Members depulse Posted July 1, 2008 Members Share Posted July 1, 2008 As part of seriously down-sizing my studio (a "new family member" soon taking my old studio room) I decided earlier to get rid of most of the stuff and just get an iMac, Logic 8, Duet and a Prophet 08 plus some new compact monitor speakers (Genelec 8020?). I went to the local music store the other day, and to trade for a Prophet 08, I would need to give them my Korg Triton Extreme w MOSS, a Nord Rack II and my Waldor Pulse. Knowing the second hand values of these synths plus adding some markup for the shop I think the trade is fair. But seeing all these synths together (most bought new and still in a "as new" condition) I start having second thoughts. Yes, the aim is to go compact and to get rid of most stuff, but it breaks my heart to trade in all of these for one single keyboard. Is the Prophet really that good? I need some councelling (having severe separation anxiety). Could I use the Nord Rack as an alternative for polyphonic analog sounds? Anyone with both a nord lead and a Prophet 08? Getting a rack 08 would save me at least one synth but then I would need another firewire interface (with all the cost and problems of the new iMac fw chipset). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ChristianRock Posted July 1, 2008 Members Share Posted July 1, 2008 The P'08 will definitely not do all that the others will do... even if you take the TriEx and the Nord individually, it still can't do all that each one of them can do... So it all depends on what you want to do musically... MuzikB has setup that is somewhat similar to what you are trying to do, and he is not really happy with the Prophet and thinking about swapping it back to a Nord. A Nord Lead might be a more complete solution for having just one piece of hardware, but of course that all depends on your music. The P'08, to me, is more like an add-on synth than a main synth - unless you are in a Rush cover band or something... And congrats on the new family member!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members quicksilverXP Posted July 1, 2008 Members Share Posted July 1, 2008 Ohh man... you can sell your Triton Extreme + MOSS alone and get a Prophet 08... no need to part with your Nord or Waldorf. The MOSS alone is over 500 dollars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Delicious Lamprey Problem Posted July 1, 2008 Members Share Posted July 1, 2008 My P'08 shipped out to it's new owner yesterday, and my new NL2X is arriving in a couple of hours. Maybe I can offer a little insight then? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members dereksljuka Posted July 1, 2008 Members Share Posted July 1, 2008 Nord 2 synths supply teh ripping and teh screaming Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members depulse Posted July 1, 2008 Author Members Share Posted July 1, 2008 My P'08 shipped out to it's new owner yesterday, and my new NL2X is arriving in a couple of hours. Maybe I can offer a little insight then? Why are you changing from a Prophet to a NL2? I thought a P08 would run circles around a NL2? The shop I'm buying from doesn't have the P08 in stock, so I have to buy it "unheard". I was hoping the P08 would provide the same kind of "fatness" as my ATC-1, but polyphonically. Is my dream of eternall analog bliss just a dream... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Delicious Lamprey Problem Posted July 1, 2008 Members Share Posted July 1, 2008 Why are you changing from a Prophet to a NL2? I thought a P08 would run circles around a NL2? The shop I'm buying from doesn't have the P08 in stock, so I have to buy it "unheard". I was hoping the P08 would provide the same kind of "fatness" as my ATC-1, but polyphonically. Perhaps I'll have made a mistake - I'll know shortly! I didn't think the voice(s) of the P'08 were as nice as my Voyager, yet they were in the same ballpark. Also, I've become a bit of a Hiromi Uehara fan, and dig the sounds she gets out of a NL2. That's pretty much it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Delicious Lamprey Problem Posted July 1, 2008 Members Share Posted July 1, 2008 Oh, and something about the envelope of the P'08 bugged me. Couldn't easily smooth out the transition from attack to decay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members MuzikB Posted July 1, 2008 Members Share Posted July 1, 2008 Glad I caught this. I wouldn't do that if I were you. The Nord Lead is a more sonically diverse instrument IMHO. All those filter types make it so. You have a lot of other stuff that I'd be more willing to get rid of with the introduction of Logic 8. The Prophet 08 is an inherently aggressive and edgy synth. If you are into harder styles of electronic music or do retro or cover band type stuff then by all means, grab one. I would get rid of all you have besides the T-Extreme w/Moss and the Nord Rack 2 if I were adding Logic 8. Then add the Prophet 08 Rack. That's 3 hardware synths. Any interface is made to handle four stereo pairs so that leaves one stereo pair for an FX and outboard chain. Don't feel so bad about letting all that stuff go. Advancements in technology are inherent to downsizing. Congrats on that new addition! