What hard synth do you swear by???

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pipEr

Guest
Hey guys, really enjoying the forum (my 1st day on it!)

I'm getting started in electronic music, and 1st on my list is a good synth. I'm into Moby, Groove Armada, Avalanches...etc.....NOT crystal method, Uberzone, harder pounding techno. I want something with great sounding pianos, strings, stuff that sounds REAL.

Not sure if I should go analog or digital...what do you think for the sounds I'm after.

I'm looking for a USED SYNTH, so which one(s) do you think would suit my tastes best? I read where Moby uses the Yamaha SY-22 on Porcelain, which I love both the piano and strings on, so naturally I started looking for those. Is there a better one for my tastes?

I'm a beginner, but I know music, and I know buying **** just to have isn''t the way to go...so I'm looking for quality here.

Thanks a ton....piper
 
Well you want digital not analog. You want real sounding stuff. Things up your alley would include

EMU Proteus 2000
Korg Trinity / Triton/ Triton Studio
Yamaha Motif / EX5
Roland JV Series and XV series

I can recommend the Triton Rack as I own one. It's I N T E N S E!!!!
 
you should have a look on www.vintagesynth.org it has loads of info on loads of equipment along with samples and list of who uses them. you should be able to pick up a yamaha dx7 used for a nice price. its a pain to program at first but there are loads of patches and pc editors on the web for it. it sounds rich and can do everything from realistic to weird due to its very versatile and compex synth architecture. the nord lead is also heavily used and a great synth too.
as for synths i swear by, none of them would be suitable for your purposes i am afraid except the dx7 and perhaps the nord. the rest would be no use.
good luck though and welcome to the forum
 
oh yeah,
nord lead is made by clavia.
always check out second hand ads as this way you can maximise your money when getting gear as your savings enable you to get something much better for your money
 
I just bought a Korg Karma, and it's really fun to use, plus it has great sounds. I was thinking about getting a Nord Lead 2, but I don't know if it is worth it. Can anyone offer some advice?
 
hi there, the nords are great synths and you could do a lot lot worse.
take a look at www.vintagesynth.org for info on almost anything.
look under the clavia section and then at the nord leads. make sure you read about the nord lead AND the nord lead 2 though as the info on the one is more thorough and still relevant to the second version.
it has audio clips too.
 
The nord leads are more than great... i would never get rid of my clavia synths.. maybe upgrade one of 'em.. but that's it! I really recommend them for everyone who is interrested in good sounding synthesizers. Imho the nord lead 2 is worth more than $800 used.
 
I'm still in love with the first synth I ever bought-- the Yamaha EX5. At first, its sound quality caught my attention and kept me. But it was just too damn hard to get used to, to really understand. But now, almost three years later, I am in complete, passionate love with my EX5. the real, emotional sound quality and the ease of modulation fits me perfectly. There is just something about the sounds I am able to pull out of that machine. I love it!!!! Viva La EX5!!!

I also own a triton rack, but it would be better used as a sh*t receptacle than a synth. It sounds as real as Halle Barry's oscar acceptance speech... I do like Korg tho, the MS is beautiful, both the old and the new 2000 version.
 
I was wondering if the Nord deliver's the meatiest sound (as this is what i've heard). I mean, I'm looking for something that will give me that wicked, dirty, Nu-skool breaks kind of bassline, you know? My Korg gear is great, but the sounds are actually too crisp sometimes and I'd like to get a gritty analog sound in some tracks. Any advice?
:bat:
 
Drumaddic: I'm not sure exactly what sound you are looking for.. but yeah.. the nord leads can spit out some really growly basslines. But i would suggest that you also check out the MS2000... i use both of 'em to make basslines.. The ms2000 is more cooler when you suddenly feel like trashing the bassline with major amounts of distortion and strange noises by just pushing a couple of buttons and twisting a few knobs :P
I use the nord more for "clean" growling phAT analogish industrial basslines.

If you want the best stuff.. check out the moog's and studio electronics bassynths... but they also got some scary pricetags :

Oh yeah!! Check out the new Adrenalinn effectbox (a Roger Linn and Tom Oberheim product.. also heard rumours about John Bowen helping them)... it's terrific for all kinds of soundsources... grEAT distortion and more =)
 
Hey Volantiz, thanks for the advice. I know it's hard to describe a sound through words, but to give you an idea of the kind of bassline I'm striving for, it would be similar to the really distorted stuff Tipper produces (Nu Skool breaks). He uses a lot of effects throughout, but the basslines really stand out. Bolz Bolz just released a track that uses a similar sound. It's just really dark, "womp womp" kind of bass with some distortion. It's reeeeal dope. Anyway, all this probably didn't help at all, but if you really want to know what it sounds like, go to groovetech.com and look under new school breaks.

word.
:bat:
 
I can only find real audio samples over there.. sry.. don't have/want a ra-player on my machines :\
Go check out the nord + the ms2000 at your favorite store... also try them with an overdrive box connected! The nord could use some overdrive sometimes.. especially before you learn how to get the dirty sounds out of it ;)
 
pipEr- If you want "real" sounds IE: Pianos and stuff like that with a few little cool synth sounds don't buy a VA. Go get a Rompler like the Roland XV3080 or a samlper like the Akai S5000 or the Emu E6400 U or the Yamaha A5000.

Synths like the Nord Lead, Virus, or Supernova 2 will NOT make good real sounds. That's not what they are made for and they generall just suck at it. You aren't going to get a good piano sound or horn or anything "real" out of them :)


EDIT- Oh yeah, $800 for a Nord Lead 2 is good, the Lead is an amazing synthesizer. But it won't make good strings or good pianos and it has no effects...
 
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Drumaddic:

If you want that rude and low bass wumpus tone that makes you want to piss your pants (!) when it is reproduced with serious volume, look into a Virus or Nord Mod/Micromod...either can deliver said bass sound with elan.
 
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