I’ll throw in another vote for the Vermona '14 as my favorite.
At a lower price point, I agree the Moog Grandmother is also awesome, and a perfect companion to a modular setup.
One thing that I think is worth considering is that even for “WYSIWYG” synths, it’s often the non-linear interactions between parameters that make us love 'em. So even if you know exactly what knobs A and B do, the “surprises” you get when you change even of them just a little is often the most satisfying aspect of sound design.
Intellijel Atlantis
yea you need a sequencer and i guess an output module but oh baby i have so much stuff and this thing still just sounds so right to me
I used to own one too! Biggest monosynth I’ve ever encountered, with legs and all. Very neat package. It was a pleasure to use, even though the sound was a bit on the polite side, and the layout was a bit confusing at times.
Following this in the hopes I discover my elusive dream very small sized fat boy monosynth to cover all bass duties in the future.
So far though my favourite has been the 0 Coast just because of how flexible it is and how heavy it can sound. Always regretted selling it but I just didn’t understand modular at all back then. There are also some synth voice modules (have filter and vca built in) but I don’t think they would count would they?
Over the years (decades actually), I’ve had SH101, Novation Bassstation, Walford Pulse 1, Pro One, MS20 and Oscar, all of which were bought in the 1990s. Probably others I’ve forgotten. Out of those, I have a soft spot for the SH101 more than any of the others.
Nothing has tamed my long-term desire to have a Minimoog though.
A lot of synths I’ve always wanted to play have been mentioned here (Vermona 14 among others). The king of monos in my setup has always been the ARP Odyssey - just love its range, expressiveness and vibe. Learning it has been quite the journey in itself, but very rewarding as I use it live for techno. (A testament to its versatility because I was in a strictly Headhunters mindset when I got it). I appreciate WYSYWIG synths more and more as I ripen with age.
Just occurred to me the ARP has no buttons on it. Platonic ideal?
…in old but dead simple magic…moog prodigy…my very fisrt analog synth back in the days…
in old but overwhelming classic and nasty…korg ms 20…one of my first sonic collegues had three of those…
in recently but most solid lowest octave deliverance…the very best one trick pony ever made…moog minitaur…still regret i sold it…
in lately and timesless but mindboggeling forever…make noise O coast…never bought one since i was always afraid, i’d never be able to fully wrap my mind around it…same goes for somas pulsar…but well, that’s 4 voices in one anyways…
so technically not a mono synth…
meanwhile, all this is pointless, end of all days, since there’s only one truu valid answer to this question…when it comes to truu analog magic, it’s another box that offers 4 mono synth at once…elektron a4…period.
This was going to be my vote - of all the synths I’ve tried this is the one that really shines - both as a physical synth and the juicy-ass sounds it makes.
Second shout would be the Dreadbox Erebus V3 - I’ve had the re-issue but preferred the V3, both the interface and the extra OSC, blendable filter and ‘sort of ring mod’.
Not really WYSIWYG with the envelopes and FX accessible via menus. Great synth, mind, and I’ve really been getting back into using it again.
I enjoy both the V2 and the Nyx V1 very much as well, plus the MFB Kraftzwerg 2 and Lifeforms SV-1, all of whom sit together in the semi-modular corner sequenced in a very WYSIWYG manner by an Urzwerg Pro - not one menu, shift button or hidden function among them all.
That’s a good point, though I usually set and forget them. I don’t know why there isn’t front panel control for round robin mode with the paraphonic mode, or at least why that isn’t the default, but once set you can forget about it.
I’m not terribly bothered by a few menus though, and in my book a synth like the Prologue is still pretty much WYSIWYG (mutli-engine user oscillators aside).
There’s an obvious tension between true knob per function, features, usability, and cost. Too many knobs is expensive and potentially hard to use, and true knob per function may mean basic features are missing.
And some, like the Cascadia, pack in some extra features that can be a bit of a pain to access. And, of course, it’s hard to “see” what you’ve got when it is fully patched!
