GS Music Bree6

[LPF83]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wW6KKnqxvsU

[LPF83]

I ended up getting the desktop version of this.  What a fantastic sounding synth! 

Don't let the size fool you.  The thing is only a little bigger than one of the Roland Boutique units (roughly the width of two large pedals side by side), except instead of tiny little controls that irritate you, the knobs are ample sized and feel good.  The chassis is metal and I haven't had such a small synth with such good build quality before.

Also, don't let a single oscillator put you off.  Remember how good the classic Roland Junos and Korg PolySix sound with a single oscillator?  This has that magic, maybe even better.  I know it may seem weird to compare a ladder filter synth to those, but if you watch some videos on this I think you'll see I'm not the only one that believes this is the true successor to the great sounding single-oscillator synths of the 80s.  I'm normally not a ladder-filter or "saturated Moog sound" guy, but this is such a clean and musically useful implementation that the comparison to vintage Roland and Korg synths can't be avoided.

And the Chorus FX on it, while it is digital (that only means you'll hear some aliasing if turning the knob in real-time which is not how most people use chorus anyway), is fantastic and enhances the single oscillator in a way that doesn't leave you wanting a second OSC. 

I heard folks with the E7 say the Chorus wasn't impressive... I think Guido at ES Music went out of his way to make sure that's not the case here, I think this may be the best chorus I've heard on any modern synth.  If you watch videos of folks turning up the chorus against that already amazing sounding single oscillator, you'll notice it invokes a mandatory human reaction (and there's a reason for that.. its just, wow).... Guido did mention improvement to the FX  in some trade show videos over the E7, so I think he is a very understated guy .   It's a single knob, but it has such as range on it that makes that irrelevant -- and the display showing what's going on is a fantastic plus.

The delay is special too...  turned all the way to minimal setting (7.85ms), it doesn't even sound like a delay or even approaching a typical slap back, it just does what I would call summing amplification of the sound, fattening it and giving it weight.  If you want that single oscillator beefier but still musical and standing out in the mix, try that.  Then the delay feedback can provide this metallic quality if you want it...  really superb, and also sounds great as you turn it up to just do what a delay normally does.

Possibly one of the best features is the lack thereof.  The simple workflow of the thing and the fact it's one big sweet spot oozing with vintage tone that you can't really go wrong with no matter how you turn the knobs is what will make it a legendary instrument. 

Bass, strings, pads, brass, plucks, it does it all, and it just sounds top-tier.

Not too many things to get in your way, just an instrument that gives you an infinite amount of musically useful synth tone, and just inspires you to play it every time you hear the sounds coming out of it.

Highly recommend.  Yes, its well worth $1k USD.  There is nothing else with 6 voice polyphony, at this particular price point, that I'm aware of that even comes close to the sound that comes from this little box.  It's what you want in an analog synth.

[Manbird]

Distressingly good sales pitch for a synth I knew nowt about! No funds nor studio space but you’ve hit the “must have!” nerve. Dang!

Having had a PolySix and a couple Juno 6s, I’m a big fan of single osc polys. A fav music shop test for me when checking out a multi-osc poly is to mess w it w only one osc in action. And when I had my Junos, I played then often w the chorus turned off.

I don’t neeeeed this one, but it’s a familiar thrill to want one!

[Quatschmacher]

I’ve been very interested in this. What is the voice allocation behaviour? Is it per-key like Juno and Prophet 10 or round robin?

The only extra things I feel like I would like to have seen are an envelope-to-pulse-width control and a level control for the sub oscillator; the latter I make use of a lot on my 106.

[LPF83]

Distressingly good sales pitch for a synth I knew nowt about! No funds nor studio space but you’ve hit the “must have!” nerve. Dang!

Having had a PolySix and a couple Juno 6s, I’m a big fan of single osc polys. A fav music shop test for me when checking out a multi-osc poly is to mess w it w only one osc in action. And when I had my Junos, I played then often w the chorus turned off.

I don’t neeeeed this one, but it’s a familiar thrill to want one!

I do the same thing when testing synths;  turning down mix on OSC2 is one of the first things I do because it gives me a better point of reference for the overall tone.  And sometimes a single OSC just sounds better. I sometimes find myself using the second oscillator on some synths like the P10 as an LFO.

The chorus on Junos is legendary, but the limited modes sometimes also made me want to turn it off (not to mention the noise it is notorious for on Roland synths... that's not the case here).  Speaking of noise, the Bree6 has an intriguing menu option -- Noise Gate on/off, where the gate only opens while each voice is playing.  I do that sometimes in the DAW as it sometimes allows me to turn annoying analog hiss into something musically desirable, but I can't say I've ever seen a synth designer put it directly on the synth like this.  I haven't even used it yet, I have it set to off because so far the noise floor of this thing is pristine and I haven't detected any hiss or hum.

