Scientifically, “Analogue” utilizes electricity and electromagnetic properties to control/produce the sounds. Hence “voltage controlled” oscillator, filter, envelopes, etc. As Jack mentioned, “digital” utilizes software that controls logic commands that create/shape the sounds. Electricity, of course, is still used-but only to power the parts that use the 1’s and 0’s Jack referenced that actually do the aforementioned sound creation/shaping. I am not an expert on either, so feel free to amend this comment. Seems like a great teaching moment.
Remember, there are oscillators that can be digitally controlled, but still have an analog wave shaping, like in the classic Juno synthesizers, where you have DCOs instead of VCOs
@@mikelarrutiromero9430 Excellent point! DCO’s are/were popular in the now classic Roland synthesizers, amount others. This is a good way to get analogue sound without the tuning struggles of voltage control.
@@welldrestghost Yeah, some of them would get out of tune easily in different temperature conditions. I kind of like how sometimes being a little bit out of tune make them sound special. But for live playing and recording, nothing better than a perfectly tuned analog. Hope I can try and play a real one myself some day
As a Djay in my earlier carnation (I'm now 40+) I'm now venturing into music production. These videos are great for amateurs and newbies into the area of synthesis and keyboards, and I for one very much appreciate your work. Very few channels cater to the newbie market, which is a large buyer group, and the information you provide is useful and entertaining in equal measure. Kudos to you guys! Craig
Reface CS is seriously underrated IMO. The filter is really unique, almost a cross between a Volca/MS-20 Korg and an Oberheim SEM/OBX. Doesn't quite self oscillate but has a nice bite. I've gotten some very OB sounds out of this and the stick bender is very playable. The effects on all the Reface units are quite good. Yamaha should sell a Reface FX with hands on controls from all their Reface units. They work great with the keyboard units and I wish I could route external gear thru them. You need a computer or external device to save presets except on the DX version but they all sound great. Come on Yamaha and give us access to these effects.
One learning advantage to the MicroBrute is that actual lack of presets. If your a youtube junkie and see a video that is showing the MicroBrute you can snap a screenshot and attempt to recreate the patch. If your tapping the keyboard while making adjustments you are hearing the changes in real time unlike a preset which is instantaneous. My favorite thing about the Monologue is the battery option. Being able to pick up the instrument, take it anywhere and play is a massive advantage. I scoffed at this when I first purchased the instrument, but it has now become my favorite feature. Lastly the Uno should have been on that list. Less expensive, analogue and the most portable synth.
have to say they are all great for the price. All have their own character. I own a monologue very underrated synth, I use it on almost every track I produce.
I got a reface CS and within a year sold it and moved up to a prophet rev2. It was an inspiring enough and taught me so much that I wanted to invest in a real big boi synth.
As someone who's been messing about and exploring more synths than I care to remember over the better part of my adult life it was the very simplicity and portable nature that sold me on this thing. Big boi synths are awesome but the small and carefully considered set of parameters and absence of presets makes it a really refreshing change of pace in this day and age :)
Rum Ham, great point. Curious. What do u currently recommend that great for the price, and then the ultimate compact piece of gear. I’ve been looking at the auturia products, native instruments line, and Roland stuff. Thanks!
@@aakash9058 tbh I wish i still had the CS. it fits in my backpack and can follow me to the couch. my first album came fast with the CS and the rev2 while more lush is a slower tool for me in general.
Yamaha Reface CS looks and sounds great. The price seems to be going up. It's looks like a steal for $299. If I can find it under $250 I'll get it without hesitation.
Late to the party, but having experience with all three, the CS is the winner. Great build quality, a variety of sounds, and polyphonic. The Monolgue is good, too, but the keybed isn't very nice, and it has its limits, but bonus on the Microtuning--a worthy synth. The Microbrute...it can sound okay, and the patch bay is nice, but the build quality is beyond terrible; including a miserable keybed was a mistake. And both Brutes I tried had horrible VCO bleed, which made it completely useless to record.
Thanks so much for the lovely comment JetJock, very kind of you mate. I ruddy love Texas man, had some of the best times of my life out there. Hope you had a good Thanksgiving X
The Reface CS wins the race with two fingers in its nose. The other synths are monophonic. But the real winner is a second hand Yamaha AN-1x. Then you'll get full keys, double the polyphony and memories.
