Your lifelong equipment list

[cornutt]

Haken:
Continuum

You had a Continuum? What did you think of it?

[SaturnNine]

In order of purchase (2014 - present):

1) Roland Saturn-09
2) Yamaha DX7
3) Roland MC-202
4) Roland Juno-106
5) Roland TR-505
6) Yamaha RX7
7) Yamaha VSS-30 (is this considered a synth?)

I got most of them for a *really* low price, especially the 202 and the 106 (around US$250 combined; 202 has a little problem with the VCA but that's it), which explains my "hoarding" for the past two years. I'm saving up on a newer monosynth (hint: Korg) and I'm *still* waiting for my Microbrute to arrive.

[ApolloBoy]

I've owned synths since 2004 when I turned 15, here's what I've been through...

1. Yamaha DX7 (2004-2005)
2. Roland JX-10 #1 (2004-2009)
3. Alesis SR-16 (2005-2009)
4. Akai AX60 (2005-2009, kinda miss this one nowadays)
5. Roland Jupiter-4 (2006-present, probably gonna sell this once it's totally fixed and buy a Prophet-6)
6. Yamaha TQ5 (2006-2009)
7. Korg 01/WFD (2009, only had this as trade bait)
8. Roland Juno-106 (2009-2012)
9. Korg Monotron (2010-present)
10. Realistic MG-1 (2012)
11. Roland JX-10 #2 (2012-present)
12. Korg ARP Odyssey (2016-present)
13. Korg Volca Beats (2016-present)
14. Yamaha CS01 (2016-present)
15. Roland JX-03 (2016-present)

[ppg_wavecomputer]

[...] 5. Roland Jupiter-4 (2006-present, probably gonna sell this once it's totally fixed and buy a Prophet-6) [...]

I'd thoroughly think this over. Nothing wrong with the Prophet but there is some grit and bite to the JP-4 that the Prophet simply can't match.

Stephen

[synthroom]

I started in 1986 - with the first paycheck I had from my first post-college job, I bought a used JX-3P.

Access:
Virus KC

Akai:
S-612 (sold to offset the Fairlight)
S-900 (sold to offset the Fairlight)

Arp:
2600 (white on grey face) with 2620 keyboard

Casio:
VL-1

Crumar:
Performer - Part of my goal to become the next Nick Rhodes in 1986...

E-mu:
Emulator II
Emax II (2x - sold a 1 meg and bought an 8 meg)
Drumulator - with JLCooper 3 drum kit mod
ESI-4000

Ensoniq:
Mirage rack

Fairlight CMI:
IIx

Kawai:
K1m - sold and upgraded to a K1r
K5m

Korg:
EX-800
MS-2000B

Kurzweil:
K2000s - sold
K2000VP
K2600S

Linn:
LM-1

Moog:
Minimoog

Oberheim:
OB-8 - with Factory MIDI
Matrix-6 - traded for a TG-33. Seemed like a good idea at the time...

Roland:
CSQ-100 sequencer (came with the ARP)
DR-110 - my first drum machine, bought shortly after the JX-3p
DR-220E - loved the electronic drums on it
TR-626 -sold the DR-220E for it.
D-50 w/ PG-1000
JD-800
Jupiter-8
JP-8000 (sold to offset the Fairlight)
JX-3P w/ PG-300
JX-8 (sold to offset the Fairlight)
MC-202 (traded straight up for a SH-101 with some dude's name written on it in Sharpie)
S-50
S-550 (2x - sold one to offset the Fairlight)
S-760 (2x - sold one to offset the Fairlight)
SH-101 (sold to offset the Fairlight)

Sequential Circuits:
Prophet 5, Rev 1 (broken most of since I've had it, that is since 1987 or so.)
Pro-One
Prophet-2000 (sold to offset the Fairlight)

Synclavier:
VP/K keyboard only (on loan from a friend - we were going to buy a FM/Sampling system to go with it but he moved and I got the Fairlight instead.)

Suzuki:
Q-chord

Yamaha:
DX-5 (on indefinite load from a friend)
FB-01 (worst sounding synth I've owned. Gifted to a younger synth enthusiast a few years ago.)
TG-33 (sold to offset the Fairlight)

There's probably a few other things over the last 30 years that I've forgotten about, but that's the bulk of it.

My favorites out of all those are the Fairlight IIx, D-50, Minimoog, ARP 2600, JP-8, and the Prophet-5 when it works.

[Automatic Gainsay]

I wanted to ask Marc what the h**l made him buy an ASR-10? And what did you do with it?
You was sampling??????????

You've fallen prey to your own perception, sir!

In 1991, I bought a brand new EPS-16+ and proceeded to write AND record on it and with it for the next 9 years or so. In about 1998, I bought an E-mu E-Synth to go with it. During that time I only had a Korg Prophecy as a synthesizer.

