Toys I/WE/YOU Can't Afford......

ARP2500's have terrible crosstalk in the mod matrix that's why they are unreliable as fuck.

Xpanders are shit to program and have shit envelopes.

There's only one TB303 but the sequencer is a ball ache and emulators like the x0x and Revolution do a pretty good job.

The other classic Roland's are nice but they are very limited and you aren't going to get anything original from them.

VCS3 sound raw as fuck but are near useless for pitched notes.

Buchla's re overpriced for the build quality you get.

G2's filters arn't as nice as the G1's and you have to spend a lot of time on the Nord Modulars to get anything decent out of them.The Blofeld sounds better digital with less effort IMHO, has much better polyphony and has a better engine than the old Q.

The Tenori looks cool but has a shit ROMpler sound engine.

GAS is an evil distraction from being creative. :devil:

Soundwave, most of your points in the above post are either wrong or else a gross exaggeration.

1) I've never used an ARP 2500, but I'm on various mailing lists and forums where people discuss the use of them and I've never heard the crosstalk described as horrible, and "unreliable as fuck" would be an exaggeration. They aren't 100% reliable but they can be brought to above 50% unreliable.

2) All the Xpander controllers can be easily controlled by sysex, environments can be easily created in Logic or whatever to control every parameter. Perhaps you could clarify what you mean by "shit envelopes"?

3) While some people find the TB303 sequencer confusing, spend a few hours on it and you'll easily be able to program it. The unusual sequencer is half the magic of the instrument, leading to lots of "happy accidents". Clones do come close but nothing will ever sound the same. Even a 303 doesn't same the same as other 303s, I've compared mine to others and they sound noticeibly different.

4) "Other classic Roland" can refer to literally hundreds of instruments. Even the limited ones can sound amazing (perhaps because they're limited?). I regularly get original and unusual sounds out of my SH101 and System 101 (I just own the keyboard part not the whole system)

5) I own an EMS Synthi and it's great for pitched notes. The VCS3 is works exactly the same way.

6) Don Buchla talks about the build quality of his Buchla modules here:

http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/mar06/articles/crosstalk.htm

7) Some people have said the G2 filters don't sound as good as the G1, this is your first correct point. I own a G1 modular and when I don't want to spend time getting decent out of it I just check out the large patch archives available around the net. Christian Vogel posted a few of his G1 patches years ago, they're a good start.

8) I haven't used a Tenori but so say it sounds shit is an exaggeration. Maybe not the best sound in the world but better than a lot of things out there.

9) Only if you let it be

hi richard.

1) I have (breifly) and above 50% reliable isn't very good really on a synth of this level. The matrix is unbufferd (like the early EMS) therfore it really limits the amount of stable modulation options at any one time thats why they didn't make very many. It sound just like an Odyssey at the end of the day.

2) It's not the layout I'm talking about, regardless of sysex the Xpander behaves in a very non linear fashion like only having effective ranges in a say 20 of the 64 increments on many parameters even then the range in which you can modulate stuff doesn't go as far as it should like on a 100% analogue. The envelopes being early digital are as sharp as a butter knife.

3) I've spent hours programming a TB sequencer thats the problem, the Revolution pisses on it from a very great hight and is better to use live.

4) 101/106/202/303/808/909's all sound good just not very original these days.

5) You must have a later one then.

6)"As Gordon stated, such comparisons involving the 200e are not straightforward, as there aren't many other synths quite like it, but by doing this as far as possible, he concluded that the Buchla could indeed seem cheap by comparison."

7) Buying a Nord Modular for the vast amount of presets is a little sad.

8) Tenori's are an early venture into something a little different however they are nowhere near as poweful or ground breaking as the sequencers on Elektrons, they just look pretty but are relatively basic in comparison. You won't see Sean and Rob getting wet knickers over one.

9)

back to topic - just wanted to post this Quintronics Drum Buddy analogue drum synth:

Soundwave, your points are once again exaggerations, except for the Synthi one which is just wrong. It's an MK1 Ems Synthi A, one of the first model of the Synthi range constructed in 1971. The instability of its modulation options only add to its sound.

To other readers, don't let Soundwave's negative views cloud your judgement on any of the synths he mentioned. If he seems bitter perhaps it's because he'll always be second fiddle to Megatron.

In the spirit of the thread I'd like to nominate the Macbeth M5N as a toy I currently want but currently can't afford.

nice

  soundwave said:

ARP2500's have terrible crosstalk in the mod matrix that's why they are unreliable as fuck.

you're talking out of your ass big time, you've never used one right?

  Rbrmyofr said:

don't let Soundwave's negative views cloud your judgement on any of the synths he mentioned.

i won't i could tell by the tone of his post he woke up on the wrong side of his bunk bed

  Rbrmyofr said:

To other readers, don't let Soundwave's negative views cloud your judgement on any of the synths he mentioned. If he seems bitter perhaps it's because he'll always be second fiddle to Megatron.

Haha. I don't think anyone is gonna be deterred from using these since this is a thread about items which we will likely never own.

  BCM said:

back to topic - just wanted to post this Quintronics Drum Buddy analogue drum synth:

that looks awesome; it even has an ignition key?!

  doorjamb said:

  BCM said:

back to topic - just wanted to post this Quintronics Drum Buddy analogue drum synth:

that looks awesome; it even has an ignition key?!

check it out!

Nothing like starting off your Sunday with an old fashioned synthesis argument.

  BCM said:

  doorjamb said:

  BCM said:

back to topic - just wanted to post this Quintronics Drum Buddy analogue drum synth:

that looks awesome; it even has an ignition key?!

 

check it out!

 

this video makes it seem really underwhelming. It seems like his turntable and modded Sk1 is making most of the cool sounds in this? i mean don't get me wrong it looks bad ass but it doesnt sound that cool

Ok the VCO board on my Vostok is still fucked and its really been getting me down recently

fucking analogues!!!!!!!! :arrr:

Hahaha. I love the hands in that video.

Tenori-on sounds like something that looks cool but actually doesn't do much and some software probably does whatever it does a million times better

isn't it something like a MIDI controller with more lights (sorry I can't get sound on Youtube right now)

I sort of semi-seriously want one of these http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&...tab=wi&um=1 the specs seem ok but really it's just because I love how it's an audio interface that has a FEEL to it, like how all the old synthesizers looked so... don't know how to describe it