I have had a lot of fun with the Microbrute over the last year, recently found it a new home and grabbed a second hand Korg Micro X instead. You've made me realise how much I'm going to miss having it around. Great video as usual!
Playing the microbrute actually changed my mind about buying it. It felt cheap and awful. Thinking about buying one with busted keys though, as I'd be using something else to control it anyway.
Ok, this was a really fun comparison of 3 awesome synths, but you really dropped the ball on why the Monolouge is stand-out: The overpowered and hyper versatile sequencer that Kong paid Aphex Twin to design. It is really the star of the synth (although it is a great sounding bass synth on its own)
Jack Duxbury Yea man! I bought one sort of on the fly, I wanted a synth but couldn’t really play keyboard at the time. So got it with the intention of learning my way around a keyboard (I’m a bassist by trade), ended up falling in love with it and I’ve done so much work with it now in studio and stuff. Very versatile!! I’m gonna get the CP at some point. The sounds in that one are properly good for the money. Cheers! 🍻
If I had to have one Reface it would be the CP. Take that thing everywhere with me, especially since I found out that it had a hidden Acoustic Piano sample in there. The quality of the Rhodes and Wurli samples are up there if not better the Nord's too, think I'll have to a special vid on just my love for the CP!! All the best to you guys Xx
Super soon hopefully, date haven't quite worked out yet but we're working on it Lucas my man. Thanks for the kind words and taking the time to comment Broseph X
Cool! It's nice to see the differences and options to get one. I got the Monologue about a month ago for 180Euro, awesome little beast. I was hesitating between a Microbrute and the Monologue but liked the Monologue better, so .. choice made. I'm thinking about a Reface DX instead of a CS and/or a Behringer Crave in the future as extra synth(s) but have enough standing besides the Monologue for now to start with. So, no rush, lol.
Man that Microbrute sounds so freaking mean! The Monologue is much more powerful and feels like the rational bang-for-the-buck synth, but that Microbrute has such a unique sound. I can't decide between them. (I already own the CS :P)
@@brianwolle2509 you always have the old sticky tape trick to do on some old synths without hold -- but i have seen videos with the microbrute without playing the keys, or any midi-connection -- i am getting one next week. greetings, Levi
Great video. Nice introduction. Already subbed and added notifications the first video of yours I watched; this is the second. Really enjoying the content on the channel. Keep up the good work! 👍 Cheers, -H.B.
Please do get me right now, you are an excellent keyboardplayer!, and i have the OUTMOST respect for you as an musician -- but you are a "keyboardist", not a "synthist";)) -- your style of playing is more "refined" that of a pure synthplayer -- so you should demo keyboards - i am going for the arturia, -- i am not a "synthist" but would like to have a "brutal noicemaker" on the side -- greetings, granpa Levi in sweden (edit.i went for the Circuit monostation at last)
My thoughts exactly, you see him playing piano and you are blown away but as a synth player, perhaps it would be better to get another person to do it. Still great guy, great player and an amazing video ;)
wow, you can immediately hear the difference in sound quality between a digital and analogue synth. defos picking either the microbrute or monologue, if you pick up the yamaha youre shortchanging yourself imo
The Yamaha is a Virtual Analog that mimics analog quite well. It sounds different from the others, but that's not because it's digital, it's just a very different filter (oscillators sound different too). It doesn't have 'worse' or 'digital' sound, it's just a different sound and it's been recorded quite poorly here, it sounds distorted. Even the metronome you hear while recording the looper sounds véry different from the one I own.
Every time I see a reface I end feeling like I want one... But then I also don't seem to be able to decide if I'd rather have the CS or the DX... I mean, both, I guess? But mmh... Still... A lot of money for me to be just getting multiples of such things... XD The DX just... FM synth is fascinating and complicated... But the CS just looks like so much more fun and interesting to mess around with...
the microbrute is "ok" with external keyboard. the built-in keys are the worst I've ever had, this includes akai apc-key 25, the former negative-record holder. I need a second monologue, it is so much fun!
