getting a new synth...

The Moog Forum Moog Music General Topics Forum
1

Hi everyone.

I’m new to this forum, I’v been reading some of the messages for a while and I need some advice from you vintage analog synth fans.
I want to buy a new synth (who doesn’t ? :slight_smile:).
now seriously, I own a korg MS-10 and a Farfisa VIP345 for some time, and i want to expand.
I love the MS-10 alot, but i want some new sounds that won’t sound like the MS-10, and i think i want them poly and not mono.
I browsed the internet and ebay for awhile and i saw 2 interesting synths, the polysix and the mono/poly (i searched using the work korg)
my questions to you :
assuming my budget is somewhere between 300-500$, and i want new sounds :

  1. any synth you can recommend me that’ll give me more interesting sounds ? ebay is full with synths and i only searched using the words korg+analog…
  2. did anyone hear the polysix and/or the mono/poly and can tell me how each of them sound ? how they sound against each other ?

like i sayed - i love my MS-10, but it sounds like an MS-10 - and i want another sound in my hand, that is different from the MS-10.
I don’t need a 1000 sounds synth and i don’t want to compromise on the analog rich sound i’v become addicted to.

thanks for helping,

Have a great day.

2

Hi. :slight_smile: Nice to talk to another Korg owner. I have the MS20, and I’ve done a lot with it over the years.

I haven’t played the Mono/Poly, but I have played the Polysix and the Poly 61. I didn’t find either of them as varied and flexible as the MS series. I found the Polysix a bit characterless, though if I’d spent longer with it I may have got something more out of it. It certainly didn’t strike me as a stimulating instrument to play, though. The Poly61 seemed to be very limited, and the person who’s instrument I was playing felt limited by it and felt maybe she should have bought a Roland Juno 60 instead (this was the early 80s and that was the most likely alternative in the same price range).

Vince Clarke said the Mono/Poly didn’t seem to do very much. He said he fiddled with the knobs for ages without seeming to make any major changes. That seems to fit my experience with the other two Korgs.

I also seem to remember that the Mono/Poly wasn’t a true polysynth (hence the name?). I think it had four note polyphony but only one filter, but I could easily be wrong about that. It’d be something to check, anyway.

The bottom line is, don’t expect the early Korg polyphonics you’ve mentioned to have the sonic range of the MS series. Some of the later Korgs may have, though.

No doubt there are people here who can suggest a range of possible synths in your price range. I’d suggest anything by Roland, from experience.

These links may be helpful:


http://www.vintagesynth.org


http://jpmullan.com/stan


The bottom line, of course, is that any synth is a musical instrument, which means there’s an interplay between you and it. If it stimulates you to make music, it’s a good instrument. So the only real way of telling is to sit down and play.

As far as E-bay is concerned, be careful. There are probably some great bargains to be had on there, and some real opportunities to find something rare (I saw a Fairlight on there the other week). But if you don’t have the opportunity to try the synth you don’t know if it’s the right instrument for you unless you’ve played one before, and you really need to know for sure that it’s in good condition. Someone bought an ARP Solina on there recently, knowing it was what he wanted if it was in good condition. When asked what it was like when it arrived, though, he said it’d make a reasonable doorstop but not much else.

Maybe if you browse the site I’ve linked to, and then try to find somewhere where you can try a few different synths.

3

Well, if you’re looking for something affordable, yet not witholding analog richness and control, I’d recommend a Roland JX-8p and PG-800 programmer. The sound is very similar to the MS series, you get six voices instead of one, 64 preset and 32 user-changable patches of memory plus outboard cartridges . . . and a MIDI-capible touch- and pressure-sensitive keyboard. People accuse it of sounding thin because of its use of DCO’s rather than VCO’s, but that’s just semantics. None of the richness is lost, and at least, the thing will stay in tune. And, don’t fret about the absence of real-time controllers; that’s what the programmer is for.

Think about it. There’s so much that you can do with one of those things that you really can’t do with others. And, if you’ve got regular income, it won’t eat you out of house and home. :stuck_out_tongue:

4

Hi,
Thanks for your quick replys.
I’m afraid that trying to play various vintage synths is not an option where i live.
I get the info mostly from the internet…
So i need more info, more synth options.
the analog vintage sound is really important to me so i don’t know if the later Roland models fit.

Thanks.

