What’s your most FUN synthesizer?

The Lounge General Discussion
#1

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about what keeps me away from my gear sometimes or what keeps me away from certain pieces of gear and for me it’s immediacy and options that draws me in and menus and too many shortcuts that sometimes keep me away. so I would have to say my Eurorack and Hydrasynth would be my two “most fun” pieces of gear I have at the moment.
Of course sound and lots of options are the most important but often good sound and tons of options doesn’t mean fun to use.
At the moment my SP404mk2 and Access virus TI polar are my least favorite to use.
The virus of course sounds incredible and has a ton of features but it’s just not fun to program due to the menus and how modulation is assigned. I love it and it’s not going anywhere but it’s more workhorse that a fun instrument.
The SP404mk2 does a lot for something so inexpensive I have a love/hate relationship I love how I can put my entire sample library on it and I can just start making beats and rhythms with all kinds of effects. I hate how backwards and weird the workflow is, very different from the classic MPC or Maschine sort of typical workflow very different even than the super flexible and straightforward Elektron work flow. BUT I do like how it forces me to print via limitations and needing to resample I also love the size/form factor and it’s battery powered. A lot of fun can be had with it but it’s also a chore.

I find myself drawn towards the hydrasynth for the fun and immediacy but the virus absolutely sounds better…I think a lot of manufacturers sometimes loose sight of that fun factor.

So I wanted to ask everyone here:

What are your ‘most fun’ synths or pieces of gear and why?

Bonus question:

What are your ‘best sounding’ pieces of gear?

6 Likes
#2

Most fun synth: probably Minifreak or Blast Beats
Most fun piece of gear(that I own): Digitakt
That I don’t: MDUW

Best sounding piece of gear: Digitakt, Hydra, or Morphagene

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#3

Most fun synth: DFAM, you just get lost in jams with it.

Most fun synth that is actually used in my music and not just in mindless jams: Medusa. It’s deep yet super intuitive, and the sound is otherworldly.

Most fun in terms of sequencing: OP-Z, you can blast tracks in no time, and enjoy every second of that.

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#4

Lyra 8 - Because it’s so weird and unpredictable and you never know whats going to happen. It can also sound really nice. Also, it’s very tactile.

Octatrack - Easily my favorite piece. I love how it sounds through Analog Heat. It’s so flexible and weird and it usually takes me to unexpected places.

Best sounding piece is anything through AHFX.

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#5

I get so ridiculously lost in my Make Noise “music easel”, the 0-coast, 0-ctrl and Strega. I spend all day at work looking up from my computer forlornly at the outside world, but when i sit with the music easel my head never turns. There are so many times I’m playing and just burst out laughing because something so exciting happens. I’m super happy I took a chance on modular, because I was really skeptical and kinda thought it would be a waste of time, and it totally hasn’t been.

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#6

THe synth i have the most fun with lately is probably my Nyx. Its weird, its daaaaark. it melts my face off, leaving me exposed to its howling resonance as i burn up on atmosphere reentry. its got
wires and shit!
i turn the knobs and they feel super fun to twist
i hear the sounds
i turn my subwoofer up and shake the house apart
I am Geezer Butler peering through venetian blinds naked except im sound.
sounds fun to me

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#7

If you people keep calling it the Make Noise Music Easel…you’re going to end up making me buy the set :rage:

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#8

My Juno X. Turn it on, nudge some sliders, pretend I’m rocking my dream Juno in 84. Immediate fun and I find it a joy to play and to look at. Best sounding? Iridium. It’s otherworldly.

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#9

Syntakt. I use it mainly as a little box full of mono synths that can also do great analog drums (especially the kick).

I can’t think of any synth I’ve owned that’s felt more immediate. Love it.

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#10

Most Fun & Best Sound: Both Syntakt and Hydrasynth

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#11

Without a doubt, the Syntakt.

It’s the most fun because:

  • It offers such a quick and hands-on workflow of picking a “machine” and twisting a set of knobs to dial in the sound you want - no need for menu-diving.
  • It’s multitimbral to the extreme - 12 monophonic tracks!
  • It’s both digital and analog. The Analog FX Block drive is amazing (if a little too gentle).
  • It’s small and portable, yet still very tactile and nice to use.
  • It has an excellent sequencer and workflow that means it’s actually far more than just a synthesizer - it’s a proper groovebox too.
  • It has amazing features like ctrl+all that can transform your music and generate countless of happy accidents.

I’ve never had more fun than with the Syntakt.

7 Likes
#12

most fun because of immediacy:
analog rytm mk2 - it is just soooo playable.
201 pocket piano - internal speaker, fun open source synth / sampling modes avaiilable, optimal to quickly play around on the couch.
korg monologue - great sound, great sequencer, great keyboard, no menu diving, microtonal scales, just great for quick acid, battery powered if you want.

1 Like
#13

I do, and it is the funnest. And slidiest.

Serious question regarding dt2 and other recent devices. Why no rusty slides?

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#14

I’d say Digitone.

It surprises me every time I switch it on. And I wasn’t even a big fan of FM before I got it. Looking back, my A4 isn’t that much fun but I like it anyway :wink:

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#15

PO-32 Tonic = Fun

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#16

Noise Engineering - Electus Versio with ALM Pam’s Pro Workout (Eurorack modules.)

Electus Versio is a reverb delay unit with a lot of modulation inputs. Pam can provide of tempo pulses and synced modulation. By setting some channels to various time signatures, 4/4, 7/8, etc… and and mixing in various modulation, play a synth sequence at a different time signature than the echo, modulate the filter at a different time signature, etc… you can get some wild delay and reverb effects.

1 Like
#17

Novation Circuit Rhythm, really, really fun sampler.

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#18

That’s weird, I completely disagree regarding the Medusa, but fully agree regarding the op-z :sweat_smile:

#19

Sequential OB-6 (keyboard)

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#20

Norand Mono

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