Cheap good-sounding analog?

The minilogue is good. Like the mono it has a sharp/precise sound though imho. I wouldn’t say it sounds particularly “analogue”. It’s usually synths without midi parameter controls, self tuning etc that best do wonky vintage vibes.

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I think they can sound really beautiful.

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Came here for this comment lol I was just playing some old beats that used the SE-02, and I kinda want another one now. Hope you’re still enjoying it! I miss my bass patches

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If you are looking for the Moog sound, then the Moog Minitaur is a nice choice. It is rich, creamy, fat, and it shakes the walls. It’s the only one I am mentioning that really has a Moog sound, and it does have a nice vintage style Moog sound to it. It is limited in that it is a bass synth, and you can only go so high on the notes, I think C5, but for bass and mid notes, its sounds great. And Moog is having a Valentine’s sale, so it is currently $500, which fits in your budget.

For inexpensive analog synths I usually recommend the Korg Monologue. It’s battery-powered, and the sequencer is really fun to jam on. I am also a fan of the drive on it, as it makes things nice and woofy. There’s plenty of hands-on controls and it doesn’t feel too menu-divey.

I also like the Dreadbox Typhon. The synth engine sounds very nice, and the FX are top-notch. The downside is that it can feel a bit fiddly to use.

And if you are looking for something really interesting, and a bit out of left field, then check out the Make Noise 0-Coast. It’s got some rich, gooey, analog sounds, and is fun if you are looking to get into patching and semi-modular. It is nice and compact, can accept midi, and act as a midi to cv converter if needed. There is even an arpeggiator buried in there. Of course, you don’t have to patch if you don’t want to, you can get good sounds from the normaled audio path.

Anyways, these are analog synthesizers that I have owned in your budget and that I would recommend. They all have different sounds and features, and any one would be a good choice.

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The Behringer Pro-1 is a really nice sounding synth. Or the K2.

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Worth a look, though at the top of the price range and including a keyboard is the new PWM Malevolent.

Thread

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I would also recommend the boog d. Or the mother 32. The boog sounds wonderful in every way, but the build quality is embarassing. If it had midi implementation I would never touch it again.
I also have the mother 32, it sounds so good for one oscillator… and the build quality is superb. But for more dirty gritty tones one oscillator is not enough.
And I can recommend the brute series from arturia. They can sound really brute ;-). I sold my og microbrute and can not get my head around why I did that.
I am waiting for the maxibrute!

I think I want the SE-02 but could it be difficult to get it to sit well in a mix? Or is that a matter of patch design / EQ

Also I think the cramped tiny knobs will be a problem for me.

What alternatives with gritty sound like the SE-02 but better controls exist?

Most of the other instruments already mentioned. There’s nothing particularly special about the SE. It’s all in the programming

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I sure am! I feel a little bad about buying it from you, but only a little. :upside_down_face::innocent:

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There is a Moog sale this weekend: HW DEALS : Hardware on Sale - #542 by HoldMyBeer

Also, I think anything Moogy is going to take up a lot of space in the mix - that’s kind of the point.

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Actually I think I already unconsciously knew this and was parroting the idea of it being a “possible downside” when really I’m all about minimalism. Drums + bass + something textural … lead or pad optional

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You can find a Mopho Keys in your price range. Really cool analog mono, although probably not very Moogy.

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I avoided Moog clones for a long time because of the hype, but I really really enjoy the SE-02. The Moogish filter is great, and it is a powerful synth for creative sound design. There are enough clones now that you can pick the one that feels best to you. I don’t love the tiny knobs of the SE-02, but I won’t let it go until I have something else that sounds as good.

I’m glad the Moog Sound Studio packages aren’t on sale, because that would be a tough offer to pass up. As it is, the only thing stopping me from buying the three individual units is that I really need to be packing up all my books and gear for a cross-country move.

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Ik multimedia uno synth
£60 :grinning:

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Of all the suggestions in This post 0-coast is definetly the rawest! But the layout is like reading hieroglyphs

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Sounds like Korg Minilogue would get you the most bang for your buck. Tho I love 0-Coast too

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No joke. I really like mine. I’ve got the original. I’ve been thinking about swapping some stuff out for the new one to go with it.

It also looks like it’s for ants. If it was bigger I would be seriously considering it as I am very interested in strange interfaces.

since it’s completely minimoog inspired the most obvious alternative would be the Behringer model d.
Not so many 3 oscillator monos in that price range I can think of.

I‘m not a fan of quite a few things they did, but I have to say the Behringer Crave seems to sound superb and is unbelievable cheap. Their pro 1 too. Can’t tell you about build quality.

My favorite monosynth I owned from a fun perspective was the 0 coast. There are so many good choices already mentioned in this thread, you almost can’t go wrong.
We are blessed with great mono synths

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