vic_dup4 Posted February 13, 2001 Share Posted February 13, 2001 Hey, we've been discussing best and worst looking synths ... what about the names? I find it refreshing to run across any synth that isn't named with a bunch of (usually two) letters and a bunch of numbers ... it's much more appealing to me if the synth has a name. For some reason, synth names usually has something to do with space ... Jupiter, Juno, Andromeda, Supernova etc ... but I also personally find synths with names like Virus, Triton and Trinity really cool! Still, as far as classic letter-number combinations go, it's tough to top "B3" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay Posted February 13, 2001 Share Posted February 13, 2001 yeah Vic--- my Rhodes Chroma Polaris---like a '73 Suitcase piano shot into space! Jay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Bryce Posted February 13, 2001 Share Posted February 13, 2001 Can I go right for my personal choice for the worst synth name ever? Fizmo. Yeesh - talk about shooting a perfectly interesting little synth in the head with a bad name. Right behind that, another Ensoniq gem - MR-Rack, or as I used to refer to it - Mister Rack. Whoa - bad choice. As a rule, I prefer synths with names. It totally gives them personality. The fact that I feel this way is the reason why Andromeda currently has a name - otherwise, it would just be called A6 (which, of course, is an Audi http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/rolleyes.gif ). There are some exceptions (DX7 - excellent name!), but as a rule I always admire a manufacturer taking the extra marketing effort to come up with a name. Anybody can come up with a letter/numer combo - choosing a name is really hard. Trust me on this one... http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/wink.gif I firmly believe that a good name will help sell a synth, and a bad name will damage sales. Heck, I believe that General Music would sell more synths if they'd change their name - it's so...bland and generic sounding, y'know? They actually make some pretty cool stuff. Casio is another good example. They made some killer synths in the 80's, but they said Casio on them. I was working at music stores in Boston when those were out, and would watch people's reaction to the Casio name - they just couldn't let go of the fact that the synths were made by the same company that made the cheap watches and the little toy synths that they saw in K-mart. Bad plan, boys... But I digress... dB ==> David Bryce Music • Funky Young Monks <== Professional Affiliations: Royer Labs • Music Player Network Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keyman Posted February 13, 2001 Share Posted February 13, 2001 Is this thread for the best synth name or the worst one ? _ Best synth names: * Opus 3. * Prophet VS. * Nord lead * Supernova. * Fairlight. My Favorites: * T2- sound nice - same abbrv as the Terminator series movie. * M1rex - same pronounciation as 'My Rex'. * JV-2080 - the "2080" has a nice ring. * OBM006 - Very nice name - Ober-Moog. * Trinity * O.A.S.I.S. * Super Jupiter _ Worst names: ah... don't wanna list - will probably start a flame war. This message has been edited by Keyman on 02-13-2001 at 02:02 PM Hooked on Keys... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Bryce Posted February 13, 2001 Share Posted February 13, 2001 Is this thread for the best synth name or the worst one ? A little of both, apparently...seems it's about synth names in general. Although, perhaps I'm being presumptuous - after all, I didn't start it...Vic? Worst names: ah... don't wanna list - will probably start a flame war. If you've got something to say, let's hear it mah brutha...I love a good flame war, and this is actually a relatively tame forum most of the time. Besides - everyone has different tastes, and no one is wrong for liking what they like. I mean, I imagine that there are some people who thought Fizmo was a great name... http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/eek.gif dB ==> David Bryce Music • Funky Young Monks <== Professional Affiliations: Royer Labs • Music Player Network Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sbrock1san.rr.com Posted February 13, 2001 Share Posted February 13, 2001 I think the Moog Source was the last synth I bought with a name on it and that was a long, long time ago. Everything else I've purchased after that had a number. I remember when the Korg Wavestation came out. People liked the sound but also liked the fact that Korg took the time to name it. Because of the popularity of the DX7, M1, and D50 manufacturers just felt that synths should have numbers. I always thought the Emulator was a great name. The name tells you what the sampler was trying to do, emulate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonathan Hughes Posted February 14, 2001 Share Posted February 14, 2001 Best Names: Microwave Q Supernova Virus Jupiter 6/8 Super Jupiter TR808 (I don't know why, but it sounds infinitely better than TR909, TR505, TR707, etc.) Prophet V Worst names: PIZMO Rogue (Moog) Quasimidi Sirius Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keyman Posted February 14, 2001 Share Posted February 14, 2001 If you've got something to say, let's hear it mah brutha...I love a good flame war, and this is actually a relatively tame forum most of the time. OK, if you insist dB, then here we go: http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/smile.gif The Worst name: 1) Maxi Korg - (Maxi pads ?) 2) Ensoniq EPS - (UPS ?) 3) Kursweil PC2 - (PC computer ?) 4) Korg X5;N1/N5; N264/364 - No personal character at all ! Hooked on Keys... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
