Arturia MiniBrute - analog monosynth

[thosquanta]

CANT WAIT FOR THIS SYNTHESIZER TO BE AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE

why does that damned availablity date have to keep marching away from us?

[Automatic Gainsay]

The price of an SH-101 corrected for current dollars is immaterial. You people just don't seem to get that it was a cheap... very cheap... synthesizer aimed at the mass market. Functionality-wise, it's very limited. If it wasn't associated with a currently popular genre, it'd be dismissed just like it was. There are BUNCHES as equally-cool monosynths.
The MiniBrute blows it away.

The Minibrute is also a cheap synthesizer aimed at the mass market, however good it is.

I think the SH101 comparison came up because:

1. How "cheap synth" is defined is drastically differently than in 1983. Some of the synths out now that many of us. think of as super expensive are still the price of a moped, as opposed to costing as much as a new car, like they did in the 70s and early 80s.
2. It's a lot cheaper to manufacture analog monosynths now compared to 1983. So you can get a great mono for a grand, which was the same price in 1983 only in 1983 dollars.

Hello, I am a time traveler from the past. I was alive and synth-buying in the 1980s.
I promise you that while you could buy a car for $495 in 1983, that was not "the price of a car in 1983." To give you some perspective, my mom bought me a Juno-106 in 1985. While Wiki will contend that it was 1000-something, it wasn't. It was about $800. Likewise, no matter what Wiki tells you, I distinctly remember being so ignorant as to ask for a Poly-800, because it was literally "the cheapest synthesizer," in 1985. I can't remember the exact price, but it was new and cheaper than $799. While the SH-101 was purportedly still available even until 1988 (is that really true? Seriously? I'm here to tell you that no one wanted an SH-101 after the DX7 came out), the $495 price tag was laughable... it could only play one note at a time. It was not sought-after. It was a limited old-fashioned synth.

This the point where Scott will show up and tell us that a homeless friend of his could afford a Fairlight in 1982.

Anyway. The SH-101 was a last desperate stab by Roland to make a cheap analog monosynth at a time where no one wanted a cheap analog monosynth. Just-as-cheap-but-non-plastic monosynths had been made before it. The only thing that saved it from its fate of being an indifferent but still analog synth in the 90s was its genre-association.

While the MiniBrute is aimed at the mass market, it is a wholly-different market context. This thing comes out at a time when everyone contemptuously states that such a synth with knob-per-function couldn't be made now.

[GuyaGuy]

Hello, I am a time traveler from the past. I was alive and synth-buying in the 1980s.

And you've lived to tell the tale! I was around then but not yet into making music. But I was thinking more about the Memory Moogs and Prophets when comparing poly prices to car prices. (OK maybe used car...) The Japanese changed everything when it came to price expectations--for synths AND cars!

While the MiniBrute is aimed at the mass market, it is a wholly-different market context. This thing comes out at a time when everyone contemptuously states that such a synth with knob-per-function couldn't be made now.

Good point. There have been countless threads about how much such a synth would cost, with guesses ranging from $200 to $2000. It's pretty awesome that a fairly mainstream maker decided to just jump in and find out--even greater that it's extremely affordable. I'm curious to see if this ends up catching on in the mass market like the MicroKorg or if potential casual buyers will be put off because you can't play chords and there are no realistic piano sounds...

[mharris80]

CANT WAIT FOR THIS SYNTHESIZER TO BE AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE

why does that damned availablity date have to keep marching away from us?

So do they have an idea of when it'll be available? After seeing Marc's video, I'm pretty much sold on this thing.

[Blue Monster 65]

This the point where Scott will show up and tell us that a homeless friend of his could afford a Fairlight in 1982.

f**k you!

But you're hitting the nail on the head. After froggin' around with mono synths for so long, the availability of affordable polysynths was really quite something. I would be hard-pressed to remember anyone who had an SH-101 after '84 or so. h**l, only one friend of mine kept his beloved MS-20 (he still has it, by the way): most of us dumped that stuff and never looked back.

