Unpopular synths

[jerrythek]

Ensoniq SQ-80 and Ensoniq TS-10 or TS-12.

Korg Poly-61 and Poly-800

Casio CZ/HZ/HT/FZ/VZ series (Casios arent all that bad).

Roland Sound Canvas and E-series Intelligent Keyboards.

Yamaha VSS-30.

Casio SK-1.

Casio VL-1.

Korg T1/T2/T3

Korg Radias

Korg MS2000

Korg Prophecy

Korg X5(D)

Roland JV-80/880/90/1080/etc.

Any other ROMplers from the 90s nowadays.

 

Are you seriously saying that all of these were unpopular synths? That is the subject of this thread...

[jerrythek]

I've shared this story before... and first let me say that I had left Ensoniq before the Fizmo project even started. But the name came from a development project that was going to be a table-top true physical modeling synth that never came to be. I think the team liked that code name so much that they decided to use it for another synth, which had nothing to do with physical modeling...

 

It would have been a cool(er) name had the original idea been developed.

 

Jerry

 

 

Fizmo

Ouch!!!!

Don't get me wrong - could have been awesome. It just wasn't very popular.

Exactly. The Transwave technology and sound of the unit were both pretty cool... but it was sunk by an awful name and a really weird...ummm, I mean ambitious color scheme.

 

http://www.vintagesynth.com/sites/default/files/2017-05/fizmo.jpg

 

dB

 

The Fizmo's birth, death, resurrection and final demise is one of our industry's depressing anecdotes. Unfortunately, lots of good people hoped that the resurrection would save their jobs. Tough days.

[RABid]

I still have a Morpheus rack and a Wavestation SR rack. Would not consider either of them unpopular. Same with the Karma. It did quite well and was a cheap entry into Korg sounds.

[DanL]

Fizmo

Beat me to it.

 

Okay then...E-mu Morpheus.

 

dB

I missed my Morpheus window, but I've always thought someone could be scary if they played a pair of them and learned how to work the filter sweep pedal(s) expressively. I got a chance to demo one and it was jaw-dropping. You couldn't modify the filter models themselves, but they were so numerous and exoticly fluid that it didn't matter. It cried out for someone to really play those in real-time. Nothing else warped sound like that. Its available in a modular form now, but that's far from Proteus territory. Another dream synth that only made it part of the way into the waking world.

 

I picked up a Morpheus keyboard about 10 years ago for $300. Found it had all 3 expansion slots loaded up with cards- Protozoa which was the Proteus 1/2/3 sounds, Vintage Keys, and an Ensoniq card. I still have it. It has a nice feeling keyboard with after touch and the sounds, while a little dated, are useful in places. I don't use it live, though we were using it as a 2nd keyboard in my PF tribute for one of the backup girls to cover a couple parts on Shine 6-9.

[Synthoid]

Let's not forget the Yamaha DX-9.

 

First synth I ever owned. Facepalm indeed.

 

Coincidentally, I just saw one for sale on our local Craigslist.

 

 

[Outkaster]

The Korg T series were great but out of a lot of players reach because of price in those days. They still fetch a good price though.

[MikeT156]

Arp Omni and Arp Omni 2

 

After the Arp string machine, Arp decided to make another synth that had more than one sound that was any good. Well, at least that was the plan.

 

I made the mistake of buying the Arp Omni 2, which wasn't exactly cheap. It was an interesting idea with cheesy sounds. Worse than that, after several years of trying to find sounds that I could use in cover songs, the power supply died. it was a waste of money.

 

ARP seemed to be stuck in home organ technology TOS land for polyphony, and they were very very late to the microcomputer. Other than the Chroma, all their polyphonic keyboards were TOS based instruments which are not very flexible and tend to use high component count (read: $$$$). The Quadra wasn't a proper polyphonic, it was layered Odyssey/Omni2/Brother circuit boards and wasn't programmable despite having a microprocessor.

 

The sad thing is, ARP didn't know they were very close to a polyphonic assignment system. The ProSoloist keyboard is digitally scanned, and with a little more circuitry it could had been polyphonic like Emu/Oberheim system. If only...

 

And ARP power supplies were not the best designs.

 

Probably their best contributions were the VCO design that was elegant and very stable (for 1970 that was a BIG SELLING POINT), and the multimode VCF in their 2500 which was the inspiration for the Oberheim multimode VCF in their SEMs.

 

I still have my Arp Odyssey Md III. I never had any trouble with it, it still plays just fine. I turn it on once in awhile to check it for a pulse and works the same as always. Stays in tune pretty well too.

