Relatively Cheap Synthesizers

[dorfmeister]

Which ones have you tried? Which have you owned? What have you found that looks interesting?

I've got a Smith Evolver and while it has some great qualities I hate the interface. Not very intuitive or user friendly. Great price though. Hybrid



Mopho looks great too and it is even cheaper and I believe totally analog signal path though it has digital control of the analog elements.



Atomosynth - Nice prices, haven't tried. Analog

http://www.atomosynth.com/mochika.html



Meeblip -Digital. Looks cool, very cheap, kit.....but looks like it would be an easy kit of build.

http://meeblip.noisepages.com/



Sound Lab Synth

This guy builds the Music From Outer Space Sound Lab - Analog, No midi, I especially like the semi-modular version that he does.

http://shop.ebay.com/lamaymusic/m.html



You can find other people building the MOSSL and sometimes selling on e-bay.

Shruthi 1 -Hybrid - Cheap, very cool kit. Needs you to be able to solder to build it.

http://mutable-instruments.net/shruti1



Waldorf Blofeld -Digital. Looks cool - a bit too expensive new ($699) but I've seen them go used for about $400. Lots of options.



Gotharman DeMoon - Digital - Just under $600. Don't know if you could find one used.

http://www.analoguehaven.com/gotharmans/demoon/



xoxbox -analog kit nice built in sequencer - synth part is kind of limited - kit but they are built and sold on e-bay...sometimes for less thant $500.

http://shop.ebay.com/i.html?_nkw=xoxbox



I haven't included the Korg Monotron because it seems like more of a toy than an instrument to me. Maybe you like it.

What else have you found that is cool and cheap - Like maybe less than $500? What have you owned?

[Achtane]

I had a Novation Xiosynth25 for a while http://www.novationmusic.com/products/a ... faces/xio/

It was actually pretty cool, though when I got it I had zero experience with synths and ended up selling it to pay for other gear. You can use it as a MIDI controller, so that's cool. They seem to not be very well-known, but there are a couple on eBay right now for around $300.

[TweedBassman]

i love this thread. carry on.

[dorfmeister]

I had a Novation Xiosynth25 for a while http://www.novationmusic.com/products/a ... faces/xio/

It was actually pretty cool, though when I got it I had zero experience with synths and ended up selling it to pay for other gear. You can use it as a MIDI controller, so that's cool. They seem to not be very well-known, but there are a couple on eBay right now for around $300.

I didn't even think about these even though I've got the X-Station 25 which is the precursor to this If I am recalling correctly. I paid $425 5 years ago. My biggest complaint with the synth is that it seems pretty generic and uninspiring compared to something like the Evolver, though it is a perfectly acceptable digital model of an analog synth.

[Dr. Sherman Sticks M.D.]

are u talkin only "relatively" new synths?
theres a lot of cheaper older synths on ebay...

Casio CZ101 comes to mind. (casio's answer to yamaha's dx7). very nice FM synth...lots of tonal editing capabilities, got mine for about $100.
- theres a few other CZ models that are more fully blown out

a few others:
Microkorg, Alesis Micron/Ion, MS2000 (keys or rack), korg radias,

[dorfmeister]

Gotharman anamono - a bit too expensive to really fit here but interesting nonetheless - appears to be a hybrid evolution of the digital DeMoon.

Terrible website does not create confidence, though.

http://www.gotharman.dk/anamono.htm



I wish images were automatically sized by the forum software.

[dorfmeister]

are u talkin only "relatively" new synths?
theres a lot of cheaper older synths on ebay...

Casio CZ101 comes to mind. (casio's answer to yamaha's dx7). very nice FM synth...lots of tonal editing capabilities, got mine for about $100.
- theres a few other CZ models that are more fully blown out

a few others:
Microkorg, Alesis Micron/Ion, MS2000 (keys or rack), korg radias,

I think we should open it up to everything.

The stuff I am most interested in, though, are the newer designs, like the Dave Smith stuff, the Shruti, the DeMoon, etc, that seem to build on the older designs and create something that is new, and really small, and cheap! (note:Gotharman is not cheap enough maybe but I like the smallness and the desire to do something new)

[univalve]

I like these both for bass synth sounds (the later even for leads). both are roland tb-303 clones that i got very cheap on ebay.
control synthesis deep bass nine (track with it as bass)

and the mam mb33


these are really fun to use

[Dr. Sherman Sticks M.D.]

^ oohhh also, novation bass station, a station type stuff! acidlab bassline/bombass (another 303 clone)

electribe's could be considered cheap synths too

[Achtane]

I had a Novation Xiosynth25 for a while http://www.novationmusic.com/products/a ... faces/xio/

It was actually pretty cool, though when I got it I had zero experience with synths and ended up selling it to pay for other gear. You can use it as a MIDI controller, so that's cool. They seem to not be very well-known, but there are a couple on eBay right now for around $300.

I didn't even think about these even though I've got the X-Station 25 which is the precursor to this If I am recalling correctly. I paid $425 5 years ago. My biggest complaint with the synth is that it seems pretty generic and uninspiring compared to something like the Evolver, though it is a perfectly acceptable digital model of an analog synth.

I slightly regret selling mine. if I ever pick one up again it's going to be the bigger model...I found scrolling through menus using that tiny screen and two tiny buttons to be very tedious when all I want to do is change some parameter of a patch.

I also really want an electribe.

[dorfmeister]

I had a Novation Xiosynth25 for a while http://www.novationmusic.com/products/a ... faces/xio/

It was actually pretty cool, though when I got it I had zero experience with synths and ended up selling it to pay for other gear. You can use it as a MIDI controller, so that's cool. They seem to not be very well-known, but there are a couple on eBay right now for around $300.

I didn't even think about these even though I've got the X-Station 25 which is the precursor to this If I am recalling correctly. I paid $425 5 years ago. My biggest complaint with the synth is that it seems pretty generic and uninspiring compared to something like the Evolver, though it is a perfectly acceptable digital model of an analog synth.

I slightly regret selling mine. if I ever pick one up again it's going to be the bigger model...I found scrolling through menus using that tiny screen and two tiny buttons to be very tedious when all I want to do is change some parameter of a patch.

I also really want an electribe.

I had an EMX-1 for a couple of years. I regret selling that, too. I think that since Korg has come out with the new sd card versions of the EMX and ESX the prices for used smart card EMX's should start to get really cheap. I think if I could get one for a bit over $200 shipped I would buy one.

[tuffteef]

that shruthi 1 is epic so cheap and comes in a kit!!
do want

[dorfmeister]

that shruthi 1 is epic so cheap and comes in a kit!!
do want

I like the looks of it but it is beyond my electronics assembling skills.

I wonder if someone (Fuzzhugger maybe?) could assemble kits for a fee and sell them as finished synths for a profit.

[Dr. Sherman Sticks M.D.]

is the struthi like mega customizable? or am i getting things i read mixed up?

[tuffteef]

is the struthi like mega customizable? or am i getting things i read mixed up?

the truth

the guy who builds them sells assembled units aswel