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Originally Posted by Eric J  Thanks for the responses. Quite a few diverse opinions out there! I went the GC tonight and played around with the LP and the Voyager. I wasn't as impressed with the LP as I thought I would be. It sounds great, but I felt that the Voyager sounded a little better, maybe due to the extra OSC. In addition, I thought that the LP interface was a bit fiddly compared to the Voyager. Presing buttons to change the function of the knobs was a bit of a hassle. That XY pad in the Voyager also adds a new element of tweakability, very fun to play around with. I have to admit that I was really impressed with the build quality of the Voyager, where as the LP did not feel as solid. Those Moog knobs just have this "tweak me" type of feel to them. Big and solid, it was very, very nice!
Unfortunately, they did not have a Prophet there that I could play around with, so I'll have to rely on the demos and youtbe videos to get a feel for that synth. I think after reading everyone's opinions that its is probably a good idea to go for the Prophet 08 first and then compliment that with the Voyager next followed by the Virus TI. I think the Prophet will probably be able to meet some immediate needs for an analog synth that can do great pads as still function as a bass synth if need be. Once I pick up the Voyager, I'll probably use that for basses and monophonic leads and then compliment that with the Virus TI. This seems like the best value for the money.
I have to tell you, coming from a standpoint of only having experience with VA's and softsynths, the true analog units really, really impressed me with their sound. The depth of sound coming from the Moog units is so far ahead of anything that I have heard from a DSP based unit. I know I referred to that Moog sound earlier in my original post, and basically I heard that sound when playing with both units tonight. I can't really describe it, but there was just tha something extra I heard out of the Moog units that I have never heard from a DSP hardware unit or a softsynth before. It's going to be hard to wait. I can certainly see why so many owners extoll the virtues of their analog hardware units. There really is nothing that comes even close to their sound from what I could hear. Really, really top notch!
While the Andromeda sounds great from the things I have heard in demos I think I'll wait a bit before considering that addition. The Prophet, Voyager and TI should have me covered for a bit and I really wanted to pick up some hardware that I can get new rather than taking the risk on buying a used unit from eBay.
Thanks for the opinions! |
I get exactly where you're at and I think the Prophet '08 is a great jumping point!
I think it'll cover more territory than you think. I love my Moog (model D), but it's not a first synth (although I did get it long before the Prophet '08.
I can honestly say that the Prophet '08 is an excellant synth and perhaps the best first analogue synth out there.
It has that classic Curtis chip sound. It's a classic layout (a great example of analogue synthesis, easy to get your head around tweaking). Impressive sounding.
Then the next synth you get can be more eccentric. (Don't count out a Studio Electronics SE1x for a great Moog style bass
)
And some people suggest the Andromeda A6, while I don't love it, it's a great synth, but I find it's not a great first synth and once you start building your collection, you may find a Moog is a better Moog, a Prophet a better Prophet and an Oberheim a better Oberheim... you get the idea.
Oh, that reminds me, an Oberheim Matrix 1000 is great analogue bang for your buck... for your second or third synth... let the collecting begin!!!!
Best of luck, you'll be fine.
-andrews