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members P321 Posted July 1, 2008 Members Share Posted July 1, 2008 Is the Prophet really that good?No. At least not to my ears In fairness I still haven't tried one in person, but I prefer the sound of several VA's and software over what I've heard. Then again, the only recent real analogue I've liked the sound of (outside of modular stuff) is the SE Omega / CODE, and the Andromeda to a degree. Only go in the 1 synth sort of direction if its a synth that seems to take you exactly to the kind of sounds you want consistently. The recent Prophet '08 doesn't seem to be that synth for a lot of people. You'll likely know if you ever find such a synth, and won't have to seek others opinions on whether you're doing the right thing. (Of course, the above only applies to people who aren't subject to "GAS", and who like anything that's new, regardless of the realities.) The fact that you are posting here means I would say you shouldn't do it. If there's any major doubt it's likely the wrong direction to go in. Could I use the Nord Rack as an alternative for polyphonic analog sounds?I'm another that'd pick the Nord over a P'08. Just stick a good reverb box on the end of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Palaver Posted July 1, 2008 Members Share Posted July 1, 2008 As part of seriously down-sizing my studio (a "new family member" soon taking my old studio room) I decided earlier to get rid of most of the stuff and just get an iMac, Logic 8, Duet and a Prophet 08 plus some new compact monitor speakers (Genelec 8020?). I went to the local music store the other day, and to trade for a Prophet 08, I would need to give them my Korg Triton Extreme w MOSS, a Nord Rack II and my Waldor Pulse. Knowing the second hand values of these synths plus adding some markup for the shop I think the trade is fair. But seeing all these synths together (most bought new and still in a "as new" condition) I start having second thoughts. Yes, the aim is to go compact and to get rid of most stuff, but it breaks my heart to trade in all of these for one single keyboard. Is the Prophet really that good? I need some councelling (having severe separation anxiety). Could I use the Nord Rack as an alternative for polyphonic analog sounds? Anyone with both a nord lead and a Prophet 08? Getting a rack 08 would save me at least one synth but then I would need another firewire interface (with all the cost and problems of the new iMac fw chipset). Get the Kurzweil PC3x. That combined with your Logic setup will benefit you far more than a P'08. I'm trying to sell my M3. It breaks my heart because I wish I had to of known Kurzweil were forming a new machine when I picked up the Korg. The M3 is the best workstation of the big three (IMHO), but the PC3x is so much more usable if you're a player. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members davidplasti-k Posted July 2, 2008 Members Share Posted July 2, 2008 Get the po8. Sometimes you don Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members depulse Posted July 29, 2008 Author Members Share Posted July 29, 2008 Thanks for all your feedback. I still haven't made up my mind, the pros and cons balance up, what a problem... but the fact is I need to reduce the number of equipment (most are in storage anyway). and make the "studio" as small and "invincible" as possible (my new "studio" will be in the living room, the days of filling a whole room with equiment is for now over). I've now got the iMac and Logic 8. Step 1 done (first Mac for me). As minimum, I now need one keyboard/synth (for entering data and as a soundsource), one firewire interface and some small monitor speakers. If I keep many hardware synths, I need a multi-input interface (such as the new Motu 828 MK3) else I just buy the Apogee Duet (that should work OK with the Lucent chipset of my iMac, which is not sure with the Motu). For monitors I was looking into Genelecs (8020A). Any other small monitors you recommend in this price range? What about Prophet 08 vs. Prophet 08 Rack plus Akai MPK49? Ends up costing the same (but adds more cabling and clutter). BTW, I do all different kinds of music, but manly in the modern dance, RnB, pop, electronics type with the occational "80s synths" (Front 242, Depeche mode, Vince Clark) nostalgia (therefore the interest in the P08). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Delicious Lamprey Problem Posted July 29, 2008 Members Share Posted July 29, 2008 For what it's worth, I still don't regret ditching the P'08, and it seems nor do many people around here. I can't think of a single reason why someone would buy a P'08 over a Motif XS, were it not for the analog vs digital stigma. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Kaux Posted July 29, 2008 Members Share Posted July 29, 2008 Does the prophet rack has the same knobs as the keyboard? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Swami Digital Posted July 29, 2008 Members Share Posted July 29, 2008 Thanks for all your feedback. I still haven't made up my mind, the pros and cons balance up, what a problem... but the fact is I need to reduce the number of equipment (most are in storage anyway). and make the "studio" as small and "invincible" as possible (my new "studio" will be in the living room, the days of filling a whole room with equiment is for now over). I've now got the iMac and Logic 8. Step 1 done (first Mac for me). As minimum, I now need one keyboard/synth (for entering data and as a soundsource), one firewire interface and some small monitor speakers. If I keep many hardware synths, I need a multi-input interface (such as the new Motu 828 MK3) else I just buy the Apogee Duet (that should work OK with the Lucent chipset of my iMac, which is not sure with the Motu). For monitors I was looking into Genelecs (8020A). Any other small monitors you recommend in this price range? What about Prophet 08 vs. Prophet 08 Rack plus Akai MPK49? Ends up costing the same (but adds more cabling and clutter). BTW, I do all different kinds of music, but manly in the modern dance, RnB, pop, electronics type with the occational "80s synths" (Front 242, Depeche mode, Vince Clark) nostalgia (therefore the interest in the P08). The Genelecs are probably the best compact monitors you can find. The KRK VXT4's (what I use) are also quite good compact monitors. For the FW chipset issues, a known workaround is to plug your interface in through a FW hard drive. There's a thread on gearslutz you can look at, but that's what it boils down to. I'm doing something similar in terms of downsizing. Once I've sold a good bit of my current gear, I'll be left with my MOTU Traveler, Novation Remote SL 61, Waldorf