Poly Synths...suggestions?

Roland JX3P sounds good. I see them going for like £250 on Gumtree.

^

really? cool, cheaper than they used to be!

  On 3/14/2014 at 9:16 AM, kokoon said:

Watch out though, the poly800 isn't really "polyphonic", it only has a single vcf and vca, just like volca keys.

That's the difference between polyphonic and paraphonic. Both poly800 and volca keys are paraphonic. Poly800 even has DCO so you can't have even have a proper meaty unison, even if the synth allowed it, because the DCOs are driven from the same clock, it's not possible to detune. It does have two oscs per voice though, which you can detune. Having only one VCF/VCA I sometimes use it more like a monophonic. But it's kinda weird, not in a very good way. It's still a fun synth, the only synth thay I bought twice. Oh, and it doesn't have a real sawtooth waveform, just a simulated one. It's really a very quirky synth.

Volca Keys on the other hand has VCOs and you can detune the three voices, making it a very meaty mono.

JX3P, JUNOs, polysix, matrix6/1000 - those are some of the cheap(ish) true polysynths, which means each voice has a full OSC-VCF-VCA chain. Very different.

  On 3/14/2014 at 3:52 PM, Mesh Gear Fox said:

 

  On 3/14/2014 at 10:57 AM, Spunk Monkey said:

get a roland jx3p. poly800 is good but jx3p is better. no velocity

 

Try holding Preset 7 during power up. You can play it with velocity now with an external keyboard/DAW ect

 

no way! i am trying this tomorrow. is that in the manual?

 

Not to my knowledge, But I've never read the manual.

My partner did the mod kit where you can use the controller and midi at the same time, Pretty essential kit that one.

  On 3/14/2014 at 3:42 PM, kokoon said:

That's the difference between polyphonic and paraphonic. Both poly800 and volca keys are paraphonic. Poly800 even has DCO so you can't have even have a proper meaty unison, even if the synth allowed it, because the DCOs are driven from the same clock, it's not possible to detune. It does have two oscs per voice though, which you can detune. Having only one VCF/VCA I sometimes use it more like a monophonic. But it's kinda weird, not in a very good way. It's still a fun synth, the only synth thay I bought twice. Oh, and it doesn't have a real sawtooth waveform, just a simulated one. It's really a very quirky synth.

 

Volca Keys on the other hand has VCOs and you can detune the three voices, making it a very meaty mono.

 

JX3P, JUNOs, polysix, matrix6/1000 - those are some of the cheap(ish) true polysynths, which means each voice has a full OSC-VCF-VCA chain. Very different.

Ah ok, fair enough...

My 'cheap' polysynth collection consists of a Matrix 1000, MKS-50 (rackmount alpha juno 2) and Juno-60. I think the MKS-50 is probably my fave at the moment. Cheapest and most versatile is probably the Matrix 1000.

I have a PolySix, Juno 106, JX3P and Poly-800. PolySix gets the most use, next is 106.

  On 3/14/2014 at 9:55 AM, Mesh Gear Fox said:

JX3P!!!!

how has this not been mentioned?!

 

get a roland jx3p. poly800 is good but jx3p is better. no velocity but can be upgraded with the KIWI mod which makes it better than 90% of other polysynths in any price range.

This does indeed sound lush!

I'm quite confused though - whats the deal with the PG200? Is it a must have? Seems like it'd be tough to find and would add on a good bit of expense

The PG200 gives you one slider per function, so it's really good. However, a more generic MIDI controller or some software will do the same.

Yeah, I was mixing stuff up. I was actually talking about the PG300 and the MKS50/Alpha Juno.

Is there any real difference between the Poly800 mkI and the mkII? All i can tell is there's some inbuilt delay with the mkII?

anyone ever do the slayer mod themselves?...almost tempted to try it if it means X lower price

there's a jx3p for sale at €400 here... as nice as it's sounding, I would really need to have real-time knob twiddling control, and from what i'm reading it doesn't seem to be too compatible with external controllers or i'd be paying an extra load to get that Kiwi thing (which would also, i'm asuming, use up my MIDI IN which i'd be wanting to have for the Dark Time)

I've got a Korg ms2000 that I've happily used for nearly 10 years now!

  On 3/15/2014 at 6:41 PM, TRiP said:

Is there any real difference between the Poly800 mkI and the mkII? All i can tell is there's some inbuilt delay with the mkII?

 

anyone ever do the slayer mod themselves?...almost tempted to try it if it means X lower price

 

there's a jx3p for sale at €400 here... as nice as it's sounding, I would really need to have real-time knob twiddling control, and from what i'm reading it doesn't seem to be too compatible with external controllers or i'd be paying an extra load to get that Kiwi thing (which would also, i'm asuming, use up my MIDI IN which i'd be wanting to have for the Dark Time)

1. Digital echo instead of analog chorus. I prefer chorus.

2. I did the mod, pretty straightforward if I remember correctly.

3. There's the original controller, pg-200, and combined with some other, cheaper upgrades/mods you can use it at the same time as midi-in, again, if I remember correctly.

