Which poly synth would you buy?
- Waldorf Q Phoenix
- Clavia Nord Wave
- DS Prophet 08 pot
0
voters
…what would your choice be between the following synths. (and why?)
I need (want) a new poly synth. 
I chose the Q Phoenix. I like the sound of Waldorf, as it’s a bit beefier than DSI, and the build quality is rather nice.
Q+ Phoenix for me.
I bought the Waldorf Blofeld Keyboard some time ago, I also have a Prophet '08 module but I probably won’t buy it again if I had the choice.
Maybe I will buy a Q Phoenix in the future but at the moment I’m quite pleased with my rig.
None of the above. Alesis Andromeda. 16 analog voices. Very flexible mod routings.
i picked the prophet08 PE, however my money would be on a Virus TI if I were you.
Waldorf has some crazy digital sounds, so that is why I voted for them. I think Waldorf complements the Moog sound.
Why is there the Prophet 08 pot listed and not the normal encoder one? I prefer encoders, because you can edit sounds without sudden jumps, or having to pass through the real value or reaching the physical end of the turn in relative mode before you got the max or min values.
This is why I voted for the Waldorf Q. I own a yellow from the first series for many years. Nice modulation possibilities and editing. But this is getting OT.
A polyphonic Little Phatty would be nice …
Hello Till,
I’ve owned my yellow Waldorf Q for many years now and unfortunately the encoders are now failing. The power button is also not working. I think it is the right decision to go with pots. Yes, there are jumps but when it comes to the software the replacement of an encoder is a big problem.
I’m worried that my Q will become worthless:(
FWIW though the Q sounds amazing is for sure the best complement to a Moog. It’s a classic!
Cheers,
theglyph
A good point, but it’s important to remember that the PE has several different modes for reading the knobs, like the LP. There’s a relative, pass thru, and jump mode. So I think it’s a good approach. I have the P’08 with encoders, and decided to get the Pot Edition upgrade after trying out one in the store.
I love the Waldorf and Nord stuff - I had two Microwave XTs, and I currently have two G2’s. Here’s my take:
If you need real analog, then the DSI is the way to go.
If you’re gigging out live, and want extra flexibility, the Wave is the way to go. The DSI is greasier, but the Wave supports user samples, and it’s more well made. I’ve used my P’08 on maybe ten gigs total, and it’s in right now getting some of the knobs replaced. My Nord stuff is lightweight and very very well made. And of course it sounds great, but different.
Hi Peter,
But every different mode on an analog pot has a problem when it comes to live tweaking the patch.
You have to chose if you prefer:
- not getting the full parameter range
- have to turn the knob till you pass the stored value
- sudden parameter jumps
And the marker of the analog knob is only showing the parameter value after you turned it anyway. And never in relative mode.
Nothing like this on encoders.
The WAVE, by the way, has only 9 encoders. The other knobs are analog ones. So the WAVE sues also several user selectable knob modes. I prefer relative there. But it is not ideal to me. I used the WAVE several times for gigs. But I used the Q way more often. This is my main live tweaking synth besides my good old minimoog.
OK, the Voyager is also great. But then I like the real panel mode for jam sessions.