Moving over from conventional bass playing to dance/house with a DJ, would I be better off getting a synth set up (if so what do I need?) or get a synth pedal and continue on bass? Thanks 👍🏻🎸
Afaik, given the contradictory answers here: From what I've heard the CS is velocity sensitive when sending out Midi commands, but the actual synth features built into it ignore that. So you can use it as a midi controller and it will have velocity, but on it's own it won't.
KuraIthys I literally have the CP and there are many videos saying it’s touch sensitive all the reface keyboards are I own the CS and CP and have had the DX before
Just had a look and Yamaha are calling it "Analog Physical Modelling " on the CS. I have a DX too - aboslute love it - hope you're too Sir - thanks for checking in on our vids X
I like this guy. You relatable and funny.
Scientifically, “Analogue” utilizes electricity and electromagnetic properties to control/produce the sounds. Hence “voltage controlled” oscillator, filter, envelopes, etc. As Jack mentioned, “digital” utilizes software that controls logic commands that create/shape the sounds. Electricity, of course, is still used-but only to power the parts that use the 1’s and 0’s Jack referenced that actually do the aforementioned sound creation/shaping. I am not an expert on either, so feel free to amend this comment. Seems like a great teaching moment.
Remember, there are oscillators that can be digitally controlled, but still have an analog wave shaping, like in the classic Juno synthesizers, where you have DCOs instead of VCOs
@@mikelarrutiromero9430 Excellent point! DCO’s are/were popular in the now classic Roland synthesizers, amount others. This is a good way to get analogue sound without the tuning struggles of voltage control.
@@welldrestghost Yeah, some of them would get out of tune easily in different temperature conditions. I kind of like how sometimes being a little bit out of tune make them sound special. But for live playing and recording, nothing better than a perfectly tuned analog. Hope I can try and play a real one myself some day
As a Djay in my earlier carnation (I'm now 40+) I'm now venturing into music production. These videos are great for amateurs and newbies into the area of synthesis and keyboards, and I for one very much appreciate your work. Very few channels cater to the newbie market, which is a large buyer group, and the information you provide is useful and entertaining in equal measure.
Kudos to you guys!
Craig
Reface CS is seriously underrated IMO. The filter is really unique, almost a cross between a Volca/MS-20 Korg and an Oberheim SEM/OBX. Doesn't quite self oscillate but has a nice bite. I've gotten some very OB sounds out of this and the stick bender is very playable.
The effects on all the Reface units are quite good. Yamaha should sell a Reface FX with hands on controls from all their Reface units. They work great with the keyboard units and I wish I could route external gear thru them. You need a computer or external device to save presets except on the DX version but they all sound great. Come on Yamaha and give us access to these effects.
One learning advantage to the MicroBrute is that actual lack of presets. If your a youtube junkie and see a video that is showing the MicroBrute you can snap a screenshot and attempt to recreate the patch. If your tapping the keyboard while making adjustments you are hearing the changes in real time unlike a preset which is instantaneous.
My favorite thing about the Monologue is the battery option. Being able to pick up the instrument, take it anywhere and play is a massive advantage. I scoffed at this when I first purchased the instrument, but it has now become my favorite feature.
Lastly the Uno should have been on that list. Less expensive, analogue and the most portable synth.
dont let em roast your beard. be who you are. independent black woman jack. be you
have to say they are all great for the price. All have their own character. I own a monologue very underrated synth, I use it on almost every track I produce.
Oh gosh, i am actually choosing right now between monologue and microbrute and booom! you drop this comparison, thank you!
No worriez Rustam, hope it helps 🤞
Buy them both you will not be disappointed.
I was thinking about a microkorg but a friend recommended a monologue instead. This video sealed the deal. Thx
I got a reface CS and within a year sold it and moved up to a prophet rev2. It was an inspiring enough and taught me so much that I wanted to invest in a real big boi synth.
As someone who's been messing about and exploring more synths than I care to remember over the better part of my adult life it was the very simplicity and portable nature that sold me on this thing. Big boi synths are awesome but the small and carefully considered set of parameters and absence of presets makes it a really refreshing change of pace in this day and age :)
Rum Ham, great point. Curious. What do u currently recommend that great for the price, and then the ultimate compact piece of gear. I’ve been looking at the auturia products, native instruments line, and Roland stuff. Thanks!
