Music Synths & Keyboards

[Cheimoon]

FAO all synths and keyboards nerds! We have a guitar nerds thread, so I figured us keys fetishists should have one as well. As far as I'm concerned, this should be about any instrument with keys (including Rhodes, Wurlitzer, organs, mellotron, and so on), as well as any other synthesizers (ask Buchla or the VCS3 crew how they like keys! and what about modules?), drum computers, and also VSTs.

So - what do you have, what do you love, and what videos should we be watching?

Personally, I have a very simple setup, just a Yamaha S90 (basically a Motif-88 without the sequencer) and an Alesis Ion to have some fun with knobs. (No, not those knobs.) I had a little more before, but I had to slim down when moving countries. I love the Ion: it has three oscillators, tons of filters (emulations for every famous synth and even the TB-303), various envelopes, and through its menus you can essentially emulate a modular synth - everything can be plugged into and modulate everything else. Very-very cool. It just lacks reverb and delay (pretty essential!), and I have been too lazy to get an FX module... I love the sound of the S90: very full. It has a broad range as well, and a very nice weighted keyboard. (It's a little soft and weighted the same across, which is nice for a non-pianist like myself.) But I do miss something for proper organs and e-piano's in my setup (would love me a Nord Electro) and a drum computer would be fun as well. I do have midi bass pedals though! Not that they produce sound, but I used to have a Waldorf Pulse (monophonic 3-osc synth module) to use it in proper 70s style. Now they're mostly gathering dust though.

For proper geeking out, I'll just leave this here:


Such an awesome collection of synths and keyboards. You can even spot the elusive ARP 2500 in the back! Also great how the first two minutes are like a best-of-Jarre in single sounds. Spot the song for each one! I'm actually a bigger Vangelis fan though. Nothing beats his use of the CS-80. (Just play me the first sounds of the Bladerunner soundtrack and I'm good for the day.) He also has an ARP 2500 sitting in the back in the Chariots of Fire video actually, but I don't think he ever used one, and certainly not in that phase of his career.

 

[OnlyTwoDaSilvas]

A fellow synth-head. Nice.

My set-up is super compact. I've tried and tested a few bits of gear in the last few years, but I think I'm pretty settled on what I have now, which is an Elektron Digitone and Digitakt (controlled with a Keystep), and a Novation Bass Station II, plus a bunch of effects pedals. I'm using my iPad a lot more in tandem with the above too, there's so many great apps coming out all the time, it's getting a bit overwhelming trying to keep up with the best ones.

I generally gravitate towards sequencers and grooveboxes since I'm not a good keys player. I do have a bit of a hankering for a Behringer Neutron though, although the modular side of it makes no sense to me. I just want to make spacey bleeps and bloops.

 

[Cheimoon]

A fellow synth-head. Nice.

My set-up is super compact. I've tried and tested a few bits of gear in the last few years, but I think I'm pretty settled on what I have now, which is an Elektron Digitone and Digitakt (controlled with a Keystep), and a Novation Bass Station II, plus a bunch of effects pedals. I'm using my iPad a lot more in tandem with the above too, there's so many great apps coming out all the time, it's getting a bit overwhelming trying to keep up with the best ones.

I generally gravitate towards sequencers and grooveboxes since I'm not a good keys player. I do have a bit of a hankering for a Behringer Neutron though, although the modular side of it makes no sense to me. I just want to make spacey bleeps and bloops.

Cool, we're at least two!

That setup sounds nice. I don't know the Elektron stuff at all, but it sounds look good stuff. Can you use it on the device itself or do you need an app/tablet/laptop to control it nicely? Well, I suppose the Digitone is fairly straightforward, but the Digitakt looks like it might have a lot of functionality hidden away in menus.

How do you like FM synthesis? Do you really know what you're doing and can you predict what sounds you'll be getting exactly? I've never had an FM synth myself, but I know how it's supposed to work and I always felt like it'd be too abstract for me. (Although of course there are tons of great presets to relive half the synth sounds and e-pianos of the first half of the 80s!)

