If I had to choose just one?

[whyterabbyt]

People are not going to buy anything then, because few people have a store where everything is or a maximum of machines, except maybe people living in a big city and again..

A bit strange answer.

I dont live in a big city.

But I can travel to one. Which I'd do if I wanted to be sure I wasnt spending a couple of grand on the wrong thing.

[Trancer]

No, I'm just saying that if I have to be able to play and listen before buying, I won't buy anything because it's impossible to find a store near me that has the instruments I want to try.

Well an idea I talked about it, Nord lead a1, but maybe better to complete my Virus Ti2.

I ask your opinion to see if the Nord lead a1 is a good choice or better another synthesizer.


I travel 200 kilometers round trip for the slightly better stocked store.

But not the material that I want to test to form an opinion.

There is a store more than 400 kilometers round trip, but not always the equipment being tested.

[vurt]

No, I'm just saying that if I have to be able to play and listen before buying, I won't buy anything because it's impossible to find a store near me that has the instruments I want to try.

Well an idea I talked about it, Nord lead a1, but maybe better to complete my Virus Ti2.

I ask your opinion to see if the Nord lead a1 is a good choice or better another synthesizer.

find a synth specialist in your country.
narrow down your choices, using questions like this and youtube for sound examples
call synth specialist to check if they have the possible choices available to try in store.
find cheap hotel in same city as synth shop
book a few nights stay
spend your days in the synth shop, playing and chatting to get information.
purchase synth.
returning home happy.

[Trancer]

Answered above.

Not always the material in stock and possibility of playing.

For example Sequential products on order and the store not always agree because if not purchase, there remain months, to see more to sell it, therefore, for this mark impossible to test.

For a lot of models as already said not in stock.

[FapFilter]

then either buy in blind faith, based on your gut feeling, as most stuff is actually good, so chances are that you will get a great piece of kit, regardless what you buy.
of course you still might not like it, but that might happen with everything you actually tested before for a bit too, since honeymoons can actually last a good while.
and of course opinions won't help you either, as basically everything can legitimately mentioned.

or be happy with "just" your Virus as a HW synth, which already is very capable on it's own

[vurt]

then find somewhere with a good returns policy

[FapFilter]

yes, was going to mention that too, but the shops i know all have return policies.
though in all these years i only made use of this twice i think

[vurt]

yes, was going to mention that too, but the shops i know all have return policies.
though in all these years i only made use of this twice i think

never used it because i didn't like something although have obviously returned a couple of faulty items.

[Trancer]

Yes of course return policy.

Not mentioned, because the Covid
having been there, not much in stock.

[cryophonik]

Apart from the Subsequent 37.

Whether analog or digital, in relation to my musical style (Melodic Techno and Trance Uplifting), which machine?

For me and those styles of music, it would be a Novation Peak, hands down, but a Korg Minilogue XD or Prologue could also be in the mix. That would give a killer digital synth behemoth in the Virus TI2, an analog mono in the Subsequent 37, and a hybrid poly in the Peak or a Korg ‘logue. That combo would make you invincible.

[Trancer]

Thank you for your answers.

The Peak and the Minilogue xd module, why an interesting alternative and two modules so it doesn't take up much space.

May be more suitable than a Nord Lead A1, more count and a wider sound palette.

[kritikon]

Maybe you have to narrow it down. 3 obvious things to differentiate analogue polys: sound, features/mod options, playability.

Sound mainly boils down to the filters. IMO character filters - Korg, Arturia, possibly Moog. Standard filters - Sequential, Novation, Udo though Sequential can almost be character because of the filter drive option. Always personal taste but IMO they're vanilla filters on their own. I don't personally like Moog or ladder filters much because of the loss of bass at resonance (and the sound) BUT - if you want a poly for chords then that doesn't matter - you are NOT going to be using monster bass for chords.

Features/mod options: Arturia and Novation clearly come out on top. UDO, Korg, Sequential, Moog not that different to each other IMO.
BUT you have to figure - how much do you really need mega mod options on a poly? If you want a poly mainly for unison and complicated sounds then maybe you don't actually need a poly at all. If it's for chords, then are you really going to play monster modulated patches as chords? Unlikely...

Playability. Well, you already said you want a decent keybed. Then that narrows it down. Playability also includes menu-diving. If a synth has too much menu diving it does affect playability. TBH it looks like Arturia and Novation lose out there, and the whole bonus with analogues is one knob per function. But they all seem to have some menu diving. Then figure in - you COULD use a decent keybed controller and play the analogue by that - meaning desktops make sense.

