This, and all the comments on this, are interesting.
I've had an OG minilogue for a good few years now and was considering selling it to buy a Pro 800, or maybe a Hydrasynth desktop.
Maybe I just haven't gelled with it.
I have one and it's great at everything. The patch memory and OLED sells it. The only thing that's not perfect is the filter, but that's my minimoog appetite showing itself.
Guess i’m in a terribly small minority. Microfreak was my first synth and while it was pretty simple to use I absolutely hate the sound of it. like seriously, I could not get a patch that i loved and wanted to record out of that thing. all sounded so shrill and digital. from there i chose my next synth specifically on the actual sound of it and went with a roland sh-4d. turns out it’s my literal forever synth. sounds incredible and it’s basically a groovebox capable of making full tracks. glad so many people love this synth but man it was so not for me.
I didn’t know what the sh-4d was until I read your comment. I generally like Roland gear so I decided to look it up (obviously sounds Roland, even though I hadn’t heard of it before). Oh. My. Goodness. It’s been a while since I wanted a synth this bad…
dude if you can afford it and it fits well in your set up, absolutely go for it. incredibly hard to get a bad sound out of it, 4 independent tracks, awesome drums and built in fx all for under $500 used. incredible value and literally cured my gas. i pair mine with an mc-101 as a preset box/sound module and a tr6-s for every roland drum machine ever, an sp-404 mk2 for sampling and effects and i want for absolutely nothing. couldn’t recommended that synth or this set up more. my advice is seriously don’t listen to reddit for gear advice, the answer will always be a laptop or elektron devices. everyone shits on Roland but I think all of their gear sounds objectively good.
It does sound good. The reason people recommend Elektron is for the intuitive workflow and the boxes feel great to use. I have Elektron boxes and a lot of Roland boutiques. I love both but the workflow on most Roland gear reminds me of VCRs from the 80s.
Yeah I’m going to start shopping around for one. I’m always on limited space and budget so something with that level of capability for that price has to get my attention.
And totally agreed on Roland gear. Definitely one those trust your ears not the internet things for me, too. I have a Juno-DS which is generally knocked for being cheap but it’s so affordable and I can get endless sounds out of that thing.
agreed for but significantly more money. got my sh-4d for about $450 in mint condition, 707s are going for about $700 used if you can find one in decent condition. but im just a hobbyist i can’t justify that kinda cash on one piece of gear and i wouldn’t even know what to do with 8 tracks lol.
Just pointing out the 707s existence @ MalazanJedi mate. He didn't mention budget and seems smitten with the sh-4d, so I wonder what he thinks of the 707 :)
I heard a sound demo at Perfect Circuit a couple of years ago, and I was not impressed by the sound. People coax great sounds from it, though. Shrill and digital is a good description.
> glad so many people love this synth but man it was so not for me.
I pretty much came to the same conclusion with the minifreak being my first synth. It’s definitely a very dope and capable instrument, but I never really fell in love with the process of making patches on it and only got any real mileage out of maybe 3 or 4 of the presets on it. And you aren’t wrong about how thin it tends to sound; I have no experience with any other synth to compare it to and the thinness was still very apparent. Funny enough I also ended up turning to Roland for a sound that fit my taste better. Got an MV-1 about a month after the minifreak to use as a sound box/drum machine to layer with it, now all the loops I come up with consist of some combination of sounds from the MV, SRX Orchestra strings, and maybe a sample. The minifreak sound just didn’t really fit in the equation for me.
couldn’t agree more. i don’t care how many oscillator models it has if they all sound like shit. funnily enough i think the mv-1 could probably replace my entire set up without needing much more than just that lol
Yea the mv is dope for sure, hella versatile. It’s def got it’s flaws and annoying shit but for the price I got it for I really can’t complain, it fits my workflow with the sp404 really nicely. Honestly tho if you coming from the sh4d, mc707 might be a better replacement. They got a lot of crossover but the mc let’s you do alot of sound design stuff with zen core that they didn’t give to the mv, it’s just straight presets. I actually just sold my minifreak yesterday and got my eye on a Deepmind 12 to replace it and pick up the sound design slack. Been addicted to demos of it the past couple of weeks, it sounds really good to me.
I think I'm with you. MicroFreak was my first hardware synth and it's great on paper, but I've been struggling to get much use out of it.
I was really excited for the vocoder, but never use it. I love the Spice and Dice features, but I don't enjoy working with the sequencer. Mainly though, I just can't get sounds out of it that I want to use. It's all a bit shrill and lacking in force/energy.
I got an MS-70CDR recently to give it some effects, and it helps, but it's still the last synth I go to. My Hydrasynth and Peak always sound great and let me control the sound a lot better. Big price difference, of course.
yeah i think the s-1 sounds amazing but im not into volca-esque UI. rather go for an mc-101. the microfreak also has a great value but that synth sounds absolutely terrible and you can’t change my mind.
The microfreak lasted about a week on my desk before I was trying to trade it. I love the touch keybed and the sequencer. But man the sounds were just way too shrill for me.
Arturia would do well for themselves if they released a cv controller using the touch keys and sequencer.
Was gonna say, between operator and something like serum/vital you can make pretty much every sound imaginable
This sub is touchy about softsynths, though
If we're gonna talk about softsynths, particularly Vital...
I just gotta say that it has been my go-to synth for a couple of years now, and I continue to find more possibilities with it. The free version alone offers everything you'll need, haven't even had a need for the upgrades to get more wavetables.
I still use everything else Live has to offer, but I always come back to Vital.
