Synths and You (the collection of opinions)

[ronP]

Questions:

1) The synth that made you want to play music:

OBERHEIM OB-Xa . . . When I saw this synth being played on early Mtv videos, I knew what position I wanted to play in the band.

2) Your first synth:

CASIO MT-70

3) The synth that has surprised you most:

KORG Electribe EA-1 mkII . . . 10 years on and I still pull amazing tones, textures, and patterns from this machine; I love it so much, it's my avatar.

4) The synth that has disappointed you most:

ROLAND FA series (The Fantom X was much better looking, more solid, and navigable.)

5) The synth you love most:

KORG Polysix . . . My first proper analog synth and still perhaps the best sounding I have ever owned.

6) The synth you've gigged with the most:

KORG MicroKORG

7) THE synth you really would like to own:

PPG WAVE 2.2 . . . Every recording this machine has graced sounds distinctive and synth-sational.

8) Your newest synth:

ARTURIA Microbrute

9) The next synth you are going to buy:

MOOG Mother 32

10) The synth with the best filter:

Still searching. The Microbrute's Steiner-Parker is pretty amazing, though, I must admit.

11) Favorite synth manufacturer:

KORG . . . in terms of variety and consistency and affordability of great instruments.



.

[ClavAnother]

Questions:
1) The synth that made you want to play music: -I wanted to play way before I understood synths

2) Your first synth: -Yamaha SY55, but Fender Rhodes was the first keyboard

3) The synth that has surprised you most: -Prophet 10, I had no idea what it was really capable of before I got it

4) The synth that has disappointed you most: -Korg Wavestation EX. Not my thing.

5) The synth you love most: -Jupiter 8. I don't have one, but every time I play my friend's, it makes me feel too good.

6) The synth you've gigged with the most: -I always gig with my modified Electro 2

7) THE synth you really would like to own: Arp 2600. I want two; one for the studio, and one in the kitchen.

8) Your newest synth: -DSI OB-6

9) The next synth you are going to buy: -could be be a deepmind or a system 8, but I don't even know why. Don't need either one.

10) The synth with the best filter: -8-voice

11) Favorite synth manufacturer: -I have a soft spot for sequential

[Ncapone]

1) The synth that made you want to play music:
Roland Jupiter 8 made me want to play synths specifically, I'd been playing bass for years before that

2) Your first synth:
Roland V-Synth

3) The synth that has surprised you most:
Korg MS2000, some of the modulation capabilities are crazy!

4) The synth that has disappointed you most:
Roland JDXi, underwhelming and ugly

5) The synth you love most:
If we're talking just synths I own, currently the Prophet 08. Otherwise Jupiter 8

6) The synth you've gigged with the most:
Roland V-Synth, it's even survived a drop down some stairs without a case (wish the same could be said about me )

7) THE synth you really would like to own:
If it's not apparent yet, the Roland Jupiter 8

8) Your newest synth:
Moog Sub 37

9) The next synth you are going to buy:
I've been looking at an Alesis Andromeda A6, but not sure yet

10) The synth with the best filter:
Anything Moog

11) Favorite synth manufacturer:
Toss up between Roland and Moog

[Poptones]

1) The synth that made you want to play music:

None. I neither got into music because of synthesizers nor because of synthesizer-related genres.

2) Your first synth:

Korg Wavestation EX.

3) The synth that has surprised you most:

That might sound funny, but it was the Monotron because it ultimately pulled me back into hardware again.

4) The synth that has disappointed you most:

The DX 7. Mostly due to its somehow iconic status and what it actually sounded like without any further treatment. And of course because it's not a pleasure to program. I don't dislike FM synthesis though. It was just a matter of disappointed expectations in the case of the DX 7.

5) The synth you love most:

Currently the DSI Pro 2.

6) The synth you've gigged with the most:

Not much gigging for years. In the past it was the Korg Wavestation EX.

7) THE synth you really would like to own:

Difficult. Three come to my mind: The Minimoog, the TVS Pro, and the Buchla Music Easel.

8) Your newest synth:

The Sequential Prophet-6.

9) The next synth you are going to buy:

No current plans, but I was intruiged by the Dreadbox Abyss. Other than that, see 7.

10) The synth with the best filter:

I like the SEM filter a lot.

11) Favorite synth manufacturer:

Dave Smith Instruments.

[MeneerJansen]

8) Your newest synth:

The Sequential Prophet-6.

Might I say that I'm pretty jealous right now? Ha ha. Other than a Minimoog, boy what I wouldn't do for a Prophet. Iconic instrument, cool looking, awesome sounding, versatile and portable enough. Did I mention it also looks über cool?

