Help with buying a MOOG/Synth

Moogs, old or new, are going to be very expensive.

I think your best bet is to look at vintage synths.  There are a lot of digital synths that can create analog style sounds (which I'm assuming you like being a prog fan and all.)

This is a great website to get information:  www.vintagesynth.com  I would check eBay or Craigslist and look at what's being listed, then check it out on the vintage synth site.

Personally, I own a Yamaha SY-77 that I got off eBay for a good price. Unfortunately, I have not had the time to actually learn to play it much.

Check out the Dave Smith instruments MoPho, an analog synthesizer even I could afford. It's monophonic, but then so are the Moogs. You'll have to get the keyboard separately, though.

himtroy wrote: Get the Alesis Micron.  I'm one of those people that hate modern digital imitations, but still it satisfies my needs for a Moog.  It sounds exactly like a Moog in every fashion and contains all the controlls and everything.  And it's not $2000 like a Mini-Moog

Oh my, they look amazing!

Think I'll save up a while and grab one of these... Just look absolutely awesome!

Thanks for the suggestion!

-Joel

^^

I think I'll order one tommorow

Thanks everyone!

-Joel

I'm a synth collectionist and there's no sound as analog sound indeed.

But it depends a hell lot of what you're going to do with it, what do you won't to play?

It's like asking I would like to buy a car or a Rolls Royce, something not top expensive...

What kind of music(s)? A synth easy to use with more limited capabilities, or more advanced one, but more difficult to use? How much are you familiar with analogue subtractive synthesis? Do you want sounds at glance or want to dig deeper into tweaking? What is your price limit? Do you need MIDI? Do you need polyphony? Do you want sequencer? Do you want patch memory? Do you need velocity sensitive keys? Do you want to plug your guitar in it as in an effect?

Do you want solos, chords? Gritty sound, greasy, mellow, hollow, dirty, clean, thin?

You won't get a Moog for cheap.

If you do I'll kill you.

Do you find virtual analogs/analog modelling synth acceptable (digital ones pretendiong to be analog)
Do you mind using a software synth?

If you don't, Arturia's software (Moog Modular V and Mini Moog V) are very authentic. They're not for beginners though. But they're fun to learn even with hit-and-miss method.
Of analog modelling, Alesis Micron is also a good...no, excelent choice for the bucks. Horrible to program though.

Dave Smith Instrument mentioned is also good - I have Evolver, and it's a beast. Also tedious to program, even tedious to tame, because it's howling and growling. But incredible modulation capabilities for a low price.

Perhaps the most ideal (vintage) analog synth for beginners is Roland Juno 60. Great lush sounds, but more 80's than 70's oriented.

I've been using a Roland XV-88 (with 88 keys like a piano) for years. Great sound, great feeling/touch and just great overall really. It has survived the test of time pretty well. And while it's not very suitable for studio work or sound editing it 's ideal for stage performances. It was like $2500 originally, but you can get one for less than $1000 nowadays.
It's a pain to move the thing around however, weighing a bloody 27 Kg.


Edited by Zebedee - August 04 2009 at 11:27

clarke2001 wrote: Zebedee wrote: I've been using a Roland XV-88 (with 88 keys like a piano) for years. Great sound, great feeling/touch and just great overall really. It has survived the test of time pretty well. And while it's not very suitable for studio work or sound editing it 's ideal for stage performances. It was like $2500 originally, but you can get one for less than $1000 nowadays. It's a pain to move the thing around however, weighing a bloody 27 Kg. Agreed. Roland JV/XV engine series are probably the "warmest" sounding ones ever. Sound editing requires a little patience but could do wonders! Overrated Korg Tritons and even Yamaha Motifs are not even close at being so lush in sound.

Yeah, I've never liked Korgs. They always have a sort of plastic/synthetic tone that I don't like and the piano patches are somehow off-pitch. Korgs generally do have better organ patches though.


Edited by Zebedee - August 04 2009 at 11:28

AnchovyRun wrote: So joel, what did you get after?

I still haven't actually gotten around to buying one - I'm looking for an ALESIS MICRON, as someone suggested earlier, but my only options are to buy one from America, which would cost loads for postage (not to mention a new adapter) or to buy from an Australian distributer, which costs around 2.5 times as much...

Zebedee wrote: clarke2001 wrote: Zebedee wrote: I've been using a Roland XV-88 (with 88 keys like a piano) for years. Great sound, great feeling/touch and just great overall really. It has survived the test of time pretty well. And while it's not very suitable for studio work or sound editing it 's ideal for stage performances. It was like $2500 originally, but you can get one for less than $1000 nowadays. It's a pain to move the thing around however, weighing a bloody 27 Kg. Agreed. Roland JV/XV engine series are probably the "warmest" sounding ones ever. Sound editing requires a little patience but could do wonders! Overrated Korg Tritons and even Yamaha Motifs are not even close at being so lush in sound. Yeah, I've never liked Korgs. They always have a sort of plastic/synthetic tone that I don't like and the piano patches are somehow off-pitch. Korgs generally do have better organ patches though.