From ucivax!orion.oac.uci.edu!usc!wupost!udel!rochester!cantaloupe.srv.cs.cmu.edu!metlay Fri Jan 3 15:24:29 PST 1992 Article: 25943 of rec.music.synth Path: ucivax!orion.oac.uci.edu!usc!wupost!udel!rochester!cantaloupe.srv.cs.cmu.edu!metlay From: metlay+@cs.cmu.edu (Mike Metlay) Newsgroups: rec.music.synth Subject: Re: waldorf uWave Summary: Harrumph. Message-ID: <1992Jan03.082722.222562@cs.cmu.edu> Date: 3 Jan 92 08:27:22 GMT References: <24044@hoptoad.uucp> Organization: School of Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon Lines: 79 Nntp-Posting-Host: organ.music.cs.cmu.edu In article <24044@hoptoad.uucp> rich@cygnus.com writes: >I had written you analog weenies off as "quaint" retro-through-backs. >I take it all back. Well, it's about time. I was getting tired of holding my breath and turning blue, let me tell you. >I listened to a Waldorf Microwave last week for the first time, mostly >out of curiosity. I've never fallen in love with a synth sound before >but I'm hooked. "Nick?" "Wot?" "Looks like we got another one." "That's the fifth one this month, innit? Awright, put 'im in the holding tank next to Schabtach and Weinstock...." "Can *I* wire the tap to his brain this time? Pleeeeease?" >I'm listening now. Intently. Could someone recap what other analog >sounding devices you like? I think I need to do some more research. "He seems to be responding well within programmed limits." "Excellent. Proceed with Stage Two." Richard, I probably shouldn't bore the Net to tears with another analog tirade, but I have a Neo sitting next to me who's enjoying this immensely and a MicroWave playing a Moog drone from the Edgar Froese AQUA album in the background, so I'm in the mood.... There are as many different kinds of "analog-sounding" devices as there are "digital-sounding" devices out there right now. They include true analog synths, digital-oscillator-plus-analog-hardware synths, and the agglomeration of non-IC-based, pre-MIDI analog devices we lovingly term "dinosaurs." These latter machines are the ones now going for exorbitant prices to people who believe they need them to be This Year's Sound (TM), and include the Minimoog, the ARP Odyssey, and that little plastic widget sticking out of John Rossi's right ear thatr his wife tells you not to pull on too hard. In the more easily affordable realm (and a lot less frustrating, since MIDI is MIDI and always works perfectly from unit to unit--snrk hrf cough-- excuse me-- always works perf-- HEE HEE HEE!-- uh, always-- PFFFFF! Oh, never mind), there are both full-analog units and digital-oscillator devices worth looking into. They're not "hip," but they do a great job in many cases. Offhand, besides the Microwave, I would suggest that you try the OSCar, the Matrix-6 and Matrix-1000, the Korg EX-8000 and DW-8000 (GREAT machines!), the Roland JX-10 and MKS-70, the Kawai K3, the Korg Polysix (with MIDI retrofit), or anything by Sequential. The more costly rigs include the Prophet-VS, the Prophet-T8, the MKS-80 Super Jupiter, and the non plus ultra of analog synthdom, the Oberheim Xpander and Matrix-12. If you buy an Xpander, I personally guarantee that your mixes will take on new richness and life, your emotional state will improve a thousandfold, and your sexual lifestyle will assume an entirely new plane of existence you never before dreamed possible. One word of warning, though. If you think analog sounds themselves are addictive, just wait until you try an instrument with a full front panel.... When you awaken, you will not remember anything of this post. You will only feel a need to buy analog gear FOREVER. Still bleeding from the ears courtesy of Eirikur Hallgrimsson's Seiko DS-250/DS-310 (!!), I remain, -- metlay | HEY-YEH! just another guy with an Xpander | Walking in the Valley of Decision-- | HEY-YEH! metlay@organ.music.cs.cmu.edu | Reap all the Wages of Sin! (d.dax) From orion.oac.uci.edu!usc!cs.utexas.edu!utgpu!utzoo!telly!problem!intacc!zerobeat Thu Jan 16 15:28:52 PST 1992 Article: 28034 of rec.music.synth Newsgroups: rec.music.synth Path: orion.oac.uci.edu!usc!cs.utexas.edu!utgpu!utzoo!telly!problem!intacc!zerobeat From: zerobeat@intacc.uucp (Ferenc Szabo) Subject: Re: Best Analog Subtractive Synth? Message-ID: <1992Jan16.081719.8519@intacc.uucp> Date: Thu, 16 Jan 1992 08:17:19 GMT References: <1224@heurikon.heurikon.com> Organization: Inter/Access Artists' Centre Toronto THE best analog synth that is available these days is the Oberheim Xpander or Matrix 12. The Xpander has 6 voices and the M12 has 12 plus a keyboard; that's the only difference. For less than approx $600 THE best analog synth readily available is the Oberheim Matrix 6R(ack). It's scaled down Xpander/M12 architecture and a somewhat sharper sound (not as ethereal or 'round'). The Matrix 6 is the same but comes with a keyboard. The Matrix 1000 is a non-programmable version (although you can program it with a computer patch editor or a Matrix 6(R)). Going back a few years my favourite analog synths are the Sequential Circuits Inc. Prophet 5/10/T8, Roland Jupiter 6/8, Memorymoog, Oberheim OB-8/OB-XA. And of course the MONO synths: Minimoog, Pro-One, MS-20, SH-5, Odyssey. And of course the Modular Beasts: Moog 55, Arp 2600/2500, Polyfusion, Emu thing, EML stuff, Roland System 700/100m. The Xpander is certainly in the league of Modular without being a Beast. ferenc