Anyway back to chorus - on some synths it is kind of ho-hum, and seems to take more away from the tone than it gives... but something special has been done to the FX on this synth that's hard to describe until you hear it.

re: funds and studio space, I can definitely relate.  I really didn't need another poly, but after hearing the tone and considering how unintrusive the footprint is, I had to try it..  To put into perspective how small this is, the width is a little more than 2 octaves on a full size key bed, and the height is shorter than the length of the white keys.  A thousand bucks is what it is, but for a 6 voice poly that sounds like this, I think it's actually quite a good value.

Some other synths are great, but so feature-rich that all of the options makes it harder to just casually explore tone and find immediate inspiration to compose.  THAT is what this synth does best, strips away workflow complexity while oozing musical inspiration.  It's a similar formula to what made the Prophet 5 and Junos so popular.

[Quatschmacher]

Some other synths are great, but so feature-rich that all of the options makes it harder to just casually explore tone and find immediate inspiration to compose.  THAT is what this synth does best, strips away workflow complexity while oozing musical inspiration.  It's a similar formula to what made the Prophet 5 and Junos so popular.

I’ve definitely swung around to that way of thinking over the past year or so. I’ve written way more stuff on my 106 and Model D than I ever did on the Summit and Pro 3 SE, which is what pushed me to sell the latter two. 

[LPF83]

I’ve been very interested in this. What is the voice allocation behaviour? Is it per-key like Juno and Prophet 10 or round robin?

The only extra things I feel like I would like to have seen are an envelope-to-pulse-width control and a level control for the sub oscillator; the latter I make use of a lot on my 106.

The voice allocation is round-robin.  There are per-voice LEDs on the front that show which voices are playing, and they glow and fade out relative to the amp envelope (i.e. stay lit longer as you turn up release) so you have a visual on what they're doing -- its a nice touch.

For the EG to PW control, I believe the E7 allows you to do that and a lot of other things that the Bree6 doesn't (including the fact that it's multi-timbral), so if options are more to your liking that might be a better choice for you.

I was actually considering an E7 and might have ended up with one if the B6 had not been released, because it also sounds great from what I've heard online, and even though more expensive than the B6, still a good value.

My ears detected something in the B6 demos that I favored over the E7.  Supposedly the E7 has a mixer stage the signal goes through (apparently due to the multi-timbral) which is not present on the B6, and that may have something to do with what I've heard in demos.  Sometimes subtle changes in the signal path can make a big difference.

[markwilkins]

I ended up getting the desktop version of this.  What a fantastic sounding synth! 
<snip> …

Thanks for taking the time to write this up. I enjoy reading your descriptions.

Mark

[LPF83]

I ended up getting the desktop version of this.  What a fantastic sounding synth! 
<snip> …

Thanks for taking the time to write this up. I enjoy reading your descriptions.

Mark

Thanks for the feedback!

[LPF83]

This little box continues to keep me enamored.  Some synths sound amazing, but then fatigue my ears after long sessions.  This one never does... it just never stops emanating beautifully ear-pleasing sounds that never seem to know what harsh is...

I don't want to portray it as the perfect synth because I believe no such thing exists -- but when I consider the most important element (sound quality), up against the price point.... then consider the range of sounds it excels at, then consider the polyphony, then the musicality of the workflow, it's hard not to imagine this thing as a future classic.

When you don't have a mod matrix or 3-4 LFOs to use, it guides your brain to go down new paths.. to go beyond just pushing buttons to enable an option....to experiment.

One of my favorite techniques for expressiveness is to use the Release knob on the filter envelope to modify the sound in response to slight variations in how a note was held down or played.  It's easy to go crazy with, but in moderation it can add an beautiful sounding amount of expression to any synth regardless of other modulation or things like velocity and aftertouch.  Some synths just do it better than others.  The Bree6 seems to have been born for it, the way that filter responds to this technique when everything is adjusted right, just seems to fall into place.  You can get all kinds of expressiveness out of a simplified synth like this if you don't expect to be spoon fed all options.  Exploration pays off.

I tend to be pretty pedantic about things like input or MIDI latency.  When I'm playing, if timing feels too "cable jungled" and doesn't feel like natural instrument interaction, I start looking for solutions.  I haven't needed to do that so far with this synth.  I'm playing a Korg Keystage 61 which is sending MIDI into the DAW, which is then sending it to a CME interface and then to the synth, then audio from synth into the interface IN, and then the DAW.  Even being such a stickler on timing, it all feels instantaneous/immediate/natural, like its all one integrated synth. 