murph Posted February 14, 2001 Share Posted February 14, 2001 I HATE keyboard names with letters and numbers! As a former salesperson, nothing is more aggravating than trying to interpret what your customer is saying! It took me 20 times before I figured out what an "Emmay Uno" was! (M1) And don't even get me started on Korg's "born-again" names! Thanks, I feel better. As far as good names, I've always been partial to Arp's Avatar, which also should be the name of a metal band! Bill Murphy www.murphonics.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 14, 2001 Share Posted February 14, 2001 Maybe they should name them after trees or barnyard animals. That would be different and fun and help us to focus back to the days when we could spend a lot more time actually playing keyboards instead of trying to figure out how they work. I like the story of the 0/1W Korg. It was the predecessor of the M1 and was going to be called the M10, but at the unveiling ceremony someone-supposedly inadvertantly- put the name decal on upside down. The name stuck and even if you don't like the name ya just gotta love the way they came up with it. And now you know the rest of the story. http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/biggrin.gif Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vic_dup4 Posted February 14, 2001 Author Share Posted February 14, 2001 hahahaha --- that O1/W story is too good to be true!!! That's amazing. Fizmo is without a doubt a LOUSY name. My apologies to all the Fizmo owners out there. Am not really hot about Karma either. I always thought PPG Wave 2.2 had a really cool ring to it. It sounded like a high powered jetski http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/smile.gif This message has been edited by Vic on 02-13-2001 at 09:51 PM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sbrock1san.rr.com Posted February 14, 2001 Share Posted February 14, 2001 That 01/W story was told by the president of Korg music and I believe it. I love the keyboard but hate the name. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keyman Posted February 15, 2001 Share Posted February 15, 2001 My favorite worst synth name(in addition of the previous one): Korg Mono-Poly => "Monopoly"? Did this guy try to dominate the market as the DX7 did later on ? Too bad this guy couldn't even live up to his name ! http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/biggrin.gif Hooked on Keys... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wormhole Posted February 15, 2001 Share Posted February 15, 2001 Have to agree on the Fizmo and I have one. Love the Rogue name though. Weirdest name (not a keyboard though it can be a synth) Capybara from Kyma Hats off Dave, Andromeda is a killer name! Have any of you participated in the contest on Big Briars web site to name their new performance synth? I think this is one of the best ways to get a name. And it doesn't cost Big Briar a dime (well they give away a board so i guess it does cost something). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dansouth Posted February 15, 2001 Share Posted February 15, 2001 I have a couple of comments on previous posts. Capybara is an animal, a small hoofed mammal in the jungles of South America. If space names like Jupiter and Taurus and Andromeda are so popular, why is Sirius considered bad? It's the name of the brightest star in the sky. I concur that Fizmo is one of the worst names ever, like something a clown would play. I couldn't take this think seriously. I seem to remember something called a Synthony or some corny crud like that. Same category. Karma sounds like something George Harrison would be into, and Proteus sounds like something that's not ready yet. Speaking of letter/number combinations, I always thought that JX3P was an awkward combination. I have always been partial to the Emulator name. Mirage is okay, too, but Gigasampler sounds pretentious. Arp used to have some cool sounding handles: String Ensemble, Omni, Odyssey, Pro Soloist, Axxe, Avatar, Quadra (later a Mac name). Memorymoog had kind of a cyborg flavor to it, as though it might assimilate you if you left it on while you were sleeping. