I just wandering if its worth to buy a synth. I was checking roland system 8 and Roland JD-XA Analog/Digital Crossover Synthesizer. I appreciate your feedback guys. Thanks

 

The more important question is what do YOU think?

If you ask 100 different music makers this question, you may get 100 different answers. And after all is said and done, what would you have learned? The better question is, "What do YOU want to do?"

 

Agree, it´s a personal choice. With so many choices in VST´s that delivers sounds close to original synths, it´s not necessary to own one.
I know a few producers that sold their synths because the VST of it offer the same value. (another reason too was that they were tired of maintain them in working order)

Wouldn't´t mind owning a Voyager myself. But they cost an arm and a leg. That said, the values of classic synths today has gone up through the roof lately. 10-15 years ago that was not the case. people were selling their old Juno´s and Yamaha´s for very little.

Having a studio with loads of analog synths is sure a cool thing to share on Instagram and such, but with todays technology with software, not necessary.

 

get a K station... definitely !

edit: I'm not even sure if this can be categorized as a synth

 

Last edited by a moderator: Mar 7, 2017

I just invested in an DSI/Oberheim OB-6 as my first synth. I enjoy it. It's nice to have a real synth available to play right away in front of you. I mainly bought it to learn sound design, so if that's a goal of yours, it can be helpful having a synth for that. But it isn't a need or must have. I bought one synth and that's likely to be the only one I ever buy.

 

Last edited: Mar 5, 2017

Same with me, got two and a half classic synths here I cannot justify to repair just because of the the hassle involved. I don't want equipment issues distract me from making music. Will get them repaired after finishing some great recordings using what 's working now.

Unknown Rolands, OBXes and Italian synths were even cheaper
But 10-15 years? Thought they got expensive around 1995.
But I wasn't really looking for good analog investments in the digital 90s, just for cheap gear to play with.
Lost some of it, but still have the keyboards at least.
I will keep all of them for sentimental reasons.To my ears they even sound a little bit more lively than their digital emulations.
But most of the time, when it's not about doing an analog jam session I prefer the total recall approach and try to use plugins whenever possible.

If you are into esoteric analogue stuff you should hire a photographer and rent your studio to Richkids®.

Good choice imo. When I tried it I liked its sound and keyboard action.

 

Got a couple of vintage synths here, but I rarely use them. Soft Synths such as Diva, OP-X Pro II, Omnisphere and TAL-U-NO-LX are good enough. Besides I am slowly graduating back towards guitars & bass (Tele, Les Paul, Precision)

 

I think the JD-XA is a very interesting and really good sounding synth due to its hybrid -analog and digital- dual board nature. The reasons that keep me from buying one are the things i hate about Roland since the early 2ks. They feel cheaply built on the outside, they lack personal character in sound and somewhat they do not look as good as the synths of the previous decades,with the latter being personal preference of course. And to think Roland was my favorite. I owned many models up until the XV 5080. I still have a JD800 and JV1080 and the older VP-330. The system 8 is a digital ripoff imho. There's nothing there soundwise to interest a plugin dweller as it sounds pretty much just like the plugs lol. More or less its an overpriced controller and again it feels cheaply built. Imho the safest and best sounding bet is going with one of Dave Smith's Sequential synths. Prophet6, Prophet rev2, and the OB-6 (sounds more like an Oberheim, a bit more gritty and aggressive, since its made in collab with Tom Oberheim) all sound fantastic. Polyphony wise the Rev2 has 16 voices whereas the rest have 6. The older Prophet 12 has 12 voices and its hybrid (but still sounds great) whereas the others are pure analog. And they 're built to last. No cheap plastic knobs there. You get what you paid for.
Cheers :D

 

None of those hybrid synths are worth it IMO... now some Eurorack, Moog and Korg reissues would be a no brainer if you're specifically going for analogue happy accident goodness.

 

Thanks guys for the input.

 

Just watch the first 10 mins or so. The music he plays isn't to my liking anyway. But. You need 5-6 Mini Moogs or 6 Ms-20s to match this. And i do have an original MS-20 circa 1978. And believe me the new ones only look the same. They lack balls. And same goes for the new Moogs too. They sound nice and warm but again no fkn balls. And it's not only me saying this. Jean Michel Jarre declared Reactor's Monark sounding closer to the original Mini Moog than the new Minis costing 30 times what Monark does. When the current Moog company can get a Polymoog right then perhaps i 'll consider one. Atm they try to sell customers 5-6 mono synths for about 7k to match what Dave Smith is selling @ 2000 dlrs or under that. I say lol to this man. But each to their own imho. Mono synths are good for fx,leads, basses. Good polysynths can do these and more. In my sense there are 3 legends in the synth world still alive. Smith, Oberheim and Buchla. Buy anything from them and its with you forever because these dudes have both respect and sheer knowledge in what they do and a godamn unique sonic signature, something that is lacking from almost everybody else atm. Oh and hybrid synths were always interesting because they expand the sonic possibilities of just analog. But of course your opinion is respected. Have a nice day/night

