What Synthesizer is most recommended?

C

CallousDisease

New member
Okay, im thinking of buying a synthesizer, I've been checking around. But what is the most recommended synthesizer for hard techno synths or trance, but mostly techno synths? What is most affortable? recommended? Anyone...help
 
Yamaha AN1x
or
Roland JP8000

The an1x has better FX and the roland has a "better" control surface.
 
I'll second the nod on the Roland JP-8000. Good synth for trance and techno related stuff, plus it's a real hands-on type of synth. They usually go for a decent price on Ebay, which is where I got mine awhile back.

DM
 
for trance & techno buy one of these 2nd hand - they're really affordable:

Roland JP-8000 (keyboard) or JP-8080 (rack with vocoder)
Clavia Nordlead 2 (keyboard) or Nordrack 2
Access Virus KB (keyboard) or Virus B (desktop model)
 
I'd seriously suggest you try out any of these synths before buying, since this will be your first synth.
I would sugest the virus or clavia, since the interface is soooo easy to work with, and that really really helps you into synth programming.
 
I have the AN1x personally as I wanted the bigger range of sounds (and its really undervalued on the second hand market), but yes you should go and try all these synths before making a decision.
 
The Virus is definitely not having a clear and easy interface..that point is going to the clavia NL3 by far...even the Nova is beating the Virus for that..
if you dont want to end up being a preset user, get a NL3...

if you want to have a preset playing module with the biggest stats (means you prefer quantity over quality) in the house, and want to sound like everybody else, then get a Virus.

I apologize if i sound harsh, but i am getting bored by people who applaud the virus and dont see any other synth around anymore...
 
Needle201 said:
The Virus is definitely not having a clear and easy interface..that point is going to the clavia NL3 by far...even the Nova is beating the Virus for that..
if you dont want to end up being a preset user, get a NL3...

if you want to have a preset playing module with the biggest stats (means you prefer quantity over quality) in the house, and want to sound like everybody else, then get a Virus.

I apologize if i sound harsh, but i am getting bored by people who applaud the virus and dont see any other synth around anymore...
Click to expand...



actually I'm:confused: I'm saving money for buying the VIRUS C in two months....
I have heard a lot of good praises about it, and been considering other options, like the Nord Lead , new Electribes.

:confused: :confused: what's the problem with the interfase??

I have to think very well about this purchase, 'cause I don't have too much money for new toys...
 
What is wrong with Virus user interface? It is very easy to use and build sounds from scratch. I always come up with the results I have in mind fast and easy. If you can master the rack version the desktop model is a piece of cake. I've used both, the Rack and C models.

BTW. If one is looking for a first synth then why not buy some basic analog stuff and learn from there? That's what I did. Bought a CS-15 as my first one.

Just my 2 cents...
 
The Virus is an excellent synth but its interface is awful. Really old-style, very terse abbreviations, as if you were using a synth made 10 years ago. The only thing worse than it is to go back farther and imagine using a synth whose patches have numbers instead of names.

The owner's manual used to be the worst one ever written. As the years went on Access Music kept working on it. Today it's a pretty good document.

Buy the Virus for its sound. The interface is crap, definitely the worst of any popular synth. It's amazing Access hasn't gotten around to improving their interface yet. At the rate they are going you'll have to wait another 5 years or more.
 
The Virus has really a nice sound to it, but i get angry if people here are telling newbies what a great "beginners" synth the Virus is, because they dont know the heck about programming themselves...

If a newbie asks me, what kind of VA he should get for learning about synthesis, then the Virus will be the last thing i would recommend, for sure.

if that newbie asks me for something
*where he can play presets from
*have many presets for downloading somewhere,
*lots of voices and multi(why does a newbie need that? for layering sounds? come on...)
*and a filter thats sounds strong,

well then get a Virus...If that pal is lucky, one day in the future he might try to program his own patches, if he gets bored of downloading stuff others made..

the only hardware-VA-synth where you have complete control about whats happening in every patch in one gaze is the NL3...
 
Yes, it may be difficult for a beginner to realize how the virus user interface actually works. But once you realize the meaning of basic functions to shape the sound it is a matter of finding the correct parameters and set 'em to right position. You can also program the virus via Sound Diver if there's a suitable pc available to do the job. Nice.

I admit that Nordlead 3 has excellent user interface, those infinite rotary knobs with leds look very fantastic. But I chose Virus over NL3 because of it's modulation abilities.
 
well, you can say that about every synth, but i guess you can get the meaning of the Nova or Ion Interface more fast than the Virus one, i am sure..I am 10 years into synths now, and everytime i try to get my hands on a Virus i feel uncomfortable, it doesnt do the stuff i want it to do, its too cryptic, and not really a joy to work with. With the NL 3 i got the sounds i wanted in a few seconds, even when i had never used that synth before.
What i want to say is, surely the Virus is a mighty machine, but Newbies to synthesis should get something more clearly laid out...
 
