What's the best synth from the 80's?

[lastresort001aol.com]

I'm looking to purchase an older synth from the 80's,

but I don't know much about the older models. I've

seen a lot on e-bay at fairly reasonable prices. Just

wondering if anyone had a favorite or know of one that

produces those sounds you hear in a lot of those 80's

tunes. Which one's are the most user friendly? Which

have the best sounds? I'm used to using synths like

the JP-8000 and the Korg MS2000 and would like something

else along those lines. There's just something about

that cheesy 80's sound...

[marino]

I'm not really sure what you mean by "that cheesy '80 sound", maybe you could point out a few specific tunes to help us understand.

BTW the '80s were absolutely dominated by the Yamaha DX7, and, to a lesser extent, by the analog polysynths with digital control.

 

DX7

In the early 80s digital synths were very expensive and a bit obscure to the average musician, till Yamaha licensed Stanford University's researches on digital FM audio technology, developed mainly by John Chowning. They started by putting on the market big, expensive, non-programmable instruments like the GS1 and GS2, then a smaller, inexpensive, programmable keyboard, the DX7. Until the advent of the sample-playback synth (Korg M1) this was the best-selling synth in the world. In the following years, they repackaged the technology in a myriad of products.

The sound of FM is (usually) clean, transparent, complex and a bit thin, and after the initial overdose of "new sounds", many musicians started layering it with alalog synths or samplers. Anyway, the infamous DX7 "rhodes" patch and its infinite variations were so pervasive in the '80s that they changed the collective perception of what a Rhodes sounds like.

If you want the DX7 sound, there are many compatible instruments; they usually go very cheap on the used market. They are the DX7, DX5, DX7IID, DX7IIFD, TX7, TX816, TX802 (Did I forget anything?). They are all compatible with the millions (not thousands) of patches developed for the series. I would avoid other Yamaha FM synths from that period (DX9, TX81z, etc.), because they use different voice architectures and therefore they're not compatible with the existing DX7 libraries.

Also, there's a plug-in card for Yamaha recent synths (S80, CS6X etc.) that reproduces the architecture of the DX7; other two Yamaha synths, the SY77 and FS1r, accept DX7 patches after some conversion.

 

ANALOG/DIGITAL HYBRID POLYSYNTHS

Ooops, sorry, it's very late and I gotta go....!! I apologize, maybe I can fill it in later, or Dave or somebody else could go on...

 

marino

[sbrock1san.rr.com]

The Roland D-50 and D-550 (rackmount version) are classic synths from the 80's. They were all over everything and I still use mine all the time. They are really tough to program compared to today's synths. I would consider the rackmount version...D-550 because I don't like the idea of buying an old, worn out keyboard. In fact, the rackmount sells for more on Ebay than the version with keys.

 

I happen to feel that the good stuff today is really good and I would never go back to the 80's, except to buy something really special. The Oberheim Expander and Matrix-12 fit that bill. If you could find one of those in good condition don't hesitate to at least play them. I don't know what they go for used and if they are worth the price or not. I love them the way others love the Minimoog. True classics. If you played the brass and pad sounds you would instantly realize that you've heard that sound a million times.

[Guest]

Marino : as far as the dx7 types synths.. you forgot the dx1... If I remember the damn thing was a huge. There was also a dx7s.

 

I've always though mid 80's music was one big dx7 demo.

 

I agree with Steve, I like the synthesizers nowadays and don't really have a big desire for old gear (with some exceptions, of course). I see people spending waaaay too much money on a juno 106 ($600???) and the jupiter 8's ($2,000???) for instance.

 

My advice? Get a cs6x (or an s80) with the plg-an and the plg-dx card. The plg-an simulates an analog synth (basically a an1x in a box) and the plg-dx is basically a dx7 sound engine (compatible with old patches) plus a lowpass filter if I'm not mistaken. If you get through the pain in the ass operating system this should get all the sounds you need. This is actual my plan (I already have the cs... saving up for the cards). Between the 3 sound engines you should be able to get most of what a d50 would do (another popular mid,late'80's synth). The cs in general is not too bad in terms of ease of use, and it's got some decent 'analog-sounding' sounds. The dx7 was a bit of pain, and as a dx newbie you may be more interested in checking out the available sounds rather than program your own.

