Who rocking a vintage synth in their setup?

jnorth wrote:Too many 'Comic Book Guy' types who collect synths these days

Hoarding sh*t with hopes to cash out one day.....

Roland SH09 (£75), Roland RS09 (£100), Korg MS20 (£250), Yamaha DX9 (free), Casio FZ1 (£50), x0xb0x (£360). I bought these synths between 1998 - 2006. I just can't get on with soft synths work-wise, sync-wise, tweak-wise and sound-wise compared to hardware, hence the reason I still use hardware synths in all my tracks and just use my computer as a glorified tape deck. Also, I put all my hardware through a 24 channel mixing desk for a ton of hands-on instant mixing tweakability (channel eq, insert fx, aux send fx, group bus inserts, multiple routing options)... which I like. I even like all the noise and hum... but that's personal

You can also get some great synth sounds coming from the Akai S950. With a little bit of programming the VCF and VCA, along with looping and layering up sounds and playing with de-tuning..... awesome machine.

i'd consider the Casio FZ1 a sampler before a synth, but it does have some great filters on it.

jimmie wrote:Roland SH09 (£75), Roland RS09 (£100), Korg MS20 (£250), Yamaha DX9 (free), Casio FZ1 (£50), x0xb0x (£360). I bought these synths between 1998 - 2006. I just can't get on with soft synths work-wise, sync-wise, tweak-wise and sound-wise compared to hardware, hence the reason I still use hardware synths in all my tracks and just use my computer as a glorified tape deck. Also, I put all my hardware through a 24 channel mixing desk for a ton of hands-on instant mixing tweakability (channel eq, insert fx, aux send fx, group bus inserts, multiple routing options)... which I like. I even like all the noise and hum... but that's personal

You can also get some great synth sounds coming from the Akai S950. With a little bit of programming the VCF and VCA, along with looping and layering up sounds and playing with de-tuning..... awesome machine.

Same as me man. When I started you could pick up hardware for peanuts, computers were still expensive and still in the pretty shi**y stage, VST's were just gaining popularity and a lot of people were selling off their hardware cheap to go the VST route.

I tried VST's for a while mixed with a small selection of hardware when I did eventually get a good computer and to be honest got mixed results, in the end I went back to my original chaotic ways where I still am now.
Dying noisy as hell 32ch Mackie desk and a mixed bag of hardware synths/fx etc, I can't get on with soft synths or get my head around with staring at a screen all day.

You can still get good deals.. You just have to be patient. Now days ebay has totally made almost everything over priced..£800 for a Juno 60? Dream on

Also nice tracks mate! Like them

Roland SH09 (£75), Roland RS09 (£100), Korg MS20 (£250), Yamaha DX9 (free)

good ol` days

yea man i cant deal with soft synths anymore. Computers get in the way of the creative process for me cuz there are way too many options.

Limitations breed creativity. A nice hardware synth, the mpc and a shit ton of records is all i need.

jnorth wrote:I'd love to own one, but vintage Synths are too expensive in the long term (and also short term these days with the Casio SKs even going for stupid prices). Repair costs and also issues with even finding someone to repair that **** and even if you do there's a long wait as they'll be a queue.

The only chances of getting a cheap vintage synth these days is if you either find one in a pawn shop or buy off a musician who has hit hard times who is desperate for cash.

Too many 'Comic Book Guy' types who collect synths these days

Owning a vintage synth is like owning aclassic car.

Either you have the aptitude, tools and desire to learn how to maintain and repair it or you have to find/pay someone to do it for you.

Invite your local tech to your shows.

I know nothing about repairing cars, but I know a guy that will cut me a break and charges me fairly for repairs. I've always made sure whenever I am playing in his town that he is invited and gets in for free. When he shows up, I make sure he has a good time.

A little generosity goes a long way.

You would be surprised at how many of those "Comic Book Guy" types that are on guestlists and are backstage at shows. They are a lot more interesting to talk to than those morons that are there just to party and eat everything off the deli platter.

MPCHunter wrote:
Owning a vintage synth is like owning aclassic car.

