Monomachine or not?

[Mysteron]

It's tax time and this year I get to spend my entire $1500 refund on gear. Over the last few years there has been a lot of gear I have drooled over, and I have in recent times contemplated acquiring a Prophet 600, a Waldorf XT or a Quasimidi Raven Max, but now the money is actually in hand, I have a big dilema. I have always been the kind of person to spend money on lots of little things rather than on a single big thing. Over the weekend I was visitig my friend with the Prophet VS and I got to play with his new Monomachine SFX, and it was simply amazing, well worth the $1500 asking price.

 

It would fit right into the darkwave, EBM style of music I create, but I know that for the money I could get a nice Ensoniq VFX, Prophet 600 AND Waldorf XT.

 

I've recently switched to an Alesis Quadrasynth as a controller as the D-70 was just no longer cutting it, but the Quadrasynth is also really old and probably in need of an update too despite the fact it was mint when I got it and had only a few hours on it, leaving me with a further dilema.

 

My wife thnks I should hold out for a Raven as I've been after one forever, and then spend the rest on an XT, but then she's a bass player...

 

Does anyone have any comparative opinions on any of this gear that might make decisions a little easier? And yes I have played all of them except the Raven. I'm just reluctant to spend everything on one piece of gear when I have the opportunity to significantly expand my studio.

[Numina]

I say get the XT. Perfect for EBM & Darkwave. Run it through a BBE sonic maximizer and then into a decent reverb. Pure magic.

[Rusty O'Hara]

I say get the XT.

 

Save the rest of the pennies and hunt down a 2nd hand MonoMchine.

 

Just the first ones I found on ebay: XT for $600 and a MonoMachine for $1,000

 

Expect price on MonoMachines to dip slightly, especially v1 SFX60's (Non-UW) as some people may currently see them as outdated... find the right deals and your laughing.

[droolmaster0]

Well, it's hard to recommend one way or the other, since subjectivity plays a large role. I can really only tell you what I would choose, based on having used both.

 

The monomachine, imo, stands out because of its sequencer, interface, and its synthesis types. I've finally learned my lesson on it (I hope) - I love the interface, but ultimately, I find the limitations of the sequencer too frustrating - you really can't do polyrhythms because all of the lines must be the same length. I suppose you can use the arpeggiator to get around this a bit, but I didn't find this a pleasing workaround.

 

And then there is the sound. Some people love it. Inevitably I find it brittle/digital in a bad way, and it annoys me. But there are examples on this forum of people who make excellent music with a monomachine.

 

And it must be mentioned about the sequencer - the 'parameter locks' - the tool that they have set up to lock modulations into individual steps, is brilliantly implemented - better than any similar kind of implementation in any other sequencer I've used.

 

I'm quite fond of the xt. I wish that I still had mine. I have a blofeld now, but I think I'd rather have the glitchier aesthetic and the knobs of the xt. Overall, I don't think that the sound is equal to the sweet spots you can find with the original microwave (analog filters), but it's MUCH easier to edit, the modulations are much more comprehensive, and it's really a fun machine.

 

You have put me in the mood to try to round one up now. $600 seems to be about the going rate, but if you hold out you can find them for less on various forums.

[Gribs]

My personal opinion is not unless you are performing and think that you can use it immediately in your rig to do cool things hands on.

 

For Waldorf I would go for Q if you can find one used (Q Phoenix is over your price range new) or Blofeld. These days I am finding myself playing around quite a bit in a combo of Waldorf and analog realm.

 

If you are feeling analog and have a modular going then it is really easy to spend $1500 on something new. If not then you can get started. Or you could get yourself a Future Retro XS and maybe an Orb to go with it. Or how about the new potted version of the Prophet '08 (some love some hate - I sold my KB to help get the Q Phoenix but would still like to have a module)?

[Woody4]

the Mono it has so many tricks

6 part synth with seq / 6 ch ext midi seq / great arpegiator on each track

Parameter lockable effects box

6 voice poly

6 mono synths stacked with p locks and arps

versatile

mind you its easy to use but hard to get good at

 

it aint analog but it aint brittle/ugly digital as some would suggest!

[Mysteron]

I like the idea of the XT and a second hand Monomachine. If I got the monomachine I would sell the RM1x plus I still have a functioning D-70 and enough parts on 2 others to build about 90% of a second. The extra $250 or so would enable me to get the XT and have enough for the Monomachine. Sounds like the way to go especially as the Quadrasynth is still like new and hasn't shown any sign of its age. I reckon I could get another 2-3 years out of it if I'm lucky.

 

Thanks for the advice, I guess I'm just nervous at spending the cash considering my whole rig is worth only a little more than $1500.

[dorfmeister]

I just got a MK1 Monomachine for $800 shipped used. I have only had it a couple of days but it seems like it will have some really interesting possibilities and it seems like a really unique and well-designed product. My first Elektron.