Your synths and their function/place within your setup

[Soundwave]

Nord Modular - digital, FX & percussion

Vostok V1 - analogue city with hybrid glitch sounds

Monomachine - powerful main sequencer and immediate synth architecture + sequential audio manipulation

Sherman 2 - extreme analogue where the Vostok doesn't go

Kaoss 3 - performance FX and resampling

[rickyd]

Yamaha CS01 - basslines
Korg M1 - piano skanks
Korg Wavestation - surreal pads
Yamaha DX7 - leads & weird percussives sounds

Note: EDITED. Newest addition to my setup as of 10-28-09.......

Yamaha Motif Rack - Natural acoustic instruments, pads, analog sounds (With the PLG150-AN board)

[Denms20]

These days in the studio it's mostly hammond, but when I use synths it's usually the SP100 as a midi controller driving a fretless bass patch on the sound canvas, the JX8P driving itself along with the TX7 to give it some bite for synth chordal stuff, and the MS20 with the breath control for leads. Honestly though, the last few recordings I've done have been all hammond or rhodes.

Live it's been just the CX3, or if I need somethig else I'll midi the Korg to the CZ101 and double the organ lines with some weird lead sounds.

[DGBX]

I got myself a JX-3P six weeks ago and have been learning synthesis with it. I use it for the sequencer and for shimmery, airy, held chords, basslines...I feel like I've got a big roadblock ahead of me because I really want to use the sequencer in songs but my other unit, the ER-1, doesn't sync directly with it...fortunately I just bought a mint JUNO-60 and JSQ-60, then I'll get a MIDI/DIN adapter and away I go.

The ER-1 I use for analog-ish drum machine sounds. I also jam on it running my JX-3P into it and gating it so I can get stuttery basslines...use the ring mod. That thing can get damn noisy in an awesome way. I love the tempo delay because at very short delay you get clangy glitch noise, or you can just get drum-rolls, syncopation

Maybe around January I'll get an MFB522 drumcomputer. that would be awesome. I would probably run both drum machines at once for a little while at least to see if they could complement each other...but I am a minimalist at heart so it's possible I'd ditch the electribe.

[pflosi]

let's see:

A6: does it all. mainly use it for basses, pads, strings, stabs, epianos
Juno 60: mainly for pads, brass, strings, short chords, stabs, square basses
TB 303: guess what
TX 7: strings, rhodes. always through analog filter / space echo
Acidlab Bassline 2: leads, sequencing
MS20+10: mainly for leads and fx. sometimes basses. sound processing
P6: strings, pads, stabs, short chords
Minimoog: basses and fx
VC 10: guess what
RE 201: guess what
D 50: collecting dust in the corner 8)
Jomox Xbase 09, MFB 503, TR 626: drums
Acetone: organs

[Jinsai]

Clavia Nord Lead 2: Playing live. It does splits and layers, is reliable, looks great, and is easy to work. I wish it had a better display and better preset access, but that's balanced by the big blank area on the right side which I (like probably every other Nord player) tape patch numbers and song crib notes to.

DSI Poly Evolver Keyboard: Master controller, because it has aftertouch and a Fatar keyboard. The occasional sound in tracks. I end up using VSTs for many things because I often don't want to wait to "render in" the audio. I'm hoping to change that soon. Nothing else sounds like the Evolver. I still don't know whether I like the way it sounds, and I don't think I use it enough.

Alesis Ion: Originally purchased to replace the Nord for live use. Ended up staying in the studio. In 4 years, I've only used it on 2 tracks. Hoping to change that. At $500, for what it is, I considered it an absolute steal (basically "free"). Does basses better than the PEK and the Nord. Also seems like it has a ton of pad potential.

[rickyd]

Back from the dead, as all good threads should be

AN1X - a bit of everything, found it to be quite flexible... very deep pads, dark atmospheres, tinkly textures, psuedo-phat leads, smooth basses. The synth has an air of 'facsimile' about it, not negatively, just that it's so capable of all these tasks that it's almost too easy... you look for the 'catch', next to a real moog or prophet 5 I'm sure it would sound very tame and synthetic (a synthetic synth, what a concept), but 'in a mix' or against a load of 'non VCO synths' it's a thing of pure joy

D-50 Mainly pads, and faux analog staccato leads, very cutting in a mix when used for 'melody'. Space atmospheres. 'Sonic Magic', classic digital edge, Strings etc...

SY77 Another flexible one, some 'very realistic' sounds (if played in the right register), sublime FM weirdness, slippy/buttery 'almost' leads with ambience and movie like tones. Brooding textures, E-Pianos, Bells, metals, usual DX type stuff but mixed with a bit of D-50-esque magic, analog-ish sounds, Basses, strings etc..