Behringer is really on fire with all the clones they're creating. A friend of mine has the Minimoog clone and he absolutely loves it: awesome sound and very cheap. I'm also really curious about their upcoming PPG clone. PPG was used by some of my favorite bands in the 80s, but I've never figured out what sounds they use it for. I'd think that modular is great for making weird sounds actually, but maybe a little too much work? It's nothing something I'd be looking for; there's easier ways to make a synth sound like Kraftwerk.

I've always been more of a player myself: give me a keyboard and some sounds and I can be off for hours. (As long as no-one is listening; I'm not very good really, I just enjoy myself.) But I want to make songs so I need to be a bit more focused - although in practice I really take the time foe making music these days.

 

[OnlyTwoDaSilvas]

The Elektron boxes are entirely standalone. For the Digitakt, you can use a computer to load samples in to it in bulk, if you've got them. But it has sampling capabilities, so it's not a necessity. Other than that, nothing in the machine is hidden away.

FM Synthesis is still a bit of a mystery to me. I had a Volca FM, which I could just never manage to get a nice sound out of unless it was a preset. The Digitone seems much more forgiving, and it has subtractive synthesis functionality in some aspects, which helps. Particularly with the amp and filter. And 2 LFOs which you can map to anything. I can't always manage to make a sound do exactly what I want it to like I can with the Bass Station II, but it results in lots of happy accidents. It's very versatile too, perhaps because it is more forgiving than classic FM synths. It can do the harsh metallic stuff as you'd expect, but it can go super deep and warm too.

Behringer are killing it on the clone market, but I'm not sure where I stand on it ethically. They're not being particularly subtle about it either, but they're getting hard to resist. Particularly the Neutron. It just seems far too cheap for its capabilities. I'm sure the modular side of it is great, but whenever I watch videos of artists performing with modular, it looks like witchcraft. I have no idea what they are doing. It also looks like a slippery slope. Looking at people's modular setups, it looks addictive!

 

[VeevaVee]

I have a Moog Sub Phatty. Thought about upgrading it but the size is so useful in a small studio space.

Also have the following:
Vermona DRM1
Sequenced by an Acidlab Robokop euro module
Moog DFAM
Korg ER-1 mk1 - amazing digi character for the price they go for
Faderfox SC1 for sequencing the Sub Phatty
Erica Acidbox - unreal analogue character
Jomox MBrane
ERM Multiclock to bring it all together
All ran through an RME Fireface UC


I always go for gear that has proper character, whether digi or analogue. I had an Analog RYTM, and despite being a great and very useful machine, it had zero character, so it went. I’ve got limited space and I want my hardware to be part of my sound. Would rather have a Machinedrum, which has great digi character, albeit a bit less useful.

Had some more Eurorack too but wanted to simplify a bit.

I really want an Erica Bassline. Sounds better than the 303 for me.

 

[R77]

I considered starting a similar thread, so am glad someone did! Thanks @Cheimoon

Had loads of stuff over the years, but at the mo the only hardware here is a Novation Circuit, which I use with a Keystep and a few pedals. I just like (dark) Ambient and Dub Techno really. Circuit is surprisingly good for the former as the synths are fairly powerful and it has a 'tie forward' function, meaning it's easy to sequence drones. Have also bodged the sampler full of field recording snippets instead of drums, so it's a decent little space out box. Pan the outputs and use various pedals, some guitar in the mix too, and there's a lot of sound with very little gear.

There's obv. the digital/DAW world too, but I go through phases with that. Fair periods of it not feeling compelling or inspiring to use at all. Even the freeware available these days is very good though. Stuff like PG8X, which is a very good old Roland poly clone. Spitfire Audio Labs for film score library type things. All free and top notch. FX is the only place you really need to spend to get the quality imo. Some Valhalla and Eventide plugs, and you're golden.

Particularly the Neutron. It just seems far too cheap for its capabilities. I'm sure the modular side of it is great, but whenever I watch videos of artists performing with modular, it looks like witchcraft. I have no idea what they are doing. It also looks like a slippery slope. Looking at people's modular setups, it looks addictive!

