The Synth Thread...

All instruments that aren't guitars (or bass guitars).
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Shadoweclipse13
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Re: The Synth Thread...

Post by Shadoweclipse13 » Wed Sep 04, 2019 8:09 pm

Maggieo wrote:
Wed Sep 04, 2019 8:03 am
Whiny Minotaur wrote:
Tue Sep 03, 2019 11:32 pm
^ Did you know that there's a hidden acoustic piano sound on the CP? Apparently it sound really good and all the onboard effects on the CP work on it too.
I saw that before it arrived and it was the first thing I did right after putting the batteries in! It sounds AMAZING.
I don't know if the entire control bank is mounted to a single PCB, but if the instrument selector switch isn't, I wonder if it would be possible to mod it to have the acoustic piano as a selected option so you don't have to shut it off...
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http://www.offsetguitars.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=104282&p=1438384#p1438384

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Re: The Synth Thread...

Post by mackerelmint » Wed Sep 04, 2019 8:16 pm

Shadoweclipse13 wrote:
Wed Sep 04, 2019 8:09 pm
Maggieo wrote:
Wed Sep 04, 2019 8:03 am
Whiny Minotaur wrote:
Tue Sep 03, 2019 11:32 pm
^ Did you know that there's a hidden acoustic piano sound on the CP? Apparently it sound really good and all the onboard effects on the CP work on it too.
I saw that before it arrived and it was the first thing I did right after putting the batteries in! It sounds AMAZING.
I don't know if the entire control bank is mounted to a single PCB, but if the instrument selector switch isn't, I wonder if it would be possible to mod it to have the acoustic piano as a selected option so you don't have to shut it off...
There's a Vimeo vid of a guy modding it. The control switch is PCB mounted, so what he did was cut the leg for the toy piano setting and wire in a toggle, because the piano is selected when there's no connection from the control switch. But he still had to power cycle it to work. I don't think there's really any getting around that, it seems baked into the firmware.
This is an excellent rectangle

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Re: The Synth Thread...

Post by Shadoweclipse13 » Wed Sep 04, 2019 9:22 pm

mackerelmint wrote:
Wed Sep 04, 2019 8:16 pm
Shadoweclipse13 wrote:
Wed Sep 04, 2019 8:09 pm
Maggieo wrote:
Wed Sep 04, 2019 8:03 am


I saw that before it arrived and it was the first thing I did right after putting the batteries in! It sounds AMAZING.
I don't know if the entire control bank is mounted to a single PCB, but if the instrument selector switch isn't, I wonder if it would be possible to mod it to have the acoustic piano as a selected option so you don't have to shut it off...
There's a Vimeo vid of a guy modding it. The control switch is PCB mounted, so what he did was cut the leg for the toy piano setting and wire in a toggle, because the piano is selected when there's no connection from the control switch. But he still had to power cycle it to work. I don't think there's really any getting around that, it seems baked into the firmware.
Interesting. The rest of the sounds are cool, but I'd get one for the acoustic piano alone. In that case though, I don't know if I'd do the mod. If you have to power it off anyways, I don't see an advantage of a switch. It seems easy enough to position it between two of the other instrument sounds...
Pickup Switching Mad Scientist
http://www.offsetguitars.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=104282&p=1438384#p1438384

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Re: The Synth Thread...

Post by mackerelmint » Thu Sep 05, 2019 12:43 am

Yeah. I don't really see the point in the mod he did, but I suppose he did and that's all that matters.

So I was poking around as one does, and came across this. The deckard's dream is just really expensive, and this kind of is too, but a monophonic semi modular eurorack CS80 is pretty hard to argue with.

The more videos I watch about that Hydrasynth, the more impressed I am. That thing is tits. Having a poly aftertouch keyboard with a ribbon and CV outs would be just the thing for someone with a deckard's voice module in their rack. :ph34r:
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Re: The Synth Thread...

Post by wooderson » Thu Sep 05, 2019 4:28 pm

Got a Neutron and a XAOC Batumi arriving tomorrow - my synth plan is oriented toward more 'west coast'/experimental/blah blah blah, but the Neutron is down to $228 at Sweetwater and for that it's got so many useful utilities even if I rarely use it as a complete monosynth.

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Re: The Synth Thread...

Post by Shadoweclipse13 » Sat Sep 21, 2019 1:51 pm

For the first time, I can finally post that I have a proper (or in the case of the Eurorack stuff, completed) synth!! It came yesterday :?

Image

I was grilling some ribs when the local shop called to say it was in. I said "fuck it", pulled the raw ribs off the grill, and legged it for the shop. Solid and really cool packaging, and a ton of awesome stuff that came with it (including a free Moog t-shirt 8)). I sat down (after food) and played with it for a good few hours. Beyond the fact that I can't play piano and this is the first time I've really sat down to try to learn a synth, it sounds and feels awesome. The keys feel like full-size, and the manual says it's a Fatar keybed. All the knobs, faders, and switches feel really solid, the cabinet/frame is beautiful with no scratches or any damage, and I'm just really impressed.

Today, after coming back from the wedding rehearsal, I decided to play with it some more, and to put some pedals in the signal path. Matriarch (mono output) > pedals > mixing board > bass amp, and sent the right output straight to the board. I tried the EQD Levitation that I bought specifically for synth, Caroline Parabola, Death By Audio Ghost Echo, EQD Grand Orbiter, EQD Organizer, Magnetic Effects White Atom fuzz, and my Red Panda Context. Everything sounds awesome, though definitely better (more detailed) through headphones than the amp speaker. I had a hard time hearing the repeats from any of the delays (onboard Matriarch delay, Context in delay/reverb mode, or DBA Ghost Echo) from just the amp speaker. I really like the Levitation, but I'm also seriously considering making the Context my synth reverb as I usually only use one setting on guitar. They ALL sound different enough with the synth to be really useful there. I'm still deciding.