If you're considering Nord etc then you obvs aren't that set on getting an analogue. In which case it opens up even more and I can't advise. Personally I don't want a hw VA synth and am not interested. May as well get plugins IMO unless they're unique aka Wavestate etc (prior to becoming plugins). I just don't see the point of hw VAs.

Are you playing live? That's the only time I see a point in hw VAs. If you're not playing live - personally I'd say rule out the digital ones and concentrate on the analogues.


And again Youtube. I definitely DO see the value in it. I'm with you - not easy to actually play on some of these synths. Not sure Udo are even for sale at all in NZ at all - I couldn't find anywhere. I've bought synths on the strength of stuff like Youtube demos - but you have to search long and hard and find as many as you can. Some demos are pretty awful. Some are good.

For me it pretty well all boils down to filters for the sound, followed by features, then way down the list playability. Sounds like that's not your priority?

[Trancer]

First of all, thank you for this wonderful presentation.

My use will only be in the studio.

Really a pity that Arturia decided to make two superb machines with low-end keyboards, a pity that there was no desktop version otherwise, I think I would have taken a module.

I'm a fan of evolving sequences and Arturia really creates a creative universe with that.

I don't intend to be a virtuoso, so given the characteristics, a Matrixbrute could have been very suitable.

The Rev 2 interested me for a while and then I let myself be tempted by other machines.

Then if we talk about the price, the Rev 2 has increased and for the price there is competition.

I'm looking for a synthesizer with an arpeggiator and or sequencer, important to me, in relation to the choice.

There's Waldorf too, always liked what he did, but the current offer doesn't really suit me in relation to the asking price.

I loved the Wave and Q period, big sound as I like.

The Nord lead a1 pleases me well for the four layers, it gives a richness to the sound.

Your report is most interesting.

I'm looking for a thick, rich, fat, organic sound, for that an analog seems a must.

If you had to take a mono/polyphonic analogue, what would you choose?

Maybe for my purposes a Matrixbrute mono style would be sufficient?

[kritikon]

Evolving sequences. If you're looking for analogue then to me it's a Matrixbrute all the way. They're capable of that kind of thing easily. Shitloads of modulation options and a very capable sequencer and LFOs etc. Sounds like Polybrute can do a lot of that also, but you don't like the keys and...not sure evolving sequences etc are the kind of thing that tend towards poly playing. It's sounding like a mono might be more suited.

For a mono with decent sequencer capable of evolving stuff - MatrixBrute or Sequential Pro3. Similar prices. The MatrixBrute probably is the more capable on for evolving and weird experimental, but Pro3 looks like a beauty to program - loads of knobs, not too much menu-diving. Personally I'd choose the MatrixBrute out of those 2 just because of the extra modulation it offers and the Steiner-Parker filter (the ladder filter - meh, not bothered). The Pro3 filter can sound quite nice but IMO onlywhen the filter drive is used - I found Sequential filters OK but just a bit bland.

I was looking hard at a mono recently - very seriously considered the Pro3. Eventually I bought instead - a Behringer Monopoly and then will get an XD. I can get both of those for the same price as a Pro3 here in NZ. Both can be used for poly (a useful bonus) but are extremely capable and, more importantly - character mono with quite a lot of flexibility. The Monopoly I just love for its big fat 4-osc squelch, it's screaming sync/cross mod and its unique voice cycling in arp mode. The XD will be for its far greater flexibility and its real character filters - modern style MS20 filters. Whereas I suspected I was tempted by the Pro3 just because it has loads of knobs on it. Everyone loves loads of knobs but it didn't scream character to me. MatrixBrute does though...for some reason I missed MatrixBrute - I think I dismissed it because of its price. That's a lot to shell out on one mono. Same with the Pro3. TBH I think they're taking the piss.

Korg sequencers are very capable. TBH I was initially very impressed by the sequencer on Opsix. The XD sequencer looks similar or same so will be a very good sequencer. With a sequencer that good it more than makes up for limited number of LFOs - you can use the sequencing to do all kinds of modulation (I think 4 lanes of modulation).

[kritikon]

Evolving sequences...obvs there's Korg Wavestate too. Very digital but it's equally capable of fluid stuff and has decent Korg s/w filters on it. You should consider that - though I'd say now it's also available in plugin then get that for cheaper. A different beast to analogue sequencer evolving sounds though.

I just saw Waldorf Quantum - looks stunning, but personally never much liked Waldorf digital stuff. Not sure how much is analogue within a Quantum. Apparently it has a Fatar keyboard. Silly price also.