First Synth: Should I buy a vintage analogue synth or a modern modelling synth?

[cryophonik]

The title of this thread doesn't make sense. The choice isn't just between vintage analog or modern analog modelling. There are plenty of modern analog synths including the Polybrute.

Yeah, I noticed that too, but I assumed he simply meant "modern analog" since he was obviously considering a PolyBrute.

[kritikon]

And as reliability has been mentioned...the oldies often have issues. Loads of us started out on Juno106s. Loads of us ended up with 106s with voice chips that went kaput. Mine now has 2 voice chips gone and the battery dead. Chips can be bought, changed and even sometimes repaired and apparently it's easy enough to solder in a different holder to put a new style battery in...but y'know what? It's not even worth the hassle. I simply can't be arsed fixing mine...I could fix it and still get silly money for it, but probably I'd have to sell overseas for that (not a good market for synths in NZ). And the hassle of selling/shipping overseas...mine might even end up in the bin one day. Already binned a S950 sampler (apparently collector's item, dunno why). My AlphaJuno will play and can edit over midi, but no keyboard response...again too much hassle to fix. Wavestation has a dodgy screen...when it dies it'll be binned - already replaced with a Wavestate which has superceded the Wavestation anyway, and I have the s/w which is easier to use than the hw.

You buy a new one, it just works out of the box. Got a Wasp which is pure old school character and cheaper than any of those above-mentioned fixes. Have to say that today is a great time for analogue nuts. Cheaper AND better choice than there ever was. Even for modular...you can easily go that route and eg some of the Behringers can slot into a modular set up too. I bought a bARP 2600 for less than NZ$1000 FFS!

Seriously, get that Brute, not some piddly-arsed Juno. It'll take you years to exhaust all the possibilities whereas you'll hit the limit of a Juno60 in 2 days and suddenly realize...it can do no more than this?!

[lfm]

Polybrute is an excellent choice. Headroom like a cathedral in what you can do.

But still, just making an init preset and start turning knobs will get you started in no time. I see no reason for beginner to avoid PB as you can grow over time into all it offers.

If wanting to figure out how a factory preset works - the undocumented feature to get knobs/sliders where stored value are - do as follows:
- hold Preset button while turning a knob or moving a slider
- you can dial in where the knob is for both the A sound (and morphed B sound if used).

All presets from bank 5-8 are the Init Preset as start, and can be overwritten without loosing any factory ones in bank 1-4. But preview/compare feature is excellent if to overwrite in anywhere and find a sound you don't care for anyway.

What I also like to do with all presets is to balance left and right hand side of keyboard, like a key tracking but for VCA/amp. There is only built in key tracking for filter.
- press Mods button to get mod matrix active
- look for vca slot in display, often slot 2 for Init Preset
- activate key/arp source for the vca slot
- set amount to -74(minus 74) or there about

This fixed the inbalance for me at least, so left hand has more punch in balance to right hand. I also saw a review of a funk guy meaning left hand was weak, and this is one way to solve it. He split keyboard and stuff to fix that, but this is better I think.

I also set keyboard curve to logarithmic, to get a feel that I liked.

To get more velocity reaction to volume as played I activate velocity source to vca in matrix as well and amount +50 or so. I felt that it did not respond enough from velocity slider to volume. I could not play that light on keys to feel it right.

[unkow]

A lot of what makes the classic synths famous is they were in the right place at the right time

But... but... the inimitable sound of the 1967 Telefunken OpAmps???

[dellboy]

It many ways its getting too late to buy vintage analogue synths, at least at the top end.

Today, at a musical instrument sale in the UK. a Roland Jupiter 8 (JP8) sold for £14,000 + commission (26%) which will make it £17,640, which is roughly $23,307. So I guess the investors have moved into the hardware synth market.

https://www.easyliveauction.com/catalog ... -lot-1301/

[Constructed Identity]

Don't listen to anyone else on this site, they're just a bunch of amateur posers! Buy a classic! Something to fill a small room with.
You don't know synths until you have witnessed the origins! Best of all, prices keep rising. If and when you move on you can always sell it on Reverb.
I suggest selling your car and re-mortgaging your house. You don't need those things. You need pure analogue goodness!

