ELP71 Posted September 23, 2002 Posted September 23, 2002 Hey all - I've decided that my PC88MX is OK for my current piano/etc. needs. BUT - I need a synth or a synth rack. Need piercing Mini leads (a-la Emerson), fluty Moog leads, stringy Oberheim/Prophet pads, cheesey cars-style sweepy patches, etc. Pretty basic stuff. I know, you're sayin' "CLEAN UP THE POLYSIX" but I want something spiffy. Under $1K would be super. Any ideas??? Weasels ripped my flesh. Rzzzzzzz.
Dan O Posted September 23, 2002 Posted September 23, 2002 Korg MS2000 keyboard or rack . "A" station from novation or is it K station ?? Modules with knobs would be the 1st thing to look for ! The new roland JV2020 or XV2020 is another option . dano www.esnips.com/web/SongsfromDanO
RABid Posted September 23, 2002 Posted September 23, 2002 There are a lot of nice modules for under $1000 that I like but very few keyboards. The Roland and E-mu's are ROMplers and thus can be expanded to cover most any sound you need. The Korg and Novation are VA's and while they may do leads better than the others, they are limited in what they can do. For a module each of these have various strong points and would be a nice addition to any setup. Roland XV-2020 has lots of variety and good sounds. E-Mu Proteus 2500 or XL-7. Lots of knobs and sounds. XL-7 is a great at doubeling as a step sequencer, midi control box and drum machine. Both had recent major price drops. Novation A-Station. Lots of knobs. Only synth sounds. Korg MS2000 rack. Easy to program, sounds good and has a nice vocorder. Keyboards: Korg MS2000, see above. E-Mu PK6 or one of their other keyboards. If you don't need the keys the P2500 or XL-7 has much better features. If you do need keys it is hard to beat the value of these units. Novation K Station. Very nice but I don't think it has aftertouch. Robert This post edited for speling. My Sweetwater Gear Exchange Page
marino Posted September 23, 2002 Posted September 23, 2002 I would look into an used Yamaha AN1x. It's the only VA I have, and I was looking precisely for Moog-style leads. I had tried most other VAs in the process - MS2000, Virus, MicroQ, Nova, Nord Lead - but the AN was the only one which sound did appeal to me. (Um, is that good English...) I'm not saying it will appeal the same to you - definitely try to play one before you buy. But I'd say it sounds better than a Polysix for sure! Here's a mini review. Pros: -Good overall sound, especially sawtooth leads. -Very good modulation capabilities. -Eight assignable knobs - they work smoothly enough. -Full size (61) keyboard with aftertouch. -Very light and portable. -Good-feeling Moog-type wheels, plus a ribbon. Cons: -Keys feel a bit cheap (but playable nonetheless). -External power supply. -"Only" eight multi-function knobs. -Difficult OS. Even with only 8 knobs, the user interface could have been much simpler. They managed to do it Yamaha-style, in the worst sense. You should have no problems finding one used for about $400 or less. Yamaha also makes an hardware module and a plug-in for their workstations with the same synth engine (with less polyphony), but to my ear, they DON'T sound the same as the original. Don't ask me why - they just sound thinner to my ears. There's a thread from some time ago, where I tried to dig a bit deeper in the AN1x. Don't have time for searching it now, but the title was Adventures in AN1x-land, so it shouldn't be difficult to reach. Another option: Wait for the Alesis Ion. I should be out in November, and it's said to have a very good Moog emulation. And of course, don't overlook the other VAs that I myself discarded - they could sound great to you. Try the MS2000, Microkorg, Waldorf MicroQ, Virus Rack, the new Keystations from Novation, Nord Micro Modular. They should be more or less in your price range. Hope this helps Carlo
d-kay Posted September 23, 2002 Posted September 23, 2002 Are you sure you don't need a better pair of monitors?. . No really. If you have cash to spend, a decent pair of studio monitors can really eat it all up.
Geosync Posted September 23, 2002 Posted September 23, 2002 What about a used K2000R ? They are less than $1K. Better yet find a used K2500R with KDFX. They have the largest library of sounds or a Matrix 1000 . Take Care, George Hamilton Yamaha US
Geosync Posted September 23, 2002 Posted September 23, 2002 What about a used K2000R ? They are less than $1K. Better yet find a used K2500R with KDFX. They have the largest library of sounds Take Care, George Hamilton Yamaha US
realtrance Posted September 23, 2002 Posted September 23, 2002 While you're out searching for the perfect synth, I think you'll enjoy reading the delightful column at the link below. It's in reference to a different artistic medium, but I'm sure the same principles apply. Enjoy! rt http://www.luminous-landscape.com/columns/sm-02-09-22.shtml
Tusker Posted September 23, 2002 Posted September 23, 2002 I second the An1x. You'll have some money over for a second synth too. The MicroQ would complement an AN1X well (though it's more of a "new" style synth). Many of the latest round of VA's and analogs provide good value for money. Cheap and cheerful VA's: Yamaha An1X (used) Novation K station Waldorf Micro Q Cheap and cheerful Analogs: Dave Smith Instruments - Evolver (kinda a hybrid) Technosaurus Microcon I haven't tried Evolver but the Microcon does sound good in a beefy but roland-like way. Both Evolver and Microcon are monosynths, but can be used to supplement a VA for leads. Jerry
Bobro Posted September 23, 2002 Posted September 23, 2002 Originally posted by realtrance: While you're out searching for the perfect synth, I think you'll enjoy reading the delightful column at the link below. It's in reference to a different artistic medium, but I'm sure the same principles apply. Enjoy! rt http://www.luminous-landscape.com/columns/sm-02-09-22.shtml That's cool but to my eyes the photos argue so strongly against his point- most look mediocre, some look bad, and a couple look beautiful! Interesting, the ones that look best to me are the "truly noble lens, the... Leica Summicron. Some Japanese lens connoisseurs consider this lens the pinnacle" and the 12$ Olympus! With the old Nikkor 50/2 looking good there too. The rest, no thanks. -Bobro
RABid Posted September 23, 2002 Posted September 23, 2002 If you have a computer consider the Nord Micro Modular. The Nord Lead 1 is about $1000. Or spend $1500 and get the Virus C. That is what I want for my next VA if I ever come up with the money. Does it have to be a VA or can it be a VVA? (VVA = virtual virtual analog, ie. ROMpler with good sound and deep programming.) Robert This post edited for speling. My Sweetwater Gear Exchange Page
joegerardi Posted September 23, 2002 Posted September 23, 2002 I'd take a look at the Alesis QSR module with the Vintage Synth Q-Card. Whilst the QSR does NOT have resonant filters, they sampled enough of Emo's Monster Moog Modular, and GX1 (and various other Moog, and sundry other synths) with resonant sweeps that it can really do a great job creating those analog sounds. The good thing is that you probably won't spend $500.00 for everything, (used) and it leaves you cash for something else. Barring that, I'd look at the K2000, K2000VP, or K2VX. All can be had (either rack or keyboard version) for under a grand, and if you're really lucky, you can find a K2500r for under a grand too. 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.
ELP71 Posted October 2, 2002 Author Posted October 2, 2002 Gosh almighty what a great response. All VERY interesting options. Any other thoughts? Weasels ripped my flesh. Rzzzzzzz.
Superbobus Posted October 2, 2002 Posted October 2, 2002 Yama AN200 or DX200 or maybe a nice well kept vintage analog? http://www.bobwijnen.nl Hipness is not a state of mind, it's a fact of life.
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