O.K. folks, given that Moog does not currently make a poly synth, what do you think is the best analog poly available for under $3k? I apologize for straying a bit from the “Moog Zone”, but I was hoping there are folks here who own both the Andromeda and the Prophet 08 PE who could explain which one they prefer, & why. Thanks!
You could probably save a lot of money by buying the module version of the DSI and using a cheaper midi controller.
You might wanna check out this thread on gearslutz:
http://www.gearslutz.com/board/electronic-music-instruments-electronic-music-production/97884-alesis-andromeda-asics-a6-vs-poly-evolver.html
I don’t have the '08 pot edition, I have the encoder module though.
In short, the Andy wins hands down.
*Better interface (a bit unfair when you are a compact module)
*Graphical LCD for visualising envelopes, LFOs etc.
*More controls and all of them pots. Every knob has a usable range and is scanned at 12-bit, I think. The DSI Prophet seems to skimp out on its resolution (steppiness for some routings)
*More sounds; stackable and sub oscillators, ring mod, variable filter combinations
*Probably the most important: better sounding filters and also HP.BP.LP 2-pole, LP 4-pole[/list]
You can get good sounds with interesting modulation out of a P’08, but the job is much easier on an Andromeda
Well, I have one prophet 08 and, it is my opinion, it really not sounds really very analog. I would like Moog make a polysynth so expresive like the CS-80. Thank´s
[/quote]
I don’t have the '08 pot edition, I have the encoder module though.
In short, the Andy wins hands down.
You can get good sounds with interesting modulation out of a P’08, but the job is much easier on an Andromeda[/quote]
Thanks - just the kind of input I was seeking. It looks like it may be a moot point though - the folks at Sweetwater and Nova Musik just told me that while they are taking orders for the A-6, but they do not know if Alesis is actually going to continue production or not, and they can’t give a delivery date, & it looks like the Andy is sold out at all of the big dealers. I had to sell my Andy and my Voyager EB about 3 years ago when I was between jobs, and I always thought I could replace them down the road. Whatever I buy, I want it to be new & to have a warranty. I will probably buy the Prophet - most of the demos I’ve seen I have liked. While I do love & miss the A-6, Alesis provided virtually no support for it, and Dave Smith appears to have much better customer service.
Prophet 08 no question. Made in the USA!
Ensoniq VFX-SD or SQ-80. Can be found used from $100 to $400. Very good poly machines. (And very different than the Moog, they compliment each other.)
alesis a6
polyevolver+extension
omega8
jp8 when you’re lucky
prophet8
prophet t8
etcetc
the a6 isn’t an easy synth , the prophet8 gives more quickly instant gratification, the a6 is for life
the jp8 sounds best and gets quick result, however finding one isn’t easy
I had an A6, and I LOVED it. But, I had to take it back because it got more and more buggy the longer I owned it, despite OS upgrades, recalibrations, and factory resets. However, it was truly incredible. If you can get one, and you like them, do it, but be careful… I’ve seen a lot of new Alesis gear in stores and it seems like there’s always SOMETHING wrong with them… whether it’s a line of pixels out on a Fusion display, flaky knobs on an Ion, whatever. I like their synths… but be careful with them.
I have a Prophet '08 SE w/ pot upgrade. It’s awesome. I think it sounds very analog if programmed correctly. I tend to crank the ‘slop’ parameter to full every time. After a few months, mine started having problems with a few encoders not tracking properly, and one of the knobs would self edit. Once I got the pot upgrade, everything has been flawless. And DSI support is second to none.
Ironic how both them and Moog are some of the smallest companies building the most ambitious synthesizers, and yet they have the best product support. God bless 'em both!
Peter, I also owned & sold an Andy, and would also not purchase another one for the very reasons you listed. One of the final deciding factors in my choice of a Prophet '08 pe was made last week when I sent emails to Alesis and Dave Smith Instruments asking general questions about the two beasties. Dave Smith responded within a few hours, and I never did hear back from Alesis. Moog and DSI both have outstanding customer service - Alesis has none at all. As I look at the Sweetwater tracking page, I see my Prophet is now at the FedEx distribution center in Denver, and I should be playing it within the next few hours. Man, I just wish my Taurus 3s were here as well - I’ll be in heaven when I get to hear the two of them together!