[kritikon]

Strangely, I find cheap analogue goodness is often as good as expensive analogue goodness. Do you wanna buy a clapped out Juno106? I have a real crappy one right here - 4 out of 6 analogue goodnesses (well...4 out of 6 digital badnesses run through goodness filters) and it makes a top notch beer/wine/cognac drinks holder - one on each side makes it a double drinks holder! Truth be told, it can probably hold more drinks than it has working oscillators

[MurzimStem]

Behringer neutron has been a nice surprise for me. Can be very vintage sounding. With patchbay, endless potential for stimulating sounds. After two years, doesnt yet smell like smoke when I turn it on, which is good for behringer.

[Shankiphonic]

Behringer neutron… …After two years, doesnt yet smell like smoke when I turn it on, which is good for behringer.

Indeed.
My experience with behringer support was along the lines of: “sorry to hear you’re having difficulty, have you seen the latest model?” They treat “repair” like a 4-letter word.

[Shankiphonic]

I’d just tack on here, on topic:
Don’t underestimate the MicroFreak.
I’m not sure when it was released, but it was long enough ago that people are making “still worth it in 2021?” videos, (and most agree the answer is yes).
I don’t own one, but I’ve had my eye on it for a while. If you can get past the keyboard, the headlines are is that it sounds good, and it’s surprisingly feature rich despite the “micro” status.

[kritikon]

Behringer neutron has been a nice surprise for me. Can be very vintage sounding. With patchbay, endless potential for stimulating sounds. After two years, doesnt yet smell like smoke when I turn it on, which is good for behringer.

I found the complete opposite. I've got 2 Behringer FX rack units that I bought in 1991 or thereabouts that are like new. Built like tanks, no rust, worked forever, no wobbly knobs. Whereas I've had countless big name synths that have crapped out, a Lexicon unit that only half works, some very dodgy mixers, mics, leads etc. Aside from Korg, I don't think I've had any other brand of h/w that is so sturdy, lasts so long and is built so well.

I have to admit that the actual sonic character of those 2 Behringer units is pretty vanilla, but that's what they are and they were cheap as chips with no pretensions of being character wizzbang things. And 2 of the new Behringer analogues I bought are sturdy as very sturdy things. Again - built like tanks compared to some far more expensive shite.

[Constructed Identity]

Here's something you don't see every day: NOS (new old stock)!
https://reverb.com/item/47839605-octave ... esizer-nos
A CAT from the 1970's in NEW condition! I would be tempted if I hadn't just bought something.
Only problem is no midi, you would have to learn how to play in time.
Still, what a find...

[Synthack]

.........

[Constructed Identity]

Don't listen to anyone else on this site, they're just a bunch of amateur posers! Buy a classic! Something to fill a small room with.
You don't know synths until you have witnessed the origins! Best of all, prices keep rising. If and when you move on you can always sell it on Reverb.
I suggest selling your car and re-mortgaging your house. You don't need those things. You need pure analogue goodness!

Yah except if your old "vintage" synthesizer breaks. Then you have to deal with finding someone who fixes these, send it to them via postage and back again. It's gonna get expensive..

I think you were kidding, but i don't advise setting up oneself for bankruptcy so they have a retro collection.

Of course I was kidding, I bought my first Moog ONLY because by 2006 they had digitally controlled tuning. I never liked old Moogs with their yellowing keys and unreliable tuning. I read the book by a member of Kraftwerk, I think it is called "I was a robot" and he goes into detail about the experience of using an old synthesizer.

[grrrz]

confused about the title because the polybrute is indeed analog; not modeling or VA.