if you had to pick just ONE budget synth?

[kausto]

12 hours ago, modey said:

This would be my choice. 4-part multitimbral, very nice architecture, plenty of patch storage, multiple outs. 

yeah really nice architecture, some kind of swiss army knife in synthesis domain

[e-mertz]

I'm wondering if I should get a nord lead 2 again. It was my second synthesizer ever after yamaha cs-5.

I remember being so disappointed by the sound, found it way too clean and boring. Fast forward 12 years later I would go for one again, I'd probably know much better what to use it for.

Also I hear that the NL1 sounds better, much rawer in sound due to using converters with a lower bitrate apparently.

Edited February 18, 2021 by e-mertz

[TubularCorporation]

My first proper, budget synth was a Korg Poly61-M.  Paid $200 (overpriced) at a shop and only got $80 when I sold it a few years later before a move.  I'd definitely like to have THAT back again.

 

EDIT: Not as much as my old bandmate who sold his Juno 60 for something like $500 (also overpriced) to cover part of the cost of a secondhand Korg CX3 probably does, though.

 

This all went down about 12 years ago, but it was like another universe in terms of synth prices.

Edited February 18, 2021 by TubularCorporation

[e-mertz]

18 minutes ago, TubularCorporation said:

My first proper, budget synth was a Korg Poly61-M.  Paid $200 (overpriced) at a shop and only got $80 when I sold it a few years later before a move.  I'd definitely like to have THAT back again.

 

EDIT: Not as much as my old bandmate who sold his Juno 60 for something like $500 (also overpriced) to cover part of the cost of a secondhand Korg CX3 probably does, though.

 

This all went down about 12 years ago, but it was like another universe in terms of synth prices.

Haha yeah, by looking on the message history on another board I found out about me rejecting a jx-3p for 350 EUR as too expensive around the same period. My sequential sixtrak I also sold for 450 back then which I highly regret. The NL1 & 2 where quite ok on the second hand market, but now they're also starting to count as 'vintage'

[TubularCorporation]

I've been going through all of the stuff I got for like $40-$80 a few years ago and it's all gone crazy since the pandemic hit especially. The Electrix Warp Factory is like $500 now, I don't even know anymore.

[sweepstakes]

On 2/15/2021 at 9:43 PM, ignatius said:

korg monologue is a great little monosynth that's in yoru price range though i don't think you can save patches.

Not only can it save patches, it's one of those synths that can perform program changes quickly enough to serve as a drum kit. It also has extensive CC spec and is just overall very responsive and snappy. The sequencer kind of sucks for all but the most basic of tasks, but it can be kind of fun.

The Elektron models both seem great though, and come with the all-important sequencer.

Otherwise, I might go for one of the budget Modal synths in this range. That'd probably give you the most sound design options.

6 minutes ago, TubularCorporation said:

I've been going through all of the stuff I got for like $40-$80 a few years ago and it's all gone crazy since the pandemic hit especially. The Electrix Warp Factory is like $500 now, I don't even know anymore.

Yeah... eurorack doesn't even seem that expensive now relative to most vintage stuff. You could get a decent smaller system for the price of basically any 80s Roland now. Which is kind of fine because there's so much good modern gear now.

[TubularCorporation]

Makes me feel better about dropping $700 on a Juno 6 back in 2015 (at that point by far the most I'd ever spent on a synth and still near the top).

[TubularCorporation]

New answer to OP:

 

 

Quote

 

XVA1 is based on the Xilinx Artix-7 35T FPGA chip, and its build is very simple as it relies in two tiny pre-assembled development boards: the Digilent CMOD A7-35T (FPGA, FTDI, SRAM), and the Adafruit UDA1334A (96kHz, 24-bit DAC), plus a few discrete components.

This selection allows to get the module running with less than 10 components (about $99 total cost).

 

• 32 stereo voices polyphony

• Polyphonic/Monophonic Legato modes

• 4 oscillators per voice, capable of saw stack, saw up, saw down, pulse (with adjustable width), sine and noise

• Saw stack creates up to 20 individual oscillators per voice, spread in tune and in the stereo field

• Two independent stereo filters, with 20+ filter types and configurations

• Oscillators Ring-modulation

• A 7-segment, loopable Envelope Generator for each operator
  (DAD1D2SR1R2, with time and level controls for each segment)

• 7-segment loopable Pitch Envelope Generator

• Two per-voice LFOs with eight waveforms each.

• Per-oscillator adjustable LFO sensitivity for pitch and volume

• Per-oscillator adjustable velocity tracking, keyboard tracking

• Polyphonic /Monophonic portamento

• Pitch bend range adjustable independently for up and down directions

• Extensive MIDI implementation (pitch bend, mod wheel, aftertouch, sustain pedal, breath ctl, foot ctl, volume, pan, chorus, reverb, delay, tremolo, etc.)

• Two analog CV inputs

• Internal temperature sensor can be used as modulation source

• Eight per-program assignable Performance Controls, which allow any parameter to be controlled by MIDI continuous controls messages.

