Seeking Synth Experts Opinions

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adrianb13

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Greetings all synth peoples out there. I understand that opinions will vary in this post and I will do further investigation on my own in relation to most (if not all) answers.
I am a musician and sound designer working from a home studio. Keyboard is NOT my main composing tool, though I find it is the best medium to get information into my DAW.
At the moment I have 2 X keyboards. One of them is the Juno 106 which I use to create some nice atmospheres for the more "surreall" textures. I LOVE the pads that this sucker comes out with, however, to playing MIDI into a DAW it falls short in the 'velocity sensitive' dept. I use an old Roland POS to do this.
I would love any help and advice as to what kind of synth out there will give me a similar palette to the 106, but also has velocity sensitive keys. I want to streamline my equipment and conserve space in this studio.
Thanking you all in advance
adrianb13
 
Since it seems you want subtractive analog style sounds, yet with velocity sensitivity, I would suggest two options:

1.) Expensive/better sound: get a real analog polysynth with velocity. Good luck with vintage boards because there aren't a ton of them: Sequential Circuits T8, Rhodes Chroma, Oberheim Matrix 12, Oberheim Xpander, Oberheim Matrix 6 or 6R, Roland JX8P, Roland JX10 are good places to start. Or, take a look at some newer synths like a Dave Smith PolyEvolver or the Alesis Andromeda A6.

2.) Cheaper/ok sound: buy a slightly used virtual analog synth. Check out a Nord Lead II, an Access Virus KB, a Korg Z1, or even a Novation K Station. Basically a lot of options here.
 
one trick with the juno is to map velocity to filter cutoff via midi translator so it will give you velocity like behavior
 
Another cheopo board with decent sounds and lot's of hands on action for sound-designing, is the Alesis Ion (Only 49 keys though). Some people think it sounds thin too, but I personally have not found this to be the case (Especially if you now your way around filter). Plus it just looks so damn cool, with the light up mod wheels and all those knobs, switches, and LED's. :cool:

Another good choice for you might be the Novation X-Station, which is basically a kick-ass controller, with an audio interface, onboard FX, and a K-Station synth engine, and is available in several keyboard sizes. Definitely check EBAY for a KS4 or KS5 too (49 and 61 key K-Station's respectively).
 
Yo Adrian of 13: [That's my birthday!! :D ]


You might want to examine the many facets of the Motiff ES either the 61 key which I have or the 88 key which I don't have.

The Motiff has a direct to PC plug and a gaggle of sounds and rhthyms and a sequencer.

But, most of all, it has quality sounds. However, most of the new synths also have similar features. So, it depends on your ears and how good the touch has to be on the synth. I've used Yamaha keyboards for a long time but also have a Korg stage piano in my studio--it, too, has a few good sounds, and 88 keys. [some artists prefer the 88 keys]

Whatever, see how many boards you can put your digits on before you decide.

Happy Spring
The Green Hornet :D
 
velo sens

try a JX8p. :)
adrianb13 said:
Greetings all synth peoples out there. I understand that opinions will vary in this post and I will do further investigation on my own in relation to most (if not all) answers.
I am a musician and sound designer working from a home studio. Keyboard is NOT my main composing tool, though I find it is the best medium to get information into my DAW.
At the moment I have 2 X keyboards. One of them is the Juno 106 which I use to create some nice atmospheres for the more "surreall" textures. I LOVE the pads that this sucker comes out with, however, to playing MIDI into a DAW it falls short in the 'velocity sensitive' dept. I use an old Roland POS to do this.
I would love any help and advice as to what kind of synth out there will give me a similar palette to the 106, but also has velocity sensitive keys. I want to streamline my equipment and conserve space in this studio.
Thanking you all in advance
adrianb13
Click to expand...
 
