Thread Update. Cheap Synths? Opinions/Alternatives

Creed_Clicks

Any players? The 06a looks like a neat bit of kit. I have a Juno plug-in which has some cool sounds but this one with the faders etc looks lIke it could be fun. I wasn’t even aware of them until today ! Anyoe use them much? Lots of pros and cons on YT, but thought I'd throw it out here as well...

On reflection after watching some YT vids, while the 06a looks pretty good, I have been looking again at the Microkorg XL+ (vocoder looks fun), but not sure how easy it is to save patches etc.

Also the Yamaha Reface CS sounds very nice indeed for the money, but you can't save any patches etc.

I used to have the regular Microkorg, but only used a few presets. It was a bit too much to the weird side of things soundwise for me.

The Reface and Microkorg has potential for "warmer" sounds. If that makes any sense...

Funkfingers

The four-note maximum polyphony is always going to be a compromise. Stacking two units gets around that but at considerable expense.

Alternatively, team up the JU-06A with a drum machine and two monosynths. Pretend that you have an MKS-7 Super Quartet.

The good thing about Junos was that their sounds stack up nicely in multi-track song arrangements. By comparison, Jupiter sounds take up too much of the frequency spectrum real estate. 

Creed_Clicks

Any alternative recommendations for roughly the same money?

goldtop

Used Deepmind 6?

Creed_Clicks

goldtop said:

Used Deepmind 6?

Yes I've been looking at vids of this.
Some other options I have seen:

Audiothingies Micromonsta
Waldork Blofeld
Microkorg XL+ 

goldtop

Ah. I was sticking to things that sound Juno-ish. If you're more open-minded, there are squillions of suggestions. The Blofeld is excellent, a super cheap way into Waldorf's back catalogue.

Creed_Clicks

goldtop said:

Ah. I was sticking to things that sound Juno-ish. If you're more open-minded, there are squillions of suggestions. The Blofeld is excellent, a super cheap way into Waldorf's back catalogue.

I'll check out more deepmind demos in the meantime!

Creed_Clicks

Now looking at Microkorg XL+ , Mininova, or Yamaha Reface CS.
The audiothingies micromonsta 2 looks great too ...

gusman2x

Minilogue XD is a great sounding synth, as long as you can live with 4 note polyphony. Plenty of knobs on the front to make it a real experience. 

Creed_Clicks

gusman2x said:

Minilogue XD is a great sounding synth, as long as you can live with 4 note polyphony. Plenty of knobs on the front to make it a real experience. 

Yes it sounds pretty good. I have an Arturia Microbrute on the way, and plan on messing around with that + effects pedals.
Still no idea what to go for!

paulmapp8306

Deep Mind is great - but you really need the 12.  The 6 is god but being able to unison 2 voices to get detuned saws and still have 6 voices is incredibly useful.

The Minogue XD is a great synth- and fully VCO (as opposed to DCO of the DM) Its only 4 voices though that puts me off. The step sequencer with control lanes (so you can record filter position per step for instance) is fabulous as is the 3rd "open source" oscillator. 

Biofield is a great synth for pads and spatial stuff - but while not a pain to program as many older VAs are doesn't have the satisfaction of the hands on approach of DM or ML.

The Reface CS is a neat bit of kit but its niche - I dont think its in the same league as the other 3 buy a way, though as I say its great at what it does.

You need to set a budget, and also some basic requirements to narrow things down.   do you need hands on control, are you looking at bass sounds, lead sounds, pads, experimental, all of the above. Does it need to do percussive sounds.  Are you bothered about VA or analogue - or will any do.  Do you need a step sequencer? an arpeggiator?     Setting these aims will bring some options front and centre and consign others to the bin.

paulmapp8306

Oh... Argon/Cobalt ????

Got an Argon8 coming tomorrow - its more as a midi controller for sound design on VSTs..... but decent 37 note controllers are few and far between - the Modals are pretty good just for that.  

