KVR Audio

chk071 · Post by **chk071** » Sun Jul 16, 2017 10:47 am

BONES wrote:I think the most convincing demo I've heard is this one - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpKbvRVfI7Q

I guess the premise was to make the synth sound as distorted as possible in that video.

keena1978 · Post by **keena1978** » Mon Jul 17, 2017 1:09 am

the thing is distortion useless it is analog distortion it is most times rubbish to listen to.The new UAD moog color is not bad price is o.k for what you get.

BONES · Post by **BONES** » Mon Jul 17, 2017 2:00 am

The thing with distortion is you have to tailor it to each sound to achieve what you want from it. If it's just an on/off switch, then it will almost certainly be horrible most of the time (unless we're talking about a Waldorf Rocket, of course) but when you can choose where to place it in your signal path - pre/post filter or VCA - what kind of distortion you want and how much, it gives you plenty of scope to get it just right. But without some distortion, most synth sounds are weak and boring. We even use it on sampled strings to give them some body and life and a little bit of band-filtered distortion, subtly applied, can be great when mastering, too.

chk071 wrote:I guess the premise was to make the synth sound as distorted as possible in that video.

I doubt it, it seems well judged to me. As I said, it tends to be useless most of the time if you don't do it properly. Here, it sounds to me like the oscillators are being overdriven into the filter, which is a simple thing to do with an analogue signal path and, as you can hear, it can give great results. It's one of my favourite Pulse 2 tricks and something I've tried to simulate in many of my own softsynth creations.

transmetropolitan · Post by **transmetropolitan** » Mon Jul 17, 2017 4:45 am

The sounds in the video are fine but don't show off some of the best qualities of the synth - which is when it sounds beefy but also incredibly pure/clean and smooth. That kind of sound is perfect for ambient, for example.

There's more of a balance/range of sounds in this video:

https://youtu.be/X2KnRMukzCE

Ingonator · Post by **Ingonator** » Mon Jul 17, 2017 5:31 am

Uncle E wrote:In the US, the SE-02 is the same price as the Minilogue and both are $250 less than the Pulse 2.

In Germany The Pulse 2 is cheaper than Minilogue and SE-02. Korg Monologue is indeed cheaper than Pulse 2 and SE-02.
Current prices here (incl. 19% VAT) for some real analog hardware synths (mostly monophonic ones ) limited to those available below 750 € are :

- Roland SE-02: 599 € (not released yet...)
- Waldorf Pulse 2: 519 €
- Waldorf Rocket: 225 €
- Novation Bass Station II: 449 €
- Korg Minilogue: 629 €
- Korg Monologue: 359 €
- Korg MS-20 Mini: 659 €
- Korg ARP Odyssey module: 649 €
- Arturia Minibrute: 399 €
- Arturia Microbrute: 299 €
- Moog Minitaur: 499 €
- Doepfer Dark Energy II: 399 €
- Behringer Deepmind 6: 739 €

Personally i currently got a Waldorf Pulse 2 and a Novation Bass Station II which both sound great and got tons of features (e.g. both have a dedicated multimode filter with LPF, BPF and HPF modes).
As a Minimoog Model D replacement currently i got the Synapse Audio The Legend plugin which works perfectly as a replacement for me.

Aliens · Post by **Aliens** » Wed Jul 19, 2017 4:31 am

BONES wrote:But then it would be a Wall Of Voodoo.

Uncle E · Post by **Uncle E** » Wed Jul 19, 2017 7:08 am

chk071 wrote:I guess the premise was to make the synth sound as distorted as possible in that video.

It seemed to me that they would have preferred to use a different synth, I didn't hear many sounds that I associate with Studio Electronics.

BONES wrote:The thing with distortion is you have to tailor it to each sound to achieve what you want from it. If it's just an on/off switch, then it will almost certainly be horrible most of the time (unless we're talking about a Waldorf Rocket, of course) but when you can choose where to place it in your signal path - pre/post filter or VCA - what kind of distortion you want and how much, it gives you plenty of scope to get it just right.

The Pulse 1 is my favorite for distorted synth sounds. I used to do the feedback trick with Minimoogs but they always sounded sloppy, whereas the Pulse 1 sounds controlled even when the distortion is over the top. When I then overload my Yamaha M512 mixer (which uses the same opamps as the original Japanese Boss OD-1 pedals) with it, the sound is rocking.

CodeRed · Post by **CodeRed** » Tue Jul 25, 2017 8:17 am

Skinnerbox video review

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQ6sLqlQtlA

bayouland · Post by **bayouland** » Fri Aug 11, 2017 7:34 pm

Should have mine by Monday. More to come...

David

olikana · Post by **olikana** » Fri Aug 11, 2017 8:11 pm

this is the best demo so far. and love that K-25m with wooden panels
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hd-N7nIQZc

chk071 · Post by **chk071** » Fri Aug 11, 2017 8:19 pm

Uncle E wrote:
chk071 wrote:I guess the premise was to make the synth sound as distorted as possible in that video.
It seemed to me that they would have preferred to use a different synth, I didn't hear many sounds that I associate with Studio Electronics.

Or the Minimoog, for that matter.

BONES · Post by **BONES** » Sat Aug 12, 2017 12:54 am

olikana wrote:this is the best demo so far. and love that K-25m with wooden panels

Really? That sounds like stuff I could do with any freebie softsynth, it's really very generic sounding. The most impressive thing is the way the guy plays it, not the instrument itself.

Uncle E · Post by **Uncle E** » Sat Aug 12, 2017 1:43 am

BONES wrote:Really? That sounds like stuff I could do with any freebie softsynth, it's really very generic sounding. The most impressive thing is the way the guy plays it, not the instrument itself.

With all due respect, I just don't think this is the right synth for you. These are classic Studio Electronics and Minimoog sounds. You'd probably love the new Waldorf or even the Novation Peak, both of which seem amazing and much more capable of making non–standard sounds.

I played the SE-02 today and loved it. The cross mod and LFO really do add more dimension than what is possible with a Minimoog.

DJ Warmonger · Post by **DJ Warmonger** » Sat Aug 12, 2017 5:10 am

Another synth that impressed me, both with sound and the features. That sequencer is beefy, too bad it doesn't have mod CV out.

Either way... too many good synths in last yeras, can't decide which one to get

BONES · Post by **BONES** » Sun Aug 13, 2017 1:01 am

Uncle E wrote:These are classic Studio Electronics and Minimoog sounds.

No they aren't, they are bog-standard synth sounds any V/A can manage. But don't worry, I sincerely doubt I'll fall for the allure of Roland's Boutique stuff again. I learned my lesson with the JP-08 and JU-06 and today I am tidying up my Minilogue and Monologue so I can take photos and put them up on eBay, too. I have my Rocket and I think it will be a very long time before something comes along to knock it off its perch. I mean, if the Pulse 2 can't manage it, what hope does anything else have?

Roland Boutique SE-02 ... (actual analog. roland brand, studio electronics build)