It can def. get murky very quickly with even a few modules. Something like a Neutron or Mother 32 is a great place to start though. A lot of the connections you'd make are common routings anyway, like velocity to cut off, or LFO to pulse width, and so on... A lot of stuff outside of that more unique to the modular world is fairly simplified. Things like mults and mixers. Mixer to mix signals and mults to split. Easy. It certainly hurts your brain though! Too expensive to get into properly, for me. Would love a pair of M32s some day though. Had one, and it sounded very good, but ended up selling it. Two would be great, and looks damn fine too. Heh.

 

[The Cat]

Another Yamaha user here - have a MOXF6.

Have added libraries and have all the voices I'll ever need. Use to play in a band but am just recording my own stuff now together with guitar and bass. I use a VST for drums within Reaper to record.

 

[decorativeed]

I recently sold my Nord Electro after owning it for about 8 or 9 years, as I've realised better sounds are available from soft synths, so I've bought the Arturia V collection and a couple of their controller keyboards.

The Nord was bought as a replacement for a bunch of retro keys that I couldn't dedicate the space or time spent constantly repairing them - a Vox Continental 300 and a Farfisa Compact Duo. I also used to own a Korg MS-10, but had to sell that for the cash. That was really reliable though. The soft synth version of the ms-20 is a decent replacement but nowhere near as much fun.

 

[OnlyTwoDaSilvas]

I have a Moog Sub Phatty. Thought about upgrading it but the size is so useful in a small studio space.

Also have the following:
Vermona DRM1
Sequenced by an Acidlab Robokop euro module
Moog DFAM
Korg ER-1 mk1 - amazing digi character for the price they go for
Faderfox SC1 for sequencing the Sub Phatty
Erica Acidbox - unreal analogue character
Jomox MBrane
ERM Multiclock to bring it all together
All ran through an RME Fireface UC


I always go for gear that has proper character, whether digi or analogue. I had an Analog RYTM, and despite being a great and very useful machine, it had zero character, so it went. I’ve got limited space and I want my hardware to be part of my sound. Would rather have a Machinedrum, which has great digi character, albeit a bit less useful.

Had some more Eurorack too but wanted to simplify a bit.

I really want an Erica Bassline. Sounds better than the 303 for me.

That's an impressive set up!

I was close to getting a RYTM a couple of years back. I loved the functionality of it when I had a quick go on one, but I agree about the lack of character. It just sounded flat and sterile to me. I opted for the cheaper and perhaps more limited Digitakt. The Rytm has some capabilities beyond the Digitakt, but the Digitakt just has a sound to it that I dig a lot, the compressor really makes everything pop, there's a lot of warmth to it despite being digital. With the Rytm being analogue, I expected it to be the other way around. It's probably ideal if you're making cold, robotic sounding industrial techno or something.

 

[VeevaVee]

That's an impressive set up!

I was close to getting a RYTM a couple of years back. I loved the functionality of it when I had a quick go on one, but I agree about the lack of character. It just sounded flat and sterile to me. I opted for the cheaper and perhaps more limited Digitakt. The Rytm has some capabilities beyond the Digitakt, but the Digitakt just has a sound to it that I dig a lot, the compressor really makes everything pop, there's a lot of warmth to it despite being digital. With the Rytm being analogue, I expected it to be the other way around. It's probably ideal if you're making cold, robotic sounding industrial techno or something.

Yeah, the Digitakt looks class. I mainly bought the RYTM for when I lived in Berlin for a bit, because I could just plug it straight in to my laptop. Was really useful for that, although didn’t end up making anything particularly good as it’s just not as fun and inspiring without all my gear. Once I came back, I sold it.

The Acidbox is great for adding a dirty saturated analogue electronic feel to anything. Can run a soft synth out to it and it comes back alive. Great for roughing up any of the other gear more too.

If I get the Bassline (303 style) and a poly synth, I’ve got most bases covered. Don’t have the space unless I can rack it though.

 

[Cheimoon]

FM Synthesis is still a bit of a mystery to me. I had a Volca FM, which I could just never manage to get a nice sound out of unless it was a preset. The Digitone seems much more forgiving, and it has subtractive synthesis functionality in some aspects, which helps. Particularly with the amp and filter. And 2 LFOs which you can map to anything. I can't always manage to make a sound do exactly what I want it to like I can with the Bass Station II, but it results in lots of happy accidents. It's very versatile too, perhaps because it is more forgiving than classic FM synths. It can do the harsh metallic stuff as you'd expect, but it can go super deep and warm too.

