As a tween in the early 80's, I wanted a DX7 so bad! I remember the 1st time I saw it in early-1984. (my friend's older brother was a professional keyboardist & had a DX7) Unfortunately the DX7 was out of my family's price range. (as was the DX21, 27 & 100). For Xmas my dear grandparents bought me a VSS-100. Finally in late-1985, my mother surprised me with a Korg Poly-800. (which led to my life long love affair w/Korg) It was a great keyboards & I STILL have it, but oh how I longed for a DX7!
My top 10 list would have been... 1. New England Digital Synclavier II. Pros: ALL DAWs are poor attempts to emulate this thing, incredible sound, military-grade hardware. Many Synclaviers were equipped with a hard-drive audio recording facility that later became the inspiration for Pro Tools. Features sampling and synthesis. Cons: as big as a car and as expensive as a house. Normally a "studio queen," the only band to tour extensively with one was Genesis. 2. Fairlight Computer Musical Instrument (CMI), Series III Pros: Extremely good sound, introduced on-screen sample editing. Features both FM synthesis and sampling and allows the operator to program hybrid sounds. Fairlight's "Page R" sequencer is very powerful even by today's standards. Most high-end recording studios had one. Cons: Almost as expensive as a Synclavier, and Fairlight's parts warehouse was in Australia. Its popularity was so high that Phil Collins wrote "There is no Fairlight on this record" on his "No Jacket Required" album's cover. 3. Yamaha DX7 Pros: Sounded good, price reasonable, tons of third-party patches. One of the first synths to use "named" patches rather than numbered - the "trumpet" patch is named Trumpet, not E4 or whatever channel you put it on. Had several variations, one with a floppy drive for patch storage. Three "expanders" - DX7s with no keyboard or control panel, which you controlled off another DX7 - were available. One was a single DX. The second was a rack-mounted box called the DX216, which had two expanders and six empty slots for more expanders. The third was the DX816 - same thing as a -216 but it shipped with eight expanders already in it. Cons: Not necessarily HARD to program, just so much different from any other keyboard on the market that you had to throw away everything you ever knew about programming synthesizers and start over. Most players couldn't wrap their heads around it...which is one of the reasons there are so many third-party patches for it. Most guys who were good at programming the DX7 never programmed synths before they got this one. 4. Sequential Prophet-5 Pros: Sounds good, looks good, easy to program, one of the first machines with computer patch storage. Cons: The "5" in the name refers to the number of notes it'll play simultaneously. If you watch old music videos, the keyboard players typically stack two synths on a stand and play one with each hand. Well...this machine is why: to play chords with both hands on a Prophet-5, you need two Prophet-5s or, typically, a Prophet-5 for one hand and something like a Roland or Oberheim for the other. Sequential Circuits introduced a machine to fix this - the Prophet-10, two Prophet-5s in the same case right down to having two keyboards. (It looks a lot like a church organ.) The Prophet-10 wasn't popular because it was very heavy, it cost more than buying two Prophet-5s, and the excess heat caused them to break down a lot. 5. Synergy Pros: Additive synthesis produces unique sounds, the ability to alter the tuning table allows you to play non-Western scales - an ability exploited by Wendy Carlos, who has at least two of them. IIRC she has two in operation and several spares. Cons: $5200 and not programmable. 6. Kurzweil 250 Pros: Solved the problem of the keyboard not feeling like a real piano by using the keyboard out of a real piano - specifically, a Baldwin. Has 88 keys - extremely atypical for the 1980s. Sounds exactly like a Steinway piano. Cons: Also weighs as much as one. Without adding a very expensive option card to the K250 - everyone did - you can't sample your own sounds. Adding sounds to it if you didn't have the sample card generally meant sending this enormous bastard to the shop to have "Option Blocks" installed in it. 7. Minimoog Pros: Best bass of any synth made, ever. Cons: Monophonic. Has three-octave keyboard. 8. Emulator II Pros: First pro-grade sampler to gain wide acceptance in the market. Sounds good, and (for the pros it was targeted at) priced reasonably - about $8000. Cons: The machine itself was okay, but the Shakuhachi flute sample it came with wore out its welcome about two weeks after the machine shipped. Unfortunately, it's been ported to every modern sampler in the universe and people are still using it. 9. Sequential Prophet VS Pros: unique "vector synthesis" used four oscillators with 127 different waveforms for each; by putting a different wave on each oscillator and blending them using a joystick you can make sounds no other technology can match. Cons: EXTREMELY weird to program, and the cost of developing it plus the problem of the Yamaha DX7's extreme popularity and lower price put Sequential Circuits out of business. Vector synthesis is still cool, and Korg and Yamaha still make VS machines. 10. PAiA Gnome Pros: it was a little kit that cost fifty bucks. It ran on batteries and was about the size of a hardback book, so you could carry it around easily. Because you had to build it yourself, its owners could field-modify it easily, adding keyboards and all manner of other input devices. Cons: Monophonic, it showed up on your doorstep as a box of loose parts you had to solder together, and it sounded like it cost fifty bucks.
Your detailed review of these synths is awesome. Thank you for the time it took to write this. Your intimate knowledge of these machines, with a little history thrown in, is much appreciated.
Wow! I've seen with pleasure this video. A jump in the past... and in the present :-) Lovers of the plugins and soft synths must remember that every synth comes from these classic monsters. I agree with your list, should have put the Mini to #1, and added the Arp2600, Oberheim OBX-a and Korg M1. They have been classics, cannot miss in a so well-done list :-) Anyway, great job!
Totally agree with your number one choice. I owned one back in the mid 80s and it really was (and still is) the king of synths, despite the fact that it almost gave you a hernia just looking at it, let alone trying to move the bugger!
Out of my family's price range as well mate! :) I got a job as a tech' at a college studio in 1986, not long finished school. When I arrived, it had just been built with everything still in boxes! First happy task, unpack the synth's!! 17 years old and I was unpacking a bran-new Juno106, MonoPoly, CZ1000, PF15, and TWO DX7's!! My head exploded, happier than a pig in shit! Few months later, I'd saved enough for an Ensoniq ESQ1. I could sequence my own stuff at home then, the world opened:)
Great that you are featuring some digital synths as well. People are too stuck up with the analog trend. Fact is, there are classic synths, whatever technology is being used. A good synth is like an entire universe with it's own unique vibe. If you are interested check my channel featuring music with the use of a wide range of synths, FM, analog, waveform, you name it, as well as acoustic instruments. Hope you like it.
Very good list actually. It's difficult to squeeze synths in to a 10-list. Top 20 would've been easier. And you really got me here. I thought you'd make a joke topping #2 Minimoog with OP-1, but you indeed topped it with the CS-80. Impressed with your knowledge of synthesizers there.
Spot on. Having owned or own 5 of these including the top 2. I actually owned the first ever CS80 that had full MIDI. My biggest regret ever selling it!!
nice video..nice background track. Can't say I necessarily would agree with the order as with most. CS80 is certainly one of the greatest creation stations of all time :-). And I know D50, DX7 and Synclavier are in there for the landmark positions they hold with high sales and high use in music of their day. But in retrospect....the top 10 'if I was stuck on a desert Island' collection...haha..... with multi-track capability so multi-timbrality is a non-issue let's say and infinite repair credits... and no space/weight considerations (plenty of trained apes on the island to be roadies) I'd be like 1- CS80 2- ARP 2600 3- Hammond Novacord 4- Korg DSS-1 w/Visotrek upgrade 5- Hammond B3/Leslie 122 x2 (ok it's an 'organ' more than a synth but well I'd like one there) or 5- Jupiter 8 6- Memorymoog 7- Korg Kronos 8- Prophet VS 9- Korg Mono/Poly 10- Jupiter 4 with IO. Ok so the strategy is this. CS80 has the great ring mod and pitch controller and greatest synth tones available pretty much and great feel and poly AT. ARP 2600 is probably the greatest sounding and flexible combination in monosynths. Novacord can do fabulous strings and is a full poly synth like no other in that class. All tubes. Need i say more? The DSS-1, a sampler with great analog filters and now mass storage. JP8 catches anything cS80 misses pretty much in polysynth if we can't adapt B3 into being a synth :-). Memorymoog has the same stuff as a mini and I know loses some of the esoteric quality in the vco design but hey it's way more flexible and do we need another monosynth with the 2600? Kronos is a good catch all of digital. VS is one of the most unique sounding hybrids and mono/poly can drive the 2600 as I'm doing for some fabulous arpeggio action. And they just sound cool as does the JP4. Voices I would badly miss if they weren't there. Now in terms of practical production the list would look very different I think. If I want reliable, portable and diversified for access to a vast variety of sounds accessible at once for instance 1) Oberheim OB8 2) ARP 2600 3) Korg Kronos 4) Kurzweil K2600 and then some of the obvious same ones. I might throw in a Kawai K5000 too there... one that almost made the other list and maybe should
I agree. When I left school, all my friends got loans to buy cars: I got a loan to buy a DX7. I really wanted analog-style sounds, but the sheer range of the 7 convinced me. I really got into the programming and found a weird thing (bug?) in stacking three detuned OSC pairs ... like analog chorusing! I got some wild Polymoog-style breathy warm sounds from that effect. Great synth, I still have it.