About a year and a half ago, I was debating whether to buy an Andromeda A6 or a Prophet '08. I did a tremendous amount of research into both synths, reading descriptions and reviews, and watching every video I could possibly find. To be honest, the A6 made me salivate. What a beautiful analog monster! But in the end, I bought the Prophet '08, and have no regrets. A year or so later, I decided to buy another polyphonic synthesizer, and once again it came down to the same two choices. I bought another Prophet '08, with no regrets!
The Andromeda A6 was a sophisticated masterful idea, and many owners are positively thrilled with the instrument. But the ugly facts are: the instrument has a substantial number of bugs, there are many malfunctions, the company offers no help whatsoever, and the synth even seems to have been discontinued. These are the harsh truths that have nothing to do with opinion or personal taste. So, if you want to spend $3,000 in the hope that you won’t get a dud, help yourself to an Andromeda. You just MIGHT get one that works well. But keep in mind that many owners claim ALL of the instruments have a number of bugs (some of which the user may never discover) which the company has no intention of correcting. It takes quite a bit of nerve to offer a product for a whopping $3,000, but then to offer your customers no help whatsoever when they have problems with it, nor even to respond to their complaints. We have many colorful expressions in the English language to describe that sort of arrangement, and most of them could not be used in a public forum.
By comparison, the Prophet '08 is a much simpler synthesizer. It’s very easy to program, so that you can fairly master the instrument. It’s also substantially smaller and lighter. It offers a nice warm tone and a decent range of standard analog features. Especially when enhanced with external reverb, phaser, and chorus effects, the Prophet '08 can provide all the classic synthesizer sounds, and a few new ones as well. (Using a Fishman stereo chorus pedal, I’ve programmed a string sound that sounds impressively similar to a mellotron.) A skilled programmer would be able to draw out a vast range of musical sound from this beautiful instrument. And if you can afford it, the Prophet can also be expanded with the P08 desktop module, which will give you sixteen-voice polyphony - the same as the mighty Andromeda. That obviously means that the stack mode would give you eight-voice polyphony.
But there’s still more to consider. DSI is an American company. That still matters to some of us. The Prophet '08 is a popular in-production instrument that gets a lot of attention from its designer, Dave Smith. Hence, when the erratic encoder syndrome appeared, Dave sprang into action with the Potentiometer Edition. Problem solved. DSI help is superb. I live in Massachusetts. If I have a question or problem, I simply e-mail Tracy at DSI. If I do it late in the afternoon, I’ll get an answer by about 11 PM that night. I’ve even received one in less than an hour. At most, the response will take 24 hours. When I had encoder problems, I e-mailed DSI and they immediately sent me a free tube of deoxit, which solved the problem. If you ask them the right questions, they’ll even let you in on some of their future plans! For example, I was told that a Potentiometer Edition of the Mono Evolver Keyboard will be available by the summer of 2010. Pardon the sentimentality, but it’s nice to be told such things beforehand, and it makes you feel as if you have something of a relationship with the company. And very importantly, DSI also offers an excellent hardshell case and a volume pedal for the Prophet, both of which also suit the MEK. These are tremendous pluses. So, to put it lightly, DSI deserves high marks for their general service.
Granted, the Andromeda A6 is presently the supreme polyphonic analog synthesizer on the market. In some ways, it can run circles around the Prophet. Some users have described it as a hard-wired modular. That’s an impressive compliment. Twice, though - for very good reasons - I’ve preferred the Prophet '08 over it, and I’m glad I did. With two Prophets, I can use one as a poly synth, and the other as a mono having a full five-octave keyboard. I have no issues with monotony of sound, since a good tone is a good tone. And of less importance, I much prefer the appearance of the Prophet '08 over the Andromeda A6. I’m not interested in playing an instrument that looks like a geekish toy. The P08 has a simple restrained conservative appearance that just says, “musical instrument.” The Andromeda, to me, looks like a slick toy for spoiled teenagers. No thanks. And as for its many problems - sorry, but a $3,000 gamble is not for me. And who will work on it in a few years, when the poor complicated thing has long been discontinued? Whereas DSI will still be there, producing fabulous old and new synthesizers for serious synthesists.
Once again, I find I am in total agreement with The Analog Organist 
What would be awesome is if a company bought the Andromeda design, refined it, made it 100% reliable, and upgraded it a bit to include usb support and better FX. And then just re-release it. Like an Andromeda, only one that works, and is slightly better!