[Kenneth]

1) The synth that made you want to play music: I guess the first time I ever wanted to make music was when I heard "Computer World by Kraftwerk. I think the Synclavier was what they used for most of that album, wasn't it? So it would have to be that one.

2) Your first synth: MicroKorg

3) The synth that has surprised you most: AN1x. There hasn't been a single sound that evaded me while using it.

4) The synth that has disappointed you most:
Elektron Analog Four. I think it sounds fantastic, but the workflow is so boring that it makes me feel like a disgruntled office worker while going through my kits and setting up performance macros. Diving through cryptic menus and assigning knobs makes me want to chain-smoke a pack of Camels. Not the way I'd like to feel while making art.
5) The synth you love most: That's a difficult question for me to answer. I loved my Voyager while I had it, and regret selling it deeply. My AN1x is fantastic, and allows me to do virtually anything I can think up without very much difficulty. I also love the adorably cheesy, angular, blue plastic casing.

6) The synth you've gigged with the most: Probably the Elektron Analog Four

7) THE synth you really would like to own: I'd like to have a CS-80 someday. I know, it's a pipe dream.

8) Your newest synth: Yamaha DX-100. The DX-7 is too complicated for me with the six operators, so something with only four is a good compromise between the confounding DX-7 and the somewhat basic 2-operator synths like the PSS-470.

9) The next synth you are going to buy: I don't want to, but I know I'm gonna. (Oh please, God let me have a Dreadbox Abyss)

10) The synth with the best filter: Honestly, the Korg Monotribe. I've never heard a hotter sizzle from anything other than maybe the skillet frying up my morning bacon.

11) Favorite synth manufacturer: I don't swear allegiance to anyone, because I've been heartbroken by former favorites, and also swept off my feet by companies I thought I didn't like. That sentiment aside, I currently only own synthesizers made by Yamaha between the 80s and 90s. That might possibly say something.

[AdamAnt316]

Not entirely sure how to answer some of these, since a fair number of my keyboards aren't really synths in the strictest sense, but here goes...

1) The synth that made you want to play music:
Probably something by Moog.

2) Your first synth:
Casio PT-12. Got it as a kid, was not too happy with its lack of good features, but it was a start.

3) The synth that has surprised you most:
Casio MT-68. Wasn't expecting much when I got it, but it's a lot of fun to play.

4) The synth that has disappointed you most:
Probably the Yamaha PSR-15. Few sound options, dumb rhythm implementation, not a lot of fun.

5) The synth you love most:
ARP Solus. Non-synth: Probably the Farfisa Compact.

6) The synth you've gigged with the most:
Probably the ARP Solus. Non-synth: Farfisa Compact.

7) THE synth you really would like to own:
MiniMoog model D. Non-synth: Mellotron.

8) Your newest synth:
By year of manufacture: Moog Werkstatt. By order of acquisition: Technics SX-K700.

9) The next synth you are going to buy:
Might go for a Korg ARP Odyssey if I find one for a price I can afford; I rarely plan my synth purchases, mostly just see what shows up at the flea markets...

10) The synth with the best filter:
ARP Solus. Haven't had enough experience with the filter(s) in my Moog Werkstatt to say for sure.

11) Favorite synth manufacturer:
Probably Korg.

[V301H]

1) The synth that made you want to play music:

I was already playing when Synths became widely available.

2) Your first synth:

ARP Odyssey white face purchased new in 1974.

3) The synth that has surprised you most:

ARP Odyssey. I was amazed at everything it could do and nothing I've had since has inspired me in the same way.

4) The synth that has disappointed you most:

I bought a new Roland D70 expecting an expanded D50. Sold it right away for what I paid.

5) The synth you love most:

Roland Jupiter 6. The poly that comes closest to the ARP Odyssey. I can get pretty much any type of analog sound I need from the Jupiter.

6) The synth you've gigged with the most:

Roland Jupiter 6. Used it for most of the 80's and the last five years. Now using a Juno 60 rather than risk taking the Jupiter out.

7) THE synth you really would like to own:

Prophet T8. A Prophet that can be split and layered with a great weighted and extended keyboard.

8) Your newest synth:

Oberheim Matrix 12. The last Synth I bought new. Have newer Samplers, Romplers, and Digital Pianos.

9) The next synth you are going to buy:

Whatever good deal comes along on something I find desirable.

10) The synth with the best filter:

Sequential Prophet 5 rev. 2. Great self-oscillating filter. The Pro-One is also in the same league.

11) Favorite synth manufacturer:

Oberheim. Especially the OB series. Maybe not the most versatile but nothing else gets that big, lush, spacey sound.