I had to ring in on this one. As much as I love the Yamaha CS80 (and you have justly placed it at the top of yor list), the CS80 was (is) actually (at over 200lbs in weight) the portable version and offspring of the mighty Yamaha GX-1 Electone; a 3/4 of a ton behemoth, enjoyed by ABBA, Led Zeppelin and Stevie Wonder, to name a few. That said, I share now my thoughts about the great war as to which is the best synthesizers of all time. Firstly and foremostly, I would like to remind one and all, that until time itself ends, we will never know in our lifetimes as to which synthesizer will ever earn that title. The 'Best Synthesizer Ever Made...so far' is about as far as we can go with any list along this theme. Allow me to digress even further... What one must remember is the word Synthesize. It comes from a desire to recreate what is real using synthetic means. All manufacturers of the 'Analogue Synthesizer Era' were trying to achieve 'real sounds' or sounds that accurately represented those of acoustic instruments found in an orchestra. That is why, even on the oldest of synthesizers there are sounds called Piano, etc. Ofcourse they also discovered in this process, that a 'Pandora's Box' was opened in the processes that followed. The manufacturers themselves could not have forecasted scope and breadth of the amazing results their instruments would achieve. Those results would come from composers and musicians, professional or not. Too many to name, they are the pioneers of the sounds we enjoy, carry on and springboard from today, along with the people who designed and built those instruments. Analogue, Analogue-Digital, Digital, Digitial Sampling and Virtual Digital Synthesis are, each of them, worlds unto themselves, and you will all agree. Each will offer something to creativity and each will present challenges to the composers and musicians. Listen to Vangelis for example, and notice so many of the sounds he created have a breathy and alive quality to them. The CS80 ceases to sound like an instrument and becomes an alomost living entity. This is the result of a master musician; one who dedicated unimaginable hours of dedication to seeking and finding the limitations of their instrument...or perhaps their own limitations in handling it. Continuing with the CS80 as an example, it is a VERY responsive instrument, allowing the user physical hands-on manipulation of the sounds LIVE. No two performances will ever be exactly the same because the Analogue instrument is a wild animal that has to be tamed as it performs. So many of the countless sounds from that instrument alone, have come through endless LIVE experimentation. This cannot be achieved with Digital synthesizers. With Digital Synthesizers, one must think ahead to the sounds one will need, then pre-program them before performing. That alone destroys spontaneous exploration. For this reason alone, Analogue and Digital Synthesizers should never be compared to one another. They are completely different species and each has its own sythesis architecture and interfaces. On an even further disgression, I point out that Guitar Effects Pedals are also synthesizers. The famous rock band Queen, on each of their albums, proudly stated, 'No Synthesizers!' were used on their albums. Freddie Mercury was quite outspoken against the use of synthesizers, deeming them a bastardization of 'pure' instruments and had no place in their work... (Ahh, the adorable folly of the innocent). What Freddie (and a multitude of others) did not realize, was that their own guitar effects pedals were 'bastardizing' the pure sounds of their guitars and pianos. In their later albums, Queen most certainly did use synthesizers and unapologetically clammed up on their previous viewpoints. Ultimately, it is the final product; the sounds and the notes and of equal importance, the arrangements and mixing and mastering that will determine the outcomes and popularity of what we enjoy. Such is the wonderous world of music. There are no boundaries. There are no limits. Each world of Synthesizers will continue to offer endless bounties of possibilities. I enjoy all types of Synthesizers. My heart will always belong to the GX-1 and CS Series by Yamaha, but that is my own preference. All instruments have something to offer. It is only a bad carpenter who blames his tools. Therefore, when you next look upon your, or anyone elses instruments, explore them, for they have much to offer still that will take your breath away. If anyone made it to the end of my post, thank you for reading it all. I am enjoying to read all of the comments here and my thanks to the Originating Poster for the video. Cheers to all ♩ ♪ ♫ ♬
I humbly have to praise you for your unbiased and objective explanation, Patricia. I loved the part in which you say, "the Analogue instrument is a wild animal that has to be tamed as it performs."
Agree that most people think the idea of a synthesiser is that it emulated 'real' instruments, but they are a class of instrument in their own right. They are not s poor imitation. All instruments are artificial, manmade. Synthesiser are just electronic instruments. I have always loved the sounds they can make, often better than acoustic instruments. What fascinates me is the hidden potential in most synthesisers that can only be realised by many hours of programming.
There must be at least 50 different synths that deserves being on the top 10 list.... A few oddities here, but it is a "personal favourite list" so I won´t argue too much. I do miss a Juno from Roland on this list, an most certaintly the CMI Fairlight wich changed music history during the 80s. I also understand the demand for a Oberheim - makes people JUMP for joy :-P I do enjoy your video, I like seeing what others like.
finally, a video with fitting background music: the haunting "Irena's theme" by Giorgio Moroder from the re-make of Cat People, "Irena", being played by a young and gorgeous Nastassia Kinsky. A movie soundtrack with excellent use of early synthesizers.
That is a pretty bold title. There were some game changers like the DX7, that are common knowledge to any seasoned keyboardist. Vintage for me (and this is a preference) means PITA (pain in the ###). Vintage synths required some maintenance (I usually did my own) and polyphony was always an issue. Using a keyboard for bass fits only certain styles of music. Anyway, I am no longer interested in "vintage" hardware synths. They are old, limited and require maintenance (this is my opinion) I have owned several. OB8 was awesome, Juno 106 still holds. I was impressed that you mentioned the Korg Wavestation. That would be my #1. That was a fine piece of equipment. Very hard to program. Would take me an entire day to create one sound, but it was worth it. Motif Classic (I know it is a workstation but it has to mean something when Stevie Wonder prefers the Motif Classic over other keyboards, even the newer revisions of the Motif itself). Sorry for rambling. Cool topic though.
Roland Juno 106 was a great synth and many people never knew nothing about it. Maybe D-50 or in the end of 80,s U-20 or JV-1000/JV-80 was more "mediates" , but was the Juno 106 sounds and technology the base for today Roland best synths /workstations. (Sorry my English writer. I'm not English or American. I did my best :) )
A fair list man! and i like your 'honorable mention' section in the description too, tho I would give the Juno 60 a place over the 106 ;) ARP 2600 is also classic (R2D2! haha) & dont forget the early Moog Modular! Wendy/Walter Carlos, Giorgio Moroder, etc.
The ESQ1 is a hybrid synth. Three digital oscillators(8-bit sample ROM) times eight voices, into Curtis analog filters and digitally controlled VCA's. 3digital 5-stage ENV's and 3LFO's per voice. Each OSC has it's own DCA(1-3), summing into master DCA4. Great mod' matrix. It can sound a lot like a DX in some ways. Basic 8-track poly' real/step time seq'. Had a few lessons, but mainly taught myself on my dads old piano. Studio/live work for 'Maxi Priest', 'Cleopatra & the Attractions'
I guess everyone is entitled to their opinion. This is an interesting list for sure, but I do agree there were many important omissions! Although probably not a top 10 synth, I agree with the user that states his love for the Roland JD-800. I replaced my DX7 with one of these and still have it. It can be lush, warm and also very "digital sounding". It's analog lead sounds are huge. This is a well designed, simple to use, very powerful machine that should not be overlooked!