I should really get myself an FM synth some day, just for the fun of it - and feeling completely out of my depth.

Behringer are killing it on the clone market, but I'm not sure where I stand on it ethically.

What would be unethical about it? They're not stealing things, are they? To me, making an explicit clone of a Minimoog or Odyssey isn't very different from creating a 3-osc or 2-osc synth with the same feel and functionality that doesn't copy the look. Am I missing something?

I have a Moog Sub Phatty. Thought about upgrading it but the size is so useful in a small studio space.

Also have the following:
Vermona DRM1
Sequenced by an Acidlab Robokop euro module
Moog DFAM
Korg ER-1 mk1 - amazing digi character for the price they go for
Faderfox SC1 for sequencing the Sub Phatty
Erica Acidbox - unreal analogue character
Jomox MBrane
ERM Multiclock to bring it all together
All ran through an RME Fireface UC

Nice setup! Isn't that a bit drum computer overkill though? Or do they all have their own specialty?

There's obv. the digital/DAW world too, but I go through phases with that. Fair periods of it not feeling compelling or inspiring to use at all. Even the freeware available these days is very good though. Stuff like PG8X, which is a very good old Roland poly clone. Spitfire Audio Labs for film score library type things. All free and top notch. FX is the only place you really need to spend to get the quality imo. Some Valhalla and Eventide plugs, and you're golden.

I used to stay away from anything on a computer, cause I don't like the dynamics (I'm really more of a band player in my preferences), but there's no escaping it at home obviously. I should try that Spitfire Audio Labs one, sounds cool!

Another Yamaha user here - have a MOXF6.

Have added libraries and have all the voices I'll ever need. Use to play in a band but am just recording my own stuff now together with guitar and bass. I use a VST for drums within Reaper to record.

Is that the current incarnation of the Motif? I haven't followed it much since about 2010, I think it was. Don't you find it too much trouble ploughing through all the menus, or do you mostly use it through a computer anyway?

I recently sold my Nord Electro after owning it for about 8 or 9 years, as I've realised better sounds are available from soft synths, so I've bought the Arturia V collection and a couple of their controller keyboards.

You're hurting my dream here! You don't miss the drawbars of the Electro? That's one of its selling points to me, but maybe I'm overeating that.

 

[VeevaVee]

Nice setup! Isn't that a bit drum computer overkill though? Or do they all have their own specialty?

Cheers. I’m a big fan of drum options! They’re all very different characters. I mainly use the DFAM for glitchy sounds though.

And I don’t tend to use the Jomox. Even though I love the sound of it, it never seems to stay in time for some reason, even with the multiclock, so I have to set it up every time, which is a bit annoying.

 

[The Cat]

I should really get myself an FM synth some day, just for the fun of it - and feeling completely out of my depth.


What would be unethical about it? They're not stealing things, are they? To me, making an explicit clone of a Minimoog or Odyssey isn't very different from creating a 3-osc or 2-osc synth with the same feel and functionality that doesn't copy the look. Am I missing something?


Nice setup! Isn't that a bit drum computer overkill though? Or do they all have their own specialty?


I used to stay away from anything on a computer, cause I don't like the dynamics (I'm really more of a band player in my preferences), but there's no escaping it at home obviously. I should try that Spitfire Audio Labs one, sounds cool!


Is that the current incarnation of the Motif? I haven't followed it much since about 2010, I think it was. Don't you find it too much trouble ploughing through all the menus, or do you mostly use it through a computer anyway?


You're hurting my dream here! You don't miss the drawbars of the Electro? That's one of its selling points to me, but maybe I'm overeating that.

MOXF6 was brought out around 6 years ago and it has all the Motif sounds - I found a local seller on ebay a couple of years ago selling one that had practically never been used at a very good price so bit his hand off.

The menus take some trawling through but all I want are the right voices for the right songs and it's got all that. I find them (eventually) and save them to a user bank for each song so after a while I don't need to use the menu much.

The sequencer looks a pain in the ass but I record everything via Reaper on the pc so I never use it now. The sounds that come off it are amazing. Years ago I had a SY-35 which converted me to Yamaha for life I think their sounds are the best of all.

