Vintage Synth Explorer Forums

maindeglorie wrote:
You're not missing anything in my opinion. But for a lot of people, it's THAT synth sound. People need/love to have that sound, even if it's not the kind of music they're into.

I have a sound like that, but I won't reveal it.

BTW Arddhu, I was checking out your music the other day, and it's really awesome. I want it on disc!

Ah fair enough. I admit I've got a special sound too; this weird thing Klaus Schulze does in both 'For Barry Graves' and 'Esoteric Goody' somehow I don't think I'll ever find that synth though.

Haha, cheers for checking out my music. You could allways download it and burn it onto disc?

Box wrote:Idk, I may have to get an Ensoniq ESQ-1 now... I was also thinking Roland JX-3P. But is Ensoniq DCO like JX-3P or is it digital generated waveforms like the Korg DW series? Maybe I can find one from Guitar Center cheap... Happy Birthday to Me!... :occasion4:

P.S. Don't you need cartridges to store patches? Also, is there a mono mode?

1. The ESQ-1 has digitally generated waveforms and you get 32 of these including weird metallic noises, formants and bright "synth" waveforms as well as the standard triangle, saw, pulse and square.

2. There are 40 internal patch locations. A RAM card will give you more - mine holds 160.

3. There is indeed a mono mode and also a portamento setting too.

Thanks OriginalJambo for all your help; and to everyone else aswell. Everyone gets gold stickers for helpfulness. So, the ESQ-1 is the best thing for me to get, or something like the JX-3P or DW-8000 be better? Or, someone could always give me their OB-Xa...

I think you'll be disapointed with the ESQ-1 if you want it to sound completely analog. It can sound analog some the times but you'll get frustrated at how easy it is to get it to sound digital. Also I've seen ESQ-1's for cheaper than $200. I was thinking of selling mine for $150, which is what I paid for it.

I think you'd be better off with an 80's roland synth like the JX-3P. I've got a JX-8P and it can sound very Oberheimish at times. there are lots of patches on the internet for it which emulate other famous Oberheim patches.

There's always the Oberheim Matrix 6/1000 which is sure to give you the Oberheim sound.

EDIT: I've just read your other post about single oscilator synths and I'm thinking the JX series wwould be right up your alley.

I used to get a great Jump sound out of my old JX-10, just using one layer, so a JX-8P would do the job too

Box wrote:Thanks OriginalJambo for all your help; and to everyone else aswell. Everyone gets gold stickers for helpfulness. So, the ESQ-1 is the best thing for me to get, or something like the JX-3P or DW-8000 be better? Or, someone could always give me their OB-Xa...

No idea about the DW-8000 but, here's a "Jump" sound on the JX-3P. The beginning is dry with the JX-3P's own chorus unit added later.

I think the ESQ-1 is more suited to the Jump sound as it's more rounded and less "middy" sounding. The JX-3P is a bit too thin as well I feel, (many Japanese poly synths are renown for this trait), although it still sounds good. Thicker isn't always what you want after all.

That's just my opinion though - it's really up to you to decide which you prefer.

I was originally thinking a Roland JX-3P as my next synth. But I'm wanting VCO, didn't know if Akai AX60 or 73 would fill my need for Van Halen synth. This was main purpose behind my other thread, I didn't know if single VCO is "thick" enough for stuff like Van Halen since OB uses 2 Osc. So, would a Matrix 6 suffice even though it's DCO and not VCO?

Why is it necessary to get one with vco's? Surely the sound is what's important? Sure if you want one that's got vco's badly and find one that happens to do Van Halen spot on, that would be cool. But why not go for the sound first? D-50s and K2000s have great analog sounds. The latter is very difficult to program, but the former can be very easy if you get your hands on a PG-1000. They are also very cheap. Don't know if they can do Jump, but might be worth checking out. Then there's more recent VA synths and many many others...

gfriden wrote:Why is it necessary to get one with vco's? Surely the sound is what's important? Sure if you want one that's got vco's badly and find one that happens to do Van Halen spot on, that would be cool. But why not go for the sound first? D-50s and K2000s have great analog sounds. The latter is very difficult to program, but the former can be very easy if you get your hands on a PG-1000. They are also very cheap. Don't know if they can do Jump, but might be worth checking out. Then there's more recent VA synths and many many others...

I was wanting VCO for the instability and nostalgia. That and that's what OB has. I'm wanting something as close as possible without having to trade my soul for it.

I understand and sympathise. When I was in my teens I could only dream of buying a synth, even a really cheap one. They were so damn expensive in the 80s. Now that I can afford to buy pretty much anything I like, although a certain measure of common sense usually stops me from buying something that is outrageously expensive, I never have the time to tinker with them. I say go ahead and get a synth with vco's. I dont know if you've seen it already, but there's a great review of the JX-3P over at bluesynths.com. There's also plenty of really good sound clips that might give you an idea of whether or not that 'Jump' patch is feasible on that synth.

Good Luck!

gfriden wrote:Now that I can afford to buy pretty much anything I like, although a certain measure of common sense usually stops me from buying something that is outrageously expensive, I never have the time to tinker with them.

So, you want to buy me an Oberheim OB-Xa then? Thanks for the help. Hopefully I can scrape enough up for an Oberheim Matrix 6. If not I'll get a Roland JX-3P I suppose.

Box,

Do yourself a favor and save up for an Oberheim already. Sell your ION if need be. How much can you afford? You might want to try a better VA too, instead of an Obie, if you can't afford it.

Oberheim OB-Xa are 1500+ aren't they? Even if I were to sell all my keyboards I wouldn't half of it. h**l, I don't know if I can get another keyboard yet. I'm having to spend $500 to get my car runnning; priorities I suppose. I'm limited to a few hundred for next keyboard purchase if there is to be a purchase.

I know your wanting a synth with VCO's but I think the best synth for you is in the JX series. As Jambo said the 3P is a little thin sounding...I'l have to take his word for it but the 8P is anything but thin. I think this is the best synth for you take a look at the review on Blue Synths for the JX-8P.

I say a VCO synth isn't that important for what you're wanting. The oscillators are still analog on the JX synths so it will still sound analog. When you detune the second oscillator it sounds huge. I've never played an Matrix 6 so I'm not sure if it would be better, but the 8P will definetly do what you want.

insky wrote:I know your wanting a synth with VCO's but I think the best synth for you is in the JX series. As Jambo said the 3P is a little thin sounding...I'l have to take his word for it but the 8P is anything but thin. I think this is the best synth for you take a look at the review on Blue Synths for the JX-8P.

I say a VCO synth isn't that important for what you're wanting. The oscillators are still analog on the JX synths so it will still sound analog. When you detune the second oscillator it sounds huge. I've never played an Matrix 6 so I'm not sure if it would be better, but the 8P will definetly do what you want.

Thanks insky. The Roland JX-3P or 8P had been and are at the top of my list. JX-3P was used by Harold Faltermeyer in Axel F. and the JX-8P was used in the Final Countdown. Those were some of the contributing factors as to what I wanted them from the get-go. So, the 8P is superior to 3P, I suppose?