# The one and only



## BVMusic (May 28, 2022)

If you had to choose one hardware synth, and nothing else to make a complete track with, what would it be?
And the same goes for a software synth?

*Brian*


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## Ned Bouhalassa (May 28, 2022)

Moog One.
Omnisphere.

low budget? Hydrasynth + the synths that come with your DAW


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## liquidlino (May 28, 2022)

I've been wondering this exact question too! Personally I'd like it to be an analog synth. Something I've been digging into on the research is which synths are fully cc compatibble - sending and receiving for all major controls. Already I found the summit fails - apparently the second bank of voices (e.g. the second peak inside the summit) doesn't respond to modwheel etc cc's. I need to do more research to see if this is true, as at the moment my heart is taking me towards a summit or a polybrute.

The Hydrasynth Deluxe is also very tempting, my only reservation is how few controls there are on the thing - there's a huge blank space - they could have put tons more encoders and screens there... wasted opportunity.


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## TomislavEP (May 28, 2022)

Tough question, indeed. I assume that "Komplete" or "Kontakt" don't really count as valid answers here so I'll say:

Roland Fantom X
AIR Xpand2


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## Zanshin (May 28, 2022)

Virus Ti2 (If "nothing else" meant no DAW either, then I'd choose Analog Rytm Mk2)
Zerbra 2


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## Roger Newton (May 28, 2022)

Roland Jupiter 8. I had one. Bought it new in 1981. Where it would win over a Mini Moog is the polyphony and all round sound and ability.


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## Ned Bouhalassa (May 28, 2022)

FWIW, I’ve got a few short clips made with only one synth:





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## Sirocco (May 28, 2022)

Omnisphere.
Korg Karma.

But without a guitar i am almost dead...


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## doctoremmet (May 29, 2022)

Kurzweil K2500
MSoundFactory


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## Sirocco (May 29, 2022)

doctoremmet said:


> Kurzweil K2500
> MSoundFactory


OMG!!! the K2500 how many blue modules version sold us at a music store in Madrid.....how many remembers and anecdotic things around this machine, how many customers, friends...saving money to get one, it is a legend, at least in that store/distribuitors. It was forgetting in my mind years ago all those things around the mighty 2500. I was working there in 1999 till 2006.

I vagely remember an electric piano version of the 2500 or the 2000 it was a furniture big and heavy as hell??? we never sold it, the price it was in pesetas and it was 4000 € or so 

Salute!


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## doctoremmet (May 29, 2022)

I have cooler synths. I have more legendary synths. But if I could just keep one, I’d pick the 2500 in a heartbeat. Reason: V.A.S.T. synthesis. It is highly programmable and does almost any type of synthesis effortlessly. It is a workstation. It does drawbar organs pretty well. For its time it had pretty good samples on board too. Plus it sounds fantastic.


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## Sirocco (May 29, 2022)

I remember that the A/D D/A conversors was a HIIIGH difference with the others...the others were all, Emu, Korg, Clavia, Roland...none of the best sound so pristine and good as the 2500.

In that era it was very noticeable the digital conversion, it was notable "hearable" the quality, noises, compress etc...

Edit: Monaco F1 race delayed by rain...wth has nothing to do with the post...XD


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## BVMusic (May 30, 2022)

Ned Bouhalassa said:


> FWIW, I’ve got a few short clips made with only one synth:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Hello Ned. Besides the fact that you have in your studio those wonderful synths, it was very interesting to listen to each track made from one synth. Interested to make the same with virtual synths now? Thanks - Brian


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## BVMusic (May 30, 2022)

So much interesting to see all those synths listed. Also, I am learning that it does not matter if the synth is old or not when it comes to creating sounds and music. So perhaps I do well if I keep my JP8000 AND JD990, or even my DX11.


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## el-bo (May 30, 2022)

Don't own hardware, but for software I'm going with Omnisphere


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## doctoremmet (May 30, 2022)

BVMusic said:


> or even my DX11


Love that synth. 4OP FM really is a sweetspot


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## Ned Bouhalassa (May 30, 2022)

BVMusic said:


> Hello Ned. Besides the fact that you have in your studio those wonderful synths, it was very interesting to listen to each track made from one synth. Interested to make the same with virtual synths now? Thanks - Brian


Hi Brian. I don’t have all the synths anymore that you hear in my short pieces, as some were traded/sold for newer vintage obsessions! But I have others waiting for their track to shine.

As for virtual synths, I’ve enjoyed making one-synth demos as well and have many tracks with these:





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## BVMusic (May 30, 2022)

Ned Bouhalassa said:


> Hi Brian. I don’t have all the synths anymore that you hear in my short pieces, as some were traded/sold for newer vintage obsessions! But I have others waiting for their track to shine.
> 
> As for virtual synths, I’ve enjoyed making one-synth demos as well and have many tracks with these:
> 
> ...


Beautiful. Your tracks may be the answer in many ways, to the debate between hardware and software synths. I am curious to know what you used to make your plugin synths sound that fantastic. - Brian


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## Double Helix (May 30, 2022)

-- Kronos2 88 (I have other hardware synths, but I play a Kronos 73 live--in August, I will have had it for ten years--and also use the Kronos2 as my midi controller)
-- Omnisphere


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## Ned Bouhalassa (May 30, 2022)

BVMusic said:


> Beautiful. Your tracks may be the answer in many ways, to the debate between hardware and software synths. I am curious to know what you used to make your plugin synths sound that fantastic. - Brian


Thank you.

The only thing I use is this duo on my main bus out: Satin + Elephant

The debate is over for me, and hardware wins. Not for sound, but for everything else: the look, feel, physical interaction, compositionally-useful limitations, more happy accidents, feels like playing an instrument.

When I see a big synth in front of me, it stands much more of a chance of being used/played than its virtual counterpart, hidden in a long list. A physical synth makes me feel a connection that I can’t find in software*. Then there’s the health break they offer, as I spend less time in front of a screen.


* Except Omnisphere, but it’s almost family by now.


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## BVMusic (May 30, 2022)

Ned Bouhalassa said:


> Thank you.
> 
> The only thing I use is this duo on my main bus out: Satin + Elephant
> 
> ...


And do you use a DAW to record or a hardware machine?


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## Ned Bouhalassa (May 30, 2022)

I record into Logic using a MOTU 896.


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## Wally Garten (May 30, 2022)

Assuming we are not including samplers. No MPC or SP or Digitakt. 

So… I’ll say Korg OpSix. Unbelievably versatile, including the ability to turn an operator into an effect. I’m only just digging into it, but it feels like a whole universe.


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## wst3 (May 31, 2022)

didn't expect to be the oddball, but for hardware it would have to be a semi-modular, probably the ARP 2600, although if I could afford one I'd get Dekard's Dream instead.

For soft-synths, once upon a time it would have been Camel Audio Alchemy, but the Windows version is no more, so I will fall in line here and say Omnisphere.


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## Marcus Millfield (Jun 1, 2022)

I'd go with the Prophet 6. Although it doesn't have a gazillion options like some others, it does have some good on board effects and almost everything you make with it has character.

I really don't like using soft synths, but if I had to choose it would probably be either Repro, Knifonium or one of the Arturia V-Collection synths. They sound good and I find their GUIs useable, which is my biggest problem with other soft synths.


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