 

[R77]

I used to stay away from anything on a computer, cause I don't like the dynamics (I'm really more of a band player in my preferences), but there's no escaping it at home obviously. I should try that Spitfire Audio Labs one, sounds cool!

Labs has some good acoustic and electric pianos, cut down from the full paid versions but still sound and feel really nice. More sound designy type stuff in there too, but it's a good quality resource for free.

Cheers. I’m a big fan of drum options! They’re all very different characters. I mainly use the DFAM for glitchy sounds though.

And I don’t tend to use the Jomox. Even though I love the sound of it, it never seems to stay in time for some reason, even with the multiclock, so I have to set it up every time, which is a bit annoying.

Meant to ask how you get on with the DFAM but must've buggered the quote up. Seems an interesting box. Nice to see the ER1 too. I love the old Electribes. Bought an EM1 in Holland when I went travelling and they just came out, used the hell out of it. They're all fun machines, especially seeing how cheap you can still get them.

 

[decorativeed]

You're hurting my dream here! You don't miss the drawbars of the Electro? That's one of its selling points to me, but maybe I'm overeating that.

The drawbars on my old model (Electro 3) are just a set of buttons really, and no substitute for real drawbars. I know they've changed since, and maybe the sounds have improved too. But spending the best part of £2k on a keyboard, I'd expect a lot better.

Instead I got an Arturia Keylab 25 and a Keylab 61, which both have 9 drawbars, which are great for their organ software. Their Vox emulator is spot on and the Farfisa is not 100% accurate, but is still a hundred times better than the Nord one was. There is loads more control available in the Arturia software too - I can age it by adding leakage noise and detuning each note slightly.

The rest of the Arturia stuff is great too. The Buchla and the EMS synthy are nuts and the regular Moog/Roland clones are lots of fun. Roland have improved in the Arturia ones with their cloud softsynths, but you'd expect as much from the original manufacturers.

The only thing I miss from the Nord is the Chamberlin stuff, as I only have Mellotron sounds from Arturia at the moment.

 

[luke511]

I have a Moog Sub Phatty. Thought about upgrading it but the size is so useful in a small studio space.

Also have the following:
Vermona DRM1
Sequenced by an Acidlab Robokop euro module
Moog DFAM
Korg ER-1 mk1 - amazing digi character for the price they go for
Faderfox SC1 for sequencing the Sub Phatty
Erica Acidbox - unreal analogue character
Jomox MBrane
ERM Multiclock to bring it all together
All ran through an RME Fireface UC


I always go for gear that has proper character, whether digi or analogue. I had an Analog RYTM, and despite being a great and very useful machine, it had zero character, so it went. I’ve got limited space and I want my hardware to be part of my sound. Would rather have a Machinedrum, which has great digi character, albeit a bit less useful.

Had some more Eurorack too but wanted to simplify a bit.

I really want an Erica Bassline. Sounds better than the 303 for me.

Nice set up, I've been eyeing up the Korg ER-1 for a while, it's toss up between that and the EMX-1 for my next purchase. I'm leaning more towards the EMX-1 as it seems to be better for programming breakbeat percussion, will have to see though.

My go to at the moment is the Jomox Alpha base with the prophet 08, big sounds

 

[OnlyTwoDaSilvas]

What would be unethical about it? They're not stealing things, are they? To me, making an explicit clone of a Minimoog or Odyssey isn't very different from creating a 3-osc or 2-osc synth with the same feel and functionality that doesn't copy the look. Am I missing something?

I don't have much of an issue with the mimicking of sound and functionality. For instance the Behringer Crave is supposedly a copy of the Moog Mother 32. I've not used one, but I am led to believe it's very close to the sound of the original (at nearly a fifth of the price!), yet it looks completely different and uses different components.

Whereas the 808 clone looks near identical to an 808. The font, colour scheme, the trig buttons, and everything, even right down to the poor use of space on the interface. Same goes for the 303 clone. I don't have a problem with Behringer making synths and grooveboxes that nail the classic 808 and acid sounds, but stealing the design, colour and presentation of it at the same time is a bit crude to me. I'm surprised they're allowed to copy the design likeness to the extent they do and not land themselves in hot water for it.

