Finally did it.

[JKantos]

So my brother's been harassing me about becoming a slut, if that's what you call it, and so I finally did.

(Secretly I've been perusing the forums for months and months...)

That name's Jeff, I live in St. Cloud, MN. I am almost finished with my music education degree where I'll teach little kids how to sing, then show them my mixes. In an ideal world, I'll be writing electronic music that will accompany a choir, a la Stockhausen, Babbitt, the OG's.

QUESTION #1!

My graduation present to myself is some hardware. I NEED a hard poly-synth. I've got an MPK49, so a module isn't out of the question, but something that can create some sexy harmonies, pads, would be nice. I've been looking forever and can't make up my mind.

I was thinking vintage at first, maybe a JUNO 106? Then I thought about a Little Phatty, then I thought about the DSI PolyEvolver.

SOMEBODY HELP ME! I'd spend as much as 3k. Building credit's always nice.

[Klacktor]

Cheers mate.
I just signed up too.

Interestingly I've just sold all my hard synth boxes. I'm just amazed at the options software has to offer these days. I'd say sink some cash into a great controller then go software crazy. You could afford a load of soft synths for 3k... But I suppose I neglect the fact you might be into analog. Even the polysynth that comes with PT8 - 9 is pretty impressive... Xpand. Maybe I've been out of the game a while, but I find it amazing the things you can throw into a simple RTAS plug. Hope someone else has a more helpful answer...

[Mr. Varaldo]

Originally Posted by JKantos

So my brother's been harassing me about becoming a slut, if that's what you call it, and so I finally did.

(Secretly I've been perusing the forums for months and months...)

That name's Jeff, I live in St. Cloud, MN. I am almost finished with my music education degree where I'll teach little kids how to sing, then show them my mixes. In an ideal world, I'll be writing electronic music that will accompany a choir, a la Stockhausen, Babbitt, the OG's.

QUESTION #1!

My graduation present to myself is some hardware. I NEED a hard poly-synth. I've got an MPK49, so a module isn't out of the question, but something that can create some sexy harmonies, pads, would be nice. I've been looking forever and can't make up my mind.

I was thinking vintage at first, maybe a JUNO 106? Then I thought about a Little Phatty, then I thought about the DSI PolyEvolver.

SOMEBODY HELP ME! I'd spend as much as 3k. Building credit's always nice.

"Building credit's always nice" as long as you pay that credit card off in full, every time. It is not nice when you only do the minimum payments, and it's how a lot of people get in trouble in the long run.

Anyway, if you are willing to to spend 3K, why would you even look at cheap synths like the 106, Phatty and PolyEvolver? Get a top of the line synth like a Roland Jupiter-80, Korg Kronos or Yamaha Motif XF and you're set

[Klacktor]

Originally Posted by Mr. Varaldo

"Building credit's always nice" as long as you pay that credit card off in full, every time. It is not nice when you only do the minimum payments, and it's how a lot of people get in trouble in the long run.

Anyway, if you are willing to to spend 3K, why would you even look at cheap synths like the 106, Phatty and PolyEvolver? Get a top of the line synth like a Roland Jupiter-80, Korg Kronos or Yamaha Motif XF and you're set

Yes Motif racks are on the cheap these days. very reasonable

[Liquid360]

music that will accompany a choir, a la Stockhausen, Babbitt, the OG's.

Not familiar with that style. Stockhausen sounded like experimental, avant garde music.

SOMEBODY HELP ME! I'd spend as much as 3k. Building credit's always nice.

If you want Stockhausen sounds, an analog with LOTS of modulation capabilities will work better for you. What kind of music do you do? Just experimental?

If you want to do ULTIMATE experimental, a small patchable modular is killer, it's made for that.

[Mr. Varaldo]

Originally Posted by Klacktor

Even the polysynth that comes with PT8 - 9 is pretty impressive... Xpand. Maybe I've been out of the game a while, but I find it amazing the things you can throw into a simple RTAS plug.

