You are not logged in. Please login or register.
Robots for Robots → General Hardware / Software Discussion → Should I buy...
@San the mono evolver keyboard is really cool, I think. but be careful of the encoder knobs.. you want the new PE version. or another few hundred to upgrade it. I upgraded mine almost as soon as I got it (well it had a couple of quite bad encoders and some slightly flaky ones) and love it.
Any particular task you want a hardware synth for? you mention rehearsals... do you need to play chords?
If polyphony is not so much of an issue and you can do without all the knobs, I can recommend the microkorg for portability, it can be even battery operated. What is your budget?
going to a store / friends place to try out if possible is important to see if the synth is right for you, sound-wise, ergonomics, features, editing etc. You'll learn more in less time than from the interwebs
God damn it. Where the hell are all these alpha juno 2 synths? I'm looking for one from the end of 2010 and no results. Two PG-300 in ma house waiting for these stuff... I'm totally pissed now.
You should just get a MKS 50 or an alpha Juno 1.. The 2 only has minor differences, (one octave more on the keys and the keys have aftertouch, but a A ju1 also takes aftertouch across midi.. A Ju2 isn't worth the extra bucks IMOHO.
dbx 266 xl for 150$? was looking for a compressor to try on the master bus, not sure the price is right? is it a good compressor, or should I put off until I order the RNC?
OK, so I'm on the eurorack path now.. no major expensive stuff, but I want to turn my two oscillators into a monosynth.... so I need envelope, and lfo, and a filter and a vca and maybe some audio/cv mixers.
I'm looking at elby designs for the filter - that synthacon filter looks nice, and the kit form is really cheap, I'd get their filter + mangler for less than the price of any other filter I can see... and it only looks like a few hours work to build and calibrate. Anyone think this filter is any good for a first modular filter? (or think it would particularly suck as my only modular filter for a while?)
in terms of envelopes, I was kind of thinking of a nice simple ADSR to start, is the basic doepfer offering OK?
I haven't thought about the VCA or LFO or mixer options yet.
dbx 266 xl for 150$? was looking for a compressor to try on the master bus, not sure the price is right? is it a good compressor, or should I put off until I order the RNC?
Thats a bit expensive for a S/H DBX266.. Nice compressor I always found it quite musical for something so cheap.
I'm looking at elby designs for the filter - that synthacon filter looks nice
The Elby Synthacon uses Ken Stone's Synthacon pcb - it's super easy to build. The output is kind of low but it sounds so warm and dare I say vintage. Highly recommended.
Here's a cheap and easy way to build a full-functioned adsr (or lfo):
http://www.electricdruid.net/index.php? … ts.envgen7
http://www.electricdruid.net/index.php? … jects.lfo9
Awesome! One synthacon filter kit and mangler kit coming up. Local shipping and kit format makes these a great option for me, and "vintage"goes with my general synth sound preferences so that's all good.
I saw those pic chip envelope and lfo designs a while ago and thought they wee cool, but didn't have a use for them before now, thanks for reminding me. I had a bit of a look last night for 2nd hand mod sources, and they seem a bit rare on ebay and muffwiggler for sale forum. I guess people keep them....
One more question, do modulars run audio signals at higher than line level? If so, will I need level converters to patch line level gear in and out of the system? I've seen that guitar pedal converter, and wondering if I'll need something like that or if I'll be able to patch my eurorack audio signals freely into and or of my audio patch bay...
Go euro, yea! Yeah, modular levels are pretty hot, but a simple attenuator should get levels down to a suitable level - shouldn't require anything fancy. On the elby tip - I just picked up my first elby piece a while back - slope detector! I like it - but I've become a clock nerd since starting down the modular path. As far as envelopes go - since I started my modular about a year back, I haven't picked up an adsr - haven't really felt the need for anything beyond ad/ar. I'm an envelator man myself, but most will tell you to get a MATHS.
One more question, do modulars run audio signals at higher than line level? If so, will I need level converters to patch line level gear in and out of the system? I've seen that guitar pedal converter, and wondering if I'll need something like that or if I'll be able to patch my eurorack audio signals freely into and or of my audio patch bay...
line level at +4dB is 1.773 volts from peak-to-peak, vpp, (negative to positive) whereas modulars are either 10vpp or 5vpp.
Connecting modular outputs to your mixer is simple - just put them through a passive attenuator first, ie. a simple pot. You can easily build a bunch of these yourself:
(use a 50k linear pot)
However, you'll need to boost most signals going into your modular. Something like this is handy because you also get an envelope follower with it: http://www.doepfer.de/a119.htm
There are other options like these:
http://www.cwejman.net/cwejman.net/ai-2.htm
http://www.doepfer.de/a138d.htm (also works as a line-level amplifier)
http://www.cgs.synth.net/modules/cgs60_sba.html (diy - you'll have to figure out how much amplification you want. you could also put a 1k linear pot in series with the 470R resistor to control the gain)
I use the aux sends on my mixer (A&H mixwiz) to boost signals to modular level -Works pretty slick.
no-fi wrote:One more question, do modulars run audio signals at higher than line level? If so, will I need level converters to patch line level gear in and out of the system? I've seen that guitar pedal converter, and wondering if I'll need something like that or if I'll be able to patch my eurorack audio signals freely into and or of my audio patch bay...
line level at +4dB is 1.773 volts from peak-to-peak, vpp, (negative to positive) whereas modulars are either 10vpp or 5vpp.
