True or false?

Well... we live in an age where attention spans have been shorten. So much so that commercials barely even make jingles anymore... 30 secs and it's done (x 8 more commercials). Comedy movies jump straight to the joke... no build up by dialogue anymore. Radio stations only play the first 1:30 of a song. Songs are now 3:30 instead of 5 mins like they used to be... all chorus lol.

So yeah.... anything that requires paying attention to it for more than a little bit of time isn't getting much love, except by the people who aren't scared to be a professional.
 
^^Well said. I'd add that software is becoming more desireable to the bedroom recording generation, since even a 25-key synth takes up too much room, apparently. Once you have the comp, monitor, keyboard, mouse, speakers, interface, mixer, 49 or 61-key MIDI, and a spot to put your drink... All I know is this stuff I have now would NOT have fit in my bedroom at mom's house.
 
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i found an old Yamaha synth/keyboard during a property clean-out around 1997(98) <> needed a few keys unstuck and had a few keys and at least one knob missing <> that thing was a lot of fun to play with, left it with a friend when i moved around 1999 <> at the time i was really getting into 'wintel' desktop pc's <> found Hammerhead around this time ;-) <> anyway, im not scared of presets, i just dont want to lug around a bunch of gear <> is there a monophonic analog synth than can do something that Reason + FL + a cheap M-audio keyboard cant ? <> is there anything my MPC2000 does that i cant do on my desktop ? <> i just read an article by Rob Swift about the most recent DMC competition, only ONE crew used actual vinyl(they took 2nd place ?), the rest used some sort of USB controller <> answer is NO
 
I remember those beasts - we had the System 100 modular series when I was at school (high school)

sys100.jpg


and the System 700 modular at university a few years later,

ROLAND_SYSTEM700.jpg


later still I had access to a EMS Synthi VCS3 (one of these recently sold for over $18000 locally, my university tossed theirs out before I could "rescue" it such a waste)



- most of these were avoided by other students because they were scared by all the knobs and sliders and teh words on the front panels were even more scary.

So, yes synths used to be for people who knew what they were doing.

I still have a SH101

sh101.jpg
without the nifty handle.....
 
bandcoach said:
I remember those beasts - we had the System 100 modular series when I was at school (high school)

sys100.jpg


and the System 700 modular at university a few years later,

ROLAND_SYSTEM700.jpg


later still I had access to a EMS Synthi VCS3 (one of these recently sold for over $18000 locally, my university tossed theirs out before I could "rescue" it such a waste)



- most of these were avoided by other students because they were scared by all the knobs and sliders and teh words on the front panels were even more scary.

So, yes synths used to be for people who knew what they were doing.

I still have a SH101

sh101.jpg
without the nifty handle.....
Click to expand...


Not to mention they look like you're supposed to land aircraft with them ;-)
 
focus383 said:
i found an old Yamaha synth/keyboard during a property clean-out around 1997(98) <> needed a few keys unstuck and had a few keys and at least one knob missing <> that thing was a lot of fun to play with, left it with a friend when i moved around 1999 <> at the time i was really getting into 'wintel' desktop pc's <> found Hammerhead around this time ;-) <> anyway, im not scared of presets, i just dont want to lug around a bunch of gear <> is there a monophonic analog synth than can do something that Reason + FL + a cheap M-audio keyboard cant ? <> is there anything my MPC2000 does that i cant do on my desktop ? <> i just read an article by Rob Swift about the most recent DMC competition, only ONE crew used actual vinyl(they took 2nd place ?), the rest used some sort of USB controller <> answer is NO
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depends if reason or FL have a stiener-parker filter and waveshaping i suppose. that filter really is a cool thing about the minibrute.

comparing a fixed path synth like the minibrute is one thing but any of the modular systems is another. you just have so much more, maybe to much freedom to do whatever you fancy..

another thing as well is that there is really no software that reacts exactly like analog. its different. it lets you do stupid shit. so i can run all my sequencers at LFO rates like they are supposed to or i can clock them from an audio source and run them at audio rates. way to much fun.
 
re

False. thats the best part almost. The best synths dont have presets. Im no fan of their software really but this synth was a real cool idea for them and cheap. obviously its not a robust synth but one doesnt need everything under the sun for every synth. Ive talked to a bunch of people who are going to buy it.
 
ultra auris said:
False. thats the best part almost. The best synths dont have presets. Im no fan of their software really but this synth was a real cool idea for them and cheap. obviously its not a robust synth but one doesnt need everything under the sun for every synth. Ive talked to a bunch of people who are going to buy it.
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they are going to sell so many its nuts.

it has so much going for it.

