Yip, I’d second the System 8. Love mine. And the S8 engine is cool in its own right.
1 Like
Taking a quick look at the V Collection:
Modular V is based off the Moog Modular (I believe the system 55, though I could be mistaken–there were a bunch of different moog modular systems). This synthesizer was very expensive and made to order. I mean expensive as in tens of thousands of dollars in late 1960s money. The Beatles used it on Here Comes the Sun and Because, but even then I think they had some engineer come in and put it all together for them. Today, modular synthesis is a whole other can of worms you can get into if you want, but I’d hold off if you’re just starting synthesis. It’s crazy to think these people were using these things and getting sequences in time and all that stuff without any MIDI or clock back then. I think Giorgio Moroder said he recorded a metronome to tape and then used that as the CV input for his Moog Modular sequencer…Something crazy like that. The ingenuity of these folks back then is pretty astounding.
Take a look at the Buchla V and you’ll see a different approach to synthesis, “west coast” style (as opposed to east coast which, as far as I’m concerned, kind of won out in the end)
There’s some more info about that.
Minimoog was one of the first widely available portable, commercial synths. Your average every day folk could actually afford one of these things and bring it on tours and use it. Cool!
EMS Synthi is the “On the Run” synth. What more do you need to know?
Prophet, Jupiter, Yamaha CS80 (the “vangelis” synth) all happen at some point. Idk. Poly synths become more widely available. Keep in mind all that Moog stuff was monophonic.
Fairlight CMI V is a real fun one. Kate Bush made most of Hounds of Love on that thing…Actually she might’ve made the whole record on that thing in terms of sound design. Maybe external drum machines though idr.
Here my knowledge gets fuzzy. MIDI gets invented by Dave Smith and Chet Wood and becomes more widely implemented in the early 80s. I tried to look up what the first synth with MIDI was but couldn’t seem to find it. If I had to guess the first POPULAR synth with MIDI it would be the Yamaha DX7…Which might be the highest selling synth of all time?
Actually found this and it’s interesting!
https://www.sequencer.de/synth/index.php/Synthesizer_History_Timeline
So I guess the first polysynth was the Buchla-500? Which I haven’t even heard of til now. With the CS80 shortly after?
2 Likes
I’d look into the Prophet VS from 1987. Vector synths were not, and to this day are not very common. very unique sound. they are expensive and relatively high in upkeep, but the Arturia Prophet has a VS module and sounds pretty close to the original from what I’ve heard. close enough at a fraction of the price.
that and it’s my avatar icon 
3 Likes
don’t think the MonoPoly has a battery because it doesn’t save anything. their main issue is they get hot so a power supply rebuild is a good thing. but yes beware of Polysix battery leakage. thankfully as you say it’s a pretty cheap/easy replacement for that board, plus you can add midi to it that way as well.
like I said a lot vintage synths have a gotcha to watch out for (another example: Juno 106 voice chips), and if that’s covered they’re usually pretty solid for several years. some models are basket cases though (CS80 and Memorymoog come to mind).
3 Likes
Just go to every HardOFF and look for any Yamaha with CS-## on it. Obviously, not the newer FM ones.
Put any of those through a touch of reverb 
1 Like
Thanks everyone. I’ll start looking into everyone’s suggestions later today when I get some time.
After doing some listening, I’m starting to wonder if perhaps I’m more of a monosynth person.
One that is grabbing me at the moment is the ARP2600. How close to Minimoog territory can you get with the Moog-type ladder filter?
If you like the Minimoog sound and filter and you’re feeling a mono synth you should check out the Behringer Model D.
1 Like
Cool. The MP is the one that got away for me (on a couple of occasions.) I’d have one in a heartbeat if the price was right. I upgraded the P6 PSU with the Kiwi kit at the same time I replaced the CPU board. Also picked up the last of the Lexon front panel overlays that were available. One with the added Kiwi functionality labelled and an original.