Yes - you've haven't been out of the game... Xpand!2 is an incredibly good soft synth. Yes, it's simpler than a lot of other soft synths out there, but its power lies in its layering capabilities... and the beautiful sounds it has in ROM. Pro Tools was always considered a DAW for "rockers", not for electronic musicians, but the new versions, and the new AIR synths and plugins have definitely pushed it towards our direction too...

[elijahbrown]

Mks 80. Killer analog synth. Kinda a combo of the jup 6 and 8. You could also get a jup 6 in that price range. I think that of you want to make killer pads you can't beat the andromeda or the xpander/matrix 12.

[cdog]

Im thinking first synth should be a mono analog...

Mopho or a midi modded monotibe are both really cheap.

BTW I never thought my andromeda, with no external FX (internal are meh), could make really epic pads... I mostly used it for basses and leads, YMMV

[Liquid360]

Mks 80. Killer analog synth. Kinda a combo of the jup 6 and 8. You could also get a jup 6 in that price range. I think that of you want to make killer pads you can't beat the andromeda or the xpander/matrix 12.

I have an MKS-80 (and a Jupiter 6) and they are great analogs if you're going after a particular sound, however, their modulation matrix leaves something to be desired. I also have an Oberheim Xpander, and I believe that would have the complex modulations that would be closer to the "experimental side" without having to buy a modular.

[JKantos]

Originally Posted by Mr. Varaldo

"Building credit's always nice" as long as you pay that credit card off in full, every time. It is not nice when you only do the minimum payments, and it's how a lot of people get in trouble in the long run.

Anyway, if you are willing to to spend 3K, why would you even look at cheap synths like the 106, Phatty and PolyEvolver? Get a top of the line synth like a Roland Jupiter-80, Korg Kronos or Yamaha Motif XF and you're set

No worries man, I've worked my ass off while in school so that I don't have student loans. One loan wouldn't kill me, plus, I'll make sure to pay down the principal as quickly as possible.

Anyway, what kind of music am I into? Well, yes, the avant guard stuff like Milton Babbitt's Ensembles for Synthesizer as one example. (YouTube this. You can never know too much.)

As for contemporary artists? I'm a big electro house fan. I really can't get enough of the glitchy sounds of Wolfgang Gartner, or Porter Robinson, or Feed Me... Give me some grimey leads, too!

So, how come I haven't seen the Moog Voyager yet? That's always been a twinkle in my eye. Or Dave Smith's Prophet 08?

[Yoozer]

The Voyager is monophonic so it's not what people associate with harmonies and pad sounds.

[JKantos]

Originally Posted by Yoozer

The Voyager is monophonic so it's not what people associate with harmonies and pad sounds.

... I hadn't noticed this yet. Thanks for the enlightenment. I don't know how that got passed me. I've mostly just noticed it as a shiny piece of equipment.

I love the sliders, faders, and the knobs. Some of these newer synths neglect how important it is to feel the knobs! Each knob for it's own parameter. I hate scanning through tiny screens to get to the right parameter. (However, these seem to be the most versatile synths.)

[Liquid360]

Quote you:

I NEED a hard poly-synth.

So that't it then. do you need polyphony?

[pinkerton]

little phatty is also monophonic.

although you can poly chain them i think.

although its architecture is rather simple, and works better for things like bass and leads.

for pads you really want a lot of modulation options.

[the keester]

You'll have plenty of fun with the DSI mopho keyboard

[pinkerton]

... also monophonic

[Mardi Gras]

DSI prophet 08 rack might be a nice investment. DCO analog, 8 voices and cheap for what you're getting.

[mike vee]

MKS70 for sure - perhaps best strings
Juno 60
Little Phatty for bass lines (yes mono phonic, but you will need that too)
Prophet 600

There are a ton of choices....you need to research for a while before you buy

Juno 60 is definitely a standard and so is the MKS70...DX7 can be considered a standard too. Prophet 5 is a standard. these are all synths that you cant go wrong and will rise in value as well.