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alon Posted February 15, 2001 Share Posted February 15, 2001 Let the Flame wars begin !!! Cool Names: *********** Liberation, Prodigy, Juno series, Jupiter series, Microwave, Emulator series, Planet Phat, PPG wave, Virus, Nordlead, Prophet, Wavestation, Prophecy,Odyssey and probably a few more that escape me at the moment... Crap Names: *********** Everything Kurzweil has released. (Come one guys, have some fantasy!) Everything Ensoniq has released except for Mirage, which is an ok name, but that was years ago. Surely they have had enough time to figure out some new cool names by now. The Fizmo, hahaha. Everything Alesis has released, except for Andromeda, which is a cool name. Everything Casio & Kawai have released. (Again lack of imagination.) Everything Peavey has released. (Spectrum reminds me of an Eq or something) Quasimidi - Sirius,Raven,Quasar (Just don't like the vibe of those names, too unusual. Sirius is just weird sounding to me.) Just about everything Roland & Yamaha & Akai & Korg have released with a few exceptions. (The ones that have gone on to become classics.) I think that most classic synths would have become classics anyway, regardless of what number some guy decided to stick at the end of their name. Now don't get me wrong, I like most of these manufacturers' products, I just don't like some of the name choosing going on. 'Suppose it's all a matter of taste... And I suppose I just blew my chance for ever getting any endorsement deals from anybody. http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/biggrin.gifhttp://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/biggrin.gifhttp://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/biggrin.gifhttp://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/biggrin.gifhttp://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/biggrin.gifhttp://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/biggrin.gifhttp://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/biggrin.gifhttp://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/biggrin.gif Alon Cohen . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marino Posted February 15, 2001 Share Posted February 15, 2001 Another fun one. 'Q' is a really great name IMO. So are Supernova, Andromeda and Virus. Also, the name I entered in the Big Briar contest... http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/smile.gif And from the past, Prophet, Fairlight, Axcel, Wasp, Audity, Mirage... Horrible names: O1/W (aaargghh) VFX-SD (what?) DX7IIFD (of course!) Paraphonic 505 (an old Roland thing) and two ghosts from a distant past: Micor Coupland Morenz-Perkes 1200 marino Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guestuserguestuser.com Posted February 15, 2001 Share Posted February 15, 2001 Have any of you participated in the contest on Big Briars web site to name their new performance synth? I think this is one of the best ways to get a name. And it doesn't cost Big Briar a dime (well they give away a board so i guess it does cost something). [/b] Speaking of Big Briar, I think it's pretty dumb name. Sounds like a smelly old pipe, not the sort of image that brings Minimoogs to my mind. And it's sad that the creator of one greatest synths ever, the minimoog, should have to name his company big briar. Worst synth names: fizmo, without a doubt. Best: I like space related names like Triton, Jupiter. I agree that some number/letter comibinations are ok, like DX7 and M1, and SY77. But Yamaha has stayed with that concept too long. So now I have a CS6x on my desk, which I really like, but the name is pretty bland. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Bryce Posted February 15, 2001 Share Posted February 15, 2001 Originally posted by guestuser@guestuser.com: Speaking of Big Briar, I think it's pretty dumb name. Sounds like a smelly old pipe, not the sort of image that brings Minimoogs to my mind. And it's sad that the creator of one greatest synths ever, the minimoog, should have to name his company big briar. Interesting - I always liked the name. I've been operating under the assumption that the name is Bob's way of saying big wood...y'know, like calling your band Tremendous Richard, or the Swinging Johnsons. http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/biggrin.gif BTW, those are both real band names...or, at least, they used to be... dB ==> David Bryce Music • Funky Young Monks <== Professional Affiliations: Royer Labs • Music Player Network Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
venntnetzero.net Posted February 15, 2001 Share Posted February 15, 2001 fave synth names: "virus", "microwave", and "pulse". I agree that most manufacturers need an imagination. Waldorf receives my vote for most original synth names. I don't mind the name of yamaha's "cs6x" though. It's numbers and letters but it sort of rolls off the tongue seamlessly. If you say "cs6x" fast it almost sounds like it could be a city in Belgium or something. The names of Moog's synths are much too narcissistic... "MiniMOOG", "MultiMOOG", "MemoryMOOG", etc. "Rogue" is just plain dumb anyway, though the "Prodigy" is interesting. Besides, it spawned the idea for some little, unknown electronic act of the same name... worst: "01/W" blows. I think takes a liking to random letters and numbers... "Poly 800", "707", "Poly 6", etc. "Fizmo" is pretty stupid but "Fiz" would've been cool... I could go on but I'm at work... "Your shit can wait! I'm posting at Musicplayer.com!