 

The an1x was actually an excellent sounding VA (virtual analog), (albeit not as popular as some of the others) and you'll find you'll get a decent emulation of analog synthesizer sound with it (which dominated the late 70's and early 80's). A friend of mine got rid of his Obie OBxa and put in a plg an card in this cs and never looked back.

 

The dx7 was produced between 1983 and 1986. I would think hard before spending cash on a 14 year old synth, specially at the prices I've seen. Plus if I remember they only hold like 32 patches in memory. The plg dx has a huge number of presets and more than 32 user patches locations.

 

If you still want to buy a vintage synth, I would look at modules and get a newer controller. Most synths I've seen older than 10 years have virtually unplayable keybeds due to wear and tear (with exceptions, obviously, and if you're planning to buy on Ebay you won't have a chance to check it out. I like the sounds of the Roland MKS-70 (Was that the super JX-10 module?) for analog type sounds. If you're planning to get a used dx7, look for one with Grey Matter's E! expansion card.

 

My $0.02

 

Rod

[Stephen Fortner]

If it is the DX sound you want, original DX7's can be had for $200 - $400. They currently aren't affected by the vintage mystique that has inflated the cost of so many ill-mannered synthesizers. Actually, I thought the DX7-II's were very nice. They were two-part polytimbral, had stereo outs as compared with the original DX's mono, and I've heard a lot of great third-party patches for them. Saw David Sanborn a couple years back and his keyboard player's rig included both a DX7-IIfd and a Roland D-50.

[guestuserguestuser.com]

Originally posted by lastresort001@aol.com:

There's just something about

that cheesy 80's sound...

 

Cheesy 80's sound? That's an odd comment- the 80's produced some really phatt-sounding analog synths, IMHO. Jupiter 8 is from 80's, isn't it?

[joegerardi]

There were 3 synths IMHO that defined the 80's: The DX7, The D50, and the M1. Those three were probably on more albums that all other synths combined. There is probably no 80's sound that you wouldn't be able to reproduce after owning these 3.

 

I agree with getting the modules. My rig is solely based on controller keyboards now, with modules getting fitted in to fill sound requirements. I opt for the Yamaha KX76 controller, and add modules as I need. You could probably pick up all three modules - The M1r, the D550 and a TX7 for under a grand and have everything you need.

 

One other module you might want is the Emu Vintage Keys. It has the Fairlight ooohhs and aahhhs, a killer CP70 electric grand, and several 80's drum machine sound on them. Combine that with some great Hammond sounds, Rhodes and Wurlis, and Moog, Prophet, and Obie samples, and your have the making of an 80's retro studio that can't be beat.

[synthfoolsynthfool.com]

The M1 (T1, T3, et al) always sounded too thin to me.

Too airy.

They could fit in a mix well though.

 

The D-50 was the first keyboard I ever put headphones on and it sounded "proper", because it had built in reverb.

You could probably make an entirely new thread entitled "What songs had DigitalNativeDance in them?"

 

The DX-7 I enjoyed playing, but didn't like the programming or user interface.

I've always approached the DX-7 like I was playing a Clavinet for some reason. It had that "feel" to me and the sounds I played were usually percussive.

 

But, my choice would have to be the Jupiter 8.

You either like it or you don't.

No explaining necessary. http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/smile.gif

[Dave Bryce]

Originally posted by joegerardi:

There were 3 synths IMHO that defined the 80's: The DX7, The D50, and the M1. Those three were probably on more albums that all other synths combined.

 

I believe that those three are also still the best selling synths of all time, period - what does THAT tell you?

 

I'm pretty sure that the M1 is first, but I can never remember if it's DX7 second, D-50 third,or the other way around...logically, you'd think that it was the DX, but they kept shipment of those pretty limited for a while (anybody else pay list price for their DX7??).

