any other Roland SH-2's owners on here?

[SEED78]

got one of these while back, but not had the time to get most out of it yet. got mine on the cheap, but it needs a lil bit of tlc.

have to say, like what I hear, bass has ballz, its thick and gritty sounding, maybe slightly muddy. fed it back into itself one day which was dope, and got some serious weirdness when feeding drum machines into it too.

only crit is maybe the keys are not as responsive as some other synths, but not terrible.... I DO need to open it up and clean under the keys, not been brave enough to do it yet...

how do you guys compare the SH-2 to other oldschool analogue bass monsters like moog, SC and ARP etc? would you say it lacked 'definition' or punch compared to those synths for bass?

[clusterchord]

no.


it got ubituqous punch down there. it certainly not intinsicly dark synth, tho not overly brite either.. it does great basses with both closed and open filter.. try adding sub bass to taste. it depends what your track calls for. its in the hands of the user, imo this machine provides big time just give yourself time to find when where it shines.


i find sh2 thick focused, brute and punchy. to name a few adjectives.. mini is even more brute, warmer but not as focused etc. Pro One is punchy, sizzley, cutting etc.. brighter than sh2 but not as smooth or warm. ARP AxxeII i used for bass its really warm but can be more agressive than moog with resonance etc etc..

[relis]

...

[networkacid]

One of the fattest monosynths I've played with. Best detuned saw sound ever.

[relis]

For bass, MS20 lacks definition and punch compared to those synths.

SH2 certainly isn't. For shorter, more focused basses that is.

For longer, sustained basses, I found SE ATCX (must try SEM here!!!) more stable, and that's one of the things I miss having traded ATCX for SH2. Man, I want ATCX back. Or new SEM maybe? Cluster, how's SEM down there compared to SH2? I'm thinking about new SEM with patch panel.. <-

[SEED78]

Originally Posted by clusterchord

i find sh2 thick focused, brute and punchy. to name a few adjectives.. mini is even more brute, warmer but not as focused etc. Pro One is punchy, sizzley, cutting etc.. brighter than sh2 but not as smooth or warm. ARP AxxeII i used for bass its really warm but can be more agressive than moog with resonance etc etc..

to be honest a big motivator to buy was so I wasn't just another guy with a Moog sat in his studio.

How have you found the SH2 sitting in the mix? mine is so warm and wooly I'm wondering how it'll sit with my newer synths - I'll find out in time. I use a lot of vinyl samples too, so on the plus I think it'll sit well with those...

ARP AxxeII really interests me - heard a demo and its really got a instant sharp bite to it. Agressive like you say - like it.

@relis
ATC1 fully loaded is something I want to check for one day - they turn up for cheap sometimes here in the UK - SE's are interesting too.

only other bass synth I have is the plastic Basstation Keyboard - not a game changer but am sure it'll be useful.

man, am kinda dreaming of that AXXE now ha ha ARPs look so frakin cool!!

[clusterchord]

Originally Posted by relis

SH2 certainly isn't. For shorter, more focused basses that is.

For longer, sustained basses, I found SE ATCX (must try SEM here!!!) more stable, and that's one of the things I miss having traded ATCX for SH2.

im not sure i understand what u mean by "unstable for longer notes" ? does it drift or something?

SH2 sounds ver big and organic having long notes.. it can do dub stuff etc no problem, all the while being one of most stable VCO monos i ever encountered. well, unless it developed a problem.. could that be? does yours still use original capacitors, or was there a relatively recent exchange?

Originally Posted by relis

Man, I want ATCX back. Or new SEM maybe? Cluster, how's SEM down there compared to SH2? I'm thinking about new SEM with patch panel.. <-

old SEM is not as focused, its extremely warm, rich probably my favorite for dark bass. unbelievably organic oscillators. best 12dB filter i EVER heard blah blah... hard to put these things in words, as always.

ok ive been thinking about your previous question again, so if i were to make a track with very very long bass notes, i.e. almost droning.. something ambient/cinematic... then old SEM would be my no1 choice. or Andromeda.

SH2 is more "electronic" and "edm" in its soul.. . if i can put it that way.


new/oldSEM vs ATCX..

new SEM sounds slightly more modern/cutting, not as warm, not as 70s sounding like the old one, but in turn can do DnB chewy basses, dubstep,,, things like that. its got edge. as such, its oposite from ATCX's SEM filter rendition which is kinda soft, very "nice" - if you liked that, then new SEM might not do it.


anyway best you stop by at my place when u r in ZG, and try..

