Thinking of Buying First Analog Synth

[mechanicalchris]

Hello community =)

I've been producing with soft-synths every day for a decade but am considering making the investment in a Moog Voyager XL as my first analog. Given that I am on a computer at my office all day, I want a room where my girlfriend and I can make music computer-less. (hence the desire for a moog and a tempest)

I'm not an analog aficionado and don't know the market as well but I would imagine an instrument like the Voyager XL would retain its value and is priced accurately; obviously lose a little bit of value at the point of purchase but then regain and maybe exceed it in a decade or two if maintained well.

I'm not buying the synth to make money and obviously everything is speculation but at $4500 beans which could be invested elsewhere, I'll need to justify it; my only fear is I buy it and then Moog produces 5000 units it never sold and drops the price by $3500 two years later when they release a new synth and some seasoned synth star is like "I coul've told you that was going to happen, moogs dont retain value like they used to."

[phesago]

The Moog Voyager XL is a great synth, but I perosnally think it is a bit much for what it does. I think you can get the same things, for cheaper. the Voyager RME+vx352/351+1 cp251 is cheaper than the xl by a considerable amount. its about a 1000 cheaper actually. Consider that you need a midi controller for it, and you still save some money. Even if you get a second hand triton, or motif, which has tons of added features, it'll cost you the same as the XL by itself. Just something to think about, as you can get more bang for your buck.

Dont let me persuade you against it, if its the only thing you need, then why not?

[mechanicalchris]

Phesago... do you think the XL will retain its value over the years?

[Rick N Boogie]

Honestly, if "retaining it's value" is your key motivator, then I think you're looking at this the wrong way. If making music is the prime motive, then look at what it is you want to create, and find the tools that best suit your project. Moog makes several versions of the Voyager, and there are literally hundreds of "other" synths that can all make great music. it's the musician, moreso than the instrument.

[phesago]

Phesago... do you think the XL will retain its value over the years?

It's hard to say to be honest. I doubt it, due to there being more voyagers that can be suited up to do similar things. If anything, the continued course towards better technology might make it obsolete in a few years, but that's not me actually saying that it might happen.

Another point I would mention is if your going to spend 4k+ on a synth, why the h**l arent you just buying a model d?Again, Im not actually saying "go buy this or that," but my point is to illustrate the price versus what you get. Personally, I think the voyager XL is overpriced for what it does. If I could get one for 3k, then I might actually get one.

Also, it really depends on what you want to do with it.

[shaft9000]

The Moog Voyager XL is a great synth, but I perosnally think it is a bit much for what it does. I think you can get the same things, for cheaper. the Voyager RME+vx352/351+1 cp251 is cheaper than the xl by a considerable amount. its about a 1000 cheaper actually.

agreed,
and you can probably score a used Old School for under $2k if you're determined to pounce when the opportunity arises. that would get you ALL the functionality (minus a couple octaves of keys, the x/y and presets) and the same (arguably more authentic/classic) analog sound generation to boot. for half the price of an XL or less, even, if you're lucky like I was - I already had a CP-251 w/ my phatty, so 1800 NovaMusic special for the voyagerOS and another 300 for the VX-351 was 2100 shipped after tax

I doubt the XL will rise much in value, if ever. it doesn't do anything particularly special, and it's a huge damn thing that stays in the studio unless you're name's Hulkster the Synthmeister or he's your roadie.

....4 Slim Phattys...

how are you liking this? i assume you polychain them...I am tempted to scour craigslist in hopes of building a Phatty-5 or whatnot. I'm dreaming that it'd be like some hybrid of memorymoog+OB-FVS only obviously stable-r

[mechanicalchris]

So which synth would you recommend?

I'm looking for an fm or subtractive analog synth, something under 5k, I also like having knobs whenever possible. I briefly owned a tabletop Mopho and Evolver but found flipping through menus and secondary buttons defeated some of the justification for me using a hardware synth versus my computer.

The model D looks cool but is there another synth, perhaps a more modern one that would be a good pick? Maybe somthing that's a bit more comprehensive?

[SSquirrel]

So which synth would you recommend?

I'm looking for an fm or subtractive analog synth, something under 5k, I also like having knobs whenever possible. I briefly owned a tabletop Mopho and Evolver but found flipping through menus and secondary buttons defeated some of the justification for me using a hardware synth versus my computer.

The model D looks cool but is there another synth, perhaps a more modern one that would be a good pick? Maybe somthing that's a bit more comprehensive?

If you would be happy "downgrading" to a Voyager, you really should consider the Novamusik Studio Bundle. Your pick of style of the Select Series Voyager, plus some Moogerfoogers and other goodies for just $100 over the list price of that synth aka $3600. http://www.novamusik.com/search.aspx?ty ... 238&lbs=60

That would give you $1400 to spread around on some other stuff if you wanted. Heck, they sell the Taurus III there for $1300 heh. I went Minitaur/Minibrute for a combo this year since I had a limited amount I could spend and wanted some good bang for my buck. I love the idea of vintage analog, but I have no interest in the upkeep needed.

