Do you like old synths?
- Thread starter DLaurent
- Start date
DLaurent
Well-known member
Leaving out the big units like Farilight and Synclavier.
1) YAMAHA CS80
- basically the Vangelis synth with the thickest warbly oscillators I've ever heard.
2) Roland Jupiter 8
- For some reason I always associate it with John Carpenter, though I think that might be incorrect, either way, it produces some lovely creamy pad sounds and I'd also add in the MKS80 rack unit that has different thicker filters.
3) Mini Moog
- Being one of the few Mono synths on the list, it's most famous for it's rich bass tones.
4) Yamaha DX7
- A digital synth and being FM can be difficult to program, but one of the most easily recognisable 80s synths capable of a wide range of sounds.
5) Kurzweil K2000
- Got it's own programmability this one, similar to an FM synth if I'm right and a personal favourite as not many other synths sound like it as a result.
6) Roland Juno 6
- One of the preeminent 80s synths, that does immense bass sounds among others.
7) Korg MonoPoly
- There's probably better known Korg synths, but if I'm right this has a unique Chord Memory, enabling you to easily create the parallel harmonies used in a lot of tunes.
8) SC Prophet 5
- I know less about this one, and favour the Jupiter 8, but I'm told it was one of the ones in John Carpenter's arsenal, so got to be in there for the kind of pads you hear in Christine.
9) Roland SH 101
- It would have been easy to pick the SH 303, but the 101 is a bit older and just as simple, mainly used for the kind of bass sounds heard in A Guy Called Gerald's Voodoo Ray.
10) DSI PolyEvolver
- Half digital and half analogue, a beautiful unit and the only modern synth I've listed that stands alongside the above with ease.
1) YAMAHA CS80
- basically the Vangelis synth with the thickest warbly oscillators I've ever heard.
2) Roland Jupiter 8
- For some reason I always associate it with John Carpenter, though I think that might be incorrect, either way, it produces some lovely creamy pad sounds and I'd also add in the MKS80 rack unit that has different thicker filters.
3) Mini Moog
- Being one of the few Mono synths on the list, it's most famous for it's rich bass tones.
4) Yamaha DX7
- A digital synth and being FM can be difficult to program, but one of the most easily recognisable 80s synths capable of a wide range of sounds.
5) Kurzweil K2000
- Got it's own programmability this one, similar to an FM synth if I'm right and a personal favourite as not many other synths sound like it as a result.
6) Roland Juno 6
- One of the preeminent 80s synths, that does immense bass sounds among others.
7) Korg MonoPoly
- There's probably better known Korg synths, but if I'm right this has a unique Chord Memory, enabling you to easily create the parallel harmonies used in a lot of tunes.
8) SC Prophet 5
- I know less about this one, and favour the Jupiter 8, but I'm told it was one of the ones in John Carpenter's arsenal, so got to be in there for the kind of pads you hear in Christine.
9) Roland SH 101
- It would have been easy to pick the SH 303, but the 101 is a bit older and just as simple, mainly used for the kind of bass sounds heard in A Guy Called Gerald's Voodoo Ray.
10) DSI PolyEvolver
- Half digital and half analogue, a beautiful unit and the only modern synth I've listed that stands alongside the above with ease.
interesting - I didn't know the fairlight was also a synth! I'm also reading now that it had a built-in sequencer - didn't know that either.
I can't say I've really had the pleasure besides tinkering on a DX7 (owned by the school band) when they were kind of newish.
I'm also not generally astute enough to say "oh, that's so and so synth I'm hearing" except in maybe a few very obvious cases.
Main thing I know about the Kurzweil is that Speedy J produced A Shocking Hobbing (one of my fave albums from 2000) with some synth or workstation of theirs.
I can't say I've really had the pleasure besides tinkering on a DX7 (owned by the school band) when they were kind of newish.
I'm also not generally astute enough to say "oh, that's so and so synth I'm hearing" except in maybe a few very obvious cases.
Main thing I know about the Kurzweil is that Speedy J produced A Shocking Hobbing (one of my fave albums from 2000) with some synth or workstation of theirs.
DLaurent
Well-known member
That's how I found out about the Kurzweil, from Speedy J, fairly sure the K2000 produces the kind of sounds heard on the track Tesla.
I have learnt about most of the others from YouTube, general listening, and also I used to have loads of Soft Synth emulations! I reckon I'm pretty good at guessing synths, but then usually Google it and realise I'm wrong. Example being I always presumed the bass in Berlin - Take My Breath Away had to be some kind of Moog, then realised it's a DX7.
I have learnt about most of the others from YouTube, general listening, and also I used to have loads of Soft Synth emulations! I reckon I'm pretty good at guessing synths, but then usually Google it and realise I'm wrong. Example being I always presumed the bass in Berlin - Take My Breath Away had to be some kind of Moog, then realised it's a DX7.
wow, I would have never guessed it was a dx7 either
I saw Bob Moog perform and talk way back in the day - must have been early-to-mid 90s in Asheville, NC - I thought it was Moogfest, but I'm reading now that Moogfest didn't move to Asheville until later so I guess it must have been part of something else.
I saw Bob Moog perform and talk way back in the day - must have been early-to-mid 90s in Asheville, NC - I thought it was Moogfest, but I'm reading now that Moogfest didn't move to Asheville until later so I guess it must have been part of something else.
DLaurent
Well-known member
I thought it would be a MiniMoog, but learnt years ago it was a DX7, so I proceeded to download about 5000 FM7 patches to try and find it but didn't. It sounds like SOS Band or Moroder or something that used a MiniMoog.
I'd love the odd occasion I found a preset that had been used in a tune from a soft synth. Eg Burial Loner, the bass is a uHe Zebra patch called AnalogSmachnalog, I'm sure of it.
I'd love the odd occasion I found a preset that had been used in a tune from a soft synth. Eg Burial Loner, the bass is a uHe Zebra patch called AnalogSmachnalog, I'm sure of it.