I'm sure I'm out-of-step with this conversation, but I don't really see the point of comparing this new product with those that were in production then. Yes, it's cheap and affordable; that argument could be made both then and now. The biggest difference is that we have a whole lot more choice now in what we use, both new and used. You can argue analog vs digital vs software vs what-have-you, but the fact remains that the market today is NOT the same as yesterday and making one-to-one comparisons simply does not work, even when adjusting dollar amounts.

And, for the record, I knew someone who had a Synclavier. Never saw a Fairlight 'til many, many years later.

And I still hate the DX7 with a passion.

[Ned Bouhalassa]

Right on, Marc! And let's not forget that we were also on the lookout for new timbres like FM, L.A. (samples+synthesized), we wanted a streamlined interface (really?!!), it was all going off the desks/stands and into racks, or the computer. The 101 just seemed a relic at that point (late 80s).

[GuyaGuy]

Right on, Marc! And let's not forget that we were also on the lookout for new timbres like FM, L.A. (samples+synthesized), we wanted a streamlined interface (really?!!), it was all going off the desks/stands and into racks, or the computer. The 101 just seemed a relic at that point (late 80s).

So I guess you won't be buying this
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Roland- ... 655wt_1115

[Ned Bouhalassa]

Ha! I have one!

[Automatic Gainsay]

This the point where Scott will show up and tell us that a homeless friend of his could afford a Fairlight in 1982.

f**k you!

Day made.

[ninja6485]

Considering xox boxes haven't impacted 303 prices, why would the m.b. affect sh 101 prices? And while were at it, why trash the gear? If you don't like it, don't use it. I'd be happy to use the 101 and little else if I were in such a situation, but it doesn't have to be an either/or. Let the 101 lay down with the moog.

[th0mas]

Considering xox boxes haven't impacted 303 prices, why would the m.b. affect sh 101 prices? And while were at it, why trash the gear? If you don't like it, don't use it. I'd be happy to use the 101 and little else if I were in such a situation, but it doesn't have to be an either/or. Let the 101 lay down with the moog.

I agree trashing is pointless, but perspective is important. Not everything made 30 years ago was built to last 30 years. The MC-202 I had was mint but could get scratched as easily as butter, and could flex a solid 10 degrees just when you picked it up... plus the circuit board's made of something similar to laminated paper. Just as important as not trashing gear is to not put it on a pedestal.

That being said, f**k the SH-101, lets talk about the minibrute. VERY EXCITED THAT THIS IS BEING MADE THIS YEAR OF THE MONOSYNTH

[bytexion]

This thread made me return from my years-long forum hiatus. It's been nice. Although my user account had disappeared.
Whoever is left that remembers me, hello again To anyone who don't, I was here in the early days.

I am the mass market. I WANT this synth. But alas, my local store still didn't get it, they keep pushing the date back by two weeks all the time.

Having fun messing about with the Jupiter-80 every time I go there to look, though.

[Automatic Gainsay]

This thread made me return from my years-long forum hiatus. It's been nice. Although my user account had disappeared.
Whoever is left that remembers me, hello again To anyone who don't, I was here in the early days.

I am the mass market. I WANT this synth. But alas, my local store still didn't get it, they keep pushing the date back by two weeks all the time.

Having fun messing about with the Jupiter-80 every time I go there to look, though.

Welcome back, bytexion!
I'm glad I got the preview of your return.

[ninja6485]

I'm not sure bringing up build quality issues with the MC-202 is really relevant...Anyway, about not putting gear on a pedestal: I'll wait until the mini brute becomes readily available before I form an opinion, especially about it's build quality / reliability. I mean, it doesn't have to have been around for decades like some other small gray monosynths, but I'd like to at least wait until the hype and novelty die down.

[bytexion]

This thread made me return from my years-long forum hiatus. It's been nice. Although my user account had disappeared.
Whoever is left that remembers me, hello again To anyone who don't, I was here in the early days.

I am the mass market. I WANT this synth. But alas, my local store still didn't get it, they keep pushing the date back by two weeks all the time.

Having fun messing about with the Jupiter-80 every time I go there to look, though.

Welcome back, bytexion!
I'm glad I got the preview of your return.

Indeed, trying to regain my footing here and find the good ole threads, in between playing Diablo 3
Got my eyes on that Minitaur too, they didn't get that one either yet.

I figured, why spam about synths on youtube when I can do it here