[elijahbrown]

I think the p5 has already risen in price

Sent from my DROIDX using Gearslutz.com App

[Apprendista]

The Kurzweil PC3 covers subtractive synthesis and more and does well as an orchestral sketch pad. It's both the string quartet and the helicopter, if you know what I mean.

[login]

Maybe a nord lead, nord wave, ultranova, blofeld, or older nova synths

[kcearl]

DSI Prophet 8

[JKantos]

Originally Posted by Liquid360

Quote you:



So that't it then. do you need polyphony?

Yes, I'd like polyphony. I have a lot of fun with my softsynths and my mpk49 playing different pads and modulating them to create some interesting timbre changes to further the coolness of my chord progressions.

As far as monophonic synths go, I would have a lot of fun playing with a mopho or a little phatty, but that's not my priority as of yet.

I sent a guy selling his JUNO 106 an email last night on craigslist. SOLD. The Seq Circuits Prophet 600 looks like it'd be a perfect buy. Grrr... If I can't make this decision, how will I ever end up buying a house? It doesn't help that on eBay people double the prices of what I imagine these things are worth...

[JKantos]

Also worth noting, I love the sound of the 80's.

[Hazmatic]

DSI Tetra. Great for creating pads, it's analog, polyphonic (4 notes), and won't set you back too much financially. Better than the P08 (IMO) in terms of sound quality.

[Mardi Gras]

IMO 4 voices isn't enough for pads. Keep in mind you need voices for notes that are still decaying.

[Liquid360]

I sent a guy selling his JUNO 106 an email last night on craigslist. SOLD. The Seq Circuits Prophet 600 looks like it'd be a perfect buy. Grrr...

The Prophet 600 has WAY better modulation than the 106, plus it's a two oscillator machine. Slap a little chorus on it and it will beat a Juno easily IMHO.

[slippast]

If you've got some dough to spread around ($3k is a nice start) I'd personally look at buying a new synth like Prophet 08 and keep a slush fund around for vintage stuff.

It's just my opinion but I see vintage gear as a ticking time bomb, especially something like a 106. I'd never pay top dollar for vintage gear for that very reason. However, I do keep a wad of cash close at hand and watch classifieds closely. I've landed a 106 for $50, a polysix for $80, a TS-10 for $30 and a Jupiter 6 for $700, all within the last two years.

My advice: buy new if you have the cash. Be patient, watch closely and vintage will come to you at reasonable prices, especially the low-end stuff like the budget 6 voice poly synths of the 80's. Everyone and their dog bought one when they became affordable back then and a lot of them quickly went into closets. It's not as common with high-end stuff like a P5 or a JP8 because they cost as much as a new car back then and people who bought them were a different class of musician. They are less likely to set them out at a yard sale next to a dirty microwave oven.

There's a reason why half the photos in the studio thread have a Juno 6/60/106, a JP6, a Matrix 6, a Polysix...etc.

[JKantos]

Originally Posted by slippast

If you've got some dough to spread around ($3k is a nice start) I'd personally look at buying a new synth like Prophet 08 and keep a slush fund around for vintage stuff.

I like your logic, I do. I watch classifieds well too. Craigslist application for the win. I know so much more about synthesizers and electronics than I did a year ago. I slap myself when I see people cut prices dramatically and it is such a simple fix. Then I didn't know how to fix it, now I do.

I think you are right though. The only problem is that my slush fund IS where this money is coming from, haha. A well-kept vintage synth is an investment. I just feel like what's $800 today is going to be $900 tomorrow, and $1000 the next day.

BY THE WAY! Thanks for all this information, I finally have a place to vent about my musical anxieties. Nobody else wants to listen... lol.

[jnurp]

Virus Ti.