Need new synth for cheesy synthpop band

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slamband

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Hey everyone I made an account so I can ask this question. Ive been working on a demo with my guitarist friend for a few months which can be classified as electropop with some 80's influence. We just started jamming this stuff out live, as everything beforehand was recorded directly into the computer. I used an emu xboard 61 as my midi controller, and all of the synths were from VST's, and all of the drums and sound effects and synth sequences were done directly in FL Studio, including the guitar recordings. We are trying to make the transition away from being so heavily reliant on a computer to play live, because for now im going to have to have my xboard hooked up to my computer and have my computer wiring the sound out to my mixer. So I'm looking to buy a new hardware synthesizer that has a wide array of electro/techno sounds, (hopefully to match my VST's such as z3ta+, poizone, toxic biohazard, etc), and it would be nice if I could download and create custom patches as well.

here's a link to our music so you can get a feel for what we're trying to do.

http://myspace.com/slamtimeslamtime

(only the first two songs are from our new project, the others are things I made myself before I started jamming with my guitarist)

I'm looking to spend around $600-800, and I'd really appreciate your guys' opinions on the best synth for my money.
 
slamband said:
Hey everyone I made an account so I can ask this question. Ive been working on a demo with my guitarist friend for a few months which can be classified as electropop with some 80's influence. We just started jamming this stuff out live, as everything beforehand was recorded directly into the computer. I used an emu xboard 61 as my midi controller, and all of the synths were from VST's, and all of the drums and sound effects and synth sequences were done directly in FL Studio, including the guitar recordings. We are trying to make the transition away from being so heavily reliant on a computer to play live, because for now im going to have to have my xboard hooked up to my computer and have my computer wiring the sound out to my mixer. So I'm looking to buy a new hardware synthesizer that has a wide array of electro/techno sounds, (hopefully to match my VST's such as z3ta+, poizone, toxic biohazard, etc), and it would be nice if I could download and create custom patches as well.

here's a link to our music so you can get a feel for what we're trying to do.

http://myspace.com/slamtimeslamtime

(only the first two songs are from our new project, the others are things I made myself before I started jamming with my guitarist)

I'm looking to spend around $600-800, and I'd really appreciate your guys' opinions on the best synth for my money.
Click to expand...

I don't know about electro/techno, but if you're making 80's sythpop, I highly recommend the Yamaha DX-7.
 
+1 on the DX7. You can find the table top version (TX7) for under a hundred bucks and there are literally thousands of patches out there. A TX81Z which is the DX7 4 op cousin would also be a good buy on the cheap (>$100 also) and that has all sorts of good techno/Electro sounds (the lately bass is on that machine). One of those for the synthpop stuff and you will have cash left for something more modern (nord lead, Virus, etc) to cover everything else.
 
If I got a more modern set of keys and a rackmount would it be easy to switch between the sounds on the rackmount and the newer synth? I've been thinking about it and I'm almost inclined to spend a couple extra hundred dollars to get a second physical set like the DX7 that you're talking, and if it also helps, I would like to add that I love the big brassy overdone saw sound found in the CS-80 and OP-X, (think Love Walks In by Van Halen), does the DX7 have good patches that sound like that?
 
Very easy to switch. The caveman way would be just to hook up both, and just mute the one you dont want to use on your mixer..

The DX7 is a FM synth so it is a ways away from the analog stuff. It really excels at "glistening" type sounds like bells, chimes, etc but also has some fairly strong (and popular) pianos/rhodes as well as electric bass.

here is good demo (look on youtube for more)

http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2009/03/19/the-yamaha-dx7-ii-fm-synthesizer/
 
When you say "hook up both", I'm assuming you mean plug the midi out from a newer keyboard into the midi in on a rackmount, and have the XLR output from both devices wired into my mixer. If I were to do this, would the keyboard keep outputting its own sound even though it recognizes its acting as a midi controller?
 
slamband said:
When you say "hook up both", I'm assuming you mean plug the midi out from a newer keyboard into the midi in on a rackmount, and have the XLR output from both devices wired into my mixer. If I were to do this, would the keyboard keep outputting its own sound even though it recognizes its acting as a midi controller?
Click to expand...

yep that's the idea. There is usually a function on keyboards that is called "local off" which disconnects the keybed from the tone generator but diving through menus to find it during a gig is much more complicated then hitting mute on your mixer.
 
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