The Keystage has this metal "expansion tray" that goes on the back that's meant to hold an iPad or a Laptop depending on how you insert it.  It props the Bree6 desktop up just right for giving that feel that it's all one unit, access to the knobs is perfect as it props up the desktop like a Minimoog panel.  I do use the Keystage to control other synths but for larger workhorse desktops like the 3rd Wave 24 voice , they are a little too large to "become one" with the controller like this little unit does.

[obie_wan]

I would love to hear anyone’s experience with this synth and how it stacks up to the OB-6. I’ve seen descriptions that the Bree6 sounds like 80s nostalgia? From videos, it does have a nice sound to it.

[LPF83]

I would love to hear anyone’s experience with this synth and how it stacks up to the OB-6. I’ve seen descriptions that the Bree6 sounds like 80s nostalgia? From videos, it does have a nice sound to it.

About 80's nostalgia, yes I would say it does that in droves.  Describing how it stacks up to an OB-6 is difficult because it's an apples to oranges comparison... they are different instruments with a different sound, different filter types, different capabilities, of course different price.  The OB-6 has a 2-pole SVF and the Bree6 is a 4-pole ladder filter, those differences alone are substantial.  The OB-6 is a dual oscillator synth while the Bree6 is a single oscillator synth with world-class chorus.  OB-6 is more Oberheim-sound with a modern twist, Bree6 reminds me more of a vintage Juno sound.  They both are great sounding analogs with very immediate workflow and no menu diving.  The OB-6 has features the Bree6 does not but costs 2.5x as much for the desktop.  The limitations of the Bree6 are actually a plus when composing music due to simplification of workflow -- less features means quicker time to goal of sound design, versus getting lost in experimentation.

[obie_wan]

I would love to hear anyone’s experience with this synth and how it stacks up to the OB-6. I’ve seen descriptions that the Bree6 sounds like 80s nostalgia? From videos, it does have a nice sound to it.

About 80's nostalgia, yes I would say it does that in droves.  Describing how it stacks up to an OB-6 is difficult because it's an apples to oranges comparison... they are different instruments with a different sound, different filter types, different capabilities, of course different price.  The OB-6 has a 2-pole SVF and the Bree6 is a 4-pole ladder filter, those differences alone are substantial.  The OB-6 is a dual oscillator synth while the Bree6 is a single oscillator synth with world-class chorus.  OB-6 is more Oberheim-sound with a modern twist, Bree6 reminds me more of a vintage Juno sound.  They both are great sounding analogs with very immediate workflow and no menu diving.  The OB-6 has features the Bree6 does not but costs 2.5x as much for the desktop.  The limitations of the Bree6 are actually a plus when composing music due to simplification of workflow -- less features means quicker time to goal of sound design, versus getting lost in experimentation.

Thank you for your response. I enjoy reading your write ups about the Bree6. I really love the form factor and simplicity from the looks of it. The chorus is dynamite from hearing it on videos. Just oozes quality. It has a distinct character about it. I have a Super 6 and thought the binaural aspect of it combined with onboard chorus was great but the Bree6 is something special. I think the Bree6 would make a good companion to the OB-6 as both seem to have their own vibe and mojo. Thanks for again for sharing your thoughts.

[Quatschmacher]

I just sold a piece of gear I wasn’t using today (Yorick LFE); once the funds clear, I’m pretty tempted to check the Bree6 out as it’s around the same as what I sold the LFE for.

[LPF83]

I would love to hear anyone’s experience with this synth and how it stacks up to the OB-6. I’ve seen descriptions that the Bree6 sounds like 80s nostalgia? From videos, it does have a nice sound to it.

About 80's nostalgia, yes I would say it does that in droves.  Describing how it stacks up to an OB-6 is difficult because it's an apples to oranges comparison... they are different instruments with a different sound, different filter types, different capabilities, of course different price.  The OB-6 has a 2-pole SVF and the Bree6 is a 4-pole ladder filter, those differences alone are substantial.  The OB-6 is a dual oscillator synth while the Bree6 is a single oscillator synth with world-class chorus.  OB-6 is more Oberheim-sound with a modern twist, Bree6 reminds me more of a vintage Juno sound.  They both are great sounding analogs with very immediate workflow and no menu diving.  The OB-6 has features the Bree6 does not but costs 2.5x as much for the desktop.  The limitations of the Bree6 are actually a plus when composing music due to simplification of workflow -- less features means quicker time to goal of sound design, versus getting lost in experimentation.

