Synth Desktop Module Advice

If you can stretch by 10cm and €50, hydrasynth desktops enter the picture. It’s fantastic.

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Hydrasynth desktop

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Seconding this - if I was going down the desktop poly route I’d be looking at that MSW bad boy (with the Polivoks filter obvs :eyes: )

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Blofeld? £350. Multi-timbral. Module version. Wavetable = great for pads. Some menus but mostly only when using multi-timbrality. Bit old, but still produced and for a reason.

Polyend Synth? Tri-timbral. Interesting pad-based interface. £400. 8 (?) synth engines.

Korg Modwave or Wavestate? Bi- and quatro-timbral respectively. Module versions. Modwave is a wavetable synth = great pads. Wavestate for your purposes would probably be more of a preset machine, unless wave sequencing interests you. I found the UIs pretty horrible, though, and there’s a fair bit of menu-diving despite all the controls.

Roland SH4D? Multi-timbral. Various synth engines. Percussion as well. Around £500. Some interface annoyances and usual Roland menu-diving so perhaps that rules it out.

Roland JD-08? Around £280. Bi-timbral. 80s sound. Avoid if you don’t like Roland hieroglyphics or tiny, fiddley controls.

Bonus: Digitone 1 would meet your budget second hand, and is quatro-timbral, but probably wouldn’t be anyone’s first choice for lush pads.

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Lush pads?

Very much depends on wether it’s analog or digital lush pads. Two totally different things.

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Lush is subjective, true.

For me lush is slow, evolving, warm layers with the ability to add bright textures. Fades, rumbles, brass and string textures with slow envelopes and LFOs, modulating more than just pitch and filter where possible.

More attracted to analogue based sounds (real or VA) as I can program those more easily than more digital sounds. I can use my Digitakt for granular and sample based sounds already.

I have a digital desk with effects so those aren’t essential. Patch memories are. Programmed modulation is more important than real time knob twiddling. Footprint and budget are hard limits. Happy to buy used except where there are known issues (looking at you, Blofeld knobs).

Thanks for everyone’s suggestions so far. They’ve been really helpful.

I know it is outside of your price range.

I went through Pro800, Blofeld, Cobalt8m, SH4d and landed on MultiPoly. This is a dream.

Very versatile excellent VA, Wavetable and WestCost synth. Lot attention to details. Good effects. Many Hands-on and a tons of modulation options (+ Kaoss Pad, MotionSequencer).

Maybe you find a used one or try the VST version for free first.

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Interested in the comparison between SH4D and MultiPoly. Any love for the SH4D on v2.0? Is the Roland simpler to operate?

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Second the recommendations for Blofeld or Hydrasynth. If you want to look at FM then Preen could be worth considering

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I would also recommended this :slight_smile:
It is straightforward enough when you know DT.
Sequences itself.
There are ways to get some really nice evolving sounds. And four timbres/8 voices is a decent combo.
It’s also a nice synth to craft sounds, as a synth designer, and some you can sample within DT to “gel” them.

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I had a Digitone 1 for a while, very cool machine but I bounced off the interface and workflow.

Over the OP’s budget, but I really like the sounds and interface on the Bree6 -

(Starts off with an amazing sounding pad)

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Save your money then get a Prophet 6

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Looks like Kodamo are going to be making more of the Mask1ex -

If it ends up being the same price I think it’s pretty great value.

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Maybe not the best place to discuss details.

But yes the SH4d is very easy to operate as a synth. As groovebox a bit more difficult. In general the SH-4d is as a synth much simpler. And the different oscillators is nice, but the Filter / ENV is fairly simple. It sound very Roland (i have a MC707, which covers the same sound better to me)

The MultiPoly is from an architecture stand point much deeper, and a Swiss Army knife (VA, WAVETABLE, Wavefolding) . Korg invested a lot of get analog details well implemented (Voice Card Design, Simulations of AMPs, FILTERs, ENVs, etc)… Plus the SW integration is hughe (even if i mostly work without PC)

The SH4d USB-C Power, the Desktop Form factor were other concerns why I returned the SH-4d and saved up for the MultiPoly.
Hope the OP can use this info.

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GliGli Overcycler is also nice & vibey
314€

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Liven xfm and lots of money left over.

FM but trad filters for familiarity.

Morph between FM patches to make new mad FM patches without going mad trying to understand mad FM patches.

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Thanks everyone for your input.

I’ve gone for the SH4d. It had a lot of things I enjoy, and after trying one in store I just clicked with it instantly. It may not be the deepest synth, but it is amazing value for money.

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also look at Michigan Synth Works- I like their simple user interface without menu diving.

ambika owner here…I agree.

Nord rack 2 or 3 might be a fun choice too.

j

0=0

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I see you’ve already chosen the Roland SH4D, but other people might be in a similar situation in the future.

I’d recommend the Analog 4 mk1 (great value), Digitone 1 (great value), or a NL2x (although these might be a bit more than the OP’s price range).