Recommend me a Synth

ElevensLouder

What synth would you recommend to someone wanting to make music at home? I really like the 80s sounds like those found on the Roland D50, JD800 etc but want something new and reliable.

I want something immediate and inspiring. I don;t want to be lost under layers and layers of menus. I'm the kind of person who will quickly lose my train of thought if I'm fiddling around too much!

I've tried midi controllers with DAW and VSTs etc but find it all a bit uninspiring. I like hardware. Needs to have at least 48 keys as I can't stand those tiny 25 key things!

I like synthwave, EDM, Drum and Bass, Rock/Pop and classical so need something pretty versatile.


Thanks for taking the time to advise.

octatonic

It is difficult to advise on this because there is an enourmous palette of sounds that you can get from a D50 or JD800.
You also haven't put a budget. Do you want to spend £500, £1500 or £5k? You'll get very different answers based on that alone.

Why not get a JD800 if you like that? Obviously there are scarcity and maintenance issues (infamous red glue problem- Roland glued weights onto the keys to improve the feel, over time that glue liquifies causes corrosion and otherwise fucks the synth) but if you really want an 80's sample based synth with a lot of knobs and sliders... that is the one.

Otherwise, you are into menu diving with a lot of modern synths that have that sort of capability.

Personally I don't dig the sounds from the Roland sample based synths that much.
The only one I'd really consider buying would be a JD990- it sounds better than the JD800, has none of the maintenance issues and has a great filter. I've had two of them over the years but as I got into modular I just didn't find the need for it. 
You'd hate editing it- you'd need to use a computer based editor I think.

Some versatile synths that have a lot of knobs are the Sequential Prophet Rev 2 and Nord Lead A1.
I have both and they would be a great first synth that you never sell.
If you want realistic piano sounds though, look elsewhere.

The D50/JD800 is a sample + synth + effects approach and that is usually not something that comes with a lot of sliders and knobs. It is usually menu driven because to be able to cover a lot of ground with physical controls you need a monstrously large synth, like the JD800.

Some other things worth checking out. ASM Hydrasynth, Novation Summit, Arturia Polybrute.
The Udo Super 6 is more Juno like but worth checking out.

Really though I think it is better to find a synth you like that does a few things, or one thing, very well, than trying to find something that is equally good at everything, but not a very high standard of 'good'. The latter shouts 'workstation' to me and, frankly, you'd be better off with soft synths and a controller. 

I like my Moog because it sounds like a great Moog. I like my Prophet because it sounds like a Prophet. That is ultimately the more satisfying approach to take.

monquixote

If you want something that can do it all then you are going to end up with a ROMpler which will be horrible to program through a finy menu and won't sound as good as a VST or spending an insane amount of money on something like a Roland Fantom. 

Otherwise you are going to be limited to scrolling though presets which again might as well be using a VST. 

If you do want to go that route then you could get an Astrolab or an MPC Key for about £1,200, but keep in mind they (and all the Digital Korgs) are just a VST in a MIDI controller (Analog Lab in the case of the Astrolab)

If you want something hands on that you can do sound design on then you need to restrict yourself to a single type of sound and go for something like a Hydrasynth. 

Another possibility if you already have a MIDI controller is the Roland Boutiques. You can get the JD-08 for £350 (the D50 is discontinued and about £500 SH now). 

One thing to mention is the Roland D50 plugin is about £44 on Plugin Boutique ATM.

https://www.pluginboutique.com/product/1-Instruments/4-Synth/15264-D-50

I should add that you can pickup a copy of Arturia Pigments, U-He Hive or Diva or Synapse Dune for about £150 which will obliterate any digital hardware you can buy.

blobb

How do you want to use it and how much do you know about synthesis? Do you want multi polyphony, multi voice, sequencing, all kicking off via MIDI commands, or do you just want a nice instrument to play with some knobs to twiddle and LFO's automating the sounds. I use a Supernova II for the former and a Subsequent 37 for the latter. Both great instruments in their own right. I fell in love more with the Subsequent 37, brilliant design once you get how it is put together. Mono (paraphonic) though. If you're just starting out I would probably get one of those Behringer Pro 1's, it's a great layout to build your knowledge and makes a great sound. 

horse

Roland Juno x maybe?

ElevensLouder

octatonic said:

It is difficult to advise on this...

Thank you for your extremely detailed answer. Food for thought for sure!

octatonic

ElevensLouder said:

octatonic said:

It is difficult to advise on this...

Thank you for your extremely detailed answer. Food for thought for sure!

No problem, happy to help.

jackio

As mentioned, cost is a factor for sure. I have a groove synthesis 3rd wave. It is absolutely spectacular. Very easy to use well.

There is a new behringer juno-a-like called the JN80 coming out, expected 1-3 weeks but behringer have something of a history with not being ready. But it's a take on a Juno 60/6/106 and will be full of 80's sounds. I may get one, though I may not also, you know...:)

Edited to add, having had synths on computer with an external keyboard controlled, hardware is, to my mind, a lot more fun. Some of the later hardware synths though have been 'accused' of being a computer-in-a-box...not sure if that matters to you but is interesting to consider

monquixote

https://www.andertons.co.uk/second-hand-roland-jd-08-boutique-synthesizer-237/

SH JD-08 £220 on Andertons.

If you already have a MIDI keyboard you are in early 90's heaven.

