KORG TRITON RACk
EMU PROTEUS 2000
ROLAND FANTOM XR rack

it would not be wrong to get the Mo PHATT and Extreme Lead too.

i thought years ago getting the nord lead 3 and acess virus snow.. but now when we have the emulated software.. i rather not. but if i was riches i would actually buy the nord and virus

is this too much money or is this impossible?

 

Last edited: Aug 30, 2024

Its not just the money, but the space and the upkeep. Thats why I like the Arturia, nice keyboad that automaps to all the different synths they support, that they add a little something extra to when they model it, like additional controls or pedals for reverb, chorus,distortion etc..

 

I'd replace my Arturia Polybrute with it's new 12 voice FullTouch MPE technology going on younger sibling. Though, my number one item on my wish list is a 00 sized deep bodied Adirondack/Mahogany 12 fret cutaway acoustic guitar with a dark sunburst finish with beveled edges to make it cozy to play.

 

Im still partial to ovations, which mostly aren't true acoustics in the sound, but close enough for me when I use the preamp and play through a small amp. I really like the mahogany necks and the cutaways. they are quite easy to play if you can get over the rounded back which troubles many who have their own rounded fronts, a clash of arcs, it would appear.

I have a couple yamaha acoustics, which I like as well, but most of the acoustic herd is Ovations, American,Korean, and Chinese, they're all a little bit different. I have an elite tx with a deep bowl that produces a good amount of bass. and its still quite easy to play. Price is all over on Ovations, since Kaman died and the company was sold to various owners. I see ridiculous prices, mostly high these days, it was mostly ridiculously low in the early 20 teens, especially 2012/2013. I got the elite as a mfg
s 2nd from a wholesaler who specialized in returns, it had been stripped of its hardware. I managed to locate everything either online, or from Ovation factory in connecticut via a local music dealer. (the pickup and the trapdoor on the rear)



they are asking $1600 for this thing - I think I had around $285 in mine including the parts I bought to get it functioning again.
loved everything except the unmarked neck. think I'll add inlays at some point, for now a paint pen gave me navigation markers just like the old Harmony guitars with the painted on dots...

https://www.acousticcentre.com.au/products/ovation-elite-2078-tx-acoustic-electric-guitar

Interestingly, a lot of lower end Ovations survive the years better than the middle and high end, because some of the Celebrity line which runs from cheap to crazy, was made with plywood tops (3 ply) which while it does inhibit the resonance does allow the guitar to compensate for seasonal contraction and expansion much more better than the solid tops which can crack or pull away from the fiberglass back due to uneven expansion of the different materials.

Well good luck on that acoustic, they are a pleasure to play and nothing inspires experimenting like an acoustic guitar, so many techniques on one instrument...

 

this is the ovation "T" which is designation for the American made guitar, the "TX" is the korean made guitar.

Matt smith, is always a joy to watch..

 

I had a solid top ovation in the '80s which sounded pretty good, but because the fiberglass back didn't move and the top did from season to season they separated a few times. It got boring spending money on securing the two together again and again so I wound up selling it.

My 1992 Roy Noble Cedar/Madagascar has no markings on the ebony fretboard but I've never missed having them on this particular super sweet sounding totally balanced in tone instrument though it does have side dots, but I prefer to have something there in my periphery to help find my way around especially if I'm playing in alternate tuning with partial capos.

 

Well I'd be happy with a guitar that's always got 6 strings and in tune when i pick it up to play.

As you can probably guess, a string just broke on me today and once again I don't have a spare.

At least I can laugh at the fact that I'm unhappy right now because I can't get my hands on a G string.

 

I'd like one of these for controlling VSTis.

 

Looked at it as a midi controller but it won't work easily.
Unfortunately, its MIDI implementation does not allow for MIDI Note data which is quite an impediment! However, there is a CV output on the rear of the instrument that does send Note data but sadly, not a GATE signal so again this is limited for controlling an external synthesizer.

 

I'm not entirely sure where you're going with this... Triton (and Extreme) exist as official Korg plugins, using the original wave data and FX algorithms (the latter you can get separate as well), so you'd want them for what? The ADC, which was already solid back then, so no weird quirkiness of older Korg romplers?

Same thing with E-mus, the Proteus sounds (and the Orbit/Xtreme/Mo Phatt) also exist, by E-mu themselves, including their very nice Z-plane filters. Also as Kontakt programs, that are very close.