My ranking only on the base of POWER - which is: expressive abillity + flexibility: 1. Synclavier 3600 It can do complex FM sounds (frankly, FM synthesis is the most powerful), and it's an audiophile quality sampler, with individual DACs and ADCs for each channel. Fairlight machines pale un comparison. 2. Yamaha CS-80 or GX-1 Polyphonic aftertouch, immense expressive possibilities. 3. Yamaha DX1 FM synthesis with deluxe DACs and polyphonic aftertouch... actually i could place this one at #1. 4. Korg PS-3300 This one could be a Yamaha CS-80 killer. It is FULLY POLYPHONIC (48 voice polyphony for 48 keys), has 144 oscillators, 144 filters, 144 envelopes and 144 amplifiers, and even Bob Moog was impressed. 5. Moog memorymoog Six complete minimoogs under the hood, should satisfy anyone...
Good list. Not the same top ten that I would pick, but everyone has their preferences. I'm a vintage analog junkie, so that's where most (but not all) of my list would be. I might respond with my own list.
Yep. I also added some congrats for inclusions and a suggestion which one to ditch (Roland D 50 - c'mon folks, that noisy think with grainy sample attacks?). I miss the Oberheim beasts. They sound fantastic.
mootbooxle LOL! Naw, we just happen to look for the same stuff. Great to see you here as well. I am a huge keyboard buff (just as yourself) including pianos, Hammonds, electric pianos, clavinets, pianets and and synths (preferrably classic analog). So we happen to bump into each other from time to time. :-D
as far as the Roland D50 you HAVE to consider. the impact the units had when they were debuted, the D50 when it came out, could do a HUGE amount of sounds, used very small wave rom, can do both digital/analog sound's and used very little to accomplish this. Digital, analog, built in effects/dsp? Huge deal.
I would hardly say that a synth being monophonic is a negative thing, like you state in the video. Since you mostly can handle your playing with one hand, you have one hand to constantly tweak and that is a playstyle a lot of people appreciate.
Just an opinion: I don't think that the facts of both being monophonic and lacking midi should be considered as "disadvantages". They're just normal and sometimes "desirable" features on several synthesizers, both vintage and modern. Furthermore, the facts that, in this very moment, the synth market is flooded by brand new monosynths and that, in 2008, MoogMusic released The MiniMoog Voyager Old School, which is an analogue monosynth without midi, are just two examples that tend to support my point. Cheers!
nice trip.never listened the first one.i agree with you with many choices as d50(with pg 1000) dx7(will say the dx7 2 fd) prophet5,,cs 80.Some are missed also ;-) like arp 2600 ,oberheim matrix 12,emulator 2;emax,arp odissey ,ppg wave,juno 106,moog taurus,kurzweil k2500 and 2000 and now for me nord lead family and system8 from roland..dificult to do a top 10 but i like your video.thank you
INTERESTING ! Thanks ! A well thought out list .I was surprised and happy to see the Korg wave station make the list .I use a Korg M1 and a Korg T 1 . I do think that Robert Moog pushed the envelop on the entire synthesizer field .When Bob Moog was on the Kurtzsweil 2000 team , I wanted to know if it seemed to bear a Moog signature sound .Any experience with the Kurtzweil 2000 ?
The people claiming the mini should have the number one spot obviously never owned/really used one and are probably forming their opinion based on their plugins folder. I had one for many years, it only really deserves to be in the top 5 because of how influential its design was/still is.
I loved the use of the Cat People theme in the background. Of course, "best" is pretty much based on one's personal preferences. I 'd have liked to see one of the early Casio professionals in there. The VZ10 was a pretty impressive machine in its day. Very nice listing, though.
Oh yeah, I use a Korg Triton Extreme, Roland RS5 for stock digi sounds for live work(and studio). The only vintage I'll risk live is an SH101. Thought I'd better mention, incase you think I'm leaving them out to look like I've only got 'cool' synths. I love all things electronic that make nice noises man!
Fairlight CMI was a new paradigm, more than the DX7 ever was.... But none could afford it. Please take a listen of : Art of Noise - Who's afraid of? Jean-Michel Jarre - Zoolook
Though it is part keyboard, part synthesizer, the Cassio Concertmate 990 is fantastic! It's easy to program, has midi capability (at least mine does), light, has fantastic sound, is pretty cheap, and has a pretty simple setup in general! The thing is, I think it's from the 90s... I think.
Korg M1, Roland D50, Yamaha DX7, Arp 2600, Nord Lead (c'mon, it really started the digital-analog revolution), Jupiter 8, Oberheim eight voice, Prophet 5, Yamaha GX1, Minimoog.
AtlasVulpes I totally agree. A top-10-list without the Moog Modular Monters like the System 55 isn't complete at all. After all, this special model would be my personal #1! ;-) Glad to see that at least the MiniMoog was mentioned. It is really a fine piece of art for bass and leads! That's why I got the correspondent Arturia VST-plugins (both, the Modular V and the MiniMoog). Fantastic to use with Cubase.
I TOTALLY AGREE! RIP UP THE SEATS! Bob Moog was THE inventor of the FIRST usable synth and his baby, the Minimoog should NEVER be relinquished to a number 2 slot! Of ALL of these so called synths you can ask anyone to name one that they have heard of and more often than not the name "Minimoog" WILL be the answer!
Also don't forget Electric Light Orchestra's epic 1981 "Time" album!! Jeff Lynne is a musical genius with that Yamaha CS-80 - Definitely at the top of my list of synths as well!!
Calm down geeks! It was only the poster's OWN opinion of their own top 10 - Kind of depends on your age and experience - some would cherish a Juno106 or SH101 more than an synclavier or mini moog, no big deal. Although it is ironic that the ‘working class synths’ (106, 101 etc.) now go for similar prices that the exotic and previously unobtainable synths often do. I remember working in a music shop in the 80’s and we couldn’t get rid of the old moogs and ARPs, practically gave them away!
Scott Birch D-50 is a very good subtractive synthesizer, with variable pulse width for square wave (sawtooth obtained at filter stage), ring modulator, 3 LFO's, lowpass filter with resonance, multistage envelopes, parametric EQ, chorus, reverb, delay, etc. What's not to like? D-50 is fantastic.
I've programmed a DX and a D50 ...D50 Way easier. The only comparison is that D50 "Structures" are close to DX "Operators". But that's where it ends lol
Took the words out of my mouth. The DX7 is by far one of the worst UIs on a synth..ever and if this were my list it wouldn't even make an appearance lol.. The D50 is a cake walk by comparison.
all these synths are so amazing as inaccessible... because no one has a list of synth from 2000? Access, Waldorf, DSI, Elektron... Thanks for share :-)
Sweet! You might have to order disks online. (but Walmart may have some in stock) Only $5-$10 for a pack of 5-10 & that's really enough. I'm excited for you. Once you get disks, a whole, new, world of sound will be available for you & your Triton. I will give you links & if need be, I can show you how to load & save Triton programs. The Rose & also Legacy series of programs are amazing. (I use them on my Triton demos) Yes I will do a V-Synth demo. I'm also getting a Korg Z-1 or Alesis Fusion. =D
I would have added the Oberheim OB-x or Matrix-12, something by ARP, probably the 2600, and the PPG 2.3 or Wave. I would have actually replaced the Minimoog with the Memorymoog, and moved it down a few spots. The Synclavier is also hard to place on any list, because it could do so much more and came in so many varieties. But hey, that's just me, this is your vid. :-)
PTechnicalOriginal, the algorithms to use are the three double-stack ones (ALG 5 and 6). The trick is to set the relative frequency of each pair slightly off from the other pairs. So Operators 3 and 4 get Freq of 1.00, Ops 1 and 2 get 0.99, and Ops 5 and 6 get 1.01. Theoretically this should produce a complex interplay of slow beat frequencies without any dramatic change to the timbre ... after all, you merely get a beat frequency when you do that with TWO stacks, for instance. ...
...and in terms of it's numbers as well as it's massive influence on the future of all synthesizers, the MINIMOOG should have garnered the #1 spot. The CS-80 was cool, no doubt...but the Mini had (IMHO) a far greater effect on the music world...and is still the gold standard for keyboards. In terms of useable life...sound...durability...construction...the MINI is the all-time champ. All hail the King !!
Hmm, where is Kurzweil k2000? Incredible sounds, capable of all the ways of sound synthesis simultaneously, into one 32-layer program (patch). Very good sampler too. Very powerful sequencer. The workstation of today (2016), back in 1990.
