Which mega poly-synth?

[sloiselle1]

Hullo, I'd say I'm a newbie except that I'm kinda old. If this is the wrong forum, mea culpa! Have mercy! I want a big, fat old polysynth. I'm pondering which to spring for and I'm hoping that some of you folks will share your feelings. I realize that one man's treasure is another man's junk so I'm not looking for anyone to make my decision for me. I just learn a lot by listening to folks state why they personally prefer brand A versus B. You folks come up with points that would never occur to me.

A CS80 would be ideal but it will never happen as I just can't afford what I'm guessing would be around $12k for the purchase, freight to a service center, service and then freight to me. From what I've been able to learn, a CS70 would be great but they seem actually harder to find than the 80.

For my budget, I'd be stretching to have upwards of $8k to either buy a fully serviced synth or one that needs service + the service itself.

Besides classical (Durufle, Faure, Stravinsky, Bartok, Copland), music and sound that I like is Tangerine Dream, old Yes, big UK/Jobson fan, etc. MIDI or a retrofit would be nice but it's not essential. So now I have a question and then a short list for you to ponder.

Q: if a P5 was indicated, how in the world can a person tell (without having access) what the deal is with the rev2 -vs- rev3 issue? I have read some forum comments that the rev2 is really the bee's knees sound-wise, has anyone actually compared the two? If the Rev2 really does sound better, I'd rather "buy it once" than save a few bucks.

So, for old poly-synths, any thoughts on:
P5
JP8
Matrix12 and/or expander
Quadra
Synthex
Memorymoog
and all the ones that I've missed . . .

last note: it's probably important that parts & service remain available for a reasonable period, say 10 years hopefully. I sure do enjoy reading posts on this forum, thanks to any and all. -- Scott

[edfunction]

The cs60 would also be something to look out for. I have played on a friend's cs70 and it sounded fantastic but they don't come up too often, not sure what they are worth but they would certainly be cheaper than a cs80 or 60.
The yamahas are probably going to be difficult/expensive to repair when things go wrong.
Prophet 5 would be a good option, parts are still available and they also sound great.

I know you're looking for vintage but there are some good modern options available too.
prophet 08
andromeda
studio electronics omega----with the extra filter options this must be pretty cool!
with these you're taking less of a gamble on aged components and they integrate better into a studio environment.

it also depends on where you're located. some things tend to be easier and cheaper to get in the states versus europe. also if you live in large city there's a better chance of having a tech nearby, good to have!

although not considered a "megasynth" i would also look at the jupiter 4, a lot of people bag it but i think it has a lovely 70s type sound....also the juno60 could be a cheap option. but i figure you want a complete solution rather than a keyboard fortress

no answers, but hope that helps a bit.

[rhino]

Welcome to our crazy world ! Good to have another 'old' guy to chat with:"...Lemme tell ya. kid....back in MY day...."

IMHO look at:

Roland JX-10
SQ T-8
OB-8
PolyMoog (not everyones cup-o-tea)

[Sir Nose]

Elka Synthex

[Z]

I'd either choose Elka Synthex or Roland Jupiter 8 (or JP-6 if funds are an issues). The JP-6 has pretty much been my favorite analog poly, but the availability (or lack thereof) of Curtis chips worries me.

I've wanted a Synthex for 20+ years and finally bit the bullet and bought one earlier this year. It just got out of the shop a few weeks ago and I have had limited time to play with it, but I have to say "WOW!" While not as "fat" sounding as the JP-8, it does come close and the multi-mode filter is great.

[shaft9000]

I'll 2nd CS-60 as best alternative to CS-80. I'd like to nab one myself.

from what you listed, the most reliable is likely the JP-8. other than the heat it throws out the back, the designers hit a grand-slam on that one: change the battery every ~5 yrs and replace capacitors every 25. Easy.

the biggest weakness w/ P5 and MM vs. other boards you listed is they can't layer or split, so you have to multitrack to get those 'fat wide' sounds that OBs & JP8 do readily. The OBs have the wonderful 'individual voice pan' that lets you put each voice wherever you want in the stereo field. Synthex has chorus so you're 'sort of' there with that one, too.
But don't let that stop you - it's just one niggle. You can always run through an FX processor for extra imaging. It's the inherent GRIT and beauty to the sound that counts, and no doubt P5 & MM deliver! You could even argue that the MM is sometimes too fat!

Synthex is one of the newest so it may be a safer bet, but I really have no clue about Elkas.
I have no experience w/ Quadras other than hearing that they are generally a bear to maintain but sound amazing.

You should also be looking at an Alesis Andromeda. It can emulate the sound of OBs and Memorymoog to some degree, but it also sounds unique in it's own way. More features than any other w/ possible exception of Xpander/M12, but it takes some time to come to grips with all the options.

[CfNorENa]

If I could have any mega polysynth, I think I'd choose an Oberheim OB-X (NB: not the OB-Xa, a very different synth). Check out some of the youtube clips (esp. from RetroSounds). Thick. Warm. Discrete. Luscious. Vintage. And there happens to be an 8-voice OB-X for sale right here on VSE (go to "Gear for Sale" tab)...

[CfNorENa]

Q: if a P5 was indicated, how in the world can a person tell (without having access) what the deal is with the rev2 -vs- rev3 issue? I have read some forum comments that the rev2 is really the bee's knees sound-wise, has anyone actually compared the two? If the Rev2 really does sound better, I'd rather "buy it once" than save a few bucks.

Before I spout anything, I suppose I better mention that I've never played a Prophet 5 myself. But the simple answer here is that the rev2 uses an SSM filter, while the rev3 uses a CEM filter. Different flavors. If you do a search for these (SSM vs. CEM, etc.), you'll get lots of info (typical descriptions: SSM = warm and wet, CEM = cutting and aggressive, etc. etc.). You could also check out VSE member clusterchord's P5rev2 demos:

http://www.babic.com/SYN/p5r2.htm

P5rev2 would be sweet.

[urgetoplay]

Choose one and make it work for you. You could compare features and sounds until the cows came home and you still wouldn't have an answer. Any of the "top" analog polys will do just fine; in fact, you'll probably gravitate towards that synth later on after you've acquired other polys because that synth will define how you think about polys.
Currently own quite a number of the synths we're talking about but the Jup 8 will always have that sweet spot because it was my first.
The only helpful hint would be to avoid the Chroma,& the Voyetra eight;you'll need a tactile interface and they don't provide it.
Good luck and let us know where you land

[bhrama]

I'd have to say Jupiter 8 would be the one I'd get. In fact if one ever was available, I'd sell all my gear, but my voyager to own one.

I have a P08, and its nice, I haven't fallen in love with it yet. I've played with a Jp-8 and its quite mind-blowingly good!

[moremagic]

I'm not sure how I'd bother thinking about other gear if I had a Prophet 5, and I know a couple other people in the same situation.

One thing is the R3s tend to be a little more reliable tuning-wise, as I understand.

Oh, wait, now I know why I'd need more gear if I had a P5 -- the P10 can do splits and layers!

[JJQ]

My thoughts:

P5 - Sounds very nice, has a huge sound-palette. Ive tried the the rev 2 and think it sounds better* but I just bought a rev3 and think its realy good enough. If you buy one, get one that has perfect funtcionality.

JP8 - My favourite. Has great sound and is so fun to play.

Matrix12 and/or expander - Sounds fantastic too but it lacks something compared to the P5 and JP-8. But I guess thats a question of musical preferenses. Miss the keyes on my Xpander.

Quadra - Never tried but heard that the case is kind of wobbly.
Synthex - Never tried.
Memorymoog - Tried once...makes me scared. The sound is megaphatt and it has fans inside. Its a monster.

Ive tried the CS-80 several times and love it. If thats the sound you want, get a CS-60, its a good substitute.

I think YES used a lot of PolyMoog, but never tried one. Love what I hear though.

*=a bit ballsier base, a bit less clean. You should know that I prefer the second version of the Odyssey filter to the first. Im not stupid, and I tried them side by side.

[b3groover]

I'm in the same boat. I can't decide between

1) Oberheim Matrix 12 / Xpander
2) Andromeda
3) Jupiter 6

The Jupiter 8's are way too much money. The MKS racks are promising. I want lush, analog pads and strings.