I am also told that their after-purchase product support is pretty shocking too. They seem to have adopted a "well, it's cheap what do you expect?" attitude. I follow a Facebook group for users of their 303 clones, as I was semi-interested in one, but they seem to have sold a lot of lemons.

Also, the new range of TC Electronic pedals which have been released since Behinger acquired the company are, perhaps coincidentally, rubbish. I picked up the skysurfer reverb pedal since the price was right, and it's nasty. TC were once an excellent, innovative pedal company. I'm not sure what direction they'll head in now.

 

[VeevaVee]

Meant to ask how you get on with the DFAM but must've buggered the quote up. Seems an interesting box. Nice to see the ER1 too. I love the old Electribes. Bought an EM1 in Holland when I went travelling and they just came out, used the hell out of it. They're all fun machines, especially seeing how cheap you can still get them.

The DFAM is a really cool machine. More of an addition to another drum machine, being only a single track. Great for adding little touches to liven stuff up. Also great for coming up with a fun sequence in its own right, which I should do more of. It could do with a longer sequencer for that though. You can hook it up to something like an SQ1 to be fair.

 

[VeevaVee]

Nice set up, I've been eyeing up the Korg ER-1 for a while, it's toss up between that and the EMX-1 for my next purchase. I'm leaning more towards the EMX-1 as it seems to be better for programming breakbeat percussion, will have to see though.

My go to at the moment is the Jomox Alpha base with the prophet 08, big sounds

Thanks. Alpha Base looks class. Really like the Jomox sound. I’d like a Tanzbar 2 as well, which is in the same realm, although maybe not quite as advanced. Too much good stuff. Too little space (and money).

 

[OnlyTwoDaSilvas]

I've been tempted by a DFAM for a while. I borrowed one off a friend about a year ago and it was just great fun. I don't think I created anything remotely musical with it, but it makes some mind-bending sounds.

I sampled the hell out of it, took about 300 samples, but it still doesn't scratch the itch. I do wish it had a 16 step sequence though. And Midi.

 

[VeevaVee]

. I do wish it had a 16 step sequence though. And Midi.

And an on/off switch

 

[Cheimoon]

MOXF6 was brought out around 6 years ago and it has all the Motif sounds - I found a local seller on ebay a couple of years ago selling one that had practically never been used at a very good price so bit his hand off.

The menus take some trawling through but all I want are the right voices for the right songs and it's got all that. I find them (eventually) and save them to a user bank for each song so after a while I don't need to use the menu much.

The sequencer looks a pain in the ass but I record everything via Reaper on the pc so I never use it now. The sounds that come off it are amazing. Years ago I had a SY-35 which converted me to Yamaha for life I think their sounds are the best of all.

Yeah, I also love the sound of my S90, which is basically the original Motif-88 without the sequencer. Everything just sounds ready for use, and I can handle the editing through the menus pretty alright. I haven't had the Korg and Roland equivalents, so I can't compare, but I'm definitely fine with Yamaha. (Actually, I did have a Roland XP-30, but for that one, they went cheap on the outputs and so everything sounds thin. It was a big shame - but so the XP-30 isn't very typical of Roland's sound.)

The drawbars on my old model (Electro 3) are just a set of buttons really, and no substitute for real drawbars. I know they've changed since, and maybe the sounds have improved too. But spending the best part of £2k on a keyboard, I'd expect a lot better.

Instead I got an Arturia Keylab 25 and a Keylab 61, which both have 9 drawbars, which are great for their organ software. Their Vox emulator is spot on and the Farfisa is not 100% accurate, but is still a hundred times better than the Nord one was. There is loads more control available in the Arturia software too - I can age it by adding leakage noise and detuning each note slightly.

The rest of the Arturia stuff is great too. The Buchla and the EMS synthy are nuts and the regular Moog/Roland clones are lots of fun. Roland have improved in the Arturia ones with their cloud softsynths, but you'd expect as much from the original manufacturers.

The only thing I miss from the Nord is the Chamberlin stuff, as I only have Mellotron sounds from Arturia at the moment.

