Synth suggestions

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Synth suggestions

By Scrawny Sat Feb 22, 2020 12:53 am
I have an MPC2000 and I'm looking to get a relatively cheap synth to use with it, mostly just for baselines.

I haven't decided whether I want a rack one that I'll have to buy a MIDI keyboard to use with it or the type that has keys already. My price range is around the price of my MPC lol but preferably something cheaper since I don't think I'll be using it to its full capabilities in the first place.

Also, do I need the polyphonic type?
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Re: Synth suggestions

By NearTao Sat Feb 22, 2020 1:10 am
Considerations...

You into a hardware synth only, or cool with something on a tablet, phone, or computer?

You want to keep all sequence data in the MPC2000?

Just looking to sample a synth into the MPC2000?

How much space are you looking to spend?

You just want patches/sounds?

If you went phone/tablet... there are a ton of really awesome Korg apps... Thor is excellent... and for playing midi Navichord and ChordMaps2 are awesome. Heck there are some dope Moog synths, and granular synthesis is always fun.

PC... I'd probably look into Reason... but it is a lot to tackle.

For hardware... well rack gear is cheap enough often these days... a Triton Studio Rack will probably keep you happy for a *long* time with plenty of patches... and if you want to upgrade you can get a synth as well as some extended ROM expansions.

If you want a key bed and some synth duties... the Access Virus is solid, but probably way more synth than you are looking for (and maybe too pricey). The Korg MS-Mini is a solid little synth (though I hated the key bed, it does have one).

If you're looking for something somewhat portable... check out the Organelle(-M) from Critter and Guitari... lots of patches, from straight up synths to off the wall FX and everything in between. Also... it can emulate a pretty broad range of modular synthesis including some pretty dope eurorack gear.

I'm sure others will have some ideas... and if you start on tablet/phone or PC, there are mountains of free synths out there to cut your teeth on.

Re: Synth suggestions

By Fre$hBreath Sat Feb 22, 2020 2:25 am
I'd strongly suggest either the Behringer Model D or Pro-1 which are great for producing deep, heavy, thick, punchy bass parts. The filters on these two synths are dope as f u c k and they are the most versitle for producing bass sounds.

The Behringer Neutron is great too for bass too, because it has the SH-101 filter, but I personally prefer it for creating midrange tones because of it's effects so I rather take advantage of those features.

I don't own the Behringer Crave, but I do know it sounds exactly like my Moog Mother-32 which uses the exact same filters because Behringer is the only manufacture for those particular chips. (Yes, Moog uses Behringer manufactured parts in their synths.).

I also own the Korg MS-20 Mini and the Behringer K-2 and I personally prefer the K-2 because for some dumb f u c king reason, Korg only applied 1 MIDI channel and one MIDI port for the MS-20 Mini which is just stupid and highly annoying, so if you go with the Korg, keep this in mind because will use up an entire midi port and you can't follow it with any other MIDI device which is a complete waste of 15 MIDI channels...

Re: Synth suggestions

By Cockdiesel Sat Feb 22, 2020 2:39 am
If you have a iPhone or iPad, it’s your best route and most versatile.

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail ... -interface
79 bucks

https://www.guitarcenter.com/Arturia/Ke ... ep&index=1
129.00

You’re all set for just over 200 bucks.

Behringer s are another good route but you will need a keyboard. I’m not going down the behringer debate route and my views differ some from fresh breaths but I am still a fan and would recommend them.

If you want the king of bass synths get a moog Taurus or siren. Moog is a solid as it comes for analogs.

If you can try the iPad route first. You have every different flavor and option plus other tools that can help with production. Mono, poly, subtractive, additive, fm, wave scanning, etc.

Re: Synth suggestions

By wilzyk Sat Feb 22, 2020 4:36 am
What’s up ya’ll, my first post around these parts. I picked up a dreadbox Erebus about a year ago to partner with my 2kxl, and it’s been amazing so far. Sounds a bit different to a moog but I’ve been able to get some fantastic sounds out of it, also comes with a sine wave which seems quite rare for analog synths, and which I use loads
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Re: Synth suggestions

By Lampdog Sat Feb 22, 2020 5:35 am
Cockdiesel wrote:If you have a iPhone or iPad, it’s your best route and most versatile.


x100

All you’d need after that is a midi adapter from device to mpc.