Originally Posted by SEED78

How have you found the SH2 sitting in the mix? mine is so warm and wooly I'm wondering how it'll sit with my newer synths - I'll find out in time. I use a lot of vinyl samples too, so on the plus I think it'll sit well with those...

never had any issues, its just perfect. never ever EQed it. its harder to fit minimoog in the mix.

Originally Posted by SEED78

ARP AxxeII really interests me - heard a demo and its really got a instant sharp bite to it. Agressive like you say - like it.

@relis
ATC1 fully loaded is something I want to check for one day - they turn up for cheap sometimes here in the UK - SE's are interesting too.

only other bass synth I have is the plastic Basstation Keyboard - not a game changer but am sure it'll be useful.

man, am kinda dreaming of that AXXE now ha ha ARPs look so frakin cool!!

yeah id love to get one again too. someone is selling a mkII in NY right now cant remember where i saw the add...

[roginator]

Originally Posted by clusterchord

anyway best you stop by at my place when u r in ZG, and try..

NOOOOOOOOOOOOO dont....

I did that and ended with 2 old SEM modules



























... sound of sem is one of best in this vintage game!

[SEED78]

Originally Posted by clusterchord

yeah id love to get one again too. someone is selling a mkII in NY right now cant remember where i saw the add...

people selling mkII and mkIII on UK ebay at the mo, prices are decent but I got no funds. when I do have cash I need to start paying off my RME FF400 anyway.

you prefer mkII then?

[clusterchord]

Originally Posted by SEED78

people selling mkII and mkIII on UK ebay at the mo, prices are decent but I got no funds. when I do have cash I need to start paying off my RME FF400 anyway.

you prefer mkII then?

well bass is thicker and filter can get more agressive - its 4075 original ARP's design. its a darker synth with a very subtle fuzzy pillowy top end and punchy mid. mkI has their redesigned transistor ladder that doesnt use paired transistors like moogs, but transistor arrays, its just as good only a little different.. its got phenomenal liquidy resonance and top end is to die for. not so huge and brute in the bass as mini.

this might help you decide.. here's a friend and me, jamming on both.. (almost 7 yrs ago..time flies..) mkI on the left, mkII on the right.. (some sliders were VERY dirty):

http://www.babic.com/SYN/AXXE/AXXE%20JAM_1-01.mp3
http://www.babic.com/SYN/AXXE/AXXE_JAM_2.mp3
http://www.babic.com/SYN/AXXE/AXXE_JAM_3.mp3
http://www.babic.com/SYN/AXXE/AXXE_JAM_4-01.mp3
http://www.babic.com/SYN/AXXE/AXXE_JAM_5.mp3



i like both a lot. if i had limitless room and budget id have them both. but in reality was thinking of getting a 4075 in DIY form and stuff it in my modular.. it wont be the same tho. ARP vca and vco all of it create that sound.. hmmm

[relis]

Originally Posted by clusterchord

im not sure i understand what u mean by "unstable for longer notes" ? does it drift or something?

Depends of current settings, like lfo or detune, of course. But I never manage to set it to drifts pleasantly, with strong low end, quite how I want. ATCX was doing it with no problem. Well, I added a touch of AD999 chorus and SX240's saw the other night, and it did the trick! Little different, but very nice.

I making the scene out of it 'cause I have a couple of my own tracks that needs that sort of bass. It'll be good this way.

Originally Posted by clusterchord

... unless it developed a problem.. could that be? does yours still use original capacitors, or was there a relatively recent exchange?

I don't know, actually. But I don't think so. It sounds so healthy otherwise. I think it's just the nature of synth.

Originally Posted by clusterchord

anyway best you stop by at my place when u r in ZG, and try..

That's the best advice I got in a months

[SEED78]

Originally Posted by clusterchord

well bass is thicker and filter can get more agressive - its 4075 original ARP's design. its a darker synth with a very subtle fuzzy pillowy top end and punchy mid. mkI has their redesigned transistor ladder that doesnt use paired transistors like moogs, but transistor arrays, its just as good only a little different.. its got phenomenal liquidy resonance and top end is to die for. not so huge and brute in the bass as mini.

this might help you decide.. here's a friend and me, jamming on both.. (almost 7 yrs ago..time flies..) mkI on the left, mkII on the right.. (some sliders were VERY dirty):

http://www.babic.com/SYN/AXXE/AXXE%20JAM_1-01.mp3
http://www.babic.com/SYN/AXXE/AXXE_JAM_2.mp3
http://www.babic.com/SYN/AXXE/AXXE_JAM_3.mp3
http://www.babic.com/SYN/AXXE/AXXE_JAM_4-01.mp3
http://www.babic.com/SYN/AXXE/AXXE_JAM_5.mp3



i like both a lot. if i had limitless room and budget id have them both. but in reality was thinking of getting a 4075 in DIY form and stuff it in my modular.. it wont be the same tho. ARP vca and vco all of it create that sound.. hmmm

both sound real nice - more versatile than the SH-2 I think, and crisper/tighter

[romadose]

