Muff's Modules & More

b3nsf · Posted: Sat Mar 03, 2012 11:35 am Post subject:

240-sx sounds so incredible! those filters are amazing.... the midi is less than amazing, very much less! hihi

ThinLazy · Posted: Sat Mar 03, 2012 12:07 pm Post subject:

Here's a prophet 600 that is currently reasonably
priced at $750:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Sequential-Circuits-DSI-Prophet-600-Analog-Syn th-Near-Mint-/280837306223?pt=Keyboards_MIDI&hash=item416335376f

Although I would be suspicous of the sellers ambiguous comments
about the synth needing to be looked at by a technician.
This is usually code for:

"there's something broken but I'm not going to tell
you what it is, no returns sorry!"

Dr. Sketch-n-Etch · Posted: Sat Mar 03, 2012 1:11 pm Post subject:

If you have $25,000 to spend and several years to wait, then I'd suggest the Schmidt Polysynth:

pbanken · Posted: Sat Mar 03, 2012 2:02 pm Post subject:

Sänk jou wary, wary matsch for thä fideo off the Super Synthesizer. Being Görman myself, ey appreschiät the eyedaer.

Seriously, if my name would be Hans Zimmer, no worries, I'd order it ... but ... well, you can guess which way this is going.

Speaking of moderat prices, any love for the Tetra around here? I was actually eyeing the Tetra + Mopho (Keyboard) combination, since it is a bit more affordable than the Prophet 08 Desktop version, but then again, I will have to spend some time to find out more about the 2nd hand synths recommended here in this thread.

Tetra: worth it?

All the best, p.

James Mandible · Posted: Sat Mar 03, 2012 4:26 pm Post subject:

clusterchord · Posted: Sat Mar 03, 2012 6:08 pm Post subject:

ill keep it simple, of you want dual VCO polyanalog, but do not wish to break the bank... your only got three options:

Sequential Prophet 600

plus: same raw CEM3340 VCOs like P5, great filter, polymod, sync etc
minus: slow envelopes, slow update and low resolution of panel edits
i sometimes think of it as mini-obxa... its just has the same trademark Curtis sizzle

Chroma Polaris

played it recently and was seriously underwhelmed. first its not very organic or warm. quite uniform sounding oscillators. it can get sexy agressive with increased resonance, but it comes suddenly, there's no middle ground. the whole arhitecture and parameters setup is kinda ackward. it offers some unorthodox extras, but is otoh missing some fundamentals. imo its not worth it. P600 sound so much more vintage its night n day.

Roland MKS80 Rev4 or Rev5, but without programmer

this option plays only if you have other means like using pc editor, iPad for editing, or you have a sysex-capable controller like Novation ReMote, SL or SL mkII, or Behringer BRC. other than that, MKS80 a fantastic and quite versatile polyanalog. with addition of velocity and after touch implementation, which is not to be underestimated.

the Rev4 i owned is some kinda hybrid between raw Curtis i.e. CEM sound and rather cutting variant of Roland 3109-based filter. built identical to JP6, and almost identical in sonic character - JP6 is less raw, and more refined/fuzzy than Rev4. check how it sounds here: http://www.babic.com/SYN/mks80.htm

Rev5 is close but vcos are not CEM, and are smoother and warmer, and filter design is from JX8/10.
http://www.babic.com/SYN/MKS80-V4/CCJ_MKS80-5_LushStrings.mp3
http://www.babic.com/SYN/MKS80-V4/CCJ_MKS80_rev5_melloPWM.mp3

if you go with DCO, then Juno60, MKS70 or Matrix6R. Rolands are the warmest sounding DCOs. Matrix is flexible.
if you go with hybrids, then Microwave w programmer, or Ensoniq ESQ-1

vassili · Posted: Sun Mar 04, 2012 5:21 am Post subject:

I would recommend the Korg Trident!

smokin'

pbanken · Posted: Sun Mar 04, 2012 9:48 am Post subject:

Thanks again for all ideas! I am a bit overwhelmed, but then again I should've seen that coming ...

To be a bit more precise: I am not against "breaking the bank", but shelling out a whooping 1.6k for a (new) Prophet 08 desktop version is quite a deal for me. I'm looking into it, but if I think that for less than half the price the Tetra is a plausible or reasonable alternative (leaving aside its differences in editing and number of voices, etc.), I am open to that as well.

I am a bit weary when it comes to ebay deals, don't know why, maybe I'm afraid of bad deals, but then again, most of the recommended stuff in this thread needs to be hunted down in the second hand market.

So all in all, I would say that I'm not afraid to spend some money, but I am picky ... ah, damn it ... don't know what to say ... I guess I'll just spend the saved cash on Euro modules ... again ...

DAMN!

p.

obscurerobot · Posted: Sun Mar 04, 2012 10:32 am Post subject:

splitpoint · Posted: Sun Mar 04, 2012 10:40 am Post subject:

If you're serious about "lush pads" I'm going to say Yamaha EX5. Can be had reasonably priced and the thing can sound huge.

obscurerobot · Posted: Sun Mar 04, 2012 11:09 am Post subject:

oozitron · Posted: Sun Mar 04, 2012 9:31 pm Post subject:

If you already have plenty of modular gear, you can always take a really cheap poly (or a string machine or even a sampler) and run it thru a filter in the modular to give it some character.

You could also do this with a VA to take off some of the digital edge.

Drew

dougt · Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2012 8:15 am Post subject:

The Polaris has some big advantages over the P-600 and indeed most analog MIDI synths -

- Velocity keyboard

- One of the very few synths that responds to Poly-Aftertouch

- Split/Layer 2 patches

- 8-part multitimbral over MIDI

- 12 on-board sequences

- All front panel controls send/receive MIDI CC controllers

I also think they sound great (same voice chip set as the Matrix-12/Xpander)

crabman75 · Posted: Thu Mar 22, 2012 1:32 pm Post subject:

Hey Mister P,i would throw in a JX3P+Programmer.Nice looking combo,cheap,kind of SH 101 Sequencer (but polyphon=chords!!)with Trigger Input(<-Eurodock),sweet Roland Chorus and 2 DCO.Good for mellow stuff like Pads,Strings,Organs,Chords and even some good bass sounds.Not as punchy as a Juno but much more versatile...and you are looking for something smoother (use one of your Monosynths for earthshaking basses).

need more influence?:THE String in Ron Trent`s "Altered States"is preset number one ;-)

But the Programmer is a must have.Another good thing about:a lot of vintage synths have their problems with sratching potis.This would never happen on the controller.

...you can probably buy mine when you visit me in berlin cause i need mo money for eurostuff hihi

And guess who brought me back to euroland? This is fun!

dopefiend · Posted: Thu Mar 22, 2012 2:08 pm Post subject:

What about the Roland V-Synth? Anyone?
I just got a V-Synth XT on the 'bay, and have been reading a bit about it. Seems to be quite a sound-designer's dream, no?

ndkent · Posted: Thu Mar 22, 2012 2:45 pm Post subject:

there is no perfect polysynth. For every synth with some of the best features there is sure to be something that's a pretty much a deal breaker for some. What you really need to do is make a list of features you have to have and features that break the deal because they do something unacceptable. TT that point you've eliminated a whole lot of synths and can get better advice and weigh those remaining without wasting lots of time following up on some synth someone else with different needs pus out of a hat

shaft9000 · Posted: Thu Mar 22, 2012 5:38 pm Post subject:

numan7 · Posted: Thu Mar 22, 2012 5:55 pm Post subject:

* eurorack with the upcoming tiptop audio p-modules (cs-80 sound and more... in a modular format)!

cheers