 

My old Arp Omni II is sitting in the closet. DOA.

 

 

 

Mike T.

[MathOfInsects]

Ensoniq Racism

[area51recording]

My old poly-800 SHOULD be on the list as far as I am concerned...never liked it and it had tuning issues.

 

Yes sir! I owned a Poly 6, and the 800 was my second Korg purchase. After the 6, it was like my synth sounds went on a crash diet. The 800 was the wimpiest sounding thing I ever owned....

[carter_]

My old poly-800 SHOULD be on the list as far as I am concerned...never liked it and it had tuning issues.

 

Yes sir! I owned a Poly 6, and the 800 was my second Korg purchase. After the 6, it was like my synth sounds went on a crash diet. The 800 was the wimpiest sounding thing I ever owned....

 

Wimpy yes. Unpopular? . . I think it actually sold pretty well.

 

And at the age of 15, a Poly 800 was the coolest thing in the world. I still think it's a decent looking synth.

[carter_]

And at the age of 15, personally unpopular:

 

http://i68.tinypic.com/1z23moh.jpg

 

DX27 + Poly 800 was my rig. Poly was way more fun.

[timwat]

M-Audio Venom.

[synthizen2]

M-Audio Venom.

 

Ha! Funny that you mentioned that one.

 

A few years ago, Venom (new) was on my short-list for a small synth to add to my rig... along with Roland SH-201 (used) and Alesis Ion (used)... because all were in the same general price range. It was just a matter of comparing specs and hearing demos.

 

Glad I went with the Ion in the end.

 

[Doerfler]

Ensoniq SQ-80 and Ensoniq TS-10 or TS-12.

Korg Poly-61 and Poly-800

Casio CZ/HZ/HT/FZ/VZ series (Casios arent all that bad).

Roland Sound Canvas and E-series Intelligent Keyboards.

Yamaha VSS-30.

Casio SK-1.

Casio VL-1.

Korg T1/T2/T3

Korg Radias

Korg MS2000

Korg Prophecy

Korg X5(D)

Roland JV-80/880/90/1080/etc.

Any other ROMplers from the 90s nowadays.

 

Are you seriously saying that all of these were unpopular synths? That is the subject of this thread...

 

as a salesman in the keyboard dep't of a very large/popular music store in the 1990's I can say that many of the items on this list sold on a daily basis, can't understand how they could be considered unpopular. :idk

[David Emm]

Ensoniq SQ-80 and Ensoniq TS-10 or TS-12.

Korg Poly-61 and Poly-800

Casio CZ/HZ/HT/FZ/VZ series (Casios arent all that bad).

Roland Sound Canvas and E-series Intelligent Keyboards.

Yamaha VSS-30.

Casio SK-1.

Casio VL-1.

Korg T1/T2/T3

Korg Radias

Korg MS2000

Korg Prophecy

Korg X5(D)

Roland JV-80/880/90/1080/etc.

Any other ROMplers from the 90s nowadays.

 

Are you seriously saying that all of these were unpopular synths? That is the subject of this thread...

 

as a salesman in the keyboard dep't of a very large/popular music store in the 1990's I can say that many of the items on this list sold on a daily basis, can't understand how they could be considered unpopular. :idk

Dave, I did likewise for a while and I concur. I did a bit better than average because I'd point out that if you like the synth at all, you'll end up with 2 or 3 for sound musical reasons. One Poly-800 buyer came back and made a beeline for the MkII model with the digital delay onboard, as well as arming the Mk1 with a Boss pedal. You know how it goes! Flagships aside, its a rare synth that doesn't rise a couple of notches when partnered with a second one. A Casio VZ synth MIDI'd to a Roland JV-80 could be a beast. 'Unpopular' doesn't automatically equal 'unmusical' at all. One man's SK-1 is another's Emulator III.

 

[EricBarker]

Of all things, I remember the "Triton" being a little poo-pooh'd after the Trinity. I've owned neither, but I do remember many pros claiming the Triton's filters lacked some of the magic of the Trinity. Never-the-less, it's impossible to call the Triton "unpopular", they sold like hotcakes and were very well-liked, up until this new K generation.

[MikeT156]

M-Audio Venom.

 

Ha! Funny that you mentioned that one.

 

A few years ago, Venom (new) was on my short-list for a small synth to add to my rig... along with Roland SH-201 (used) and Alesis Ion (used)... because all were in the same general price range. It was just a matter of comparing specs and hearing demos.

 

Glad I went with the Ion in the end.