I have to agree, Ray Kurzweil's K250 and then tbe next generation K2000, K2500 and finally K2600 are some of the most brilliant synthesis engine's ever. Plus, We are missing the ARP's(2500, 2600 and odyssey's. )Buchla's, fairlight and PPG
I consider the ARP 2600 as the best synth ever made.He's the biggest giant in synthesizerworld.The ARP 2600, is together with the ARP 2500 and the ARP ODYSSEY on my wishlist.The Synthi AKS also:-)
Wait, are you talking about the music played in the background of Doctor who or the main theme? Because the 80s theme was made from jupiter7,Yamaha cs80,and an Arp Oddesy :P and the 70s version is made of string plucks ran through a sound generator :P
A Synclavier was used on this song for the horn parts. I think this was the only soundtrack Giorgio Moroder used a Synclavier on. I would love to find out what he uses for his string pad sounds, especially the flanged ones...
No ARP Oddy, 2500, 2600, Roland SH-101 or Moog Modular synthesizers in a synth top 10? I don't think so. In addition, as some posted before me I don't think that Tangerine Dream used a Synclavier. This was an instrument in the league of Michael Jackson (Steve Porcaro rather), Frank Zappa, Trevor Horn, George Michael (on Faith; he needed a Roland Juno 106 next to it), George Harrison (he used it to replace bass players in the studio), Neil Young (yes he did!), Jeff Lynne, Stevie Wonder, Pete Townshend, John McLaughlin, and a not so long etc.
In '87 (I was 16yo) my grandparent's bought me a Roland D-10. By then, my family's fortune had changed. (though not enough to afford the D-50 I really wanted). In '89 I joined the family business, saved up & got a Korg M1. A few years later my grandparents bought me a Korg O1/W. In 2001 I fell into a small fortune & bought a Korg Triton, Yamaha EX5 & Motif-6 & Roland XV5080. In January I got a Korg Kronos X. From 2001 on I could finally afford a DX7, but I no longer have interest in the DX7. :-(
An opinion can never be "wrong". You may disagree with someones opinion, or have a different opinion, but that's it. "And there are many others more exotic and expensive and better at making sounds!". That is totally subjective. What sounds "better" to you, may not sound better to others. The synths listed here are only Scifimaster92's opinion. Other people my agree/disagree or have different opinions. BTW, you CAN play a melody on a monophonic synths. There's nothing misleading about that.
good list. to chris b.i did my crocketts theme on my korg triton.hard to tell it from the original....even though it took about 2 months of programming. just getting to grips with my new nord i have just brought.hopefully a bit quicker than digital!
The ARP was clearly missed. 1) CS-80. 2) Moog mini moog 3) ARP 2600 4) SQ Prophet 5) Jupiter 8......That has to be the historically significant list. But "to each is own". I owned the CS 80. I repaired it and it took 8 months to get the repair. I sold it for $1000 more than I paid. I didn't want to actually but real life got in the way...By the way I would have gotten double for it today at least . I paid like 9 grand for it.
You can try different multiples of values too: 0.99, 1, 2.02 etc. As long as the three values are multiples of three numbers that are very close to each other but not equal, the output will be quite musical. Note that the usable range with some frequency choices might be limited to less than the DX7's 61 keys: you get some Nyquist aliasing high up.
In no order (and caveat: I've owned only two of these): Yamaha SY77/99 (I have the 77 and it beats the heck out of DXanything) Roland D50 (has its own unique, fresh sound that still holds up to these ears) Moog Minimoog (of course) Kurzweil K2000 (miles ahead of contemporaries in sample quality, great effects) Yamaha CS-80 (gotta agree with the dude here; incredible sound) Synclavier or Fairlight (take your pick; Synclavier has FM, Fairlight has waveform-drawing) Ensoniq Fizmo (with the regulator fix, of course; I'll admit I'm a sucker for anything that's truly its own synth, and it's definitely unique, for better or for worse) Korg DSS-1 (I own this and if it had an arpeggiator, polyphonic aftertouch, and portamento it'd be top-5 easily; almost didn't put it on this list, as it is, but 8-voice sampler with analog filter, digital delay, velocity, and aftertouch is too much to pass up) Kawai K5000 (again with the preference for unique sounds; I'd take the K5000W, which has an arpeggiator, over the S, which has a sequencer and additional PCM) ARP Odyssey (just a tiny bit ahead of the 2600; duophony must've been pretty nice back then) Honorable mention: Roland TB-303 (awesome sound, just not nearly as complex or versatile as competitors) Sequential Circuits Prophet 5 (not reliable enough, and going purely on sound I'd take the CS-80 over it for an analog polysynth any day) Yamaha DX-1 (piano-style keyboard and great sound from what I've heard, but lack of filter, sequencer/arpeggiator, or any effects section knocks it down a peg) Korg Wavestation (complexity of sounds is great but can't quite stack up with the others in my book) Roland Jupiter 8/Oberheim OB-8 (8-voice analog polysynth; both are lovely but I'll take the greater flexibility and more expressive keybed of my Korg)
10: Oberheim Matrix 12 (Xpander) - 09:Roland juno 106 - 08: korg ms20 - 07: korg monopoly - 06: Alesis A6 Andromeda - 05: Roland jupiter 8 - 04: Sequential Circuits Prophet 5 - 03: Moog mini moog - 02 : Arp 2600 - 01: Roland system100 - 00: Moog Modular
Fantastic SciFiMaster92. Thank you for putting this piece together.
As a tween in the early 80's, I wanted a DX7 so bad! I remember the 1st time I saw it in early-1984. (my friend's older brother was a professional keyboardist & had a DX7) Unfortunately the DX7 was out of my family's price range. (as was the DX21, 27 & 100). For Xmas my dear grandparents bought me a VSS-100. Finally in late-1985, my mother surprised me with a Korg Poly-800. (which led to my life long love affair w/Korg) It was a great keyboards & I STILL have it, but oh how I longed for a DX7!
very enjoyable. I owned six out of your ten. GOOD TIMES!
Brought back some very cool memories....Thanks!
YOU KNOW THAT'S RIGHT !!!!
I just emailed someone about a synthesizer. Had one when I was a youth I'd use one today. Great for making complex music.
My top 10 list would have been...
1. New England Digital Synclavier II.
Pros: ALL DAWs are poor attempts to emulate this thing, incredible sound, military-grade hardware. Many Synclaviers were equipped with a hard-drive audio recording facility that later became the inspiration for Pro Tools. Features sampling and synthesis.
Cons: as big as a car and as expensive as a house. Normally a "studio queen," the only band to tour extensively with one was Genesis.
2. Fairlight Computer Musical Instrument (CMI), Series III
Pros: Extremely good sound, introduced on-screen sample editing. Features both FM synthesis and sampling and allows the operator to program hybrid sounds. Fairlight's "Page R" sequencer is very powerful even by today's standards. Most high-end recording studios had one.
Cons: Almost as expensive as a Synclavier, and Fairlight's parts warehouse was in Australia. Its popularity was so high that Phil Collins wrote "There is no Fairlight on this record" on his "No Jacket Required" album's cover.
3. Yamaha DX7
Pros: Sounded good, price reasonable, tons of third-party patches. One of the first synths to use "named" patches rather than numbered - the "trumpet" patch is named Trumpet, not E4 or whatever channel you put it on. Had several variations, one with a floppy drive for patch storage. Three "expanders" - DX7s with no keyboard or control panel, which you controlled off another DX7 - were available. One was a single DX. The second was a rack-mounted box called the DX216, which had two expanders and six empty slots for more expanders. The third was the DX816 - same thing as a -216 but it shipped with eight expanders already in it.
Cons: Not necessarily HARD to program, just so much different from any other keyboard on the market that you had to throw away everything you ever knew about programming synthesizers and start over. Most players couldn't wrap their heads around it...which is one of the reasons there are so many third-party patches for it. Most guys who were good at programming the DX7 never programmed synths before they got this one.
4. Sequential Prophet-5
Pros: Sounds good, looks good, easy to program, one of the first machines with computer patch storage.
