-=[THE SYNTH ZONE]=-

A grendel drone commander would be an awesome first drone synth, but that's obviously the opposite of inexpensive.

vcv looks ideal -- thanks all!

My only comment would be that it's way more fun to play with a physical synth than a VST. If you could get something like a Neutron or Bass Station 2 or Minilogue, it might be more inspiring for you.

the 0-coast used sells for $350-400, most demos seem to have a harder edge but it could probably do big drone-y wash with a reverb pedal (or two)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLS9UZ1VP2I

Any tracks we can hear? It looks really fun. Like a Circuit++

― DJI, Friday, August 2, 2019 1:35 PM

I goofed around on the Deluge in honor of 808 day. I don't know what I'm doing yet - this thing can do SO much - but threw this together in about an hour:

MSS808

Awesome! Very 80s drums and bass.

Had to use those 808 style drums!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ywK9udx4Svc

I have an iPad app that does most of this but having the knobs and sliders looks so nice.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjnjHrTIU58

i was worried for a minute that the lines on her hands were conductive paint and were part of the circuit.

I took my first step into synth world and got a Reface CS a few months ago. It's a powerful little machine & perfect for a synth noob like myself. However, the lack of arpeggiator & a proper sequencer have me realizing that I need more. I'm thinking a Microbrute may be my next purchase once I've saved a little $$.

Here's a minimal little noodle I put together on the Reface:

https://soundcloud.com/found-river/sundogs

I like that piece.

I have a Yamaha Reface YC organ, I mostly just enjoy sitting an droning away on notes.

Thanks, DJI!

I traded some comic compendiums for a fancy-lad wooden Eurorack case (Pittsburgh 270). Having fun on modulargrid finding out how many used Honda Civics it could cost to fill it up.

fucked around and came out with the weirdest patch i could make on the volca fm, this is the result:

https://soundcloud.com/momotaropeachboy/sequence-1

lol I would not have guessed that was an FM synth at all

That LFO is definitely coming with the Earthbound vibes.

ha that is probably the single biggest influence on my music so thank yew

i really liked "sundogs"!

some more messing around with a single patch and a simple kalimba-like sequence

Thx, dude!

I got a Keystep the other day, so now I can start making some proper arps and sequences (you can kind of do this with the reface's built in looper, but it's very annoying to work with). Now I just need something to program beats with, like maybe a Volca Sample. I'd use software, but my computer is getting unreliable in its dotage.

Also, I kinda just hate working on a computer, even though you can do just about anything in a DAW.

Digging "Bint"--was this all just on the Volca FM?

That LFO is definitely coming with the Earthbound vibes.

It's like the scene in a JRPG where an NPC reveals themself as the evil villain and then warps the party somewhere, just as they were about to achieve something.

old Korg Electribes are pretty cheap now - the ER-1 is about the same price as a Volca last time I looked.

Are those the little beat boxes?

I once saw a YouTube video of someone doing a really good live techno PA on one of those. Wish I could find it again.

Digging "Bint"--was this all just on the Volca FM?[

yeah just volca overdubbed in audacity

Very nice! I can barely understand FM synthesis, but one can get some pretty wild stuff with it.

I don't think I'll be able to prevent myself from picking up one of these when they come out, this looks incredible for just $99:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vhonu-rM0B0

Damn all the new Roland stuff looks lame. When will they stop with the virtual analog stuff?

That little Korg thing sounds pretty great though!

The Juno boutique thing looks good. I managed to get one of the first run in Russia but they’d been sold out in the U.K. for years and were going for a lot more money on eBay.

I honestly do not understand releasing a souped-up digital Jupiter for £2200, though.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m000879q

a 60 minute modular-synth mix selected by Steve Davis, former world snooker champion...

(he plays one himself, new lp out shortly as Utopia Strong - https://www.loudersound.com/news/steve-davis-and-kavus-torabi-release-first-new-music-from-utopia-strong )

Wait, what? How did I not know this? That’s amazing.

The Caterina Barbieri album is brilliant btw.

tne caterina has been the stand out track so far. not exactly background listening though (in that i can't concentrate on anything else whilst it's playing)

Talking of modular stuff, I got a clone of Clouds from a DIY builder on eBay and it’s wonderful. I may need a second.

Please enjoy some imaginary action game music I made using Korg Gadget on my Switch:

https://soundcloud.com/found-river/run-jump-dont-die

Pretty cool. Sounds like the theme song to an 80s show about a talking vehicle.

Haha thanks

little ambient thing i did

https://soundcloud.com/momotaropeachboy/fluor

Not a synth at all, but these look and sound gorgeous!

https://www.vintagevibe.com/products/vintage-vibe-tine-piano

I definitely want to pick up one of these when they finally come out. Seems like a really flexible piece of gear.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYHqBt6B234

Totally--that thing looks worth it for the effects alone. And I don't have the first clue about DSP, but it will be cool as heck to download other people's FX and oscillators.

I'm finally diving into the Microfreak tomorrow, and as it happens I have one day to essentially write and finish a track for a compilation. Hopefully it doesn't sound like a microfreak product demo, even if that's what it might be, lol.

Hoping for some of the old 'first time user, don't know what I'm doing' magic.

The Microfreak is the other recent synth that I've been considering - although at £260 it's a lot more than the Korg Nutekt. I was thinking about the Monologue when it first came out, but in the end I didn't buy one because although it could get pretty extreme it wasn't that far out of the usual palette of monosynth sounds. Automatic Gainsay's review of the Microfreak demonstrates that it has a lot more range and also potential for in-depth programming far beyond what the front panel controls suggest.

I'm very hopeful, in many ways it seems like the synth I've always wanted. Will report back (hopefully as a conquering hero).

I got to play with one at Guitar Center today, I really liked the touch 'keyboard.'

Omg I love this synth. I've barely cracked the surface, but it's surprisingly intuitive so far, and I've never had as much fun going through presets. The keyboard & pitch bend ribbon are just delightful.

Also preset #2 is basically a Pulse X bass, what a gift

Well now that I've successfully made a track out of the most immediately appealing & usable patches, I guess I need to learn how to actually program the thing

There were some quirks, like it didn't seem to be getting the bpm from my DAW (for LFOs/arps etc), but that was easily set manually. Also everything online talks about 160 factory patches, but I only had about 120 before it got into the user slots. Not a big deal though.

And I haven't figured out much with the matrix yet (basically a digital version of a patchbay where you can change lfo routing etc). All I know is I got some sick sounds, and the glide and pitch bends are amazing on this (always important).