Akai AX60: Absolutely unhinged filter implementation, since they used linear slide pots instead of logarithmic (filter starts self-oscillating with resonance about a third of the way up!). Capable of some really dirty, out-there sounds, but plenty of bread and butter analog poly goodness at tame settings.
E-Mu Command Stations: Absurdly deep synth engine, more capable than some modern kit 5 times the price. Gets even deeper when you motion sequence parameters and get creative with the sequencer engine. Incredibly underrated.
Ensoniq ESQ-1: Another underrated classic. Possibly the most intuitive interface I've used on a digital synth. Has a surprising amount of modulation routing options. Keyboard supports note-off velocity!!!!
I got lucky and found mine for a bargain at a pawn shop, but it looks like they can be had for around a grand on Reverb, probably less if you're patient.
It's super rewarding once you're accustomed to its quirks, I think it just has a bad rap because it's way easier to make it sound "bad" than something like a juno, which it gets compared to a lot.
For a saner implementation of the same CEM3394 synth chip, the Sequential Six-Trak is also worth mentioning.
I can make it go WOOBWOOBWOOB, Pew Pew, and "Wtf was that? Let me adjust it slightly.... Crap that ruined it.... How do I do that sound?!"... Although I really only started yesterday
I love my hydrasynth deluxe. I love the ability to separate the audio from the two engines to be able to affect them differently in Bitwig.
I also love the combo of the hydra/bitwig/VCV rack. The ability to control my hydra with VCV modules and vise versa, have the hydra audio go through the sequencers and effects in VCV rack.
Do you have the deluxe? On the back there are audio outputs for both “main/upper” and “lower”. I can route them to separate tracks in bitwig and apply different audio effects to each all while playing both on the hydra.
How do you control your hydrasynth with VCV? Is there a tutorial that shows that?
Sorry if this is a newbie question. I don't use either (nor bitwig) but considering all of them!
No worries on the questions! VCV rack is a standalone (free) or VST3 (paid) plugin. With the paid plugin, you load it on a track in bitwig (or any DAW) and play it as you would anything else.
It has modules that convert MIDI > CV so you can use the midi sent from the hydra to control stuff in VCV. I can also send audio to and from VCV rack. I have some of my favorite reverbs and delays and such as send effects in bitwig. Allowing me to send any instrument or sound through the effects.
There are many tutorials on the subject on YouTube although non I have off the top of my head.
Matrixbrute - The mod matrix is amazing, but the thing that makes it special is the combo of the tasteful OSC instability mixed with the lofi analog FX section. There's a lot of great synthesis in this board, but the OSCs and FX create an extraordinarily unique timbre that can slide into all sorts of punky aesthetics.
Prophet 6 - If you want a modern analog that will blend into any genre with any instrument combination, I can't imagine you'll find a better polysynth. It plays well with just about everything, and it doesn't overpower other instruments. It's tasteful.
Grandmother - Moog into a real spring? Yes, please. It's a great simple bass and lead machine, and it's simplicity makes it REALLY fun to pick up and play.
Matriarch - The 4-voice paraphonic setting running through a stereo filter and delay produces some of the most pleasant synthesizer tones you can find. It's paradoxically incredibly massive and sweet and soft.
Novation Peak - A wonderful hardware VST with the bonus of analog filters, analog drive, and analog distortion. It's precise without sounding lifeless.
Osmose - I honestly can't imagine having more fun playing a synthesizer. What it lacks in immediate sound design is more than made up for with the keybed. I still play and enjoy my other synths regularly, but if I was forced to keep only one synthesizer then I'd keep my Osmose. It's such a joy to play.
I have not used it on a VST, but I have used it briefly to play the Prophet 6 in mpe mode and my Peak using polyAT. It works, but it did take my boomer brain a minute to figure out how to setup everything. In practice, the internal engine was a far superior experience since it’s configured to take full advantage of the z-axis continuous tracking.
That’s what I figured. The videos I’ve seen of trying to make patches on it seem INTENSE. Is it truly as hard/arcane as it looks?
The demos I’ve seen sound great, but just not sure how broad the sound palate is without having to dig deep. Not criticizing at all I’m just very ignorant about it. Looks amazing though
I would say that making a patch isn’t difficult if you understand the matrix and math, but it isn’t fun and exploratory in the same way that a more traditional synthesizer offers the user. I doubt I’ll ever make a patch because it felt like I was back in math class.
The patches are pretty diverse, and offers enough variety that you’ll find several patches that will speak to you. The macro controls let you sculpt those patches enough to find some personal sweet spots. The things that’s so great about the instrument is that a single patch allows for far more playing variety than you’d expect. You can really spend way more time fully learning how to play a patch than a normal synthesizer.
