I’m looking for a synth for techno improv. Mono or poly. Sequencer not required. Knob per function a must. Analog preferred but not essential. What do you recommend?
Edit - midi control of parameters also preferred
What’s your budget. Is modular an option? When you say “improvisation”, what do you want to improvise? Chords, melodies, weird noises? Filter sweeps?
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Any one YOU like should be the perfect one.
How should we know whats that is?
I say: Microfreak. It has a wide range of sounds, paraphonic to 4 notes, easy to manage the patches you make - but also nice to quickly dial in something. And HAS a sequencer, arp, whatnot.
It’s cheap too.
Alternately sell your soul, kidney and your granny and dive into eurocrack. It is worth it, if you don’t rely on such things.
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600 euros. Modular not really on my radar atm. Just looking to improvise lead riffs and basslines and pair it with a Pulsar.
What about using the Pulsar’s CV to trigger something like a Subharmonicon (for chordal stuff) or a 0-Coast (for mono/percussive stuff)? I’ve had all three but never got the chance to pair them.
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You sure don’t want a sequencer?
I was going to make a flippant comment above, but it seems more relevant after your budget suggestion:: A4 mkIs are the best value synth there is.
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I have a master sequencer that I’m just getting in to using.
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Can your sequencer do cv/gate too? or midi?
Please tell something.
You will get a lot of suggestions, but thats all very subjective.
Both. Oxi one.
Do you have any style you prefer? subgenre?
Is there a synth you know and hate? So we know na buddy, not this?
Does it need fx on board, or do you go into a mixer or pedals with it?
It’s a Ratespiel.
Moog DFAM.
Moog Minitaur.
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Some fx would be nice. I just want to use the pulsar and the new synth to jam with. Artists I like include surgeon, blawan, Karenn, speedy j, so the genre would be be percussive, raw (whatever that means) underground techno? I don’t like music that sounds over produced. Aggressive, dirty? Not good at the genre thing…
I don’t like menus for improvising. I like to be able to see the synth settings quickly (I like my other synths but they are Elektron and I don’t enjoy them for improvising with).
The Leploop might be of interest then!
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Doepfer Dark Energy II.
Dreadbox Erebus, Typhon, Nyx or Hades.
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PWM Malevolent.
Pittsburgh Modular Taiga.
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I think the MEGAfm is definitely worth considering, can go from very dubby and lo-fi nice melodies/chords to extremely aggressive and harsh sounds very quickly. One of the only FM synths that has full controls for each operator immediately available. This video shows it off in an improvised techno context -
The other videos on that channel will be worth checking out too.
And this one showcases its range really well, there’s various basses and leads in there. Note that this is the Mk.1 version which has slightly different harmonic and noise characteristics compared to the Mk.2 which is currently available -
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Erica synths db-01 bassline synth might fit your needs. Also has its own sequencer but you can also sequence it externally. Has many tweakable knobs and seems to be easy to dial different sounds. It’s main focus is basslines but it seems to be more versatile than your basic 303 clone.
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Minilogue OG/XD
4 voices. Analog. Knob per function (apart from with custom oscillators on XD), lots of FX available (XD again)
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Thinking about something similar than you I picked the Erica Synths Bassline.
This is a solid recommendation. The seq and arp tools are great for knocking up techno patterns. I also bought a Minifreak and have been loving using its touch strip sequencer for the same. Set up an arp pattern with hold active, spice and dice your arp, save to seq and take steps in and out, change end step etc. Great sound design possibilities with all those oscillator models and fx (only on the Minifreak) too!
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