Rum Ham , Oh, I admit I like the larger keys, better than those micro one’s.😂
I went the opposite way. Rev2 ----> CS
@@aakash9058 tbh I wish i still had the CS. it fits in my backpack and can follow me to the couch. my first album came fast with the CS and the rev2 while more lush is a slower tool for me in general.
Yamaha Reface CS looks and sounds great. The price seems to be going up. It's looks like a steal for $299. If I can find it under $250 I'll get it without hesitation.
Late to the party, but having experience with all three, the CS is the winner. Great build quality, a variety of sounds, and polyphonic. The Monolgue is good, too, but the keybed isn't very nice, and it has its limits, but bonus on the Microtuning--a worthy synth. The Microbrute...it can sound okay, and the patch bay is nice, but the build quality is beyond terrible; including a miserable keybed was a mistake. And both Brutes I tried had horrible VCO bleed, which made it completely useless to record.
Reface CS sounds great in every demo
The CS REFACE is
Extremely UNDERRATED because of
the lack of user patches and mini keys. But it makes some wonderful sounds.
I love massive sound of Monologue.
got the monologue and its amazing!
Can we appreciate the fact that he did the cream chord progression on a synth.
*Send all your love or hate*
Sorry man. The Moog ate all the hate and turned it into bass. Only love man!
😍
I own the Reface CP and the Monologue and I love them both! I need That Reface CS tho'!
Much luv from here in Texas!! Appreciate all your vids Jack. Keep it up.
Thanks so much for the lovely comment JetJock, very kind of you mate. I ruddy love Texas man, had some of the best times of my life out there. Hope you had a good Thanksgiving X
Love my Monologue! by far the best!
The Reface CS wins the race with two fingers in its nose. The other synths are monophonic. But the real winner is a second hand Yamaha AN-1x. Then you'll get full keys, double the polyphony and memories.
I have had a lot of fun with the Microbrute over the last year, recently found it a new home and grabbed a second hand Korg Micro X instead. You've made me realise how much I'm going to miss having it around. Great video as usual!
Playing the microbrute actually changed my mind about buying it. It felt cheap and awful. Thinking about buying one with busted keys though, as I'd be using something else to control it anyway.
That CS reface sounds damn good!
Such was lovely simple song, beautifully executed !
Ok, this was a really fun comparison of 3 awesome synths, but you really dropped the ball on why the Monolouge is stand-out: The overpowered and hyper versatile sequencer that Kong paid Aphex Twin to design. It is really the star of the synth (although it is a great sounding bass synth on its own)
This guy isn't nerdy enough to be a synth player 😂
Heatpod Music Then you have to check out the synth-battle (Moog vs Korg) and you will be amazed by the God-level playing of Jack (without beard).
😂 😂 😂
@Reed Sylas that's illegal
@Reed Sylas Yeah your right, nobody cares
@Reed Sylas nobody cares bro spam elsewhere
very nice radiohead'y intro! i like it a lot
11:13 defo hearing Paul McCartney - Wonderful Christmas time pahaha merry Christmas dude
I love how you play through them to really show their qualities instead of just talking about them
Don't forget the brand new Modal Electronics SKULPT synthesizer!
All three together make a nice little studio - MIDI them up!
"This filter's really squelchy"
Mans' probably never heard a tb303 before
Can you do something on amplification / speakers for a synth newbie?
"We've actually got place to go haven't we,, chris? 😉" had me rolling
i have the cs (virtual analogue)and dx (not a dx7 like he said)and both useful. you could probably get a model d for 250 at some places.
Which one’s better in ur opinion?
I have a Reface CS and I love it!