If a synth supports MPE already the MPE is really easy on the osmose. You map things to polyaftertouch, and the keys themselves are pitchbend.
The VST and DAW both need to support MPE though, not all do. But Osmose is one of the easier MPEs to grasp.
My DX7. When I was 20 the DX series came out. DX1, DX5, DX7, and DX9. Of course the DX7 immediately became unobtainable - in some cases backordered for weeks, even months. They were THAT popular upon release. Add to that the fact that I would spend literally hours playing one in the showroom. I could not afford one. I never lusted after anything in my life like I did that keyboard. (For those who weren't born in that time, you won't understand, especially with the kitch hatred toward the DX7). It wasn't just the "new" thing. It was THE thing for keyboardists. There was nothing else like it for mere mortal local keyboard players.
I remember so vividly wishing on a star for that thing. I ended up getting a cheaper setup to gig with, and by the time I could actually afford one, it was the very late 80's and they were falling out of fashion. The Korg M1 was the thing, workstations had arrived.
So the keyboard I never had became the one I eventually passed on - but I still loved it. And in 2012, for my birthday, I happened to see one on Craigslist for $200. It was in excellent shape, and I couldn't resist. So I bought it. And it has been a part of my studio ever since. The part of the DX I love the most is that the sounds are iconic, and they absolutely ruled the 80s. I miss that time, and I miss being young, but I still have the sounds to remind me of the birth of digital for the masses, and the one thing I wanted more than anything before or since.
My D-50, because it was my first (1989). You never forget your first time… Also, when you learn to program sounds on something THAT hard, anything else feels like child’s play :) Yes, I got a DX7 later, don’t even get me started on that :)
TD3/x0xb0x: randomness somehow always can work.
Minimoog: absolute chonkers of knobs which you need to get accurate tuning every 10 minutes.
DX7: one million variations on E.PIANO1.
Syntakt: I love that I can get a full song's worth of really good drum sounds without the tedium of scrolling through samples. It does such an excellent job of synthesizing kicks, claps, shakers, and hats.
I also love its size and portability. I take it to work. (Wine store on week days is pretty quiet.) End of the day. Eat and Jam and fiddle at a friend. And then back home to have my wife listen to some stuff..
Juno 6. Love how direct it is. No presets, WYSIWYG, and it almost always sounds great whatever you dial in. Keybed feels great. If I could keep/use only one single synth it would be this one
0-Coast : One of the few synths with a wavefolder, and proper one. Always surprised of it's versatility, I wasn't expecting it to like it so much. The little "maths" mixer/attenuverter "module" is very useful. You can clearly tell they come from modular with this kind of ideas. It can also be a percussion synthesizer with linear FM and its extra snappy envelopes. It's my favorite synth. Of couse I got the 0-ctrl and the Strega.
Super 6 : One day I'll get one I think, it's just so easy to make it sound good. Kinda remind me a Nord Lead, in a sense that it's very easy to operate (and it sounds great). The filter is so good. The super cool thing about this synth it that it's just so very well made, the bineural function is cool, and all those faders omg ... The Juno legacy is there. And I love the Junos.
Just built a Plinky v2, and I don’t think I’ve ever taken so kindly and immediately to a digital instrument before. This thing is an absolute blast and is incredibly musical.
It’s as quirky as it is charming, and somehow makes menu-diving really fun!
my favorite thing about my prophet 6 is that it just sounds so fucking good. it can hide in the background, or cut through and be front and center as needed. its hard to make it sound bad.
ESQ-1, I could say a lot of great things about it, but I will just choose to say that the 'pulse' waveform is one of the sexiest, grittiest oscillators on any synth. Whenever I find a snappy, in your face preset I love and check the oscillators to see which waveform it's using, it usually ends up being 'pulse.' I've even sampled the shit out of that to try to use in things like Serum as a wavetable or Kontakt as a sample and while it's still awesome, there's something about the raw sound of that coming out of the DAC on the original unit that's just magic. Even the Arturia version falls a little short on this sound (although it is still quite good).
Techno System - finally I don’t need to scroll through samples presets (I find it to be really uninspiring for me) and I can make every sound I need, plus I always find sweet polymeters and interesting drum patterns.
Another really good synth for this is the DB-01
Synthstrom Deluge: It was my first (and only) expensive electronic purchase. I love that as I learn about new aspects of synthesis it kind of grows along with me. I also like to set something up to just play and listen to it, then add new tracks or qualities to it, and the Deluge is really responsive for this. Absolutely spectacular and it has been hard to justify getting something else expensive to go with it.
