Analog Synthesizers

[Drunkenmaster]

I really like the Korg DW-8000 but what are your suggestions. Keep in mind I want to spend less than $300.

[Fab]

Roland's Juno series are great and cheap, a 60 or 106 would be advisable.

The Korg isn't totally analog, the waveforms are digitally generated. Check www.vintagesynth.com.

[Six Ways]

Ask me! Ask me! I'm a total synth geek!

As I remember, the thing with the DW-8000 is the editing mode, isn't it? It's like, analogue filters etc but a digital editing style which is annoying....lemme check.

Ah, I was thinking more of the DW-6000, but the same kinda applies...less fun to program anyway. And yeah, digital-analogue hybrid matey, I assume you've played with one though? If not, bear in mind that it'll probably never be quite as fat as an analogue synth, but it sounds like it has good filters, and that tends to be the main thing to consider.

Hmmm....other synths less than $300. Well, I DID just acquire a Siel DK80 which is usually worth about that much for only £40! But that's not gonna happen often, don't count your chickens. Besides which, it's not a great first synth, it has the digital editing thingy as well...I would recommend something with full-on analogue style editing to start with (assuming you're new to this stuff, ignore me if you're not).

But I would recommend a Korg MS2000, you might be able to get one under $300, and if you can, they're great. Or a Microkorg, the same thing in a cute teensy casing, just ask Frank, he lubs his. You might manage to pick up an old Yamaha CS series monosynth around that price, perhaps a CS-5 or a CS-10, but only on Ebay really, elsewhere they'll go for more. Depends what you want, anyway. You may not be happy with monophonic, do you need a lot of notes at once? If so, none of the ones I've said are suitable, the korgs are 4 voice and the yamahas are single voice. Do you need a big keyboard? do you need lots of patch memory slots? Are you using it for acoustic type noises, or big fat pad noises, or crazy noises, or fat basslines, or what?

[Fab]

I do love my Micro Korg, but if I could swap it for anything I'd be tempted to get a rackmount version and a big midi keyboard because I'm thinking of getting a midi keyboard for it anyway. It's more for the range than anything, you can adjust the keyboard up and down three octaves but you can still only play three at once which can be a bit limiting.

[Fab]

Having said that, I could always sell the Micro Korg and buy a rackmount MS2000 and possibly make a profit since I got it pretty cheaply. I'll lookout for the racks and consider it depending on how much they go for, still only four notes polyphony though.

This is for Luke really, I'm going a bit off topic.

edit: Vintage synth says that the MS2000BR goes for the same as an MK, but I looked and they seem to be going for twice the price my MK cost, so no. I think I will save up when I get a job and get an MS2000BR though, or some kind of new cool synth anyway. I'll keep my MK, it's just so tiny and portable, it fits in my backpack!

[Six Ways]

You can still go for a MS2000R rather than an MS2000BR at the same-ish price surely? But bear in mind the supreme portabililililitity of the MK as well, can you really be arsed getting a rackmount and a midi controller just for more knobs? I personally think you may as well just get a midi controller.

[Drunkenmaster]

Thanks for all the info. I am very new to synth and I really just want it to make odd sounds but I'd also like to be able to play full chords in a piano-type mode. Is their a synth that fits this criteria? I mean, I could get away with 4 voices if that's what's out there.

[Fab]

Originally posted by Six Ways
can you really be arsed getting a rackmount and a midi controller just for more knobs? yes. and the fact that the m2k is a million times easy to program, you need the manual right in front of you to understand half the stuff on the microkorg. since you have to start with one of the already existing voices on the mk it's harder to get something unique. The m2kbs have onboard sequencers and a 16 step arpegiator instead of just 8, and it also syncs to other stuff better, there were problems with mks and m2ks midi clocks. he m2ks have the pedal inputs as well and you can split the keyboard.

I'm not sure if I will get one, but I'll definitely save up enough to buy one and then see if there are any other synths that tickle my fancy then. I couldn't get rid of my baby though, what other synth could I lie in bed playing with with some headphones in late at night without crushing my legs and making myself infertile?

Oh, I did find that the micro korg actually does have velocity keys and know how to work it. I don't get why it's listed as not having them all the time.

[Six Ways]

Originally posted by Drunkenmaster
Thanks for all the info. I am very new to synth and I really just want it to make odd sounds but I'd also like to be able to play full chords in a piano-type mode. Is their a synth that fits this criteria? I mean, I could get away with 4 voices if that's what's out there.

Well, I can wholeheartely recommend the Oberheim OB-12, since I own one, which seems to be good at everything as far as I can tell. It's a good introduction to analogue editing with loads of sliders and knobs (although if anything it may have too many features for a beginner), and has 12 voice polyphony, but it's not gonna make very piano-like noises. It'll do everything from crazy noises to pads to huge fat bass synths, but it don't do organic voices. I don't know if you WANT piano type noises, but it will play like piano as such.

Another synth along the same lines is the Roland JP-8000, which has 8 note polyphony, not 12, but again doesn't do organic sounds so much. Probably can't get either for under $300 though. It's also worth noting that neither is a true analogue; they're virtual analogue/analogue modelling types - they're actually digital but they make analogue sounds and you can't tell the difference. They have all the advantages of both types basically.

[Drunkenmaster]

Can you please explain the difference between 8 and 12 note polyphony? Does that mean that 8 sounds can be made at once as opposed to 12?

[Six Ways]

Yup.

[Six Ways]

Well, to be precise, and to make sure we're on the same page, it means you can play 8 notes at once as opposed to 12. I'm assuming that's what you meant, but just making sure. It DOESN'T mean you can have 8 different voices going at once, although it just so happens that the OB12 can also play 4 voices at once although that takes you down to 3 note polyphony.