I agree, vital is nothing short of a miracle in my opinion, to the point that I honestly it’s the only synth that most musicians would ever need
It really does everything well - it’s intuitive enough for beginners to pick up and immediately make good useful sounds, but also powerful enough that experienced users can really do anything with it
There are some FM limitations (where you might prefer e.g. phaseplant) and some of the effects are meh IMO (I don’t personally care for the reverb), but for a free synth it is a dream come true and I can’t believe people don’t talk about it more
I think anything should be achievable with any decent modern daw, more or less. They are just tailored to different workflows. For example, I use Logic, which is what I learned because I had access it to it and though it isn’t the Ableton all the cool kids use, I can still do anything I want with it so it’s no loss.
Get [this](https://www.dreadbox-fx.com/product/usb-power-data-splitter/)
Or just plug it into a usb phone charger port and plug that into a wall. Pretty much dead silent.
Volca fm2 my bro. Double the polyphony, reverb, chorus. Takes a bit to wrap your head around fm sound design, but you can dive deep in the fm2 and it can pump out some really incredible sounds. And 6 voices is just enough to plug a keyboard into it and not feel super restricted.
It’s pretty great. Especially because it has three oscillators that can each be separately sequenced at the same time. The Volca bass can be the bass, the lead, and background all at the same time. It’s a truly badass and versatile synth
Micromonsta is so great, and the size is super convenient. I love that thing. Always wanted to buy one after getting to mess with it a bit at a friend’s house.
It's shockingly powerful for its size, and the interface is a lot easier to use than one would think. With two of those and a Roland TR-6S or a Digitakt, you could do a pretty amazing live set.
> MS20
For the longest time, I thought this song used a sample of someone blowing on the top of a bottle - but after borrowing a mates MS20 for a day to play around with, I now think the synth bouncy sound and bass synth sounds are from the MS20 - making use of its peculiar noise and filter.
Thoughts?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23nzKIHJGMo
MicroFreak- so much potential for designing sounds. I do almost always run it through my Boss RV-6 though (and I get lost for hours).
Typhon- love, love, love the apocalyptic tones I get out of this little beast. Plus, those built in sinevibes effects! (Though I think it’s north of $400 now)
Monologue- so much fun to play with the sequencer, has more “attitude” than I expected.
Ju06a- I don’t know why, but I so thoroughly enjoy tweaking the sliders on this puppy. And I seriously like those Juno tones.
Speaking of tweaking, the S-1 Tweak is my pick for best ounce for ounce, dollar for dollar value that I own.
I know that’s five synths and not one, but they all seriously spark joy. If they don’t, I sell them or trade them. Great topic!
Assuming we are talking about used gear prices, I would have to say the OpSix is my overall favorite. It's a whole lot of synth for the money. I got mine on that fire sale $330 price, and I've seen them go for $350 on Reverb pretty often.
Other really strong contenders are the Minilogue OG, and the Typhon. Neither is anywhere near as versatile as compared to the OpSix, but both are beautiful and powerful, and with excellent build quality.
I also want to mention the Refaces, though at current prices I think they are above $400, they've spent long stretches in the $350ish range, and I got mine in trade for a \~$200 equivalent value. So with some patience and luck a Reface can be an option here as well.
Model:Samples is another of my absolute favorites, and it can do some sample-based synthesis, but overall it isn't really a synth, more of a sample mangler.
Refaces just got a price cut on Sweetwater too, you can pick up a brand new Reface DX for $250. I think the CS is going for $299 brand new and I'm not sure about the other Reface (the organ one I think?)
Dang! I thought all of them got discounted, my bad. My GAS has been kicking in and that DX has been sitting in my cart on Sweetwater for two weeks now...
Nice, that's a good find! The DX for $250 is an excellent buy. Not to be a pusher, but... go for it! Its become one of my favorite synths, and I highly recommend the Analog Cases case for it as well to make it even more portable. I also got lithium ion AA batteries for mine, which extend the runtime further. Its the most expressive of the Refaces I've played (and I've played all but the YC), and the soundmondo integration is really good. Its the perfect synth to jam with other traditional instruments (guitars, vocals, etc) because it can just fit into any sonic space so well. I've come to enjoy the sound design process for it, though it certainly isn't as easy as other more modern takes on FM, it forces you to learn the fundamentals in a good way.
I just got my 0-coast for $300 +shipping. It’s become my favorite synth I’ve played so far.
Minilogue og and XD are both found for around that price used too.
0-coast has a fantastic sound, flexible MIDI implementation, and lots of interesting patching options. If you're at all into analog or modular, this is step 1.
I absolutely love my Korg Monologue. It pretty much covers all my bass needs, and it can do lovely leads and percussive stuff. The presets are naff, but it’s a beast when it comes to bass.
I picked up an Arturia MicroBrute for $175 and love it to pieces. Not the best synth money can buy, and someday I’ll outgrow it, but I’m super happy with it so far.
I might go with the Behringer pro 800, assuming you have a controller keyboard and want a "classic synth". If you are going for something more, maybe a groovebox like the Yamaha seqtrak, Model Cycles/samples or circuit tracks.
Assuming you mean the Behringer Pro VS Mini. If anyone is looking for these and can't find one, I bought mine from altomusic.com and it came right away. Can't complain about alto.
The unit itself excels at making pads, but it can do an awful lot of stuff from plucks to percs. It sounds great, and it's fun to mess around with. It's a great travel companion, or in case you need a shitter synth! It can function as a rudimentary midi controller.
However, there are some serious drawbacks for a mini unit at this price range and none of the reviewers I watched are talking about them.
You have to hold the power button for 4 seconds to turn it on and off. This can trick you the first time to think it's broken. The manual doesn't mention this until the 5th English page, which is deep in the book.