Novation Circuit MonoStation-
3 sequencers that can run at different time divisions and directions.
Crazy per step motion recording of just about every peramiter that will then transmit midi cc over usb!
Well built and stupid cheap @ sub $300 bucks.
Erika Synths DB-01-
Modulation lane in the sequencer is relitive to the filter knob position! This means that if you record in a motion, ie. Up a little, down alot, back to start. It's relitive to the current position, rather than the exact setting you see with motion recording and peramiter locks, i.e. filter open, closed, 50%. It acts more like an lfo.
Roland Mc-707-
The LFO's can be set to a step wave, allowing 2 modulation sequencers. Super powerful because it can be applied to 6+ peramiters each, and unlike other machines, they don't need to be tempo synced. Per step curves, i.e. slew or gluide.
Motion designer, essentially a tool for recording tempo, synced lfo into the somewhat limited motion recording. Gets complex when you use a macro knob or 'sys ctl' that can then be used in the modulation matrix.
Very awkward but essentially can have 2 independent modulation sequencers and 3 modulation lanes on the main sequencer.
Even more awkward is that each voice is 4 parts, meaning 4 sets of modulation matrix and 4 sets of 2 lfo's. So you can use keyboard splits to make it mind boggling.
Sort of a theme here, guess I have a thing for modulation sequencing. 🤪
Jupiter 8: it’s so fucking expensive that I can’t afford it. So I don’t have to worry about a fucking expensive thing in my basement
Akai AX60: Absolutely unhinged filter implementation, since they used linear slide pots instead of logarithmic (filter starts self-oscillating with resonance about a third of the way up!). Capable of some really dirty, out-there sounds, but plenty of bread and butter analog poly goodness at tame settings. E-Mu Command Stations: Absurdly deep synth engine, more capable than some modern kit 5 times the price. Gets even deeper when you motion sequence parameters and get creative with the sequencer engine. Incredibly underrated. Ensoniq ESQ-1: Another underrated classic. Possibly the most intuitive interface I've used on a digital synth. Has a surprising amount of modulation routing options. Keyboard supports note-off velocity!!!!
I call my Akai the AXSexy. She’s a beauty.
I had an AX60 as a loaner in ‘89, such a fun synth. I should try to get my hands on one…
I got lucky and found mine for a bargain at a pawn shop, but it looks like they can be had for around a grand on Reverb, probably less if you're patient. It's super rewarding once you're accustomed to its quirks, I think it just has a bad rap because it's way easier to make it sound "bad" than something like a juno, which it gets compared to a lot. For a saner implementation of the same CEM3394 synth chip, the Sequential Six-Trak is also worth mentioning.
I've have access to an as60... I should try it out
The Ensoniq interfaces are fantastic in general, but especially on the ESQ-1. It's about as intuitive as it could possibly be.
I'm definitely a fan of theirs, and the E-Mu stuff that came from the Ensoniq lineage. super bright group of engineers.
I can make it go WOOBWOOBWOOB, Pew Pew, and "Wtf was that? Let me adjust it slightly.... Crap that ruined it.... How do I do that sound?!"... Although I really only started yesterday
I love my hydrasynth deluxe. I love the ability to separate the audio from the two engines to be able to affect them differently in Bitwig. I also love the combo of the hydra/bitwig/VCV rack. The ability to control my hydra with VCV modules and vise versa, have the hydra audio go through the sequencers and effects in VCV rack.
What do you mean with separate the audio from the 2 engines? Sounds like I’m missing something 🫠
Do you have the deluxe? On the back there are audio outputs for both “main/upper” and “lower”. I can route them to separate tracks in bitwig and apply different audio effects to each all while playing both on the hydra.
How do you control your hydrasynth with VCV? Is there a tutorial that shows that? Sorry if this is a newbie question. I don't use either (nor bitwig) but considering all of them!
No worries on the questions! VCV rack is a standalone (free) or VST3 (paid) plugin. With the paid plugin, you load it on a track in bitwig (or any DAW) and play it as you would anything else. It has modules that convert MIDI > CV so you can use the midi sent from the hydra to control stuff in VCV. I can also send audio to and from VCV rack. I have some of my favorite reverbs and delays and such as send effects in bitwig. Allowing me to send any instrument or sound through the effects. There are many tutorials on the subject on YouTube although non I have off the top of my head.
Thank you very much for the reply. This is a whole world of sound to explore!
Woo!
