rackmounted hardware synths

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cause I still love hardware I am considering buying some more...
here are the specs for what I am looking for:

keyboard: no. got enough of keyboard-synths
rackmounted: yes. HE-size does not matter
age: not important
availability: I'd prefer second hand, a rarity is nice but makes it hard to get...
sounds: does matter of course. hard to say, nothing acoustic/real for sure, analogue-type is always kewl, something strange too. sounds should have some variety (got enough bass synths)
price: from lowest to low-midrange (100$ to 1000$)
polyphony: doesnt really matter
output/input: 1 stereo/mono out is enough
multitimbral: would take it, but 1 voice is ok
controls: yes! at least a few tweakable controls (alike min. 6knobs, some buttons), the more the better

after some search I came up with a few possibilites:

- Novation: A-Station, Supernova (Novas are little more expensive?)
- Korg: MS2000R
- Roland: JP8080 (got already keyboard-version JP-8000)
- Waldorf: Pulse (got already), MicroQ

guess this list is rather weak...
thanks for more suggestions!

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here's another...there's just one liitle catch
http://www.paia.com/p9700s.asp
The highest form of knowledge is empathy, for it requires us to suspend our egos and live in another's world. It requires profound, purpose‐larger‐than‐the‐self kind of understanding.

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Kawai K5000R - awesome and freaky additive synth.
never stop loving music.

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nord lead 3 rack and doepfer meq/16

This is the only multimbral solution that works :)
(because of leds you immediately recognize each of the four patches when jamming), great as a drum machine!

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I see you interested in Waldorf. How about Waldorf Blofeld ?
Visit my thread for the links
http://www.kvraudio.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=199605

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It's almost ready. About 60 more days and I'll be taking orders.

1 - midi 2 CV converter w/analog outs
2 - saw/square mix analog vcos
1 - moog type transistor ladder
1 - LFO mixable, varable PW, saw/tri/ramp to freq/pw/cutoff midi wheel mod
1 - varable midi wheel pitch bend
2 - adsrs
1 - external input
1 - mono out

This synth uses unique, exclusive, temperature compensated, high stability, wide range, analog VCO technology.

Table top kit $250 assembled $375
Rack mount kit $325 assembled $450

It's basically a midi powered moog rogue. You can hook an external keyboard as a midi controller and sound source then use the 5700c as a analog filterbank. Any source can be processed throught the input but a synth with midi out and wheels can be processed through the filter/amp, control mod and trigger the adsrs. It will include a PC VSTi version.

efm-5700c
http://www.ele4music.com/user/
.

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:tu:
The highest form of knowledge is empathy, for it requires us to suspend our egos and live in another's world. It requires profound, purpose‐larger‐than‐the‐self kind of understanding.

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thanks for the replies :)

- Kawai: def. to be mentioned. K5000R might be something (thu it has not much tweakable controls), I own the K4 and loved it for its distinct sounds. not sure thu if I prefer software for programmer-synths; yet Kawai highclass is unmatched of course.

- Waldorf Blofeld: yeah. nice baby. not sure if we should consider desktop synths too. I'd say yes, and there are even more possibilites ;)

- Paia: modular synths come to mind.. never owned one. not really the topic here for me... thu the mentioned model is an exception, its rather small and lovely :)

- Clavia: yes again. for my budget the nordlead 1 rack could be interesting!


other stuff:

- Yamaha: they have tons of rackmount synths, afaik none has kewl controls. sticking better to software here anyway

- Ensoniq: they made a Fizmo-Rack unit once.. any good?

- Access: considering desktop units.. a cheap to get virus could also be the thing for me...

hmmmm... maybe there is something old+queer that is rackmounted + has a lot of controls? and not high-priced?

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there was a rackmount kit for the table top virus (b IIRC, the red and black) with the correct angling so it fits right
the size of a jp8080
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Dave Smith Poly Evolver Rack (might be a bit above $1000).
Roland JD990 (+ Vintage Expansion).
Yamaha FS1R.

Peter.
My band : The Black Tartan Clan (celtic punkrock)

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Another Roland JD-990 + Vintage Expansion vote here.

What about some older Roland's like MKS-30 (JX-3P in rack) with PG programmer
or MKS-50 with PG programmer (AlphaJuno in a rack)?

The Studio Electronics had a good range of racks, the SE-1 and ATC-1.

If you do consider tabletop then i would happily have any (or all) of these:
Prodyssey ASB (Odyssey emu)
Pro-12 ASB (Prophet 5 emu)
Minimax ASB (Minimoog emu)

all add polyphony and effects to the mix over the originals.

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Wavestation A/D. There were 2 or 3 rack versions IIRC, but the A/D had interesting things like external input into the wavesequences, and a vocoder. Not that many controls, but you still got the joystick with the A/D. And of course the Wavestation was a fabulously unique synth too.

Yamaha - not sure which model it was, but they made a rack version FM synth that was basically 8 synths in one. TX something-or-other I think...not sure now. But they're still pretty cheap, and very flexible. Bastards to program of course... :?

And someone already mentioned the Roland JD


Can't think of that many other rack synths that ever did it for me. There was the rack Jupiter - well worth having, but probably not in the price range nowadays.

Actually, a thought struck me...there're the EMU samplers. They likely go fairly cheap now, and EMUs were/are fantastic synths. Just happen to be samplers too. You might be able to pick up an E111 cheaply? Even the older version are decent - go for one that has those lovely z-plane filters onboard if you can source one.

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Tip :

Here's a great topic at Harmony Central with nothing but hardware synth mp3 demos!
Might help you a bit to compare.

Peter.
My band : The Black Tartan Clan (celtic punkrock)

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kritikon wrote:Wavestation A/D. There were 2 or 3 rack versions IIRC, but the A/D had interesting things like external input into the wavesequences, and a vocoder. Not that many controls, but you still got the joystick with the A/D. And of course the Wavestation was a fabulously unique synth too.
Yeah, I've actually owned Wavestation A/D at some point and it's actually a really fun unit.
never stop loving music.

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