Was really impressed with it Nick, something magic about that mini key action snd the sound of all the Reface boarss are killer I reckon! X
Jack Duxbury Yea man! I bought one sort of on the fly, I wanted a synth but couldn’t really play keyboard at the time. So got it with the intention of learning my way around a keyboard (I’m a bassist by trade), ended up falling in love with it and I’ve done so much work with it now in studio and stuff. Very versatile!! I’m gonna get the CP at some point. The sounds in that one are properly good for the money. Cheers! 🍻
Absolutely LOVE my CP!!, NEVER use it, but loves it anyway @@jackduxbury1632
If I had to have one Reface it would be the CP. Take that thing everywhere with me, especially since I found out that it had a hidden Acoustic Piano sample in there. The quality of the Rhodes and Wurli samples are up there if not better the Nord's too, think I'll have to a special vid on just my love for the CP!! All the best to you guys Xx
CP is the best
I'd recommend used juno gi especially for anyone who plays other instruments or records.
Keep this great vídeos coming, when the Moog One vídeo comes?
Super soon hopefully, date haven't quite worked out yet but we're working on it Lucas my man. Thanks for the kind words and taking the time to comment Broseph X
why is microbrute in the demo, but minibrute in the description?
Cool! It's nice to see the differences and options to get one. I got the Monologue about a month ago for 180Euro, awesome little beast. I was hesitating between a Microbrute and the Monologue but liked the Monologue better, so .. choice made. I'm thinking about a Reface DX instead of a CS and/or a Behringer Crave in the future as extra synth(s) but have enough standing besides the Monologue for now to start with. So, no rush, lol.
Don't forget the Monologue's E-to-E keybed.
You can easily jam with a blues band playing in e
Man that Microbrute sounds so freaking mean! The Monologue is much more powerful and feels like the rational bang-for-the-buck synth, but that Microbrute has such a unique sound. I can't decide between them. (I already own the CS :P)
Get the microbrute...the sound is amazing
i loved the arturia but theres no hold button. if you dont keep your hand on the keyboard, there is no sound.
@@brianwolle2509 you always have the old sticky tape trick to do on some old synths without hold -- but i have seen videos with the microbrute without playing the keys, or any midi-connection -- i am getting one next week. greetings, Levi
@@brianwolle2509 it has a 64 step sequencer on board
@@brianwolle2509 you can turn hold on with the software or use the old Guitar pick/gredit card between the keys trick
Great video. Nice introduction. Already subbed and added notifications the first video of yours I watched; this is the second.
Really enjoying the content on the channel. Keep up the good work! 👍
Cheers,
-H.B.
Should’ve jammed out on all 3 together at the end! 👍
Microbrute and a TC Electronics Flashback 2 is fun.
the motion sequencing feature on the Monologue is hugely powerful and definitely not to be missed out.,.,.,
You could play a whole set with those all together...monologues as your drum machine
Please do get me right now, you are an excellent keyboardplayer!, and i have the OUTMOST respect for you as an musician -- but you are a "keyboardist", not a "synthist";)) -- your style of playing is more "refined" that of a pure synthplayer -- so you should demo keyboards - i am going for the arturia, -- i am not a "synthist" but would like to have a "brutal noicemaker" on the side -- greetings, granpa Levi in sweden
(edit.i went for the Circuit monostation at last)
My thoughts exactly, you see him playing piano and you are blown away but as a synth player, perhaps it would be better to get another person to do it. Still great guy, great player and an amazing video ;)
Who sells those awesome sound treatments
which synth would u recommend for sounds like these? -> ruclips.net/video/mwnN22oS1AY/видео.html TYLER the CReator IGORS THEME
wow, you can immediately hear the difference in sound quality between a digital and analogue synth. defos picking either the microbrute or monologue, if you pick up the yamaha youre shortchanging yourself imo
The Yamaha is a Virtual Analog that mimics analog quite well. It sounds different from the others, but that's not because it's digital, it's just a very different filter (oscillators sound different too). It doesn't have 'worse' or 'digital' sound, it's just a different sound and it's been recorded quite poorly here, it sounds distorted. Even the metronome you hear while recording the looper sounds véry different from the one I own.
Duuudeeee who is this guy ? Loved the video man
Great channel!!!
Great video
Every time I see a reface I end feeling like I want one...
But then I also don't seem to be able to decide if I'd rather have the CS or the DX...
I mean, both, I guess? But mmh... Still... A lot of money for me to be just getting multiples of such things... XD
The DX just... FM synth is fascinating and complicated...
But the CS just looks like so much more fun and interesting to mess around with...