All that said, I personally love the look of the XL and while yes you can get an external ribbon, rack up a 251 and 351 and achieve everything except some differences in the LFO2 (which are only found on the XL model) but having it all in one place saves rack space and power adapters and puts all the patch cables that much closer. Of course, it eats another octave of desktop space, but that's ok right?

[mechanicalchris]

Was wondering what you thought of the Pittsburgh Modular. I already have an 88 key Korg and it does have HP,BP, LP two ADSR and a lot of the features I want but the price seems to good to be true.

How is the sound?

[phesago]

....4 Slim Phattys...

how are you liking this? i assume you polychain them...I am tempted to scour craigslist in hopes of building a Phatty-5 or whatnot. I'm dreaming that it'd be like some hybrid of memorymoog+OB-FVS only obviously stable-r

Loved it! Recently sold three of them to help fund my prophet 10 purchase, but I fully intended to reacquire over the next few months, as they still make those and a p10 for 4500 was too good a deal to pass up.

The sound was absolutely worth it. Plus if you use an external arp, the slims trigger in sequence(not simultaneously), which leads to disgustingly sweet loops. Infact, I have done entire tracks by setting each SP to a different patch, slowing down the temp and adjusting ADSR so that each voice doesnt sound like it playing the same arp loop! I had 4 and a LP b/c honestly 5 voices does the trick for me. I have never gotten to battle on a memorymoog yet, but I assume it might compare. Maybe? Anyway, the basslines I got out of it were sick, an attribute to the phatty as a whole, and being able to hit polyphony was indeed nice. One of my favorite patches was a pad that almost carried me away! The only thing was a giant pain in the a*s was patching without the LP, because you had to change each knob on each SP. Once I got the LP, that changed due to MIDI CC's that have all the knobs move in unison once you have the LP connected to the chain.

tl;dr the phatty tron as I call it, is indeed awesome. You would love it if you had.

So which synth would you recommend?

Mono- Little Phatty or a Voyager, depending on what you actually want
Poly- Prophet 8? IDK it's hard to suggest a modern poly that isn't a VA. Maybe a collection of Slim Phattys? LOL

[mechanicalchris]

the only thing I don't like about the lil Phatty is not having actual ADSR knobs. I just dont liek selecting sub menus if I'm going to spend on a hardware synth.

[shaft9000]

So which synth would you recommend?
.............
The model D looks cool but is there another synth, perhaps a more modern one that would be a good pick? Maybe somthing that's a bit more comprehensive?

that's called a Voyager
it's as close as you can get to a new miniD.... until the MacBeth Vortex keyboard arrives(speculation).

but really -
it is ENTIRELY subjective

i know nothing about your musical goals and almost as little about your background.
there was no VSE or internet chatrooms when I started this stuff. i had to find for myself what is right for me.....slowly.

since you have enough cash, I think you'd be better served with a combo of knobby monosynths, or a small modular along with a mono like Pro-One, SH-2 or Odyssey etc.

2 or 3 instead of one big friggin' "super-synth" that may or may not be ideal for you - how will you ever know? that's why people buy and sell. there is no 'the one synth to do it all the best' unless you got tunnel vision or delusions.

imho something like an Odyssey + Pittsburgh Foundation for around 3.5-4k would run circles around a VoyagerXL one-handed, but that's just my opinion. maybe add a minitaur for that Moog bass and your sorted.


...
I won't even touch the VCO-polysynth discussions of 'value for dollar'. That's a can of worms that goes absolutely nowhere.
I say this because I just bought a Yamaha CS-60 that by any measure of features/utility is an archaic obsolete mammoth. But I already know it's a better buy, for WHY I'm getting it, than any other synth ever made. I would have never understood that by just going on a forum and taking someone's advice; i had to learn what it was that other synths weren't able to give me by using them.

[Rick N Boogie]

There are no menus on the Phatty. the envelopes are controlled by a single dial, which has all the ADSR buttons directly below. Select a button, twist a knob. No menu diving.

[bhrama]

Voyager (go for $1600-1800 used all the time)+Tempest (used one here on VSE for $1600)+ Minitaur ($600), gets you many, many, many sonic bases at about the cost as one XL ($4600??). I had a Voyager + P08 duo, which was a nice combo as well, and that would keep you well under budget and with a nice sound pallet.

[SSquirrel]

Voyager (go for $1600-1800 used all the time)+Tempest (used one here on VSE for $1600)+ Minitaur ($600), gets you many, many, many sonic bases at about the cost as one XL ($4600??). I had a Voyager + P08 duo, which was a nice combo as well, and that would keep you well under budget and with a nice sound pallet.

I never see the full Voyager at that price, but I did see a Voyager RME for $1800 on Ebay last night