Cons: The "5" in the name refers to the number of notes it'll play simultaneously. If you watch old music videos, the keyboard players typically stack two synths on a stand and play one with each hand. Well...this machine is why: to play chords with both hands on a Prophet-5, you need two Prophet-5s or, typically, a Prophet-5 for one hand and something like a Roland or Oberheim for the other. Sequential Circuits introduced a machine to fix this - the Prophet-10, two Prophet-5s in the same case right down to having two keyboards. (It looks a lot like a church organ.) The Prophet-10 wasn't popular because it was very heavy, it cost more than buying two Prophet-5s, and the excess heat caused them to break down a lot.
5. Synergy
Pros: Additive synthesis produces unique sounds, the ability to alter the tuning table allows you to play non-Western scales - an ability exploited by Wendy Carlos, who has at least two of them. IIRC she has two in operation and several spares.
Cons: $5200 and not programmable.
6. Kurzweil 250
Pros: Solved the problem of the keyboard not feeling like a real piano by using the keyboard out of a real piano - specifically, a Baldwin. Has 88 keys - extremely atypical for the 1980s. Sounds exactly like a Steinway piano.
Cons: Also weighs as much as one. Without adding a very expensive option card to the K250 - everyone did - you can't sample your own sounds. Adding sounds to it if you didn't have the sample card generally meant sending this enormous bastard to the shop to have "Option Blocks" installed in it.
7. Minimoog
Pros: Best bass of any synth made, ever.
Cons: Monophonic. Has three-octave keyboard.
8. Emulator II
Pros: First pro-grade sampler to gain wide acceptance in the market. Sounds good, and (for the pros it was targeted at) priced reasonably - about $8000.
Cons: The machine itself was okay, but the Shakuhachi flute sample it came with wore out its welcome about two weeks after the machine shipped. Unfortunately, it's been ported to every modern sampler in the universe and people are still using it.
9. Sequential Prophet VS
Pros: unique "vector synthesis" used four oscillators with 127 different waveforms for each; by putting a different wave on each oscillator and blending them using a joystick you can make sounds no other technology can match.
Cons: EXTREMELY weird to program, and the cost of developing it plus the problem of the Yamaha DX7's extreme popularity and lower price put Sequential Circuits out of business. Vector synthesis is still cool, and Korg and Yamaha still make VS machines.
10. PAiA Gnome
Pros: it was a little kit that cost fifty bucks. It ran on batteries and was about the size of a hardback book, so you could carry it around easily. Because you had to build it yourself, its owners could field-modify it easily, adding keyboards and all manner of other input devices.
Cons: Monophonic, it showed up on your doorstep as a box of loose parts you had to solder together, and it sounded like it cost fifty bucks.
Your detailed review of these synths is awesome. Thank you for the time it took to write this. Your intimate knowledge of these machines, with a little history thrown in, is much appreciated.
OBX's are still my fav. I love their texture.
Wow! I've seen with pleasure this video. A jump in the past... and in the present :-) Lovers of the plugins and soft synths must remember that every synth comes from these classic monsters.
I agree with your list, should have put the Mini to #1, and added the Arp2600, Oberheim OBX-a and Korg M1. They have been classics, cannot miss in a so well-done list :-)
Anyway, great job!
Totally agree with your number one choice. I owned one back in the mid 80s and it really was (and still is) the king of synths, despite the fact that it almost gave you a hernia just looking at it, let alone trying to move the bugger!
Agreed indeed. I wholeheartedly back up your selections!
Nice List!! Hmmm mine would be?? 10. Yamaha SY77 9. Roland XP80, 8. Novation Supernova 7. Akai AX80 6. Korg PolySix 5. Ensoniq TS10 4. Roland JD800 3. Prophet 5 2. Roland Jupiter 8 1. Yamaha DX1
Out of my family's price range as well mate! :) I got a job as a tech' at a college studio in 1986, not long finished school. When I arrived, it had just been built with everything still in boxes! First happy task, unpack the synth's!! 17 years old and I was unpacking a bran-new Juno106, MonoPoly, CZ1000, PF15, and TWO DX7's!! My head exploded, happier than a pig in shit! Few months later, I'd saved enough for an Ensoniq ESQ1. I could sequence my own stuff at home then, the world opened:)
Great that you are featuring some digital synths as well. People are too stuck up with the analog trend. Fact is, there are classic synths, whatever technology is being used. A good synth is like an entire universe with it's own unique vibe. If you are interested check my channel featuring music with the use of a wide range of synths, FM, analog, waveform, you name it, as well as acoustic instruments. Hope you like it.
To me the Mini MOOG is the number one for all times. Thanks the fabulous 24dB/Oct filter !
Very good list actually. It's difficult to squeeze synths in to a 10-list. Top 20 would've been easier. And you really got me here. I thought you'd make a joke topping #2 Minimoog with OP-1, but you indeed topped it with the CS-80. Impressed with your knowledge of synthesizers there.
TOP Man, very good Education !!! Thank You Bro !!!!!!!!!!!!! Cheers, Frank
Spot on. Having owned or own 5 of these including the top 2. I actually owned the first ever CS80 that had full MIDI. My biggest regret ever selling it!!
nice video..nice background track. Can't say I necessarily would agree with the order as with most. CS80 is certainly one of the greatest creation stations of all time :-). And I know D50, DX7 and Synclavier are in there for the landmark positions they hold with high sales and high use in music of their day. But in retrospect....the top 10 'if I was stuck on a desert Island' collection...haha..... with multi-track capability so multi-timbrality is a non-issue let's say and infinite repair credits... and no space/weight considerations (plenty of trained apes on the island to be roadies) I'd be like
1- CS80
2- ARP 2600
3- Hammond Novacord
4- Korg DSS-1 w/Visotrek upgrade
5- Hammond B3/Leslie 122 x2 (ok it's an 'organ' more than a synth but well I'd like one there)
or
5- Jupiter 8
6- Memorymoog
7- Korg Kronos
8- Prophet VS
9- Korg Mono/Poly
10- Jupiter 4 with IO.
Ok so the strategy is this. CS80 has the great ring mod and pitch controller and greatest synth tones available pretty much and great feel and poly AT. ARP 2600 is probably the greatest sounding and flexible combination in monosynths. Novacord can do fabulous strings and is a full poly synth like no other in that class. All tubes. Need i say more? The DSS-1, a sampler with great analog filters and now mass storage. JP8 catches anything cS80 misses pretty much in polysynth if we can't adapt B3 into being a synth :-). Memorymoog has the same stuff as a mini and I know loses some of the esoteric quality in the vco design but hey it's way more flexible and do we need another monosynth with the 2600? Kronos is a good catch all of digital. VS is one of the most unique sounding hybrids and mono/poly can drive the 2600 as I'm doing for some fabulous arpeggio action. And they just sound cool as does the JP4. Voices I would badly miss if they weren't there.
Now in terms of practical production the list would look very different I think. If I want reliable, portable and diversified for access to a vast variety of sounds accessible at once for instance
1) Oberheim OB8
2) ARP 2600
3) Korg Kronos
4) Kurzweil K2600
and then some of the obvious same ones. I might throw in a Kawai K5000 too there... one that almost made the other list and maybe should
I was unaware of the DSS-1 Virostek upgrade. Thanks!
I agree. When I left school, all my friends got loans to buy cars: I got a loan to buy a DX7. I really wanted analog-style sounds, but the sheer range of the 7 convinced me. I really got into the programming and found a weird thing (bug?) in stacking three detuned OSC pairs ... like analog chorusing! I got some wild Polymoog-style breathy warm sounds from that effect. Great synth, I still have it.
I had to ring in on this one.
As much as I love the Yamaha CS80 (and you have justly placed it at the top of yor list), the CS80 was (is) actually (at over 200lbs in weight) the portable version and offspring of the mighty Yamaha GX-1 Electone; a 3/4 of a ton behemoth, enjoyed by ABBA, Led Zeppelin and Stevie Wonder, to name a few.
That said, I share now my thoughts about the great war as to which is the best synthesizers of all time.
Firstly and foremostly, I would like to remind one and all, that until time itself ends, we will never know in our lifetimes as to which synthesizer will ever earn that title.
The 'Best Synthesizer Ever Made...so far' is about as far as we can go with any list along this theme.
Allow me to digress even further...
What one must remember is the word Synthesize.
It comes from a desire to recreate what is real using synthetic means.
All manufacturers of the 'Analogue Synthesizer Era' were trying to achieve 'real sounds' or sounds that accurately represented those of acoustic instruments found in an orchestra.
