Your thoughts on Roland SE-02

[Stefken]

The Roland SE-02 caught my attention. I might get it... but I don't need it.
Although I really like the Moog sound, I don't have a Moog hardware unit.
(I guess I find them a bit too expensive).

My current hardware setup is: Roland MC-707, Roland TB-3, Behringer TD-3, Korg Monologue, Korg MS-20 Mini, Behringer Odyssey (most likely I'm going to sell that one). You see I like me some bass synths with character .

Personally I see the following pros and cons.

Pro

- I like Roland and it would integrate well with my MC-707
- Presets : I want presets so I can switch easily; dialing in from scratch is not my thing
- Size might actually be a good thing as I like to keep my setup space manageable
- Price : features of Roland, Ok price and Moogy sound with 3 osc's (Minitaur only has 2)

Con

- I already have the Monologue which is somewhat similar
- More of a GAS thing than that I really need it
- Most of what I have is already bass oriented
- Small knobs; don't know if it would irritate me; build quality only moderate
- Sounds pretty Moogy but not 100%


Your thoughts?

[chk071]

I'd rather get the Behringer D, to be honest. If you want Moogy.

[Stefken]

Doesn't have presets. I don't like dialing in a patch all the time. It's very tedious and timeconsuming.

[chk071]

True.

[vitocorleone123]

Your Cons list..
- The SE-02 has a unique sound. It's not a Moog sound, though you can get close if you work at it. But a Monologue is, indeed, a monosynth like the SE-02
- Of course you need it!
- The SE-02 isn't all about bass by any means. Have you watched the video below of some presets you can buy?
- The knobs are small. Unless you have exceptionally large hands and/or are performing live, they are highly unlikely to be an issue, especially once you get to know your way around it. The build quality of mine is high, not "moderate". Not sure where you got that from.
- Again, while the SE-02 can sound like a Moog, a Moog won't sound like an SE-02. The SE-02 is not a clone or an emulation - it uses things based on the Model D design in a new way.

A performance


Some presets (not related)

[Stefken]

Thank you for your clarifications. I guess I should have said: it CAN sound like a Moog.

Do you experience steppiness in the filter?

[AdvancedFollower]

I agree with vitocorleone123 above. The SE-02 has a different character than the Monologue. It also isn't exactly like a Minimoog, but it sounds more similar to that than to a Monologue. It's also way more feature-packed, especially with the firmware update which added proper PWM (via the LFO). Obviously on a fundamental level, all analogue monosynths sound somewhat similar since they share the same basic tech.

The build quality is better than you'd expect given the size. The front plate is metal, and the knobs feel sturdy. There are some videos showing "wobbly" knobs, but those are actually switches with some play inbetween the detents. They're not "wobbly". I have a second-hand unit from 2017 and it still feels like new. I wouldn't use it for live playing because it's easy to brush against some knob and accidentally change the value, and some of the switches are a bit hard to move. However in a normal studio setting it should be fine unless you're a complete klutz

[elxsound]

Thank you for your clarifications. I guess I should have said: it CAN sound like a Moog.

Do you experience steppiness in the filter?

I don't experience it on my unit, but I also bought the Ext Box from Studio Electronics which makes this a non-issue.

I honestly love this thing, but I'm only recently dipping into hardware and space is an issue, so these little devices are amazing for me. I don't know if I'd have the same excitement level... I take that back. I love new gear, so I probably would be just as excited.

The cutoff knob is the only one that I don't like at its size. You might be able to map this to a midi controller just for filter sweeps... This isn't something I've done but it'd be worth looking into before purchasing, just to know if you can. The rest of the interface is actually very accessible. I have the TR-08, so I was a little worried before the SE-02 arrived because squeezed the TR-08 knobs close together compared to the SE-02.

For stepping/concerns, you can see a video here:

[BONES]

SE-02, bah! Get yourself an Uno, you won't regret it. Trust me on this, it's a fantastic wee beastie for half the price of an SE-02 and I think it will complement your Monologue quite nicely, in that it's generally a much smoother sounding synth (but still with character).

[JCJR]

At big filter resonance any sufficiently selective filter will naturally sound steppy even if given perfectly smooth non-steppy modulation. Caused by physics rather than low res modulation.

At high res the filter's narrow high gain peak makes only the closest harmonic jump up in level. So a slow sweep sequentially magnifies each harmonic. Which has a steppy sound. Perhaps most easily noticed on waves which have solid fundamental pitch and simple harmonic structure. Yielding fewer steps maybe easier to hear.

OTOH perhaps never or rarely noticeable on unpitched high quality noise with LOTS of close spaced harmonics.

[BDeep]

A lot of excellent point already made on the character of the SE-02. I'd like to add that it also excels at big, unruly, raw sounds. With the various simultaneous audio rate modulations and feedback it can get really gnarly. Keep in mind though, there's already some drive in the mixer circuit, so keep the levels there down if you want a clean sound. It's also a really well thought out synth in terms of functionalities. And I wasn't as fussed about the size as I thought I would be, it may not be suitable for stage work, but it's kind of nice that it doesn't take up too much space.
Anyway, when I got it I spend hours noodling with it with a big grin on my face, and really that's all you can ask

I actually bought a Boomstar as a result of this thing being so brilliant (:

[pdxindy]

I like the sound of the SE-02... fun and raw and with enough diversity to stay interesting.

I don't like such tiny interfaces and with tiny knobs... I don't have an SE-02 but have played one in the shop and I know it would bother me just like the Behringer Neutron eventually did. I would rather pay twice the price for twice the size.

My Moog Matriarch is such a joy to use because there is lots of space, big knobs that invite one to use them in realtime. Easy to develop muscle memory and my hands reach for controls without having to look. Feels effortless and it is easy to make small subtle tweaks with big controls. I never develop that with these tiny little interfaces that always make me feel like I am hunched over them using tweezers or something.

[foosnark]

I would definitely try to test one in person if you can before buying. When I looked at an SE-02 in person at Knobcon, I had a really poor impression of the knobs and control surface in general -- "tiny, flimsy and cheap" is what I thought -- and it discouraged me from playing with it enough to hear its sound.

(And I say this as someone who's generally okay with tiny knobs on Euro modules or the Korg SQ-1 or Volca. Maybe just replacing the knob caps would have helped, I don't know.)

[vitocorleone123]

The knobs are just fine. I spent $2300 on a new OB-6 desktop and the knobs, while larger, don’t “feel” that much nicer. That probably says more about the OB-6, but... just sayin’ that the SE-02 knobs are fine quality. Their size is ok, too. But they are crowded. The extbox has a beautiful, large cutoff knob. Can’t be automated though, being fully analog. Adding the drive really warms things up, and the additional filter to remove low end can help clean up mid and high range sounds.

The SE-02 can be very smooth. Just because people demonstrate it being gnarly doesn’t mean it can’t be smooth. Don’t let misconceptions and people that hold them mislead you. The SE-02 is probably the best deal under ~$600 or a bit more in terms of sound and features.

I don’t generally notice stepping. Yes, I have before. No, it wasn’t an issue.

I would never buy a giant synth. No space. The SE-02 and OB-6 make an acronym+number little slice of heaven.

[pandashake]

My favorite of the Boutiques so far. Compliments my Neutron as a way more flexible monosynth.