Thank you for your response. I enjoy reading your write ups about the Bree6. I really love the form factor and simplicity from the looks of it. The chorus is dynamite from hearing it on videos. Just oozes quality. It has a distinct character about it. I have a Super 6 and thought the binaural aspect of it combined with onboard chorus was great but the Bree6 is something special. I think the Bree6 would make a good companion to the OB-6 as both seem to have their own vibe and mojo. Thanks for again for sharing your thoughts.

One other consideration since you mentioned binaural sound.  The OB-6 does let you adjust the stereo spread, whereas you can't do that on the Bree6.  You only have Poly (no panning) and Poly Stereo (fixed per voice panning), then of course Mono and Unison.  When playing thick cords, Poly Stereo always seems to sound just right.  For other types of sounds you may want one of the other modes or you'll hear the voices jumping substantially left and right.

[LPF83]

I just sold a piece of gear I wasn’t using today (Yorick LFE); once the funds clear, I’m pretty tempted to check the Bree6 out as it’s around the same as what I sold the LFE for.

I don't think you'll be disappointed if you get a Bree6.  If you need a sequencer or arp onboard, you'd want to pay a little more for the keyboard version, but I'm fine getting those features another way and prefer the small size and using a separate MPE keyboard with it anyway.

[Quatschmacher]

I just sold a piece of gear I wasn’t using today (Yorick LFE); once the funds clear, I’m pretty tempted to check the Bree6 out as it’s around the same as what I sold the LFE for.

I don't think you'll be disappointed if you get a Bree6.  If you need a sequencer or arp onboard, you'd want to pay a little more for the keyboard version, but I'm fine getting those features another way and prefer the small size and using a separate MPE keyboard with it anyway.

I don’t use sequencers or arpeggiators so it’s fine for me. Of the polys I have, I’ve probably written the most actual music on my Juno 106, in part due to its simplicity/lack of distractions. I’m definitely appreciating the simpler stuff, hence selling the LFE; I got that to go with my Prophet 10 but am finding I’m fine just using its own limited feature set. I can see me really enjoying the Bree6. I liked the sound of the E7 but found the chorus not so great, so I’m glad to hear the Bree6 version is much improved; I wonder if Guido might be able to replace the E7’s algorithm with this new one.

[LPF83]

I just sold a piece of gear I wasn’t using today (Yorick LFE); once the funds clear, I’m pretty tempted to check the Bree6 out as it’s around the same as what I sold the LFE for.

I don't think you'll be disappointed if you get a Bree6.  If you need a sequencer or arp onboard, you'd want to pay a little more for the keyboard version, but I'm fine getting those features another way and prefer the small size and using a separate MPE keyboard with it anyway.

I don’t use sequencers or arpeggiators so it’s fine for me. Of the polys I have, I’ve probably written the most actual music on my Juno 106, in part due to its simplicity/lack of distractions. I’m definitely appreciating the simpler stuff, hence selling the LFE; I got that to go with my Prophet 10 but am finding I’m fine just using its own limited feature set. I can see me really enjoying the Bree6. I liked the sound of the E7 but found the chorus not so great, so I’m glad to hear the Bree6 version is much improved; I wonder if Guido might be able to replace the E7’s algorithm with this new one.

I'm not sure because I saw a conversation somewhere (GS or YT) saying his synths aren't firmware updatable -- but honestly if he produced a simple, one-knob stereo chorus pedal that sounded like the chorus on the Bree6, I'd probably buy more than one.  I think part of the magic may be that by reducing it to a single knob, he's optimized the curve of the underlying rate and depth settings so that the entire knob range is one big sweet spot.  That's probably one reason the Juno chorus always sounded so good -- there wasn't a lot of opportunity to go into bad sounding settings because of the limited buttons, they were really like specific chorus settings designed to sound good on just about everything.

[LPF83]

Sometimes when I get a synth and put it through it's motions, in my own flawed mind I tend to categorize it...

..like what does the tone of this synth remind me of?  When will I reach for it instead of another synth?

And I think I arrived that the Bree6 stirs my adoration of early Roxy Music tracks (which oddly, and to my understanding used a lot of Jupiter 8, which is neither a single osc synth nor a ladder filter.... but somehow the combination of circuitry here reminds me of that).  I find a sweet melancholy smoothness in the tone that's easy to fiddle with and add some character to on the fly. 

It can do a lot more than sound smooth, it's just how well it does smooth that catches me.  It can do "punch" when asked to do so as well.

[Manbird]

You're still selling me on a synth I don't need and can't afford, but I'd suggest "early" Roxy is Eno on EMS!