I picked up an SH2 a while ago after realising I couldn't go on producing without an analog mono to cover the bottom end of my tracks. Unfortunately it's on the other side of the world but my plan is to get it fully refurb'd and rehoused in a custom casing. It's such a fun synth to play with, and is extremely easily to dial in a thick lead or bass patch in seconds. Detuned 7th's on the SH are also really nice!

The filter envelope is amongst one of the snappiest Ive heard, although the SE1X gives it a run for the money. It did fair up well against my mates Voyager, but the Moog had a tad more punch to it and slightly thicker sub freqs. One thing I don't like is that it often requires a decent amount of EQ to let it sit in the mix properly, where as the moog/se1x are almost good to go straight away.

Gotta agree with networkacid, that it does do a wicked detuned saw, one of the cleanest, smoothest and chunkiest around.

The detuned lead and bassline in the track below is SH2.

http://soundcloud.com/verve/verve-hypnomod-preview

[living sounds]

Originally Posted by romadose

The filter envelope is amongst one of the snappiest Ive heard, although the SE1X gives it a run for the money.

Hm, my experience differs. The SH-2 can do percussive sounds, but the envelopes are nowhere near some of the really fast synths IMO. I also had an SE-1 (even modified it for quicker envelopes), and sold it among other reasons because they are so sloppy (but the tone of the oscillators is great).

[SWAN808]

Had one but sold it. My experience was it had punch and solidity - but more precise than a Moog and less phat. I know people will disagree - but I found it a little boring. It has a good high end vintage analogue sound - but not the character of a Pro One, Moog or Arp...Good work-horse Mono tho-by no means bad! I prefer the Moog Source which is similar money...so I got that instead. Instant smile on my face.

[SEED78]

have to say I don't like my SH-2 for leads much - its kind of bass and bugged out noises only for me at the moment. anyone else finding that?

am trying to figure out whats a good effects pedal to use with it - tried Boss MT-2 last night but was bit too hissy and extreme to be useful - might try big muff or fuzz face.

[Arcadia]

Originally Posted by SWAN808

Had one but sold it. My experience was it had punch and solidity - but more precise than a Moog and less phat. I know people will disagree - but I found it a little boring. It has a good high end vintage analogue sound - but not the character of a Pro One, Moog or Arp...Good work-horse Mono tho-by no means bad! I prefer the Moog Source which is similar money...so I got that instead. Instant smile on my face.

Also had one and sold it. Found the keyboard too finicky and prone to double-triggering (Even after countless visits to my tech) and as for the sound, agreed - it's nice, but somehow didn't add anything for me I couldn't already get from my Moogs and JP4.

[Don Solaris]

Originally Posted by romadose

The filter envelope is amongst one of the snappiest Ive heard

Listen to your friend's Voyager next time a little bit more carefully.

SH-2 has a good envelope, but it's far from snappy, bro.

[SEED78]

how do the modern digital monos like Mo Pho/Evolver stack up against this lot? I'd like a ProOne but don't want to spend over 1k on a mono, ARP Axxse would be cheaper

I'm a bit short on space, tempted to sell the 3 limited synths I have SH-2/microKorg/Bassstation KB (then save extra cash on top) to get a poly, voyager or a profit O8 rack/desktop or something older like Oberheim OB-X.

good deep bass is a must though, and I feel I have this mostly covered by the SH-2

[romadose]

Originally Posted by Don Solaris

Listen to your friend's Voyager next time a little bit more carefully.

SH-2 has a good envelope, but it's far from snappy, bro.

Not sure if they differed from synth to synth but mine was snappy as hell, shame I left recordings on my HD back in Australia. The voyager/se1x def have more punch and brute force.

Either way, every synth has their own characteristic and merits, in a perfect world I'd have both voyager and SH. Though Kontakt has filled the void of these missing mono's well enough for me..

[Arcadia]

Originally Posted by SEED78

how do the modern digital monos like Mo Pho/Evolver stack up against this lot? I'd like a ProOne but don't want to spend over 1k on a mono, ARP Axxse would be cheaper

I'm a bit short on space, tempted to sell the 3 limited synths I have SH-2/microKorg/Bassstation KB (then save extra cash on top) to get a poly, voyager or a profit O8 rack/desktop or something older like Oberheim OB-X.

good deep bass is a must though, and I feel I have this mostly covered by the SH-2

For me, the Voyager does the best bass of any of the analog mono synths I've owned before, including Roland SH-2 and SH-101. You really can't go wrong with this one!

