For me , it's not about snobbery . It's about experimentation and having all the controls in front of me . The new VA synths provide me with this as well . So I don't necessarily have to have the old gear . The Roland SH-32 , KORG MS-2000 , MicroKorg , Nord , Virus . I ignore the new MiniMoog Voyager because it's overpriced and I could care less about Bob Moogs signature on it . The Roland EF-303 has a 16 step analog sequencer on it that can drive other synthesizers . To me the sample playback stuff is boring and I don't like samples of acoustic instruments .

Oh I am not discounting the newer digital VA synths, far from it. The only reason I have older gear right now is that I can afford it. Well some of it there is still alot of vintage gear that costs the same as the new more current gear. I just don't have a tremendous amount of money to spend on current gear. I try to keep my spending limit at around $400.00. I would buy a Micro Korg however I have already spent the money on a Minimoog. Granted I don't care for the acousitc instruments on some of todays keyboards. When manufactures started adding other insturment sounds the synthesizers, they stoped being synthesizers and became electronic keybords. With the Advent of keybords like the JP8000, Nord Lead and Korg MS2000, with knobs and no acousitc sounding instruments synthesizers have comeback. Besides I am glad to see knobs are being put back on synthesizers. It's the fact that synthesizers have knobs and switches and that you have to twiddle them and tweak the sound that makes a syntheszier a unique instrumnet. When Yamaha introduced the DX7 in 1983, syntheszier stop being what they were and became more glorifed home keyboards (pun intended). So now that manufactuers like Roland, Korg and Clava (manufactures the Nord Lead, just in case someone does not know who makes the Nord Lead). Someday I will buy a VA synthesizer, once I have saved up enough money again. I try to limit my spending on keyboards, manily becuse I have bill's to pay and a Mortgage. So yes 800dv I am considering getting an MS2000, probably when Korg as most likely stoped produceing them, and the price has dropped considerably. $2,000.00 for the Minimoog Voayger, I'm not that desprate.

Well all the modeling algorithms that drive all the current soft synths are based on algorithms developed by software design companies. While they may approach the real thing they are NOT the real thing. Analog circuitry in synths reached its peak in the mid 80s and synths from this period got as good as analog synthesis got. If you want the sound of 80s synths then you should get a synth from this era. The biggest downside is maintaining these old synths as many parts to repair them will either be unavailable or expensive to obtain as they will often have to be pulled from other non working keyboards. The new MOOG Voyager is a good option as it features all the abilities of the original Mini MOOG and is again in production so maintenance is not really a problem.

Thank you Nigel! Well I own an ARP AXXE & OMNI and both are still in good working order. However the only problem I had with the Omni when I first bought it was dead. This is what happens when you buy a synths from a Pawn Shop that tells you it works fine. But soon got it fixed and working right. But soon after 2 keys went dead, turns out a contact wire under each key snapped off. Hard Luck! Well I am sure I will get them fixed at some point. As for my Axxe the only problem with it besides a few yellowed keys, and one that sitcks up a bit. Is the two sliders the knobs snaped off before I purcahsed it. Other then that I have had no problems. Though I did find out they don't like the cold. Live in my cousins basement for 2 years and both synths stopped working. That was until I moved into my 3rd floor condo, where the got warmed up and sure enough they work again. I always manage to keep them clean and turn them on and use them once in a while. As for the Minimoog I don't know just yet still waiting for it too be deliverd. But since I already own two vintage analog synths that I do take care of, plus they are not moved around. BTW I think $2,000 is a bit steap for an analog synth even if it is new like the Minimoog Voyager. ARP must have done something right at least with these two instruments. As for finding an 80's synth, well I can't seem to find the one I want, with knobs and no accousitc sounding instruments, just palin synth sounds like Sine, Triangel, Saw Tooth , Square and Pluse wave forms. As long as I take care of my old analog synths they should be fine.

You should perhaps look at something like a Roland Juno 106 which goes second hand for around $300. It is a good polysynth and has all the knobs and sliders built in, plus it has MIDI which is convenient for sequencing. I have a Roland JX8P with the PG800 controller ( needed for programming ) which was very cheap when I picked it up and can make some awesome sounds. I do like Roland's analog synths.


