any synth users here?

Recording Techniques, People Skills, Gear, Recording Spaces, Computers, and DIY

Moderators: drumsound, tomb

gutsofgold
pushin' record
Posts: 257
Joined: Sat Feb 25, 2006 11:38 pm

any synth users here?

Post by gutsofgold » Sun Mar 05, 2006 9:28 pm

im debating between the microkorg and the alesis micron.

anyone use either?

User avatar
Disasteradio
pushin' record
Posts: 278
Joined: Tue Sep 16, 2003 8:39 pm
Location: Wellington, New Zealand
Contact:

Post by Disasteradio » Mon Mar 06, 2006 4:08 am

the microkorg's build quality is pretty terrible.. I've had the small pots for input gain fall inside the synth itself, the only thing holding them in is some soldered clips onto the PCB. Plus I've broken all its D sharps somehow. (admittedly it has survived a couple of tours, and I love them D sharps) .. and its vocoder kinda sucks. The onboard mic is useless, I got onto using a CB radio mic and it's a bajillion times more intelligible than the gooseneck (which died pretty early on)

But I've gotten a whole bunch of useful sounds for live stuff.. + the digital waveset is a tad underrated.

Have you looked at the MS2000B? is anyone still stocking them? It seemed like it was a bit more gigproof in many respects.

TheSwede
alignin' 24-trk
Posts: 58
Joined: Fri Feb 24, 2006 10:13 pm

Post by TheSwede » Mon Mar 06, 2006 7:42 am

I have the microkorg as well, and i agree that it is not "rugged" per se... as well as the mic they give is useless and extremely prone to horrific feed back when used through a pa... try a simple dynamic mic and all should be good.

I don't really take mine anywhere, so i think it's a great lil analog synth... especially just to have around the studio for a lil extra something now and again. The sounds are pretty tweak-able, and pretty darn fat sounding... a friend of mine who had a whole mess of original Moogs and such often preferred the ease of use and simplicity of the microkorg, and the sound was great.

User avatar
Milkmansound
george martin
Posts: 1253
Joined: Sun Feb 22, 2004 3:15 pm
Location: San Francisco, CA
Contact:

Post by Milkmansound » Mon Mar 06, 2006 7:49 am

go for the micron - the korg synths (especially the MS2000) are really built poorly. The DC input will completely fail on you at a bad time, I have reapaired a lot of those for people.

the micron is not easy to program though - you have to go into the menus (kind of like the microkorg though) and have some patience. However, there are shortcuts using the keys and certain button presses to help you along. Another plus is the larger keys - unless you are some horriby deformed person with a withered tiny hand, in which case clearly the microkorg was designed for you.
(((((((((((((((((((((((((())))))))))))))))))))))))))))
www.pedalsteelamp.com
www.milkmansound.com
Follow me on Facebook!

strangefruit
ass engineer
Posts: 41
Joined: Tue Nov 22, 2005 11:03 am

Post by strangefruit » Mon Mar 06, 2006 9:16 am

I have travel with my MS2000 everywhere for a couple of years and 2 knobs came off at its first gig. now the buttons don't react so well. But no problem with the sound so far...

gutsofgold
pushin' record
Posts: 257
Joined: Sat Feb 25, 2006 11:38 pm

Post by gutsofgold » Mon Mar 06, 2006 9:26 am

i'm gunna head up to a music store sometime and just try the two out. it seems like a fair choice between the two. i'm not really worried about the durability as it will just sit in my room where i record anyway.

i've messed around with a microkorg for awhile and sat through all the preset sounds and not many caught my ear as something i would actually use in a song.

User avatar
trodden
on a wing and a prayer
Posts: 5651
Joined: Wed May 07, 2003 8:21 am
Location: C-attle
Contact:

Post by trodden » Mon Mar 06, 2006 9:49 am

haodama wrote:I have travel with my MS2000 everywhere for a couple of years and 2 knobs came off at its first gig. now the buttons don't react so well. But no problem with the sound so far...
Yeah, i've lost some knobs but no problems so far. It is kinda "cheap" feeling. I've got a pretty heavy duty road case for it though.