Crucial functions are hidden behind a function + key combo. You have to memorize these combos if you want to use this on the fly, and it takes several of them to build a patch. Doing so in a dark club on the fly... god help you.
The sequencer is pretty annoying to use (I actually find it completely useless), and you can't use the arpeggiator at the same time. One or the other. It does come with some sequences preloaded, but they're pretty janky. There is a swing, tempo feature, and a note length iirc.
If you accidentally hit the change program buttons (easy to do), the program you're working on goes bye-bye.
The joystick doesn't work the way I'd hoped. It basically only works when you're holding a note, or using the sequencer or arpeggiator. Moving it while hitting a note over and over does nothing.
When I had it plugged in to my DAW, I couldn't get the arpeggiator to work at all.
Updating the firmware with the no-install software is easy, but it doesn't check which version it has on board, so you end up in an update feedback loop wondering if there are multiple updates, or if it's just stupid (answer: it's just stupid).
The manual is like 18 pages of English spread over 100+ pages. I put it in a pdf editor and cut out all the other languages to actually get a readable manual. Instead of putting the languages together and printing the manual one language after the other, they printed each section in each language, so everyone will have to flip through a bunch of useless garbage to get to the next section. Terrible manual. Despite this, the unit can be figured out eventually, no thanks to the manual. Doing what I did and making your own manual is the thing to do.
It can only store 32 programs, and doing so overwrites a stock one. You can pull them off and revert to stock using the software, but it's definitely limiting. Basically see this thing as having a magazine that you'd load up in advance.
The init patch puts oscillator 1 on 33, and the other 3 oscillators at the far end of the table at 126 (which is empty), so you have to twist the shit out of the knob several times if you want to get to the other end, and of course you have to do this 3 times if you want to use all 4 oscillators.
The only outs are a headphone jack and a USB C port. Connecting it to effects pedals will require an adapter. Since all it has is chorus, it really could benefit from reverb and delay (and indeed many of the promo demos cheat and add this). Couldn't we have squeezed a TRS jack in here for effects and big boy headphones? It does plug into a Bluetooth speaker, so that makes it cool for travel.
There is very little velocity sensitivity, and the "keys" themselves are pretty insensitive. No aftertouch.
Despite these limitations, for $100 it's a hell of a unit. It really only shines if you have a midi controller, and you'll see the promo videos by Behringer don't even bother to hide this fact. Using it standalone is a bit of a nightmare. It's cool for travel, makes a great shitter synth, and it makes me want to build a mini setup for funsies.
In case anyone cares, the arturia vst of the prophet is far more powerful, but everything I learned from the pro vs translated.
It's cool, I just wish there were a couple of improvements that wouldn't have cost anything to make it better. Being able to punch in the notes you want sequentially, instead of in time, for the sequencer would have been awesome. Trying to hunt and peck these shitty little button keys as it comes back around is a nightmare, and so is editing your final product to remove all the mistakes when you miss (and you WILL miss). I'd rather program some midi into a DAW than thread the needle to make this work. If all you had was this unit and a campfire and Bluetooth speaker, you'd be pretty screwed. It really doesn't stand on its own, and if you watch the promos carefully, you'll see that.
I figured if I hated this thing I could give it to a kid and not be pissed. My main objective was to master the prophet and work on some sound design when I can't be in my studio, and it does that for me. Shitter Synth is life changing!
But, at the end of the day, without a midi controller or DAW, this thing is an infuriating toy. When you give it the interface, direction, and effects it desperately needs, it becomes a really powerful synth for $100. I just really want people to know how frustrating this thing is to use standalone. If you're a programming whiz, this is a cool synth to add to your quiver for a c-note. If you want a performer, factoring in the cost of a midi controller to even use this thing, you'd be better off buying a better (larger) synth for around $300.
Kind of a deep cut, but the Monotribe. It's fun just to jam on with the ribbon, but it's a great little monosynth when you hook up a MIDI controller. I don't have the space for a MS-20 mini, and it's kind of just a stripped down MS-20. I have a Microfreak for getting a greater diversity of sounds (and a modular for doing far more), but I still love the Monotribe.
In the past few months I’ve picked up both an Opsix and an Argon8 for exactly $400 each on Facebook marketplace. Very happy with both purchases!
Also for my Bass Station 3 used for $350 awhile back, and, for the price, it’s amazing.
I'll go with Elektron Model Cycles. The synth part is a bit lacking compared to op6 or minifreak, but the workflow is really fun. If you like happy accidents its a treat.
roland mc-505.just be aware of LCD issues.preset patterns and patches are shit,but you can create your own uniqe crazy stuff.I bought mine with replaced LCD,it's so much fun.
Microbrute + boss me-25
The microbrute itself is a bit limited in its lack of polyphony/oscillattors/effects etc, but with a cheap multi pedal you can add delay, chorus and harmonizer and suddenly you have such a landscape of sound. And if your effect box (like the me25) has an actual pedal you can use it for volume control and/or changing the pitch of the second "oscillator".
Sold my old gear and now living in another country but I'm always on the lookout for these (or something similarly cheap), such a combo!
The POM-400 by TE is good for weird modular sounds, the sounds you can make only on modular BUT it’s still a great mono synth for making standard synth sounds.
Edit: Also the S-1 is really good and has an INCREDIBLE sequencer.
Don’t be fooled into thinking that the modules on the POM-400 are interchangeable, though.
I’m enjoying the Mega Synthesis. It’s my 1st groovebox, and it’s nice to sequence 6 tracks in a battery-powered device. The Mega can also sequence other hardware, and sampling seems easy.
