Thread: The Synthesizer

I'm jonesing for one of those classic analogue synths (Moog, ARP, Korg, Roland) right now so I thought a discussion is in order to fuel my gear thirst.

Do you have a favourite synth (hardware and/or software)?

What's your favourite synth driven music?

Maybe you don't like the sound of synths, if so why?

Are they the best thing since sliced bread?

I've never gotten to touch an analog synth. I have only played around with an Alesis Quadrasynth, which was fantastic! It was wav table based I think, from the mid 1990s and used an early version of live patch mutation.

I do have several hundred soft synths, most of which sound pretty crummy and do the same things. A couple of them are Moog modular and minimoog emulators. From what I can tell by experimenting with them, the Moog was incredibly hard to program. I just can't seem to create decent patches for it. Maybe a real one is different. Other soft synths are much easier, even the FM ones.

If I thought I had the funds to purchase analog, I'd save up for Hammond B-3 first and then look into synths. Man - nothing sounds quite like B-3!

Originally Posted by Weston

If I thought I had the funds to purchase analog, I'd save up for Hammond B-3 first and then look into synths. Man - nothing sounds quite like B-3!

B-3's are great but if I wanted something entirely impractical I'd go for a Mellotron.

Here are some of my favourite uses of synths in recent years:

Emeralds

Oneohtrix Point Never

Caribou

Gold Panda

John Foxx and the Maths (Yes, he's still going)

Susumu Yokota

Here are some of my favourite synth sounds:

Skip to about 1 hour 22 mins in this video:



I'm not sure what that is, could be a Korg MS-20 but I don't know.

The bass on this is awesome:



The best thing about old techno tracks on Youtube is that there is always a comment saying what synths/drum machines are used on the records. Usually varios Roland product (TR-808 or 909, TB-303, Juno and Jupiters are the classic techno sound)



I've tried to avoid 70's tracks because it seems like if you could afford a synth in those days, you bloody well learned how to use it. Or abuse it in Keith Emersons case.

Stick to BS (Black Sabbath), I think BS music might be better than some of the clips above.

Well, I would be really sad without Don Dorsey's Bachbusters, Beethoven or Bust and especially Tomita's Snowflakes Are Dancing! Not to mention some of the moog Radiohead uses and Portishead