joegerardi Posted June 28, 2001 Share Posted June 28, 2001 OK, in the neverending list of "What If" threads... Which synth out there have you always wanted, loved, lusted after, but just could never bring yourself to buy? I'm not talking about the mega-buck monsters that we all drool over, but can't have, I'm talking about a synth you go to get, have money in hand, but just cannot bring yourself to buy for one reason or another. For me there were 2: I always loved the design and sound of the Roland JX-3P, but for one reason or another, never bought one. The other was the Yamaha DX-7. There was just something about both of these 'boards that stopped me, but I never knew or still don't know why I didn't or don't How 'bout youse guys???? Setup: Korg Kronos 61, Roland XV-88, Korg Triton-Rack, Motif-Rack, Korg N1r, Alesis QSR, Roland M-GS64 Yamaha KX-88, KX76, Roland Super-JX, E-Mu Longboard 61, Kawai K1II, Kawai K4. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ynot Posted June 28, 2001 Share Posted June 28, 2001 The DX7....it was pernicious...ubiquitous....and it sounded gawdawful, at least to my ears....that was the instrument that made me turn to bass guitar, thankfully! ------------------ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krakit Posted June 28, 2001 Share Posted June 28, 2001 When the DX-7 was "all the rage" I specifically saved up and went to Sam Ash to purchase one. I came home with a Roland JX-8P which I still own and is the nucleus to my keyboard stack. I shudder when I think of the road not taken. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sbrock1san.rr.com Posted June 28, 2001 Share Posted June 28, 2001 I was considering the Waldorf Q or Micro Q, but after playing them a few times I realized it just wasn't the sound that would compliment my music. I also found their interfaces a little awkward. I ended up buying a used Roland MKS-70 (and PG800 programmer) on Ebay and I'm liking it a lot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krakit Posted June 28, 2001 Share Posted June 28, 2001 I would love to have a PG-800 for my JX, but the secondary market price is in the $300 range. A little more than I want to spend right now. Carl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sbrock1san.rr.com Posted June 28, 2001 Share Posted June 28, 2001 krakit- I've seen the PG-800 go for anywhere between $200 to $290.( I payed $241) After I bought the MKS-70 I felt like I might as well buy one to make programming easier. I'm using a Roland hardware sequencer that records the movements (data) of the sliders in real-time, so it's quite expressive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magpel Posted June 28, 2001 Share Posted June 28, 2001 There aren't many, I'll tell you that. Because I'm still teaching myself the rudiments of synth programming, I'd take almost anything now, if the price is right and the board gives me another programming paradigm to learn. DX-7? D-50? Bring it on. Actually, I admit to generally disliking the FM sounds. Maybe I associate it with music I generally disliked--the slick, chimey electric piano sounds. Too clean, too thin, too glossy, too closely associated with shallow fuzak and soulless R&B. Cross me off the DX-7 list I guess. When I bought my first master synth, I wanted good "real"** instrument sounds and ultimately opted for the Roland U-20. Nowdays, the U-20 sounds like a pretty uninspired GM set (though the piano holds up pretty well), but back in the day, it was pretty good. Today, I must say I have no interest in ROMplers and straight sample playback machines, so that's my answer: no more ROMplers, no matter how refined the cello sound might be. I've got Gigasampler for that. I only want synths that can blow tweeters if you patch 'em wrong. Magpel Check out the Sweet Clementines CD at bandcamp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joegerardi Posted June 28, 2001 Author Share Posted June 28, 2001 Wait! Everyone: I'm not talking about those whereby price or the sound dissuaded you. I'm talking aobut those that you REALLY wanted, and when the time came to actually go get it, and you had the money to do so, you held off. Let's hear about those. Setup: Korg Kronos 61, Roland XV-88, Korg Triton-Rack, Motif-Rack, Korg N1r, Alesis QSR, Roland M-GS64 Yamaha KX-88, KX76, Roland Super-JX, E-Mu Longboard 61, Kawai K1II, Kawai K4. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Jones Posted June 29, 2001 Share Posted June 29, 2001 Originally posted by joegerardi: Wait! Everyone: I'm not talking about those whereby price or the sound dissuaded you. I'm talking aobut those that you REALLY wanted, and when the time came to actually go get it, and you had the money to do so, you held off. Let's hear about those. Oh Yeah!...I know exactly what your talking about! I went to buy a Karma. Money in hand. I had heard the demos...read the forum threads...perused the manual. All set and ready to come home with a red Korg board. After playing the thing for an hour investigating the various algorithms I came away very disappointed. I do love the Triton soundbank and the Karma algs...and could have lived with the stripped down version of the Triton just to have access to the Karma technology. But after the hour of playing the thing I felt like I had just came away from a session with Schroeder from the Peanuts gang. You know...the little toy piano that we all had as kids. A 10 inch version of a concert grand. I gave Korg bloody hell for this in the "Workstations..the Movie" thread started by Dave. The board is a toy. Too light to be performance board. The damn thing slid all over the Quiklok stand it was on. And the worse thing was the feel of the keybed! Needless to say I came home without the Karma. Korg put out a toy keyboard with the Karma engine and thought they were going to sell a bzillion. Well as you might imagine it is not happening. And I know why! All in all though, I have to give kudos to the Bryce-ster (that oughta fire him up!). If you read my rant in the abovementioned thread then you will have also read his reply. Thanks to Dave I am considering an Alesis QS8.1 as a main controller. I am somewhat familiar with his history with Alesis. And want to publicly thank him for his personal response. The only thing that I am waiting for is the opportunity to play the thing. Thanks Dave!!! (Now if I only win the friggin' lottery!!!) Keep on boardin'! Michael "I may be a craven little coward, but I'm a greedy craven little coward." Daffy Duck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raymar Posted June 29, 2001 Share Posted June 29, 2001 I almost bought an old Juno 6(no MIDI) to get some real analog back into my sound but for some reason I held out. Then the same year I found out about VAZ Plus which I bought for $40, glad I waited. Now with soft synths and sampling on my PC I feel like I'm set for life and don't have techno lust anymore. You shouldn't chase after the past or pin your hopes on the future. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coyote Posted June 29, 2001 Share Posted June 29, 2001 Yamaha P80. I first played w/ it over a year ago. Noticed it had very good EP & grand piano sounds, good effects, wonderful action. And what I considered an acceptable price.... When I got my JP-8000 I was sorta going to buy the P80. Huge conceptual diff, right?! LOL I almost convinced myself to get a QS8.1 instead of the P80, though I still liked the GP & EP sounds (as well as action & simplicity of use) better on the P80. Ended up stumbling across a great deal on the Rhodes MK80. So the Yamaha will probably never end up in my rig. Even though I almost bought it a few times, I still like it, and it was the driving force in my acquisition of many other things. No regrets though! Originally posted by joegerardi: Wait! Everyone: I'm not talking about those whereby price or the sound dissuaded you. I'm talking aobut those that you REALLY wanted, and when the time came to actually go get it, and you had the money to do so, you held off. Let's hear about those. I used to think I was Libertarian. Until I saw their platform; now I know I'm no more Libertarian than I am RepubliCrat or neoCON or Liberal or Socialist. This ain't no track meet; this is football. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zvenx Posted June 30, 2001 Share Posted June 30, 2001 Two keyboards that I have always hated the sound of, and could never buy was the aforementioned Yamaha DX-7 and actually what someone bought instead Roland's JX-8P, one of the few roland synthesizers that I couldn't force myself to like. But for ones that I lusted for, but couldn't buy. 1) Kurzweil K2000, couldnt' justify the cost, bought a Roland S-760 and Jv-1080 instead and never regretted that day. 2) no matter how much I try and try and TRY to like the Triton, I can't...the sounds with few exceptions don't move me. I love the efx....but don't find it as warm as the roland's. rsp richard sven sound sculptist Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krakit Posted June 30, 2001 Share Posted June 30, 2001 Don't like the JX-8P, eh? Why not? Carl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Bryce Posted June 30, 2001 Share Posted June 30, 2001 Originally posted by zvenx: Two keyboards that I have always hated the sound of, and could never buy was the aforementioned Yamaha DX-7 and actually what someone bought instead Roland's JX-8P, one of the few roland synthesizers that I couldn't force myself to like. That's funny - that was my keyboard rig in the '80s power pop band I was in...DX7 originally over a Juno 106, until I switched the Juno out for the 2 osc per voice more sizzly JX8P...I thought that they worked great together. I kinda miss the 8P. I'll probably get an MKS70 when the correct opportunity presents itself. Different strokes for different folks, I guess... dB ==> David Bryce Music • Funky Young Monks <== Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zvenx Posted June 30, 2001 Share Posted June 30, 2001 Hi Krakit, the JX-8p sounded too sterile to me... wasn't it a digital/analog hybrid or something of the sort? it sounded too clean to me... Yes Dave, :-), apparently different strokes for different folks....:-).. I am always amazed in so many different aspects of life how tastes vary... food/clothes/music.. instruments :-), I guess that is what makes the world interesting :-). rsp richard sven sound sculptist Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Bryce Posted June 30, 2001 Share Posted June 30, 2001 the JX-8p sounded too sterile to me... wasn't it a digital/analog hybrid or something of the sort? Depends on whom you ask. http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/wink.gif It was a DCO synth, not a VCO synth...so there are purists who would say that it wasn't a real analog synth, but it was a subtractive synth with oscillators generating analog waveforms and being filtered by analog fliters for sure - nothing else, really. There was an interesting debate about this very point discussing this very synth (and a few others like it) on rmms recently... it sounded too clean to me... If you just heard the preset banks, I'm not surprised...I remember them as being less than impressive. If you programmed on it a bit, it truly opened the machine up a lot...to me, it's difficult for the average synth with more than one oscillator per voice to sound clean and sterile unless it's intentionally programmed that way. Yes Dave, :-), apparently different strokes for different folks....:-).. I am always amazed in so many different aspects of life how tastes vary... food/clothes/music.. instruments :-), I guess that is what makes the world interesting :-) No question about it. Thank goodness, too... dB ==> David Bryce Music • Funky Young Monks <== Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joegerardi Posted June 30, 2001 Author Share Posted June 30, 2001 There was a factory program in the 8P that absolutely swept me away. It was a pad called "Soundtrack" I believe, and I loved it. I remember when the 10P came out, I was sorry to see it wasn't the same sound. Setup: Korg Kronos 61, Roland XV-88, Korg Triton-Rack, Motif-Rack, Korg N1r, Alesis QSR, Roland M-GS64 Yamaha KX-88, KX76, Roland Super-JX, E-Mu Longboard 61, Kawai K1II, Kawai K4. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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