 

Amen to the Ion. I bought mine new from Sweetwater and its a very capable synth. Ingenious user Interface. I can create similar sounds that I A/B ed with my Prophet 5. We can't expect to get the robust filters or RA Osc that Discreet transistors produce, but all in all, the ION has been a good investment for me.

 

 

Mike T.

[Markyboard]

I'd call this one unpopular:

 

[Markyboard]

This one too:

 

And this:

 

http://synthmuseum.com/kin/prism01.jpg

 

Not sure they even made a working prototype which makes this maybe the most unpopular synth of all times

 

http://www.gearjunkies.com/wp-content/uploads/gj2/inximg/5265_gjimg.jpg

 

[rod76]

Peavey DPM synths and SP samplers

 

I don't now if these fall in the unpopular category or simply flops when put up against then current products. I had a DPM V3 rack and quite liked it.

 

 

[Markyboard]

Peavey DPM synths and SP samplers

 

I don't now if these fall in the unpopular category or simply flops when put up against then current products. I had a DPM V3 rack and quite liked it.

 

 

I'm guessing they sold a lot more of those than these:

 

 

 

[Markyboard]

http://www.vintagesynth.com/sites/default/files/2017-05/hartmannneuron.jpg

[burningbusch]

Of all things, I remember the "Triton" being a little poo-pooh'd after the Trinity. I've owned neither, but I do remember many pros claiming the Triton's filters lacked some of the magic of the Trinity. Never-the-less, it's impossible to call the Triton "unpopular", they sold like hotcakes and were very well-liked, up until this new K generation.

 

I remember walking into a store and seeing the Triton for the first time. It had that sexy touch screen and the overall look of the Trinity but was priced roughly half: $1995 vs $3500+. I owned a Kurzweil K2500 and had between $5000 - $6000 in it with options. Gigasampler had hit the market a year earlier and I knew the days of $4000 - $7000 hardware sampler/workstations were over. I almost immediately put the Kurzweil up for sale. Not because I thought the Triton was better or that it was a bad keyboard, but because I knew in a few years it would be worth a fraction of the $$$s I had in it. The Triton was a very disruptive keyboard. It has to be considered as one of the reasons for Kurzweil's financial struggles soon after.

 

Busch.

[burningbusch]

http://www.vintagesynth.com/sites/default/files/2017-05/hartmannneuron.jpg

 

That's the poster child for anyone bitching about these companies not putting out new synthesis types and bold, creative designs.

 

Busch.

[allan_evett]

Allan and Max, your avatars are confusing me!

 

Allan, Happy birthday!!!

 

Arrff!!

[burningbusch]

Why is unpopular bad? The Yamaha VL-1 never sold well. I still have mine. Isn't it better to have something that gives you, at least a somewhat, unique voice? Isn't that a big part of being a grown-up musician, i.e. to have your own voice?

 

The TR808 and TB303 were considered toys in their day and didn't sell. Later creative types discovered them cheap in pawn shops and they became the foundation for whole genres.

 

Busch.

[ProfD]

Why is unpopular bad? The Yamaha VL-1 never sold well. I still have mine. Isn't it better to have something that gives you, at least a somewhat, unique voice? Isn't that a big part of being a grown-up musician, i.e. to have your own voice?

 

The TR808 and TB303 were considered toys in their day and didn't sell. Later creative types discovered them cheap in pawn shops and they became the foundation for whole genres.

 

Busch.

Bingo.

 

However, the Korg DS8 was garbage.

[The Real MC]

Not sure they even made a working prototype which makes this maybe the most unpopular synth of all times

 

http://www.gearjunkies.com/wp-content/uploads/gj2/inximg/5265_gjimg.jpg

 

I saw it at NAMM 2000. Non functional prototype. Last time it appeared.

[Markyboard]

Why is unpopular bad?

 

It's not, but this thread quickly evolved from unpopular synths to synths I don't like.

 

Unpopular synths to me means they didn't sell a lot of them compared to others in the same category. For that matter synths from Fairlight, Synclavier, MacBeth, Cwejman, GRP, Schmidt etc are sort of in their own unique boutique category. I wouldn't call these "unpopular", more like unobtainable.

 

However in the upper price category I would still call this one unpopular:

 

http://www.modalelectronics.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/008-top.jpg

 

 

[ABECK]

Peavey DPM synths and SP samplers

 

I don't now if these fall in the unpopular category or simply flops when put up against then current products. I had a DPM V3 rack and quite liked it.

 

 

I'm guessing they sold a lot more of those than these:

 

 

Weren't those additive synthesis? I'd put those in the unpopular, but very cool category. The loner at school with no friends, but has a '68 Mustang and a 36 year old girlfriend.