[SEED78]

I've been resisting buying a new moog for fear they might sound too digital. But kinda want a synth that covers a LOT of sounds, not got the room (or cash) to have 5 synths. Voyager seems a good choice even if a lot of people aready have access to that sound.

OR, keep my SH-2 for bass and get a few cheap synths to cover the rest like a ION+JP-8000+Virus Indigo 2

big decisions to make...

[SWAN808]

Originally Posted by SEED78

I've been resisting buying a new moog for fear they might sound too digital. But kinda want a synth that covers a LOT of sounds, not got the room (or cash) to have 5 synths. Voyager seems a good choice even if a lot of people aready have access to that sound.

OR, keep my SH-2 for bass and get a few cheap synths to cover the rest like a ION+JP-8000+Virus Indigo 2

big decisions to make...

first things first - what type of music do you like - and what do you want to make?

[SEED78]

kind of across the board. really gritty warm hip hop (like new Beastie's LP), psychedelic stuff full of reverb, pitching for sound track work this year - plus someone has me making a house record soon (really no my kind of thing but could be fun). in terms of vibe grit warmth and funk, but need a synth to cover the colder synth pop sort of stuff too.

Voyager is the only synth I've seen that can cover most of the above.

current very random kit is:
Blofeld desktop
SH-2
micro korg XL+bassstation KB >can see me selling these both soon
EMU vintage pro (with xl7 ROM added)
EMU planet earth (for drums)
Yamaha FB-01 (£25 ok...)
MPC3000
s950
ASR10
AHB System 8 2416 mkII
RME FF400
4000+ vinyls for sampling
dbx160x
symetrix 501
boss SE70

[Malkit]

Originally Posted by romadose

Not sure if they differed from synth to synth but mine was snappy as hell, shame I left recordings on my HD back in Australia. The voyager/se1x def have more punch and brute force.

Either way, every synth has their own characteristic and merits, in a perfect world I'd have both voyager and SH. Though Kontakt has filled the void of these missing mono's well enough for me..

I second this...or, rather, the first paragraph!

Does anyone have the envelope data for Voyager vs. SH2? I sold my SH2 a while back and presently use the SH1. While the keyboard is a little finicky, it has always sounded the most powerful and snappiest of my synths- Voyager included.

The bass lines get a certain chunk and presence that makes my Voyager sound a little 2-D in comparison...especially with the initial attack.

SH-1 and SH-101 are my go-to synths for powerful bass arpeggios. The SH1 just has a focused, electric whomp that I can't get from my other boards. I stick to the Voyager for the ubiquitous "creamy leads".

Long live the SH2.

[SEED78]

I am concerned at if I get rid of the SH2 I'll not get the same lows from soemthing else.

[Arcadia]

Originally Posted by SEED78

I am concerned at if I get rid of the SH2 I'll not get the same lows from soemthing else.

Voyager will go low and lower. Can't imagine a better synth for bass and it does so much more than the SH-2 can.

[SWAN808]

ok - my thoughts is to get a Voyager rack and also get a nice overdrive pedal to patch into Pre filter - to grunge it up a bit as you need (like the Beasties obviously did). Its quite a clean sound otherwise - but its got tons of low dont think you need worry about that. You could even get a Sansamp Bass Drive - and boost the low there... Combination of those 2 should suit those styles. However the 'cold' sound - maybe not. Perhaps you could look at a Vermona Mono Lancet as an addition - sounds like it does the colder sound quite well...and its not much. Difficult to get one that does everything.

Vermona Mono Lancet Audio Demos by matia on SoundCloud - Create, record and share your sounds for free

Honestly - obsessing about envelope time and stuff - I think you might be worrying a bit too much. Voyager does a fine job at bass - its a Moog. Its pretty fat. And you can run sounds thru your 160x...I mean - any of these synths have plenty of impact esp with the right mixing. The only one is the SE1 which is a little sloppy but I hear the Nova edition is better...

[SEED78]

hmmm looks like I need to look into the voyager rack then... only thing that would put me off is having to use a software editor.

[Arcadia]

Originally Posted by SEED78

hmmm looks like I need to look into the voyager rack then... only thing that would put me off is having to use a software editor.

What makes you think you need to use a software editor? You can do everything from the front panel, albeit some of the really deep params in menus, but no software required.