1) its a cheap analog
2) stiener-parker filter instead of some moogish shit
3) CV!! it'll work as a midi to CV as well as a USB to CV interface. that's great
4) Yves Usson designed it. He is really well known and respected in the Synth DIY community so it has that going for it as well
5) once again the price
 
I Like hardware with Knobs and sliders but since I bought into the digital hype back in the 90's All the hardware I have, has a silly little letterbox displays and user manuals with the words "best of luck mate" in them. So after working out Stuff like M1,K1, D series, DX7,Cz's Sy's and Ensoniqs with manuals that don't help much Something with a Knob, Switch or Slider with a description of what it does under it kinda makes it easy. The trouble with the soft stuff there are so many that I treat each synth as a patch rather than program my own. Actually just picked up a JD800 cheapish thumbed the manual thought sod it,threw it to one side spent couple of hours fiddling and sussed it. Someone said in an earlier post that the best synths don't have presets. I see where your coming from but an awful lot of crappy one didn't have them either. Then the Jp8,OB8 and Pro5 did mmmm. To my mind if the thing enspires you when you touch it you will keep on touching and fiddling and find out more about what it can do, if not your run through the presets say what a l*** ** Bollocks and get it on ebay the next day.
 
Looks cool, sounds cool, Steiner-Parker filter is cool, would be a nice addition to any studio. However, patch storage is a nice time saver. Who wants to have to fill in patch sheets and then turn and tweek every time to duplicate "that sound" you spent all that time and inspiration creating? Factory presets suck, that is a given, but c'mon...I used to have a juno 6, great sound, no storage, that is why the juno 60 exists, gave it away years ago. Does anyone even talk about the 6, no, why? No patch storage makes it less useful. Just too much nostalgia and not enough practicality on Arturia's part, regardless of price point... False.

Now, to the question of whether synthesizers used to be for people who knew what they are doing...True. It takes a long time and a lot of knob turning to learn how to create the perfect (for you) sound, or be able to hear a sound and know what it is, how it was made and how to re-create it...I'm getting there, but not there yet.

I just don't see buying the Minibrute, though, unless I have some extra cash lying around and get an itch for nostalgia.
 
If someone posts the question "how do I get this sound" and you respond by explaining how to program the sound, you will have their full attention until someone drops into the thread with a link to a preset patch and says "here you go", in other words, they will only tolerate learning for as long as there is no solution that gives them the instant gratification they have become accustomed to.
 
Analog hardware is something that musicians geek out on when they want to avoid the effort to improve their playing technique:

"Oh, when I get this synth with these super-awesome-retro-filters, my music will sound great! This is what my music is missing; it's why nobody has been listening to it! No retro-filters! Why didn't I think of this earlier?!"

Analog Acquisition Syndrome is a synthesizer-subset of Gear Acquisition Syndrome, which is a general focus on purchasing music equipment rather than playing it. The people who are most commonly afflicted are those with much more money than free time.

The tone difference between analog and virtual analog is often greatly exaggerated, and if you live in today's world, you have to accept that you'll be distributing your music digitally anyway. All of your "analog" tones will go through an ADC and then back through a DAC if you want anyone to actually hear it. As I mentioned earlier, however, most analog junkies don't actually care whether anyone hears their music; they just sit in their basement and play a few keys while marveling at how great the tone sounds.

Sorry if any of this is a little blunt, but I have to call it like I see it. If true analog synths integrated well into the modern audio workstation flow, I wouldn't be so harsh, but the fact-of-the-matter is that they can only slow you down. It has nothing to do with complexity -- some of these new digital software synths are even more complex than that very large modular synth in the OP.

-Ki
Salem Beats
 
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re

sorry ill take a minimoog over a bad virtual copy anyday. Not based on whats cool or not wanting to learn how to play or any deaper dark subconcious self loathing but based on how it sounds and how easy and quick the worflow is with it. You dont need presets. Not having presets will make you a much better programmer. I see no problem with integrating analog synths in modern world. They are very common. also there are, of course tons of new analogs available nowdays if one is afraid of old stuff.

back to the topic I demoed a minibrute 2 weeks ago and it is pretty nice sounding and fun to use. in short they will sell quite a few imo.
 
