KVR Audio

V0rtex · Post by **V0rtex** » Tue Apr 12, 2022 12:03 pm

Hello Guys !

I would kindly ask you for your opinion !

Take 5 ( Dave Smith, Sequential) or Peak ( Novation) ?

After long research I left with these two options.
What I love about Peak is more Polyphony, Wavetables, Effects, 3 Osc
What I love about Take 5, The Raw sound of oscilators , it sounds more organic ( maybie placebo) but raw oscillators of Peak sound Death, Artificial.

I am buying my first Poly - Hardware synth and I have budget about 1200 Euros.
Any opinions will be highly appreciated.

thank you very much

cryophonik · Post by **cryophonik** » Tue Apr 12, 2022 4:16 pm

I’ve owned many Sequential/DSI synths (currently have a Rev2 module) and I have a Peak. I’ve watched and read a few reviews of the Take5 but haven’t had my hands on one yet, but the one thing I’ve seen consistently is that its build quality was sacrificed and I’ve seen it described as “cheap.” That’s really the only complaint I’ve consistently seen, but hopefully some actual owners here will chime in and confirm or refute that. As for the Peak, well, it’s a beast and one of my fav hardware synths I’ve ever owned. It’s capable of so much, has a great interface, very logical mod matrix, solid build, great fx, etc etc etc. I was a “little” skeptical about the sound before buying it because all the demos I was hearing sounded pretty vanilla, but since owning mine for a few months now I can say that it’s definitely not!

kritikon · Post by **kritikon** » Tue Apr 12, 2022 6:18 pm

Was recently mulling over a poly - ended up not getting one but my take on a few of them.

Korg Prologue - beautiful filters (with filter drive), lots of features and apparently has a very good keybed. Supply a bit iffy but they do seem to to still be available. Fairly recent price drop too.

Sequential - as mentioned above, seems like quality issues. Great features (filter drive etc a must have for character IMO) though to my ears from demos the filters are a bit vanilla without drive. At least in NZ the prices are horrific though - way above everything else. Not sure they're worth that large premium.

Arturia - various Brutes with shitloads of features and definitely a gritty character. I think I'd go for a matrixBrute myself. They are reasonably expensive but pack in more than some of the others so the premium is justified IMO.

Peak - again loads of features. To my ears maybe a little vanilla but I haven't had that much hands on with them. Reasonable value IMO.

Behringer Deepmind. Obvs the cheapest of any of them. You'll get 12 voices for less than 6 on most of the others. What they lack in character (quite vanilla filters) they pack in features instead. A great all-rounder but won't set your ears on fire. Half the price of most of the others though...

Maybe even consider some 4 voice alternatives. Behringer Monopoly, PolyD, Minilogue XD etc. You can play 4 notes, though obvs that limits you. But something like a Monopoly you get screaming character with a limited ability for poly. PolyD is basically a Moog. You either love or hate Moog filters (personally I don't like them). Minilogue XD seems to pack in a lot for the price - I'll be getting one soon.

V0rtex · Post by **V0rtex** » Wed Apr 13, 2022 10:16 am

Thank you guys for the input !

Definitely I was looking for Prologue also, but 1 LFO is a big turn off.
Minilogue XD seems good also, but again 1 LFO.

I will check that Behringer Monopoly , but I think it is Paraphonic not poly.

I have go to some local store to check them out but where I am living they have non of them.

Regards

Jakub

FakeNatty · Post by **FakeNatty** » Wed Apr 13, 2022 7:23 pm

Modal Argon? It has wavetable. Never used the ones you mentioned though

thecontrolcentre · Post by **thecontrolcentre** » Wed Apr 13, 2022 8:05 pm

Dreadbox Nymphes ... 6 voice analog poly in a tiny box for £400. Sounds great.

kritikon · Post by **kritikon** » Thu Apr 14, 2022 12:43 am

V0rtex wrote: Wed Apr 13, 2022 10:16 am Thank you guys for the input !

Definitely I was looking for Prologue also, but 1 LFO is a big turn off.
Minilogue XD seems good also, but again 1 LFO.

I will check that Behringer Monopoly , but I think it is Paraphonic not poly.

I have go to some local store to check them out but where I am living they have non of them.

Regards

Jakub

I agree quite a few synths seem to be stingy with their LFOs. Dunno why they stick at 1. Not only the Prologue & XD though. From what I can see the Sequential ones have 1 LFO too, though some of them can use a VCO as an LFO - not sure if they all can do that. And doing that takes away one of your VCOs. OB6 (which many seem to rave about) has only 1 LFO.
PolyBrute seems to be a winner here - 3 env & 3 LFO.
Peak has 2 LFOs but a quick read through their blurb shows it to be DCO (though probably quite flexible ones) and all digital LFOs etc.
Monopoly has 2 LFOs but yeah...is paraphonic not true poly.

