What's your favorite vintage synthesizer?

[Urs]

Korg 800dv. Most beautiful sounding synth.

I'll have to check this out. Im fascinated in finding out what kind of synth Urs considers the top of the line. Think Ive been secretly curious about that for a while now.

Quite a rich tone. That suboscillator or whatever he's switching in is killer, too.

Okay, yes, that sounds magnificent!

Mind you, it's not the *best* vintage synthesizer - it's just IMHO the best sounding one. There's a certain quality about it that's mind dropping. The new Volca stuff is supposed to be based on this, so we might have a chance to take it apart.

The *best* vintage synthesizer by feature set would have to be the Matrix 12 (poly), the Roland System 100 (mono semimodular), the Crumar Spirit (mono synth, even draw with OSCar) and, hmmm, System 700 for modulars. Each of those however have quirks that make me prefer others with maybe lesser features - to the extent that my favourite poly is the Jupiter 6 or Juno 6 (can't decide). For instance, the CS-80 is not really renouned for its flexible synthesis engine. But it is, alongside the Minimoog, a token synth for being an *instrument* rather than a machine or a geek fetish. Whereas other synths are just extremely special and good sounding. Such as the 800dv and the OB-X.

- Urs

[SWAN808]

my favorite is the prophet 5...followed by Minimoog and Odyssey...I have an OB8 and thats nice too...

[cryophonik]

my favorite is the prophet 5...

I'll see your Prophet 5 and raise you a Prophet 5.

[Sendy]

my favorite is the prophet 5...

I'll see your Prophet 5 and raise you a Prophet 5.

Well how about.... the universe.

I think it qualifies as both classic (it's friggin old and everyone's heard of it) and a synthesizer (everything is a quantized oscillation).

[ghettosynth]

my favorite is the prophet 5...

I'll see your Prophet 5 and raise you a Prophet 5.

The prophet 10 is nowhere near the synth of a rev 1/2 p5. I had a rev3 p5 and sold it because it just wasn't all that. I've had a chance to play rev1/2 synths and I've heard them side by side. There is a world of difference! Nothing touches the SSM2040 VCF in terms of a filter on a chip. (yes I know it's not really a "filter" on a chip)

[digitalboytn]

Oberheim OB-8 for me
rsp

I love the OB8...

I had 2 of them w MIDI back in the day...

But give me a powerful laptop,a good interface and a few choice soft synths these days please

[ghettosynth]

The *best* vintage synthesizer by feature set would have to be the Matrix 12 (poly), the Roland System 100 (mono semimodular), the Crumar Spirit (mono synth, even draw with OSCar) and, hmmm, System 700 for modulars. Each of those however have quirks that make me prefer others with maybe lesser features - to the extent that my favourite poly is the Jupiter 6 or Juno 6 (can't decide). For instance, the CS-80 is not really renouned for its flexible synthesis engine. But it is, alongside the Minimoog, a token synth for being an *instrument* rather than a machine or a geek fetish. Whereas other synths are just extremely special and good sounding. Such as the 800dv and the OB-X.

- Urs

You have great taste in synths, I can't say that I'm surprised.

It is a tough call between the Jupiter 6 and the Juno 6, but, I have to give the edge to the Jupiter, but, this assumes that you have the fabulous europa mod.

I have a fondness for the System 100. I remember not thinking that the sound of the System 100 was all that, let's just chalk that up to monitoring. In the early seconds of my first live show with it, I started the sequencer and this huge bass started pouring out of the sound system. For a minute I thought that I had some 60hz problem or that something decided to fail in that moment when I started the sequencer (Arp 1601). I had never heard my gear create bass like that. It didn't help that the screaming ravers were distracting me adding to my confusion. When I realized that it was the System 100 and that she was dancing wonderfully with the 909, I was able to relax and have a good show.

[10Dot4]

I'll see your Prophet 5 and raise you a Prophet 5.

Wow. Looks like a pretty good vintage synth. I'm going to check on ebay and see if it's available for sale.

[Nielzie]

Minimoog, followed closely by ARP Odyssey.

Oh how I wish I owned one of those.. But I'm having lots of fun with their software emulations anyway

[HanafiH]

The first cut is the deepest.

[chk071]

Quite a rich tone. That suboscillator or whatever he's switching in is killer, too.

Hm, how tastes differ... sound like a KORG to me, somehow "dry" and dull. Each to its like.

[kritikon]

to the extent that my favourite poly is the Jupiter 6 or Juno 6 (can't decide).

I always loved the JP6. There were other poly synths that were more flexible, but it always felt and sounded so warm to me. Even the playability - always gave me warm fuzzies. Which I know is heart over head, because it could make some very hard edged sounds. Whenever I played chords on a JP6, I always wanted to put on my slippers, light up a fat cigar and sup a fine brandy. Unusual for a synth, because most others made me want to drop pills .
Other synths were pumas, tigers, leopards. The JP6 was Bagpuss.

[Ingonator]

1.) Favorite from synths i owned in the past (and was so stupid to sell...):

- Roland Jupiter 8 with MIDI

Purchased and sold back in 2004. With current prices i guess i will never be able to get one again.
The Jupiter 8 must be one of the best analogue synths ever done.


2.) Favorite from synths i currently own:

- Korg Wavestation EX (+ RAM card)

Got and sol one in 2004 and re-purchased in 2005.

This is synth is just amazing and there is nothing like it except the emulation from Korg which i got too of course.

I dreamed of getting one since around 1992 but at that time it was very expensive and i did not have much money.
Same about the Yamaha SY77 which was very expensive when released and got it for around 200 Euros in 2004.


Ingo

[cryophonik]

my favorite is the prophet 5...

I'll see your Prophet 5 and raise you a Prophet 5.

The prophet 10 is nowhere near the synth of a rev 1/2 p5. I had a rev3 p5 and sold it because it just wasn't all that. I've had a chance to play rev1/2 synths and I've heard them side by side. There is a world of difference! Nothing touches the SSM2040 VCF in terms of a filter on a chip. (yes I know it's not really a "filter" on a chip)

I've never owned either. Back in the 80s, I owned a lot of cheaper synths (mostly Junos, Moogs, and DXs), but I recall the day that I got the copy of Musician magazine with a full-page ad for the P5 and P10. I've been fascinated with the P10 ever since.

[10Dot4]

The Yamaha DX7 Centennial Edition looks promising. Very cool design