Hot Analog Synth Action

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Tired of broken strings and strumming and - UGH - powerchords, I am finally getting round to buying a synth at some point in the next week. What I would like to know, from anybody who knows this sort of thing is:

a) Is a Korg MS2000 a good investment if I like late 70s/early 80s post-punk type sounds/Eno/synthpop?

b) Is it all like, actually fairly easy to pick up? Or am I in for a summer of frayed nerves and terrible, abortive half-songs shambling out of my Acid 4.0 like some kind of electronic Bride of Frankenstein?

(I know there've been tons of topics about these already but I know NOTHING about any of this and anything faintly technical flies far over my head)

― Ferg Oh Are (Ferg), Wednesday, 7 May 2003 18:49 (twenty-two years ago)

Korg MS2000 seems pretty good to me and seems to be quite well-regarded. You are aware that it it a "virtual" analogue, IE computer modelled, like virtually everything available new, except for moog voyager, alesis andromeda, jomox sunsyn & various modulars (all v expensive and complex also) Big pro of ms2000 is that it has a one-knob-per-function interface and is thus easier to learn to use (if this is an issue for you) Personally, I'm planning to gat a Waldorf "Micro Q", b/c it does a lot more synthi-wise, and plays more notes at once, though it is a bit more Xpensive & complex to operate.

― Pashmina (Pashmina), Wednesday, 7 May 2003 18:55 (twenty-two years ago)

I heard you're buying a synthesiser and an arpeggiator, and throwing your computer out of the window, because you wanna make something real. I heard YOU and YOUR band are selling your guitars and buying turntables...

Sorry.

― Chewshabadoo (Chewshabadoo), Wednesday, 7 May 2003 19:05 (twenty-two years ago)

ms2000 is a good little box, i've used one pretty constantly for the past 2.5 years. you can only play four notes at once, which is fine if you're acting synth-y and less so if you're acting keyboard-y. is it easy to learn? well, it's analog synthesis (in style, yes i know it's digital under the hood). i don't think it's very hard at this point, but it was certainly confusing at the beginning. depends on your aptitude for this kind of junk. at this point i think i only use one of the (128) presets; the rest have been made by myself or a bandmate...

― ben sterling (frozen in time), Wednesday, 7 May 2003 20:55 (twenty-two years ago)

The polyphony can be an issue depending on how you plan to use it. If you are looking to do mainly leads and basses it is a great board. It sound very Juan Atkins to me (that is a hugely good thing.) The down side is that you cannot really do much ringing chord work because the voices will drop out.

If this is something that really matters to you, you might want to look into the Korg Z1, which is virtually the same synth engine, but with expanded polyphony and a better keyboard. You can pick up a Z1 for about a hundred bucks less than a retail MS2000 keyboard.

Another synth you might want to look into is the Novation K-station series. They can be a little pricier than the MS, but they are pretty cool. I would compare them with the old Roland Juno series, but with expanded effects and more synthesis power. I think the Novation boards are better for pads and poly synth noises in general. The downside is that they lack the modulation matrix that MS has, and therefore you cannot make as many weird sound effect noises.

If you are looking for a monosynth with a few extra bells and whistles go for the ms2000. If you want the same kind sound but with a better keyboard and more polyphony, go with the Z1. If you want a cleaner, more pad oriented sound, look into the novations.

― Mike Taylor (mjt), Wednesday, 7 May 2003 23:35 (twenty-two years ago)

If you are looking for a monosynth, I would recommend a Waldorf Pulse. They're discontinued, but still available. Real analog, but digitally-controlled. Really, really rich sounding and the "Plus" version allows you to input external signals. Usually available for < $400.
Otherwise, for polysynths, I cannot recommend the Novation ones enough. The SuperNova II is the most "realistic" emulation I've heard. The filter sounds so dead-on that I can't tell the difference.
I played with the Moog Voyager the other day. It's nice, but is really expensive for what it is. I saw it for $2995 or something. Man...

― wrmdsk, Friday, 9 May 2003 11:59 (twenty-two years ago)

Its sad but I'd be happy with a Poland D5.
Not that I have time, sigh.

― Mr Noodles (Mr Noodles), Friday, 9 May 2003 13:34 (twenty-two years ago)

Its not analog I should add, but I still want one.

― Mr Noodles (Mr Noodles), Friday, 9 May 2003 13:38 (twenty-two years ago)

Yeah, it has great four-pole filters.

― Paul in Santa Cruz (Paul in Santa Cruz), Friday, 9 May 2003 14:32 (twenty-two years ago)

I bought an MS2000 in a slightly impulsive fashion. It's fun.

Ta for the advice.

― Ferg (Ferg), Friday, 9 May 2003 18:47 (twenty-two years ago)

two months pass...

what do you lot think of the Jen Synthtone SX100? i picked one up the other day for £60 and it's my first synth. i kinda like it but people have been telling me they're rubbish. opinions?

― sean g, Sunday, 13 July 2003 15:39 (twenty-two years ago)

four years pass...

amazing

― Shakey Mo Collier, Wednesday, 7 November 2007 22:28 (eighteen years ago)

http://analoguehaven.com/

― Display Name, Thursday, 8 November 2007 00:49 (eighteen years ago)

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