Can anyone recommend a quality analogue synth that isn't a complex soft-ware editing nightmare, for under $1500??
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Cheap analogue synths??
- Thread starter Bassdude15
- Start date
My speakers are pretty busted, so how is it in terms of sound?? Does it have that "organic" quality that 70s synths had??
Akai Miniak http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B002MAAW4U
3 VCOs, 2 LFOs, 16 different filter types, vocoder etc. etc. Have a look here for all the specs:
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A very versatile synth which will come up with pretty much any sound you're after once you've got your head round the basic principles of analog synthesis. And you can pick them up at a price well under your budget. Highly recommended.
3 VCOs, 2 LFOs, 16 different filter types, vocoder etc. etc. Have a look here for all the specs:
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A very versatile synth which will come up with pretty much any sound you're after once you've got your head round the basic principles of analog synthesis. And you can pick them up at a price well under your budget. Highly recommended.
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Get a Korg MS-20 DIY Kit.
No Soldering and you can amaze your friends that you built it yourself.
No Soldering and you can amaze your friends that you built it yourself.
Yes... You can get some good Moog-type sounds out of it. There's many preset sounds, but also alot of knobs to dial in a wide variety of tones. It is an analogue synth. You can get everything from trippy deep space sounds to synthy orchrestral sounds to the Moogy tone.
I've spent more time twiddling the knobs experimenting with it's sound capabilities than actually using it on recordings. Endless fun.
Ensoniq ESQ-1's are fairly cheap (I often see them for less than $350) ...the filters are nearly the same as those in Prophet 5 synths. Think early 1980's brassy cutting patches. Also its quite easy to understand synthesis as its pretty modular, but not in a confusing way. 3 oscillators, agressive analog LP filter, and amplitude modulation (ring mod!)
Korg DSS-1 sounds like liquid and has HUGGGGEEEE unison basses. HUGGGGEEEE!!! Also check out the Korg DW synths, they are similar but have the advantage of being able to filter oscillate (a very 1970s/ minimoog-ish thing to do). Oscillators can be any sampled wave, twin DDL (2 digital delays, they are nice!), 2/4-pole LP filter (insta-liquid!), filter sweeps easily with a joystick, as above the unison basses are thick! Its a monster in size tho
Roland Juno's seem to be overpriced and collector's items, so I'd veer from looking at those seriously.
...Virus, Moog, DSI synths, modular options too, Shruthi (super nice!)
Korg DSS-1 sounds like liquid and has HUGGGGEEEE unison basses. HUGGGGEEEE!!! Also check out the Korg DW synths, they are similar but have the advantage of being able to filter oscillate (a very 1970s/ minimoog-ish thing to do). Oscillators can be any sampled wave, twin DDL (2 digital delays, they are nice!), 2/4-pole LP filter (insta-liquid!), filter sweeps easily with a joystick, as above the unison basses are thick! Its a monster in size tho
Roland Juno's seem to be overpriced and collector's items, so I'd veer from looking at those seriously.
...Virus, Moog, DSI synths, modular options too, Shruthi (super nice!)
+1...however...if you are a total synth newbie like me, the Korg can be confusing. IMO the presets arent all that useful and unless you have some knowledge about how they work, it can be daunting. This is my experience anyway, YMMV.
The microkorg is NOT analog. It's digital modeling analog. But Korg does do real analog these days. They have the excellent MS20 mini and are getting ready to release a version of the old Arp Odyssey. Moog still does analog. So does Studio Electronics, their ATC-1 is amazing. For your $1500 you can pick up used real analog all day long. Or you can get a sweet analog modular system in eurorack. I'd also say look at some of the MFB stuff, their designs sound really good.
I have the Alesis Micron which has the same engine. But they are both digital "analog modeling" synths.
I switch between using my Micron and using plugins, but it would be awesome to have a Prophet, or some true analog beast that could do polyphonic.
That being said, the Akai Miniak/Alesis Micron does have some nice sounds:
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I like analog synths, so I'm looking up the suggestions here. Many of them are NOT analog, though I don't doubt they sound good. Vintagesynth lists the DSS-1, ESQ-1, and DW 8000 as digital. Microkorg - which I really like-has already been pointed out. Nothing wrong with digital, but it's akin to somebody lookign for a tube amp on the Amps forum getting a load of recommendations for "tube sim" pedals instead.
The Volcas seem pretty cool, and the mini MS-20 is cheaper than a used, old analog synth. Great to hear they're working on an ARP Odyssey reissue. Vintage synths have gotten too expensive for my budget, and I hate buying such fragile gear on Ebay. The two I have are on the low end still, but much more than I paid. Sequential Circuits Pro-One and an Akai AX60. I find the Akai more fun, and having MIDI it's easier to integrate into a modern rig.
My guitar player had a Sequential Circuits Six-Track that was pretty cool until it succumbed to years of abuse and neglect. Has MIDI and a sequencer.
The Volcas seem pretty cool, and the mini MS-20 is cheaper than a used, old analog synth. Great to hear they're working on an ARP Odyssey reissue. Vintage synths have gotten too expensive for my budget, and I hate buying such fragile gear on Ebay. The two I have are on the low end still, but much more than I paid. Sequential Circuits Pro-One and an Akai AX60. I find the Akai more fun, and having MIDI it's easier to integrate into a modern rig.
My guitar player had a Sequential Circuits Six-Track that was pretty cool until it succumbed to years of abuse and neglect. Has MIDI and a sequencer.
