what rack ?

[cortexx]

Ok i have decided to take the plunge on a Rom rack workstation.

I figure my main choices are the korg triton rack , the roland XR rack , and the yamaha motif es .

I have a Korg MS2000B, v-synth, DR-880 and an access virus is on its way. One of these rom racks with the dance type expansion boards will give me a good well rounded ability to make pretty much anything I want.

Am i missing a board from my combination that will give me something I dont have ? ( dance,ambient,trance style music ).

If there is a Rom rack that will serve me better smack me with it now infact , if im missing a board that you guys really thing would serve me well smack me with that too

[noisewreck]

I'll smack you with this. Stop buying instruments, at least not as often, and learn the ones that you already have. Between the ones that you already have (and the Virus), you're pretty covered. If anything, I'd recommend you get yourself a sampler (hardware or software) rather than a workstation/synth. That would be a much better investment than a Triton, a Fantom, or a Motif.

[ssscientist]

The v-synth is one deeeeeeep instrument. When you can honestly say you have a handle on programming that, you'll be ready to add more to your rack.

Noisewreck is right --- you need to learn what you've got. The least programmable - the DR-880 - is capable of making all kinds of good sounds all by itself. Add a v-synth, an MS2000 and an Access Virus and you've got enough firepower to keep you busy for years.

[Atterion]

ditto too what noisewreck and ssscientist say. But if you are bound and determined to spend, go with the Fantom XR, or better yet double up on the V-synth with the new V-Synth XT rack.

[cortexx]

Heh sound advice guys , i knew you guys were going to say that thanks for being honest!!

The thing is i was stupid in my early twenties and sold all my gear to buy a car , i wish i had kept my Jupiter , korg poly etc etc but i didn't. Once the novelty of the car wore off I regretted the move I made to buy it.

I always said that when i could afford it i`d get back into it, now I`m doing just that.

I have been playing with the V-synth for a few months now , it has alot of sonic potential and i love it. I found it easy to get to grips with ( i have lots of experience with analogue synths and this gave me a huge advantage from the start ), i know how to start with a blank patch and build general sounds. I`m playing with is sampling features at the moment. I dont like the d-beam much and i`m really not much of a fan or the time trip pad either , that my change with usage.

The Korg is a toy for me , I used it to refresh my analogue sound creation processes as its pretty close to the boards of old (although a lot more potential ) I spent all last night goofing around with the step sequencer it has. Its pretty neat.

I`m really excited to get the virus , I probably am more excited to get this then the V. I`m a computer technician by trade so the computer patch editing interface looks very exciting!

I started 2 months ago with nothing and tend to be someone to grab all the equipment at once then sit down and learn it all. You`ll find me posting here alot at the moment trying to make the best decisions on the gear because I have been out of the game so long everything is unfamiliar to me.

So although I look like a gear junkie, i'm not, i just want to get it all set up at the beginning so I dont have to constantly replace equipment. I worked my ass off for the last 23 years so now it time to reward myself .

I`m counting on you guys to help me out here on the gear decisions so be honest

BTW i settled on a tapco blend 16 for my mixer , after alot of umming and ahhing and alot of reading this mixer looks like it has everything i want .

[cortexx]

BTW the guy at the local store tells me the Korg triton rack and the Yamaha Motif es rack have now been discontinued, along with the midiman midisport 8X8 i wanted ( and the korg karma ).

Am i being fed a line here ? or is it true ?

[Atterion]

Not sure about the 2 racks being discontinued but the KARMA has been

OK, so you need a TON of sonic power up front, I understand.

Given you're prefered genre's of music, you should definitely look into the E-mu range of boards and rack such as the PK-6, XK-6 keys or racks like the Mo'Phatt, orbit, etc.

They also have tabletop units like the XL-7 Command Station. E-mu has all but abandoned hardware here in the states, but they have teamed with Ensoniq over seas http://www.emu-ensoniq.co.jp/
Check out the HALO which is their first hybrid http://www.vintagesynth.com/index2.html (I give you this link because the official website is mostly in japanese).

If you call one of the better dealers (Such as Sweetwater), they should be able to get these for you even though they are no longer published (Hell, my Sweetwater rep told me he could still get me a Waldorf Q+, and Waldorf has been in insolvency for how long now?!?!?!).

[Atterion]

OK the second link won't link directly to the Halo, so select Ensoniq on the left hand side, than Halo. She is Sexy!!!