PolyBrute probably offers the most in terms of a true poly. More mod features and despite having a ladder filter (i.e. Moog type filter - meh!) also offers the Steiner filter which has way more character. Ladder filters are generally crap at bass, depending on what you're doing - they roll off the bass a LOT with resonance. One of the main reasons I just don't like Moogs.

kritikon · Post by **kritikon** » Thu Apr 14, 2022 12:48 am

I'll have to look into Dreadbox too. They do seem to offer character synths, and I love the sound of their filters. But they all look like they're too limited on the front panel - I know they offer more under the hood but all that menu diving seems to detract from the whole point of analogue knobiness IMO. I think if I were to delve into Dreadbox I'd probably rather go for their modular units and make up a proper synth with proper controls. I love their sound but personally think their GUI misses the mark by quite a bit.

Great budget option though...

But I reckon if it's your first ever analogue poly - you want knobs, and lots of them. Amiright? (I'm not having a go, by the way...we all love knobs here)...hang on, that didn't sound right. Sounded a bit like completely the wrong forum for that sort of thing...

vurt · Post by **vurt** » Thu Apr 14, 2022 1:32 am

pervert.

zerocrossing · Post by **zerocrossing** » Thu Apr 14, 2022 3:58 am

Just flip a coin and buy one and start saving for the other. You know you will anyway.

V0rtex · Post by **V0rtex** » Thu Apr 14, 2022 5:04 am

FakeNatty wrote: Wed Apr 13, 2022 7:23 pm Modal Argon? It has wavetable. Never used the ones you mentioned though

Yea, I was checking that also, interesting synth....

kritikon · Post by **kritikon** » Thu Apr 14, 2022 5:23 am

Bear in mind Argon is digital through and through. That's not a problem at all - there are some very good digital hw synths. If you're not bothered whether it's digital or analogue then digital might be the way to go - you usually get far more options on digital synths e.g more mod options, more LFOs, more oscillators than you do on analogue and you should definitely expect more voices. But they generally sound different to analogue. Still make sure you get plenty of knobs though...

V0rtex · Post by **V0rtex** » Thu Apr 14, 2022 5:27 am

kritikon wrote: Thu Apr 14, 2022 12:43 am
V0rtex wrote: Wed Apr 13, 2022 10:16 am Thank you guys for the input !

Definitely I was looking for Prologue also, but 1 LFO is a big turn off.
Minilogue XD seems good also, but again 1 LFO.

I will check that Behringer Monopoly , but I think it is Paraphonic not poly.

I have go to some local store to check them out but where I am living they have non of them.

Regards

Jakub
I agree quite a few synths seem to be stingy with their LFOs. Dunno why they stick at 1. Not only the Prologue & XD though. From what I can see the Sequential ones have 1 LFO too, though some of them can use a VCO as an LFO - not sure if they all can do that. And doing that takes away one of your VCOs. OB6 (which many seem to rave about) has only 1 LFO.
PolyBrute seems to be a winner here - 3 env & 3 LFO.
Peak has 2 LFOs but a quick read through their blurb shows it to be DCO (though probably quite flexible ones) and all digital LFOs etc.
Monopoly has 2 LFOs but yeah...is paraphonic not true poly.

PolyBrute probably offers the most in terms of a true poly. More mod features and despite having a ladder filter (i.e. Moog type filter - meh!) also offers the Steiner filter which has way more character. Ladder filters are generally crap at bass, depending on what you're doing - they roll off the bass a LOT with resonance. One of the main reasons I just don't like Moogs.

Yea, I am wondering also why is that, in fully analog synth it is maybe not that easy or cost efficient to make more LFOs, But digital LFO are that expensive ? I don't know , maybe I am just spoiled from VST world, ( serum having 8 LFOs

:D ),

I always find that I am using 2 or 3 LFOs at least.

I was also interested in PolyBrute, but it is out of my budget.

And I think Peak have 4 LFOs, they added two aditional LFO in the Firmware update, but I don't know if they are global or per voice.

V0rtex · Post by **V0rtex** » Thu Apr 14, 2022 5:36 am

kritikon wrote: Thu Apr 14, 2022 12:48 am I'll have to look into Dreadbox too. They do seem to offer character synths, and I love the sound of their filters. But they all look like they're too limited on the front panel - I know they offer more under the hood but all that menu diving seems to detract from the whole point of analogue knobiness IMO. I think if I were to delve into Dreadbox I'd probably rather go for their modular units and make up a proper synth with proper controls. I love their sound but personally think their GUI misses the mark by quite a bit. Great budget option though...

But I reckon if it's your first ever analogue poly - you want knobs, and lots of them. Amiright? (I'm not having a go, by the way...we all love knobs here)...hang on, that didn't sound right. Sounded a bit like completely the wrong forum for that sort of thing...

Yea I looked at Dreadbox Nymphess, I like the sound, but as you described , I Want Knobs

, and maybe some Faders too, a Lot of them !

V0rtex · Post by **V0rtex** » Thu Apr 14, 2022 5:41 am

zerocrossing wrote: Thu Apr 14, 2022 3:58 am Just flip a coin and buy one and start saving for the other. You know you will anyway.

I was thinking that one poly is enought , but In a back of my mind I think it will be not my last poly synth

.
GAS started ?

First poly Hardware Synth - Help