That is why, even on the oldest of synthesizers there are sounds called Piano, etc.
Ofcourse they also discovered in this process, that a 'Pandora's Box' was opened in the processes that followed.
The manufacturers themselves could not have forecasted scope and breadth of the amazing results their instruments would achieve.
Those results would come from composers and musicians, professional or not.
Too many to name, they are the pioneers of the sounds we enjoy, carry on and springboard from today, along with the people who designed and built those instruments.
Analogue, Analogue-Digital, Digital, Digitial Sampling and Virtual Digital Synthesis are, each of them, worlds unto themselves, and you will all agree. Each will offer something to creativity and each will present challenges to the composers and musicians.
Listen to Vangelis for example, and notice so many of the sounds he created have a breathy and alive quality to them. The CS80 ceases to sound like an instrument and becomes an alomost living entity. This is the result of a master musician; one who dedicated unimaginable hours of dedication to seeking and finding the limitations of their instrument...or perhaps their own limitations in handling it.
Continuing with the CS80 as an example, it is a VERY responsive instrument, allowing the user physical hands-on manipulation of the sounds LIVE. No two performances will ever be exactly the same because the Analogue instrument is a wild animal that has to be tamed as it performs.
So many of the countless sounds from that instrument alone, have come through endless LIVE experimentation. This cannot be achieved with Digital synthesizers.
With Digital Synthesizers, one must think ahead to the sounds one will need, then pre-program them before performing.
That alone destroys spontaneous exploration.
For this reason alone, Analogue and Digital Synthesizers should never be compared to one another. They are completely different species and each has its own sythesis architecture and interfaces.
On an even further disgression, I point out that Guitar Effects Pedals are also synthesizers. The famous rock band Queen, on each of their albums, proudly stated,
'No Synthesizers!' were used on their albums.
Freddie Mercury was quite outspoken against the use of synthesizers, deeming them a bastardization of 'pure' instruments and had no place in their work...
(Ahh, the adorable folly of the innocent). What Freddie (and a multitude of others) did not realize, was that their own guitar effects pedals were 'bastardizing' the pure sounds of their guitars and pianos. In their later albums, Queen most certainly did use synthesizers and unapologetically clammed up on their previous viewpoints.
Ultimately, it is the final product; the sounds and the notes and of equal importance, the arrangements and mixing and mastering that will determine the outcomes and popularity of what we enjoy.
Such is the wonderous world of music. There are no boundaries. There are no limits.
Each world of Synthesizers will continue to offer endless bounties of possibilities.
I enjoy all types of Synthesizers. My heart will always belong to the GX-1 and CS Series by Yamaha, but that is my own preference.
All instruments have something to offer.
It is only a bad carpenter who blames his tools.
Therefore, when you next look upon your, or anyone elses instruments, explore them, for they have much to offer still that will take your breath away.
If anyone made it to the end of my post, thank you for reading it all.
I am enjoying to read all of the comments here and my thanks to the Originating Poster for the video. Cheers to all ♩ ♪ ♫ ♬
I humbly have to praise you for your unbiased and objective explanation, Patricia. I loved the part in which you say, "the Analogue instrument is a wild animal that has to be tamed as it performs."
Very well said!! :)
Agree that most people think the idea of a synthesiser is that it emulated 'real' instruments, but they are a class of instrument in their own right. They are not s poor imitation. All instruments are artificial, manmade. Synthesiser are just electronic instruments.
I have always loved the sounds they can make, often better than acoustic instruments. What fascinates me is the hidden potential in most synthesisers that can only be realised by many hours of programming.
couldnt you show the synths for more then one second!
There must be at least 50 different synths that deserves being on the top 10 list.... A few oddities here, but it is a "personal favourite list" so I won´t argue too much. I do miss a Juno from Roland on this list, an most certaintly the CMI Fairlight wich changed music history during the 80s. I also understand the demand for a Oberheim - makes people JUMP for joy :-P
I do enjoy your video, I like seeing what others like.
finally, a video with fitting background music: the haunting "Irena's theme" by Giorgio Moroder from the re-make of Cat People, "Irena", being played by a young and gorgeous Nastassia Kinsky. A movie soundtrack with excellent use of early synthesizers.
Awesome video, I see some synthesizer I want to add to my collection!
10. Futuresonus Parva
9. Alesis Ion
8. Akai AX80
7. Korg PS 3100
6. Oberheim Matrix Series
5. Prophet 5
4. Ensoniq SQ-80
3. Arp Odyssey (as well as 2600)
2. PPG Wave 2.3 V
1. DK Synergy II/Crumar GDS
Honorable Mentions: Akai AX73, Korg Minilogue, Korg MS-20, most Waldorf synths, Crumar Bit 99, Korg Polysix, Roland JX-8P, Ensoniq VFX, Korg Wavestation, Kawai K5000S, Kawai K4, Yamaha DX7, Yamaha SK series, etc.
That is a pretty bold title. There were some game changers like the DX7, that are common knowledge to any seasoned keyboardist. Vintage for me (and this is a preference) means PITA (pain in the ###). Vintage synths required some maintenance (I usually did my own) and polyphony was always an issue. Using a keyboard for bass fits only certain styles of music. Anyway, I am no longer interested in "vintage" hardware synths. They are old, limited and require maintenance (this is my opinion) I have owned several. OB8 was awesome, Juno 106 still holds. I was impressed that you mentioned the Korg Wavestation. That would be my #1. That was a fine piece of equipment. Very hard to program. Would take me an entire day to create one sound, but it was worth it. Motif Classic (I know it is a workstation but it has to mean something when Stevie Wonder prefers the Motif Classic over other keyboards, even the newer revisions of the Motif itself). Sorry for rambling. Cool topic though.
Roland Juno 106 was a great synth and many people never knew nothing about it. Maybe D-50 or in the end of 80,s U-20 or JV-1000/JV-80 was more "mediates" , but was the Juno 106 sounds and technology the base for today Roland best synths /workstations. (Sorry my English writer. I'm not English or American. I did my best :) )
I agree. The Juno 106 was and is great. I owned a JV880 which was the module of the JV80. Loved that syth too. Well said 1959rui1.
Thank's John. Have a very good 2015 :)
I do agree on #1 to be a number 1 - The CS80 is truly a great synth even in today's standards. Its sounds are amazing..
A fair list man! and i like your 'honorable mention' section in the description too, tho I would give the Juno 60 a place over the 106 ;) ARP 2600 is also classic (R2D2! haha) & dont forget the early Moog Modular! Wendy/Walter Carlos, Giorgio Moroder, etc.
Thanks - an informative look back
I was waiting for an Oberheim mention as well.
The ESQ1 is a hybrid synth. Three digital oscillators(8-bit sample ROM) times eight voices, into Curtis analog filters and digitally controlled VCA's. 3digital 5-stage ENV's and 3LFO's per voice. Each OSC has it's own DCA(1-3), summing into master DCA4. Great mod' matrix. It can sound a lot like a DX in some ways. Basic 8-track poly' real/step time seq'. Had a few lessons, but mainly taught myself on my dads old piano. Studio/live work for 'Maxi Priest', 'Cleopatra & the Attractions'
In Prince of Persia (1989), the Yamaha DX7 ROM-4A patch "Tub Bells" was heard and edited'ly heard.
The Cs 80 is awesome, but the synth that i want to be on top of this list is the Oberheim Matrix 12
I guess everyone is entitled to their opinion. This is an interesting list for sure, but I do agree there were many important omissions! Although probably not a top 10 synth, I agree with the user that states his love for the Roland JD-800. I replaced my DX7 with one of these and still have it. It can be lush, warm and also very "digital sounding". It's analog lead sounds are huge. This is a well designed, simple to use, very powerful machine that should not be overlooked!
My ranking only on the base of POWER - which is: expressive abillity + flexibility:
1. Synclavier 3600
It can do complex FM sounds (frankly, FM synthesis is the most powerful), and it's an audiophile quality sampler, with individual DACs and ADCs for each channel. Fairlight machines pale un comparison.
2. Yamaha CS-80 or GX-1
Polyphonic aftertouch, immense expressive possibilities.
3. Yamaha DX1
FM synthesis with deluxe DACs and polyphonic aftertouch... actually i could place this one at #1.