 

dB

[joegerardi]

Dave wrote:

I'm pretty sure that the M1 is first, but I can never remember if it's DX7 second, D-50 third,or the other way around...logically, you'd think that it was the DX, but they kept shipment of those pretty limited for a while (anybody else pay list price for their DX7??).

 

Heck, remember "black market" DX's where you had to change out the power supply? I remember there was a time when they were charging over list for DX7's.

 

I think Keyboard Mag did a large article or maybe a whole issue devoted to this phenomenon. Goes to show the popularity the DX had back then.

[sbrock1san.rr.com]

The sound from the 80's that really holds up well in my album collection are the Sequential Circuits Prophet 5 and Prophet 10. I never could afford one at the time but I always lusted after those babies.

 

I had a Korg Polysix in the early 80's and I thought it sucked. However, one night I went to see Brian Auger play. Instead of a Hammond organ he was just using a single Polysix, and just tore it up all night. After that I didn't feel so bad not owning the finest synth.

[Alon]

The DX7,M1, & D50 may be the best selling synths, but they're certainly not any favorites of mine.

 

The DX7 can make some cool,Digital sounds, if you know how to program it. (Most people who owned one , probably didn't)

 

I just couldn't stand the types of sounds everyone was using off of the DX7. Rhodes/El piano/Puke Ballad sounds.

The DX was cool for certain kinds of bass sounds. Though I doubt I'd ever use any sort of Pad from a DX.

 

I don't have much to say about the other 2 (M1,D50), except that I prefer the Roland a bit over the Korg.

 

For me, the Best synths of the 80's, are all of the ones that I couldn't afford at the time.

 

The Prophets, PPGs, Jupiters, Oberheims, Moogs , etc.

 

When I think of the "BIG" 80's sound, these are what I think of. Not those "Other" ones, that sold a gazillion units.

 

Come to think of it, most of the music I loved in the 80's, had probably very little DX, M1, or D50 on it.

 

Alon Cohen

[Guest]

Those kind of questions are always hard to answer. It depends on what kind of music you are in to.

I think the DX-7 started the trend with digital synthesizers and every new digital synth has DX-7 as a "grandmother". With that in mind I'd say DX-7.

I bought one and still have one and will not sell it either, but I don't use it anymore. But if you learned to program a DX-7 you are not afraid to dig into the new synths because it can't be harder than a dx!

[Dave Bryce]

Originally posted by Alon:

For me, the Best synths of the 80's, are all of the ones that I couldn't afford at the time.

The Prophets, PPGs, Jupiters, Oberheims, Moogs , etc

 

I hear that. I mean, who was able to afford $8500 ( http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/eek.gif ) for a PPG Wave? Or even 5k for a JP8? I was working MI retail at the time - I didn't sell very many of either of those.

 

Nice to be able to get them for much less now...

 

It's funny when I think back to the DX days, though - those things were on fire, man. I remember my boss telling me to push the JP6, because no one was buying it (it was a few hundred dollars more than a DX). No one was interested in much more than looking at the JP6 (which, BTW, is still one of my favorite synths to look at) - they were too busy lining up to pay list price for the DX.

 

Now, you can get two or three DX7s for the price of a Jupiter-6. Times sure have changed, huh?

 

dB

[soapbox]

I have three recommendations: Oberheim, Oberheim, and Oberheim. They werent cheesy though. They were FAT (and phat too!).

 

I owned a Yamaha DX7, a Roland D-50, a Korg M1, and an Oberheim OB-8. The only one I regret selling is the OB-8.

 

Dont buy a new Oberheim though. It sounds nothing like the original Oberheims. Tom Oberheim sold the company a long time ago. The Italian company (Viscount?) that now creates Oberheim products is (I believe) the third owner. They just slap the Oberheim name on their stuff for the prestige of it.

 

This message has been edited by soapbox on 02-10-2001 at 06:12 PM

[Jay]

Speaking of 80's synths.....

 

Is there any value in a circa 1985 Fender Chroma Polaris? Have been using it up until recently when I got a Yamaha S80. It served me well but didn't have the firepower (processor) necessary in this new-fangled world of ours...