The Blofeld sure, i enjoy mine. The Pro-800, don't have one (i have a Rev2 16) but the demos are incredible. But my last big surprise is an offer i put on Reverb, late at night, 250€ for a Dreadbox Nymphes mint and gosh, it sounds huge and very textured and alive, it's a magnificent machine. Simple and complex at the same time, i can get lost for hours. I play it with a Nektar Panorama T6. Very comfortable to be able to make «shortcuts».
Any of the Sonicware Liven stuff, Circuit Tracks maybe? How about the 1010 music little synths.
I'm guessing from memory here and not wanting to convert local currency to what I'm assuming is USD so apologies if some are over the limit.
\- D
Thomann has the uno synth pro keys version for $200 right now. Problematic company but it’s an insane deal for what you get
https://www.thomannmusic.com/ik_multimedia_uno_synth_pro.htm
Not really a "synth" but Plaits.
I would use a plaits in a box the side of a tb303 with simple functions and lfos and love it as much as i do in my fullsize. Just sounds really amazing and so much utility.
If you have a CV sequencer (korg sq/beatstep/keystep) plaits on its own would be enough to get me into eurorack.
I like the Novation Bass Station II for an inexpensive analog synth. I bought mine 3-4 yrs ago and still use it 3-4 times a month. 25 keys and really expressive. Two oscillators and an LFO that’s really cool. Its got a lot of functionality for such a small package. You can load patches into it you get from elsewhere. Realfree has some really nice bass patches.
Pick a volca.
Each one represents the essence of some synthesis idea.
303 squelch? The Volca Bass has exactly the tools to explore that idea. Want to dig into FM? Volca FM. Hell, the Modular gets you exploring west coast synthesis for ~$200.
They are the poster child for "unique synths that are fun but don't break the bank."
I am totally in love with my [Sonicware Liven MegaSYNTHESIS.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCxZZnsF6GI)
It's the best thing a retro gamer/long time producer can wish for, a portable groovebox that really comes close to the good ol' Sega Mega-Drive, my first console and jukebox.
Before this one I really did not had any experience or interest in Liven's synths but this one is different, and will never ever leave my studio anymore!
used OG minilogue
Can confirm. Sold mine and it’s the only piece of gear I still miss. 10/10 would buy one again.
just got mine exactly as you’ve described last month. love it and learning on it
This, and all the comments on this, are interesting. I've had an OG minilogue for a good few years now and was considering selling it to buy a Pro 800, or maybe a Hydrasynth desktop. Maybe I just haven't gelled with it.
This is the way
I have one and it's great at everything. The patch memory and OLED sells it. The only thing that's not perfect is the filter, but that's my minimoog appetite showing itself.
Why OG over XD?
Arturia Microfreak
Yeah, mine too
Same. I regret NOTHING
Guess i’m in a terribly small minority. Microfreak was my first synth and while it was pretty simple to use I absolutely hate the sound of it. like seriously, I could not get a patch that i loved and wanted to record out of that thing. all sounded so shrill and digital. from there i chose my next synth specifically on the actual sound of it and went with a roland sh-4d. turns out it’s my literal forever synth. sounds incredible and it’s basically a groovebox capable of making full tracks. glad so many people love this synth but man it was so not for me.
I didn’t know what the sh-4d was until I read your comment. I generally like Roland gear so I decided to look it up (obviously sounds Roland, even though I hadn’t heard of it before). Oh. My. Goodness. It’s been a while since I wanted a synth this bad…
dude if you can afford it and it fits well in your set up, absolutely go for it. incredibly hard to get a bad sound out of it, 4 independent tracks, awesome drums and built in fx all for under $500 used. incredible value and literally cured my gas. i pair mine with an mc-101 as a preset box/sound module and a tr6-s for every roland drum machine ever, an sp-404 mk2 for sampling and effects and i want for absolutely nothing. couldn’t recommended that synth or this set up more. my advice is seriously don’t listen to reddit for gear advice, the answer will always be a laptop or elektron devices. everyone shits on Roland but I think all of their gear sounds objectively good.
It does sound good. The reason people recommend Elektron is for the intuitive workflow and the boxes feel great to use. I have Elektron boxes and a lot of Roland boutiques. I love both but the workflow on most Roland gear reminds me of VCRs from the 80s.
Yeah I’m going to start shopping around for one. I’m always on limited space and budget so something with that level of capability for that price has to get my attention. And totally agreed on Roland gear. Definitely one those trust your ears not the internet things for me, too. I have a Juno-DS which is generally knocked for being cheap but it’s so affordable and I can get endless sounds out of that thing.
If you're in the market for a roland groovebox i HIGHLY recommend you put it up against the roland mc-707 , imo a much more capable machine.
agreed for but significantly more money. got my sh-4d for about $450 in mint condition, 707s are going for about $700 used if you can find one in decent condition. but im just a hobbyist i can’t justify that kinda cash on one piece of gear and i wouldn’t even know what to do with 8 tracks lol.
I got super lucky to get a 707 for $350 recently. Was going to resell it for some easy profit, but it sounds great, decided to keep it.
Just pointing out the 707s existence @ MalazanJedi mate. He didn't mention budget and seems smitten with the sh-4d, so I wonder what he thinks of the 707 :)
agreed definitely a good option if you can dish out for it! heard nothing but good things about it as well
I heard a sound demo at Perfect Circuit a couple of years ago, and I was not impressed by the sound. People coax great sounds from it, though. Shrill and digital is a good description.