I was as digital as anyone else from 1988 through about 2000.

In the past three years, I have been increasingly nostalgic about my sampler usage, and have acquired the ASR-10, another EPS-16+, and even an EPS. I still have my e6400. I'm in the process of backing up all of my 90s samples from a 270MB hard drive to a CF drive. Not only have I used and loved samplers, I'm currently using and loving samplers again.

[nvining]

Alright, let's play.

0) Roland RS-101 (returned to store)
1) Hammond M-3 (given away)
2) Rhodes 54 Piano (sold to a friend)
3) Hohner Clavinet D6 (sold)
4) Roland SH-2000 (suffered accident; given away)
5) Yamaha CP70b (still owned)
6) Rhodes 73 Piano (sold to a friend)
7) Alesis Andromeda (sold, bought, sold again)
8) ARP Odyssey Mk II (sold)
9) Minimoog D (sold)
10) Roland MKS-80 rev 4 (sold), 3x Oberheim Matrix 6R (sold, sold, sold), 1x Kawai K3m (not sure what happened to this, honestly)
11) Hohner Clavinet/Pianet Duo (sold)
12) Hohner Clavinet/Pianet Duo (sold, not a typo)
(somewhere in here) a Hammond A-100 (sold due to electrocution)
(somewhere also in here) a Hammond B-2 chop (also sold due to electrocution and destroying a speaker)
13) Oberheim Matrix 12 (sold, due to a mild worry that the damned thing was a lemon)
14) Rhodes Chroma (sold)
15) Alesis Andromeda (sold)
16) Rhodes Mark 7 (sold, ugh)
17) Dave Smith Tempest (sold)
18) John Bowen Solaris (sold)
19) Yamaha CS50 (sold)
20) Yamaha CS80 (still owned)
21) Chroma Expander (sold, in a moment of foolishness)
22) Rhodes Chroma Polaris (sold)
23) Alpha Syntauri (in the shop since forever)
24) Modal 002 (still owned)
25) Rhodes Mark V (sold, due to clicking hammers)
26) Yamaha CS60 (acquired as parts machine, repaired, sold)
27) Yamaha CS40m (sold)
28) Oberheim OB-Xa (sold)
29) John Bowen Solaris (obtained for contract work)
30) Korg M1R (sold)
31) Rhodes 88 Suitcase
32) Roland D-550
33) Roland JV-1080

So, uh, I've had a bunch of stuff I guess. Sales have typically been due to financial necessity, as opposed to wanting to get rid of something; exceptions to this were the Matrix 12, the Chroma, and the Polaris, all of which I felt were lemons (not the units in general, but those particular examples), the Andromedas which I liked but where I got paranoid about their ability to be repaired, and the ARP Odyssey which simply didn't agree with me. Things I should never have sold off: the Chroma Expander and the Minimoog D. I can replace the Minimoog, but finding another Expander will be a real bear.

Priorities list for acquisition for the next year or two, now that my life is calmer: Modal 008, Vintage Vibe tine piano and Vibanet, DK Synergy, some time to actually play stuff and make music. I probably ought to replace the Minimoog and the Chroma on that list as well, and try to score a Prophet T8. Effects units and miscellaneous pablum bought and sold during the years are pretty limited: a bunch of auto-wahs (Maxon AF9, Mu-Tron III), a Roland RE-300 Space Echo which I also should never have sold, a Sony DPS-R7 reverb which I still have, and my most recent acquisition of a Lexicon 480L.

[Mooger5]

casio sk1
moog rogue
korg dw6000
korg dw8000
korg wavestation ex
korg wavestation ad
korg microkorg
korg dsm1
korg polysix
korg ex800
roland juno 106 x2
roland sh101 x2
roland mc202
roland tb303
roland tr909
roland tr626
roland d550
yamaha dx7
yamaha dx7s
yamaha tg77
yamaha sy85
yamaha ry30
oberheim matrix 1000 x2
mfos wsg

[griffin avid]

With a username like that, I ashamed that you only have 1 moog item. I thought fer sure you'd even mention a t-shirt you picked up at one of their fests. Sorely disappointed.

But more by this....
I was as digital as anyone else from 1988 through about 2000.

In the past three years, I have been increasingly nostalgic about my sampler usage, and have acquired the ASR-10, another EPS-16+, and even an EPS. I still have my e6400. I'm in the process of backing up all of my 90s samples from a 270MB hard drive to a CF drive. Not only have I used and loved samplers, I'm currently using and loving samplers again.

You are sooooooo counter-culture-something. [insert anti-trending word]
So now we are flooded with analog synths and YOOOOOUUUUUU go back to DIGITAL SAMPLING??!!!!!
You're killing me. Next you'll shave your beard and grow your hair long again.

