World's Ugliest Synths?

[chk071]

I'm not able to follow Behringer's synth releases anymore... unbelievable how many different models they produce or want to produce.

[n9research]

Alesis Micron?

[revvy]

Not ugly at all.

[chk071]

Not pretty either though.

And, you can see which keys have been replaced.

Well, either that, or some have been cheaper in production.

[House of Wolves]

Dang...Roland came up with some ugly mugs....

I just had to comment on this. It's the first time I've ever heard anyone describe the JD-800 as "ugly." Perhaps "busy" or even "cluttered" but certainly not ugly.

I used a Roland JD-800 as my main keyboard controller for 10 years from 1991 to 2001 until I replaced it with a Virus kB (and now own a Virus TI2 keyboard). I thought the JD-800 was such a breath of fresh air in a world of ROMpler keyboards that typically included a central display, a few cursor keys, and maybe a scroll knob if you were lucky. Now THOSE were both functionally and aesthetically atrocious.

The JD-800 was a modern digital synth that provided all of the same hands on control as my beloved analog synths. It was Eric Persing's baby. What's not to like?

[House of Wolves]

My vote goes to the Alesis Andromeda.

I even bet, that synth would have been much more popular, if it wasn't that ugly.

I remember playing the Alesis Andromeda at the NAMM show the year it was released. It looked like a control panel from an alien spaceship. I had never seen anything quite like it.

But then I started playing it and programming a few sounds. It was (and is) the absolute bomb! As far as I know there were no other modern 16-voice VCO analog synths that included dual filters, built in FX, and which were 16-part multitimbral.

I don't know if there are even any current synths with those specs. So although the Andromeda UI is perhaps an acquired taste, the functionality trumps any of those concerns, IMO. It's too bad the Andromeda relies on custom ASIC chips that are no longer available, at least as far as I'm aware. So it's a bit of a risky investment.

I think the reason Andromeda sales were somewhat disappointing is the fact that it was so far ahead of its time. The "analog renaissance" hadn't even begun. I really don't think the look and feel had anything to do with it. If anything, the UI just made the Andromeda that much more distinctive.

[cryophonik]

Yet another ugly from an aesthetically challenged company:

Looks like a Volca FM, MicroFreak, DX21, and Octotrack mk1 had a hideous 4-way love child.

[revvy]

Looks like a Volca FM, MicroFreak, DX21, and Octotrack mk1 had a hideous 4-way love child.

With a "CS-80 Analog Filter".