JX-3P Retro/vintage strings, vintage bells, vintage sequencer parts... clangy, metallic, half-warm nostalgic stuff. Contrasts or layers nicely with the DX7 / SY77 / D50 - *very* 80s (which I love)

JX-8P Warm subtle strings and pads, bright or rounded rhythmic parts, some basses (Or support for the main bass), sound effects, slippery but subtle leads (in solo mode), fits in a mix well

SY85/DX7IID Not used as much due to some crossover with the above, but the SY85 has some great EPs, Strings, big pads and movie like sounds... a good support synth to have for use on the occasional song (I used to use JUST a TG-500 (rack version) on it's own for all my music back in the mid 90s!). DX7IID - similar use to SY77 but not as flexible or as powerful, basses and panning e-pianos, weird fm textures - would prob sell now I have the SY77 if not for the fact it's.. a DX7 (which I wanted since I was a nipper)

M1 - Don't really use it at all (will be selling it soon; been saying that for a year but can't be bothered)

I run the first 5 all at once through a Yamaha MG mixer, I don't use all of them in any one song, I think the max I've used is 3 in one song (usually the JXs + DX or D-50, and the SY77 + AN1x).. no strict pattern, just whatever happens really. Of course I also use soft synths (FM8, Pro53, Korg legacy, Moog etc).

Thinking about it, I think the AN1x and SY77 are the 2 synths I turn to first/mostly for a lot of my sounds (they cover a lot of space). The other stuff is more 'specific purpose' for me.

I'm missing a real VCO analog, something great for fast bass (an SH-2 would be nice)... will no doubt be trying lots of new (old) synths until the day they stick me in a box

I would like to hear a few of your tracks made with your gear listed, Pro5. The description here sounds good.

[CapnMarvel]

Andy - Pads and leads and FX and, well...lots of stuff!
Fusion - Pianos, organs, e-pianos, realistic strings, drums (rarely)
JV-1080 - Organs, 'trons, e-pianos (60's and 70's card)
MEK - Leads, sequences
Minimax - Leads, FX through the Kaoss Pad, will cough up some decent pads as well.
Polymorph - Sequences
D-550, Wavestation, TX81Z - I'd say 'color', mostly meaning FX or leads, I suppose
DR-880, DMX - duerhh

The JD-800 is too new to have a 'niche' yet, but of course its pads are just fantastic. I don't think Ive used my Emu sampler in months.

[balma]

V SYNTH: sexual appeal, flirting....

two SP808ex with their dual light beams: amaze newbies waving your hands on the air.

WALDORF MICRO Q: faking knob tweakings. Sending a radio cassette thru the LINE IN.

EX5: wi fi connection, printing

Electribe ESX: obcenities and profanities thru the mic line in..

JP 8080: Optimus Prime voice Transformer.

[rickyd]

V SYNTH: sexual appeal, flirting....

two SP808ex with their dual light beams: amaze newbies waving your hands on the air.

WALDORF MICRO Q: faking knob tweakings. Sending a radio cassette thru the LINE IN.

EX5: wi fi connection, printing

Electribe ESX: obcenities and profanities thru the mic line in..

JP 8080: Optimus Prime voice Transformer.

Lol, I'm lovin' it.

[JSRockit]

Machinedrum UW - Any samples I need to use + all drums except bassdrums.
Monomachine - All synth requirements except basslines
Korg EMX-1 - basslines and any other synth requirement
MBase11 - Bassdrums.

[TrondC]

Machinedrum UW - well, drums, really
Monomachine - well, synth sounds, really
Acidlab Bassline, well, 303 sounds, really

ESX - used to be the center workstation doing drums, fx and basslines. is now sitting there thinking "wtf!?" since I got the MD. might be on the way out...really

[Syn303]

Machinedrum UW - for sampled drums/percussion and effects.
Monomachine - for external midi sequencing, don't like the internal sound engines, too casio sounding for my ears.
Miami - for 808 sounds and that booming bass drum.
TR-909 - well you know what it does, Techno, Techno, Techno and more Techno.
TR-606 - more industrial sounding and metallic.
TB-303 - for my rubbery basslines and plastiky acid leads.
Fantom-Xa - for all my otherwordly pads/strings.sound effects & vintage synth programmed sounds and for samples.
Minimax ASB - for ermm, well moog bass and that!

[aeon]

Monomachine - for external midi sequencing, don't like the internal sound engines, too casio sounding for my ears.

I can appreciate that sentiment. That said, I have found that a couple of the engines in particular have sweet-spots that are not "casio"-like at all - the FM engines, and surprisingly, the SID engine.

There's one more thing though - I love using a combo of the filter and the PEQ to push the sound into overdrive without use of the onboard distortion. This can really give those "plastic" sounds a rough, aggressive, and meaty edge.

That said, those sweetspots are often single places on the parameter ranges so it takes (me) some time to dial them in - more like finding them, really.

I also can't stand the drums - but synthesizing new ones from the noise + FM engines is good times in my book.

If you know all that and still don't care for the tone, feel free to disregard the above. 8)


cheers,
Ian

[balma]

My biggest concern is wich function will be assigned to the FIZMO into my live act setup

Since I'm in love with momerath's FIZMO (badassical edition), I spend 25% of internet browsing, looking for fizmo stuff....

Something that I have read lots of times, is that is very hard to include it on a mix.

that sounds really ilogical to me, since the only synths hard to acomplish with other synths are oldies with no MIDI, or synths that have no patch recall, since they must be used almost as an acoustic stand alone instrument, and be played apart from a MIDI setup, but even in that way, if you are talented, you could have a bunch of analog gear playing at the same time, with no MIDI at all. Now that's a challenge....

But I suspect that a lot of Fizmo users, just didn't find an application into a setup for this oddity, since they had preconceptions about what a synth is....

waiting....