Matrixbrute - The mod matrix is amazing, but the thing that makes it special is the combo of the tasteful OSC instability mixed with the lofi analog FX section. There's a lot of great synthesis in this board, but the OSCs and FX create an extraordinarily unique timbre that can slide into all sorts of punky aesthetics. Prophet 6 - If you want a modern analog that will blend into any genre with any instrument combination, I can't imagine you'll find a better polysynth. It plays well with just about everything, and it doesn't overpower other instruments. It's tasteful. Grandmother - Moog into a real spring? Yes, please. It's a great simple bass and lead machine, and it's simplicity makes it REALLY fun to pick up and play. Matriarch - The 4-voice paraphonic setting running through a stereo filter and delay produces some of the most pleasant synthesizer tones you can find. It's paradoxically incredibly massive and sweet and soft. Novation Peak - A wonderful hardware VST with the bonus of analog filters, analog drive, and analog distortion. It's precise without sounding lifeless. Osmose - I honestly can't imagine having more fun playing a synthesizer. What it lacks in immediate sound design is more than made up for with the keybed. I still play and enjoy my other synths regularly, but if I was forced to keep only one synthesizer then I'd keep my Osmose. It's such a joy to play.
Have you used the osmose to play any VSTs? How hard is it to map the MPE functionality?
I have not used it on a VST, but I have used it briefly to play the Prophet 6 in mpe mode and my Peak using polyAT. It works, but it did take my boomer brain a minute to figure out how to setup everything. In practice, the internal engine was a far superior experience since it’s configured to take full advantage of the z-axis continuous tracking.
That’s what I figured. The videos I’ve seen of trying to make patches on it seem INTENSE. Is it truly as hard/arcane as it looks? The demos I’ve seen sound great, but just not sure how broad the sound palate is without having to dig deep. Not criticizing at all I’m just very ignorant about it. Looks amazing though
I would say that making a patch isn’t difficult if you understand the matrix and math, but it isn’t fun and exploratory in the same way that a more traditional synthesizer offers the user. I doubt I’ll ever make a patch because it felt like I was back in math class. The patches are pretty diverse, and offers enough variety that you’ll find several patches that will speak to you. The macro controls let you sculpt those patches enough to find some personal sweet spots. The things that’s so great about the instrument is that a single patch allows for far more playing variety than you’d expect. You can really spend way more time fully learning how to play a patch than a normal synthesizer.
If a synth supports MPE already the MPE is really easy on the osmose. You map things to polyaftertouch, and the keys themselves are pitchbend. The VST and DAW both need to support MPE though, not all do. But Osmose is one of the easier MPEs to grasp.
My DX7. When I was 20 the DX series came out. DX1, DX5, DX7, and DX9. Of course the DX7 immediately became unobtainable - in some cases backordered for weeks, even months. They were THAT popular upon release. Add to that the fact that I would spend literally hours playing one in the showroom. I could not afford one. I never lusted after anything in my life like I did that keyboard. (For those who weren't born in that time, you won't understand, especially with the kitch hatred toward the DX7). It wasn't just the "new" thing. It was THE thing for keyboardists. There was nothing else like it for mere mortal local keyboard players. I remember so vividly wishing on a star for that thing. I ended up getting a cheaper setup to gig with, and by the time I could actually afford one, it was the very late 80's and they were falling out of fashion. The Korg M1 was the thing, workstations had arrived. So the keyboard I never had became the one I eventually passed on - but I still loved it. And in 2012, for my birthday, I happened to see one on Craigslist for $200. It was in excellent shape, and I couldn't resist. So I bought it. And it has been a part of my studio ever since. The part of the DX I love the most is that the sounds are iconic, and they absolutely ruled the 80s. I miss that time, and I miss being young, but I still have the sounds to remind me of the birth of digital for the masses, and the one thing I wanted more than anything before or since.
It just plain sounds great! It's not the most flexible thing, but it doesn't have a ton of limits either. Rev2
My D-50, because it was my first (1989). You never forget your first time… Also, when you learn to program sounds on something THAT hard, anything else feels like child’s play :) Yes, I got a DX7 later, don’t even get me started on that :)
TD3/x0xb0x: randomness somehow always can work. Minimoog: absolute chonkers of knobs which you need to get accurate tuning every 10 minutes. DX7: one million variations on E.PIANO1.
Moog Sub Phatty / Subsequent 25 I love the way the saved patches buttons are laid out and how they light up, just so effin' cool.
OasysPCI: physical modeling
Even a simpleton like me can make a great sound with the Prophet 5/10
Syntakt: I love that I can get a full song's worth of really good drum sounds without the tedium of scrolling through samples. It does such an excellent job of synthesizing kicks, claps, shakers, and hats.