• All synthesizer and effects parameters (400+) adjustable via MIDI system exclusive messages.

• A complete stereo-in/stereo-out effect processors, including:

  • Bandwidth limiter

  • Distortion

  • Decimator

  • Bitcrusher

  • Low/High Pass Filter

  • Chorus/Flanger

  • Phaser

  • Amplitude Modulator

  • Delay

  • Early Reflections

  • Reverb

  • Gate

  • All of above effects can be run simultaneously

• Built-in Arpeggiator and Step Sequencer

• 128 programs memory (EEPROM)

• MIDI in, optional out/thru

• Samplerate-grade modulations

• 96kHz 24-bit Stereo analog out

• 96kHz 24-bit Stereo SPDIF digital out

• Battery friendly, low power operation

• Fully programmable (connecting it to a PC via USB)

• 256 microtuning scales

• Nearly zero latency (< 100 microseconds)

• Extremely fast boot time (< 100ms

 

• https://www.futur3soundz.com/xva1-synthesizer

[ArtificialDisco]

No love for the MicroKorg? :)

[sheatheman]

10 hours ago, ArtificialDisco said:

No love for the MicroKorg?

I love my ms2000. Microkorg never captured me due to lack of one knob per function

[ArtificialDisco]

1 hour ago, sheatheman said:

I love my ms2000. Microkorg never captured me due to lack of one knob per function

Yeah, I get that. I guess it's kind of dear to me because it was my first synth. But even then I'd had it laying around for a long time before I figured out what the big knobs even do.

[chim]

On 2/25/2021 at 1:18 AM, ArtificialDisco said:

No love for the MicroKorg?

It was a fun and versatile synth but sounded weak even at release, let alone now. Hipsters gave it a bad rep too, unfortunately.

[Limo]

2 hours ago, chim said:

It was a fun and versatile synth but sounded weak even at release, let alone now. Hipsters gave it a bad rep too, unfortunately.

There’s an internet site for everything, it seems. Wonder if that also means there’s a porn version of it ...

[sheatheman]

2 hours ago, chim said:

It was a fun and versatile synth but sounded weak even at release, let alone now. Hipsters gave it a bad rep too, unfortunately.

Yeah but ms2000 is a classic and it’s the same engine. It doesn’t sound weak, just unique.

[thawkins]

I feel like the MicroKorg is a really neat little package that has a lot of cool features and I have had many cool jams along with some friends just playing the thing. It's probably one of the most versatile and accessible entry synths so yeah no surprise many people who don't know jack shit and want to get a first synth end up getting it.

If you want to toss a piece of gear just because a bunch of pretentious wanks took a pic of it and posted it online, let me know when I can come and pick up your modulars, Moogs and Prophets. 

[fxbip]

Monologue or Bass Station 2.

I have the Monologue.

It's flexible, powerful, juicy, intuitive.Future classic.

AFX mode on BS2 looks absolute bonkers and fun.

Edited February 26, 2021 by fxbip

[sweepstakes]

8 hours ago, chim said:

It was a fun and versatile synth but sounded weak even at release, let alone now. Hipsters gave it a bad rep too, unfortunately.

Last post from 2013, eh? Sounds like we're about due for a MicroKorg revival.

[TubularCorporation]

3 hours ago, fxbip said:

Monologue or Bass Station 2.

I have the Monologue.

It's flexible, powerful, juicy, intuitive.Future classic.

AFX mode on BS2 looks absolute bonkers and fun.

I've never messed with a Monologue but I used to know a guy who had an original Minilogue and it sounded great.

[joshuatxuk]

you could stop at 5 or 6 synths, or just one

[fxbip]

5 hours ago, TubularCorporation said:

I've never messed with a Monologue but I used to know a guy who had an original Minilogue and it sounded great.

On the whole i think Monologue is even more beastly in its pure sound.

Monologue filter has definitively more bite and character imo.Its supremely juicy.When you go portemento you those fkin sweet pitch slide that reminds me of Drexciya.

Also motion sequencing per step which minilogue cant do.(I think? if im right)

 

Edited February 27, 2021 by fxbip

[mause]

does minilogue count as budget? if so, that.

[modey]

On 2/26/2021 at 8:52 PM, chim said:

Hipsters gave it a bad rep too, unfortunately

fucking hell what a horrible person. I kinda want to get a microkorg now just to spite them. 

[TubularCorporation]

1 hour ago, modey said:

fucking hell what a horrible person. I kinda want to get a microkorg now just to spite them. 

Yeah, the only thing worse than hipsters is people who unironically use the term "hipster."

[sheatheman]

Im a hipster

[cern]

On 2/25/2021 at 1:18 AM, ArtificialDisco said:

No love for the MicroKorg?

No.. Very strange to program and the keys are the worst minikeys in the world!

Budget? What Budget? There are people who thinks $1000 is low budget lol 

If around $100 I would totally bought a used DX-synt