I'll have to look at that then! My S90 has a few good organs and e-pianos, but as it's 'just' a synth, you can't tweak them the way you'd want for those instruments. Especially for organs that's a big pity I find. Plus playing organ on a weighted keyboard isn't always ideal.

Whereas the 808 clone looks near identical to an 808. The font, colour scheme, the trig buttons, and everything, even right down to the poor use of space on the interface. Same goes for the 303 clone. I don't have a problem with Behringer making synths and grooveboxes that nail the classic 808 and acid sounds, but stealing the design, colour and presentation of it at the same time is a bit crude to me. I'm surprised they're allowed to copy the design likeness to the extent they do and not land themselves in hot water for it.

Yeah, that's a weird one. The new PPG clone is also basically indistinguishable from the original. It's nice in the sense that you pretty much get to experience the original synth for a reasonable price, but I agree that it becomes questionable. And that lack of customer service is ridiculous.

Here are the original PPG and Behringer's BBG. Spot the differences...

 

[R77]

Yeah, that's a weird one. The new PPG clone is also basically indistinguishable from the original. It's nice in the sense that you pretty much get to experience the original synth for a reasonable price, but I agree that it becomes questionable. And that lack of customer service is ridiculous.

Here are the original PPG and Behringer's BBG. Spot the differences...

Crikey. What a thing that is. I'm dubious of Behringer stuff too, but feel I kinda lost the right to complain after getting one of their mixers when in a bit of a tight spot. Felt like going to the dark side a little Hard not to get tempted by some of their stuff for the money involved. The Pro1 pulls at me sometimes too.

I know that's based on the PPG, but if I had immense funds I think the Waldorf Wave would be one of the first things I'd buy. At least then I could afford to hire an engineer to keep it going. Love the old digital synths.

 

[OnlyTwoDaSilvas]

When you copy off your mate's homework, you need to change it up a little so it's not obvious. Not Behringer though

That said, they don't make the PPG 2.2 anymore, I think that blurs the ethics a little bit. If a device has essentially been abandoned, I don't have as much of an issue, since they're not necessarily syphoning off custom from the originators. Whereas the 808 and 303 clones, Roland are still making versions of those. It seems a bit iffy.

I realise I'm just making these rules up as I go along.

And I still want a Neutron.





I also have a Behringer mixer.





And a Boss HM-2 clone

 

[VeevaVee]

I think what Behringer is doing is great, personally. A lot of music gear is overpriced.

Roland had a chance to properly remake the 808/909 and fluffed it a bit. Although the TR8 is great in that it’s very easy and fun to use, a lot wanted an analogue machine. All the other companies could also have brought out well priced remakes but chose not to.

By the way, if anyone likes the 606 sound, check out the Acidlab Drumatix clone
They make a great 808 clone as well.
They’re certainly not in the Behringer realm of low cost copies though.

 

[Cheimoon]

Yeah, lots of arguments either way. I agree with the price thing. If you see what Moog charges for its instruments (8000 euros for a 16-voice Moog One!) and then hear that Behringer's Model D sounds amazing for 400 euros... And in the end, I'm selfish enough to really want to try that PPG clone. Also, if they'd make a CS-80 clone (with ribbon and polyphonic aftertouch please!) I'd definitely be all over that.

Roland had a chance to properly remake the 808/909 and fluffed it a bit. Although the TR8 is great in that it’s very easy and fun to use, a lot wanted an analogue machine. All the other companies could also have brought out well priced remakes but chose not to.

Did you try the TR8? It's something I've been drooling over, even if I'm not sure how much use I have for a real drum computer. (As opposed to just a big set of drum sounds in a VST.)

 

[OnlyTwoDaSilvas]

The Roland TR and MC range is huge now, it's hard to keep track. I love the look of that new TR6s. I don't think it does anything the Digitakt can't do but it looks super fun.

It's definitely the sliders. I'm a sucker for sliders.

 

[VeevaVee]

Yeah, lots of arguments either way. I agree with the price thing. If you see what Moog charges for its instruments (8000 euros for a 16-voice Moog One!) and then hear that Behringer's Model D sounds amazing for 400 euros... And in the end, I'm selfish enough to really want to try that PPG clone. Also, if they'd make a CS-80 clone (with ribbon and polyphonic aftertouch please!) I'd definitely be all over that.


