was the pro 5 the only funk synth

[Alex E]

Even the DX7 was funky. If you don't believe me, listen to virtually any Electrofunk song from 1986.

[Bitexion]

Kind of like believing that the Yamaha CS-80 was never for anything but recreating Vangelis songs.

Disregarding that it is in fact a fully featured analogue polysynth that was mostly used for anything BUT those vangelis sounds by other artists. I heard of a school nearby that had a CS-80 just because the music teacher thought it had a great Harpsichord sound. It was probably never used for anything else since noone knew how to program it. And besides, or kids werent allowed to mess with the knobs in case they'd ruin the harpsichord patch. It looks just like a big organ from the era too.

And Stevie Wonder was known for using the pitch ribbon so much that he had it replaced every few weeks. And he couldn't even see.

[princefan3]

Thanks for the replys guys....

i cant see how the ARP strings and solina or Omni can make the stabby sound im after..they are stringers.

arent we looking for a polyphonic synth here....the pro 5 stands out from the rest as most used.

im not talking about a funky synth solo but just a stabb brassy sound.

yes i do know about the OB Xa and OB 8 but was just wanting to know about the pro 5 in comparison.

cheers guys.

[mpa1104]

Kind of like believing that the Yamaha CS-80 was never for anything but recreating Vangelis songs.

Not forgetting that the GX-1 (the best bits of which became the CS-80) was also one of Stevie Wonder's favourites. I gather that among the many things that were popular about the GX and subsequent CS series synths were the very snappy envelope attacks, which in turn stands to reason that it would be a good contender for funk stylings. The GX-1 is on a fair bit of the Songs In The Key Of Life album.

[princefan3]

I try and get near with my Juno 60, but nowhere near the pro 5....and the juno does not have a mod wheel.

[CZ Rider]

CS-80 funky?

Those green Funky presets were pretty good though. Lots of expression with the poly aftertouch.

[meatballfulton]

No Frog Tone button? Serious fail...

[ppg_wavecomputer]

CS-80 funky?

Those green Funky presets were pretty good though. Lots of expression with the poly aftertouch.

You beat me to it.

Kristian Schultze (of Doldinger´s Passport) once called the Funky 3/4 presets the best and most expressive presets he had ever heard on a synthesiser. They are quite massive indeed, especially when the global filter comes into play, with a lot of extra resonance.

With the ring modulator kicking in, it´s instant "Beaubourg".

Stephen

[monolith]

I try and get near with my Juno 60, but nowhere near the pro 5....and the juno does not have a mod wheel.

If it's the sound I'm thinking of, you might be able to get closer using the LFO trigger button as a mod wheel substitute?

[tekkentool]

It's the only funk synth in that it's 100% the best funk synth ever made and probably the only polysynth worth buying ever.

Also requesting the video of that P-funk band with the 4 Pro5's in their video

[pflosi]

the juno does not have a mod wheel.

Huh?

[Psy_Free]

I try and get near with my Juno 60, but nowhere near the pro 5....and the juno does not have a mod wheel.

Over on the far left hand side you will find a wheel with a little 'stick' protruding upwards that can be moved left or right. Above this & to the left are two sliders labelled 'DCO' & 'VCF'. Move either of these sliders upwards of the '0' position, then play some notes & move the wheel with the stick left or right & listen to the sound.

The beauty of this arrangement is that it feels more natural somehow to wiggle the wheel to the left or right and can lead to some great expressiveness for funky wah-type sounds (using the VCF).

[Jabberwalky]

The synth sounds in funky s**t were so simple. For real, it's about playing style and sense of timing. That's it.

[nvbrkr]

Even the DX7 was funky. If you don't believe me, listen to virtually any Electrofunk song from 1986.

It really is. I love to turn it on and just jam for hours. For some reason I haven't been able to get the same bite out of the software emulations I've tried. I think there's also something about the way Yamaha has set up the modulation possibilities for their synths from that era that is just inherently musical. When you play many of the presets and use them together with the modulation wheel it just often brings to mind the CS and SK synths.

As for Prince, the DX7 is apparently all over the Around The World In A Day album, which despite its "60s psychedelic vibe" is strongly based on 80s style funk grooves, synth stabs and so on.

[shaft9000]

the juno does not have a mod wheel.

Huh?

it's got a bender, which is effectively an offset voltage for the destination

and it's got the momentary 'button' with variable intensity but no kind of modwheel. so no setting a wheel to wherever and leaving it; it's only momentary

it's about playing style and sense of timing. That's it.

+1 exactly

the synth is superfluous. no amount of circuit juju is going to help if you don't know the funkdamentals, which are the same no matter what your instrument is.
funk was already full-fledged well before synths got in; going further, the word 'funk' also meant something else before Sly Stone - in jazz context and R&B it was a different feel, but the same term was bandied around nevertheless.