4. Isn't Dark Time a mono sequencer? JX3P has a nice built-in poly sequencer.

  On 3/16/2014 at 12:26 AM, kokoon said:

 

  On 3/15/2014 at 6:41 PM, TRiP said:

Is there any real difference between the Poly800 mkI and the mkII? All i can tell is there's some inbuilt delay with the mkII?

 

anyone ever do the slayer mod themselves?...almost tempted to try it if it means X lower price

 

there's a jx3p for sale at €400 here... as nice as it's sounding, I would really need to have real-time knob twiddling control, and from what i'm reading it doesn't seem to be too compatible with external controllers or i'd be paying an extra load to get that Kiwi thing (which would also, i'm asuming, use up my MIDI IN which i'd be wanting to have for the Dark Time)

1. Digital echo instead of analog chorus. I prefer chorus.

 

2. I did the mod, pretty straightforward if I remember correctly.

 

3. There's the original controller, pg-200, and combined with some other, cheaper upgrades/mods you can use it at the same time as midi-in, again, if I remember correctly.

 

4. Isn't Dark Time a mono sequencer? JX3P has a nice built-in poly sequencer.

 

1. Oh so they're literally the same synth except for echo/chorus?

3. Yea but it seems to be quite the rare item and expensive enough...almost the same price of the synth i'd say

4. Not exactly! It allows you to run 2 x 8 lines feeding into the same synth - so on a poly synth you can create these lovely 2-note cords

Just picked this up on ebay:

http://www.ebay.ie/itm/KORG-POLY-800-Modified-Vintage-Synthesizer-/231176899607?ssPageName=ADME:B:WNA:IE:3160&autorefresh=true

Did i do good, daddy?

Cheers for all the help and suggestions - i'll most certainly be back asking more questions when i get down and dirty with this baby

Cool, neat mods, mine looks far less proffesional :)

I think it's a good choice for the first synth, though I don't think it will be your last analog poly. You'll see what I meant with the single filter (paraphonic). But it's still fun and sounds very nice, especially the filter! I also added 2/4 pole switch on mine, and it's quite different when set to 12db/oct.

If you grow to love the filter sound and if you at some point feel the need for a full-on analog poly, VCOs and all, the choice is obvious - the PolySix. Maybe even Korg will have a reissue out by then.

  On 3/16/2014 at 7:42 PM, kokoon said:

Cool, neat mods, mine looks far less proffesional :)

I think it's a good choice for the first synth, though I don't think it will be your last analog poly. You'll see what I meant with the single filter (paraphonic). But it's still fun and sounds very nice, especially the filter! I also added 2/4 pole switch on mine, and it's quite different when set to 12db/oct.

 

If you grow to love the filter sound and if you at some point feel the need for a full-on analog poly, VCOs and all, the choice is obvious - the PolySix. Maybe even Korg will have a reissue out by then.

awesome

the filter is analogue

poly800 is crazy flexible and playable and costs like a 100pounds. plus it sounds great. and the joystick is cool and there's lots of cheap mods of MKI with added knobs. it's probably the cheapest good synth out there. its worth buying just for the sake of having one. plus, the sequencer is fun and there's some mad acid-ish sounds to be made with the joystick and by hitting random keys when its sequencing in monophonic mode because it creates really great random patterns. i love that synth to death. TO DEATH. and the interface is very easy to read so you can tweak it all the way from the get go.

Korg poly 800 with filter mods

Really?

Anyone played a Matrix 6? I have a broken rackmount one that when working, was the tits. I wish they had put some knobs on they keyed model as it's a pain in the arse to program without a controller. Man I miss that thing, I liked the sound of the filter and it felt a little warmer than many of the synths in its price range.

Yeah I had a matrix 6R, wish I never sold it. Those flat surface buttons were a pain on the ass to program with, but other than that it was a good piece of kit. Two part multitimbral as well, ah man. Stupid younger self.

  On 3/14/2014 at 9:55 AM, Mesh Gear Fox said:

JX3P!!!!

how has this not been mentioned?!

 

get a roland jx3p. poly800 is good but jx3p is better. no velocity but can be upgraded with the KIWI mod which makes it better than 90% of other polysynths in any price range.

I was going to say JX-3P... but then I checked ebay and they were going for almost a grand! Got mine at a pawn shop about 10 years ago for $100.

Find one for cheap, though, slap a kiwi technics mod on that bitch, and you're gold.