Now... you'd need a solid MIDI interface to hook them up (MOTU ones are very good, but not pocket money either), then you would have to hook up a MIDI controller to them anyway, it's not like the rack gear has a lot of controls. Be prepared to deal with MIDI latency and jitter when playing these multitimbrally (and yes, it can be very noticeable).

Then you need to look up program numbers and set up PC messages, and have to juggle inputs to your mixers on tune per tune basis, and you'll need a decent amount of inputs on your mixer.

So I guess the rack lights look nice in a darkened studio, but it's a hassle, I'd not return to that. Apart from those older funsies, like X-series and X-series, but even they are fairly limited in programmability.

I hear the Fantom is a nice keyboard workstation for live playing, but I know nothing about that having not used one.

So... as "real" options exist in software, and it's way less painful to operate with almost 1:1 sound, so are you sure you want this? But if you're all set to go to old rack gear, there's nothing that'll stop you burning off excess royal cash, so I can only wish you best luck.

 

plugin is not enough, need REAL thing. hardware glues mix, plugins dont. hardware have all frequencies , plugin dont. and hardware is more fun to look at and use. the only pain in the back is that some older hardware does not save presets. for example in JV 1080 everytime i start it the patchlist starts always from the same number. and you cant really search in the hardware. but some applications allow to control from VST extension

 

Last edited: Sep 1, 2024

...you do realize we're talking about rack romplers, the acknowledged worst times of user interface design?

Again (for the last time, I swear), synths with knobs are fun and worth it just for the tweakability. You will not get anything like that in an old rack digital synth (well, not these anyway). I'd recommend getting some of that instead.

As for the "all frequencies" thing, that's mostly rubbish. Maybe you enjoy the noise and distortion of the analog signal path through your mixer, but it's not like you can't learn to mix with a DAW... or route signals from software to a hardware mixer.

To me, using devices like these make only sense if you're already used to using them, but at least you should get the software to hear what they actually do, and then decide.

I love my Wavestation, and I've used it for 20+ years so I pretty much can use it blindfolded, but would I recommend it to someone who has never used it? Fuck no!. Either get a Wavestate or just use the WS plugin. The difference in sound is there (slight distortion and noise, and not necessarily of the fun kind), but the difference is so small that it's not going to make a tune or break a mix.

But again, I wish you all the luck with this path.

 

They 're called presets because you can't overwrite them lol. The JV-1080 saves patches in the user bank(s). Any edit you make in a patch can be named & saved there. The 1080 being 16 part multi-timbral with 64 voices polyphony allows for many complex layers to be made relatively easy and saved as well.
And btw, there really is 3 synths that should be in a wishlist but those were the wrong 3. The Minimoog, the Prophet 5 and the Jupiter 8. And screw this dam thing with the presets. Be an artist please.

 

If we're talking about something like a MiniMoog ok, we can have a "real is better" argument. But a software based hardware instrument (oxymoron that is)? You're running literally the same software process through a far far better dac than they could have hoped for. My Roland D50 vst is better objectively and subjectively than the actual instrument, in every possible way. Sound. Features. Interface. Every way. They all are (as far as I know, I'll accept nominations for exceptions to the rule).

 

You are comparing a computer file with an instrument. Only with the addition of a computer, a midi controller, DAW or other software plugin host, and an audio interface does your computer file become a playable equivalent. Try selling a computer file. None of that is even necessary when it is replaced by AI, nor is a human musician to play anything, write anything, or record and sell it. Elaborate fakes, no matter how convincing; are generally not called art. We will have become highly specialized data entry clerks who happen to make random noises.

 

Nooooo... I'm comparing software running on dedicated obsolete hardware to software running on flexible modern hardware.

That sounded like a ULX post. Was your account hijacked?

 

one of the challenges of a 5 string guitar is figureing out what you can still play that sounds allright...

also gives you a chance to find some new chords...

 

oh come now, Michael Jackson used a preset on thriller or at least whoever programmed the synth did. It ain't about the preset, its about what sounds good. the fairlight breaking glass sample the petshop boys threw in the mix on WestEnd Girls, another preset..

 

Further to my desire for a Theremin, this popped up on my Youtube suggested videos page...

 

Nope. I'm not even a D-50 lover like some people. But anytime you have a decent hardware synth you want to trade up to for a file on your computer, you let me know. I will have some really good computer instrument files for you.

 

Last edited: Sep 2, 2024