Low-cost Monosynth w/ Memory??????

ebg31 · Post by **ebg31** » Tue Aug 10, 2004 5:57 pm

Amid my long searches of different monosynths for the best "affordable" model, I've come around to a question which I'm sure has been asked, at least once in this forum.

"Is Moog planning on making a budget version of the Minimoog Voyager?"

If not, ought they consider it? If I were they, I'd use the Oberheim OB-1 for a template. Stripped-down electronics, yet still analog and programmable. Or, even a Sequential Pro One, which used the same voice architecture found in the Prophet 5, though it didn't have a programmer. Something like that, which would be of major use to people whose bank accounts couldn't take the rigor of a Voyager.

Sure, I know what a couple of you may think: "You can go out and buy a soft synth from Arturia." However, I don't use computer synths for my music. I doubt others here do, either. So, how about it? Let's see a budget Voyager appear on the market, sometime soon.

CHEERS!!

gerry · Post by **gerry** » Tue Aug 10, 2004 8:38 pm

You're not too enthused with Dave Smith Evolver?

http://www.davesmithinstruments.com/evolver/specs.html

Boeing 737-400 · Post by **Boeing 737-400** » Tue Aug 10, 2004 8:59 pm

Well, Voyagers appear on ebay very regularly, you might want to try bidding on one of those.

ebg31 · Post by **ebg31** » Tue Aug 10, 2004 9:39 pm

Thanks, guys. I appreciate your prompt responses.

1. Well, as fascinating - and obviously affordable - as the Evolver is, it's still a MIDI module, and I wanted to control it and play a seperate sound on another board, that would either require some intensive channel routing, or a seperate MIDI controller. (I know - run-on sentence.) You're right, though. It IS rather impressive.

2. Yes, I've spotted the Voyager on Ebay several times. Nice that others are selling them, but I've mostly seen them for the original going prices. It's only been out for a couple of years, so those people remember what they got.

I could afford one sooner than I thought, on the other hand.

mee3d · Post by **mee3d** » Wed Aug 11, 2004 5:48 am

How about a moog Source?

You can pick them up second hand . . basically it's a 2 Osc mono but uses membrane switches to select the parameter and then a large alpha dial to change the value - not quite as intuitive as knobs for every function but it is programmable.

Also, you could try the UK made OSCar . . . which does have a fat sound but is partly digital (the filters are analog) . . I have had a couple of these over the last 20 years and they rock.

Mal

FreqOut · Post by **FreqOut** » Wed Aug 11, 2004 5:36 pm

ebg31,
Are you looking at analog only, or would you consider DSP?
I have a microkorg that I just love to play with. Sometimes you can hear some of the digital artifacts when you really push the filters, but it's a powerful synth for such a cheap price. I don't mean to be an evangelist, but I think everyone should have a microkorg simply because it will run on batteries and you can take it everywhere. Tons of fun!!

FreqOut

gd · Post by gd » Wed Aug 11, 2004 6:08 pm

I have seen a microkorg but didn't play it at a store, those keys looked tiny how is it to play ie. if you are going from a regular kybd in a live sit'n to a riff using the minikorg?

mee3d · Post by **mee3d** » Wed Aug 11, 2004 6:29 pm

I happened to be in NY the day the microKorg launched so knowing that it would be a few months before it came to the UK I bought one (Sam Ash) and brought it back in my luggage.

Used it on a few tracks before realizing that it was a bugger to play and really . . it was a bit light weight in it's uses (compared to it's big brother the MS2000, which I also had), maybe it was me but it's sound tended to always lean to a trance sort of sound, I found it quite hard to get middle of the road analog sounds out of it - something with a bit more harmonics/dirt/meat.

I ended up selling them both and buying a vintage Korg MONO/POLY which sounded much better.

Yes, you can play it on a park bench using batteries but unless that's your thing you are better off staying analog . . . you could always buy a Yamaha CS01 mkII.

Mal

ebg31 · Post by **ebg31** » Wed Aug 11, 2004 7:06 pm

FreqOut wrote:ebg31,
Are you looking at analog only, or would you consider DSP?
I have a microkorg that I just love to play with. Sometimes you can hear some of the digital artifacts when you really push the filters, but it's a powerful synth for such a cheap price. I don't mean to be an evangelist, but I think everyone should have a microkorg simply because it will run on batteries and you can take it everywhere. Tons of fun!!
FreqOut

Yes, I'm actually planning to get a microKorg. It's not true analog, but it will serve its functions. Occasional leads (in the event that I buy a used analog monosynth), but mainly for its vocoder. That's an effect rarely heard in rock music, but I plan to sneak it in, here and there.

I've considered the Source, which is in the same price range as the ARP Odyssey and Oberheim OB-1. However, those membrane switches do seem like something to take with a grain of salt. Plus, the OSCar is really rare and often as expensive as the Minimoog D.

