"Help Dave find a synth for his '80s band, with....1) awesome sounds both new & vintage, including good organs and pianos
2) budget-minded, bare-bones... like an M3 with no unnecessary features
3) good live gigging interface, ease of patch change and assignable banks, etc.
4) joystick style bender preferred
5) it'd be for live use, it'd be cool if it had architecture set up to make changing sounds quick and easy."
He recently picked up the White VSynth here, but the sound character wasn't what he was looking for. If you have any recommendations, feel free to post in the comments or contact him directly via his site.
1) absolute bare-bones: Roland Juno-D
ReplyDelete2) more features, 128 voices, sound expansion slot: Roland Juno-G
Unfortunately, both use a 9V adapter, so the back-panel power connection might not be secure in a gig compared to an AC cable.
The sound-bank buttons choose categories (piano/organ/orch ...) rather than, er, just the next bank of gunk. I don't know if/how they implement sound-chaining for performance.
The Juno-G has a slot for one SRX expansion card, so you can add to or improve the sounds/samples if you don't like the standard stuff.The SRX-03 card has more gigging pop sounds. I've heard a Juno-D sound pretty good by itself.
The VSynth is a programming monster, but it isn't a general-purpose sample-playback keyboard.
How about the new Roland Fantom G?
ReplyDeleteI humbly suggest the Jupiter-8.
ReplyDeleteI'm really leaning towards a new M3, but it'll have to wait a few months. I just got an "unexpected" (i.e. totally forgotten) 1099-MISC in the mail today; the sale of the V-Synth should just about cover what I'll owe the gub'mint this time around.
ReplyDeleteYeah, hate to say it, but I've gotta back up Peter on this one - the Roland handles the general run of things pretty well, and the sounds aren't bad for the price. The guy who plays keys in my band swears by his.
ReplyDeleteThe Kurzweil PC161 *sounds* nice (I have played on it - pianos, organs and Rhodes are all above average), but check online for some user comments on it first (for reliability). Price-wise, I think it's closer to the Juno-G. No joystick, but it does have a jog/shuttle/alpha dial, and it's designed to be a stage-oriented keyboard.
I've got to stop this addiction to frequent and verbose posting. Anyway ...
ReplyDeleteYes, the Rolands have the joystick, too, not just the Korgs.
I've got a Fantom X - predecessor to the G. I love it, but I think that the patch navigation with the dial wheel and the sexy color screen isn't fast enough for live. The Junos aren't as cool, but they should get the job done.
I've been trying to find sound samples online for either the Juno D or the G. I have a Juno-106 so this would make a good companion board.
ReplyDeleteI'm also wondering... if I wasn't nuts about the sonic palette of the V-Synth, what are the odds I'll appreciate these Junos?
I would say Korg M1...pianos, organs are pretty good and there's TONS of patches out there and it's got a great joystick! It just doesn't have the most elaborate user interface however....The M1 screams 80's, so if that's the sound you are after, why not get the original????!!!!!
ReplyDeleteI did like my M1 15 years ago... with I still had it. It actually sounds better than the 01/W I presently have, although for both of these the pianos and organs are "meh.". Also, I'd like to gig with something relatively new, not lug around anything vintage.
ReplyDeleteI do like the left-right benders on these Korgs and Junos. I was never able to get the same level of expression out of the standard wheels.
By the way, thanks for all the input! Keep it coming... I've bookmarked this page...
ReplyDeletewait... did you just call the M1 'vintage' ?
ReplyDeleteThat means... *I* am 'vintage'
*weeps openly*
Hard to believe that the M1 has been around for almost twenty years, eh?
ReplyDelete(re-checking vintagesynth)... holy crap, the M1 came out in 1988. It turns 20 this year!
ReplyDeleteDave,
ReplyDeleteThe Juno-G is essentially a Fantom engine in a cheaper box. So, if you can find samples of the Fantom or the SRX cards, you'll have same idea.
As for the Juno-D, I have no idea.
I've tried out the M3 and loved it, except for one important thing - the controls were so light that I couldn't feel them.
Here are some other suggestions -
1) The Roland RD-300** and RD-700** pianos. The 700s accept two SRX sound/sample expansion cards.
2) Clavia's (Nord) stage keyboards (I haven't tried them).
BTW, I love the cartoon. It speaks volumes.
The M1 is vintage? I attended a Moog clinic about their modulars. I am very vintage. (he he...)
ReplyDeleteOne more time...
ReplyDelete1) The standard piano sample in the Juno-G isn't from the Fantom, and isn't great. Ugh. You can always add an expansion card.
2) There is a database of sampled- piano demos at
http://www.purgatory-creek.com
including some Korg and lots of Roland, including the Juno-G and my other Roland suggestions. Unfortunately, they are all in MP3 format.
That's all I can find. Phew.
korg wavestation
ReplyDeleteHow about the Novation X-Station? Comes in small, medium or large and has a joystick. Plus, the keyboard feels great. Not spongy, not springy, not too light. Not too expensive, either.
ReplyDeleteNot too sure about its piano patches, though, although on their site they have a General MIDI patch bank, so you ought to be covered.
http://www.novationmusic.com/products/hardware_synths/xstation/
X-Station I'd suggest too... Where's Dave been, what did he wind up getting and or doing? I love his toons.
ReplyDelete