There’s always somebody here who brings up power banks in response to anyone saying they need battery power.
It isn’t always the same person either. That club has multiple members
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Blofeld for sure. The menu diving gave me headache (I prefer gear with more knobs) but with a good midi controller you can record tons of tunes using only that small desktop unit. It’s a beast.
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I would say that the Roland Boutique SH 01a is the most powerful mini synth . It has that signature 101 but with polyphony/unison and advanced LFO.
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Ipad Waldorf knave
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Tb-3 ( the small aira touch screen thing )
Authentic 303 sounds *
Can do lots of other sounds
Built in fx
Sequencer
Usb audio
*authentic as defined by Roland, who then felt the need to remake their attempt at 303 sound multiple times and it’s still not quite right ……
And yes , I’m joking … but it does have its uses.
System 1?
This is the kind of thing I’m talking about. Kind of like an organelle or a norns without an interface. Did they have to have an interface to qualify in this thread? You could fit this in a pocket, I’ll bet, though give me an OP-z with all of its buckling charms and popping encoders any day.
I can’t imagine enjoying ‘playing’ this thing, maybe it’s for the folks that can type without looking at the keyboard.
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Polyphonic synthesizer squeezed inside a MIDI plug
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I have a couple of these and they’re quite powerful too (if tricky to operate from other devices):
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hmm … i should add some to my collection someday.
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I reckon pairing them with something that can send CCs would be best as otherwise they have to be set up using the editor on a computer, which is OK but boring.
sure. Axoloti is the obvious choice.
several units can be operated via USB MIDI interface, like MIDIFlex 4.
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I’ve never actually tried that - good idea.
…most?..mini…?..powerful…?..synth…?
aaaaaand fx…full fledged tweakable anyways…and expandable in varieties of next new little algorithm for further fx and soundengines…ongoing…for…EVER…
THIS…
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Anyma Phi.
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ContinuuMini.
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Most Powerful : it depends largely on the Hands/Head that control the device.
When i opened this thread, i tried to get a clearer idea of what “minisynth” means exactly. That was what Synthtopia was suggesting about the Hydrasynth Explorer — “the most powerful minisynth ever”.
Collectively here we’ve worked at what “minisynth” and “powerful” means and what that means with the two together. Reading through everyones thoughtful posts i have a better sense what that all means, and certainly what it doesn’t.
There is a difficult balance to strike between power and mini-ness.
I’ll try to summarize, but if this steps on a toe, speak up.
It doesn’t have to be the smallest ( see this thread for that ), in fact smallest works against being most powerful.
It does need to be easily transportable to be a “minisynth”. Batteries not essential but quite important.
Why the Take 5 is NOT a minisynth:
Though it is too soon to completely evaluate the Take 5, it is only a few inches larger in length and width, and has more full sized keys than the Explorer. But it is AC powered only and weighs 17 pounds, stretching even the idea of portable let alone minisynth.
As to powerful, we seem to think the user interface is very important, and synthesis horsepower in the form of polyphony — that also can work mono — and complex voices seems essential. Also it must have a very wide range of voices. A keyboard goes a long way, as a part of user interface, important enough to knock out a synth otherwise qualified unless it has some other very strong features.
More modulation sources and options, filter alternatives, on board effects, multiple oscillators with more advanced waveform generation are all important.
An advanced arpeggiator just seems de riguer for any synth now days.
Powerful and transportable probably also means can work standalone. ( External battery detracts from standalone, marginal but is still OK. )
Other considerations, important but NOT essential. Multitimbrality. A built in sequencer, or as substitute having patterned complexity in held notes. ( No sequencer plus no keyboard and you’re out, i’d say. ) Being able to sound design and create your own patches seems very important.
Not mattering for this discussion, analog/digital, in production/historic.
My thoughts, hope this sharpens the discussion.
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Mouth Harp. Resonator and Karplus Strong…in your mouth! Craft melodies basically by talking, and so easy to hide that even David Blaine will think you are a real magician.
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…master of all eso and deep ambient ceremonies…
well, aaand also master in pricetag…especially if u expect it to give u some kind of same feel as it’s big brother, when actually playin’ it…which is absolutely NOT the case…
actually, no matter how nice it still translates movement into parameters, the feel of it is damned cheap…not even near to any half way better argument to pay almost 1000 bux for this anyways…
Also potentially the most damaging instrument! I have a chip in a tooth still from uninformed use of a jaw harp when I was young. Damn you Snoopy!
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