a bunch of presets and wavetables though.


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## pmountford

DJiLAND said:


> I'm torn between Summit and Polybrute. Summit


2 great polysynths. I have the Summit and recently let go of a Matrixbrute with the intention of replacing with a Polybrute but the jury's still out on that one for me but that's purely on the youtube videos I've seen. But that's only me. One thing I've learnt on this synth buying/selling journey in the last 12 months is that it's great to get other folk's thoughts but ultimately you need time with a synth on your own to see what talks to you. They really are personal. You won't wrong with either but that doesn't really help...


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## clisma

All I can add to this is that I went to try a bunch of synths for a purchase and did NOT expect to even try the Polybrute, nevermind love it. But love it I did: intuitive, immediately musical and inspiring, easy to patch and the Morph and Ribbon controller put it over the top. And I have a Matrixbrute…

It’s on the top of my list now. Maybe at year’s end.


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## dtoub

Ensoniq KS-32, which I’ve managed to keep working since the early 90’s. But I no longer use it as a synth, but rather as a keyboard to sequence into Reason or to enter notes in Finale. For the time, it had decent synthesis TBH.


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## Ned Bouhalassa

After watching this video, the Korg Prologue 16-voice has made it to the top of my next-synth shopping list. Sleeper synth, indeed! 
Here’s the excellent video that convinced me:


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## Marcus Millfield

Ned Bouhalassa said:


> After watching this video, the Korg Prologue 16-voice has made it to the top of my next-synth shopping list. Sleeper synth, indeed!
> Here’s the excellent video that convinced me:



The user oscillator makes this synth.


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## agosoiu

I have Clavia Nord Lead 4, Access Virus TI2 Desktop, Waldorf Blofeld Desktop and since recently also a Moog Subsequent 37.


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## Gminorcoles

I started with a lot of VSTs and a midi controller but I got quite frustrated with computer issues. I spent a lot of money on a workstation for music and after a year, had to replace the CPU, then last summer I found that it won't load any VSTs in the DAW without crackling. I am not a professional musician but I try to record something every day. 

So for reasons of predictability and long term stability I started accruing more hardware, and MIDI timing and sync annoyances led me to start using an MPC4000 as my sequencer. It is very easy to use, but when I am done roughing out a song I have to move the sequences to my PC for archiving and in some cases for tweaking. I record all the tracks from my synths into Ableton. 
I was using FL Studio but started noticing MIDI lag and jitter on my played in parts, and this really annoyed me. I did some research and Logic and Live seem to be the best performing in terms of MIDI input. 
I have tried to move away from programming MIDI and play just about everything in now. This limits me I some ways stylistically but the music is more plausible. 

Now I am getting frustrated in the opposite direction. For all the religiosity in some places about hardware vs software, my hardware synths are indeed more limited than the sounds I can get from VSTS. I also have a hard time making things sound finished and cohesive in the mix with hardware, whereas for reasons unclear to me, this is relatively effortless with VSTs. 

Patch recall is another thing that is a big pain with hardware. I sometimes just take pictures of the synths to remember what I played on a song. 

There are always tradeoffs. I really like knowing that obsolescence won't take my hardware synths out of the equation, but the ancillary problems can create a fair amount of friction. 

I am now reinstalling VST bundles on a new Mac mini M1 in hopes of a hybrid Ableton / Hardware setup but I am not sure how to marry them well. I like the fact that I stand up when I work now, I have my MPC at the correct height, and my synths are on surfaces that are reachable from standing. 

I have a Polybrute which I feel is irreplaceable, a Korg Kronos which is a very good if annoying all-around keyboard and can serve as a portable platform when I go play outside my studio. I can load sounds as samples which can serve to establish a sonic palette live, which isnt often needed but really convenient when I do. 

I also have a Korg Opsix which I might be able to replicate in software, but it would take some doing, and the opsix sounds unique with no effort. Really amazing synth. 

I have been though a lot of other bread and butter HW synths which are as other posters have said maybe not actually indispensable if you work ITB. When I am unhappy with needing to use the computer I am very happy with the HW. When I am finding it hard to mix and track in a way that sounds convincing, I wish I could just do it all in the DAW directly.


----------



## vitocorleone123

Software is generally more polished and well-behaved - or even mixed/mastered when it comes to samples. Also, professional sound designers make presets.

It is more challenging to mix in hardware synths because they, especially if not digital, are more raw and untamed. Like recording anything from scratch (voice, violin, etc.). I go back and forth, and love and use both software and hardware, often in the same track. I don't always want to battle a bunch of hardware to tame and mix it.

I have an OB-6, as I've mentioned in the thread, and that can be an adventure at times to fit into a mix.


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## Zero&One

Gminorcoles said:


> I am now reinstalling VST bundles on a new Mac mini M1 in hopes of a hybrid Ableton / Hardware setup but I am not sure how to marry them well.


I've recently bought Audio Hijack, maybe of some use? I've got 7 external units hooked through it, use it as a basic mixer. It also allows you to slot in VST's/AU's in the chains, so I've got the odd reverb on some and delay units. These all go a limiter. You can slap a recorder at the end if you want to record the session. 
I've a few templates setup for Roland, TR-8 & Polybrute etc etc. Just power them on, click Audio Hijack and I'm rocking. Very simple but effective solution for hardware I've found.


----------

