2016 Synths for Shoegaze Options

[revolutron]

Hi All - Not to step on any toes, but after wading thru gearslutz and muffwiggler for days and hearing people talk about aggressive vs warm synths and understanding they either want to make synth-pop or the dankest two measure darkwave loops, i thought - where my people who listen to souvlaki and think "i want to make those tones that blend the range of guitar or synth on the reg". And also...not spend days/weeks/months programming shit and be under 1.5k ish. It seems like the Waldorf blofeld/pulse 2 seem to be the best options right now, although a lot of people seem to love the Yamaha An1x, korg wavestation, older kurzweils kxxxx series. I've been curious about the Korg Radias - seems like a lot of synth dudes hate them but seem like they would be great for generating pure waves of blissed out chords.

the other thing i wrestle with though are the elektron machines/DSI tempest - they are all on the expensive side, but mainly seem to offer the chance to have a single box handle synths/drums if necessary, be able to run samples mostly, and can do anything from being a backing band in a can to something you play live as the main instrument. any other things coming out now that i am missing? anyone played the studiologic sledge?

[mackerelmint]

You could look at a JV series roland. Programming them from the front is a miserable task with some models, but you can tackle it via software as well. I don't think that the 2080 is much more menu divey than the blofeld is. Lots of polyphony and multitimbrality, and while you can't load your own samples, you can get expansion cards full of 'em. So if you had a sequencer, they could do the band in a box thing for you. They're pretty good at doing ambient sounds, and have all the typical 90s rompler flexibility.

They sound good and they're cheap.

The blofeld is great too.

[Dave]

If memory serves correct, it's been at least 6 years since I've posted here. For some unknown reason I feel compelled to reply to this subject

I suggest a Juno 106 for instantly gratifyng Souvlaki-like pads considering your budget. Your dog could come up with a pleasing patch in about 4 minutes and the prices are going nowhere but north. The 60 and 6 are equally or higher regarded but lack the memory/midi capability of the 106 and frankly, though they do sound somewhat different, they'e all in the same velvety smooth Roland DCO family and the 106 running a chorus II PWM wave with filter to taste and subtle resonance will certainly do what you seek without question.

[OffYourFace]

I own a ton of vintage synths and I repair vintage synths... but i'm not a keyboard player, I'm a guitar player. I prefer instruments that are super easy to use.
The Blofeld sounds awesome but it's not the most user friendly thing, ymmv, etc.

The Roland Junos are great and there's a ton of sounds in them once you properly learn how to use everything. The 60 is the most desired Juno and is expensive. It has the same voice chips as the Jupiter 8. The 106 can still be found for $600-700 but will need voice chip repair sooner or later.

For something cheaper but with great sounds, I suggest the later Alpha Juno 1 or 2. They sound similar to the older siblings and have a handy brilliance control that's separate from the VCF (filter). Also like the 60 and 106, they have true analog chorus with dual MN3005 chips. They are not hard to program but you can get the PG-300 controller for complete real-time control.
The Juno sound mixes well with guitars and cuts through the mix very well. Add reverb and delay and you're all set.

[starflower]

Access Virus is your friend. I've had a Virus KB for 15 years and am convinced it really sits nicely between the sleek sounds found in Novation and Nord hardware, and that which you can only get from the aforementioned Roland (or Moog) gear. Just one example, a certain Moon Pad patch that was originally only downloadable from the Access site has become a staple for my once-Slowdive-obsessed ears, and still is a very usable preset to start with, a very slow attack/release pad with a huge spatial reverb + very slow modulation (downward) pitchshift. There are dozens of other patches that'll get you that "era", so much so that a used Access Virus Indigo for a few hundred dollars may float your boat. One other thing, the Germans really got the Virus line right when it comes to grit...by far it can get incredibly aggressive when needed, and the internal filters are absolute screamers.

But if you think you could haul around a laptop and USB-keyboard, then Spectrasonics Omnisphere and subsequent expansions would be my overwhelming suggestion...The presets and selection of tones are utterly amazing, and the way that things can be tweaked with internal effects are worth the time it takes to work them, albeit w/o physical knobs. There's also a pair of patched called "Most Frequencies Synth/Lead" that I've used in tandem with guitars to get the fattest blast of tones I've ever come up with, somewhere between M83 and a good amount of Loveless-era MBV tones.

[garyfanclub]

Someone above suggested a Juno, I'll second that. They're great once you know what you're doing insofar as manipulating all the knobs and sliders.

I'll suggest another vintage Roland, the RS-09. Add some delay and reverb and you've got a reasonably versatile synth that'll do string pads/organ sounds well (if not a bit dated sounding). You can find them for about $300-400 on ebay, depending on condition. They're also fairly compact, and much easier to tote around than a Juno (somewhat beastly).

http://www.vintagesynth.com/roland/rs09.php" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;



Here's a post preservation did about his a few years ago: http://www.offsetguitars.com/forums/vie ... 32&t=69858