Hardware synths that blew away your expectations

[CANE CREEK]

Digitone surprised me, sounds gorgeous, once you start modulating parameters and get to grips with that sequencer you start asking yourself “is this quite possibly the finest synth ever made” ?

[vitocorleone123]

Digitone surprised me, sounds gorgeous, once you start modulating parameters and get to grips with that sequencer you start asking yourself “is this quite possibly the finest synth ever made” ?

It’s a keeper, for sure. It’ll take me years to master - and I look forward to it.

[pdxindy]

Digitone surprised me, sounds gorgeous, once you start modulating parameters and get to grips with that sequencer you start asking yourself “is this quite possibly the finest synth ever made” ?

It sounds so effortlessly good! It is one of those that is more than the specs or the sum of its parts.

[kritikon]

I like how they sound and what they do, but almost everything Elektron surely qualifies in the other thread about ugliest GUI ever made, no?

[BONES]

No. Overbridge actually looks pretty cool, I reckon.

[SLiC]

The 3 main synths I use the most (I have them on a 3 tier stand next to me!)

Novation Summit- simply the best sounding synth I have heard, mainly 1 knob per function and simple to use. If I could only have 1 hardware synth this would be it...but beacuse I can have more than 1....

Pro 3 - 1 knob per function, a ton of fun and the only mono synth I will ever need...the tuned feedback, distortion, the 3rd osc being WT, super flexible filter and ''elektron' style sequencer just take this beyond most normal analogue mono's...lots of CV in and out as well...

Hydrasynth- sounds great but I really have this for the poly AT and ribbon that just add another expressive dimension to patches they are well programmed with...this may however go if the Osmose ever turns up!

[BONES]

Why is one knob per function so important when surely you spend way more time playing your synth than programming it? To me, knob-per-function only makes sense if they are endless encoders with an LED ring to show you the current value. Otherwise they are far more hassle than they're worth. I hated patching my Minilogue at least as much as I hate patching my Ultranova and a lot more than I hate patching my Uno and Uno Pro. I think an editing matrix, like the Unos and Ultranova and half-a-dozen other hardware synths I've owned have, is a much better idea.

[SLiC]

Why is one knob per function so important when surely you spend way more time playing your synth than programming it? To me, knob-per-function only makes sense if they are endless encoders with an LED ring to show you the current value. Otherwise they are far more hassle than they're worth. I hated patching my Minilogue at least as much as I hate patching my Ultranova and a lot more than I hate patching my Uno and Uno Pro. I think an editing matrix, like the Unos and Ultranova and half-a-dozen other hardware synths I've owned have, is a much better idea.

Each to their own I guess- I didn't really like the matrix on the UNO Pro...I retuned mine and bought the Pro 3 and have no regrets. I like KPF, 'for me' it easy for me to tweak live/as you are playing, designing etc...the less knobs on synth the more I think I may as well be ITB!

As shallow as it is, I also like the way they look and that matters to me...probably a throw back from being a guitarist! The ways thing look affect how I feel about them, I am not very utilitarian!

[Scotty]

Akai Timbre Wolf


I guess you were being sarcastic but I love this thing. It has very basic sound shaping but the core is ear pleasing and with those separate outputs for sound tweaking and the 4 channel on board sequencer (which takes sync very well) I love having it churning away in the background. The autotune circuit works well. For a synth that is often ignored. I really enjoy it.

[OllieBoi]

Hardware (incl. modular) only, please...

I picked up a Waldorf Pulse 2 a few weeks ago. I've been watching for a good deal on one for forever, then found a mint one going for a few hundred lower than the typical price, so I snagged it. Honestly, I sorta thought it might make me sell my Minitaur, but this thing has really blown me away and is actually a very nice complement to the Minitaur (and my Sub37 and Slim Phatty). It goes into some really wild places and sometimes I could swear I'm playing a digital synth - it definitely has that trademark Waldorf sound. I'm generally not a fan of step sequencers, so I really haven't used it, but I love arps and the Pulse 2 has one of the best arps I've ever seen on a hardware synth. Anyway, I think my other synths are getting lonely and probably a little irritated with the Pulse 2 getting all the love lately. Oh well...

