I don’t recall a synthesizer thread on Straight Dope - at least not in the last year or so.
I’ve been using these machines for years. My favourites are the older non-workstation MIDI age synths. Moogs, Arps, and EMS machines are fun and make some cool sounds, but I prefer machines with MIDI for ease of recording and writing. I also like lots of knobs and sliders on my synths. Page programming (like with the D-50) is fine, but not as fluid as reaching up and turning a knob.
I’ve owned almost every major brand of synth over the years. At the end of the day my favourite synth maker is Roland. This week I finally got a Roland JP8000 - man, what a machine. It only secures Roland in my mind as one of the best.
At the moment I have the following hardware synthesizers.
Roland D50, D10, S330, S550, JP8000, Juno 106 and MC01.
Korg Wavestation and MS2000r
Kurzweil PC-88 and Micro Piano
Ensoniq Fizmo
Akai AX-60
Crumar Bit-One
Kawai K-3m
Red Sound Darkstar
I also have a small army of software synthesizers (some freeware and some sample based titles like Gigastudio) and two dedicated computers to run these synths. My favourites softsynths at the moment are Superwave P8, Synth1, Minimonsta, and FreemoogVA.
On my wishlist of hardware synths are the Roland Jupiter 6, The Yamaha DX-1 (good luck) and a DX-7 mkII. I’d also like a Crumar Bit 01 (the rack version of my Bit One) and a Roland JP8080 (the rack version of the JP8000).
I’ve evolved completely backwards over the past 10 years of use; I started with a Roland groovebox, got into software and softsynths, and eventually started buying real analog synths. From there, I’ve gone completely analogue, and I’m currently working on going completely MIDI-free in my process. I’m down to all voltage-controlled synths; next step, a tape machine instead of the DAW!
My favorite synths are from Roland’s heyday, '74 or so to '85 or so; so many great classics and idiosyncratic pieces. I’ve had Junos (the 6 is still the fattest), the SH-101 (easily the best bang-for-the-buck in analog synths, though their prices have started to rise over the past few years!), the MC-202 (the most misunderstood and underrated sequencer in synth history), the System 100 (the original “workstation” - I had about half of one assembled for a few years, but I could never find the sequencer or mixer and I ended up selling it off), the System 700 (probably the greatest modular synth from that era), not to mention the RS-09 (my favorite string machine that was manufactured), the TR-606 (the best analog beatbox to this day), the undeniably classic Jupiter 8…I could go on all day. I’ve owned a lot of them, and I’ll probably own some of them again.
A couple of years ago, I sold off most of my synths to build my Synthesizers.com modular, and never looked back. (I blogged the experience for a while over here, if anyone’s interested in reading about it). The modular is just the ultimate dream come true for me - it’s the way I wanted to work, and I didn’t even know it. I could go without buying another synth ever again, because it does everything that I want and has an interface that just inspires the hell out of me time and time again.
I’m getting into analogue sequencers now, as well as digital sequencers that spit CV’s, and that’s really reductionist after working exlusively with Cubase for 10 years. It’s a completely different way of working that seems to result in far more “happy accidents” and synchronicities.
The Juno 6 is one hell of a synth. It sounds different than the 60 or 106. I can’t pinpoint it, but it just is warmer. It was one of my first poly synths. My first was the Moog Rogue which I JUST exchanged for the JP8000 to a fellow very much like you. He’s moving away from MIDI and digital synths and going full analog. His space is great. Lots of groovy old synths.
I would have kept my RS-09 if it had MIDI. I liked the string sound on it. Very much like the JP6 or 8. It was a little limited on sounds though.
**Czarcasm **: I wasn’t quite sure if this is CS material as it is more about hardware.
I’m not primarily a keyboard player (I play guitar, flute, bass, and mandolin), but I do maintain a synth setup for composing. Since I use the keyboard itself mainly as a controller for my rack modules, I’m content with a low-end unit. My old Roland D-5 recently gave up the ghost, and I replaced it with an Alesis QS6.2. In the rack are an E-mu Proteus 2, E-mu B3, Kurzweil Micropiano, and Korg 05R/W. For analog sounds, I have a Yamaha CS-15.
Being fairly non-flush with cash, my “wish list” is much more impressive than what I’ve got, but my current rig consists of an E-mu Proteus 1, a Roland JV-1080, and a Yamaha TX802. I’m controlling them all with my Alesis QS 7.1.
I also have the soft-synths that come with Reason.
I think you’ll like the Electro – I regret selling my 73 (to finance a set of Voce drawbars, the B4 softsynth, and a workaday laptop), and hope to pick up a 61 to fill the giant hole left in its wake. I still prefer B4 (first version – haven’t tried the newer release) to the Electro Hammond, but there’s no doubt it’s a killer even if only for Hammond/Leslie emulation. The Wurlitzer is so ridiculously spot-on I’m not even bothering to service my originals to the point where they’re 100% perfect, preferring to put the dough towards another Electro. Could be distorted memory, but it was one amazing board if you like those sounds.