Ye…just wondering what you’d choose in terms of hardware synths that offer up something unique and “great sounding “ in terms of it fitting into a mix and not sounding like a runofthemill synth. I’m thinking of something otb that can rival or go further than itb synths like pigments/serum/alchemy etc something organic, granular, ghostly ….maybe something that’s sample based too
MiniFreak.
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How do you find the mini freak compared to the micro?
Waldorf Iridium or Quantum.
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I didn’t vibe with the keys on the micro or the lack of polyphony. The effects in the mini put it a level above most synths in that price range. Mod options make it a wonder to program.
Hydrasynth comes to mind first. Then maybe Waldorf offerings. Sampler front: tempera, s4
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First thing, that came to my mind, after your words:
and
is Sequential Prophet X. It honestly escapes my understanding, how full this thing can sound, despite its nature (being hybrid, having all digital oscillators). I had Rev 2 here and have Prophet X and am keeping latter, because of how good it blends with my other lot. And that lot is mainly VCO based and has greater demand for space than my ego - and that says something. ;]
What I mean is that it has that power that makes it heard in the crowd of other powerful synths.
Of course, more budget friendly offerings from Arturia are also interesting suggestions, but I don’t find them as “out there” as Prophet X in modulation and voice count departments.
Anyway, wish you make fulfilling decision, whichever route you take.
Cordially,
Norman
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Beetlecrab Tempera
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I don’t know if you’re going to get exactly the same as Serum 2 in a hardware box, that does dominate in its particular segment of “contemporary sounds”.
Beyond that, I’d say it’s more how you use your synths that makes them feel fresh.
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The Tempera is not a synth as such, it doesn’t produce sound by itself so you can’t say it’ll sound good or fit in a mix…
Probably something like an Astrolab which is just Arturia plugins inside of a controller because that’s probably what you ultimately want given the description.
Otherwise, any of the other suggestions are really great and not a terrible way to spend $3000-$7000, with the exception of the Minifreak which would be much more economical, but I have no frame of reference for telling you if it compares to the depth of plugins or a $6500 Waldorf.
I’m not sure that I put the Tempera in the same category as these other devices. Very cool but it’s got a very specific type of audience and if you’re talking Serum and Pigments, then Beetlecrab Tempera is not the first thing that comes to mind.
A lot these have a keyboard attached. You didn’t specify but are you looking for a synth which is also a controller or just looking for a rack mount / desktop unit?
If you already have a good midi controller, you’d probably save a significant amount of money by focusing on the desktop market.
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What do you mean by contemporary sounds?
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Context suggests a mix of samples and wavetable, but I’d be interested to hear their description of this!
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The OP is full of fluffy words:
Unique
great sounding
contemporary
organic
granular
ghostly
Let’s face it: you have a GAS attack and you are ready to buy something, but you don’t know exactly what. Stop and take a deep breath, it would be better not to buy anything until you have clearer ideas.
Note: there is nothing in real gear that sounds like Serum
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sounds like you want E V O K E
Thanks for your input. Really helpful.
I guess I mean contemporary (alt-)pop synths … which maybe I’d associate with industrial music from 80s and 90s …I hear a lot of what sound like sample based sounds. Maybe something like a distorted flute . Or a sample of a train run through granular engine. That sort of thing. The types of sounds you might hear in modern hip hop or “urban” music . The types of sounds used by people like Sega Bodega or Oklou …To be more specific. I think they use serum, alchemy …
But obviously, I’d prefer this to be outboard gear… which I think is where it gets more difficult… as I’d probably like something that can do sample manipulation , granular, wt, interesting fx.
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You are welcome. I believe that the GAS should be followed only when you have a clear target, when you know exactly what to buy and you are convinced that the purchase will change your life for the better. Otherwise you risk compulsively buying gear that you will not use and that will remain there gathering dust.
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If it were that easy , there’d be little point in forums like these , wouldn’t there.
Anyway, whilst I appreciate your concern for the way I run my finances or the way in which I choose to acquire musical instruments, I still don’t find your input helpful . It is not very instructive.
On top of that , when it comes to music, as you MIGHT know , the realization of an idea or the pursuit of a sound or a union of different sounds is somewhat abstract … it is not accountancy or engineering we are talking about here.
As such, you are always taking a chance when investing in new instruments. Sometimes they work for you , other times they don’t. I have a strong inclination for that type of sound(s) I BELIEVE would suit my compositions but explaining this is obviously not as easy as 1 + 1 = 2 .
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What is contemporary sound? Been over a decade since I heard anything new… Its all the same ITB sounds, pick your poison, Pigments, Serum 2, Omnisphere, Kontakt libraries… “Contemporary” sounds like ITB to me almost exclusively, whyd you want hardware for that?
We are living in a second or third order cultural loop, new ideas are basically just novel combinations of stuff that came before… real innovation is vanishing in lockstep with the prevalence of social media’s mind numbing effect. All we can hope for is remixed memes from early 2000s now…
Your music will stand out due to its ideas and feelings it evokes, not due to “sounds” that are somehow more interesting than what other people use…
just my 2 cents (jm2c)
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