Lucas Posted August 17, 2010 Share Posted August 17, 2010 Hi, I've just been paid for my last summer job and swore that I wouldn't use the money for anything related to music making but you know, nobody's perfect. So, here's the problem : I already own a Korg Electribe SX-1 that I bought some months ago and this box made me discover a way to compose music very different from the computer/software way. I think it's somehow more intuitive and more musical because you don't have to permanently look at a screen, anyway, the fact is that I feel too limited with my ESX-1 concerning the melodies. It actually only features two synth "parts", which both are monophonic. So I'm looking forward to another box so I can compose more achieved songs. I'd like something easy to use with the ESX, so that the two machines can easily play sync. Obviously I've thought about the EMX-1, but the five synth parts are monophonic, and I'm afraid to feel stuck if I want to use some chords. Do you know another gear which could suits to my wishes ? Also taking account of the fact that I don't want to spend more than 300€ for it. Thanks for sharing your ideas, Lucas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BCM Posted August 18, 2010 Share Posted August 18, 2010 well, you could go for pretty much any synth in your price range with MIDI, hook it up to your ESX for sequencing and sampling and have a fun and versatile setup. if you've only got €300 I wouldn't bother with anything new, but there will be a plethora of synths on the second hand market for that kind of money. personally I wouldn't go for another electribe or groovebox type thing, but a "proper" synth to be sequenced with your ESX. look at Yamaha DX synths, Roland D series, Casio CZ series, also Oberheim Matrix racks, Waldorf Q rack, Novation Bass Station (kybrd or rack), Novation A Station....there's loads really... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Berk Posted August 18, 2010 Share Posted August 18, 2010 Yeah like BCM says, I would get a MIDI synth. And if you want to do chords, a polysynth is best of course. Also check out the Alpha Juno 1 & 2, pretty good value for the price. And if you don't mind virtual analogue and all that stuff, the Xiosynth is pretty nice as well, has an onboard audio interface and an arpeggiator. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acid1 Posted August 18, 2010 Share Posted August 18, 2010 Despite the name, I recommend Elektron Monomachine. It can pull off sequences and entire songs... 8 part synth, can do chords (despite being labelled monomachine) and you can also dial in scales which I find helpful melodically. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BCM Posted August 18, 2010 Share Posted August 18, 2010 don't think you can get monomachines for €300 acid1. man I wish you could! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acid1 Posted August 18, 2010 Share Posted August 18, 2010 Oh my bad, missed that small detail Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
awesomeperson Posted August 18, 2010 Share Posted August 18, 2010 I've seen some people on youtube using the SX-1 with a load of other stuff like the dsi Tetr4, check Denkitribe and harlemnightsmusic channels. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ministry of Undos Posted August 18, 2010 Share Posted August 18, 2010 If you wanted to get something new for your money, I think you might do a lot worse than a MiniAK, as they appear to be discounted in lots of places at the moment (I've seen several sites selling them for £229). Virtual, but very flexible, with plenty of modulation and control options and onboard sequencing, basic fx etc. Now maybe someone can chip in with some direct experience of the MiniAK itself, as I only owned a Micron, which it's based on... so I can't comment on the build quality, and there may be a reason they're cheap (and Microns still cost more). But the synth underneath is definitely a capable machine, and I think it'd make a good partner for the Electribe. I think it's also excellent advice to get a cheap 'proper' synth and learn its charms... I learned the DX9 inside-out in my youth not because it was a great synth, but because it was all I had and I was thrilled to have it, and I was rewarded not only with a ton of abrasive FM pads and random LFO sound effects, but an appreciation that some of these forgotten bastard children have a lot of love to give. I don't think you'll get that from a MiniAK or a Micron, but either will make great sounds. A Micron running several rhythm patches with multiple parameters mapped to the two sliders can be pretty spectacular. Oh, only 8 voices, of course, but you can sample it, and it'll still do multitimbral. I genuinely think for £229 it's a good deal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SCONES TO DIE FOR Posted August 20, 2010 Share Posted August 20, 2010 Yeah like BCM says, I would get a MIDI synth. And if you want to do chords, a polysynth is best of course. Also check out the Alpha Juno 1 & 2, pretty good value for the price. I can't stress how much bang for the buck you get for these. Acid, hoovers, pads, that Roland chorus, chord memory, midi, good front panel quick controls. My local craigslist has one for $175. I'd buy it if I didn't already have one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ministry of Undos Posted August 20, 2010 Share Posted August 20, 2010 I've almost bought a few Alphas the last few months, but I know I don't really have the space and I'd also end up spending a load more to get a programmer, negating the cheap price of the synth. I'm well aware of some of my weaknesses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Berk Posted August 20, 2010 Share Posted August 20, 2010 A PG-300 or a BCR-2000? Makes a lot of difference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SCONES TO DIE FOR Posted August 20, 2010 Share Posted August 20, 2010 Yeah I picked up a BCR-2000 when I got it. They're cheap - I got it new for like $120! So easy to use that my 4-year-old was making patches with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ministry of Undos Posted August 21, 2010 Share Posted August 21, 2010 As I said above, I cut my teeth on a DX9, so horrible programming interfaces rarely phase me. But I had a PG200 with my JX3P, so i do know how much of a difference it can make, and occasionally having some money these days combined with my stupid completist mental weaknesses means any cheap Alpha I picked up would soon be joined by a PG300. Having said that, the only polyphonic synth I own these days is my Yamaha TG-33, so clearly I need to do something. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soundwave Posted August 22, 2010 Share Posted August 22, 2010 sell the Korg and put the cash towards a 2nd hand Monomachine, I've seen Mk1's go for less than £450 on ebay recently it will be like selling a Ford Focus and getting an Mitsubishi Evo VII Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucas Posted August 23, 2010 Author Share Posted August 23, 2010 Thank you all for the reply, I'm very new to hardware synths and you made me know a plenty of them ! That's crazy because every synth that catches my attention has a feature that doesn't match. Example : the Xiosynth has 8 voices but it's monotimbral, the MiniAK seems to work essentially on presets and what I'm after is a do-it-yourself synth with more knobs (I love knobs). As you say the Alpha Junos seem to be a good value for their price but once again they have no knobs so I guess that the sounds they provide are preset sounds. Maybe I should re-consider my wish because I'm about to finish my studies and in six months I'll have to move often for trainings periods, and I already have a lot of stuff to bring with me (electronic music isn't definitely a nomad-thing). I think it would be wiser to just spend the following year with the hardware that I already own (which is more than enough to make music) and to wait to be settled in a more stable way to buy new stuffs. Anyway this topic is still interesting and I'll continue my investigations if you have some other advices. _________ Post Scriptum : a DSI Tetr4 demo video is running in the background while I'm writing this post and I have to tell it has amazing sounds ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Berk Posted August 23, 2010 Share Posted August 23, 2010 As you say the Alpha Junos seem to be a good value for their price but once again they have no knobs so I guess that the sounds they provide are preset sounds. You can make your own whole patches with the Alpha Juno dude. Lots of editing and modulation possibilities. You just have to use the alpha dial a lot to enter data in the synth. It's monotimbral though... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Benedict Cumberbatch Posted August 23, 2010 Share Posted August 23, 2010 good thread. i too have the esx-1 and am looking for a synth. so this is all very helpful for me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ministry of Undos Posted August 23, 2010 Share Posted August 23, 2010 the MiniAK seems to work essentially on presets and what I'm after is a do-it-yourself synth with more knobs (I love knobs). Well, it won't get any more knobs but the MiniAK (or Micron, at least, sticking to what I actually know) is no more a preset synth than the Alpha Juno, or any other synth. The editing tools are right there and they're very comprehensive, and the OS makes it less painful than it could be by assigning editing categories to the keyboard (so you can, for example, press a key to go to the filter editing screen). I'm not saying it's the best you can get by any means - I traded mine after I bought a Dark Energy because I decided to go as preset-free as I could. Ironically I traded it (along with most of my accumulated bargain gear) towards a Moog Voyager, which comes stuffed with presets just like the Micron. I'm not complaining. Still, I was aiming within your budget and I still think the Micron / AK is a good cheap flexible option in that respect. You could do better if you waited a while and saved up, of course. You could get a Jupiter 8! If you want knobs, it's not a great leap to the Dark Energy. It's a monosynth, but boy howdy. You'd be trading voices and patch memory for knobs and guts. Getting both side of that equation in your price range is a challenge. Of course there's also a lot to be said for digging in and learning the bejesus out of the kit you have. Make it do things the manufacturers claim it can't. Even if you get shot of it all later on, the experience will do you nothing but good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest radiomellotron Posted August 24, 2010 Share Posted August 24, 2010 The Micron/Miniak is just an Alesis Ion in a smaller box. They even share presets, I believe. And as the Miniak is being discontinued you can get them cheap brand new at the moment. Similar to the Dark Energy suggestion above there's Dave Smith's stuff like the Tetra and the Mopho, which are both great. You can get the Mopho with a keyboard and loads of knobs now, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BCM Posted August 24, 2010 Share Posted August 24, 2010 i owned a micron for a couple of years - really excellent sounds, really annoying interface. i eventually sold it because i just couldn't deal with all the fiddling about required to make an original patch. like i said though, it really does sound good - very analogue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ministry of Undos Posted August 24, 2010 Share Posted August 24, 2010 The nice thing about the Micron is it's a bit of a synth "primer". It's got filter models for Moog, Oberheim, Roland and more, three oscs, FM, step sequencing, a sizeable modulation matrix... You can approximate and experiment with a lot of the sounds, effects and methods you read about in classic synth discussions. It's too comprehensive to have any real 'character' of it's own -I think it's often the quirks and limitations that help define great pieces of gear - but it does so much for a hardware synth at its level that it's easily forgiven, and it's extremely usable. You'll outgrow it, but that's also part of its charm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ministry of Undos Posted August 25, 2010 Share Posted August 25, 2010 In fact I've decided I'm so gay for the Micron I'm going to sell the Voyager, buy ten Microns, glue them end-to-end and tune them so I have a 30 octave keyboard. And then only use the black keys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BCM Posted August 25, 2010 Share Posted August 25, 2010 lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
splesh Posted August 28, 2010 Share Posted August 28, 2010 I'm looking for a relatively cheap FM synth.. any tips on that, too? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Retape Posted August 28, 2010 Share Posted August 28, 2010 tx81z! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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