I guess that’d cost a pretty penny eh?
A bit OT, but I traded my A6 for a V-Synth XT. Obviously waaay different, but what an INCREDIBLE machine!!!
I concur with the suggestions for the P08 or early Ensoniq (like SQ80, ESQ, or VFX), all of which are excellent. Early Ensoniq might have been digital, but they are very pleasing to the ear (I have an ESQ).
If you are ok with virtual analogs, I could suggest the Alesis Ion, which is really cool.
Also look for modules by Creamware or Sonic Core called the Minimax, Pro-12, and Prodyssey, which are emulations of the Minimoog, Prophet 5 and Arp Odyssey respectively. Firstly, they’re polyphonic (8 voices). Secondly, they sound VERY fat, and warm, and the Minimax goes pretty cheap sometimes (not the others).
Just a few idears.
Thanks, Peterkadar. I’m glad we agree. 
Maybe DSI could buy the Andromeda design!
Well folks, after wringing it out for 6 hours now (with a short lunch break), I am very much impressed, and very happy with my choice. The old Andy was a deeper synth, with some very cool features and super lush pads, but the P08 is a sonic monster - the filters sizzle, the envelopes are snappy, and this thing creates some of the most wicked lead & bass sounds I’ve EVER heard or felt from a synth. Less adept at creating odd sci-fi sounds & trance rythms, but better at creating punchy, soaring & useful musical patches (for me, anyway). Even with all of it’s modulation possibilities, the Prophet is a pretty easy synth to navigate and program. It actually sounds more like an Oberheim OBXa than a Prophet 5 to me. I think the Taurus and Prophet will compliment one another very well, and I look forward to the arrival of my T-3s. Gear Acquisition Syndrome (GAS for short) knows no limits though, and I still want a CV-modded Phatty, a Theremin Plus and several Moogerfoogers for some freaky mad-scientist stuff.
Could anyone offer a comparison between the Prophet 08 and Nord Lead 3?
I’ve gone a few rounds with critics of the Prophet '08. It’s fine if some one just doesn’t like it. So be it; that’s a matter of their opinion and personal taste. But when a person calls it, say, a “synthesizer for beginners,” it really irks me. It’s to throw a snobbish insult at a masterfully designed machine, and it reflects far more on the critic than on the instrument. I think a good synthesist - a truly artistic, patient, precise, and imaginative programmer - can make even a cheap synthesizer sound good. They can turn limitations and shortcomings into unexpected advantages that give an otherwise mediocre instrument a distictive sound, unlike any other synthesizer.
So, the Prophet '08 is what it is, and nothing more. Its sonic range is not unlimited. But a decent musician can make wonderful sounds and music with it, or he must be nearly talentless.
I’m happy to see that, on this forum string, people are appreciating the instrument, rather than whining about it for ridiculous reasons. I’ve come across other forums and web sites that really irritated me with their fickleness about the Prophet '08, and I’ve always thought, “How on earth could they be talking about this fabulous synthesizer?” Jeepers, fine art requires hard work and long hours. We shouldn’t expect an instrument to do the work for us. Nor should we judge a synthesizer by its factory programs. They have their uses, but they seldom come even close to demonstrating the potential of the instrument.
Years ago, a musical instrument was referred to as an “axe.” Well, you use an axe by the sweat of your brow. The image is appropriate for music composition and performance as well. They require hard steady labor.
Words of wisdom, Analog Organist. I believe that for the most part, factory presets are really just for demonstrating the synth to potential owners. I rarely use a preset for live or recording purposes without first tweaking it into my own creation. In fact, I think thats one of the best use for factory presets - to use as a starting point for programming your own sounds. As far as the Prophet, I actually like quite a few of it’s factory presets, & dislike some others, but the same is true for every programmable synth I’ve ever played. Bass is my primary instrument, and though I don’t consider myself to be the greatest keyboard player, I do take pride in the fact that I can dig deep into my synthesizers to pull sounds out of them that are truly unique and my own, whether I start from a preset or from scratch. I think almost every synth - analog or other - has something good to offer if you dig deep enough. The one possible exception would be the Yamaha DX-7 I owned years ago - it had some fine presets, but programming that synth was like pulling teeth!
BTW - I look forward to chatting with you on the Prophet forums if they ever activate my account! Looks like things (including moderators) move pretty slowly over there…