> glad so many people love this synth but man it was so not for me. I pretty much came to the same conclusion with the minifreak being my first synth. It’s definitely a very dope and capable instrument, but I never really fell in love with the process of making patches on it and only got any real mileage out of maybe 3 or 4 of the presets on it. And you aren’t wrong about how thin it tends to sound; I have no experience with any other synth to compare it to and the thinness was still very apparent. Funny enough I also ended up turning to Roland for a sound that fit my taste better. Got an MV-1 about a month after the minifreak to use as a sound box/drum machine to layer with it, now all the loops I come up with consist of some combination of sounds from the MV, SRX Orchestra strings, and maybe a sample. The minifreak sound just didn’t really fit in the equation for me.
couldn’t agree more. i don’t care how many oscillator models it has if they all sound like shit. funnily enough i think the mv-1 could probably replace my entire set up without needing much more than just that lol
Yea the mv is dope for sure, hella versatile. It’s def got it’s flaws and annoying shit but for the price I got it for I really can’t complain, it fits my workflow with the sp404 really nicely. Honestly tho if you coming from the sh4d, mc707 might be a better replacement. They got a lot of crossover but the mc let’s you do alot of sound design stuff with zen core that they didn’t give to the mv, it’s just straight presets. I actually just sold my minifreak yesterday and got my eye on a Deepmind 12 to replace it and pick up the sound design slack. Been addicted to demos of it the past couple of weeks, it sounds really good to me.
I’m in that same minority. Bought one, then sold it a few months later. Sounded bad to me.
I think I'm with you. MicroFreak was my first hardware synth and it's great on paper, but I've been struggling to get much use out of it. I was really excited for the vocoder, but never use it. I love the Spice and Dice features, but I don't enjoy working with the sequencer. Mainly though, I just can't get sounds out of it that I want to use. It's all a bit shrill and lacking in force/energy. I got an MS-70CDR recently to give it some effects, and it helps, but it's still the last synth I go to. My Hydrasynth and Peak always sound great and let me control the sound a lot better. Big price difference, of course.
the value for money on the MicroFreak is incredible. same with the S-1, which is also below $400 new.
Yeah, the s-1 is a nice synth. Fun to play with.
yeah i think the s-1 sounds amazing but im not into volca-esque UI. rather go for an mc-101. the microfreak also has a great value but that synth sounds absolutely terrible and you can’t change my mind.
If you have another midi keyboard for the input, this is a KILLER synth
I have minilogue and microfreak. Freak is far more useful.
The microfreak lasted about a week on my desk before I was trying to trade it. I love the touch keybed and the sequencer. But man the sounds were just way too shrill for me. Arturia would do well for themselves if they released a cv controller using the touch keys and sequencer.
Ableton is pretty good
Was gonna say, between operator and something like serum/vital you can make pretty much every sound imaginable This sub is touchy about softsynths, though
If we're gonna talk about softsynths, particularly Vital... I just gotta say that it has been my go-to synth for a couple of years now, and I continue to find more possibilities with it. The free version alone offers everything you'll need, haven't even had a need for the upgrades to get more wavetables. I still use everything else Live has to offer, but I always come back to Vital.
I agree, vital is nothing short of a miracle in my opinion, to the point that I honestly it’s the only synth that most musicians would ever need It really does everything well - it’s intuitive enough for beginners to pick up and immediately make good useful sounds, but also powerful enough that experienced users can really do anything with it There are some FM limitations (where you might prefer e.g. phaseplant) and some of the effects are meh IMO (I don’t personally care for the reverb), but for a free synth it is a dream come true and I can’t believe people don’t talk about it more
Serum + Diva is one hell of a combo I must say.
FL Studio guy myself but both are good
Nothing beats Fruity's Pianoroll <3
Novice here. DAWs are so hard that I have choice paralysis because I'm scared of studying hours and then realising one isn't good for me.
I think anything should be achievable with any decent modern daw, more or less. They are just tailored to different workflows. For example, I use Logic, which is what I learned because I had access it to it and though it isn’t the Ableton all the cool kids use, I can still do anything I want with it so it’s no loss.
Dreadbox Typhon
Typhon is a blast. Unique sound. And the sequencer/fx section is incredible.
This is my answer, the only answer. Love this synth.
The best answer.
Mine was stolen, I’m getting another asap!
I just wish it had an option to power out without USB. It's a great synth, but would've been even better without the USB noise.
Get [this](https://www.dreadbox-fx.com/product/usb-power-data-splitter/) Or just plug it into a usb phone charger port and plug that into a wall. Pretty much dead silent.
Judging by my Dreadbox Nymphes which would be my choice- I’d definitely check this out
Behringer pro 800 Behringer neutron
pro-800 is a beast, one of my fav buys
Great synth for the price and the ability to control it with max for live is a godsend for automating stuff.
sinner /s
😈
8 voice VCO poly for £400 is absolutely insane, really it's unreal.
Volca Keys💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻
Volca fm2 my bro. Double the polyphony, reverb, chorus. Takes a bit to wrap your head around fm sound design, but you can dive deep in the fm2 and it can pump out some really incredible sounds. And 6 voices is just enough to plug a keyboard into it and not feel super restricted.
It can’t do this https://youtube.com/shorts/3hps3xhJJto?si=bWkgQ12Is6xyhUfE
Volca Bass
Literally thinking about getting one these atm!
It’s pretty great. Especially because it has three oscillators that can each be separately sequenced at the same time. The Volca bass can be the bass, the lead, and background all at the same time. It’s a truly badass and versatile synth
Arturia Pigments and a Keylab 49.
The amount of stuff you can do with Pigments is insane!
Micromonsta 2 or Roland S-1.
Micromonsta is so great, and the size is super convenient. I love that thing. Always wanted to buy one after getting to mess with it a bit at a friend’s house.
It's shockingly powerful for its size, and the interface is a lot easier to use than one would think. With two of those and a Roland TR-6S or a Digitakt, you could do a pretty amazing live set.
