I originally made this post in anoher thread but nobody seemed to reply so I though I’d post it again here. Don’t be shy. This forum is a great resource for beginners like myself
Hello again, to all the Opus advocates: I was in a blind fever to get my hands on one but my desire faded away becuase I couldn’t find sound clips for them ANYWHERE!!! The closest I found was these samples of one note held for about 1 second but that didn’t really do it justice. They look so great and I must have read every scrap of info I could find (including the entire manual) but still pictures and words aren’t enough. If anyone knows a site that has clips of one I’d be eternally greatful if you could let me know.
I am still looking for my first synth, which will ideally be analog and be able to create that thick bass sound as well as some effects. Has anyone ever owned or operated one of the following, and if so how do they sound?
1- Sequential Circuits Prophet 600- (Pro-5’s are waaaay out of my league and pro-one’s are pretty expensive and the keyboard reviews make me nervous)
2-OB 8 - can these get that “Oberheim” sound, they seem versatile to me and I’m considering putting off getting a synth until I could afford one of these (which seem to go for the same price as much smaller moogs)…Also I’ve heard some sound clips of an OB1, could the OB-8 make these kind of sounds or should I look elsewhere? Can it do Bass well?
3-Korg MS2000 - These seem to be somewhat affordable and I’ve heard they are quite versatile…remember I’ve never owned a synth before so if it doesn’t nail the analog sounds perfectly I probably wouldn’t know any better. I would still like something that could come close though
I’m sure these questions are pretty basic but any info or advice would be greatly appreciated.
None of the synth you asked are Moog synths. So maybe this is why noone did answer your question on this Moog Music forum.
The needs for beginners in synths are very different. Some need polyphonic synths (all the synths you listed as polyphonic), others use more modular like ones (Korg MS 20), others really need analog filters. Some need many knobs, others prefer many patch storage.
Personly I would not recommend an OB-8. It got no thumb wheels, but those two sticks for pitchbend and modulation amount. And the second page function are confusing for beginners (but are nice once you mastered this synth.
The Prophet-600 does not feature too much possibilities to get confused. A nice sound.
The Korg MS-2000 might be too confusing. Way to many features are inside this little unit. A Vocoder is fun. But not really a beginners tool (to me).
I can’t agree with this statement. The MS2000 was my first synth, I think it was a great learning tool. However, I soon realized how terrible it sounded (in my opinon) so I can not recommended it. You might want to check out the Alesis Ion/Micron. I don’t own one, but I’ve heard lots of good about them. Here is an MP3 demo: http://www.angelfire.com/ill/hart/micron.html
The first thing I would say is that the Opus3 . . is very different to the three ‘synths’ that you listed. The moog Opus3 is basically an organ with the added ability of sending the organ and brass sections through a moog ladder filter. It doesn’t have oscillators like a traditional ‘synth’ has, where you can select a waveform and change the footage (pitch) etc. Nor does it have a traditional envelope for shaping the sound, so whether an Opus is a good ‘synth’ to start off on is debatable . . if it is a synth at all? (I love the Opus3, one of my favorite moogs).
If you want polyphony then you will have to suffer limitations at the price point you are looking at . . most likely in that a polysynth at that price will only have one oscillator. Personally I would go for something like the SCi Prophet 600, Roland Juno 60/106 or Korg polysix (nice) . . you may even be able to pick up the unfavored Yamaha CS-70 which in my opinion gets a raw deal (and is 12 note poly). Moog never made a polysynth to fit into this price point . . the SL-8 might have if moog hadn’t gone under (suppose the Opus3 is as close as they got).
I dissagree with Till (Qwave) on the OB8 front . . sure the Obi toggle controls take a bit of getting used to but they function just fine once you have mastered it . . and the page 2 functions . . well, you don’t have to touch them if you don’t want to . . i always found the OB8 to be a very ‘immediate’, hands on machine.
I would stay away from Virtual Analogs if you are new to the analog sound. Most have a baffling array of menu driven options (even though they may have a load of knobs) and after a while you will probably crave the real “analog sound”.
