Stupid newbie question re: XP-10 vs SY-35

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H2oskiphil

H2oskiphil

It needs more cowbell!
Local Music-Go-Round has a Roland XP-10 for $249, and there's a Yamaha SY-35 in the newspaper for $179. I'm looking for a starter synth (I've already got a toy Casio) for recording in my basement (through a Seasound Solo into Vegas Video and Sound Forge) and occasionally playing at our church (which already has a couple of Clavinovas-the synth would be an additional board for strings and pad sounds). I've taken 10 years of piano lessons, but it's been years since I played regularly.

For the basement studio, I want the synth for strings, organ, piano, "synth" sounds (think Styx "Come Sail Away"), occasionally bass and horns. Drums and guitars are a bonus, but not necessary.

For the church, mainly strings, effects (voices and sounds), and occasionally woodwinds and brass. Again, drums and guitars are merely a bonus.

Which of the two is a better choice? Should I be looking at other things if I want to keep the price under $250? I've been watching eBay, and the prices seem reasonable, but I want to make sure I'm not overlooking a synth I should be looking at.

Thanks!
 
SY35 all the way. Think of it as a little brother to Korg's Wavestation. The SY has so many more possibilities sound-wise with its Vector Synthesis than the XP10.

The XP10 has nothing in common with its bigger XP siblings (30,50,60,80) and cannot share sounds with them. It is nothing but a glorified Roland Sound Canvas module with a keyboard attached...
 
Thanks for the quick response.

The reviews I read on the Roland were mixed-some people loved it, some hated it. I could only find a couple of reviews on the Yamaha, and they were generally positive.

Any other ideas in that price range? I'll buy it off ebay if i can't find one locally, but I hate to buy the Yamaha if a (Korg, Alesis, Roland, Moog, etc.) would have been a better choice...
 
I like my xp-10, but it is what it is - a cheap entry level sample player with a couple bells-n-whistles (notably the arpeggiator) and some decent sounds.

I always like Yams, including the SY series, but am unfamiliar with the 35.

Can you really find SY-22s for $200? Cool!

Jay (off to ebay...)
 
arcaxis said:
My vote is for the SY-35. It appears to have more support for patches and editing programs than the XP-10. If your buying used, do be careful to check the board out as much as you can for any problems, dead keys, dimming displays, buttons that don't work or work hard, erratic volume and sliders, distortion of the sound. Buying from a reputable store you'll likely have a warranty, the newspaper and eBay are a little riskier. On eBay pay heed to feedback on the seller and his return policy if any.

Others that you possibly find in the price range you mention...

Yamaha SY-55, SY-22
Korg X5, X5D (I've got a module version of the X5 and I'm pleased with the sounds from it)
Click to expand...

I owned the SY55 and currently own a X5D along with the Roland XP30 and some other assorted gear.

The SY55 is an OK synth, but lacks in terms of raw waveforms by today's standards. It is also only a sample playback synth. The SY22 and 35 may have slightly lower quality waveforms, but there are more to choose from as well as some basic FM synthesis functions.

Personally, I would skip the SY22 as the 35 was an updated version with more features which the TG33 also had.

The Korg X5D is also an OK synth, but I would never recommend it as your only board. It complements my Roland XP30 well in the areas where the Roland is weak. Personally, my Korg M1r sounds better than the X5D. Apparently the quality of components in the X5 are inferior to older Korg gear and that is what makes it so inexpensive.
 
Here's another one for the mix.

What about a Roland D-10 that I can probably pick up for less than $100 (needing some buttons replaced)?
 
Moprtgage the house, rent the wife, whatever...

...there's a Prophet VS on ebay - min bid $800, buy-it-now $1000.

Hurry!!!
 
OK, so the SY-35 is on the watch list.

Let's assume I pick one of them up (that's the plan right now...).

There's a couple of other boards on eBay that have drawn my interest. Would a Yamaha B-200 (it's a YS-200 with speakers...) or a Yamaha DX-100 be a complement to the SY-35, an upgrade from the SY-35, or a duplication of the SY-35?

Thanks!
 
H2oskiphil said:
OK, so the SY-35 is on the watch list.

Let's assume I pick one of them up (that's the plan right now...).

There's a couple of other boards on eBay that have drawn my interest. Would a Yamaha B-200 (it's a YS-200 with speakers...) or a Yamaha DX-100 be a complement to the SY-35, an upgrade from the SY-35, or a duplication of the SY-35?

Thanks!
Click to expand...

The YS100/200, B200 and DS55 were all 4-operator FM synths introduced in the late 80's. They all had "Easy Editing" which simplified the then complex FM patch editing process.

They are all really a step backwards from the SY35 functionally, but could complement it with some more intricate FM sounds the 35 cannot produce.

My setup for years was a SY55 together with the DS55.
 
There's a B-200 and a DX-100 I've got my eye on...the B-200 looks like a decent board, but the DX-100 might go pretty cheap. Is anyone familiar with the differences, and can you make a recommendation between the two?

Thanks!
 
H2oskiphil said:
There's a B-200 and a DX-100 I've got my eye on...the B-200 looks like a decent board, but the DX-100 might go pretty cheap. Is anyone familiar with the differences, and can you make a recommendation between the two?

Thanks!
Click to expand...

B200:

- 61 full size keys with aftertouch
- 8 part multitimbral
- 8 track sequencer
- onboard EFX (reverb, delay, chorus...)

The DX100 had none of these.
 
Update time!

OK, time for an update and a new question...

I got the Yamaha B-200 (the YS-200). Would a sampler like the Ensoniq EPS be a good complement? For that matter, (just to confirm my suspicions) is the difference between a sampler and a synth the fact that the synth can generate it's own sounds, and the sampler will only plaay sounds that are loaded into it?

Again, I'm looking for something for my home studio to do piano, organ, strings, and brass/woodwinds. The B-200 will probably handle most of the synth/pads/wierd sounds, but I get the impression (I don't have the board yet...) that I'm not going to be able to to do everything I want. So, it looks like I need (want) an additional board, and a sampler sounds like a viable alternative.

Any insight on the EPS would also be appreciated...:D
 
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