5

I don’t know what the differences between the Roland JX line and the Juno line are but I stay glued to my 106. It sounds good, its very hands on, not expensive at all, and is six notes polyphonic. I had always figured that the MS line would be noise makers you get, considering all those knobs, and that imtimidating patch bay. I don’t know what kinds of sounds you want but the Juno 106 (and I’m sure the 6 and 60) does some great strings, pads and brass sounds as far as good poly-style voices go. It also does good basses and leads (when set to mono-mode) and is excellent for noises. I programmed and “electric piano” on mine which great and extremely unrealistic.

6

Well, to me the difference is almost uncanny. The Junos only have a sub-oscillator that can’t really be pitched in the audio range, while the JX series has 2 audio oscillators and dedicated LFO per voice. Plus, it’s got chorus, like the Juno series.

In truth, the only thing that the Juno 6, 60 and 106 really have over the JX’s is the front panel sliders, a feature absent from the JX and Alpha Juno series. But, they’re all still easy enough to use, for those of y’all who are accustomed to editing on the Moog Source, or the Sequential Circuits Six-Trak / Multi-Trak series.

7

the difference between the jx8p/jx10 and the junos is huge, and most definately in favor of the junos.


easily the most important difference between the two is that the jx series use digitally controlled lfo’s and envelopes, and horribly slow ones at that. it is not possible to use the lfo to modulate anything past a fast tremelo. the oldschool slow ass processors cant handle anything faster. likewise with the envelopes, which are the slowest i have ever heard on any synth. attack at the lowest setting on the jx10 is like having the attack at 2/10 on a juno. there is always an audible opening and closing of the filter, forget doing anything remotely punchy or snappy on the jx series. add to this the fact that the pulsewave is not continuously variable, there is no sine or triangle wave, the horrible interface, and other limitations that are not coming to mind at the moment and you have all of the reasons that keep the price of the jx10 so low. on the upside, it is the best sounding analog i have ever used for string sounds, that chorus is just excellent, and the fact that you can layer 2 individual 6 voice 2 oscillator 2 envelope patches is something no other real analog i am aware of can do aside from possibly the3 andromeda.

if you want a string machine that isnt good at much of anything else then a jx10, or to a lesser degree jx8p is a great choice, for anything else stay away, there are much better options (namely the junos) for not much more money

the juno 6/60 sound better to my ears than the juno 106 does. the 60 has patch memory and an arpeggiator, but no midi. the 106 has a colder sound and no arp, but a very nice midi implementation, and still sounds a lot better than a jx8p doing the same sounds.. aside from possibly strings.

8

anyone have a chance to play Dave Smith’s new Evolver kybd yet?
http://www.davesmithinstruments.com/other/news.html

9

I’ve never used the JX series, but those do sound like serious limitations. I’ve also never used a Juno 6, 60 but I sure to wish my 106 had an arp. You talk about the JX series not have sine waves, but neither does the Juno series. For the Junos you get: Adjustable square wave, saw wave, and a square wave sub-occilator. Thats where I feel the main downfall is, but it’s a hell of a lot of bang for the buck.

Also, if you are looking to save money take a look at the Roland HS-60. It’s exactly the same as a Juno 106 with the inclusion of speakers. However, due to how unknown it is, it is a hell of a lot cheaper. It’s great especially if you don’t have to lug it around on gigs and such. It’s also uglier, but who cares.

10

Julian:

This thread is a bit dated but I thought I’d post this link anyway. Its for Harmony Central’s KSS demo’s. Just about any vintage synth is there, with at least one or two sound bites from each. Being you can’t get to play everything before you buy it, you might be able to “hear” something you like to narrow your choices.

http://acapella.harmony-central.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=753746

Someone else suggested the DSI KB Evolver. That would be an excellent althernative to buying a vintage analog. I don’t know if you’ve considered any of the “new” analogs rather than vintage boards, but there are a number of them out there that are worth looking at:

Moog Voyager
DSI KB Evolver
Alesis Andromeda
MacBeth

There’s others, but if you’re looking for quality gear that should be around awhile, the above list is a great place to start. There are also a number VA’s that are worth looking at if you’re budget is tighter. The Alesis ION does a very good imitiation of analog gear without the big price tag. Plently of real time controls to work with so its easy to program you ownr sounds, and great for live use. I own a number of vintage analogs and own an ION for LIVE use. Its pretty amazing considering the low price tag. The only drawbacks of VA’s are they’re not QUITE as gutsy as RA, but darn close. Many of the vintage analog sounds we’ve all heard for years on records are already on factory patches on the ION. Some of the higher end VA’s like by Clavia and Access would be good to give a listen too, its a matter of taste and $$$$.


Mike T.