Best Analogue/Analogue Modeling Synthesizer???

[David Fisher]

What is the best synthesizer to buy these days. I don't want a glorified sample based thing that I can't edit (XV-5080) or even a K-2600. I am more thinking along the lines of Analogue Modeling or Analogue ones. I am not against having to save to get a vintage one.

So far my choices are:
Sidstation
JP-8080
Waldorf Micro Q
Nord Modular
ARP Oddessy
MachineDrum (yea it's a drum machine, but awesome sounds...)
DX-7 (well, not analogue, but I need to pick up one).

Or just contiune using Csound? I am thinking of just building a 1U rack computer for just Csound and getting a multiout card that supports linux, and use Csound for everything. Get a Phatboy or something to control the 'knobs' and do it in real time (well except when I want to get a different instrument).

I already have a S-5000 sampler, so I don't need anything else to sample with. A friend of mine has a ARP 2500 among other things, that I could probably just sample sounds from (he has the 'one' from 2001 A Space Oddessy, it rocks).

I do anything from Brit Guitar pop (Oasisish, well not really, but that sound) to Industrial and Techno- so my fields are really open. I am not up for crap (well I think they are crap) like a MC-505 or some all in one deal. I am really not out to get more than 1 sound at a time out of the unit.

Thanks

[electrobank]

I say anything from Waldorf, Access, and Nord.
Basically anything European. I would avoid anything Japanese. [img]images/icons/cool.gif[/img]

[Okion]

I really like the Korg 2000 R. I like having knobs to tweek, and I like the way it is set up.

Speeking of soft synths.

I was wondering if anyone knows of a knob controler. Something you can map to the softsynth and store settings.

I was thinking of writting a filter so that I could use the k2kR to control softsynths. But I didn't really want to spend the time to do it if there is already such a thing. Does anyone know?

Thanks

[Steve Moore]

I was thinking of writting a filter so that I could use the k2kR to control softsynths.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">I host a good k2 site that might point you in the right direction. Check out www.k2users.org.

Steve

[Vegadark]

the nords have a great sound, but remember that with the nord modular you HAVE to use a computer to edit the sounds.

if you can look beyond that, it is a very powerful synth. i use a nordlead2 and although its not my only VA synth, it is certainly the only one i would truly miss if it were gone.

the sid station is cool if you want to make videogame sounds, but thats not its only capability. it can make some really nasty analog sounds. the filter section of the sid chip is true analog. plus once all the chips are gone, the produce will be gone also.

i wanted to get a dx7 for a while, but i couldn't find one at a reasonable price. so i ended up getting a tx81z by yamaha. i rarely use it, as its an absolute pain to program sounds on... even with a pc editor.

i dont like the korg ms2000 models because of their biggest limitation. polyphony. sure, its inexpensive, but 4 notes? the sounds are cool, although a little brittle to me.

I also use a novation nova. it has some cool effects. i especially like the delays it has... it can make some really nice bass sounds.

i havn't played with the waldorf or access stuff too much to comment on them.

[JonB]

The Moog Voyager

[David Fisher]

Or should I just wait for the softsynths to start rolling out on PC?

[funkdefino]

Having used vintage analog gear when it was state of the art, and then falling in love with it all over again in the early 90’s I can say from experience don’t waste your money on closed platform boxes that only emulate one or two toys from two decades earlier. I believe whole-heartedly that every analog emulator on the market is a thorough waste of cash. While some of them sound fantastic consider this.

Build a decent (not blow your hair off fast) PC running any midi software you like that supports VST. Purchase a Creamware Pulsar XTCpro and a digital out only sound card. Then download every demo VST synth you’ve ever heard good things about and all the Creamware VST inst. you can get your hands on and try them out. Patch that digital sound card back into Protools and you’ll have the most powerful Synth, Sampler, and Effects unit you can buy. Look into this I promises you won’t be disappointed.

As far as Csound goes, it’s very cool, but very complicated and it will run on this system too.

Also, sooner or later Protools will support VST and ASIO. When that happens pop your Creamware card into the same system you run Protools is on and you will have 6 DSP chips running soft synth, effects, and samplers without touching your native processor.

Oh yeah! One word.

ABSYNTH [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

Pulsar XTC pro classic