[HideawayStudio]

1) The synth that made you want to play music:
Karsten Obarski's Ultimate Sound Tracker on the Amiga! Like having a Series II on a single floppy disk!!

2) Your first synth:
Yamaha V50 - little did I know that owning an FM synth was actually way more of a "synth" than the Korg M1 I thought I wanted at the time!

3) The synth that has surprised you most:
Without doubt the 1939 Novachord - wasn't ready for witnessing such a giant time warp!

4) The synth that has disappointed you most:
Oberheim OB-X - When I finally got my hands on one for several weeks it sounded nice but turned out to be lacking in rather too many features such as the SEM's wonderful multi-mode filters. I have to say I much prefer the Chroma!

5) The synth you love most:
Analog: Rhodes Chroma!.. a wonderful combination of sheer analog power (nice degree of bite into great filters!), superb flexibility, beautiful expression and that wonderfully balanced wooden weighted keyboard!
Digital: DK Synergy II+... what else had 64 x 16 stage envelopes with looping setup as two sets assigned to high and low velocities with interpolation between the two not to mention pseudo random LFOs - just incredible!!

6) The synth you've gigged with the most:
I don't gig but the synth that has rendered the most sample material is probably my DK Synergy II+ which samples beautifully. If I had to gig with an analog it would be the SE Omega 8.. a real beast, easy to use and built to last!

7) THE synth you really would like to own:
PPG Wave 2.3

8) Your newest synth:
This was a Minibrute but I have to say its sonic character and weird EG shapes rapidly started to annoy me so I sold it after 6 weeks - maybe I'm spoilt with all this vintage stuff!
Twisted Electrons TherapSID.. quirky, characterful, glitchy.. just love it - got used on Silver Eye to great effect!

9) The next synth you are going to buy:
Octave Voyetra 8!

10) The synth with the best filter:
Well two - The Minimoog for its sheer smoothness and musicality and the Polivoks for being the craziest untamed wild thing ever invented!!

11) Favorite synth manufacturer:
I adore vintage Korgs!!.. so many querky / interesting / characterful synths.. the PE1000, the Sigma, the PS-3300, the 900PS, the 700S...

[jayrope]

1) a Bechstein grand piano from 1886.
2) a Siel Opera 6 ...
3) a Bugbrand postcard weevil
4) any virtual analog (bit in the 90s, gave those up after that), most softsynths. Matrix-1000.
5) RITM-2, Memorymoog, MonoPoly, Odyssey
6) RITM-2
7) Memorymoog, Polivoks, Jupiter-8, SH-101, Buchla, EMS VCS3, Jomox SunSyn
8) Karp Odyssey
9) too many options
10) Polivoks, for the distortion. MonoPoly for the smoothness, Karp for aggression and versatility.
11) Bugbrand, Jomox, Kirovsky, Korg, Roland, Arp, EMS, Vladimir Kuzmin

[autechre]

1) The synth that made you want to play music:
Roland Juno-60 is the most inspirational instrument I’ve ever found.

2) Your first synth:
Roland JX3P.

3) The synth that has surprised you most:
Oberheim Matrix-6. Such a magnificent beast that can do everything.

4) The synth that has disappointed you most:
Roland JX3P. Something about its timbres that I can’t enjoy.

5) The synth you love most:
Roland Juno-60. Just pure love.

6) The synth you've gigged with the most:
Haven’t gigged with a synth yet.

7) THE synth you really would like to own:
Prophet 5 or CS-80. The obvious ones.

8) Your newest synth:
Sequential Circuits Drumtraks if that counts.

9) The next synth you are going to buy:
I’m thinking about buying the SH-101 simply because it gets me horny.

10) The synth with the best filter:
Minimoog.

11) Favorite synth manufacturer:
Roland without a doubt.

[AK79]

1) The synth that made you want to play music:
don´t know. Probably some Oberheim on a Mike Oldfield Record.

2) Your first synth:
Korg Polysix

3) The synth that has surprised you most:
Yamaha CS01. Bought it as a gimmick but if you take it serious it is totally inspiring. At least to me.

4) The synth that has disappointed you most:
Dave Smith Instruments Tetra. Only synth I bought new and the only one I ended up selling.

5) The synth you love most:
Polysix: poor mans Prophet 5

6) The synth you've gigged with the most:
I am a shitty player. Live it would be Bass for me, at least I am more comfortable with that.

7) THE synth you really would like to own:
Any of the Korg PS series.

