KVR Audio

foosnark · Post by **foosnark** » Tue May 22, 2018 8:33 pm

I have a slot open in my studio for one more hardware synth. Looking for something which:

- is in the $400 or less range preferably, but this is not set in stone
- is somewhat compact (if it has a keyboard, it'd be a small one)
- complements but does not overlap too much with my current gear (Eurorack wavetable/West Coast, drone/algorithmic monster; Microbrute; small digital drone toys; lots of VST)
- works well with the kind of music I'm making now (dark, droney, growly, textured, not too harsh)
- I do not care if it's analog, digital, or a combination. But I want something playable and inviting and immediate, and don't care about patch memory.

I've already owned and sold an Atmegatron, AY3, Therapsid, Groovesizer TB2, Red Sound Darkstar, 0-Coast and SH-01A.

I have a few thoughts, but I'm curious to see what people might recommend.

chaosWyrM · Post by **chaosWyrM** » Tue May 22, 2018 9:34 pm

i dont know how much, if any, of their products fall within your budget, but these guys make some pretty nifty stuff:

http://folktek.com/

Ed A. · Post by **Ed A.** » Tue May 22, 2018 9:37 pm

SOMA LYRA-4, about $420 US:

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

sinkmusic · Post by **sinkmusic** » Tue May 22, 2018 9:56 pm

a Blofeld ?

foosnark · Post by **foosnark** » Wed May 23, 2018 2:33 am

- Folktek is cool. Pricey though. I think picking up a used Mescaline from someone who got one in the Kickstarter campaign would be my best bet if I went that way.

- Lyra-4 is a possibility. A lot of the demos for the 4 and the 8 are harsher than I want for the most part... and then there are a handful hat have the exact vibe I'm looking for, at least for a while. I thought about the Lyra-8 but it's a bit beyond my budget. The 4 would probably suit me fine; I just am not sure I want to order one from Russia without trying it in person. (It'd probably resell again pretty easily though...)

As an aside, I like the whole concept of a polyphonic synth where you tune each note. Ciat-Lombarde Sidrax is way out of my budget range. Quadrantid Swarm seems promising but Kickstarter production was delayed by key personnel leaving and I'm not sure if they're planning on releasing the standalone version after the KS campaign.

- Not sure the Blofeld is really the kind of thing I'm looking for.

Some other things I've been thinking about:

- Reface YC. Yeah, the combo organ. It's kind of anachronistic/mainstream but it also is very unlike my other gear. I've heard from a couple of people it's actually a great drone machine, and is obviously very simple and immediate to work with. Something about abusing an instrument Grandma would have loved appeals to me.

And after watching Suit & Tie Guy's performance at Knobcon 2017 I feel like a combo organ would be a pretty cool thing to have anyway. They're also a lot cheaper than they once were (I've seen them on sale for $299 new). Downside: I haven't really heard or seen anyone using them in the way I intend to so this is kind of theorycrafting.

- Bass Station II. It's also fallen into the $300 range. Probably this falls into "I can do that with my modular" territory a little too easily, but the filter FM is tasty. I'm not sure I like the way some controls are shared between the two VCOs and some functions are accessed via shift-keyboard keys and states aren't obvious by looking at the front panel though -- that sort of thing has been a deal-breaker for me before.

- Jomox T-Resonator. Not a synth, but can become a voice though self-oscillation. I feel like it'd work nicely with my other gear. Used, they're pretty cheap now. But also: I just got a Field Kit FX, and have a Pico DSP and Belgrad arriving soon -- so maybe my modular can do better anyway.

- Some random maker's drone-specific synths. Not sure I've found one that makes me go "YES, MORE OF THAT" like the Lyra or Quadrantid though. A lot of them are just six square waves with some interaction between them, and I have personally piled on more squares than that with my modular; it can be cool sometimes but is a bit of a limited technique.

sinkmusic · Post by **sinkmusic** » Wed May 23, 2018 5:18 am

foosnark wrote:- Not sure the Blofeld is really the kind of thing I'm looking for.

I get you. And it doesn't have the analogue boutique mojo some others might have, but it's an interesting synth more than one trick up its sleeve... It can make cheesy new age pads, but it can also be a great tool for starting experimentation and droning. I like it as a secondary layer, along with more VCO-powered synths.

pdxindy · Post by **pdxindy** » Wed May 23, 2018 2:05 pm

Not sure what a used original Elektron A4 is going for now that the Mark 2 is out... good for dark drone-y sounds... also pretty small

whyterabbyt · Post by **whyterabbyt** » Wed May 23, 2018 2:23 pm

To misquote Mission of Burma:

"That's when I reach for my Evolver"

sinkmusic · Post by **sinkmusic** » Wed May 23, 2018 2:25 pm

pdxindy wrote:Not sure what a used original Elektron A4 is going for now that the Mark 2 is out... good for dark drone-y sounds... also pretty small

Yes, good catch : the MkI price has dropped substantially, and is very good (at everything).

drooooooooooone synth. mostly.