4. Korg PS-3300
This one could be a Yamaha CS-80 killer. It is FULLY POLYPHONIC (48 voice polyphony for 48 keys), has 144 oscillators, 144 filters, 144 envelopes and 144 amplifiers, and even Bob Moog was impressed.
5. Moog memorymoog
Six complete minimoogs under the hood, should satisfy anyone...
Awsome!!! I still have my DX7, D-50 and Minimoog....God, that D-50 is really a pain in the butt to program!!
Good list. Not the same top ten that I would pick, but everyone has their preferences. I'm a vintage analog junkie, so that's where most (but not all) of my list would be. I might respond with my own list.
Reaction to every synth list ever: "What? Where's the ____???!?!?!?!?"
Yep. I also added some congrats for inclusions and a suggestion which one to ditch (Roland D 50 - c'mon folks, that noisy think with grainy sample attacks?). I miss the Oberheim beasts. They sound fantastic.
Christian Schonberger
Hello Christian! I seem to see you everywhere! :)
mootbooxle
LOL! Naw, we just happen to look for the same stuff. Great to see you here as well. I am a huge keyboard buff (just as yourself) including pianos, Hammonds, electric pianos, clavinets, pianets and and synths (preferrably classic analog). So we happen to bump into each other from time to time. :-D
Christian Schonberger I am an oberheim fan too. Right on!
as far as the Roland D50 you HAVE to consider. the impact the units had when they were debuted, the D50 when it came out, could do a HUGE amount of sounds, used very small wave rom, can do both digital/analog sound's and used very little to accomplish this. Digital, analog, built in effects/dsp? Huge deal.
Should be The History of Synthesizers, Dude!
I would hardly say that a synth being monophonic is a negative thing, like you state in the video. Since you mostly can handle your playing with one hand, you have one hand to constantly tweak and that is a playstyle a lot of people appreciate.
Yes there are. If you can't find them that's not my problem go and search for them
At least Oberheim's OBX-A got a mention on your back-up list, would have been in the top ten for me!!!!!
nice selection!!!
Just an opinion: I don't think that the facts of both being monophonic and lacking midi should be considered as "disadvantages". They're just normal and sometimes "desirable" features on several synthesizers, both vintage and modern. Furthermore, the facts that, in this very moment, the synth market is flooded by brand new monosynths and that, in 2008, MoogMusic released The MiniMoog Voyager Old School, which is an analogue monosynth without midi, are just two examples that tend to support my point. Cheers!
Thank God this just your opinion and not fact, otherwise the MiniMoog would have to be removed from it's current No1 place.
A very good list, for me I'd have put in the Memorymoog and Korg M1 (as well as my own Casio CZ101, Yamaha SY22 and Ensoniq SD-1)
nice trip.never listened the first one.i agree with you with many choices as d50(with pg 1000) dx7(will say the dx7 2 fd) prophet5,,cs 80.Some are missed also ;-) like arp 2600 ,oberheim matrix 12,emulator 2;emax,arp odissey ,ppg wave,juno 106,moog taurus,kurzweil k2500 and 2000 and now for me nord lead family and system8 from roland..dificult to do a top 10 but i like your video.thank you
INTERESTING ! Thanks ! A well thought out list .I was surprised and happy to see the Korg wave station make the list .I use a Korg M1 and a Korg T 1 . I do think that Robert Moog pushed the envelop on the entire synthesizer field .When Bob Moog was on the Kurtzsweil 2000 team , I wanted to know if it seemed to bear a Moog signature sound .Any experience with the Kurtzweil 2000 ?
The people claiming the mini should have the number one spot obviously never owned/really used one and are probably forming their opinion based on their plugins folder. I had one for many years, it only really deserves to be in the top 5 because of how influential its design was/still is.
Notable user of at least 4 of these synths: Tony Banks of Genesis.
I loved the use of the Cat People theme in the background. Of course, "best" is pretty much based on one's personal preferences. I 'd have liked to see one of the early Casio professionals in there. The VZ10 was a pretty impressive machine in its day. Very nice listing, though.
Oh yeah, I use a Korg Triton Extreme, Roland RS5 for stock digi sounds for live work(and studio). The only vintage I'll risk live is an SH101. Thought I'd better mention, incase you think I'm leaving them out to look like I've only got 'cool' synths. I love all things electronic that make nice noises man!
Fairlight CMI was a new paradigm, more than the DX7 ever was.... But none could afford it.
Please take a listen of :
Art of Noise - Who's afraid of?
Jean-Michel Jarre - Zoolook
I like the Giorgio Moroder track from the film "Cat People" you used.
Brilliant track!
Though it is part keyboard, part synthesizer, the Cassio Concertmate 990 is fantastic! It's easy to program, has midi capability (at least mine does), light, has fantastic sound, is pretty cheap, and has a pretty simple setup in general! The thing is, I think it's from the 90s... I think.
Interesting choices; some familiar and others rather obscure
Korg M1, Roland D50, Yamaha DX7, Arp 2600, Nord Lead (c'mon, it really started the digital-analog revolution), Jupiter 8, Oberheim eight voice, Prophet 5, Yamaha GX1, Minimoog.
I noticed that the Moog System 55 wasn't on the list. Even though it's expensive to all hell, it sounds bloody beautiful.
AtlasVulpes I totally agree. A top-10-list without the Moog Modular Monters like the System 55 isn't complete at all. After all, this special model would be my personal #1! ;-)
Glad to see that at least the MiniMoog was mentioned. It is really a fine piece of art for bass and leads!
That's why I got the correspondent Arturia VST-plugins (both, the Modular V and the MiniMoog). Fantastic to use with Cubase.
I TOTALLY AGREE! RIP UP THE SEATS! Bob Moog was THE inventor of the FIRST usable synth and his baby, the Minimoog should NEVER be relinquished to a number 2 slot! Of ALL of these so called synths you can ask anyone to name one that they have heard of and more often than not the name "Minimoog" WILL be the answer!
I expected the ARP2600 but the CS80 is surely the top of the polysynths, I have an CS50 and it's with his 4 voices already unbeatable :)
Also don't forget Electric Light Orchestra's epic 1981 "Time" album!! Jeff Lynne is a musical genius with that Yamaha CS-80 - Definitely at the top of my list of synths as well!!
Haven't even watched it all, but the CS80 better be No.1!
Hmmm... I think the Fairlight II should be here, but it's very hard to choose only 10 amazing synths :P
Its technically a sampler synth, but it also had additive synthesis. So yes its a synthesizer.
Calm down geeks! It was only the poster's OWN opinion of their own top 10 - Kind of depends on your age and experience - some would cherish a Juno106 or SH101 more than an synclavier or mini moog, no big deal. Although it is ironic that the ‘working class synths’ (106, 101 etc.) now go for similar prices that the exotic and previously unobtainable synths often do.
I remember working in a music shop in the 80’s and we couldn’t get rid of the old moogs and ARPs, practically gave them away!
NO... NO...NO...
WHERE IS ROLAND JD800 ???? this is my FAVORIT and BEST SYNTH I EVER HEARD
that must be the only synth you ever heard...
+Larry Monteleone Yeah, pretty damn poor choice :)
You don't have a fucking clue...
+ Killagorilla7000 Yeah, pretty damn poor comment :)
D50 harder to program than the DX7? What on earth are you saying? I've programmed both. D50 is much, much easier.
Scott Birch D-50 is a very good subtractive synthesizer, with variable pulse width for square wave (sawtooth obtained at filter stage), ring modulator, 3 LFO's, lowpass filter with resonance, multistage envelopes, parametric EQ, chorus, reverb, delay, etc. What's not to like? D-50 is fantastic.
I've programmed a DX and a D50 ...D50 Way easier. The only comparison is that D50 "Structures" are close to DX "Operators". But that's where it ends lol
Scott Birch all you can do program midi part each channel
Took the words out of my mouth. The DX7 is by far one of the worst UIs on a synth..ever and if this were my list it wouldn't even make an appearance lol.. The D50 is a cake walk by comparison.
Roland as always easier to use than other keyboards
all these synths are so amazing as inaccessible...
because no one has a list of synth from 2000?
Access, Waldorf, DSI, Elektron...