On the other hand, the Source is way cheaper than either Mini, or the SE-1. And, I'm not the kind of guy to need tons of program changes for a solo synth. How much did you get it for, Mal? (And, I'll work out the dollar-to-pound ratio.)

Boeing 737-400 · Post by **Boeing 737-400** » Wed Aug 11, 2004 8:04 pm

gd wrote:I have seen a microkorg but didn't play it at a store, those keys looked tiny how is it to play ie. if you are going from a regular kybd in a live sit'n to a riff using the minikorg?

I first saw the microkorg when I went past a music shop one night. I pointed it out to my friends, but they couldn't see it!

It does look quite smart though. It reminds me of my first keyboard (the one I got before my Voyager) it would be pretty hard to play. I'd dread playing anything on it actually do to the likelihood of pressing several other keys at the same time.

I've always wanted an OSCar. I've had a hard time tracking one of them down, despite them being manufactured in this city.

ebg31 · Post by **ebg31** » Wed Aug 11, 2004 11:11 pm

Like I said above, I do plan to buy a micro in future. It'll be a nice rich sound, especially for an emulation synth. However, I plan to control it, either from my Alesis QS6, or if I buy a different MIDI controller. It would make a better slave synth than a self-contained one.

One thing that I picked up on, as soon as I got into this world is that much of the room in today's synths is taken up by the keyboard - and, sometimes the front panel. I noticed this when I saw the Access Virus series, then once again when I saw the microKorg. I thought, Man, and this is supposed to house the same circuitry as the next-to-hermongus MS-2000. That's pretty weird. Not to mention, the Oberheim Matrix 1000 is supposed to have the same guts as the Xpander, Matrix 12 and Matrix 6. Same situation.

mee3d · Post by **mee3d** » Thu Aug 12, 2004 4:27 am

I have had a few Source's over the years . . . this last one I picked up for £300 ($500) - it's not in the best of condition, the walnut needs an rub down and oiling and the aluminium is quite oxydized but she has been recently serviced and sound real sweet. I have just sent off for the encore midi kit which brings up the patch memory to 256 . . try that on the Voyager!

With regards DSP/VA . . . have you not considered the Alesis ION? I have had a few VA's (Novation, Korg, Alesis etc) and the ION, to me sounded the most "Analog" . . . also the most varied (It emulates 11 different filters). To me the Korg, although quite fun, always sounds like a Korg - it's sound is not that varied, quite thin compared to the ION (just make sure you get an ION off the latest batch as the earlier models had knob problems).

Go check out the ION . . . you won't be dissapointed (although, in truth it's not as nice as a memorymoog, OB-8 or Jupiter 8 but it's a fifth of the price!).

Mal

FreqOut · Post by **FreqOut** » Thu Aug 12, 2004 4:38 pm

Boeing 737-400 wrote:
gd wrote: it would be pretty hard to play...

Yeah, the keys are REALLY small and just like a toy. I got used to it, but I don't try to play anything really intricate on it...
There are alot of drawbacks to the microkorg, but for me they're all outweighed by the price.
I wouldn't want to use it as my only synth, though...

ebg31 · Post by **ebg31** » Fri Aug 13, 2004 9:25 am

Yeah, well dispite its limited polyphony and limited user interface, the micro is otherwise a fully-featured synthesizer. Moreso than the Oberheim SEM-module-based systems, or even the Korg MonoPoly (which I hear is an incredible unit) and the Poly-800.

mee3d · Post by **mee3d** » Fri Aug 13, 2004 9:45 am

Yes, more so then a SEM unit which is a mono synth expander but you can't say the same about a MONO/POLY.

After all the MS2000 and therefore the MicroKorg is losely based directly on a cross between the original Korg MS20 and MONO/POLY.

The MONO/POLY has a full size keyboard, 41 knobs, 20 switches, 4 oscillators which can be played either as a 1 oscillator 4 voice poly or as a monster mono. It has a wailing SSM filter which actually sound very large - if you have heard a polysix then you'll know that it is far superior to a standard CEM filter featured in just about every other synth of that time. The modulation on the MONO/POLY is quite unique, almost modular in capability with both Oscillator sync (all 4) and cross modulation . . which can be mixed together for some excellent metalic sounds. The arpegiator can work runing through each oscillator so it is possible to create some very interesting, almost sequenced arpeggios by canging the parameters on each oscillator.

I sold mine some months back due to a short term cash shortage . . wish I hadn't.

The MONO/POLY wipes the floor with the microKorg and MS2000. Try one out, you'll understand why after 25+ years its still in very much demand.

Mal

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Low-cost Monosynth w/ Memory??????

Low-cost Monosynth w/ Memory??????

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