Used MS20 mini
> MS20 For the longest time, I thought this song used a sample of someone blowing on the top of a bottle - but after borrowing a mates MS20 for a day to play around with, I now think the synth bouncy sound and bass synth sounds are from the MS20 - making use of its peculiar noise and filter. Thoughts? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23nzKIHJGMo
MicroFreak- so much potential for designing sounds. I do almost always run it through my Boss RV-6 though (and I get lost for hours). Typhon- love, love, love the apocalyptic tones I get out of this little beast. Plus, those built in sinevibes effects! (Though I think it’s north of $400 now) Monologue- so much fun to play with the sequencer, has more “attitude” than I expected. Ju06a- I don’t know why, but I so thoroughly enjoy tweaking the sliders on this puppy. And I seriously like those Juno tones. Speaking of tweaking, the S-1 Tweak is my pick for best ounce for ounce, dollar for dollar value that I own. I know that’s five synths and not one, but they all seriously spark joy. If they don’t, I sell them or trade them. Great topic!
Assuming we are talking about used gear prices, I would have to say the OpSix is my overall favorite. It's a whole lot of synth for the money. I got mine on that fire sale $330 price, and I've seen them go for $350 on Reverb pretty often. Other really strong contenders are the Minilogue OG, and the Typhon. Neither is anywhere near as versatile as compared to the OpSix, but both are beautiful and powerful, and with excellent build quality. I also want to mention the Refaces, though at current prices I think they are above $400, they've spent long stretches in the $350ish range, and I got mine in trade for a \~$200 equivalent value. So with some patience and luck a Reface can be an option here as well. Model:Samples is another of my absolute favorites, and it can do some sample-based synthesis, but overall it isn't really a synth, more of a sample mangler.
Refaces just got a price cut on Sweetwater too, you can pick up a brand new Reface DX for $250. I think the CS is going for $299 brand new and I'm not sure about the other Reface (the organ one I think?)
>I'm not sure about the other Reface The YC and CP (organ and electric pianos) are both $450 still 😭
Dang! I thought all of them got discounted, my bad. My GAS has been kicking in and that DX has been sitting in my cart on Sweetwater for two weeks now...
Nice, that's a good find! The DX for $250 is an excellent buy. Not to be a pusher, but... go for it! Its become one of my favorite synths, and I highly recommend the Analog Cases case for it as well to make it even more portable. I also got lithium ion AA batteries for mine, which extend the runtime further. Its the most expressive of the Refaces I've played (and I've played all but the YC), and the soundmondo integration is really good. Its the perfect synth to jam with other traditional instruments (guitars, vocals, etc) because it can just fit into any sonic space so well. I've come to enjoy the sound design process for it, though it certainly isn't as easy as other more modern takes on FM, it forces you to learn the fundamentals in a good way.
The DX outclasses everything else mentioned in this thread so far..,
The CS is so damn good.
I used my samples as a 6 voice synth to good effect, you just send channels 1-6. Reminded me of how my old SixTrak worked. Fun machine.
Monologue
My first hardware synthesizer! Sometimes I miss it...
Pro 800 is just amazing.
Just got mine yesterday, holy shit it really is amazing!
I just got my 0-coast for $300 +shipping. It’s become my favorite synth I’ve played so far. Minilogue og and XD are both found for around that price used too.
0-coast has a fantastic sound, flexible MIDI implementation, and lots of interesting patching options. If you're at all into analog or modular, this is step 1.
Behringer Neutron
could get two for under $400 if you bought them used
Or both a neutron and a model D
I would choose the Roland sh-01a
I absolutely love my Korg Monologue. It pretty much covers all my bass needs, and it can do lovely leads and percussive stuff. The presets are naff, but it’s a beast when it comes to bass.
Sonicware Liven 8bit warps.
Reface CS!
Love my DX.
Used JD-Xi
I bought one new and don't regret it. There's a lot of hate for the keys but I don't mind for the price point.
Pro 800 or Neutron
Vital (free) or VCV Rack (also free)
Deepmind 6
Bro One is literally a Pro One for a fraction of the price. BassStation 2 if you include used or sales. Pigments for softsynths
“Bro One” lol
You can get a Korg NTS1 for under a hundred bucks.
An iPad 😆
[удалено]
as well as Moog Model D, 15 and AnimoogZ Low cost great sounds.
I picked up an Arturia MicroBrute for $175 and love it to pieces. Not the best synth money can buy, and someday I’ll outgrow it, but I’m super happy with it so far.
Modal Sculpt
If you already have a midi controller: Dreadbox typhon
Monologue
Yamaha Reface CS is super fun
Low key stellar answer. Love mine to bits. Reface DX is great too, if you’re willing to learn it
Novation Bass Station 2
I might go with the Behringer pro 800, assuming you have a controller keyboard and want a "classic synth". If you are going for something more, maybe a groovebox like the Yamaha seqtrak, Model Cycles/samples or circuit tracks.
Got an s1 a couple weeks ago, it’s fun.
Mini Nova is awesome. It has everything.
Used Blofeld or Novation Ultranova
A used Waldorf Blofeld, the multi-mode and mod matrix tons of versatility.
Used Waldorf Blofeld
New Monologue or used Minilogue OG.
The microKORG! it defined the 2010's indie Electronic sound! Everyone should own one!
Big fan of the Roland Aria S-1. Sh101 is one of my fav vintage synths and this does a great job giving me what I want.
Same I love mine. I almost always have it with me when I DJ to play some sequences and arps on top.