Have you ever looked into the Dave Smith Instruments’ Evolver? It has 2 prophet 5 VCOs and 2 Prophet VS DCOs. It has hands-on control and was designed by Dave Smith who knows his sh–.
The Evolver is about $350-$400. It’s a mono synth so no polyphony unless you get the Poly Evolver or a couple of Evolvers. I own a Prophet 600 and I recommend it as well. It has good sound and MIDI.
Well first off I want to thank you guys for the info, it is a HUGE help. I guess I should say that whether its poly or mono isn’t a huge issue for me. Since its going to be my only synth for a long time a flexible synth (is that the wrong term?) would be ideal.
After furhter research I have decided that the MS2000 is not quite what I’m looking for. So I can cross that one of my list.
Secondly- I am pretty sure that an OPUS 3 is great but also not what I’m looking for, although I have still yet to hear any decent sound clips of any.
OysterRock: That Micron sounds very cool, I will definatly look into that unit further…do you think the fact that its a modelling synth should be a concern in the tone department?.
As far as the OB 8 goes I still am looking into this machine, I understand that this might be a bit more complicated. Although this is my first synth I have been playing music and messing with gear for the last 13 years and I am condfident I can figure it out with thw e instruction manual and some patience
All that being said I have found myself becoming more and more enraptured with the 2 following
1- The Prophet 600 - Although I haven’t found any sound clips of it yet I like the way it seems to be shaping up…Does it have multiple Oscilators? I believe it poly, is this correct? It seems to come in a bit cheaper than the OB-8 which is nice,
Can the Pro 600 produce good bass and lead sounds? Is it good for spacey effects?
2- I am also still considering the OB-8. It seems to be very versatile and offer many different sounds, including strings, brass, ect (I’m pretty sure the Pro 600 does not do this). My only issue withi this is it may be a bit too expensive.
Would the Pro 600 users care to elaborate on their sound a bit more? Some of you mentioned they were “nice” sounding but I’m not sure what that means?
Is the OB-8 as versatile as the specs and reviews lead me to believe? Some people say its one of the the worst analog oberheims but when I look at the people who use them I;m inclined to think other wise
The DSI Evolver would fit the bill nicely for great bass and sound effects. It can do some pretty WILD stuff. Fairly inexpensive as previoiusly mentioned.
I certainly am no purist. I think there are lots of modeling synths out there that sound great. I also think a lot that don’t sound so good (that can be said about some analogs, too!). Don’t let the whole “doesn’t sound like analog” debate throw you. It all comes down to what you really want or need (or can afford!).
But this is coming from a person who sold half their gear to buy a $2500 Voyager, so you may not want to listen to me
I have an OB-8 and I love it. It really got that powerful high quality American sound. It has MIDI (fairly basic but still), a lot of modulation possibilities and split/laryer so you can do a lot of cool stuff.
On the other hand the OB-8 is quit expensive more expensive then the P-600. It is vintage and vintage can mean trouble if something break. If it is your first analogue sizer maybe your first sizer ever and you are on a tight budget then I think an OB-8 might be a little over the top.
I have had a P-600 and it sounds pretty good, it has that P5 feeling but compared to the real thing it has no chance. Another annoying thing about the P-600 is the poor resolution of some of the knobs e.g. Cut-off. You can clearly hear steps when turning the knob and the hardware quality is not as good, the knobs feels like they would break if you twist them to hard.
If you are on a thing budget you might want to look into VA sizers or a less complex sizer.
Here are some examples.
Alesis ION:
I generally don’t like the sound of VA sizers, they don’t have that organic sound as the real deal but I got really positively surprised then I tested the ION. I think it is the best sounding VA sizer, especially for the price. It can make some pretty good Moog, Prophet and Oberheim sounds.
Clavia Nord Lead-2
Buy a cheap used NL-2. It has 16 voices, 4 parts multitibral and sounds better then a Korg MS2000 (my opinion)
Roland Juno-60/Juno106
Good first analog sizers. The Ju60 sounds better but the Ju106 more memories, MIDI that supports SysEx dumps.
Akai AX-60
Funny synthesizer with MIDI and sliders. Has VCO but doesn’t sound as warm as say Korg Polysix.
Kawai SX-240.