Also, it's interesting starting to learn little things that make synths sound good or different. The Matriarch has 4 oscillators, and the second through fourth oscillators can be synced to the first. Two-four can also be de-tuned individually. Using all 4 oscillators, and de-tuning 2 of them makes it sound HUGE.

I'm sure I'll be posting some stuff here now and again about it, and being new with synthesizers in general, anyone feel free to correct something that I say if it's wrong. I won't take offense :)
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http://www.offsetguitars.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=104282&p=1438384#p1438384

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Re: The Synth Thread...

Post by BlixaFan » Sat Sep 21, 2019 3:39 pm

hoooooly what a killer rig! congrats on the buy! kind of makes me want to trade my sub phatty for a mother 32 to have more of the modular/sequencer capabilities. have a ton of fun with that! :w00t:

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Re: The Synth Thread...

Post by Shadoweclipse13 » Sat Sep 21, 2019 9:35 pm

Thanks a ton BlixaFan! So far, it's been a lot of fun!

As for the whole rig, I'd like to mention that all of the pedals I tried on it were bought for guitar or bass, with the exception of the EQD Levitation (because I know Moogs kind of need reverb). And the mixing board I bought practically new off of an awesome OSG member for recording. I'm just using what I have. I'd like to figure out a way with the inputs and outputs on the mixer to use one or two channels as an effects loop, but I'm still getting to know that as well.

The Mother32s are pretty cool, but I wouldn't get rid of a Sub Phatty for one. If you're interested in the Eurorack patchability and possible expansion, don't forget that the Grandmother is semi-modular too! I'd bet that they're coming down in price a bit with the Matriarch on the scene now.

After hearing this a few weeks ago, and thinking about how both the Grandmother and the Matriarch are semi-modular, I kinda want a Grandmother too, but if I get one, I'll wait a while for a deal or a used one.
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Re: The Synth Thread...

Post by Telliot » Mon Sep 23, 2019 9:05 pm

It’s been awhile since I contributed to this thread, but in the last 9 months I’ve had my Rhodes refurbished by a well sought after tech out here in LA...
Image

...and added a Sequential Prophet-6 to the mix.
Image

It’s been a good year. :-*
Last edited by Telliot on Tue Sep 24, 2019 8:36 am, edited 2 times in total.
The cool thing about fretless is you can hit a note...and then renegotiate.

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Re: The Synth Thread...

Post by Shadoweclipse13 » Mon Sep 23, 2019 10:45 pm

Damn Todd! That is amazing!!! Your music room is always the first thing I think about when I think about how classy and cool I want mine to look :) 8)
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Re: The Synth Thread...

Post by StevenO » Tue Sep 24, 2019 2:36 am

Woah, J and Todd. Amazing stuff!

J, glad you got the Matriarch. It seems like the perfect synth for you. There's so much available there for you to work with. A lot of synth lines are surprisingly, and thankfully, easy to play so you'll have a relatively easy time getting something truly musical out of it, for sure . Effects definitely help as well, mostly reverbs and delays, but see what you can get out of the synth without at kind of external modulation too!

Todd, so glad you got the Prophet 6! The perfect songwriter synth. I'm positive you'll put it to good use! Excited to hear what you end up doing with it.

:)

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Re: The Synth Thread...

Post by Telliot » Tue Sep 24, 2019 7:21 am

Thanks, guys! :-*

I’m suuuuper anal about cord management. I’d rather not see anything that is avoidable, so it forces me to keep things tidy and easily managed.

As far as the Prophet is concerned, I think it’s the nicest piece of gear I’ve ever owned, from a build quality standpoint. I can’t believe how solid the thing is. The pots, buttons, and key bed all have solid, tactile feedback that feel precise and expensive. Very different from the synths I’ve played over my lifetime, let alone owned. It’s an expensive instrument for sure (I bought it used, in mint condition), but I don’t regret it whatsoever.

I spent a lot of time vacillating between the P6 and OB6, and finally just picked one. I love both and I don’t think there’s a wrong decision to be made here. I felt the OB6 leaned more towards the Blade Runner/soundtrack side of things, which is great, but not what I’m going for. The Interwebz are full of debates on the subject, but I’m not gonna spend any time second-guessing myself. This synth is incredible.
The cool thing about fretless is you can hit a note...and then renegotiate.

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Re: The Synth Thread...

Post by tdbajus » Tue Sep 24, 2019 8:52 am

Have you found the envelopes to be weirdly lagging? They are a log curve, I believe, rather than linear, but the result is when you turn the attack way up, you can hold a chord for a good 3 seconds before any audible sound.

Maybe I should have gotten the OB8.... Blade Runner is what I'm after, I guess.

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Re: The Synth Thread...

Post by Telliot » Tue Sep 24, 2019 12:25 pm

I have noticed a couple of the preset patches have quite a long envelope on them, but I haven't had enough time with it to speak with any sort of authority.
The cool thing about fretless is you can hit a note...and then renegotiate.

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Re: The Synth Thread...

Post by Maggieo » Tue Sep 24, 2019 12:32 pm

Shadoweclipse13 wrote:
Sat Sep 21, 2019 1:51 pm
For the first time, I can finally post that I have a proper (or in the case of the Eurorack stuff, completed) synth!! It came yesterday :?

Image
I have a Grandmother, and yet, I covet your synth! :-*
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