 

Jay

[Steve44]

If you're just looking to get some cheesy sounds, grab an Oberheim Matrix 1000. They go for around $300 on ebay, sometimes less, and they have a thousand analog-ish sounds, mostly pretty wacky and non-realistic. There's also over a hundred sound effects with lots of strange shit going on. While it is mostly "real analog" except for the Digitally Controlled Oscilators, it is a little bit "thinner" than other analog synths because of its 2 pole rather than 4 pole filter. The first 200 patches are editable and there are many freeware software editors for it that work quite nicely. It's definitely a great buy, nearly everyone's got 'em and it gives you all the cheese you could want, except maybe some of the sterile moldy cheese from the DX series.

 

The D550 is also a great source of cheese, but doesn't have as much patch storage space. Once you find a bunch of patches for it, you can find all sorts of almost realistic silly sounds, from its organs (that some people still like) to its brass sounds. And if you live in Los Angeles you can even claim it belongs there because of its L/A synthesis. hehe

[cidnbnet.nb.ca]

I would have to say the Yamaha SY77....You've got the FM based sounds coupled with the AWM sounds...lots of warmth and balls...great sounding synth....

[Graham English]

I love the Oberheim OB-8. I'll never sell it.

[Keyman]

The 80's is the decade that most of the 'Synth that make the History' were born.

 

These are some of them:

 

1) Prophet 5 - First completely programable polysynth

 

2) DX7 - First affordable Fm synth - aka the Analog Synth Killer of that time

 

3) Mirage - First affordable sampler.

 

4) PPG Waveterm - First wavetable synth.

 

5) D-50 - First synth with build-in FX - Also the first known Rompler.

 

6) M1 - First so-called Workstation. The great-great-grand father of the renounced T's; 0's; N's X's; Trinity's and Triton series.

 

7) First synth with MIDI compatible - Prophet 600(?)

 

8) First MIDI keyboard controller.

 

I am sure there are a lot more but that's all I can think of in 30 sec.

 

My favorite of the 80's keyboards:

 

 

* Obxa- For the fat & fuzzy analog sounds.

 

* Dx7II - For the Rhode EP and metal-ism percissive sounds. Save my back instead have to carry a D6; a Rhode & a Wurtilizer to the gig.

 

* Prophet VS - For the swirling pads.

 

* Juno 106 - For the punchy analog bass.

 

* Sk-50D - My beginner's keyboard to the synth world.

 

* Jupiter 8 - Think of 80's Duran Duran's synth sounds.

 

* Memorymoog- Minimoog Bass; Warm analog sounds.

 

* Prophet-10 - Love the Polymod features and the rare doubled manual.

[sbrock1san.rr.com]

keyman-

 

I think the Prophet 600 is considered the first MIDI synth but I've read that Roland claims the JX-3P was the first. Not that it matters other than for trivia sake.

 

I played a bunch of VA synths a couple of years ago at the local store. The Roland, Korg, Yamaha, etc. They didn't sound that analog to me. Not fat enough, warm enough. They just sounded digital. Then I walked over to a used Roland juno106. Amazing, what an analog should sound like (even though it's kind of digital) I could also immediately understand why hip-hop and techno people love it for the bass sounds. They were huge and solid.

[joegerardi]

Keyman:

The Prophet-5 came out in '78. Close enough to the 80's though, I guess.

[Keyman]

Thanks for all the information SteveRB & joegerardi, I also believe the

Pro-600 was the first synth but I was also confused with the Roland's Jx3p sale pitch at that moment. That's why I put a question mark there for everybody's opinion. I though the Pro-5 was out at 1981, I guess I was wrong thanks joegerardi.

 

One correction from my previous post though, For the first synth with EX, it should be go to the once populared Korg Dw-8000 (with delay FX).

 

For that cheesy sounds of the 80's mentioned by lastresort001(the 1st person who posted). I think he referred to the synth stab sounds in the main theme of the 80's movie 'Foot Loose'; Yeah that polysynth stab sounds with mod wheeled/after-touched controlled LFO. The other cheesy sound that

I can think of is the sounds in the Devo's song "Whip It". the one with vibrato/LFO's.