 

Last edited: Mar 5, 2017

Bought a Korg Kronos and a Nord Stage 2. Both major investments. The Kronos sucked balls from day 1, crappy interface, mediocre sounds, it was constantly being repaired for one thing or another, plus it was damn heavy. Luckily found a buyer but took a major loss. The Nord is a great synth and perfect feeling keyboard for my playing style. Since then however I've started buying softsynths so now my Nord is just a super expensive MIDI controller - I never use it for it's internal sounds, only playing my softsynths. Eventually I'm gonna sell the Nord and buy a cheap 88-key MIDI controller. Along with my Macbook I have an XKEY mini-keyboard controller and I can literally take all my softsynths on the road with me and continue my work at home, in the studio, or on the beach. Never buying hardware again.

 

was checking these out just recently.. seems to be a good choice all around

 

I think you'll find that you just develop a different relationship with a hardware synth than you will with plugins. Maybe not better - but different. I have found over the years that sometimes I develop a very immediate and sympathetic understanding with a hardware synth that I personally don't make with a plugin. Often the hardware synth I develop this affair with doesn't sound as fat as the one next to it, or have such deep specs, or it has a less accessible interface . . . yet for some reason it's the one that becomes my buddy and every time I turn it on I find myself immediately writing music.

I've written and recorded some stuff on plugins that I really like, and I've written and recorded lots of stuff on hardware synths that I really like. I personally find that I respond better - more creatively - to a physical instrument in front of me than to an abstract image of a plugin. I make more music and spend less time fucking around. But that's just me.

I think one of the great benefits of "the old days", when you could only afford one hardware synth, is that you were forced to really get to know that instrument. When you program and play only one synth for a year or two you get to know that instrument like a lover. Now we're inundated with the latest and greatest softsynth every week and rarely ever take the time necessary with any one to learn it inside and out, as if it's an extension of ourselves - as an instrument should be.

I would suggest you buy something used (even if it's a newer synth), so if you find that hardware synth ownership is nothing special to you, you can easily flip it and get your money back.

 

Last edited: Mar 5, 2017

Depends. If you're mostly using presets then maybe not.
But a powerful hardware synth with enough knobs to make in fun tweaking sounds can be a very rewarding, and a very different experience from using plugins on a computer.
With so many great virtual emulations we have today, it's rather a question of hands-on experience now.

 

Yup, every time I pop into a music store I play the many offerings of synths lined up in the isles like smiling, wishful orphans hoping to find a parent to take them home. I always bring my own trusty ATH-M50 headphones and walking down the line, plugging in one by one, twiddling, pressing and pounding each, trying to imagine bringing one home as my own. Invariably, the ones that bind a smile to my face are the Smiths, and the greatest grin from the OB-6.

 

Last edited by a moderator: Mar 5, 2017

Thanks. Yea it's been treating me well. For someone new to sound design, it is/there is a LOT to learn! But learning to make your own presets/patches/sounds is a good way to help your music stand out, so i'm giving it a shot!

 

This. I have just bought my first hardware synth for this reason. I went for a Make Noise 0-coast and can see myself probably going down the Eurocrack route. I think soft synths have the regular synth thing more than covered but what I'm looking for is the immediacy, engagement, fun and happy accidents that happen when you have a lot of knobs to tweak and crazy modulation possibilities. Its not a replacement for soft synths but rather the other side of the seesaw. No saving presets etc but that's just fine - I want to noodle around and record the results into my DAW then chop out and arrange the gold.

 

buying an analog ONLY makes sense for live gigs.

and even for live gigs it all depends on which music you're into.
in my case i would need a good digital piano and a decent workstation with plenty of generic sounds, a synth would be the last priority.

it makes me laugh to see these studio photos of famous EDM producers surrounded by dozens of vintage synths .. makes me wonder if they ever use them in their songs, Deadmouse for instance all his songs are obviously done on FL Studio ! and he's so ugly he must cover his face with that mouse wig ...

https://www.adsrsounds.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/aDeadmau5_POST.jpg

look at this picture and .. what the fuck ??

 

exactly.
sell your hardware gear and go 100% digital.
invest in a GOOD 88 keys midi keyboard, there are some strong keybs that will last decades and feel almost like a real piano.

we are flooded by huge piano libraries and pretty much any sound ever made is available in top digital quality, all fitting in a laptop and sounding GREAT.
what's the point in losing time and money with garbage hardware gear like in the 90s ? no point whatsoever, the hardware era is finished, even for live gigs i can stuff everything on a 500$ laptop and play with a mute keyboard, total weight 10kg or less, great for travel and it's up and running in 30 seconds.