Connecting modular outputs to your mixer is simple - just put them through a passive attenuator first, ie. a simple pot. You can easily build a bunch of these yourself:
(use a 50k linear pot)
Heya - can one of you share a link to the guitar pedal converter for modular audio outputs? Sorry if it was posted already.... So, do I risk destroying a guitar pedal if I don't use one? Cuz I've already tried this (without converter) on various pedals and so far they are fine, but I don't want to shorten the lifespan of anything.
Sneak-Thief - have you built this passive attenuator into a housing that fits into the rack, or a separate breakout box or...? Just curious. Looks very easy circuit-wise ..
Thanks 
Heya - can one of you share a link to the guitar pedal converter for modular audio outputs? Sorry if it was posted already.... So, do I risk destroying a guitar pedal if I don't use one? Cuz I've already tried this (without converter) on various pedals and so far they are fine, but I don't want to shorten the lifespan of anything.
Sneak-Thief - have you built this passive attenuator into a housing that fits into the rack, or a separate breakout box or...? Just curious. Looks very easy circuit-wise ..
Thanks
1. Modular to guitar stombox and vice versa: http://www.cgs.synth.net/modules/cgs60_sba.html
It's a cheap circuit board and super easy to build!
2. Re. passive attenuator: All you need is space for 2 jacks and one pot. You can build it into almost anything.
great info as always [:
what about Soundcraft Aries consoles? does anyone familiar with it?
There's a Yamaha AN1X lying around at a local store... didn't ask for the price, but since I left the store that synth is almost constantly on my mind... I heard it's a great-sounding and somehow unique synth and it's really tempting...
I found a pic on your site, sneakthief - what do you think about that synth? Also, is its keyboard good? At the moment I have no good master keyboard (only the JX8P, which has a bad keyboard, and the Alesis Micron, which has a good but sometimes too small keyboard)
EDIT: Please also tell me what price would be acceptable
There's a Yamaha AN1X lying around at a local store... didn't ask for the price, but since I left the store that synth is almost constantly on my mind... I heard it's a great-sounding and somehow unique synth and it's really tempting...
It's a great sounding VA. I use mine mainly for ambient sounds, like pads, strings, strange evolving soundscapes. It's versatile and unique, as you can record movement of the knobs in internal sequencer [4 tracks], 'morph' between two patches, smoothly change waveforms, modulate pwm of saw. i don't like the stepping filter which is noticable on high resonance. An1x definately has a character, it reminds dreamy cs-80. Keyboard has a nice feel but aftertouch is too sensitive. Generaly it's a nice midi controller and you can easily program knobs to control your vst or other synths. It's price has gone up, i think 300-350$ is ok now.
I've had the AN1x since 1997 - it's fantastic and I'll never sell it.
- The Yamaha engineers modelled it after the Prophet 5 and it sounds surprisingly good after all these years considering it was one of the very first VA's. Check out these two great demos:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vZZ1cgh … re=related[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4kU4qzEt … re=related[/youtube]
- The keyboard feels great!
- The plastic body doesn't appear to be that sturdy, so I'm not sure how much gigging it could take. However, I used it live a few times and never had any reliability problems
- The modulation capabilities are vast. Editing them from the front panel can be a bit slow... however, the AN1xEdit software editor is great.
- I paid 1400 CAD in 1997 (1750 DM). They sell for 330-370e on ebay.de and 350-500 USD on ebay US.
linndrum lm2 637€????
Thanks Stalker and sneakthief! I'll drive to the shop this evening and check it out... I want it really badly now 
Thanks for the modular tips guys.... Got the synthacon filter plus the mangler, and a doepfer 4 way mixer.
Will need to start a 2nd 3u rack now... it was very hard not to buy some more doepfer stuff. Quad adsr with trigger signals looks awesome for lfo style things too. And the quad vca is very tempting. but i'll worry about envelopes and vcas next month. For now my patch panel sem will handle everything the modular is missing.... :-)
Careful no-fi! You're going down a slippery slope there... 
linndrum lm2 637€????
Come on bots... The guy is pushing for a sale!
Erroraudio wrote:linndrum lm2 637€????
Come on bots... The guy is pushing for a sale!
For a non-midi one it's an ok deal even here in Montreal (850$), anything 600 and below is a decent deal while not being a bargain. I bought a non-midified Linn in great condition for 500$ two years ago here and considered it a bargain.
good luck, it's a great and powerful machine even if it doesn't do much!
Robots for Robots → General Hardware / Software Discussion → Should I buy...
Powered by PunBB, supported by Informer Technologies, Inc.
Currently used extensions: pun_approval, pun_admin_add_user. Copyright © 2009 PunBB