go VSti,
the zt3a ( 6 oscilators, loads of waveform, 1000x 1000 desination matrix, will blow the doors of a Juno 106.. sound design on a Juno 106 ( its not a deep keyboard with only one voice, and one ENV for both amp and filter which gates the amp if you use it on filter.)
hardly a sound design synth with its very elementry architecture.
you want Absynth 3 for surreal and atmosphere as the be all end all in all night path editing and ethereal evolving texture.
As far real synths go. The MS 2000 is 49 keys, can do anything a Juno can with two stackable synth lines, 64 additional waveforms, and 3x sequnencer that can run the filter, note one, pitch ( think wavestation and two Juno 106's smashed together with plenty of nobs for tactile programing). The MS 2000 can be had cheap and all those nobs can remotely run your soft snth VSTi collection from KVR.
The free Triangle 2 synth by rgc audio with absolutly out the Juno 106 in the garbage with fat ripping filters and an extra sub ocilator like a Virus. I had a Juno 106 and love it for its looks. It was also the best you buy in the day. I remember foundly playing with a new one in 1984 and it sounds 1984 and can be used for a a decent synth bass line.
The Alesis IOn will do Juno 106 all day long and give you built in effects and far deeper
programing but feel and sould close the a 106, also a use JP 2000.
but, if you want sound design you need Absynth 3, Kontact 2 (stack sample juno 106 love into and take it to the next realm with stepping filters and convolutionverb)
The Vsti will streamline you. It you have a fast box, decent DAW and 24 bit sound card with good monitors, the fatness is there. A tossing waves pluggin or UAD compressor on the DAW channel is going to even make it bigger.
 
How is a VSTi supposed to have velocity sensitive keys?

And a Juno is 6 voice, not one

I'll second the JX8, still have the good old roland sound but more modern interface and 2 osc per voice is nice. Make sure you look for one with the programmer (PG200 IIRC) since it is one of those bleak looking panel programming deals.
 
vasti

(Vasti)well, it was meant to be a streamlining suggestion , the Vsti's with a more modern Analog modeling synth or controller. A juno 106 simply takes up a lot of space and does very little ( 1 voice as in patch, it was meant to mean not muti-timbral assuming another voice and not polyphonic). Its not a Virus with stacked analog patches, so the depth of sound creation is limited to jet whooshs and static no-velocity basses ( many sampled the 106 only to stick the waveform in Emax 2 for velocity filter control)
The juno 106 is cool as a retro piece of kit if it inspires you. But, its limited in its use as master control and decent sound source. I bought one in 1994 remembering how cool it was back in 80's and after reading some nice orbital
and Juno reactor articles. It had its place in the early nighties before DAW automation and static PCM snyths; but things have moved on quite a bit since then. I sold my Juno 106( its a bit Lucky Man) for an ASr10 and K4 for a larger sound pallet and have since sold the ASR 10 and k4.
Now, I have the MS2000 a modern analog modeled unit with mostly Vsti's in Cubase sx. Its is streamlined to the point of the MS 2000 off to the left,
a Cubase 400F , POD, collection of mic's, bass and guitar.
There's a bluetube dp additional pre and UA 6176 channel strip for tracking.
and not to steer this in the analog digital debate of fatness, some people
precieve fat analog over vsti because they are driving the input pre-amps etc. a Moog or Juno recorded sounds like a virtual synth after being record
cause your trimming dynamics applying eq shelving. So while that 106 sounds
fat coming out of an amp with a 15 speaker it sounds the same after you record, mix and master your tracks. If you get a Reactor or some of the packages you will have deep analog warmth and a playroom modular madness
in a clean streamlined studio. Think flat big panel displaying your DAW on a cool table and your coffee mug with two nice studio monitors.
Or you can have the rack of obsolete Roland, midi cables, mackie mixer with 20 cables in it, several power strips with replacement radioshack wall worts all
tangled under your feet.
:)


The original poster expressed that keys are not his native instrument.
I personally would have a 106 for "coolness" factor but if I was looking to streamline, needed great pads and synths I would get a nice controller
from M-audio or Alesis and go vasti, audio unit or DX and use the DAW automation. Now you have a studio that can do electro, rock, ambient or what ever your into without loads of midi cable and wallworts
 
dcomerford said:
a Moog or Juno recorded sounds like a virtual synth after being record
cause your trimming dynamics applying eq shelving. So while that 106 sounds
fat coming out of an amp with a 15 speaker it sounds the same after you record, mix and master your tracks.
Click to expand...
If you find this to be the case, then you messed up. I can pick out real analog in a blind listening test almost every time. Not to say that you can't get excellent results with a VA (hence the Ion suggestion I posted earlier). I use both, analog hardware, VA hardware, and soft-synths (all 3 in the studio, but mostly just the digital hardware live, as the old analogs are a bit to fussy for me to have to worry about in a live situation).

adrianb13, if you wan't just a controller, check out the CME controller's, but I'm thinking the X-Station is a good fit for you. Get an X-Station, a laptop, and a USB cable, and you can bring all your soft-synths with you to the gig.
 
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