-=[THE SYNTH ZONE]=-

Finally found an Novation Ultranova for cheap, after reading about how it's Tom Ellard's favourite synth on his blog. Seems pretty good so far (except that it feels incredibly cheap)

https://soundcloud.com/constantlightduo/automating-we-only-have-to-be-lucky-once-you-have-to-be-lucky-every-time

http://tomellard.com/cave/ultranova.html

If I buy a Korg minilogue then plug it into the soundbar under the television so I don't have to spend money on speakers will I go to hell

no

the iLoud Micro Monitors are scary good though

i bought an mpc 1000 !!!! was not impressed at all with mpc live so i went for it. jj os is incredible

Artutia DrumBrute Impact, basically a mini DrumBrute:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKtJftA5o9U

I have the OG Drumbrute, and like it. Seems like adding a distortion pedal onto its output might be a good thing.

EZ snappin are you still vibing with the lyra-8, kinda thinking of selling my alpha juno and getting one with the proceeds

My son was playing around with the Arturia MatrixBrute this weekend. That thing's a monster, the whole push button matrix is a pretty ingenious approach to patching.

I'm pretty hyped up about the Mother series and he's interested in getting one of the mini Korgs. All this new analog stuff feels much more attainable than in the old days.

Also, some of these high tech DJ rigs look pretty insane, and not too expensive. It's all very tempting and I need exactly none of it.

I love my Lyra 8 but it's a specialized piece of kit. It doesn't play well with my other gear besides drum machines. However, what it does well, from droning ambient washes to harsh thunderous noise, it does better than anything else I've gotten my hands on.

Have you gotten your hands on one? Is there anywhere you can try one out?

not got hold of one, strong feeling that it is 'my bag' though

alpha juno is such a great little guy though.

There are plenty of demos out there now. If they excite you I say go for it. Or if you're near Nashville drop me a line.

Bought a replacement DX7IID after being a year plus unable to repair a previous one. Jesus what a fucking synth.

This sounds amazing.

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

My setup:
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1957/44156361554_c0ec3a0b3c_k.jpg

got one of those AE modular sets on the way after a little wait - this guy with extra VCAs and a couple other things. getting the sweet-looking FX module as a bonus for waiting patiently!

That looks cool! Can’t wait to hear what you think of it

Wow, very interesting, streamlined design.

I went to Five G in Harajuku the week before last, which is amazing. It's pretty small but absolutely packed with interesting stuff, including the Lyra-8. I didn't end up buying anything but it's a great place to visit.

Has anyone tried the ELTA Polivoks Mini yet?

This thing looks nuts:

https://www.korg.com/us/products/dj/volca_modular/

Reminds me of the Buchla music easel, although hopefully more affordable

$200

I already have three semi-modular synths I can only vaguely understand but I can imagine it would be enormously good fun to pick up a couple of the Volcas and patch them together.

it is fairly amazing that this is a thing. I'm gonna get one for work jamz.

Aesthetic similarities to the Music Easel are definitely intentional.

Multi Volca jams are fun (I have drum, bass, sample and keys) but no use for anything more than fooling around in my opinion - lack of any real number of save files (one of those only has 2, for example) means you're almost always making it up as you go along. That said, this looks like a lot of potential for sounds that will pair well with something like a NDLR.

It looks quite similar to the 0-Coast in terms of functionality.

I don't really use the Volcas for much - apart from the FM, which is terrific. The new Drum one looks quite sophisticated compared to the Beats and Kick, though.

I dusted off my Volca Keys for the first time in ages recently (actually it was the last thing I recorded for an album), it was very satisfying to get some use out of it. One of my favorite tricks is to mix it with a digital synth, the combination of grit and sheen can be really nice.

teenage engineering joins the mini-modular craze:

http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2019/01/18/teenage-engineering-intros-poor-mans-modular-synthesizer/?fbclid=IwAR0kg8S1ZhPSwqtEjucZVziBaI-ziRL_e7d_sJF6JsCsh78PFvScCi210U0

The new Drum one looks quite sophisticated compared to the Beats and Kick, though.

don't sleep on the kick, it bangs

This seems ludicrous for £140:

https://www.factmag.com/2019/01/28/behringer-crave-synth-announced/

It's Behringer so it'll probably last 18 months before going up in smoke but probably still worth it.

Any suggestions for lesser-known, inexpensive (~$200) synths/toys/noise makers that don't take up too much space? I know about the Volcas, Critter & Guitari, etc.

Looking for a birthday present for myself. :)

Otherwise I'm thinking about the Volca FM, since I don't have a great FM synth (aside from Dexed, which I never really got the hang of).

The Landscape Stereo Field seems to have gone up in price recently but looks kind of interesting.

The Elettrorama WSG is about $200 and might be fun.

The Volca FM sounds great though.

If you can spend a little more or find one used, the Novation Circuit rules.

I got a Streichfett string synthesizer for Christmas. It's a load of fun, and makes these great artificial-sounding string sounds, but can also be tweaked to make a bunch of other sounds. I made a whole track with it. Once it's released I'll link it here.

Could always go for a Stylophone or an Otamatone. The Otamatone Deluxe has a line out so you can run it through pedals and other synths.

Not as tiny but as far as budget fm is concerned I’d take the reface DX over the volca.

Is the streichfett a take on the Solina type sound?

Yeah. This is a good review:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_LVudzk-x8&t=735s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_LVudzk-x8

Not as tiny but as far as budget fm is concerned I’d take the reface DX over the volca.

Dan, does it make a difference if I'm not a keyboard player, and would only use it via midi (mostly for arpeggios, grist for processing, etc)?

Anyway I might just get some Crank Sturgeon contact mics & toys instead:
http://www.cranksturgeon.com/PIEZOCRANK.html

No. It’s easier to tweak the sounds on the reface than the Volca which is worth considering.

Anyway I might just get some Crank Sturgeon contact mics & toys instead

I want to get that multi-plunk gamelan thing and strap it to my bargain-bin cajon

That's what I ordered, super excited tbh

I reaaally want one of these cassette synthesizers, it's just a bit too pricey for me. So cool. And Marantz-PMD222 modded into a tape echo.

https://www.instagram.com/ondemagnetique/

i been having a little volca renaissance lately, never really found much use for the keys but FM through a few effects can do some good stuff

Not a synth but I have a Soma ETHER on the way to me from Russia:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BdiGn0LPMPs