MicroQ, M3-M, and Prophet '08 rack. I suppose I could use a Prophet '08 as my controller, but I like SL because I use a lot of soft synths. The reason I would advise getting the Prophet, is that it's one sound you won't be able to duplicate through the Logic instruments + whatever soft synths you have. (I use Massive, FM8, Reason, Logic instruments, PureData, and some orchestral and eastern instrument libraries.) VA synths don't have too much separation from the software. Perhaps functionally (knobs) but not tonally, imo. -D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Swami Digital Posted July 29, 2008 Members Share Posted July 29, 2008 For what it's worth, I still don't regret ditching the P'08, and it seems nor do many people around here. I can't think of a single reason why someone would buy a P'08 over a Motif XS, were it not for the analog vs digital stigma. If you're making the comparison of a P'08 to a Motif XS, it's not the synth for you. -D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members carbon111 Posted July 29, 2008 Members Share Posted July 29, 2008 If you're making the comparison of a P'08 to a Motif XS, it's not the synth for you.-D A lot of us (besides DualLowpass) got rid of our P'08s...check the recent thread below and you'll see how the conversation evolved to this point: http://acapella.harmony-central.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2031418 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Metrosonus Posted July 29, 2008 Members Share Posted July 29, 2008 I"m reading through the thread...it's all mind blowing considering the amount of hype it received. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Delicious Lamprey Problem Posted July 29, 2008 Members Share Posted July 29, 2008 If you're making the comparison of a P'08 to a Motif XS, it's not the synth for you.-D Not exactly sure what you're saying... I'm just comparing two instruments in terms of sound and features, in a similar price bracket, completely ignoring the inner workings. The analog pixie dust didn't do it for me, in this instance. My Voyager, however, continues to enthrall. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Swami Digital Posted July 29, 2008 Members Share Posted July 29, 2008 A lot of us (besides DualLowpass) got rid of our P'08s...check the recent thread below and you'll see how the conversation evolved to this point:http://acapella.harmony-central.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2031418 Thanks Carbon, your post in that thread helped me understand some of what people don't like about the Prophet '08. I'm probably still in the honeymoon period you described. However, I couldn't see myself trading it because I wanted something with a wider sonic palette. That's what my soft synths are for. I buy hardware for specialized sounds I can't get in the box. But I suppose most people on this forum prefer to get almost all their sounds from hardware. -D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members drxcm Posted July 29, 2008 Members Share Posted July 29, 2008 I've now got the iMac and Logic 8. Step 1 done (first Mac for me). As minimum, I now need one keyboard/synth ... You already have one! Keep the Triton/MOSS for sure. I would look carefully at buying the Zebra 2 softsynth before buying more hardware. Especially if you are trying to slim down. It sounds better than anything else out there IMO. I didn't like the P08 personally, although in saying that I have a PEK, which I love. Don't sell three pieces of great gear to buy one piece of above average gear - it just make sense. I am another who would have a NL2x over the P08 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members drxcm Posted July 29, 2008 Members Share Posted July 29, 2008 Get the po8. Sometimes you don Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members carbon111 Posted July 29, 2008 Members Share Posted July 29, 2008 Thanks Carbon, your post in that thread helped me understand some of what people don't like about the Prophet '08. I'm probably still in the honeymoon period you described. However, I couldn't see myself trading it because I wanted something with a wider sonic palette. That's what my soft synths are for. I buy hardware for specialized sounds I can't get in the box. But I suppose most people on this forum prefer to get almost all their sounds from hardware. -D No problems, man. I like a few softsynths but, yeah, I'm mostly a hardware nut. I don't need to worry about migrating across evolving operating systems or computer hardware...but that's another can o' worms entirely. BTW - welcome to this forum! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Swami Digital Posted July 29, 2008 Members Share Posted July 29, 2008 Not exactly sure what you're saying...I'm just comparing two instruments in terms of sound and features, in a similar price bracket, completely ignoring the inner workings.The analog pixie dust didn't do it for me, in this instance.My Voyager, however, continues to enthrall. The Motif is meant to cover a larger range of sounds. The Prophet is meant to cover a specialized range of sounds well. As you said in the other thread, those sounds didn't fit with your music. That doesn't mean that the Prophet is inferior to the Motif, just that it isn't the right synth for you. For someone who is looking for that particular type of sound, however, a Motif wouldn't come close to providing it. What I'm saying is, it's like you're making a direct comparison between a similarly priced bass guitar and electric. Of course the bass guitar isn't going to appeal to you if you want to play the electric. At the same time, if you want to play bass, using an electric with an octave pedal just won't work. It's just an analogy, but it illustrates why I think it's a flawed comparison. The Nord Lead is a better comparison, for example, because it tries to do similar sort of things. (As a VA.) -D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.