I have plenty of analogue/VA options with Virus Ti2, Peak, Deep Mind and Fantom 7 in hardware, and Voltage modular and Diva in VST so went with the wavetable based Argon rather than the VA Cobalt.

Ill let yo know how good it is (or isnt)

TeleMaster

Creed_Clicks said:

gusman2x said:

Minilogue XD is a great sounding synth, as long as you can live with 4 note polyphony. Plenty of knobs on the front to make it a real experience. 

Yes it sounds pretty good. I have an Arturia Microbrute on the way, and plan on messing around with that + effects pedals.
Still no idea what to go for!

Dude. I've just bought a couple of synths too. 

Got the Microbrute coming today aswell as the Minilogue. 

paulmapp8306

literally JUST received an Argon8....  Updating to latest FW or Id be playing lol.

Creed_Clicks

paulmapp8306 said:

Deep Mind is great - but you really need the 12.  The 6 is god but being able to unison 2 voices to get detuned saws and still have 6 voices is incredibly useful.

The Minogue XD is a great synth- and fully VCO (as opposed to DCO of the DM) Its only 4 voices though that puts me off. The step sequencer with control lanes (so you can record filter position per step for instance) is fabulous as is the 3rd "open source" oscillator. 

Biofield is a great synth for pads and spatial stuff - but while not a pain to program as many older VAs are doesn't have the satisfaction of the hands on approach of DM or ML.

The Reface CS is a neat bit of kit but its niche - I dont think its in the same league as the other 3 buy a way, though as I say its great at what it does.

You need to set a budget, and also some basic requirements to narrow things down.   do you need hands on control, are you looking at bass sounds, lead sounds, pads, experimental, all of the above. Does it need to do percussive sounds.  Are you bothered about VA or analogue - or will any do.  Do you need a step sequencer? an arpeggiator?     Setting these aims will bring some options front and centre and consign others to the bin.

I don't need percussive sounds. I got a microbrute recently so imagine that will be fun with pedals for bass type sounds. A sequencer and arpeggiator would be useful. I've also been looking at the Micromonsta 2, but now come back to the original Minilogue which might have what I need. I am not sure if the 4 voice limit would put me off either.

paulmapp8306

OK - so IMO Minilogue XD - or the Modal cobalt or Argon 37 key synths.

All 3 have arpegiators and sequencers with animation lanes.

The Modals are both 8 voice - with the Cobalt being virtual analogue and the Argon beong wavetable (with 1 bank of VA waveforms)

Minilogue is 4 voice but is VCO and has 3 Oscilators v the Modals that have 2.  The 3rtd osilator is open source.   

IMO the original minilogue is NOT worth it.  The small extra outlay gets you a better filter, and and that extra oscillator.  

Oh - the Korg is minikeys and kind of spongy.  The Models are full sized keys and a very nice keybed.

Creed_Clicks

@paulmapp8306 I will check out the modal. As I have some midi keyboards lying around not sure if desktop modules would be a good option.
Cheap shout out for yamaha reface cs which does have its limitations.

I also need to decide on VA or wavestate 

TeleMaster

paulmapp8306 said:

IMO the original minilogue is NOT worth it.  The small extra outlay gets you a better filter, and and that extra oscillator.  

Literally just bought one lol. I think for my purposes, as a beginner it's fine. £225 used isn't gonna be a bad buy. Especially to learn on. 

paulmapp8306

Used is a different matter I guess, bargains can be had.

Creed_Clicks

I usually play keys or piano, using one key on the left hand and doing the chords with the right. A bit of practice would improve my left hand, so maybe, maybe, 4 note would be enough.... hmmm, better to be looking at it than looking for it....?

Creed_Clicks

TeleMaster said:

paulmapp8306 said:

IMO the original minilogue is NOT worth it.  The small extra outlay gets you a better filter, and and that extra oscillator.  

Literally just bought one lol. I think for my purposes, as a beginner it's fine. £225 used isn't gonna be a bad buy. Especially to learn on. 

I'm still looking at these. The demos seem to tick the box for me and my abilities. Guaranteed I'll end up with Microkorg XL+ or something