Which one did you end up getting? I have both
Bro I don’t care about analogue or digital, the cs is the clear winner to me out of these three
the microbrute is "ok" with external keyboard. the built-in keys are the worst I've ever had, this includes akai apc-key 25, the former negative-record holder.
I need a second monologue, it is so much fun!
I love my monologue
Wonder which amp do you use on these synths. Really have a nice sound.
probably UNO Synth also worth mentioning. It has quite cool sound . Connectivity is not as reach as Arturia or Korg models, but anyway.
Thanks for the video. Any chance of doing one on the latest generation of Edible synths?
Hey Mark, I had a google and couldn't find what you're on about Sir. Thanks for chiming in though mate and for watching X
@@jackduxbury1632 Edirol maybe? pretty sure they don't make synths tho.,.,.,
"Fine to widdly-woo on". Thankyou for that.
I play synth. We all play synth!
I don't have my own synth yet 😔
It's hard to skip those 80s videogames sounds on the Yamaha Cs 😂
What Beatles song did you play at the beginning
I think it's Dear Prudence.
Radiohead vibes for sure
The beard looks fire!
Thanks Broseph!! Thanks also for coming on to the channel to watch Sir X
hows the last sound on the microbrute done?
Jack, I'm new to synth world and want a synth that I can create a sequence with and then play a lead over the top. What should I be looking at?
@Jarred Kiser Thanks!
Alternatively, just buy a loop pedal and get whatever synth you want
Yeah, camera really likes this guy and me too
all of microbrute controls are designed to work together with other controls in a way not demonstrated here but cool video thanks
very useful video
Was that an attempt at vibrato on a keyboard at 5:30 😁 Really nice playing.
Thanks man
I would love any of these wee beasties. I have a Gaia and it's sad it's discontinued.
really?? didnt knew that
Widdly woo 😂
I have a Microbrute on the way from Andertons, woo hooooooooooooo!
MicroBrute review: "Fine to widdly woo on" - Jack Duxbury
Liking the beard. Just sayin' 😎
Moving over from conventional bass playing to dance/house with a DJ, would I be better off getting a synth set up (if so what do I need?) or get a synth pedal and continue on bass? Thanks 👍🏻🎸
10:53 banger immediately
The Yamaha's price has gone up and down more than a half-price hookers underpants on a bank holiday weekend.
£269 at the moment.
do an update of this video!
Hey man, you forgot the Yamaha DX7, you can get one for about 200 bucks
In what year?
Just no.
The CS has infinite presets when you connect it to its app
Is the Reface velocity touch sensitive ?
Francis Maxino no velocity :(
yes it is velocity sensitive!! the whole series is I own the CP version
Afaik, given the contradictory answers here:
From what I've heard the CS is velocity sensitive when sending out Midi commands, but the actual synth features built into it ignore that.
So you can use it as a midi controller and it will have velocity, but on it's own it won't.
KuraIthys I literally have the CP and there are many videos saying it’s touch sensitive all the reface keyboards are I own the CS and CP and have had the DX before
You had me at crikey!!
No wrong answers! Just get what you fancy.
Yamaha is like a yamaha, Korg is like harley davidson
I thought the CS was analogue? Went for DX myself.
Just had a look and Yamaha are calling it "Analog Physical Modelling " on the CS. I have a DX too - aboslute love it - hope you're too Sir - thanks for checking in on our vids X
*The Beard makes you appear more serious, i like it ;)*
Serious???
"Yamaha CS Reface"
Arturia sounds really terrible but the Korg Monologue looks like fun.
Monologue has a great sequencer and can be battery powered!!
IK Multimedia Uno Synth is a poly analog synth under 199
Er, it's mono.
jon fromtheUK yea the name is uno, dead giveaway
reface cs price in germany 350€ under 250 ?? not in this world Lg
Maybe first introduce all of the products at the beginning
The reface cs cost me £318
Britainians be paying people in squid 🐙 lyke what? Lmao
I hate that everyone demos these sounds with some jazzy little fill. Do something else with it people!
WUB WUB
Great review, but chill dude. You seem nervous as hell, you're a great player, just relax :)
roland tb 3, roland jx-03