BCM Posted September 23, 2008 Share Posted September 23, 2008 I've just ordered an MFB SynthLite II analogue monosynth (two DCO's, VCF and VCA, internal step sequencer) and an MFB 502 Drumcomputer (7 fully analogue instruments with 808 style step sequencer). here are some pics:the best thing about them is the price! the Synthlite II is £170 brand new delivered from Germany and the 502 Drumcomputer is £130 brand new delivered. fucking awesome.frankly I'm extremely excited (I haven't got them yet - should be here in about a week). can't wait to get these two synced up with my other gear and start making some squelchy analogue braindance :)anyone used any MFB stuff or got any? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
enki Posted September 23, 2008 Share Posted September 23, 2008 I don't own any MFB products, but their sequencers look pretty interesting. The modular drum sequencer is cool and the Step64 looks really sweet. People in modular synth circles definitely dog on MFB a lot, but they're generally a bunch of prissy bitches, so I'll look forward to your impressions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soundwave Posted September 23, 2008 Share Posted September 23, 2008 I quite fancy one of these for just over £400! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perunamuusi Posted September 23, 2008 Share Posted September 23, 2008 i was looking at these but i got put off by this # I know this is an incredibly lengthy review but if you are even thinking about purchasing an MFB synth you owe it to yourself read further. After seeing MFB products on ebay and the web I finally got a chance to audition the MFB Synth and Synth Lite at NAMM last month. I had oodles of fun with the Synth Lite and purchased one a few weeks ago. I chose it over the MFB Synth because the Synth Lite featured ring mod, oscillator sync, and a dedicated LFO, but you lose the sequencer and third oscillator. The only comparable synth (both size and price wise) is the Technosaurus Microcon, so I'll be making some comparisons here and there. The MFB Synth Lite is housed in a small 5"x7" plastic project case and is powered by a small external DC adapter. The front panel graphics are screened onto a separate inset panel. The unit features: # two oscillators with range, tuning, and saw or square waveforms # oscillator sync # ring mod # LFO with three waveforms and oscillators or filter as a destination # glide with three settings # four pole moog style filter with contour # two ADS® envelope generators with selectable release (release time = decay time) # MIDI in with velocity and mod wheel modulation routings # external audio input So how does it sound? The filter sounds great, and as long as the oscillators are set to square wave you can get some amazing moogish bass sounds out of the unit. It also does well for soaring leads. The LFO can drive the filter and oscillators in the audible range for great FM fun. MIDI velocity modulates the filter just enough to give it some kick and the mod wheel can modulate filter cutoff across the full range. With the ring mod setting and some audio frequency FM of the filter I was able to get some great sci-fi sounds. Now the bad part. The really bad part. The unbelievably bogus bad part. At home in the studio where the noise floor is _significantly_ lower than the NAMM show floor, I could hear all kinds of harmonics when the oscillators were set to sawtooth. At first I thought maybe the waveshaper circuit just wasn't up to snuff, but the more I played with the unit the more I knew something was amiss. What really opened my eyes were some horrible anomalies with the oscillator sync and ring mod settings. When set to oscillator sync there is a horrible clicking/beating sound at about 1/4 the beat frequency of the two oscillators. The ring mod also has some "steppiness" right around the null point that I couldn't put my finger on. So how do I determine the source of my woe? Time to crack the unit open and take a look. Immediately upon extracting the PCB from the case I notice something is amiss. There is no analogue circuitry in the oscillator sections. Over by the filter I only find enough trannies and OTAs to support the filter and VCA. So where are the oscillators? At the bottom left of the board is Fujitsu microcontroller of some sort so lets go look that up on the net. Turns out it's a fairly powerful Fujitsu F2MC 16 bit MB90F497G microcontroller with 128kB of ROM and 4kB of RAM, as well as a nice complement of built in A/D. (datasheet available at http://www.fma.fujitsu.com/pdf/e713713.pdf) It only took a minute to trace out the circuit path of the tuning controls in the oscillator section to see they're feeding the microcontroller. After studying things a little more and putting an oscope on the micro-p it's obvious what's going on. Despite what MFB's own website, marketing literature, user manual, and unit itself says, this unit has *** 100% DIGITAL OSCILLATORS *** What a crock of #@$*in' @#$@!!!! No wonder the sawtooth oscillators have harmonics - the unit uses a 3 bit psuedo-DAC to make the sawtooth. Even worse is that the "ring mod" is digital. Don't even get me started on the pulse wave shape being positive DC. Or the bug in the last note priority code. Or that the LFO sawtooth waveform modulates the oscillators inversely. So what's this all mean? If you want a small synth with the Oberheim detune sawtooth sound you best look elsewhere. In fact, unless you filter the sawtooth waveforms heavily with the filter plan on only using square waves and forget oscillator sync or ring mod unless you can live with rhythmic audible glitching. I'm really disappointed because up until I noticed the sawtooth waveform and ring mod/sync glitches I really thought this was on par with a non-patched Oberheim SEM. It would be so awesome to have a sub-$500 MIDI analogue synth with the features of the OB SEM. And the MFB almost delivered. *** ALMOST *** I'll probably hang on to my MFB Synth Lite. It's a nice little box and will be a fun addition to rig at work. I will be following up with MFB and Geoff Farr (US distributor) so that their website and all documentation is corrected and that they do not misrepresent this unit as having analog oscillators. For those interested I have a high resolution picture with key components labeled on my site at http://www.retrosynth.com/gear/synthlite/s...pcb_labeled.jpg. PS: I'm hoping someone at EM and/or Keyboard mag plagerizes this article when they do a review of this synth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Diao Posted September 23, 2008 Share Posted September 23, 2008 I was just listening to the demos of the Kraftzwerg on their website yesterday. Their products did sound like crap VSTs some amateur made. It didn't sound 'clean' like these new modulars/semi-modulars should. I'd save my money and get a Cwejman. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perunamuusi Posted September 23, 2008 Share Posted September 23, 2008 so it seems you won't be making any analogue squelchy braindance with the synth lite Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest awkward Posted September 23, 2008 Share Posted September 23, 2008 this unit has *** 100% DIGITAL OSCILLATORS *** fucking lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest hahathhat Posted September 23, 2008 Share Posted September 23, 2008 i've wanted an MFB-502 for a couple months, but i haven't looked very hard... where'd you get it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soundwave Posted September 24, 2008 Share Posted September 24, 2008 How can you have patchable modular style digital oscillators? Maybe that's just on the synth lite? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perunamuusi Posted September 24, 2008 Share Posted September 24, 2008 i wasnt being a knob. i wqs informing you that you have been skanked by the synth lie. did you read that review? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perunamuusi Posted September 24, 2008 Share Posted September 24, 2008 :cry2: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soundwave Posted September 24, 2008 Share Posted September 24, 2008 I think digital VCO's are irrelevant on something of that price especially if they can almost claim (or fool) most into thinking they're actually analogue in the first place. A decent analogue filter is the most important thing if you want something to sound better than an analogue VST. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perunamuusi Posted September 24, 2008 Share Posted September 24, 2008 plus, I've hardly been skanked - it was £170 and i knew it had digital oscillators and is possibly a bit noisy (so what) - as for the "rhythmic glitches" described in that review - i think that sounds kind of cool! you wouldn't like it if you just came home with a new keyboard and as soon as you showed it someone they said "oh, they're shit they are, you shouldn't have bought that". you would think they were either jealous of just an utter cunt. i wouldn't give a shit tbh jesus christ mate you need to chill the fuck out. i was raising a point that you may or may not have been aware of. you said you haven't got it home yet and i thought i'd post this cause i might have been of some interest to you. you're very quick to throw fucks and cunts about Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruising for burgers Posted September 24, 2008 Share Posted September 24, 2008 :flower: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruising for burgers Posted September 24, 2008 Share Posted September 24, 2008 you even said "i guess you're not going to be making squelchy braindance then" or some similar snide shit.... man he was beeing sarcastic, it was quite a laugh! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perunamuusi Posted September 24, 2008 Share Posted September 24, 2008 we noticed have fun with your new toys Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BCM Posted September 24, 2008 Author Share Posted September 24, 2008 thanks, that's what i was hoping for really! just a bit of fun - don't really care if the sounds aren't up to much or whatever, if i'm happy with it then it's all good no? and just as a side note - that review is for the synthlite, I've bought a synthlite 2 which is apparently slightly improved and has some extra features. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruising for burgers Posted September 24, 2008 Share Posted September 24, 2008 have fun with your new toys well, that didn't sound like you mean it... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perunamuusi Posted September 24, 2008 Share Posted September 24, 2008 have fun with your new toys well, that didn't sound like you mean it... earth to portugal STFU BITCH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruising for burgers Posted September 24, 2008 Share Posted September 24, 2008 zole Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SCONES TO DIE FOR Posted September 24, 2008 Share Posted September 24, 2008 I got the MFB-502. I don't use it much. Don't expect it to sound like an 808. Has more of an old-timey beatbox sound, like a Rhythm Ace or something. Also - it's very tiny. Also, on mine, when using headphones, the hi-hats are only on one side, which is kind of weird. It should be fun syncing those two up though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BCM Posted September 24, 2008 Author Share Posted September 24, 2008 cool, thanks for the info - didn't think it would sound like an 808 tbh - the reviews I've read say it sounds a bit like a cross between a CR78 and a KPR-77 which would be fine for me! I'll probably just run it through a shit load of effects anyway, so doesn't really matter that much....weird about the hi-hats though on yours - hope mine come through both channels! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SCONES TO DIE FOR Posted September 24, 2008 Share Posted September 24, 2008 cool, thanks for the info - didn't think it would sound like an 808 tbh - the reviews I've read say it sounds a bit like a cross between a CR78 and a KPR-77 which would be fine for me! I'll probably just run it through a shit load of effects anyway, so doesn't really matter that much....weird about the hi-hats though on yours - hope mine come through both channels! The hi-hat issue is only on the headphone/stereo-out jack. There is a dedicated mono out for the hi-hats where it's not an issue. So if you're using a mixer there's not worry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BCM Posted September 24, 2008 Author Share Posted September 24, 2008 cool yeah, will be using a mixer :) can't wait to get them! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kokoon Posted September 24, 2008 Share Posted September 24, 2008 i've been looking at the 502 for a looooong time. and what's most funny, i even started making music that would totally need its oldschool lo-fi sound... just make sure you post all about it when you get it. so i can order one as well :) the synth lite 2 should be good too, the DCOs shouldn't be any problem, i read good stuff about the synth. the biggest problem seems to be the construction, but not like it's falling apart or breaking soon, just the feeling, the lightness... i'm sure you'll be happy with both, let us know when you get them! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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