First hardware setup!

[dewgong]

I have around 700 to get myself a good synth and multifx unit. I want to produce as much music as I can in the "real world" before sequencing in my DAW so im looking for the best bang for my buck. Ideally i'd like to have a good all round synth which I can route through my multi fx unit. I have no idea where to begin however. Thanks in advance!

[dewgong]

Im also wondering whether I might be better off just buying an amp and synth or even a hardsynth with built in processing units. So many options and so little experience :-/

[Shy]

Since you use DAW software anyway and don't intend to keep producing "DAW-free" and all that BS, I don't think there's any reason to bother with horrible hardware sequencers. Great software sequencers like Cubase have been available and used in "the real world" for over 25 years. Certain hardware sequencers with specialized features can be useful for a few things, but I doubt that's what you want.

I think the best all-round "virtual analog" / subtractive polyphonic synth (and I know them all) in your price range is a used KORG MS2000B (or MS2000 or MS2000R). There's no synth currently in production within that price range that comes anywhere near it in sound quality, features, interface and build quality (and that includes microKORG). It has effects, limited to either chorus, flanger or phaser (but not several in parallel or series), plus one of three types of delay.

If you need a rompler (with piano, strings, drum samples etc.), FM synth, or some other things, then it wouldn't suit you. There's no hardware within your price range that's good for "standard" subtractive synthesis as well as FM synthesis, not to mention other types.

A used Kurzweil Mangler or Rumour, if you ever manage to find one, are the best cheap multi-effects units with digital in/out. Lexicon's cheap units are horrible in comparison. A Yamaha SPX 900 also has lots of useful effects, but note that those units are often unreliable, and they're much noisier. Same with Ensoniq DP/4, which are overpriced nowadays. Anyway, you may be perfectly fine with effects plugins which offer the same basic effect types, with different sounding (although usually significantly worse) implementations.

[thecontrolcentre]

700 ... dollars? euro's? pounds? gummy bears?

[RichieWitch]

I think the best all-round "virtual analog" / subtractive polyphonic synth (and I know them all) in your price range is a used KORG MS2000B (or MS2000 or MS2000R). There's no synth currently in production within that price range that comes anywhere near it in sound quality, features, interface and build quality (and that includes microKORG). It has effects, limited to either chorus, flanger or phaser (but not several in parallel or series), plus one of three types of delay.

I'll second that. I bought an MS2000R as my first hardware synth nearly two years ago, and I'm still amazed at all the features. All the usual wave shapes plus an extensive wavetable, 3 16-step sequencers, built-in delay effects like chorus and flanging, distortion, simple two-band EQ, virtual patchbay for modulation routing, microphone input for vocoder use, the list just goes on and on. Even though I now have a couple racks of hardware, I still use it as my lead synth.

Shouldn't be two hard to pick one up between $200-$300.

[thecontrolcentre]

A Novation X-Station would make a decent (and inexpensive) first V/A ... I really miss mine. Sold it when I was skint. It's a midi-controller and audio interface too.

[rounser]

Don't listen to the guy writing off all hardware sequencers. There are brilliant hardware sequencers such as the Yamaha QY700 (called "Cubase-in-a-box") and Future Retro Orb (a suped-up TB303 sequencer) which are definitely worth your time, and allow you to wave goodbye to the nightmare of crashes and upgrades and fans and general fiddling which software sequencers represent.

I use a Yamaha QY700 coupled with four Future Retro Orbs and couldn't be happier. Never going back to software sequencers.

[rounser]

I'd also add that you need to sort out a sampler. If you want a simple sampler, I can recommend the Korg microSAMPLER, which will give you 36 samples attached to keys and the ability to sample easily and quickly either through audio in or through it's microphone.

It is a classic mistake to think that synthesizers are the most important part of the music production soundmakers, but samplers are instead. With a good sampler you won't even necessarily need a synth, and they can replace drum machines too.

If you need something which will hold huge patches, consider an Akai Z8. They are rare but can be had secondhand on eBay occasionally, and represent the peak of hardware sampling before it all went software.

[Shy]

Don't listen to the guy writing off all hardware sequencers. There are brilliant hardware sequencers such as the Yamaha QY700 (called "Cubase-in-a-box") and Future Retro Orb (a suped-up TB303 sequencer) which are definitely worth your time, and allow you to wave goodbye to the nightmare of crashes and upgrades and fans and general fiddling which software sequencers represent.

I use a Yamaha QY700 coupled with four Future Retro Orbs and couldn't be happier. Never going back to software sequencers.

Even the 15 years old Cubase VST 5 is still perfectly usable nowadays, and it's a great sequencer that doesn't crash (when used as a sequencer for hardware instruments) and doesn't force you to use a tiny, annoying old screen (which personally, hurts my eyes). I also think that the QY700's navigation is terribly slow in comparison, and the amount of ways in which it's limited compared to that old Cubase would take at least several pages to write about, but let's say that those are just matters of personal preference. I really am pleased to know that it works well for you, but I wouldn't recommend it over software sequencers, especially not to someone who doesn't intend to stay "DAW-free" anyway.

It is a classic mistake to think that synthesizers are the most important part of the music production soundmakers, but samplers are instead. With a good sampler you won't even necessarily need a synth, and they can replace drum machines too.

It's a classic mistake to think that a sampler can replace a real synthesizer. While for some people they're an adequate replacement, for many people they can never be, because they're fundamentally different and limited in countless ways. In some cases, like drum synth sampling, they're a perfectly adequate replacement, but that's a very specific case.

[rounser]

You don't know what you're talking about.

The QY700's screen is huge and more than sufficient for a piano roll.

Any producer worth their salt understands that a sampler is more important than a synthesizer. Entire albums can be done solely on a sampler; the same cannot be said for a synth.

[Shy]

I know exactly what I'm talking about , that's the thing. But OK.

[Acid Mitch]

...

[tehlord]

If it's 700 € or £ then I'd search for a used Analog 4

4 part analogue synth, onboard sequencing, software DAW integration and works as an FX unit.

Job done

[Acid Mitch]

Any producer worth their salt understands that a sampler is more important than a synthesizer. Entire albums can be done solely on a sampler; the same cannot be said for a synth.

Any producer worth their salt knows that samplers aren't always the best tool for the job and entire albums can be, and have been, made with a synth.

It's a classic mistake to think that a sampler can replace a real synthesizer. While for some people they're an adequate replacement, for many people they can never be, because they're fundamentally different and limited in countless ways.

For sure.



I prefer hardware sequencers over sequencing from DAWs for most things, but it's hard to deny Cubase VST 5 is pretty good for MIDI. (If you cab get it working with low jitter ).
I think it's something you have to try to know if you prefer computer sequencing or hardware sequencing. Both have their advantages and disadvantages.

[Acid Mitch]

If it's 700 € or £ then I'd search for a used Analog 4

4 part analogue synth, onboard sequencing, software DAW integration and works as an FX unit.

Job done

Good call.