Did you try the TR8? It's something I've been drooling over, even if I'm not sure how much use I have for a real drum computer. (As opposed to just a big set of drum sounds in a VST.)

My mate has one. It’s so easy to get something going. Deffo a big advantage having a hands on play I think.

It sounds the same as an 808/909 in a sense, but in a more unified, less characterful way. But very useful and fun, like I say. Being able to put your own samples on the new one is really cool too.

Put it through some saturation/distortion before it goes into your daw and you’re laughing.

 

[Cheimoon]

Thanks!

I was listening to some Pet Shop Boys today, and I love their sound - especially the first few years. And songs like Love Comes Quickly or What Have I Done To Deserve This are simply based on a (fairly intricate) four-bar loop that varies a little in different parts of the song. So - I think I'm telling myself that I do need that drum computer.

 

[OnlyTwoDaSilvas]

Behringer are not letting up

Brutal.

I won't lose any sleep about them going after a big dog like Roland or Moog, they can take the hit. Arturia are tiny. Super shitty.

They could have taken the opportunity to one-up the original, use that empty space on the panel to add additional features, performance pads or assignable knobs. But nah, just a straight copy.

 

[R77]

Yeah, I was starting to come around in some respects. There's something punk as feck about cheap acid box knock offs imo, and cloning old unavailable stuff isn't so bad. That 'swing' is a scummy move though. Why rip off something readily available that's cheap and already one of the biggest selling bits of synth hardware ever? Guess the answer's in that sentence, but it comes across as a very aggressive and unnecessary move when they could've just designed their own.

 

[OnlyTwoDaSilvas]

It looks like it's only going to be around £10 cheaper than the Arturia too. They've gone to some length just to undercut the competition by a tenner. Surely you'd pay the extra tenner for a more reputable brand, likely better build quality, resale value etc.

I assume Arturia knew this was coming, since they've brought out two new versions of the Keystep in the last few months.

 

[Cheimoon]

Man, that's such a cheap money grab... Are they trying to monopolize the market? The only thing missing will be a Triton clone at this point...

 

[unchanged_lineup]

I've just got the Behringer Pro-1 It's my first module. Looking forward to figuring out how it works this weekend. I'll be firing arpeggios into it like there's no tomorrow!

 

[Cheimoon]

I've just got the Behringer Pro-1 It's my first module. Looking forward to figuring out how it works this weekend. I'll be firing arpeggios into it like there's no tomorrow!

And playing Marillion solos! Channel your inner Mark Kelly!

(Yes, this is my main point of reference for the Pro-One. )

 

[unchanged_lineup]

And playing Marillion solos! Channel your inner Mark Kelly!

(Yes, this is my main point of reference for the Pro-One. )

I'm sold on this. It took about ten mins to set up and get interesting sounds from.

I'll most likely not be hooking it up to a keyboard and more be running midi from Ableton through it.

 

[VeevaVee]

I'm sold on this. It took about ten mins to set up and get interesting sounds from.

I'll most likely not be hooking it up to a keyboard and more be running midi from Ableton through it.

Get a little hardware sequencer into it! That’s when it gets really fun

 

[unchanged_lineup]

Get a little hardware sequencer into it! That’s when it gets really fun

Stop, we're saving for a mortgage

I have a nice Kontakt instrument based on the Pro One and had my eye on these Behringer modules for a good while.

I was originally looking at The Cat since I have that nice Pro One emulation, but I'd read that loads of people have had problems with hanging notes with it when note off messages don't work properly. I considered the Model D as a different option, but really liked the sound of this one

 

[VeevaVee]

Stop, we're saving for a mortgage

I have a nice Kontakt instrument based on the Pro One and had my eye on these Behringer modules for a good while.

I was originally looking at The Cat since I have that nice Pro One emulation, but I'd read that loads of people have had problems with hanging notes with it when note off messages don't work properly. I considered the Model D as a different option, but really liked the sound of this one

Mortgage shmortgage

 

[unchanged_lineup]

Mortgage shmortgage

I need my own house to build my synth temple studio in