yayajohn wrote:...
I'm pretty sure that I want a hardware polysynth based on how and what I usually play. I have always wanted an Oberheim ever since I played one in the store when I was a teenager. Love the sounds on the DSI OB-6 but it's the 6 voices that makes me hesitate on that.
Hardware synth lover here.
I used all kind of hardware synths in studios and live from about mid 70s ´til today.
I also made some mistakes when selling that kind of gear for cheap just only because digital became more popular and stuff running on computers appeared.
The old analogues sounded great, but there´s also the other side of the coin which is age.
Now you mention the OB-6, w/ 6 voices only.
I´d say, 6 voices are o.k. when playing only one patch at a time using one hand for the keys and the other for the wheels etc.,- my Oberheim Xpander doesn´t offer more polyphony and my Prophet 5 had just only 5 voices.
Only my OB-8 offered 8 voices and all my other analog synths were monophonic.
In fact the reason I didn´t buy a OB-6, even it´s state variable filter is unique (!), is it´s limitation in modulations.
It is more or less rudimentary as the OBX was and that´s not what I want from a synthesizer.
A synthesizer is a machine for soundcreation which hopefully offers playability for a more skilled musician too, not only for the one-finger-trigger guys.
The more soundshaping features, the better it is,- functionality wise.
When it´s basic tone sounds most excellent in addition, that´s better, but it´s not essential because it doesn´t make a hit and for sure most usage will be in the background of a playback and rarely in the foreground except the music is just only pure synths and also there, there´s not everything in the foreground.
But I´d never buy anything just only because it´s analog. It´s pure hype.
Choose your tools carefully and tame the G.A.S.,- it will save big money for other investments being usefull not only for your music or,- ALSO for your music.
Actually we don´t see any new affordable analog polysynth in the market which p.ex. comes w/ the complexity of the Oberheim Xpander or Matrix-12.
Even when Behringer will come w/ the recreation of the OB-Xa it will not be the same.
The manufacturers actually see a renaissance of the analog technology,- in fact they didn´t expect it will come back that way.
They test the market and it happens the same as it was in the past,- there come new models now, the 1st has 1 LFO, the next one 2 and so on,- now the features come bit by bit.
Dont´t make the mistake buying toys because they are out now, there will come flagships,- they always came.
We´re also talking polysynths and there´s often the argument most of the old "chipsynths" didn´t sound that fat as p.ex. the (discrete circuitry) OBX or the Memorymoog which was still a "chipsynth" but sounded differentw/ 3 OSCs per voice,- but hell, when recording, what did they try to do in studios to make these sounds more thin not occupying all the frequency spectrum and also not losing quality because of processing.
It was and still is all about what it is in the mix and not when doing A-B comparisons.
Also have in mind what you hear from old gear in old recordings is not only the instrument, it´s a lot of outboard processing too, it always was in the past and last but not least it´s also the performance of the player.
Some guys make simple, probably mediocre, sounds shine,- others ruin everything regardless of quality of gear.
yayajohn wrote:
hmm well lots to consider and I prob will just wait until I can at least demo something. Blasted Guitar Center has nothing but crap!
Will keep an eye on Behringer for sure!
I understand very well you want some hardware analog synth and haptics,- it´s great and I like it too.
But you have to check it out in depth before pulling a trigger,- impulse purchases are definitely not the way to go.
Youtube videos are not the truth.
There´s also the chance finding some hybrid synth sounding and serving better than a not so good pure analog device.
There was the time when analog was "meh" ...
Now it´s the time VA is "meh ...
Doesn´t mean it´s 100% true,- a Virus TI2 is a great synth IMO and I also like my KURZ PC361 since I dived deeper into it´s half modular VAST VA.
Do they sound exactly like a Minimoog D, Jupiter-8 or Oberheim,- no,- but who cares when the result is done right and sells ?
yayajohn wrote:
... does it have enough voices. 8 is min for me which is why I'm only focusing on the DM12 and Rev2. There are others like Solaris but the price goes up significantly.
REV2 and DM12 are different designs and hard to compare.
I was never a Roland Juno fan, so I´d decide for the REV2, but w/ 16 voices which makes it more expensive.
8 voices is also better than 6 and Solaris is also a better synth w/ 10 voices even it´s NOT analog.
But there´s the budget.
My experiences from the past w/ small but more affordable synths was always the same,- it didn´t need long and I was bored or unhappy w/ the limitations, so I wanted the next one.
I´d wait for something upcoming 12 voice, dual OSC, w/ dual layer and split features, a pitch envelope in addition to filter and amp envelope and at least 4 freerun and freely routable LFOs for about 3K EUR,- it will come IMO.
Bud