[This message has been edited by Nigel (edited 02-23-2003).]

Juno-106 huh? Intereseting, I had an online tech friend tell me to get a Roland Juno-60, instead of the 106.

They Juno-60 sounds a little more buzzier and warm . There are slight differences inside , the JUNO-106 has more current microprocessors to deal with midi and it's programmable memory . The JUNO-106 is still a great synth though . The MiniMoog Voyager sells for $3500.00 for the signature series . That is way out of line and it is not worth it . His signature isn't going to make you're music any better , or make the instrument do any better . Most of the synthesizers in the past from Moog are absolute junk . The POLYMOOG , The Source , The MemoryMoog and the Constellation . I remember back in 1983 the music stores could not give away that cheap little Rogue synthesizer , and the MemoryMoog with it's unstable tuning , no midi , only six voices , and problems with it's microprocessor stopped selling completely . It had stiff compitition against reliable synthesizers like the JUNO-60 , JX-3P , DX-7 , and the Prophet 600 . The great thing about the new VA gear is that you get all the control and none of the problems . For me it's not about " sounding " analog . Quite frankly I could care less about the classic sound . I just want to creat electronic sounds , and NO acoustic samples . I have 77 analog synthesizers , but , I use my VA stuff now far more often . The VA gear have far more versatile arpeggiators , step sequencers , stable tuning , more waveforms , and more versatile filtering .

The only reason why I have a analog synths is not so much for palying with though that is part of it. Actually I like them for the asthetic value. Mor like nice dispaly pieces that can still be played with, which actually I do just to keep them maintianed. Also becuse to me theses are nice exzpmles of early electronic instuments. The real reason why a lot of theses early synths like the Memorymoog, the source and poly moog was do to the fact that ARP and Moog did not spend enough time on research and Devlopement, as well as testing. Plus they used a lot of cutting edege technology that was being produced and most of it was not tested before being put in to the synthesizers. However Moog did rectify the porblem of unstable oscillators in the Mini, with a new more stable oscillator board. Only Mini's with serial numbers greater than 10175 have this new board instaled. So finding a mini with a seiral numbers greater then 10175 will be alright too own. Any before that would be the ones with the problems of oscillator drift. Some of the ARP sytns tend to be better built espically the AXXE and OMNI and I own two early modles but latter serial numbers. Synhts with later serial numbers and latter models tend to far better then earlier ones. Same with the Sequential Prophet 5 the revision there is the best one to own becuse it has the least amount of problems. (Prophet 5 parts and ead prophet 5 are worth gold, amnily becasue finding parts for these is hard) Alhough Wine Country Productions carries parts but I don't know how much of there supply is left by now. As for the Japanese synths by KORG, Roland and Yamaha most are pretty good to own. Like the Poly-61, 800, and DW-8000 from Korg. The Polysix tends to have a problem with the internal battery leaking. The DW-6000 just stay away from. I have heard the Juno-60 is a good one to own as well as the 106 manily because of the DCO's inside. As for Yamaha I don't know too much they produce a few good ones like the CS-40M and the SK-20, & 30 though these are symphonic keyboards. Actually it was the Launch of the DX-7 in 1983 that put Yamaha on the fore front of Synth manufactureing. It's all digital has MIDI. So there is no problem with oscillator drift. I would however stay away from the CS-80. I read that many techs refuse to work on these becsue they are so un-reliable. So as far as early analog it all depends on which model and serial number synth you have, that will give you the least head aches. My Omni and AXXE still work with no internal problems. Still turn them on and work with them. As for my Minimoog I will have to wait and see. And a VA one well I am still trying to figure out which would be the best one to own. Personally I just have an obsession with synthesziers, I guess that is why I call myself a synthfreak.

When I was a kid, there was this rumour going around that someone had invented paragraphs. Crazy talk.

-tek

ha ha very funny tek. Are you trying to tell me something? Or just makeing a snide comment. he he