best 'sounding' digital synth

Feelsee · Post by **Feelsee** » Sat Sep 08, 2007 11:05 am

Any opinions on the sound quality of digital synthersisers? (non VA) The K5000 is in my view excellent sounding of those I have heard.

Analogue Crazy · Post by **Analogue Crazy** » Sat Sep 08, 2007 12:36 pm

I really like the sound of my Korg Wavestation.

ReaPeR · Post by **ReaPeR** » Sat Sep 08, 2007 2:48 pm

I REALLY love my Waldorf Q

Post by **THM** » Sat Sep 08, 2007 3:01 pm

Hard question - digital in what way exactly ?
Having DCO's ? VA ? Digital FM ? ...

DCO's: Elka Synthex (the DCO's are so good that some sources say the Synthex has VCO's)

VA: Roland JP-8080

FM: I'd still say the original Yamaha DX-7 (some say the II FD version)

OriginalJambo · Post by **OriginalJambo** » Sat Sep 08, 2007 3:07 pm

The Roland JD-800.

Martin P268 · Post by **Martin P268** » Sat Sep 08, 2007 3:43 pm

DCO's: Elka Synthex

This is an analogue synth. DCO is an analogue oscillator. Roughly speaking, digital synths have their sounds generated by a microprocessor feeding numerical data to the rest of synth engine and then to D/A converters.

Of digital synths, I like the DX7 too. It's hard to decide which one is the best or even one of the best, there are so many. Certainly the one with many performance oriented features and with posibilities to animate or humanise the sound (like in the DX7, for example). Digital synths mostly sound as good as you program them.

neandrewthal · Post by **neandrewthal** » Sat Sep 08, 2007 3:44 pm

I dont have any digital synths, but the only one that gives me GAS from sound samples is the Fizmo.

antilles · Post by **antilles** » Sat Sep 08, 2007 4:09 pm

Roland JD-800/990

JSRockit · Post by **JSRockit** » Sat Sep 08, 2007 4:23 pm

For me, it is the Monomachine.

Dirk · Post by **Dirk** » Sat Sep 08, 2007 4:32 pm

G2

But then you have to know what to do.

Alex E · Post by **Alex E** » Sat Sep 08, 2007 4:50 pm

antilles wrote:Roland JD-800/990

+1

But also the EDP Wasp and the OSCar.

The SY22 is my favorite digital synth I've ever actually owned though. I can make great trance and string pads with that.

otto · Post by **otto** » Sat Sep 08, 2007 5:59 pm

Easy: FM synths. I'd say FM8 but to keep it in the realm of hardware, a DX7. Purely digital and capable of a wide variety of sounds. Difficult to wrap your head around.

Soundwave · Post by **Soundwave** » Sat Sep 08, 2007 8:05 pm

Almost all digital synths can be peed on with software but in terms of hardware I think the Waldorf XT and Elektron Monomachine are more the kind of sound I like none VA wise.

As far as software cranking up the unison on the FM7 can result in some very rich tones beyond that of any hardware FM and although its a ROMpler the Spectronics Atmosphere sounds incredibly deep.

MitchK1989 · Post by **MitchK1989** » Sat Sep 08, 2007 8:15 pm

I like the nord leads for VAs... I haven't owned a waldorf or elektron box but they seem pretty awesome too from what I've heard.

Software is full of nice sounding digital synths. Surge, Twin, Filterscape VA, Cube, FM8, Octopus, Blue, Predator... And so on.

AudiosEnvy · Post by **AudiosEnvy** » Sat Sep 08, 2007 8:37 pm

Every digital synth has it's own character just like RAs. It all depends on what your looking for and what you want the synth to accell at...