Which Hardware Synth/s do you use ?

Korg MS2000
Korg Triton Le
Nord Lead II
Mini Moog Model D
Dr. Rhythm DR-55

Have traded and sold many synths over the years.
The only ones I miss are the Z1 and the Juno 106.
I get tempted to pick up another Z1 every now and then.

I use the HW in most of my projects. I’ve made my own midi device panels
for the Korgs and the Nord. So they kind of act like plugins, best of both worlds.
Nothing like being able to tweak HW sounds while sitting in the sweet spot of the monitors.

Roland TR-8
Roland TB-3
Novation Ultranova

I recently bought these. I haven’t owned a hardware synth since my SH-101 back in the 80’s, sure wish I kept it. Might have to get the Roland System-1, still on the fence about that one.

Korg Triton
Virus Ti
Nord rack 3
Roland XP 80
Roland V-synth
Motif ES rack
Roland XV 50-80

I traded in my last few now I’m 100% VST. I was looking at the new Yamaha MX 49 but decided to spend the cash on a SSD and Ram :slight_smile:

Speaking of VSTi’s vs hardware… I think there should be FAR MORE done in the way DEVELOPMENT by hardware manufacturers in cooperation with DAW software developers. Yes, Yamaha & Steinberg are onto this. But this should be a STANDARD now in all new products :exclamation:

This is one thing about Steinberg that I like…their innovative approach. Too many people are going ALL In The Box…this is simply because the ‘old’ & ‘existing’ products aren’t fully capable in their design. Sure, currently there are ways to make it work and work well. But one thing in particular that’s a problem, is it’s not possible to use ‘several instances’ of a hardware synth sound …maybe Steinberg/Yamaha has done this? :confused: Are working on it? ANYTHING to take loads off of the DAW machine is a GREAT thing IMO. I have been collecting hardware rack equipment for my own hybrid system :ugeek:

In July I got a Yamaha moxf6. I got it for live performances, but with the included editor (VST3) I recon it will be used inside of Cubase as well.

All my MIDI connected outboards include:

Korg Triton Extreme
Roland JV-1080
Roland Alpha Juno
Roland MT32
Roland Pad 5
BOSS ME-5

Hi Rotund,

Nice to see you also have a MiniMoog in there!

Paul

Hi Curteye,

I see you have a couple of KORG’s in there. I had a couple of PROGRAMING type questions I have been seeking answers to for some time. They are not massively technical as such, though people I have asked these questions to (ie fellow M1 owners), they eiether don’t quite understand what I am referring to or they inform me that they have never encountered these scenarios.

If you are knowledgeable and willing to share, then where/how would be the best point of contact please? I could start a new thread but I am not sure if a few questions justify it or of the topic will attract much traffic?

Kind regards,

Paul

I have the following:

Kurzweil PC88mx
Novation Supernova II
Korg Poly 61
Korg Poly 61M
Yamaha DX7
Yamaha DX100
Roland JP8000
Roland XV-3080 (2 units)
Roland MBD-1
And…a lovely baby grand piano in my living room!

-Tom

Hi Tommy,

How experienced woud you say you are with programing your DX’s please? Quite a lot (I might anticiptate) purely because you have TWO! I had some questions on FM SYNTHESIS if you were able to help please?

Cheers,

Paul

Roland D-110 (2)
Emu Proteus 2 XR
Musebox
Roland RD300s
Roland GR33

Does a Musebox count as hardware synth? :wink:

  • KORG MonoPoly - gets plenty use
  • DX-7 - gets plenty use (as my masterkeyboard :frowning: )
  • Waldorf Pulse+ - sometimes used
  • Roland D550 - sometimes used
  • Roland JV1080 - seldom used
  • Yamaha Motif Rack ES - gets plenty use
  • Oberheim M1000 - sometimes used
  • Akai S3000XL - retired but I think I’ll start using it again
  • Casio FZ-1 - retired, soon be selling
  • U110 - retired, soon be selling

Yes, it is hardware; it is a synth. Why wouldn’t it count?

True, but it’s a grey area. It’s running VST plugins so I guess your PC is now also a hardware synth.
Now I know the musebox is a closed system so it’s a bit more hardware synth than a muse receptor, which is a bit more hardware synth than a PC, but you’ve got to draw a line somewhere :wink:

That line was blurred way back with the Fairlight and Synclavier (even before).

To eliminate any confusion, how about this line: a hardware synth must be 100% analog (no digital, no ram, no samples). Moog anyone?

Is a Theremin a hardware synth? I’d say yes.

A theremin is definitely a hardware synth in my book.
I agree the line has always been blurred. Accepting only 100% analog synths would do great injustice to a whole lot of ‘hardware synths’ and also make this topic a bit boring because there aren’t all that many around.
Instead, I suggest we just don’t draw a line to eliminate confusion. The musebox counts :stuck_out_tongue:

I’d leave the interpretation to include any standalone instrument which produces it’s sounds electronically as opposed to mechanically. This excludes pianos etc. and many organs, but if we leave the door ajar enough to include electro-mechanical than instruments such as mellotrons and various organs can also be included. Synths incorporating sampler technology should also be included even though technically they may not be ‘synthesizing’ their sound, similarly with those using modelling technology.

For my part I have (from the late 70’s) a Paia Programmable Drum Set (which was the first commercially available user-programmable percussion box) (It’s really a bit too primitive in it’s sound to be used).

A P4700J Analog Modular (also from the 70’s) one of the first synthesiezers to incorporate a digital computer in it’s controller allowing among many other novelties, one of the earliest instances of polyphony (back in those days, synths were generally monotonic i.e. only one keypress at a time, it is often remarked that it is because of the addition of a musical keyboard type controller on commercial synths which actually created the push for polyphonic synths (though properly labelled polytonic)).

A Roland GR-20 Guitar synth.

Yamaha DD-55c (used primarily only as a trigger controller)

POD XT Live - while not actually a synthesizer but rather a processor or hardware ‘modeller’

And if we are including Modellers then a Line 6 Variax.

I’m down to just a few oldies which either wouldnt sell or I cant part with.

Emu e64
Roland D110
Roland U-110
Rhodes MK-80
Yamaha DX-7
and while its only a controller, its vintage, Roland A-50

To those who are storing your hardware, get the batteries updated. I lost a Korg Poly61m to trace damage due to a leaky battery. Don’t let this happen to you. It was in storage for 11 years.

Most of what I do now is ITB, but I still fire up those devices now and then. :mrgreen: