One Andromeda please!

 

I have a Kawai k4, I would rule out it, and the k3 or k1. unless I was looking to do some retro, electro, synthwave sort of stuff. maybe some lo-fi could be ok.

of those, probably the Q and then the Andromeda. either are nice, so I'd keep an eye out for a good deal on one or the other. the d50 is not a bad choice either, but more like the kawai than the other 2. always depends on what others you have and are lacking.

but for pads I mostly use the Virus or the Hydrasynth. (if not Omnisphere)

 

Last edited: Apr 6, 2021

March 2019, I was 100% in the box.
March 2021, I collected 14 synths, a groovebox, and a sizeable eurorack.

They're slower than using VSTs, don't sound any better, and I constantly have to pause my train of though to record the audio returns..
..but my gosh is it way more fun.
1) I feel more connected and invested in the patches and resulting tracks
2) Helped cure me of imposter syndrome as each piece of gear is like "operating a piece of (heavy) studio equipment"

For anyone interested in building a collection of hardware, my advice to you is to not forget about how to connect all of it.
I wanted to have everything connected at all times therefore I'm running 2 Motu midi express 128 and 3 mixers, - by the time you add cabling thats roughly $1000 of infrastructure costs alone.

Finally synths are great, but don't forget the sauce, EFFECTS!, I got a TC multieffects rack unit as an aux on my mixer and I'm looking to start a guitar pedal board for the second aux.

 

never drool on your synths, they tend to not like that, if the synth is a real asshole it might even stick up it's middle finger and tell you to go play acoustic.

my limited edition microQ phoenix edition, only 500 units were made, which was basically a synthlovers wet dream. bought it about 8 years ago, 3 months old, produced in 2000-2001. you might ask "but how? 2000-2001 wasnt 8 years ago... are you a timelord?" well this one was lost in a warehouse and found about 8 years ago, someone bought it and didnt like it and i was able to jump on it. even had the invoice to prove it and for warranty

my beloved machinedrum mk1. imo the best drumsynth ever made, it's a beast. only stupid thing is this thing needs an ac/ac psu, try finding that in europe.


i have a few more but didnt wanna be a total show off

edit: if you can afford one, take a look at the waldorf microwaveXT. biggest mistake in my life was selling this one, letting one of my ex-gf's move in with me had that honor before i sold this orange monster.

btw the waldorf blofeld is pretty close to the microQ

 

Last edited: Apr 6, 2021

I would love to have an Andromeda, but they are very touchy, very problematic. A lot of chips are alesis branded so while some are known, getting parts is mostly off the table. Although its analog it has quite a bit of digital stuff in there for the lcd setup, presets and such.

Saw some half decent pics here https://electro-music.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5257 though could be higher res. Service manuals are floating around as well. I too want one just for pads eheh

 

I want Osmose, but it's still not released.
https://www.expressivee.com/2-osmose

 

This was my little side sauce project I had around 2010.

 

I miss this fucker too... Damn why did I sell all of my shit!!!

 

I like the flooring choices.

 

I'm only using a few hardware synths because of the great knob panels. Tweaking sound live does bring some magic.
Soundwise, a few softsynths have become so good, no need for hardware to get the fat sound anymore.

 

I sold all this to pay rent. ARP2600, two Roland System 100M's and an immaculately built Elektor Formant..far left.

 

ArticStorm: WTF i want some hardware synths?




you say it as if you just found out about em


saw That you have a photograph of a Waldorf up there.

They have 2 software synths that are really cool

Largo and Nave

https://waldorfmusic.com/en/largo-overview

There are a lot of custom sounds you can get for it : This is one- https://www.aiynzahev-sounds.com/products/drive-for-largo

also Rob Lee

as far as

Nave

https://waldorfmusic.com/en/nave-overview

I know its not the same as hardware but for some Waldorf sonics you could maybe get your Hands on those

 

Last edited: Apr 6, 2021

yeah, guitar pedals for synths opens up a whole new Universe

This one just came out for the guitar but with synths in mind too. its a phaser

https://www.dreadbox-fx.com/lethargy/

This dude does some neat shit with it

 

largo is actually the software version of the blofeld if i understood correctly but still hardware has that little extra thingie that you only get from hardware or, ironically, a good rompler. FE i'm pretty sure the introducing fatness preset from nexus comes from the waldorf microwaveXT

 

yeah, I heard the sound engine is identical to Blofeld


its that Little extra Thingie man - it costs so much but its so worth it

I washed cars to get an Access Virus when I was 21

and made sandwhiches to get a Nord Lead 2 when I was 18


No regrets

 

just a couple of ridiculously awesome hardware synths out there

Hartmann Neuron

Solaris

 

most of the time they have editors in vst format, FE microQ and blofeld have editors by mystery island, microQ and other waldorf synths have editors by monstrum media, those aren't free though. and sometimes the manufacturer creates their own editor which one a side note is how largo got created, it was supposed to be an editor for the blofeld but then someone got a bit too enthousiastic or got amnesia and forgot he was making an editor. the only one i never found a decent editor for is the machinedrum but that thing has so many parameters that it actually uses 4 midi channels for the 16 parts it has, each part in turn has about 24 parameters or more and then there's the effects and such

 

Dude!! Rent & women... Those are the 2 things that have made me part ways w/my gear... Sucks!!!! Thankfully the sound can be largely achieved w/software these days. But there’s nothing like moving a knob.