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Aikin Posted February 16, 2001 Share Posted February 16, 2001 I just know I'm gonna get in trouble here, but it seems to me E-mu is trying a little too hard with "Planet Phatt" and "Mo Phatt." Not to knock the products -- I love their recent modules. "Audity" was a great E-mu name, as was "Morpheus." The Korg Z1 could probably have benefitted from a spiffier name. The award for best "just-in-time" name change goes to Steinberg, who changed "Cubeat" to "Cubase" mere weeks before it was introduced. --Jim Aikin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marvster Posted February 16, 2001 Share Posted February 16, 2001 Gotta be careful about them letters. I was at Roland when the JV series was introduced, but JU was under serious consideration, too. We had to explain to the nice folks in Japan that we really couldn't have a product named the JU-80 (Jew-80). Also, I've been told by a reliable source that when the MIDI spec was being finalized, one of the Japanese manufacturers had to be talked out of calling it MUDI (Music Universal Digital Interace). "Muddy" ... would've given a whole new dimension to the "MIDI sounds bad" debates from the early days! Best, Marv This message has been edited by Marvster on 02-15-2001 at 06:26 PM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
murph Posted February 16, 2001 Share Posted February 16, 2001 In addition to the MIDI/MUDI story, I heard that originally, SCSI was upposed to be pronounced 'sexy' instead of 'scuzzy'. Would that have changed the way we feel about IDE? I don't pity the people who have the gig to come up with names. Just look at the Chevy Nova situation. I'll keep the gig I have, thanks very much! Bill Murphy www.murphonics.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Fortner Posted February 16, 2001 Share Posted February 16, 2001 Korg in the early 80's had the Trident, and more recently we have the Trinity and Triton. Inside soources I cannot name tell me their next workstation will be called the Tri-Tip. It promises beefier sounds. http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/tongue.gif Sorry. Couldn't help myself. Stephen Fortner Principal, Fortner Media Former Editor in Chief, Keyboard Magazine Digital Piano Consultant, Piano Buyer Magazine Industry affiliations: Antares, Arturia, Giles Communications, MS Media, Polyverse Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Aikin Posted February 16, 2001 Share Posted February 16, 2001 Originally posted by SteveFortner: Korg in the early 80's had the Trident, and more recently we have the Trinity and Triton. Let's hope the next one isn't the Tri-TE. ;-) --Jim A. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keyman Posted February 16, 2001 Share Posted February 16, 2001 ...... or a Tripod; Triad; Tri-2-B-Koo ! http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/biggrin.gif Hooked on Keys... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 16, 2001 Share Posted February 16, 2001 Tri 2 B koo.... http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/biggrin.gif What were ewe smokin' man? Sheeesh How about Tri Harder or Tri Lateral or "The Trip", Tri-angular, Tri-Out Or maybe they could move to fours...Quadster, Quadstar,Quadity,Quad a Kool Board, Quadachippick, that one could be endorsed by the Kead Dennedys. Ah say chappy, ah think this thread has quad run the course, eh? time for bed...zzzzzzz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
synthfoolsynthfool.com Posted February 16, 2001 Share Posted February 16, 2001 The synth names arent as bad as the manufacturers names. Those are what seemed to always be mispronounced... ;-) Moog (Moooooog....) Kurzweil (Kurts wheel?) ARP (Aye our pee?) Oberheim (Oh bear Im!) Paia (Pay eye uh/) Buchla (Booshla!) Neve (Nevy) Here are some more usual targets: Neumann, Serge, Doepfer, Kyocera, Demeter, Bode, Bosendorfer, Kawai Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marvster Posted February 16, 2001 Share Posted February 16, 2001 < Moog (Moooooog....)>> Isn't Bob's story that, believe it or not, his name actually *was* prounounced Moog (like "food"), but that his wife hated the sound so much he changed the desired pronounciation to a long "o" (like "toga")? Or was I smoking something? Marv Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Aikin Posted February 16, 2001 Share Posted February 16, 2001 Originally posted by Marvster: Isn't Bob's story that, believe it or not, his name actually *was* prounounced Moog (like "food"), but that his wife hated the sound so much he changed the desired pronounciation to a long "o" (like "toga")? Or was I smoking something? Bob is very diplomatic. He always says, "Both are correct." The story the way I heard it (from Dominic Milano, who I believe heard it from either Moog or Wendy Carlos) was that it was originally pronounced with the same vowel sound as food. But then Bob married Shirleigh, and Shirleigh was a first-grade teacher, and the first morning she went into class and said, "Good morning, children, I'm Mrs. Moog," all the kids cracked up and started making cow-mooing noises. In self-defense, she or they changed the pronunciation to Moog-rhymes-with-rogue. BTW, Don pronounces Buchla "book-la." The ch is not given a German twist, and the first vowel is the same as in book, not food. --Jim Aikin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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