I saw some ASR-10 tutorial videos and I'm shocked by how little I actually did with the machine when it was my main (and only) tool. I...sampled....took chunks of audio, warped them, edited them...mangled and massaged and made some great stuffs. I see people doing all sorts of weird sound design stuff.

At best, I used to even run other stuff through its effects because I didn't own any outboard.
But as badly as I want to get back into it- it's hard to go that way when the PC and all its plugs do so much of the same chores. But I do miss it.

I liked the time when I didn't know what I was doing because you didn't know what you would get by the end.
I'd start with a short x-files sample and end with drums, effects and a melody.
But I digress.....

And some of those iPAd apps for sampling are pretty crazy.
And...and...it's also strange how I used to live on craigslist, but not any more.
There's so much new stuff out that I really don't scour for the old like I used to.

Like I used to want a Yamaha RS7000. Not any more.
KORG Karma...
Alesis Fusion....

Some days I do imagine what it would be like to start all over and wonder what I'd be using.

[atkbg]

Current:
1961 Hammond M3
1967 Hammond M100
1971 Hammond B3

1973 Rhodes Stage MKI
1981 Rhodes Stage MKII

Hohner clavinet

1964 Wurlitzer 145a
1969 Wurlitzer 200

Oberhiem Martix 1000
Arp Omni II
Moog Prodigy
Moog Micromoog
MG1 (x2)

Roland JV-1080
Roland JX-8P

EML 101

===================
Gone

1937 Hammond A
1948 Hammond CV
1957 Hammond M3

Rhodes piano (x4)

Roland Juno 106 (x3)
Roland Juno 6
Roland VK 7

Arp Omni I and II
Arp Axxe
Prophet 600

Who knows how many Leslies. Probably letting go of the JX-8P with programmer, Martix and the EML soon. They're just not seeing the action right now.

[Mooger5]

With a username like that, I ashamed that you only have 1 moog item. I thought fer sure you'd even mention a t-shirt you picked up at one of their fests. Sorely disappointed.

Yeah I use this nickname since I joined the moog forum in 2006. Too late to change I guess.
Of course I´m disappointed as well!

[Mooger5]

I see there are several dsm1 (previous) owners. I have to say it´s the only korg piece of gear that I gladly got rid of. Well that and the korg a5 too. Really crappy sounding, that one.

[Automatic Gainsay]

I saw some ASR-10 tutorial videos and I'm shocked by how little I actually did with the machine when it was my main (and only) tool. I...sampled....took chunks of audio, warped them, edited them...mangled and massaged and made some great stuffs. I see people doing all sorts of weird sound design stuff.

It is really capable of some incredibly fun processes that make even the most boring sound effect or etc. sample into something unique and musically useable.

I am basically going through all of the s**t I sampled in the 90s, and finding individual samples that could inspire whole songs because they are cool, and I manipulated them in cool ways with the EPS-16+. It's really inspiring!

I still love analog, and I'll always use it for what it is. But let's face it, analog has gotten less-and-less analog-sounding, and the kids no longer understand why it was cool to begin with.

[griffin avid]

But let's face it, analog has gotten less-and-less analog-sounding, and the kids no longer understand why it was cool to begin with.

Must...resist.....must not ask......

Should I bite?

See, I want to ask about this, but I am afraid you are about to lead us down a very dark path that I will NOT be happy to follow or think somewhat differently after hearing what this is about......


Damnnit man. What do you mean?

I'll say this. I got into synths, not because of a band or any particular album/record. It was simply the answer to so many of my questions. When I asked what made those kinds of sounds...a synthesizer was the answer. (Actually I was advised to get an oscilloscope originally). I was sampling two major sounds, along with drum breaks and bits of sonic candy...

I knew first what I liked to hear before I knew anything other than traditional instruments.
So every sci-fi-type sound was a precious find. YEARS later, I discovered some of 'my sounds' were actually a Theremin and not a keyboard. Also that...KYNE (probably got the name wrong). That (little complicated programming box) was used in sound design and only after seeing the audio special behind-the-scenes of Star Wars: Empire Strikes Back did I realize how many sounds were indeed semi-natural samples. What a circle.

I don't know if there's an impure reason to do or like anything. Or if analogue is the new hipster focal point. I know when PORTABLE became very douchey- like it'd be cool to make music in a coffee shop or on the train.
But I'm down to see where this is going.- As tangential as it might be.

[synthroom]

That (little complicated programming box) was used in sound design and only after seeing the audio special behind-the-scenes of Star Wars: Empire Strikes Back did I realize how many sounds were indeed semi-natural samples.

If you're still into Star Wars SFX, this is the book for you!


It has written descriptions along with a cheesy little audio playback module attached to the edge of the back cover that actually plays the sounds they discuss in the book. Lots of fun!