How many hardware synths do you own?

[fh991586]

Yeah, time to clean and clear things out for me too!

[Percivale]

Darned. I have one too many. Thanks for the reminder that less is more!

[Stab Frenzy]

I've got one digital poly, one analogue mono, one drum synth, one sampler/sequencer, one analogue four voice w/sequencer and one modular, although the modular is about to be split into three, or one keyboard and one modular system with a smaller giggable unit I can separate. So six or eight depending on how you count it.

[Weirdofromouterspace]

"3 - 5" was an optimal fit .

3 keyboard synths (DX7II, DX21, Minibrute), one sampler (E-mu ESI-32) and, if it counts, a Boss DR 550 drum machine.

[pflosi]

I came in at ca 28 not counting drum machines, fx and samplers.

8 analog monos, 6 analog polys, 10 digital polys, 2 hybrid polys, 2 modular cases...

[Jorvik]

3 x string machines (including Streichfett)
1 x paraphonic (Volca Keys. One of the string machines is also paraphonic, but not counted here)
1 x drum machine (Volca Beats)
7 x monophonic analogue

1 x Moog Sub 37 that's supposedly due to arrive later this month

Non-synth hardware...
1 x Bechstein upright
3 x basses (one on permanent loan to my nephew)
10 x guitars (of which 4 acoustics, one on loan as above)
Assorted bits of hand percussion
1 x Farfisa home organ I really ought to get shut of
1 x violin (not touched since my school days and in need of a new bridge)
1 x flute
1 x piccolo (never used in anger)

Music produced, approximating to zero

[meatballfulton]

[zoomtheline]

Now, don't take this the wrong way but how can you be a moderator/ambassador for a "vintage" synth forum if you do not use them and only own 2 new machines? *extra emphasis on the *

[meatballfulton]

Good question!

Back in the good old late 80s when I got my first synth there was more of a reason to have multiple instruments. Polyphony was low and most instruments were monotimbral, so if you were sequencing you needed more than one. It was also a period where each mfr was offering something different: Yamaha FM, Kawai additive, Roland analog (until the D50), Ensoniq wavetables, Oberheim and Sequential's last gasps of analog, E-mu ROMplers (Proteus), Korg analog to wavetables to FM to hitting paydirt with the M1.

If you looked at my rig in 1990, you would see four or five synths plus a drum machine and outboard: ARP Odyssey, Roland SH-101, TR-505 and MKS50 (Alpha Juno), Kawai K5, Casio CZ-5000 and CZ-101, Korg 03 Symphony, Yamaha FB01 and QY10, Ensoniq SQ80 and SQ-R (though not all at the same time), four digital delay/reverb processors, mixer, MIDI patchbay, tape synchronizer and an Atari ST. Back then of course none of it was "vintage", it was either still in production or recently discontinued.

Believe it or not, in 2005 a Motif workstation could (and did) replace all of that. The Evolver is a good analog synth to complement the digital Motif. So today I only need two hardware instruments.

PS a trail of many modern instruments also passed through my hands over the last decade: Zoom ST224, Roland SH32 and MC303, Korg Radias, Volca Bass, EA-1 and EM-1, Red Sound eleVAta, Yamaha DJX, AN200 and the AN, DX, VL expansion engines for the Motif, MFB Synth Lite and Kraftzwerg, Vermona Perfourmer, pAiA and dotcom modulars, Virus Snow, Moog Slim Phatty and Voyager, DSI Poly Evolver Rack...

[Virgule]

2 synths (1 rack and 1 keyboard) plus a keyboard with onboard sounds to use as a controller, and all of them multitimbral

I don't think I ever had more than 4 synths max (rack or keys) at a time. The more I have the less happy I become and end up selling everything and start over from scratch.

[Cybercardinal]

Now, don't take this the wrong way but how can you be a moderator/ambassador for a "vintage" synth forum if you do not use them and only own 2 new machines? *extra emphasis on the *

[jaypodesta]

Do samplers and drum machines count?

I'd say yes, samplers are synths with your own custom waveforms and drum machines are synths specialised for drums, they are both still synths.

17 of the above but 8 are keys. Plenty to make some noise.

[thefonz003]

4 if you consider a vocoder like Electrix Warp Factory and a ROMpler box like E-mu Mo'Phatt to be synths. Two keyboards that no one would argue against. Also a Wurlitzer Funmaker Super Sprite home organ if you count that.

[Broadwave]

Believe it or not, in 2005 a Motif workstation could (and did) replace all of that. The Evolver is a good analog synth to complement the digital Motif. So today I only need two hardware instruments.

Similar situation here... My Kronos does everything I need it to, but I just can't break through that psychological barrier of being able to rely on just the one keyboard.

Music produced, approximating to zero

Yup, I know how you feel - I spend too much time "fiddling" (sadly, not on my violin!), although now I make sure my DAW is permanently in record mode, just in case a gem of an idea pops up.

[sequentialsoftshock]

6 now

it used to be a lot more. at one point i had 16 ish.

I miss having s**t tons of cool stuff, but i like having a smaller amount. I finally got into samplers. weird. i shouldve done that a long time ago lol

Yep, same with me. Used to own a load of drum machines then I finally gave the MPC a chance. Man was I stunned. Really helped my songwriting too as I'd just sample notes in a key and start pounding out melodies.