Quote:
Originally Posted by JOliver  under 400 euro I dont really think you can get "great" pads maybe ok. juno 60 is a good bet |
Well, it depends on what kind of pads the OP wants, but let me reiterate that the ESQ-1 can make great pads, and they go for around $200 USD.
Think about it: 3 oscillators + 3 LFO's + 4 envelopes per voice, with 8-voice polyphony. Plenty of synthetic, additive-style waveforms (e.g., fifths and octaves) which make a good basis for organ and pad sounds. The sound tends to be a bit dark and bassy because of the 24 db LPF filter (no oberheim-ish pads here), and lo-fi because of the 8-bit samples, but it can give you some nice, evolving, Boards of Canada type of pads. Couple it with a digital rompler or a 6-op FM synth (e.g., D50/550, Korg X5DR/NS5R, Yamaha DX7/TX7), and you can have both dark and glassy pads for less than 400 euro.