Either you have the aptitude, tools and desire to learn how to maintain and repair it or you have to find/pay someone to do it for you.

Invite your local tech to your shows.

I know nothing about repairing cars, but I know a guy that will cut me a break and charges me fairly for repairs. I've always made sure whenever I am playing in his town that he is invited and gets in for free. When he shows up, I make sure he has a good time.

A little generosity goes a long way.

You would be surprised at how many of those "Comic Book Guy" types that are on guestlists and are backstage at shows. They are a lot more interesting to talk to than those morons that are there just to party and eat everything off the deli platter.

I think you've got it all wrong and missed my point. Geeks and collectors aren't the same thing. It's just that a lot of geeks just happen to be collectors also. When I say 'Comic-Book-Guy' synth collectors I mean the dudes who hoard shit with hopes to cash out. Sort of dudes who have more **** synths than they need and brag about it on the net and don't have a life.
My point is that hardware synths these days cost more than they're actually worth. Collectors and general dudes with more money than sense are jacking up the prices. People who just want to say they own a piece of history. I mean most of the shit on EBay is overpriced ass shit. SYNTHS WERE MEANT TO BE PLAYED DAMNIT! I don't get the people who have synths hanging in random places like ornaments.


Also what's wrong with going to a show just to party? I'm personally sick and tired of going to hip-hop shows full of beard strokers and dudes who are just there to get photos.

jnorth wrote:

MPCHunter wrote:
Owning a vintage synth is like owning aclassic car.

Either you have the aptitude, tools and desire to learn how to maintain and repair it or you have to find/pay someone to do it for you.

Invite your local tech to your shows.

I know nothing about repairing cars, but I know a guy that will cut me a break and charges me fairly for repairs. I've always made sure whenever I am playing in his town that he is invited and gets in for free. When he shows up, I make sure he has a good time.

A little generosity goes a long way.

You would be surprised at how many of those "Comic Book Guy" types that are on guestlists and are backstage at shows. They are a lot more interesting to talk to than those morons that are there just to party and eat everything off the deli platter.

I think you've got it all wrong and missed my point. Geeks and collectors aren't the same thing. It's just that a lot of geeks just happen to be collectors also. When I say 'Comic-Book-Guy' synth collectors I mean the dudes who hoard **** with hopes to cash out. Sort of dudes who have more **** synths than they need and brag about it on the net and don't have a life.
My point is that hardware synths these days cost more than they're actually worth. Collectors and general dudes with more money than sense are jacking up the prices. People who just want to say they own a piece of history. I mean most of the **** on EBay is overpriced ass ****. SYNTHS WERE MEANT TO BE PLAYED DAMNIT! I don't get the people who have synths hanging in random places like ornaments.


Also what's wrong with going to a show just to party? I'm personally sick and tired of going to hip-hop shows full of beard strokers and dudes who are just there to get photos.

Spot on mate! Go to the Vintage Synth Explorer forums and you'll see all those creatures com out of the wood work lol

Also a lot of them type of people I find to be really pretentious sh*t mongs with too much money and no real passion for music or talent

korg ms10 (free),
roland jx3p (free),
roland jx8p ($30 -- bought a year ago),
yamaha tx81z ($50)
yamaha dx100 (free)
piai fatman (home build from kit)
oakley tm303 (home build from PCB)

i like the combination of samples, analogue and digital fm.
i'm pretty happy with that lot and don't see myself getting any more synths.
over the years, and there have been many, as mates have lost interest in music production, they passed their gear over to me. guess i'll do the same if my interest wanes.

@jimmie -- nice track. reminds me of the Railway Raver

+1 on the mostly hardware/computer as tape machine approach. I try to buy stuff when its not cool. Its worked out quite well over the years.

Kurzweil K2000
E-MU Planett Phatt....best keys on the planet for me

terry towelling wrote:korg ms10 (free),
roland jx3p (free),
roland jx8p ($30 -- bought a year ago),
yamaha tx81z ($50)
yamaha dx100 (free)
...

What, you got MS10 and JX3P for free? You are lucky!