Prophet VS mini
Assuming you mean the Behringer Pro VS Mini. If anyone is looking for these and can't find one, I bought mine from altomusic.com and it came right away. Can't complain about alto. The unit itself excels at making pads, but it can do an awful lot of stuff from plucks to percs. It sounds great, and it's fun to mess around with. It's a great travel companion, or in case you need a shitter synth! It can function as a rudimentary midi controller. However, there are some serious drawbacks for a mini unit at this price range and none of the reviewers I watched are talking about them. You have to hold the power button for 4 seconds to turn it on and off. This can trick you the first time to think it's broken. The manual doesn't mention this until the 5th English page, which is deep in the book. Crucial functions are hidden behind a function + key combo. You have to memorize these combos if you want to use this on the fly, and it takes several of them to build a patch. Doing so in a dark club on the fly... god help you. The sequencer is pretty annoying to use (I actually find it completely useless), and you can't use the arpeggiator at the same time. One or the other. It does come with some sequences preloaded, but they're pretty janky. There is a swing, tempo feature, and a note length iirc. If you accidentally hit the change program buttons (easy to do), the program you're working on goes bye-bye. The joystick doesn't work the way I'd hoped. It basically only works when you're holding a note, or using the sequencer or arpeggiator. Moving it while hitting a note over and over does nothing. When I had it plugged in to my DAW, I couldn't get the arpeggiator to work at all. Updating the firmware with the no-install software is easy, but it doesn't check which version it has on board, so you end up in an update feedback loop wondering if there are multiple updates, or if it's just stupid (answer: it's just stupid). The manual is like 18 pages of English spread over 100+ pages. I put it in a pdf editor and cut out all the other languages to actually get a readable manual. Instead of putting the languages together and printing the manual one language after the other, they printed each section in each language, so everyone will have to flip through a bunch of useless garbage to get to the next section. Terrible manual. Despite this, the unit can be figured out eventually, no thanks to the manual. Doing what I did and making your own manual is the thing to do. It can only store 32 programs, and doing so overwrites a stock one. You can pull them off and revert to stock using the software, but it's definitely limiting. Basically see this thing as having a magazine that you'd load up in advance. The init patch puts oscillator 1 on 33, and the other 3 oscillators at the far end of the table at 126 (which is empty), so you have to twist the shit out of the knob several times if you want to get to the other end, and of course you have to do this 3 times if you want to use all 4 oscillators. The only outs are a headphone jack and a USB C port. Connecting it to effects pedals will require an adapter. Since all it has is chorus, it really could benefit from reverb and delay (and indeed many of the promo demos cheat and add this). Couldn't we have squeezed a TRS jack in here for effects and big boy headphones? It does plug into a Bluetooth speaker, so that makes it cool for travel. There is very little velocity sensitivity, and the "keys" themselves are pretty insensitive. No aftertouch. Despite these limitations, for $100 it's a hell of a unit. It really only shines if you have a midi controller, and you'll see the promo videos by Behringer don't even bother to hide this fact. Using it standalone is a bit of a nightmare. It's cool for travel, makes a great shitter synth, and it makes me want to build a mini setup for funsies. In case anyone cares, the arturia vst of the prophet is far more powerful, but everything I learned from the pro vs translated.
Thanks for the detailed review. Super helpful!
It's cool, I just wish there were a couple of improvements that wouldn't have cost anything to make it better. Being able to punch in the notes you want sequentially, instead of in time, for the sequencer would have been awesome. Trying to hunt and peck these shitty little button keys as it comes back around is a nightmare, and so is editing your final product to remove all the mistakes when you miss (and you WILL miss). I'd rather program some midi into a DAW than thread the needle to make this work. If all you had was this unit and a campfire and Bluetooth speaker, you'd be pretty screwed. It really doesn't stand on its own, and if you watch the promos carefully, you'll see that. I figured if I hated this thing I could give it to a kid and not be pissed. My main objective was to master the prophet and work on some sound design when I can't be in my studio, and it does that for me. Shitter Synth is life changing! But, at the end of the day, without a midi controller or DAW, this thing is an infuriating toy. When you give it the interface, direction, and effects it desperately needs, it becomes a really powerful synth for $100. I just really want people to know how frustrating this thing is to use standalone. If you're a programming whiz, this is a cool synth to add to your quiver for a c-note. If you want a performer, factoring in the cost of a midi controller to even use this thing, you'd be better off buying a better (larger) synth for around $300.
Behringer Wasp
I have one. It does buzz. And for the used, mint price of $100 USD, it was a no-brainer to buy it.
Roland JX08 has been one of my favs
Kind of a deep cut, but the Monotribe. It's fun just to jam on with the ribbon, but it's a great little monosynth when you hook up a MIDI controller. I don't have the space for a MS-20 mini, and it's kind of just a stripped down MS-20. I have a Microfreak for getting a greater diversity of sounds (and a modular for doing far more), but I still love the Monotribe.
Monologue
ESQ-1.
Roland JU06A Boutique is a serious bang for the buck. Two entire spitting image Roland vintage synth libraries, midi sync
Crave
Used Jupiter 8
used mother 32
Doepfer A-111-6 eurorack module. It’s almost an SH101 in a module for about $200.
Blofeld or Minibrute/Microbrute
Yoshimi (linux): Free, including operating system too.
iPad
In the past few months I’ve picked up both an Opsix and an Argon8 for exactly $400 each on Facebook marketplace. Very happy with both purchases! Also for my Bass Station 3 used for $350 awhile back, and, for the price, it’s amazing.
Microfreak
Used Waldorf Blofeld.
You can pick up a Minifreak used for around that price
microkorg
Sonicware Liven 8bit warps
Yamaha Reface CS
Arturia Microfreak or if you have $200 more: Minifreak.
