Lets try this please. It may make a reuseable thread.
List a synth you know well and what you think the one or couple of functions (or sounds) it does best and sets it apart from the rest. I will start with an example.

Model: Alesis Andromeda (A6)
Best Feature: Fantastic LFO

The A6 Andromeda has an exceptional discrete triple stage LFO capable of extremely vast parameters. It far exceeds the capability of all LFO's on commonly known synths that I am aware of (w/exc. to multi stacked LFO on modulars beyond 3)

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Rights Free Production
"It's all you."
MORPH! Prod. Gp.
LGB, CA 92652-0054 (USA)

Model: Nord Modular
Best Feature: Obviously the modularity. I went to this from a K2000R which has 31 algorithms for changing the wiring inside. It's pretty flexible, but the NM is just liberating.

Model: Roland Juno-106.
Best Feature: Ease of use coupled with excellent sound. A no-brainer to use. You can dial in a usable string, bass or lead in the same time you switch presets on a module.

-tek

Yamaha FS1R.
Probably the most advanced FM and Formant synth I ever dealt with. It's strong point is it's formant capabilities, wich allow to produce sounds and loops that just blow your mind. Nothing close to it out there.

Novation nova table top.
Portability, ease of use and great sound.
it does just about everything that all of my favorite analog synths are capable of.
It may not be as complex as NM but its pretty flexible and it sounds ****ing great!

-ED-

Model: Kurzweil 2500 & 2600 series
Best Feature: Timbre
The big time choices among professionals. Practically an essential for sessional musicians doing movie and TV media soundtracks, most arrangers will presume the keyboardist uses this or the 2500 unit and often will even refer to settings on them desired for their arrangement. These are often resident boards in finer studios Their sound has a certain unmistakable purity about them. Achieving these hallmark sounds however can, at times, seem a bit cumbersome due to all of the unit's capabilities.

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Rights Free Production
"It's all you."
MORPH! Prod. Gp.
LGB, CA 92652-0054 (USA)

Yamaha PSR740

Best Feature: Effects

This model has five DSPs, each with 35 basic effects (reverb, chorus, echo, delay, EQ, compressors, modulators, etc.) and up to 16 parameters per effect (LFO, filters, phase, feedback, etc.). There are also 102 preset effects. Along with the ability to layer up to 18 sounds this makes it one powerful synth. Higher models have even more. And you don't need to turn on the arranger stuff if you don't want it.

Bryan

Pilot
What about sound editing capabilities?
I know PSRs let you edit sounds, I just don't know if you can do much.

Last time I checked one out it allowed for slight modifications (filter Cutoff, resonance, Attack, Release ...etc), but nothing intence. Has that changed?
Do nowadays PSRs let you program your own sounds?

-ED-

This is about the best features. If the PSR lets you change the sounds a little, then it's hardly the best feature. Alright, high five!

Carry on

-tek

Kurzweil 2600, so I agree with Morph on this one but I would like to add that "timbre" is the result of Vast and KDFX and secondly it is still the Synth with most capabilities if all options are installed.
(which are on mine)

Acces Virus C: Top quality sounds and still the Fastest" programmable synth I ever had.
(has enough knobs)

The PSR740 lets you edit sounds a little at the keyboard - you can add effects but only three DSPs are available and you can only alter the wet/dry. The actual synth is similar to the MU80/100 (uses the same chips) and you can access the whole synth via sysex using XGworks, XGEdit or something similar. To take one effect, one of the basic reverbs which does White Room, Tunnel, Canyon and Basement, has the following parameters which can be changed: Reverb Time and Delay, Diffusion, Initial Delay, HPF and LPF cutoff, Width, Height, Depth, Wall, Wet/Dry, Density, Early Reflection/Reverb balance, High Damping and Feedback Level. Other effects have different parameters to suit. If that lot isn't enough to please anybody I don't what is. And you can cascade all five DSPs. As to sound editing, you can't add your own sounds but with 761 voices there's plenty to choose from. Each part or layer (which is one sound) has 61 parameters to choose from including vibrato, filters, envelope, pitch, LFO (frequency, phase and amplitude), tuning and aftertouch. I have some spectacular organ sounds which are done by layering six different organs, with each layer slightly off tune and at different octaves from the fundamental, and some white room reverb added.

Higher models like the 2000 and 9000 let you access a lot of this stuff at the keyboard because they have a superior display, but you still need the sysex to get at the whole machine.

Bryan


[This message has been edited by Pilot (edited 01-02-2004).]

Synth: Waldorf Q (not micro Q) Just Q (although they should have called it the Phat Q)
Feature: Inherently made to have a super Phat Phat Phat Phat Phat Phat Phat Phat Phat Phat Phat Phat Phat Phat Phat Sound. My God does it ever too!
NOTE: YOU HAVE TO LIKE YELLOW. This board is so yellow that if you play it outdoors in the summertime, you had better be wearing a bee suit complete with full screened hood and face protection.
Did I mention it has a Phat sound?

Pro 52 soft synth:

An intuitive front panel and wide range of sound possibilities probably make this the best soft synth out there, in my opinion.

It also has a very good delay section which can create some amazing (though slightly unpredictable) swirling delay effects.