Mini-synth recommendations (tried Microkorg)

[matyas]

Hey guys,
I'm in the market for a cool small-format, inexpensive synth. I've been using pretty much exclusively softsynths for a long time now, and I'm not giving them up anytime soon, but sometimes I don't want to drag a computer and interface to rehearsals or smaller gigs, and sometimes I've got my computer tied up with recording duties. And sometimes I just want to noodle around on a keyboard and don't feel dealing with software.
So here's what I'm looking for, a nutshell: An inexpensive (used is fine), small form-factor virtual analog (or real analog, for that matter), easily programmable, live performance-friendly synth that covers the ground from simple leads to sonic mayhem. It should have a nice synth action, although mini keys are alright by me since I have smallish fingers. I don't really care about having a vocoder, although I suppose I'd use it if it were onboard, and I feel the same way about arpeggiators. Microtuning/alternate temperaments are a big plus, but I can live without it if the rest of the packages is great. I've never been a preset guy - back in the day I used to love making DX7 patches and I enjoyed delving into synthesis arcana. But despite my DX7 roots I don't want to scroll through pages of menus in a live situation.
I had been strongly considering Korg's offerings, but after trying the Microkorg and Microkorg XL, I came away feeling that these instruments aren't really what I'm looking for. (I like the keyboard feel on the XL quite a bit more than the original Microkorg, if that means anything.) The form factor and price are right, and I can't complain about the sound quality, but I'd prefer something a little more tweak-friendly and more easily programmable. I got the distinct impression that the Microkorg series is aimed at "tweak the presets" guys. Nothing wrong with that, but that's not me. The Alesis Micron and Akai Miniak also seemed to suffer from a lack of knobs from my standpoint., and I know less about the sound quality of these instruments.

[percussion boy]

I still really like the Miniak although it is not perfect.

As you said, there are not a lot of knobs (although the 2 mod wheels compensate somewhat, in performance). I learned to program on '80s budget synths with no knobs at all, so I don't mind getting under the hood of the Miniak.

And you will definitely need to program it, the presets are kind of plastic and cheesy, imo.

Good points: Lots of modulation and envelope options, dual filters with lots of filter types -- you can tweak the sounds many different ways. Keys and wheels feel good, seem sturdy. The synth has a character of its own and seems to fit into a mix. Can do nice pads, strings, leads.

Bad points: No battery power, a little light in the low end for bass sounds, no on-board eq (which is how the Microkorg XL gets such beefy bass). People say the vocoder is weak, I wouldn't know. Presets do not go far enough to fatten and randomize the details of the sound, so they don't sound very "analogish."

I think of the Miniak sound as halfway between the better '80s digitals (dx7, casio czs) and some of the sweeter dco-style analog stuff. The Miniak strings I programmed hold their own pretty well against a Roland mks70.

To make the Miniak sound more organic, it's important to use the various randomizing options in the lfos, oscillators, and modulation matrix if you want the tuning and filters to waver in an analog-synth way.


Hope this helps. It might be worth checking out. I ended up getting this over both the Microkorgs after a lot of road-testing, haven't regretted it.

[L-feld]

Yamaha CS01. Might look like a toy, but it's not!
Seek out the mkII if you can, since it has variable resonance, rather than on and off.

[Demokid]

Hi,

What is your budget and should it be a ploy or a mono-sizer?

Kind regards
Demokid

[lilita]

do want a CS-01! dat dog lol

I like the Casio HT-700 and the Korg 707. Want a Casio CZ-101. I think the Roland SH-101 is brilliant but they are more expensive now. Maybe an SH-32 (not everyone likes it though.)

[dhollmusik]

[L-feld]

Originally Posted by lilita

do want a CS-01! dat dog lol

I like the Casio HT-700 and the Korg 707. Want a Casio CZ-101. I think the Roland SH-101 is brilliant but they are more expensive now. Maybe an SH-32 (not everyone likes it though.)

Haha, that video always makes me crack up. It's one of the few videos I have of Lenny from when he was a little puppy. And of course he was chewing on the power cords...

The Korg 707 and CZ-101 are both really great and can be found super cheap. Typically around $100. I actually just sold my CZ-101, but I will probably end up getting a CZ-1 at some point in the future

The 707 is a real gem, though, and yet people insist on paying three to four times as much for DX100's.

The 707 is like a DX100 with a better control interface, better keys, plus velocity and AFTERTOUCH!!!

[moonK]

if you can wait > get the a shruthi-1

you can build the kit, or buy an assembled one. you'll have to troll around til the release date-- they usually sell 2-3 assembled ones for around 400 u.s.

sound are great, kicks microkorgs butt. its a mix of digital and analog filters. you'll like it!

http://mutable-instruments.net/shruthi1b

[matyas]

Thanks for all the tips, guys. I ended up re-evaluating what I'm really after, and came to the conclusion that first and foremost I wanted a nice analog-sounding synth for melodic lines, bass lines, and weird noises. I wanted something that sounded different from all my softsynths and my DX7II (which, alongside a Yamaha stage piano, is my only hardware synth). I scoured around eBay, and decided I could spend some more cash than I originally planned, and ended up scoring an amazing deal on a Moog Little Phatty Stage II.

[lilita]

Originally Posted by L-feld

The 707 is a real gem, though, and yet people insist on paying three to four times as much for DX100's.

The 707 is like a DX100 with a better control interface, better keys, plus velocity and AFTERTOUCH!!!

Truth.