Axe2Grind

I would get a Roland Jupiter X. It has loads of stuff from factory but you can also expand it with the JD800 expansion for reliving those sounds. The XV5080 rack was a monster in its time and that's factory installed so I'd say this would itch that scratch lol. It certainly would be the keyboard I'd get if I had the money. I remember when the JD800 first came out in 91 and tried it in Rose Morris along Denmark St. That 'Wail Guitar' patch broke me out in a sweat and tried to save to get one. I ended up falling short by a few hundred quid and ended up a Korg Wavestation which was good but I wanted that JD.

monquixote

Axe2Grind said:

I would get a Roland Jupiter X. It has loads of stuff from factory but you can also expand it with the JD800 expansion for reliving those sounds. The XV5080 rack was a monster in its time and that's factory installed so I'd say this would itch that scratch lol. It certainly would be the keyboard I'd get if I had the money. I remember when the JD800 first came out in 91 and tried it in Rose Morris along Denmark St. That 'Wail Guitar' patch broke me out in a sweat and tried to save to get one. I ended up falling short by a few hundred quid and ended up a Korg Wavestation which was good but I wanted that JD.

XV5080 VST is currently on Sale for £60

Nebulous

Some great prices on Yamaha SY85’s.
This was a comprehensive workstation, with drums and 8-channel sequencer.
The keyboard has a very good action, and there’s a wealth of onboard sounds, together with huge libraries available on CD’s. Many mint examples around under £300.
Pair it with a Zoom 8-track digital recorder, and you have a complete composition rig - one that will give you 7 tracks of pristine audio, with 8 tracks of multi-tymbral synth, and a drum track.
However, the SY85 has no USB interface, and this might limit you, maybe. Maybe not.
Good news is that you can fit a USB floppy-emulator to these for £100, to bring it firmly into this century.
A PC or Mac editor is a godsend, to get away from the small screen of the synth for long sessions. You can easily data-dump and edit through just Midi with any computer if you have the editor software.

At some point, you might wish to go fully computer, in which case, the SY85 keyboard would still be a lovely input device. But it’s surprising what you can do with 8 sequenced synth tracks, and a few tracks of audio. Even better when you run it through a stereo compressor.

Stratavarious

Nebulous said:

Some great prices on Yamaha SY85’s.
This was a comprehensive workstation, with drums and 8-channel sequencer.
The keyboard has a very good action, and there’s a wealth of onboard sounds, together with huge libraries available on CD’s. Many mint examples around under £300.
Pair it with a Zoom 8-track digital recorder, and you have a complete composition rig - one that will give you 7 tracks of pristine audio, with 8 tracks of multi-tymbral synth, and a drum track.
However, the SY85 has no USB interface, and this might limit you, maybe. Maybe not.
Good news is that you can fit a USB floppy-emulator to these for £100, to bring it firmly into this century.
A PC or Mac editor is a godsend, to get away from the small screen of the synth for long sessions. You can easily data-dump and edit through just Midi with any computer if you have the editor software.

At some point, you might wish to go fully computer, in which case, the SY85 keyboard would still be a lovely input device. But it’s surprising what you can do with 8 sequenced synth tracks, and a few tracks of audio. Even better when you run it through a stereo compressor.

I have used an SY85 in my studio since I got it new way back… really fat sounds and a great key action.  Was playing it on some stuff today.  The best of the SYs.

The only risk at that age is the internal battery may fail and it’s a soldered in unit and a pain to replace - requiring a full strip down to get to it.

Today, a Roland DS or D has a mountain of classic sounds on tap and reasonable editing as well as drums and pattern recorders and an arpeggiator. A good value general keyboard with a huge range of those old synth sounds.

Funkfingers

octatonic said:

The only one I'd really consider buying would be a JD990 - it sounds better than the JD800, has none of the maintenance issues and has a great filter. I've had two of them over the years but as I got into modular I just didn't find the need for it.

This. 

The -990 also benefits from having an SR-JV80- expansion board slot. The wisest choice is the -04 Vintage Synth expansion. This includes additional waveform and Patch data that only the -990 can access.

Basher

Funkfingers said:

octatonic said:

The only one I'd really consider buying would be a JD990 - it sounds better than the JD800, has none of the maintenance issues and has a great filter. I've had two of them over the years but as I got into modular I just didn't find the need for it.

This. 

The -990 also benefits from having an SRJV-80 expansion board slot. The wisest choice is the -04 Vintage Synth expansion. This includes additional waveform and Patch data that only the -990 can access.

Not cheap to buy these days. I also read that there's some problem with a component on the expansion boards that can basically blow up with age!

I'd love the vintage synth expansion for my JV1080, and the keys of the 60s/70s woulsd also be amazing, but not sure it's worth the expense/risk, even assuming you can get them. 

I've also read that there's some kind of user programmable expansion board available but that would presumable involve getting dodgy copies of the SRJV-80 images. 

Funkfingers

A bloke on eBay used to offer "blank" ROM expansion boards for the E-Mu Proteus 2000 family of instruments. My vague recollection is that ESI-32 sampler owners could create their own sound sets to use in a Proteus. (The sound library was largely shared.)

•

I have about ten Roland SR-JV80 expansion boards shared between three instruments. None of them has exhibited any problems yet. The worse thing is trying to turn the plastic locking thingies when installing or removing a board inside the XP-80.

Basher said:

I'd love the vintage synth expansion for my JV1080 and the keys of the 60s/70s would also be amazing, but not sure it's worth the expense/risk, even assuming you can get them. 

If somebody were ever to buy my XP-80, this might free up both of the expansion boards on your wish list. (I have the content of both on an SRX expansion board.)

•

Generally, I agree that the prices being asked for thirty year old ROM expansion boards are ridiculous. My favourite example is the E-Mu Beat Garden ROM. Some sellers ask more for this on its own than for the complete E-Mu Orbit 3 in which it belongs.