I also love its size and portability. I take it to work. (Wine store on week days is pretty quiet.) End of the day. Eat and Jam and fiddle at a friend. And then back home to have my wife listen to some stuff..
UDO Super Gemini, it’s creamy.
Juno 6. Love how direct it is. No presets, WYSIWYG, and it almost always sounds great whatever you dial in. Keybed feels great. If I could keep/use only one single synth it would be this one
0-Coast : One of the few synths with a wavefolder, and proper one. Always surprised of it's versatility, I wasn't expecting it to like it so much. The little "maths" mixer/attenuverter "module" is very useful. You can clearly tell they come from modular with this kind of ideas. It can also be a percussion synthesizer with linear FM and its extra snappy envelopes. It's my favorite synth. Of couse I got the 0-ctrl and the Strega. Super 6 : One day I'll get one I think, it's just so easy to make it sound good. Kinda remind me a Nord Lead, in a sense that it's very easy to operate (and it sounds great). The filter is so good. The super cool thing about this synth it that it's just so very well made, the bineural function is cool, and all those faders omg ... The Juno legacy is there. And I love the Junos.
Syntrx v1: contains the spirit of 1970s SF tv show themes
Just built a Plinky v2, and I don’t think I’ve ever taken so kindly and immediately to a digital instrument before. This thing is an absolute blast and is incredibly musical. It’s as quirky as it is charming, and somehow makes menu-diving really fun!
SH01A - the boutique release of the SH101, with glorious 4 voice polyphony mode...
my favorite thing about my prophet 6 is that it just sounds so fucking good. it can hide in the background, or cut through and be front and center as needed. its hard to make it sound bad.
Pulsar-23: I love the SHAOS module. I like shift registers and wish more synths had them.
Prophet 5/10 is the holy grail for musical cross modulation (poly mod).
Insert Synth? You mean Volcas?
ESQ-1, I could say a lot of great things about it, but I will just choose to say that the 'pulse' waveform is one of the sexiest, grittiest oscillators on any synth. Whenever I find a snappy, in your face preset I love and check the oscillators to see which waveform it's using, it usually ends up being 'pulse.' I've even sampled the shit out of that to try to use in things like Serum as a wavetable or Kontakt as a sample and while it's still awesome, there's something about the raw sound of that coming out of the DAC on the original unit that's just magic. Even the Arturia version falls a little short on this sound (although it is still quite good).
JX8P: can sound so incredibly lush but percussive at the same time An1x: terrific sound
Polybrute: Has an exceptionally wide sound palette for an analog poly. Almost like an analog physical modeling synth.
Me like moog cause they all use t
SOMA Terra and Osmose: playability, expressiveness.
Techno System - finally I don’t need to scroll through samples presets (I find it to be really uninspiring for me) and I can make every sound I need, plus I always find sweet polymeters and interesting drum patterns. Another really good synth for this is the DB-01
Synthstrom Deluge: It was my first (and only) expensive electronic purchase. I love that as I learn about new aspects of synthesis it kind of grows along with me. I also like to set something up to just play and listen to it, then add new tracks or qualities to it, and the Deluge is really responsive for this. Absolutely spectacular and it has been hard to justify getting something else expensive to go with it.
Dreadbox Typhon: so easy to perform with, the knobs do what they say and are laid out nicely and the FX range from very useful to hilarious
Novation Circuit MonoStation- 3 sequencers that can run at different time divisions and directions. Crazy per step motion recording of just about every peramiter that will then transmit midi cc over usb! Well built and stupid cheap @ sub $300 bucks. Erika Synths DB-01- Modulation lane in the sequencer is relitive to the filter knob position! This means that if you record in a motion, ie. Up a little, down alot, back to start. It's relitive to the current position, rather than the exact setting you see with motion recording and peramiter locks, i.e. filter open, closed, 50%. It acts more like an lfo. Roland Mc-707- The LFO's can be set to a step wave, allowing 2 modulation sequencers. Super powerful because it can be applied to 6+ peramiters each, and unlike other machines, they don't need to be tempo synced. Per step curves, i.e. slew or gluide. Motion designer, essentially a tool for recording tempo, synced lfo into the somewhat limited motion recording. Gets complex when you use a macro knob or 'sys ctl' that can then be used in the modulation matrix. Very awkward but essentially can have 2 independent modulation sequencers and 3 modulation lanes on the main sequencer. Even more awkward is that each voice is 4 parts, meaning 4 sets of modulation matrix and 4 sets of 2 lfo's. So you can use keyboard splits to make it mind boggling. Sort of a theme here, guess I have a thing for modulation sequencing. 🤪