Why not a MOOG modular ? Thát's sh!t for synth newbies if you like to learn how to program sounds. (just joking)

I only want to say the Virus is a really powerful subtractive synthesis machine with one of the most features aboard (as you know lots of polyphony, lots of parts, 3 osc (& subosc), great filtering features, modulation matrix, and not to forget fx... ).

It's true that a newbie won't have to start with e.g. modulation tricks, but I think you can't say that the interface of the Virus is thát incomprehensible.
I can only recommend a newbie to read the manual very carefully, you can also load the subtractive synthesis programming .pdf file somewhere on the www.access-music.de with basic tips & tricks.

And when buying the Virus - with its 16-part multitimbrality - you won't have to say after 6 months that you are tired of having e.g. only monotimbrality (like e.g. the Novation K-Station).

Again - and I really don't wanna sound offensive, Needle201 - I'd strongly recommend the Virus to whoever needing a recent and powerful synth.
Originally posted by Needle201 i am getting bored by people who applaud the virus and dont see any other synth around anymore...
Click to expand...
Needle201: I hope you don't mean that I only know the Virus... ;)

The other two trance/techno synths I'd recommend are (as said hereabove) the Roland JP-80X0 and the Clavia Nordlead 2 or 3.
But imho they have both an important shortcoming:
* JP-8000/8080: sounding very great, but poor fx ánd especially only 2-part multitimbral (even only monotimbral in performance modus); which means for a newbie he won't be able to use similarly e.g. a bass ánd a lead ánd a pad.
* Nordlead: lacks an fx section (for a newbie: i.e. NO reverb/delay/distortion/flanger/etc...etc...)
 
Needle201 said:


I apologize if i sound harsh, but i am getting bored by people who applaud the virus and dont see any other synth around anymore...
Click to expand...

I have 6 hardware synths now. Just got my sixth one yesterday. Now, I don't own a virus, specifically for the reason you sighted. everyone has one. however, out of every VA synth I have, the sound quality of the virus is absolutely the best hands down. now I love my Nord lead 2 for it's programmability, but the Virus blows it out of the water in terms of the depth of it's sound. It just sounds so lush!!! On top of that, the 16 part multitimbrality, and I believe 32 voices polyphony blows the nords 4 parts timbrality and 20 Voices polyphony away. The Virus is a great sounding multipurpose versitile synth with tons of power. If you don't have a full armada of synths, this is a good synth to use as a primary synth. If you owned just a nord, you'd run out of voices and multitimbrality really fast. That's why the virus is so popular. I'll eventually break down and get one. I'm going to run out of ports really fast on my 8x8 MIDI interface.
 
THM said:

* JP-8000/8080: sounding very great, but poor fx ánd especially only 2-part multitimbral (even only monotimbral in performance modus); which means for a newbie he won't be able to use similarly e.g. a bass ánd a lead ánd a pad.
* Nordlead: lacks an fx section (for a newbie: i.e. NO reverb/delay/distortion/flanger/etc...etc...)
Click to expand...

I really don't find FX a big decision in buying a synth. The on board FX that come with any synth are crap compared to the plugins I use. I ALWAYS record dry and add FX in my sequencer. That way if I don't like the FX, I don't have to rerecord the synth. I just play with my plug-in.
 
[OFF-TOPIC] Hey FOE, you make me very curious what new synth you've got... [/OFF-TOPIC]
Cheers mate !! :cheers:
 
THM said:
[OFF-TOPIC] Hey FOE, you make me very curious what new synth you have... :cheers: [/OFF-TOPIC]
Click to expand...

It's not really a new synth, its a sound module. I found the Emu Planet Earth Module on Ebay for $250. Unfortunately EMU discontinued this module, so I had to get it on Ebay. A friend I produce with has one, and I loved it. So It took me about 2 months to track one down. It has great ethnic drums and instruments on it.
 
Fumbling on Ecstasy said:


I really don't find FX a big decision in buying a synth. The on board FX that come with any synth are crap compared to the plugins I use. I ALWAYS record dry and add FX in my sequencer. That way if I don't like the FX, I don't have to rerecord the synth. I just play with my plug-in.
Click to expand...
For advanced people like us indeed it's not so important to have another synth with fx as we already have one or more fx modules (or like you said we record dry and add fx later), but for a newbie I think that's a really unmistakable requirement, don't you think ?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top