Members TheRain Posted June 2, 2004 Members Share Posted June 2, 2004 Many of you are more experimenters with sound and music technology than you are musicians in the classic sense. So I want to know what synths/sequencers/musical devisces you have come accross in all of your gear hording that have simply been fun to use? Obviousely different people will find different aspects of synthesis, sound programming or what have you to be entertaining so don't take my favs as a model for what I'm speaking of here. My favorites so far - DSI EvolverMotif ESReaktor 4Fruity loops Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members J3RK Posted June 2, 2004 Members Share Posted June 2, 2004 Microwave XT. There are endless possiblities, and 44 endless rotaries to explore them with. I seriously need to get another one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Jimmyzegg Posted June 2, 2004 Members Share Posted June 2, 2004 There are a lot of synths that do it for me in this sense, but I will try and narrow it down some. Andromeda : mainly just because of the way it sounds but also the very extensive mod capabilities. I usually can just sit there forever tweaking a sound. Most of the time, I'll just sit there, listening intently, staring off into space......."Damn, that sounds so cool!" Micromodular : fun because of all of the things it has to offer that I haven't/can't try in other synths. This just never gets old because there is always a million things I can come up with that I haven't tried yet. Now, this is my (somewhat limited) experience with synths and these two are very fun for me. But of course there are other things (like a modular) that I still have to try that may (probably) would be very fun as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members gobojacobs Posted June 2, 2004 Members Share Posted June 2, 2004 Believe it or not, one of those cheesy radioshack "301 electronic projects in one" kits that I got when I was a wee lad. Probably not exactly the top of the line as far as "fun to use" goes, but there were a lot of cool features. Some fun incredibly basic sound design (think black and white horror flick sound effects, theremin sounds, etc.), but it had a crystal radio tuner, a solar detector (could shift pitch based on how bright it was), and a bunch of weird knobs. I remember sitting for hours rewiring different resistors/capacitors making new sounds but not having a clue what the crap I was doing. Good times. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members SirGarrote Posted June 2, 2004 Members Share Posted June 2, 2004 I'd say FRuityLoops for software cuz it's just so damn easy to get something going in it. I'll second J3RK and say the XT for hardware. I just love setting up an arp and then twisting knobs til i cant twist no more!!! which is impossible since theyr'e endless dials -G Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Sinner6 Posted June 2, 2004 Members Share Posted June 2, 2004 The most immediately "fun" synth I have played is the FR-777. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Yoozer Posted June 2, 2004 Members Share Posted June 2, 2004 Micromodular, pretty much no competition in that... except for a G2X of course . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mytee2.0 Posted June 2, 2004 Members Share Posted June 2, 2004 sherman fb2, thats the only thing I have that blows me away. everytime I use it I have to step back and stop laughing after a couple minutes. Iknow its not a synth, but god damn!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members roblogic Posted June 2, 2004 Members Share Posted June 2, 2004 Originally posted by Sinner6 The most immediately "fun" synth I have played is the FR-777. I'll second that - twisted hands-on knob tweakage at it's best. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members J3RK Posted June 2, 2004 Members Share Posted June 2, 2004 That's a lot of FM synthesis under the fun category Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members MuzikB Posted June 2, 2004 Members Share Posted June 2, 2004 Synths: Roland JD800Clavia Nord Lead 2XClavia Nord Modular G2Korg MS2000 Software:Korg Legacy Collection (MS20 and PolySix)Ableton's Live Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members orangefunk Posted June 2, 2004 Members Share Posted June 2, 2004 If I'm being honest I used to have loads of fun with a Roland SH09 thru a Boss SE70 (with ring mod and delay, phasing etc) feeding back into the SH09... it reminded me of what sythesis is all about.. just making noise! However i think the first time you sit down with Reason is pretty amazing.... i think the first time you sit at a nicely set up rhodes 73 thru SE70 and play nice chords is pretty exceptional too.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members TheRain Posted June 2, 2004 Author Members Share Posted June 2, 2004 Originally posted by Plastic Baby Hello TheRain, hows it going?Im not sure i like the term " gear whore " but i do think this is an excellent thread idea. Wow PB, that's quite a list! Well I was purposefully trying to give it a negative connotation... since I am very much a gear minimalist and find too many synths and too many cables to be very distracting, nay, imparing. warning, i'm launching into a long rant here I remember A D S R mentioning that there have been people on this forum who have said things like, "OK I have a Novation K-station, Access Virus C, Korg MS2000 and an Alesis ION.... what VA should I buy next?" lol.... I had honestly never noticed it before... but since then and even recently I have seen posts here just about as bad as that. Not to be self riteous, I haven't produced much music myself of late. And having said that, I appreciate a machine that lends itself to interesting and musical results, experimentation and over all good sound quality... as well as Bang for Buck. Many people here have tried out a million pieces of gear and are seemingly changing their gear set constantly... surely they've come accross something that just have to get them grinning sometimes. I know I have, and I have done a good deal of gear hording myself. For me, having gone through so much gear, I've come to better understand what it is I'm looking for in terms of sounds... also, I think I can better identify what matters and what does not. Specifically, it IS the end result for me, not the technical possibilities, E.G. modulation and audio routings up the ying yang. Though a few machines offer huge flexibility as well as seemling consistant quality of sound. Honestly, my goal is to make music... synths, I've found, are just a way to add an exciting and new edge to the sound and to add effects that impress the listener and impart to them a feeling that I had expressive control over the sounds I was creating. I'm pretty one track minded and tend to get in a "zone" when I'm really producing something... and so having one piece of gear that feels like a single instrument is my ideal way of working. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members spectralab Posted June 2, 2004 Members Share Posted June 2, 2004 I'll have to say that the most entertaining synth I've ever used is the Fenix. there is just no end to the amount of fun you can have and great sounds you can come up with for it. add a mixer and a PCM-81 to the mix and it gets even better. hopefully soon, an Eventide of some sort will join the fray as well. my next batch of recordings (once I get my PC sorted) are probably going to be all Fenix with FX Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members J3RK Posted June 2, 2004 Members Share Posted June 2, 2004 I've actually settled on the ION for all my VA needs. (All others have been sold off.) I like having a concise setup. I still like having multiple pieces of gear though. If you know what types of things you want to do on each synth, then having a lot is not impairing at all. I think having many VAs is silly, though I could see have two if they had very different sounds. My ultimate studio setup (for fun and productivity) would be something like this: Microwave XT (for wavetable synthesis.) Alesis ION (for VA needs) Blacet or MOTM modular (for strange noises and when true analog is a must.) Small but nice mixer Mackie HR824 monitors Good software. I have this setup minus the XT (which I once had,) the modular and a nice little mixer. (I'd like to get a small Soundcraft or Mackie. I've had several, but I haven't needed one lately so I gave my 1642 to someone who needed it more than I did.) I could definitely deal with having more than that, but this setup would not leave me wanting anything. Lots of knobs to play with, lots of patch cables. It's like a busy-box for big people Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members tjwett Posted June 2, 2004 Members Share Posted June 2, 2004 Hardware: it's a tie between my ARP Odyssey and the Elektron Monomachine Software: Ableton Live for sure Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members J3RK Posted June 2, 2004 Members Share Posted June 2, 2004 Agreed on the MonoMachine. It's fun, and rather portable. When I had mine I was writing music all over the house. (Bed, dinner table, couch, floor.) If I had an inverter, I would have written music in the car too Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members zone_ahead Posted June 2, 2004 Members Share Posted June 2, 2004 Originally posted by spectralab I'll have to say that the most entertaining synth I've ever used is the Fenix. you are just using that as an excuse to let us know once again that you have a fenix Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members zone_ahead Posted June 2, 2004 Members Share Posted June 2, 2004 can't say that i've played with a whole lot of gear other than the few pieces i own, but i've fallen for me recently purchased px-7 and it definitely the funnest for me out of what i have. for me, i know when it is fun when i just play with it for hours not caring if i record any of it..... get a couple simple patterns going and keep twisting and melting them over and over again, switching in and out of sounds, tweaking the knobs and doing some realtime stuff over the top of it all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mike51 Posted June 2, 2004 Members Share Posted June 2, 2004 Reaktor 4 any knobby synth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members spectralab Posted June 2, 2004 Members Share Posted June 2, 2004 Originally posted by zone_ahead you are just using that as an excuse to let us know once again that you have a fenix as much fun as that would be , it was actually an honest answer to the question asked! I've truly never had this much fun with a synth before Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members keanu reeves Posted June 2, 2004 Members Share Posted June 2, 2004 most fun to program is probably the uWave XT most fun to play is minimoog voyager Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members zone_ahead Posted June 2, 2004 Members Share Posted June 2, 2004 Originally posted by spectralab as much fun as that would be , it was actually an honest answer to the question asked! I've truly never had this much fun with a synth before i don't doubt it man. actually the post was more of an excuse for me to express my jealously:D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members aeon Posted June 2, 2004 Members Share Posted June 2, 2004 TheRain wondered:Many of you are more experimenters with sound and music technology than you are musicians in the classic sense. So I want to know what synths/sequencers/musical devisces you have come accross in all of your gear hording that have simply been fun to use? Clavia Nord ModularSCI Prophet-5SCI Pro-OneSerge ModularWaldorf Microwave XTKE-mu XL-7Line6 Echo ProVox AC30Latronic NotronElektron MachineDrum SPS-1t.c. electronic FireworX (with a Peavey PC1600x driving it) cheers,aeon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Trillian Posted June 2, 2004 Members Share Posted June 2, 2004 Well, I would second or third Reaktor. I have tons of user ensembles that I downloaded from the NI site and some are so cool and crazy for just getting sound effects and loops. My favourite synth to programme is definitely the Memorymoog, it just never fails to be a source of inspiring sounds. I also really love putting the Ms-20 through a delay and just twisting knobs while looping the delay and letting a sound effect collage build up. For that matter, even just plugging a mic into a delay with about a 2 second delay time and doing sound-on-sound loops is alot of fun. One thing I never get tired of is playing rock guitar sounds using a clean guitar sample on the K2000 through one of a number of different distortion boxes / amp simulators, it's not 'programming' but it's just fun playing those sounds. -Sheryl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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