One Man's Quest for the Perfect Mono Synth

[Paul Dither]

Oh, you're saying that just to torment me, Paul, aren't you?  Well, I'll start saving up for the Model D re-issue right...now!

Nah, the underlying message was rather that you probably get where you want to be if you look somewhere else. Or would you really pay 5 grand for a Model D?

[Bryan_D]

Plus, from Analog Solutions' own advertising, the instrument's oscillators seem to be rather unstable and the keyboard-oscillator tracking rather poor.  Correct me if I'm wrong in any of this, because I'd be happy to reconsider my judgments. 

As for the Nyborg-12 tracking pitch from the Pro 2 CV, I haven't noticed anything unusual.

Sacred Sythesis,

Just wanted to update this remark. I've spent some more time with the Nyborg and have confirmed your suspicion that its tracking (at least from the Pro 2's CV outs) is a little loose, especially in the upper register. There appear to be trimmers on the front panel, presumably for tuning and scaling, but that process could be frustrating (I've not tried it). I like the slight instability, but it sounds like it wouldn't meet your requirements. However, I may try tracking it from MIDI to see if the performance is any different. If so, I'll update again.

I can say that the MIDI SEM I owned tracked flawlessly even into the upper, upper register. I was always impressed by that.

[Sacred Synthesis]

Or would you really pay 5 grand for a Model D?

No, I wouldn't spend $5,000 on any single synthesizer, never mind a monophonic one.

[Sacred Synthesis]

Sacred Sythesis,

Just wanted to update this remark. I've spent some more time with the Nyborg and have confirmed your suspicion that its tracking (at least from the Pro 2's CV outs) is a little loose, especially in the upper register. There appear to be trimmers on the front panel, presumably for tuning and scaling, but that process could be frustrating (I've not tried it). I like the slight instability, but it sounds like it wouldn't meet your requirements. However, I may try tracking it from MIDI to see if the performance is any different. If so, I'll update again.

I can say that the MIDI SEM I owned tracked flawlessly even into the upper, upper register. I was always impressed by that.

Thanks for that very useful information, Bryan.  From my own research, I suspect the Leipzig's tracking and oscillator stability are even worse.  I realize many like this quality, but I'm trying to avoid it.

[chysn]

I keep going back to Pro-2 demos hoping that I'll suddenly love it. And then to Prophet 6 demos hoping that I'll suddenly stop loving it. The Pro-2 has the CV but its sound doesn't move me. The Prophet 6 sounds... sublime... but it would strand me on a CV-less island. Right now, the Little Phatty is the best option because I love the sound, and it gives me a couple ADSR envelopes for the Mother-32.

DSI should consider that the Mother-32 has (probably single-handedly) changed the analog market. You can't buy uZeus power modules; you can't buy the Moog 60hp case. So many people are using the Mother-32 as a starting point for modular synthesis that the rest of the eurorack world can't keep up.

So the Prophet-1 product makes more sense than ever. A top-notch 44-key VCO mono, with Prophet 6 filters, CV ins and outs. I'm personally fine with a single LFO, because if there's CV in, I'm flush with LFOs. This seemed like the best thread in which to beseech for this instrument.

[Sacred Synthesis]

Unless here:

http://forum.davesmithinstruments.com/index.php/topic,284.0.html

[chysn]

Unless here:

Thing is, I'm not really interested in the low-end market. At this point I'm reconciled with DSI's high-end positioning, and I want the VCOs, the wood cabinetry, the whole shootin' match. I would expect something like this to be in about the same price ballpark as the Pro-2.

I suspect that I'm looking for pretty much the same thing out of DSI that you are.

[Sacred Synthesis]

Yes, we're pretty close.  Why don't you consider a Prophet-6 Module?  It's approximately in your price range, and you might like having "too much" synthesizer on hand. 

[chysn]

Yes, we're pretty close.  Why don't you consider a Prophet-6 Module?  It's approximately in your price range, and you might like having "too much" synthesizer on hand.

I don't have a controller worthy of a Prophet 6 module. Maybe that's what you meant by "too much synthesizer," but I can't imagine being happy with the Little Phatty's keyboard in that scenario.

[Sacred Synthesis]

Well, there's an easy solution to the lack of a keyboard on the Prophet-6 Module.

