Minimal Wave Records

looking for something new that can get good old sounds?

moog little fatty

Dave Smith Instruments evolver

all the midi biz you might want, solid build, pretty great sounding.

these are a bit pricey (over $1k US) but worth the investment if you’re serious.

If you want newer but not brand new and also relatively inexpensive just to learn skills and technique then Ebay can be a good source for inexpensive keyboards.

Chief amongst these is the Yamaha DX7 which I think had the highest sales of any keyboard at the time (note I use the word keyboard and not synth). bThere is a very large and active community of DX7 users and consequentl;y a lot of info on spares and repairs.

The Korg M1 wasn’t bad either but probably the Novation Supernova would be the most versitile however it is still sort after and slightly more expensive.

I would suggest that what ever you choose,ensure it has midi caperbility. This will allow the keyboard to be independantly driven from a sequencer and/or to use it to drive other midi instruments. in the future.

This link, displite is name also lists newer machines as well as vintage

http://www.vintagesynth.com/

and might be helpful. The archives of magazine online like SOund On Sound can also have reviews of particular models. It is also worth trracking down the website of the major manufacturers where you might find detailed information in their archives as well.

Hope this is useful

M

hello,
I will not create a new thread, because I have a similar question. I would like to buy my first synth. I am also looking for a cheap drum machine. What you recommend?

thanks!

I recently got the much-hyped Arturia Minibrute - terrific small analog synth that would be fun for a starter. If you don’t have the money for classics like the Roland SH-101 or Korg MS-10, this might be a good alternative. The pre-orders are quite backed up now though, so availability will be limited for most of the year.

If I was starting out today and needed a budget setup, I’d probably just buy a used MIDI keyboard and a few of the many affordable monophonic modules out there now: Meeblip, DSI Mopho / Evolver, Moog Slim Phatty or Minitaur, Vermona Mono Lancet, Doepfer Dark Energy, Oberheim SEM reissue, Analog Solutions Semblance, MFB Zwerg series, etc.

For polyphonic sounds: Roland JX-3P/8P or Alpha Juno, Korg Poly 800/61 or DW-6000/8000, or maybe one of the Casio CZ’s. There’s also some great and cheap “toy” Yamaha’s that do nice lo-fi digital FM sounds (PSS-470/480/570, etc.)

As for a drum machine, I’d just get a cheap sampler like a used Korg Electribe ES or Akai MPC 500/1000, and fill them with self-made sounds or WAV samples of vintage gear available online.

Also, effects: Electro-Harmonix are quite good (Electric Mistress, Memory Toy/Boy/Man, Holy Grail, Small Stone, etc) and even some Behringer pedals are impressive for the price if you’re desperate.