Thanks for share :-)
Sweet! You might have to order disks online. (but Walmart may have some in stock) Only $5-$10 for a pack of 5-10 & that's really enough. I'm excited for you. Once you get disks, a whole, new, world of sound will be available for you & your Triton. I will give you links & if need be, I can show you how to load & save Triton programs. The Rose & also Legacy series of programs are amazing. (I use them on my Triton demos) Yes I will do a V-Synth demo. I'm also getting a Korg Z-1 or Alesis Fusion. =D
I would have added the Oberheim OB-x or Matrix-12, something by ARP, probably the 2600, and the PPG 2.3 or Wave. I would have actually replaced the Minimoog with the Memorymoog, and moved it down a few spots. The Synclavier is also hard to place on any list, because it could do so much more and came in so many varieties.
But hey, that's just me, this is your vid. :-)
Great ;list!
No Oberheim... ????
PTechnicalOriginal, the algorithms to use are the three double-stack ones (ALG 5 and 6). The trick is to set the relative frequency of each pair slightly off from the other pairs. So Operators 3 and 4 get Freq of 1.00, Ops 1 and 2 get 0.99, and Ops 5 and 6 get 1.01. Theoretically this should produce a complex interplay of slow beat frequencies without any dramatic change to the timbre ... after all, you merely get a beat frequency when you do that with TWO stacks, for instance. ...
I'm am sorry most folks have never seen a Fairlight CMI but everyone has heard one since they really were unmatched for about 8 years.
that's a good, brave list. My own #1 would be the synclaiver - and surely trevor horn needed a mention there?
Top ten synths - if noise is what you want to make. But nr: 1 is the exception. Who does not love the Cs 80?
Me. Lumbering, heavy, sod to program, minimal memories, weedy filter.
...and in terms of it's numbers as well as it's massive influence on the future of all synthesizers, the MINIMOOG should have garnered the #1 spot. The CS-80 was cool, no doubt...but the Mini had (IMHO) a far greater effect on the music world...and is still the gold standard for keyboards. In terms of useable life...sound...durability...construction...the MINI is the all-time champ. All hail the King !!
Hmm, where is Kurzweil k2000? Incredible sounds, capable of all the ways of sound synthesis simultaneously, into one 32-layer program (patch). Very good sampler too. Very powerful sequencer. The workstation of today (2016), back in 1990.
kostependrhs The K200 is one of the greatest keyboard i've ever played!!
I have to agree, Ray Kurzweil's K250 and then tbe next generation K2000, K2500 and finally K2600 are some of the most brilliant synthesis engine's ever. Plus, We are missing the ARP's(2500, 2600 and odyssey's. )Buchla's, fairlight and PPG
Also, two early hybrid's the EDP wasp and oxford OSCar oscara
I consider the ARP 2600 as the best synth ever made.He's the biggest giant in synthesizerworld.The ARP 2600, is together with the ARP 2500 and the ARP ODYSSEY on my wishlist.The Synthi AKS also:-)
Wait, are you talking about the music played in the background of Doctor who or the main theme? Because the 80s theme was made from jupiter7,Yamaha cs80,and an Arp Oddesy :P and the 70s version is made of string plucks ran through a sound generator :P
Saying that lack of MIDI on MiniMoog is disadventage is like saying that Fritz Lang's Metropolis lacks CGI.
At the time of production, I did not realize that he disliked the instrument.
Tittle should be "top 10 vintage synths" :)
for me the best is the 24 oct filter's Moog i got a source, it's fantastic.... the mini moog must be a beast
Where is the most selling synth of all time? KORG M1
impossible to make a top ten synth list.
Easy: No 1: The one that I can afford, the other nine I never touched but think they sound good.
Was expection to see a Juno on list.
A Synclavier was used on this song for the horn parts. I think this was the only soundtrack Giorgio Moroder used a Synclavier on.
I would love to find out what he uses for his string pad sounds, especially the flanged ones...
No ARP Oddy, 2500, 2600, Roland SH-101 or Moog Modular synthesizers in a synth top 10? I don't think so. In addition, as some posted before me I don't think that Tangerine Dream used a Synclavier. This was an instrument in the league of Michael Jackson (Steve Porcaro rather), Frank Zappa, Trevor Horn, George Michael (on Faith; he needed a Roland Juno 106 next to it), George Harrison (he used it to replace bass players in the studio), Neil Young (yes he did!), Jeff Lynne, Stevie Wonder, Pete Townshend, John McLaughlin, and a not so long etc.
Thank you!
In '87 (I was 16yo) my grandparent's bought me a Roland D-10. By then, my family's fortune had changed. (though not enough to afford the D-50 I really wanted). In '89 I joined the family business, saved up & got a Korg M1. A few years later my grandparents bought me a Korg O1/W. In 2001 I fell into a small fortune & bought a Korg Triton, Yamaha EX5 & Motif-6 & Roland XV5080. In January I got a Korg Kronos X. From 2001 on I could finally afford a DX7, but I no longer have interest in the DX7. :-(
Yes, CS-80 Japans first great synthesizer.
An opinion can never be "wrong". You may disagree with someones opinion, or have a different opinion, but that's it. "And there are many others more exotic and expensive and better at making sounds!". That is totally subjective. What sounds "better" to you, may not sound better to others. The synths listed here are only Scifimaster92's opinion. Other people my agree/disagree or have different opinions. BTW, you CAN play a melody on a monophonic synths. There's nothing misleading about that.
good list.
to chris b.i did my crocketts theme on my korg triton.hard to tell it from the original....even though it took about 2 months of programming.
just getting to grips with my new nord i have just brought.hopefully a bit quicker than digital!
The ARP was clearly missed. 1) CS-80. 2) Moog mini moog 3) ARP 2600 4) SQ Prophet 5) Jupiter 8......That has to be the historically significant list. But "to each is own". I owned the CS 80. I repaired it and it took 8 months to get the repair. I sold it for $1000 more than I paid. I didn't want to actually but real life got in the way...By the way I would have gotten double for it today at
least . I paid like 9 grand for it.
TOTALLY AGREE ON YAMAHA CS80...I THING A CLAVIA NORD LEAD SHOULD BE ON THE LIST SOMEWHERE TOGETHER WITH THE ROLAND JUNO 106...
Great list. CS 80 is the best to me.
How about Eminent 310U? The best of the string synths.
You can try different multiples of values too: 0.99, 1, 2.02 etc. As long as the three values are multiples of three numbers that are very close to each other but not equal, the output will be quite musical. Note that the usable range with some frequency choices might be limited to less than the DX7's 61 keys: you get some Nyquist aliasing high up.
In no order (and caveat: I've owned only two of these):
Yamaha SY77/99 (I have the 77 and it beats the heck out of DXanything)
Roland D50 (has its own unique, fresh sound that still holds up to these ears)
Moog Minimoog (of course)
Kurzweil K2000 (miles ahead of contemporaries in sample quality, great effects)
Yamaha CS-80 (gotta agree with the dude here; incredible sound)
Synclavier or Fairlight (take your pick; Synclavier has FM, Fairlight has waveform-drawing)
Ensoniq Fizmo (with the regulator fix, of course; I'll admit I'm a sucker for anything that's truly its own synth, and it's definitely unique, for better or for worse)
Korg DSS-1 (I own this and if it had an arpeggiator, polyphonic aftertouch, and portamento it'd be top-5 easily; almost didn't put it on this list, as it is, but 8-voice sampler with analog filter, digital delay, velocity, and aftertouch is too much to pass up)
Kawai K5000 (again with the preference for unique sounds; I'd take the K5000W, which has an arpeggiator, over the S, which has a sequencer and additional PCM)
ARP Odyssey (just a tiny bit ahead of the 2600; duophony must've been pretty nice back then)
Honorable mention:
Roland TB-303 (awesome sound, just not nearly as complex or versatile as competitors)
Sequential Circuits Prophet 5 (not reliable enough, and going purely on sound I'd take the CS-80 over it for an analog polysynth any day)
Yamaha DX-1 (piano-style keyboard and great sound from what I've heard, but lack of filter, sequencer/arpeggiator, or any effects section knocks it down a peg)
Korg Wavestation (complexity of sounds is great but can't quite stack up with the others in my book)
Roland Jupiter 8/Oberheim OB-8 (8-voice analog polysynth; both are lovely but I'll take the greater flexibility and more expressive keybed of my Korg)
...and Alesis Andromeda A6, the best current analog by far to these ears.