Relatively Cheap Synthesizers

[01010111]

I'm thinking about getting one of these and one of these mini synths for guitar based awesomeness

Edit:
I thought the pic would be bigger. It's a sonus guitar to midi converter, they make bass voiced ones as well.

Yeah.....I bought mine for $97 shipped from Amazon.....pair this with a Meeblip and you've got a guitar synth system for less than $250!

That's exactly what I was thinking! And I was going to save up for a blues jr, foolish me weird new sounds take precedent over medium wattage amps

[dorfmeister]

8 step analog sequencer

http://www.synthrotek.com/2010/12/06/ma ... h-control/

[Chumley]

I have a Xio. It is awful. Please, don't buy a Xio.

[kaeth]

My favourite synth of all time: Yamaha TX-802. It's like having 8 duophonic DX7s in a 2u rack! I paid about $200 + shipping for it, and it gets a lot more use than my Dave Smith MEK.

Also in my collection of budget synths:

Yamaha TX-81Z: 4-operator FM synth. Great dirty bass sounds for dirt cheap. Also makes perfect retro arcade and Sega Genesis sounds (Mortal Kombat!).

Ensoniq ESQ-M: The interface is horrid (the ESQ-1 is a lot easier), but the sound is fantastic. It's bi-timbral with 3 digital oscillators and an analog filter. Layer 2 patches, and that's 6 oscillators! I sold my Micron because this was cheaper and kicked the shit out of it sound-wise.

Akai AX-60: It's like a Juno, but sounds a lot meaner and wilder. All analog, lot's of modulation routings. For a single osc/voice synth, you can get some pretty complex sounds.

Shruthi-1: Bought it with the SMR-4 filter, but upgraded to the SSM2044 to get closer to the original PPG sound. It lives up to the hype. It's just too bad it's monophonic. I know you can poly-chain them, but multiple units really drives up the cost.

SammichSID: Used to use an actual C64 with MSSIAH cartridge, but I hated having to plug in the monitor. This is a lot more compact, and even though it's a pretty basic analog synth-on-a-chip, nothing sounds quite like the SID.

[dorfmeister]

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

I've noticed that but they are never in stock when I look.

[Bassus Sanguinis]

Moody Sounds Baby Box.

babybox.jpg (20.52 KiB) Viewed 2414 times

http://moodysounds.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=3
http://www.analoguehaven.com/moodysounds/babyboxnoisegenerator/manual.pdf
Basically a drone device. Can be triggered by a guitar, too. Moody Sounds home page lists it for 416 USD, ATM Analoguehaven seems to sell the same for 300 USD (don't know if it's VAT or cheaper old patch units). Has been on my acquisition list forever.

Voice Of Saturn.

voice_of_saturn.jpg (30.3 KiB) Viewed 2414 times

http://store.curiousinventor.com/voice-of-saturn-modular/voice-of-saturn-synth.html
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Voice-Saturn-Voltage-Controlled-Filter-CEM3372-/150652978359?pt=Keyboards_MIDI&hash=item23139e04b7?#ht_500wt_949
it's a kit, last units on ebay. Very loosely based on the Atari punk console. VC controlled filter.

[rfurtkamp]

I'm thinking about getting one of these and one of these mini synths for guitar based awesomeness

Edit:
I thought the pic would be bigger. It's a sonus guitar to midi converter, they make bass voiced ones as well.

Problem is they're monophonic; OK I suppose for some applications but given the extreme cheapness of grabbing a GR-09, GR-30, or GR-33 from eBay (100-175 depending on how well you shop) and a used GK-2 pickup for $50ish, I couldn't justify buying a $100 mono-only unit that required external modules or softsynths.

Ok, when it was all said and done, I blew far more than that and just got a GR-55, but the principle is the same - you can get an older Roland unit (without going to the stone age ones that track for crap) for cheap that will be a hell of a noisemaker.

I mean, who among you wouldn't want to have genuine,

[Dandolin]

I ♥ this thread.

[dorfmeister]

Pictures look like a computer mock-up. No price.

Still it looks cool.

http://www.modemachines.com/en/products/?id=10



They've also got an upcoming step sequencer that looks cool, too.

http://www.modemachines.com/en/products/?id=12