Looking to get into analog synths, any recommendations?

wearesalty

New member
I've been looking at several different analog synths (mainly on the Thomann webstore) for a good while, and now I'm finally seriously contemplating getting me one of those. One unit I have my eyes on is the Arturia MicroBrute - if you've ever used that, how's your experience been? If it hasn't been fully positive, what would be a great substitute roughly in the same price range?

I'm thinking I could probably spend a maximum of $450 on a unit.
 
I got a microbrute in January and have been loving it so far. It's fairly simple so you're not going to be able to get the same range of sounds as a non-analog synth/keyboard but it's great for simple leads, squelchy noises and special effects...
 
I think it's more important to consider the overall tonality and other features than the defining factor being that it's either analog or digital. Unless you're hell-bent on getting an analog synth for some reason, I'd keep my options open and consider other-than-pure-analog as well. That said, I've had the Minibrute which is broadly similar, mainly regarding the filter – cool synth & liked it controls-wise very much (faders for envelopes should be a standard!), but somehow the sounds had a certain timbre to them that never quite fit *my* sound. I had it in my live rig for a while, and for that band it worked very well. I sold it off after I stopped playing in the band.
 
I prefer the Novation BassStation2 to the Mini/MicroBrute - It's a very fun synth.
Dreadbox are worth checking out as well - I had the Erebus for a while which was cool but they do a mono synth as well that looks pretty good.
 
Thank you guys for all your help, I'm reading every info I can get my hands on and then I'll decide what to get from there.
 
Awesome.. I was looking at the Mini and Microbrutes too.. really cool synths, very well built. My buddy that knows synths in and out says they're legit great synths.
In the end I went with Waldorf Blofeld though.. I was able to get a great deal on it, and it seemed like something that would actually add more to my setup.. be more of a
production tool where with the brutes I'd just start freaking with fat analog basses all day and use it more as a toy, performance oriented thing.

The Blofeld isn't a true analog though, so if that's a dealbreaker maybe no, but otherwise Waldorf makes amazing synths that are sadly always a bit overlooked and
usually a bit crazy. Fat, powerful sound though.. amazing filters. They also have the Pulse 2 which is analog and amazing too. Slightly more expensive but still within your budget.

I'm still waiting for it to arrive, but when it does I'll let you know how I get on with it.
 
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