Re: Synth suggestions

By Scrawny Sat Feb 22, 2020 12:08 pm
NearTao wrote:Considerations...

You into a hardware synth only, or cool with something on a tablet, phone, or computer?

You want to keep all sequence data in the MPC2000?

Just looking to sample a synth into the MPC2000?

How much space are you looking to spend?

You just want patches/sounds?

If you went phone/tablet... there are a ton of really awesome Korg apps... Thor is excellent... and for playing midi Navichord and ChordMaps2 are awesome. Heck there are some dope Moog synths, and granular synthesis is always fun.

PC... I'd probably look into Reason... but it is a lot to tackle.

For hardware... well rack gear is cheap enough often these days... a Triton Studio Rack will probably keep you happy for a *long* time with plenty of patches... and if you want to upgrade you can get a synth as well as some extended ROM expansions.

If you want a key bed and some synth duties... the Access Virus is solid, but probably way more synth than you are looking for (and maybe too pricey). The Korg MS-Mini is a solid little synth (though I hated the key bed, it does have one).

If you're looking for something somewhat portable... check out the Organelle(-M) from Critter and Guitari... lots of patches, from straight up synths to off the wall FX and everything in between. Also... it can emulate a pretty broad range of modular synthesis including some pretty dope eurorack gear.

I'm sure others will have some ideas... and if you start on tablet/phone or PC, there are mountains of free synths out there to cut your teeth on.



Wow thank you for the comprehensive response.

To answer your questions:
I'm keeping everything strictly hardware.
I do have a phone but I'm not looking to include that in my set-up.
I do want to keep all the sequence data in the MPC.
Space is not an issue.

I will check everything you mentioned out. Thanks a lot.

Re: Synth suggestions

By Scrawny Sat Feb 22, 2020 12:10 pm
Fre$hBreath wrote:I'd strongly suggest either the Behringer Model D or Pro-1 which are great for producing deep, heavy, thick, punchy bass parts. The filters on these two synths are dope as f u c k and they are the most versitle for producing bass sounds.

The Behringer Neutron is great too for bass too, because it has the SH-101 filter, but I personally prefer it for creating midrange tones because of it's effects so I rather take advantage of those features.

I don't own the Behringer Crave, but I do know it sounds exactly like my Moog Mother-32 which uses the exact same filters because Behringer is the only manufacture for those particular chips. (Yes, Moog uses Behringer manufactured parts in their synths.).

I also own the Korg MS-20 Mini and the Behringer K-2 and I personally prefer the K-2 because for some dumb f u c king reason, Korg only applied 1 MIDI channel and one MIDI port for the MS-20 Mini which is just stupid and highly annoying, so if you go with the Korg, keep this in mind because will use up an entire midi port and you can't follow it with any other MIDI device which is a complete waste of 15 MIDI channels...



Thank you! I will check all these out. The first two sound really promising.

Re: Synth suggestions

By Scrawny Sat Feb 22, 2020 12:12 pm
Cockdiesel wrote:If you have a iPhone or iPad, it’s your best route and most versatile.

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail ... -interface
79 bucks

https://www.guitarcenter.com/Arturia/Ke ... ep&index=1
129.00

You’re all set for just over 200 bucks.

Behringer s are another good route but you will need a keyboard. I’m not going down the behringer debate route and my views differ some from fresh breaths but I am still a fan and would recommend them.

If you want the king of bass synths get a moog Taurus or siren. Moog is a solid as it comes for analogs.

If you can try the iPad route first. You have every different flavor and option plus other tools that can help with production. Mono, poly, subtractive, additive, fm, wave scanning, etc.



From what I've seen, Moog's seem to be really pricey and really good quality. Maybe something for the future.
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Your phone/tablet is your greatest resource you don’t know.

By Lampdog Sat Feb 22, 2020 3:52 pm
You have a phone, what kind?

Animoog is the closet app I’ve heard that has the moog sound. 2nd is Model D. Both I use on IOS
Android has damn good apps to. Your phone is a super slept on resource and a touch screen.

You could control the app with mpc or kybd.

