Quarantined for 2 months with one synth...

[rjungemann]

Blofeld... especially when you treat it as a multitimbral drum synth, can be a lot of fun. Probably would want an external sequencer, though. Alternatively, Waldorf Attack for iPad can get pretty deep. I was almost thinking of getting a Rack Attack but ended up getting the Blofeld instead (before all of this)...

[Dcramer]

Hmmm from my arsenal of sub $500’s I’d have to say one of these:

Micro Modular
Matrix 6R
ESQ-1R
Blofeld (but only the white one)
Krog Prophesy

[Mind Flayer]

Just one synth, and nothing else (i.e., no drum machine)? If so, then I’d go with the Roland JD-Xi. Can make a full arrangement with it. Has great drums, pretty deep synthesis options. And it has a great, simple analog mono synth with a really great, classic sounding Roland filter built in — the saw wave with the compressor effect on and turned to 0 can make some tooth-enamel shaking sounds.

I was thinking about this the other day — if I could only keep one piece of gear, regardless of price, what would it be? I narrowed it down to the Roland System-8 or the JD-Xi. I’d probably go with the System-8, just because it has a full size keyboard and it is super easy and fun to edit because it’s knob per function, and I could make drum sounds and tracks with the synth engine and built in sequencer. I have other synths that sound better but are much less versatile. If I’m going with a single piece of gear, I’m going for something that both sounds good but is versatile. System-8 and JD-Xi both tick that box. But System-8 doesn’t meet the $500 requirement, so for this thread I’ll go with the JD-Xi.

Honorable mention would be a Digitakt, if you can count used prices. I think you might be able to score one for $500 if you were lucky. But I think I’d still prefer something with keys.

[oscilloscope]

2 months quarantine ... a good opportunity to explore, get proficient and transcend the limitations of a sparse but special instrument. Sort of painting with only few colors.
This comes to mind:

[Lux A Turner]

I would take the first synth I ever bought - a Novation X-Station 25. I've never quite got to know it as well as I should - the presets are so varied.

It's also the only one of my synths that's come close to accurately reproducing Pink Floyd's 'On The Run' sequence - I strongly suspect that the filter is modelled on the EMS Synthi one.

[(((EMP)))]

Does an ipad count? Because I could do entire albums laying in bed with just that. $500 worth of ipad apps is a TON of synths/samplers/drum/sequencers/DAWs/etc. Especially right now with the majority of devs offering reduced pricing or just plain FREE apps.

[Reese P. Dubin]

I actually built my Kijimi in anticipation of doing just this. I have other stuff but it will probably be my main focus while off work for...a good long while. One of my voices isnt quite there but 7 is a lot.

[fac]

It doesn't cost $500 (I don't care about your arbitrary restrictions), but I'd take my Monomachine. I haven't spent any serious time with it since I bought it (4 years ago!) and this would be the perfect time to dig into it.

[onthebandwagon]

Has anyone in the US ordered from the Juno.uk site since the corona? Wondering if their are significant delays in ordering overseas now although the site does make a point to say they’d ship the same day still.

[lisa]

I could also go for the Korg Minilogue. A joy to work with and that soft sound plus the noisy delay soothes the soul.

[slumberjack]

It doesn't cost $500 (I don't care about your arbitrary restrictions), but I'd take my Monomachine. I haven't spent any serious time with it since I bought it (4 years ago!) and this would be the perfect time to dig into it.

found mine for 600!

[beyourdog]

Behringer Odyssey without any hesitation...

[Kodek3301]

Probably a Minibrute2s and a cheap reverb pedal, just for the huge amount of possibilities you get without any menudiving

[Benoist]

For slightly over 500 : Evolver

[pmboos]

Perhaps an Emu Command Station with a couple choice Roms.

Yeah this is one that would take a lot to learn, so good to be quarantined with...

Other choices for me would be a Minilogue, a Microfreak, the Grendel Grenadier RA-99 (if I can have a sequencer - an SQ-1 would do fine), or an Erebus (again with a sequencer).

[otnemem]

Would probably go for a Model:Cycles

[McMij]

Probably a Minibrute2s and a cheap reverb pedal, just for the huge amount of possibilities you get without any menudiving

Definitely the Minibrute 2. I picked up my keyboard version a couple of months ago for £311.00 new which I'm dead chuffed with, and the opportunity for exploration using the patchbay is pretty wild. It may only be a lowly mono synth but the 2 envelopes - one loopable - offer a lot of exploration, especially with the patchbay. Also the supplied patchbook is definitely worth diving into and a really cool touch

[alog4738]

Radikal Spectralis (first one), can be found for cheap.
Around 600$
Can do lots of stuff, good sampler, FM, analog filters, sequencer, fx.
Nice sound.

[Jason Brock]

If I'm stuck with only one box it has to have sampling too, and a sequencer with song mode. I'm going to choose the Roland MC-909, even though I've never owned one before. Looks like it would be more than enough fun by itself.

[tron23]

Some kind of seq/sampler combo. Samplers are good synths.

[brokensolderingiron]

15 rolls of Toilet paper!

[tron23]

15 rolls of Toilet paper!

Quite a bad habit using those.

[Twobitactor]

Circuit and circuit mono station? Analogue, samples, couple digital, and lots of sequencing potential. Just my two cents. I have an octatrack, circuit, and monologue combo I’m digging. But, I’m not sure I’m in love with the circuits sound, so I feel the mono station would fill in the gaps with depth.

[Wracked with Guilt]

Easy. I’m currently self-isolating with my Oberheim Marrix 1000 which I bought last year for 600 Canadian dollars. It’s a damn deep little synth with enough modulation options to keep me busy with interesting and complex patches for the time being. I’ve grown to really enjoy the sound after being distinctly unimpressed to begin with.

[bitflip]

Easy. I’m currently self-isolating with my Oberheim Marrix 1000 which I bought last year for 600 Canadian dollars. It’s a damn deep little synth with enough modulation options to keep me busy with interesting and complex patches for the time being. I’ve grown to really enjoy the sound after being distinctly unimpressed to begin with.

Out of curiosity, what're you editing that with? I have one too but end up always going to my Matrix-6 since i've not properly explored editor options