Analog gear has its own sound Va and software comes close but no cigar, If you are of course playing it live through a decent sound system.
Once its recorded and mixed the difference is less, someone pointed this out in an earlier post that you go through an ADC to record it then through a DAC to listen to it. So really your actually admiring just how well all that digital electronics reproduced your analog sound?
Someone mentioned the Juno6 I had a Juno6 and a Poly800 years ago The Korg had memory to store all the duff patches. At gigs the Juno ended up with basic filter tweeks and envelope adjustments of a basic sound that I liked. The 60 had memory so you had a chance to store all those "wow i like that" moments that were otherwise never to be found again. But i found gear that was more usable and sold them off years ago. Now that more usable gear that could make sound as good as or better is the same gear that is now worthless and can be brought off ebay for next to nothing. If it wasn't for rave back in the 90's that kick started the whole dance scene most of the now classic analog gear would have been consigned to the bin years ago. I hate the sound of a tr808 an old roland R8 beats it hands down if your trying to sound like drums. Sh101 isn't a real synth as someone tried to suggest it was, I had two of them 1 oscillator crappy step sequencer and the TB303 is a F*****g toy. The Minibrute reminds me of the Novation bass station . people still want them, but don't pay that much for them. With only 25keys makes me think Toy but then with CV/Midi/Usb thing its got things going for it and it is a real analog syntth no software in sight, but over all its a 1 OSC synth with a nice filter. Sorry who ever said it the Moog ladder is the best the parker steiner one is one of those many filters manufacturers came up with because Bob had all the patents sewn up. In its day it was so good that nobody remembers the synthicon therefore it must be much better than one of those old minimoogs yeah right!
There are some abosolute analog classics besides the modulars but these were the high end gear of the day and often have things like ARP,Moog, Oberheim, or Sequential Circuits written on them and a price tag over 3 or 4k there are some great bits of kit from Roland,Yamaha and Korg too in the same sort of league. Apart from a couple of dozen "classics
Analog doesn't mean great. It means paying too much money for some outdated crap that wasn't any good when it was new. All the low end 1 oscillator stuff and all the cheap Italian synths Like Siel and Jen that were well supassed in the day and are pretty much unusable without Cv and Gate converters for midi. Thats if the thing was good enough to have those things on them in the first place. I saw somone pay over £200 for a Yamaha CS01 on ebay a couple of weeks ago they were cheap kids toys new for £49 in the day. for that money you can get a Kurzweil K2000 which is nearly as good I think?
If your into your Techno or your Trance or Drum n bass then the Minibrute will be an excellent additiion to the set up but maybe with 37,44,or49 keys and 2 oscillators it might elevate itselt to something to write home about status. I see it going the way of the bass station and becoming a bargain basment ebay item in a few years time not a classic
 
Lamster said:
I hate the sound of a tr808 an old roland R8 beats it hands down if your trying to sound like drums. Sh101 isn't a real synth as someone tried to suggest it was, I had two of them 1 oscillator crappy step sequencer and the TB303 is a F*****g toy.c
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Wow. If you have any spare "toys" kicking around, I'll be glad to take those pieces of crap off your hands, because I f*cking love toys :D

I do agree that analog is over-hyped though - but it's mostly the age of the internet talking. Most people simply haven't used any of the classic stuff, and it's hard to put things into context in forum talk. Someone's "night and day difference" between two different filter modes is very much the same sound to someone else.
 
bandcoach said:
Just goes to show one's man great sound is another mans toy........
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I agree people have used Stylophones Casio VL1's Bent up Biscuit tins for drums. With commercial sucsess and if its Dance type Music your into then the Tb303 and the Sh101 do a solid job. But the sound they make is a variation on the same theme
If its what you want then fair enough Just seems to me that people are Hyping Up Low end Gear and others will pay big bucks for effectively a variable patch. From A hands on and nostalgic point these things can seem great but there really is sooo much gear that can get close to these sort of sounds without the hyped up pricetag In the day we were giving this stuff away.
I recently have aquired old bits of Analog gear to repair mainly to sell on to take advantage of these over inflated prices. I must admit I've found nothing that says "Keep me" about any of it but making £200 -£300 an item is a reason for me to be interested. nd the mod grip to one of my sh101's the other month got £80 on ebay result thats more than I got for the Sh101's when I sold them.
Analog works well in conjuction with other technologies. It can add something that other stuff can't do But to that end Some digital gear can do things that software and analog can't do. In the mix you can get things to sound like analog gear. How many people can tell a real Hammond from a Clonewheel or B4in a mix if you A/B the thing against a c3 you can but for everyone else it works. I reworked a lot of material I did as a teen on my analog setup using software the end result was not a million miles away sonicly Infact I played the resultant CD to a mate of mine who said "Sounds great isn't it a shame that we were so limited in those days what you could do with that stuff" basicly he thought I'd remaster old recordings and didn't have a clue that it was a new production.
 
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