[Paul Dither]

 

[chysn]

Well, there's an easy solution to the lack of a keyboard on the Prophet-6 Module.

Funny, we seem to be trading conversational places. For me, the solution to the lack of a keyboard is to get a whole Prophet 6. I've measured it out, and it would fit beautifully on my table.

[Sacred Synthesis]

Funny, we seem to be trading conversational places. For me, the solution to the lack of a keyboard is to get a whole Prophet 6. I've measured it out, and it would fit beautifully on my table.

No, that's just what I was suggesting.  It seems to me the Prophet-6 Keyboard is an all-round high quality piece of musical furniture.  It would also make a fine controller for your Mother-32.

[DavidDever]

To the point of separating out the module from the keybed itself, I recently bought an Ensoniq TS-10 precisely for that very purpose (controller keyboard with poly aftertouch) - and, happily, it's wholly flat on top, perfect for desktop modules:



Also - the most alluring thing about its feel is the contactless keyboard, which requires very little downward force to engage. Imagine the long*-throw Fatar keybed from the Waldorf Wave / Kawai K5000 without the bubble contact weirdness....

I did not think that I would enjoy this as much as I do, having been used to positive-action keybeds (such as a tracker organ action, or my DX7), but it seems to fit the bill and it's forced me to revisit playing technique that, frankly, the Fatar and CME keybeds just could not accommodate (think Pratt-Read J-wire, as used on the OB-*, Arp Omni, etc., without the initial bit of pressure). And Ensoniqs are cheap these days.

* relative to the shorter synth-action keybeds, anyway

(Strangely, this post ended up in another thread - think the forum frameworks are having a "day")

[Paul Dither]

Hmm:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BFjVKCekdm_/
https://www.instagram.com/p/BFjThBaEdjg/?taken-by=peff

So, I've been told that there's an announcement coming up during Moogfest.

[chysn]

So, I've been told that there's an announcement coming up during Moogfest.

Huh. The pricing will be interesting, and it's likely to get as close to excessive as Moog can swing. It would be nice if it was priced as a Voyager replacement, but that doesn't seem likely. But aside from the Voyager replacement, there are some other products I'd like to see from Moog:

• A Sub37 with CV outs
• A eurorack version of the CP-251
• A 953-style MIDI controller, for a kick-butt-looking 3 x Mother-32 stack

[Sacred Synthesis]

Before this thread gets derailed, can we move to this other one?

http://forum.davesmithinstruments.com/index.php/topic,514.0.html

[Paul Dither]

So, I've been told that there's an announcement coming up during Moogfest.

Huh. The pricing will be interesting, and it's likely to get as close to excessive as Moog can swing. It would be nice if it was priced as a Voyager replacement, but that doesn't seem likely.

Yeah, I'll consider everything above $999 as being too expensive.

But aside from the Voyager replacement, there are some other products I'd like to see from Moog:

• A Sub37 with CV outs
• A eurorack version of the CP-251
• A 953-style MIDI controller, for a kick-butt-looking 3 x Mother-32 stack

I guess the most likely to happen is a Eurorack version of the CP-251. I can't see a market for the last one, and a Sub 37 with CV outs has been ruled out from the getgo.

[Sacred Synthesis]

There was one module that fairly well met my demands, and that very little is said about - the Hypersynth Xenophone (http://www.hypersynth.com/xenophone.html).

Quickly:
- 3 analog oscillators and 2 subs
- 1 multimode filter
- filter keytracking
- 3 LFOs
- 3 DHSDSR envelope generators, including one for modulation
- onboard stereo digital effects
- duophonic/paraphonic mode

It seems like a superb module.  The only problems is that there are precious few YouTube demonstrations.  None of them are especially high-quality or thorough.  Regardless, this does seem like a powerful and flexible instrument worth considering.  I imagine two of them used in stereo would sound magnificent.  The price is about $1,050 at Perfect Circuit (https://www.perfectcircuitaudio.com/catalog/product/view/id/18225/s/xenophone-advanced-analog-mono-synth/category/160/).

My second preference is for the Oberheim SEM Pro, and my third is for the Vermona Mono Lancet.

[Sacred Synthesis]

There are a few decent demos on of the Xenophone on Soundcloud:

https://soundcloud.com/search?q=Hypersynth%20Xenophone