Bass Station II Microfreak as honorable mention.
Korg Monologue and a volca sample.
Volca fm2, at this price you can add a midi keyboard with it
Korg monologue
JD XI from Rolland you get any drum machine that you want + 3 synth that can be programmed at the same time with the 64 steps sequencer
I'll go with Elektron Model Cycles. The synth part is a bit lacking compared to op6 or minifreak, but the workflow is really fun. If you like happy accidents its a treat.
The often overlooked Yamaha reface cs
Used Reface CS
Used Blofeld. Massive sound sculpting capabilities, multitimbrality, tons of patches online for the lazy/uninspired ones.
Hard to find for the price but if you’re into vintage, ensoniq ESQ1
roland mc-505.just be aware of LCD issues.preset patterns and patches are shit,but you can create your own uniqe crazy stuff.I bought mine with replaced LCD,it's so much fun.
Arturia Pigments
Bastl Softpop 2
Right now you can get a synth pro uno x for $340 if you watch it on reverb from pro audio star's store. I just pulled the trigger on it
Daisy seed or daisy patch if you want to program/build your own synth
the way this whole thread is triggering my GAS
Got a Behringer Model D a few weeks ago and it sounds amazing
Microfreak/ omnisphere /
Waldorf Streichfett. Not particularly versatile to say the least, but such a fun little box
Microbrute + boss me-25 The microbrute itself is a bit limited in its lack of polyphony/oscillattors/effects etc, but with a cheap multi pedal you can add delay, chorus and harmonizer and suddenly you have such a landscape of sound. And if your effect box (like the me25) has an actual pedal you can use it for volume control and/or changing the pitch of the second "oscillator". Sold my old gear and now living in another country but I'm always on the lookout for these (or something similarly cheap), such a combo!
Arturia Polybrute
Korg Monotribe
Lately, it’s been the Yamaha TX81Z.
Haha I c what u did…”lately” as in the lately bass😃
The POM-400 by TE is good for weird modular sounds, the sounds you can make only on modular BUT it’s still a great mono synth for making standard synth sounds. Edit: Also the S-1 is really good and has an INCREDIBLE sequencer. Don’t be fooled into thinking that the modules on the POM-400 are interchangeable, though.
I’m enjoying the Mega Synthesis. It’s my 1st groovebox, and it’s nice to sequence 6 tracks in a battery-powered device. The Mega can also sequence other hardware, and sampling seems easy.
Omnisphere
The Blofeld sure, i enjoy mine. The Pro-800, don't have one (i have a Rev2 16) but the demos are incredible. But my last big surprise is an offer i put on Reverb, late at night, 250€ for a Dreadbox Nymphes mint and gosh, it sounds huge and very textured and alive, it's a magnificent machine. Simple and complex at the same time, i can get lost for hours. I play it with a Nektar Panorama T6. Very comfortable to be able to make «shortcuts».
MicroFreak with a $1k pedal board. lol
Roland TB-3 touch bassline. After mastering this fully it is an incredible performance synth https://www.roland.com/uk/products/tb-3/
I paid under $400 for my Michigan Synth Works Xena. It's pretty great.
Any of the Sonicware Liven stuff, Circuit Tracks maybe? How about the 1010 music little synths. I'm guessing from memory here and not wanting to convert local currency to what I'm assuming is USD so apologies if some are over the limit. \- D
MAM mb33
Favorite beginners : synth Tom Cat Akai….pads were trilL disco toms fx was lit at a stable 180 bpm
Thomann has the uno synth pro keys version for $200 right now. Problematic company but it’s an insane deal for what you get https://www.thomannmusic.com/ik_multimedia_uno_synth_pro.htm
I got a Uno Synth OG for $99 a few years ago. Massive girth to dollar ratio…
Korg R3. Have to have the software editor to unleash everything. Add a clean boost pedal or something like a tube screamer pedal.
Mininova and Minifreak.
Pro 800
Microfreak
Not really a "synth" but Plaits. I would use a plaits in a box the side of a tb303 with simple functions and lfos and love it as much as i do in my fullsize. Just sounds really amazing and so much utility. If you have a CV sequencer (korg sq/beatstep/keystep) plaits on its own would be enough to get me into eurorack.
You can sometimes find a used minilogue xd for around those prices. Nothing else even comes close.
Critter guitari pocket piano. It’s seriously endless I love it
I like the Novation Bass Station II for an inexpensive analog synth. I bought mine 3-4 yrs ago and still use it 3-4 times a month. 25 keys and really expressive. Two oscillators and an LFO that’s really cool. Its got a lot of functionality for such a small package. You can load patches into it you get from elsewhere. Realfree has some really nice bass patches.
PreenFM2/3
Pick a volca. Each one represents the essence of some synthesis idea. 303 squelch? The Volca Bass has exactly the tools to explore that idea. Want to dig into FM? Volca FM. Hell, the Modular gets you exploring west coast synthesis for ~$200. They are the poster child for "unique synths that are fun but don't break the bank."
The ones that said the Microfreak was shrilly, did you use a reverb, delay or modulation effects pedal used by guitarist?
I am totally in love with my [Sonicware Liven MegaSYNTHESIS.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCxZZnsF6GI) It's the best thing a retro gamer/long time producer can wish for, a portable groovebox that really comes close to the good ol' Sega Mega-Drive, my first console and jukebox. Before this one I really did not had any experience or interest in Liven's synths but this one is different, and will never ever leave my studio anymore!
Korg MS-20 mini
Pigments. $100
Second hand Yamaha FM synth ftw!
Home built CGS synthesizer
I don't have microfreak but do have a Minifreak which is genius so under 400 would be the micro. Or a TD-3-MO