Ultimate Cheap Cheesy but programmable digital synth

[monolith]

What's the best synth for those bad '90's new age/dolphins/crystals/infomercial sounds?
In my head the trademark sound is that wind chime like attack sound layered with a warm juno-esque pad - and from what I know of its architecture the Roland D-50 sounds like it would be great for that, or maybe a Yamaha SY22?


I'd really like something affordable but programmable - and not a Kurzweil or Yamaha DX. Any suggestions?

[meatballfulton]

The D50 is the iconic synth for that, to a lesser extent the Korg M1.

The main competitors of the period were the Ensoniq VFX and Kawai K4.

I wouldn't out the SY22 in the same category at all...it was a budget synth, lower fidelity and most importantly has no filters of any kind. It's also currently overpriced in my opinion.

[max badwan]

You could throw in Roland JV's for that sort of thing.

[ninja6485]

I think the patch you're imagining is the korg M1's universe patch. Anything with a bank of pcm waveforms will get you in that territory - and one that people might not think of off hand is the korg wavestation.

[monolith]

The D50 is the iconic synth for that, to a lesser extent the Korg M1.

The main competitors of the period were the Ensoniq VFX and Kawai K4.

I wouldn't out the SY22 in the same category at all...it was a budget synth, lower fidelity and most importantly has no filters of any kind. It's also currently overpriced in my opinion.

I didnt think of the ensoniqs, good suggestion.

As for the SY-22, i've found one locally for $120 AU in a flight case with a sustain pedal - that seems an OK price. Low fidelity is absolutely fine by me.

[synthparts]

M3R or D-110

[meatballfulton]

As for the SY-22, i've found one locally for $120 AU in a flight case with a sustain pedal

Based on what I hear about prices in AUD that's dirt cheap, way less than current USA prices. Sure, for that money I would go for it.

But it won't sound like a D50 or M1

[ninja6485]

Didn't the D50 do the star trek TNG intro?

[monolith]

Sy-22 seems like a good one to try, that sound 10 seconds in to this video nails what i've got in mind.





I'll definitely keep an eye out for a D-50 though. How hard are they to program?

[Chewy]

Yeah, SY-22s have been going for more than they really should, but since you found one at a reasonable price, I say go for it! I personally think the SY-22,-35, and TG-33 look/sound kinda cool, but I've never played one

[ninja6485]

So it's not this patch you're thinking of? This is hard to beat when it comes to the sound you're describing!

[monolith]

So it's not this patch you're thinking of? This is hard to beat when it comes to the sound you're describing!

Oh it certainly nails the new age dolphin music vibe, but lacks that digital chimey sound on the attack of the notes. I'd love to mess around with M1 one day, if only for the classic house piano and organ sounds. Does it have a lot of the new age stuff?

[ninja6485]

Almost to a fault! I'll see if I can sit down with my M1 and D50 tomorrow and cook up some new age sounds as a demo. (That should be the march 2015 competition: make a new age/space dolphin / Chrystal energy healing song! )

[commodorejohn]

(That should be the march 2015 competition: make a new age/space dolphin / Chrystal energy healing song! )

Count me in!

[monolith]

Sounds like a good challenge indeed.