[up-fiddler]

Originally Posted by cortexx

The thing is i was stupid in my early twenties and sold all my gear to buy a car , i wish i had kept my Jupiter , korg poly etc etc but i didn't.

So although I look like a gear junkie, i'm not, i just want to get it all set up at the beginning so I dont have to constantly replace equipment. I worked my ass off for the last 23 years so now it time to reward myself .
.

If you weren't a gear slut you wouldn't be here. Join the club, the water's fine . Dave

[cortexx]

Hey i got interested in this stuff in my early teens because I loved all the things to twiddle with on the early synths.

Nothing has changed.

Ok everything has changed , the gear available now is simply amazing even the basic synths quite often offer more than my Jupiter ever did ..!

[DavidK]

I am an oldskool synth guy myself: I am stuck around 1980. Hold me

I have been getting into softsynths lately and been impressed, especially with the Prophet. I dont have a real one to compare, but its pretty darn close. Certainly not as fun as playing a real one, but I live in a cramped house, all my studio stuff has to be small. On the computer screen, its a facsimile of the real thing, I assume you can change parameters with real knobs, my keyboard is your basic 49key el cheapo.

I have a Roland JV1010 and an Alesis module for "real" synths I can touch, but I am leaning more towards softsynths now because I am really pleased. A real propher verses the softsynth: The softsynth stays in tune and I dont have to break my back moving it

[Atterion]

DavidK,
I'm afraid you'll have to hold yourself!!!
Sorry

Yeah, Native Instruments did a real good job on the Prophet/Pro53 (As well as the B4 and FM7). It really is scary how close these soft-synths are getting to emulating every last nuance of the "Real Deal". And of course you do get the maximum effect when using a high-end controller, with lots of knobs and other controllers. But as good as they get, they never really allow you to experience the "Magic" that can only be inspired by playing a real chunk of vintage gear (drifting oscillators, scratchy pots, cluncky keys, and all....).

[DavidK]

(drifting oscillators, scratchy pots, cluncky keys, and all....).

You make it sound so appealing

Agreed, it's not as good as messin with the real thing. Better yet, being surrounded by stacks of old-timey synths.

I might have to buy a fancypants controller just for the Pro53. Turning knobs with a mouse onscreen doesnt feel right. It's still a very impressive sound, I find myself using it more and more:

[cortexx]

I really cant bring myself to use a soft synth. I am a computer tech by trade and simply like to go home and bash on my boards most of the time to escape the PC. Sitting in front of a PC and using softsynths is my idea of hell

The closest thing ill have to a softsynth is maybe a nord modular in the future ....... maybe

[Atterion]

Originally Posted by cortexx

I really cant bring myself to use a soft synth. I am a computer tech by trade and simply like to go home and bash on my boards most of the time to escape the PC. Sitting in front of a PC and using softsynths is my idea of hell

The closest thing ill have to a softsynth is maybe a nord modular in the future ....... maybe

Well this is the "What Rack?" thread, so why not a Receptor or Plugzilla. Rack-mountable, soft-synths, and no computer!!!

[SonicAlbert]

Of the choices you listed, I'd say go with the Fantom XR rack unit. What really makes it special is the 6 expansion slots and the quality and quantity of expansion boards available for it. You can pack it with tons and tons of sounds.

I'd stay away from the Emu stuff. They no longer make synth hardware, and haven't for years now. The expansion boards are getting harder to find and more expensive by the month practically. Some of the boards you may want could be virtually impossible to find, and it goes without saying that you will be buying them used.

The Triton and Motif racks are good, no question, it's just that the Roland
XR rack has such a wealth of expansion boards available. And the XR does sound great!

As far as the hardware versus software synth thing, I still have racks of synths and samplers and use them on every project. I've got some soft samplers now too, but that's in addition to the hardware, not instead of it. I don't think you are on synth overload at all, a big ROMpler like the one you are considering adding to your collection would be a good thing in my opinion.

[seismetr0n]

soft synths are ok. but they kinda suck too... i would avoid them if you can afford it--

heres where i put my usual synth input =

why not a kurzweil ? get something like a k2000xsr , or 2500xsr ... all of their used rack gear goes for super cheap nowadays (everyone wants the sliders)....

if you think its too digital for you, then the obvious answer is a moog (or similiar analog synth)...

hell, why not just get both

gl


with the programmiong and the sampling.. you cant go wrong

[cortexx]

I know its a softsynth and the receptor is still a PC

[Atterion]

Originally Posted by cortexx

I know its a softsynth and the receptor is still a PC

True!!! I'll shut up........




...........for now...................