8) Your newest synth:
Oberheim OB 8. Still not working. Repair in progress

9) The next synth you are going to buy:
Soundlab Ultimate Expander & Sequencer - already bought the PCBs.

10) The synth with the best filter:
Korg MS20

11) Favorite synth manufacturer:
Korg

[Doc Tonewheel]

Questions:
1) The synth that made you want to play music: Actually, it was a Hammond B-3 organ, then a piano. For synths, it was a Moog Minimoog

2) Your first synth: Moog Rogue

3) The synth that has surprised you most: Yamaha FS1R

4) The synth that has disappointed you most: Korg Volca

5) The synth you love most: Korg Monopoly

6) The synth you've gigged with the most: Roland Juno 6

7) THE synth you really would like to own: Yamaha CS-80

8) Your newest synth: Yamaha DX7 II D

9) The next synth you are going to buy: Roland SH-01a

10) The synth with the best filter: Moog Minimoog

11) Favorite synth manufacturer: Korg

[Tekhed66]

Ok... my turn:

1) The synth that made you want to play music: I'd been playing a bit of piano and accordion since I was a little kid and way before I really knew what a synth was... Any songs on the radio (hello 1970's !!!) that had an interesting keyboard hook always got my attention and I'd try to work out how to play it... by the time the 80's came around, I was pretty hooked on most keyboard/synth music but without really knowing much about what was what but from those very early days, the two that really caught my eye were the Jupiter-8 and the amazing Fairlight!! The first synth I actually got to touch (in a local music shop mind you) was a Juno-60 (and as a side note, I got to play a Fairlight too at a university open day where they had one on display to the public!!!!).

2) Your first synth: JX-3P ... second hand and with a dodgy white noise generator but otherwise perfect.... I sold it many, many years later and still regret it.

3) The synth that has surprised you most: JX-8P ... in a bad way (see below)

4) The synth that has disappointed you most: JX-8P ... I loved my 3P and as it was my only synth, I worked that thing to death so I really looked forward to getting an 8P ... like the ol' song goes "Is That All There Is?" ...the sounds were just too mushy for me and overall underwhelming... I tried to love it but just couldn't. A close second was my Poly-61 ... just dreadful in every way.

5) The synth you love most: My current synths: JD-800 ... Past synths: JX-3P

6) The synth you've gigged with the most: Korg M1

7) THE synth you really would like to own: No contest - Jupiter-8 ... I'm also tempted to say a Fairlight IIx or 30A but I think that in this case, the chase would be better than the catch if you know what I mean.

8) Your newest synth: Kurzweil K2000 ... I've upgraded it with a sampling option card and an internal SD-SCSI drive. I also bought the P/RAM card but I think there's something wrong with the card as it completely knackered my synth (corrupt memory, boot-loops, blown fuses on startup) ... I removed the card and the synth is instantly 100% back to normal.... grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

9) The next synth you are going to buy: I have said "NO MORE SYNTHS" for far too long now.... I don't need/want any more junk but I know that there will be another one some day... maybe I'll get the boutique SH-101 to replace the REAL 101 I used to have and stupidly gave away.

10) The synth with the best filter: Dunno .... I don't know if any of my synths have a good filter or not.... I like the sounds I can get from my JD-800 and Radias ... I'm sure they're not in the big league though.

11) Favorite synth manufacturer: I used to be a one-eyed Roland fan but over the years I've used more and more Korg gear so either of those guys are good with me.

[squatch]

1) The synth that made you want to play music:
I started playing guitar in 1968. I think I'd only ever heard 'Popcorn' maybe
What made me take up synths was hearing the 'Music of the Spheres' during a mushroom trip. When I returned to civilization I started collecting analog synths to try and replicate what I'd heard

2) Your first synth: Sequential Pro One

3) The synth that has surprised you most: Oberheim Four Voice

4) The synth that has disappointed you most: Korg PS3300 (because one of the cards was missing, ex-Klaus Shulze)

5) The synth you love most: Rhodes Chroma were cool when they were working (I had two of them)

6) The synth you've gigged with the most: Kurzweil K2VX (K2000 variant)

7) THE synth you really would like to own: Yamaha CS80 'cos I never owned one (but my best friend had one)

8) Your newest synth: Kawai K5000S

9) The next synth you are going to buy: Maybe a Mopho module to use with my PK-5A pedal for bass

10) The synth with the best filter: Oberheim Four Voice. It blew my mind when I was using the master filter sweep and it created these mad Arabic type scales. Insane synth!

11) Favorite synth manufacturer: Roland for reliability. I've owned every analog they made up to the MKS-50. Including three System 700's, 52 X 100M modules, guitar synths and rack series like the P/V Synth