Dubious
gettin' sounds
Posts: 127
Joined: Sun Jan 22, 2006 8:21 am
Location: Dartmouth Nova Scotia, Canada

Post by Dubious » Mon Mar 06, 2006 10:57 am

run a search there was a multi page mikro korg thread a few months back

i borrowed one for a few months.. recorded a bunch of shit with it .. and now i've been steadily removing most of the shit i did on it... im not into it at all really

for cheap and nasty synth i highly recomend this bad boy here, esp since they're only about $199.

Image

User avatar
I'm Painting Again
zen recordist
Posts: 7086
Joined: Wed May 07, 2003 2:15 am
Location: New York, New York
Contact:

Post by I'm Painting Again » Mon Mar 06, 2006 12:31 pm

what is it you would be using a synth for?

I have a very nice condition nord rack for sale if your interested for the price of a new microkorg..you would need a midi keyboard to play it but its a really nice synth..I just never use it anymore..and I need to fund a stage piano/organ..

User avatar
Red Rockets Glare
tinnitus
Posts: 1132
Joined: Wed May 07, 2003 8:36 am
Location: Los Angeles
Contact:

Post by Red Rockets Glare » Mon Mar 06, 2006 2:44 pm

I like my microkorg a lot, and we all discussed this topic about a month ago UTSF.

User avatar
trodden
on a wing and a prayer
Posts: 5651
Joined: Wed May 07, 2003 8:21 am
Location: C-attle
Contact:

Post by trodden » Mon Mar 06, 2006 3:47 pm

Red Rockets Glare wrote:I like my microkorg a lot, and we all discussed this topic about a month ago UTSF.
you mean UTFSF!!!!

User avatar
r0ck1r0ck2
re-cappin' neve
Posts: 704
Joined: Thu Oct 09, 2003 1:55 pm
Location: Milwaukee!!
Contact:

Post by r0ck1r0ck2 » Mon Mar 06, 2006 4:04 pm

well yes you should do a search...

that aside, it would really help to know what you intend to use it for..
HipHop, the dread IDM?
morricone?

its tough...

sometimes a casio is all you want/need
sometimes a DX7..

all that aside i tend to despise modeled analog synths...they're just kinda corny to me...

especially the new Korgs and that goddamn Roland Sh-?

dunno if you want cheap analog there's the MFB synths...i keep finding good sounds in mine...

the evolver sound really good

gutsofgold
pushin' record
Posts: 257
Joined: Sat Feb 25, 2006 11:38 pm

Post by gutsofgold » Mon Mar 06, 2006 4:08 pm

i need a synth for indie rock, dance, shoegaze stuff.

User avatar
r0ck1r0ck2
re-cappin' neve
Posts: 704
Joined: Thu Oct 09, 2003 1:55 pm
Location: Milwaukee!!
Contact:

Post by r0ck1r0ck2 » Mon Mar 06, 2006 4:12 pm

see if you can find an Evolver in your area..

it might do the trick...

lots of weirdo envelope modulation there...

also the casio CZ series has crazy sounds are cheap and easy to program

Dubious
gettin' sounds
Posts: 127
Joined: Sun Jan 22, 2006 8:21 am
Location: Dartmouth Nova Scotia, Canada

Post by Dubious » Mon Mar 06, 2006 6:52 pm

r0ck1r0ck2 wrote: sometimes a casio is all you want/need
sometimes a DX7..

all that aside i tend to despise modeled analog synths...they're just kinda corny to me...

especially the new Korgs and that goddamn Roland Sh-?
one man's trash is another's treasure.. i use the sh32 all the time.. thing is meaty and NASTY.. very very good synth.. and it contains the 909, 808 etc drum banks as well (with tweakable filters)

i make primarily synth based music and thats my 2 cents

Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 71 guests