For hardware, it depends on what type of kybd you want. Analog, digital workstation, midi only, virtual analog, etc? What are you looking for exactly?

Re: Synth suggestions

By Cockdiesel Sat Feb 22, 2020 4:56 pm
Moog Taurus isn’t much more than a behringer. Agree about the moog apps, I liked the model d app way more than the behringer model d I had.

Personally I’d go moog all day over any behringer. Taurus/siren have patch memory as well.

I may be somewhat biased because next analog I plan on getting is the siren.

Just let us know more details. There’s plenty used stuff you can cheap out there

Re: Synth suggestions

By Scrawny Sun Feb 23, 2020 12:19 am
Cockdiesel wrote:Moog Taurus isn’t much more than a behringer. Agree about the moog apps, I liked the model d app way more than the behringer model d I had.

Personally I’d go moog all day over any behringer. Taurus/siren have patch memory as well.

I may be somewhat biased because next analog I plan on getting is the siren.

Just let us know more details. There’s plenty used stuff you can cheap out there


I think I don't know enough about synths to say what I need in... synth terms, but right now I have my MPC2000, and a regular casio keyboard that's just meant for playing. I've hooked up the phones out of the casio to my mixer and so to do my basslines right now I just sample the e keyboard sounds, filter them and play them back through the MPC that way. So I suppose I'm looking for something to have hooked up to the MPC so I can record the bassline into the sequence that way. Then there's the question of how I'm going to save that... Would I have to adjust the parameters on the synth to what it was every time?

Re: Synth suggestions

By Cockdiesel Sun Feb 23, 2020 1:46 am
Some synths yes. A lot of analogs don’t have patch memory. Honestly a micro korg, akai mini ak, Alesis ion, and a few others seem like they would work good at a cheap price point.

When you save patches you can just load them up like you do with programs.

Most analogs you would have to dial in the sound again but they arnt as hard to program, still might be a pain in the butt.

Check some of them out. You get bread and butter sounds out of them. So you have basses, pads, leads all in one and they are poly phonic and a few multi timbral ( you can program a few patches on top of each from the Mpc by switching midi channels.

You can record them in to your Mpc and chop them up like you’ve been doing or you can track them out along with the Mpc through a mixer or interface with enough inputs.

What are you recording your Mpc into?
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Re: Synth suggestions

By Lampdog Sun Feb 23, 2020 3:27 am
What model casio kybd?
I wanna look it up and see pictures.

Re: Synth suggestions

By Fre$hBreath Sun Feb 23, 2020 5:32 am
Cockdiesel wrote:Moog Taurus isn’t much more than a behringer. Agree about the moog apps, I liked the model d app way more than the behringer model d I had.

Personally I’d go moog all day over any behringer. Taurus/siren have patch memory as well.

I may be somewhat biased because next analog I plan on getting is the siren.

Just let us know more details. There’s plenty used stuff you can cheap out there


I can't in good conscious not say anything. In my personal and very strong opinion, Moog Taurus is kinda overrated and Siren is meh, like seriously, it's a waste of money.

I'm not saying they're wack, because they are not.

They are, however, overpriced and I can't value them over something else that costs less and performs great.

The hardcore truth is you're just paying for the Moog name of synths which are ironically built with Behringer parts.

I very recently traded my Moog Siren which I had for a few weeks for an API Lunchbox and 2 CAPI pres with my friend who I warned several times before we made our trade, is basically a sucker's deal. His response was he'll just trade it for something else if it doesn't work out for him. I hope we're still friends when he realizes how meh it is.

Moog is a brand we've grown up knowing, but they are not all to be all of the analog synths. The only reason they cost more is because they are an employees owned company that assembles their products by hand.

But the Behringer synths are built very well and most importantly they sound great and they have very reasonable prices. For me, you're getting more bang for the buck.

I'm hoping to trade my Korg MS-20 Mini for my friend's Behringer MS-1 soon because my K-2 is dope, but he's not ready to let go of his MS-1, but I have my fingers crossed...

*Also if you don't mind having a bit of a metallic sound in your bass, consider the Arturia MiniBrute 2S which is a pretty versatile synth but as I said, a bit metal sounding...*
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