 

I'm a big Waldorf Pulse fan myself. I actually own both the Pulse 1 and Pulse 2. Although the Pulse 2 is a bass monster and is built like a tank, I just couldn't let go of the Pulse 1. Even though the two units are patch compatible, the Pulse 1 oscillators are more lo-fi and its filter is really dirty with awesome sounding resonance.

I saw that a couple of people have mentioned the Mutable Instruments Shruthi. I too didn't find many videos at the time that really showed off what the Shruthi can do. So it was a bit of a leap of faith ordering one (from just some guy who was assembling the kit for me). But I just love the sound of the Shruthi! The oscillators have a really charming lo-fi, grainy quality that help give the Shruthi its unique sound.

Even though I bought one of the nicer metal cases for my Shruthi, I really regret not getting a Shruthi XT when it came out. That's a sweet bit of kit.

Anyway, here is a Synthetic Machines demo of the Shruthi. His synth demos are incredible. The following demos really show off what the Shruthi can do:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFA4XRcIQMo

[Halonmusic]

Akai Timbre Wolf


I guess you were being sarcastic but I love this thing. It has very basic sound shaping but the core is ear pleasing and with those separate outputs for sound tweaking and the 4 channel on board sequencer (which takes sync very well) I love having it churning away in the background. The autotune circuit works well. For a synth that is often ignored. I really enjoy it.

i was sarcastic yes but tbh i have never really tried it, only watche videos about it on YouTube. I guess it's good enough

[Scotty]

Akai Timbre Wolf


I guess you were being sarcastic but I love this thing. It has very basic sound shaping but the core is ear pleasing and with those separate outputs for sound tweaking and the 4 channel on board sequencer (which takes sync very well) I love having it churning away in the background. The autotune circuit works well. For a synth that is often ignored. I really enjoy it.

i was sarcastic yes but tbh i have never really tried it, only watche videos about it on YouTube. I guess it's good enough

It was the Rhythm Wolf that was really crucified, especially by Akai Dan and then Faxi took a very hard shot at it. The Timbre Wolf got some negative press but the whole time I watched those reviews I was saying to myself, "damn I like it" I didn't pay anywhere near full price for it and I'd be unhappy if I had but for $200 it is wonderful. Just opinion of course and we are all entitled to them.

[Halonmusic]

Akai Timbre Wolf


I guess you were being sarcastic but I love this thing. It has very basic sound shaping but the core is ear pleasing and with those separate outputs for sound tweaking and the 4 channel on board sequencer (which takes sync very well) I love having it churning away in the background. The autotune circuit works well. For a synth that is often ignored. I really enjoy it.

i was sarcastic yes but tbh i have never really tried it, only watche videos about it on YouTube. I guess it's good enough

It was the Rhythm Wolf that was really crucified, especially by Akai Dan and then Faxi took a very hard shot at it. The Timbre Wolf got some negative press but the whole time I watched those reviews I was saying to myself, "damn I like it" I didn't pay anywhere near full price for it and I'd be unhappy if I had but for $200 it is wonderful. Just opinion of course and we are all entitled to them.

yeah i guess the timbre wolf got an undeserved reputation. i would like to test it myself if i get the chance.

[BONES]

I didn't really like the matrix on the UNO Pro...I retuned mine and bought the Pro 3 and have no regrets.

So you spent 5 times as much to find something better. That kind of tells the story, don't you think? Because I could get a lot more done with 5 Uno Pros than with one Pro 3.

I like KPF, 'for me' it easy for me to tweak live/as you are playing, designing etc...the less knobs on synth the more I think I may as well be ITB!

That's just reality intruding into your little fantasy world. You will always be better off working ITB!!

[kritikon]

No.