1 Like
Definitely something to consider. I had an SE-02, which I thought would be perfect for that sound, but for some reason I didn’t end up bonding with it. I think it was a bit too aggressive sounding for my taste and I didn’t like the menu system for the sequencer. From the videos I’ve seen, the Pro-1 actually interests me more the Model D, but the ARP they are working on looks even more interesting.
I’d like to hear more of the Poly D as well. Am I correct in assuming that poly versions of mono synths tend to be quite a bit different sounding (in terms of tone) than the mono versions? That definitely seemed to be the case with the Pro-1 vs Prophet 600 video I posted above.
Yip I hear you. The 2600 looks exciting and I’ve been checking out the poly d vids too. Have you checked out their Odyssey if you like what you’ve heard of the 2600? I’ve got one and I think it sounds spectacular! I’ve got an OG Pro 1 but I’ve debated getting the B version as it sounds so close to the OG from what I’ve heard. Regarding the Prophet 600… it shares the same VCO with the Pro 1 but it’s got the 3372 VCF whereas the Pro 1 has the 3320 VCF. The Pro One was a single voice of the earlier Prophet 5 (Rev 3)
Here’s a track I recorded on the Model D not long after I picked one up. All sounds are Model D including drums.
Oh man, you killed it on that track. Great work. Certainly makes me rethink the Model D. I have a feeling that these will start hitting the used market here soon, so since it’s not top of the list, I’ll keep my eyes peeled for a good deal.
Just when I thought I was over accumulating gear, Behringer pulled me back in. I have to say he’s accomplished his goal of spreading synth love. I doubt I would have become so enamored with old analog synths without his cloning, mainly because my interest was never enough to justify spending a lot of money on one and I’ve always been more of a hardware than software person.
1 Like
Well now I know what I’m doing this evening, better pop some popcorn. 
1 Like
I’ve got the Neutron, Model D, MS-1, TD-3, And RD-8 but the Oddy is the pic of the bunch for me. The other all sound great don’t get me wrong but there’s just something about the sound of the Oddy, especially with the onboard FX chiming in.
1 Like
For reference here’s a track I did solely on the Novation BassSation 2. Another budget synth that’s got plenty of mileage in it. Same as Square D, it’s all BassSation
The system 8 was mentioned earlier in the thread. This one is mostly System 8 apart from the bass line which I used the Peak for and the drums are Analog Rytm 2. I used the S8 and Jupiter engines from memory.
3 Likes
A few questions for you.
- Will the 2600 be able to cover most of the Oddy sounds? I’m really not in a position to buy anything now and I actually really dig the form factor of the B2600. In that video it looks like it plays well with the MS-101 as well, which is a huge bonus.
- With the 2600’s semimodular design, would it be possible to add to it over time with separate modules? I see Behringer is cloning the old Moog modules, for instance.
- Since the B-2600 also has the Moog ladder filter, do you think it will be able to cover a lot of the same ground as the Model D?
1 Like
To be honest I don’t know about the similarities of the filters. The Oddy had the ladder filter too but with the other differences between the synths I’d say there’s sufficient distance between the Oddy and Model D. Regarding the semi modular nature of the 2600 yeah, I guess you could patch other modules into and out if the 2600. Little things to be aware of tho such as the Oddy and 2600 staying true to the originals with 10v gate signals etc. It’s not beyond doable but I’m not the person to ask about modular as I’ve never trodden that path. The System 100 modules are making me rethink that tho!
The 2600 will cover more ground than the Oddy as it’s got more features but I would guess the Oddy could get 75% there? I’ve never had my mits on a 2600 but my Oddy gets very close to my OG Axxe in terms of the ARP sound.
1 Like
I bought the BOC reproduction tutorial for Ableton(see his earlier videos) off the guy who did this video. He did most of the classics and nailed them. He even gave me the samples. Top guy.
2 Likes
Weren’t the first MIDI polys the Jupiter 6 and Prophet 600? That seems to ring a bell?
jepp, he really nailed the sounds!
I bought this pack too
Because of this thread I watched Akai S100 videos and bought the TAL sampler today. Recognized some of my favorite sounds might even originate from those old samplers rather than synths.
1 Like
Cool. I’d be interested to hear what you come up with!
1 Like