Has 2 DCO but can sound warm for time to time.
Roland JX-8p.
A good pad sizer but buy a PG-800 other vice it is a pain to program.
in the $600 - 800 range are some great mono’s that should meet or exceed your bass/fx sound needs. I will start a list and am sure many others will add to it:
Moog Source
Studio Electronics SE1 or maybe the new SE-1x if you are lucky and he needs $
Future Retro 777 or the new Revolution
Pro One if lucky on a bid
check out bluesynth as they have sounds for many vintage synths.
I personally am a huge advocate of the Roland HS-60 as first synth. It IS a Roland Juno-106 with the inclusion of built-in speakers. They sell for way less than 106s because no-one knows about them. Everyone says they are too heavy for gigging, but they are full of crap.
I have a Prophet-600 and it is very good at strings, bass, and lead sounds. It can make leads that rip your face off. It’s polyphonic and has MIDI. I haven’t had any problems with the filter so maybe that’s a hit or miss afair. The pots on it are pretty good and I haven’t had any problems with the construction either. I guess that depends on what you’re personally looking for or your style of play.
I read a lot of reviews about the 600 before I got one and the same argument applies between the P5 and the Prophet-600 as does the Minimoog Model D and the Minimoog Voyager. Basically, musically and in a mix, the Prophet-600 and the Voyager are great sounding synths, but they don’t hold their own in a one-on-one comparison according to the “experts.”
The Future Retro 777 has gotten good reviews, but the reviews also say there are quirks with it. The Revolution is Future Retro’s newest synth, but there is a looonngg wait time to get one. I placed an order about 5 months ago and I am still waiting for mine. It’s a modern day TB-303 with a great sequencer.
You said polyphony isn’t a concern so I would strongly suggest that you take a look at the Dave Smith Instruments’ Evolver. There is detailed information on the DSI website and for the price, this synth can’t be beat. It is an impressive synth and it has the added feature of being brand new with current MIDI implementation.
Ok I guess I should just come right out and say it. I will probably be buying something that is a little out of my league for my first board. I really want something that I can play and learn with for a long time and not have to upgrade to something beter every other year or so. I’ve been buying instruments since I was 13 and I know that learning a new one is a time consuming process but I am patient. I really want to get a keyboard that will maintain its value over time. So don’t be surprised when I tell you that the OB-8 is a front runner and that I am currently researching the Jupiter 6. Every time I get into researching I always learn about more synths. I am still considering a pro-600 but since I will be buying sight unseen I am little anxious about their hit or miss build quaiity (don’t they have the dreaded SCI membrane keyboard?). I know a Jup 6 or and Obie 8 are expensive things to start with but I’m a grown up and I understand the value of a dollar (the fact that I will probably have to save for a many monthes until I have the extra cash will really make me appreciate it even more). Everybody is very helpful here. My main concerns are build quality and diversity of the sounds that can be produced. The persoanl experiences people share with me are a HUGE help. Thanks again everybody for being so patient with a new commer.
So anybody ever owend a jupiter 6? I have read great reviews about them but can they do lots of stuff or are they limited… I understand that Jupiter 8 is probably a much better/more powerful but the really big timers are going to wait until I am a pro.
I own a JP6 and JP8. The JP6 is a great synthesizer and has more modulation possibilities then it’s big sister but the JP8 sounds a lot warmer, fatter and organic. The JP6 has MIDI from start JP8 don’t (I installed Kenton MIDI). I installed Europa MIDI in my JP6 and this gives the JP6 the possibility to send and receive SysEx, all knobs, buttons and sliders send/receive MIDI CC. The Europa adds a lot more to the JP6.
If you are going to buy a sizer that is a bit out of league then maybe a Alesis Andromeda A6 might be something. It is a very complex sizer that will take a lot of time to learn. I have had mine since 2003 and I’m still learning stuff all the time. The Andromeda will grow in time.
Well to be honest the Alesis Andromeda may be a bit more than I can handle but thanks for the suggestion.
Does the Jup 6 sound thin or just thin compared to the Jup 8? Also how do the Jupiter series compare to the Juno Series? Is there one Juno model that is better than the others?
