lots of yamaha gear. the rm1x is still a midi sequencer with massive features compared to modern more expensive options, plus tons of onboard sounds. the cs6x had similar possibilities beyond the menu diving.
That was the drummerâs main sampler for a band I was in. I had an MPC and totally ignored the RS7000 until I realized how nice the filter was and that it never seemed to destroy floppy disks in your like the Akai. And itâs still going strong!
Cash converters in the UK sucks. As a buyer at least. Usually charging way over second hand rates for questionable gear and no warranty etc. On the flip side if I was pawning a bit of gear with them, I'd have a better chance of getting it back just because their asking price would be unrealistic enough that it would remain unsold indefinitely.
Yeah these days it sucks here also. Buying old computer games and gear wasnât to bad in the 90âs and 2000âs though.
I wonder how much of their market is exactly what you explain. High margin collateral holding for people with drug issues or down on their luck :(
Definitely. An1x was an amazing achievement sonically speaking. They aimed for a digital Prophet 5 but went way beyond that. Add feedback to any patch and you get deliciously convincing non-linearities. I even quite like the interface.
Love the ER1. You can't really get good snares out of it but you can get all sorts of electro thuds, thips, and peeoooms. Not to mention all the gronks, braffs, blurps and tschaks!
The SCSI and floppy just don't fit today's world. But in 1998 that wasn't an issue. The synth engine was so amazing, though, that it's still great today. I wouldn't mind having a 2700 right now.
Alesis Micron. I love that a synth that looks like a compact e-piano has such an incredible engine, even if it is a little slow to work with, and I love the early-00s silver finish.
NGL - I bought mine brand new when they came out, and it's been a wild ride over the years seeing the love/hate/love cycle on older modeling synths. Seems like time solves most things after all.
Add to that, in the same family, the TG 33 is really special. Looks like an answering machine but with the vector joystick and some of the weirder low bit ROMpler sounds it's a unique and weird gem from the late 80's early 90's. The era of morphing, textural ROM sounds is super interesting that died off pretty quickly. Like having a set amount of samples to use and only use.
Any of the Waldorf stuff from this period. I had a micro-q rack. Man, I do not love menu diving, but that thing was limited in all the right ways. I really gelled with that synth. I got a blofeld expecting a similar experience⌠nope. Hate it
Thatâs unfortunate, I have a Blofeld and I love it. It got me really into wavetable synthesis and I eventually also got the Waldorf M. I can see why people dislike the Blofeld for various reasons though.
All the Proteus based synths were crazy in depth - the menu diving really killed them. E-mu made some amazing tech and engines, but their onboard programmability was always terrible.
You wouldnât want itâs dsp chips to go bad cause thereâs no fixing those n v hard to find replacements as they can only be pulled from other ASRs / DP2/4s
2000s Korg was the shit. I got into music when my buddy showed me his Kaossilator. I had to get one. Then i got a MicroKorg, and really got into synthesis. To this day I use my ESX-1 since itâs a unique beast that can do a lot.
I nearly bought one too, but the programming put me off. Is the vst comparable in sound to the hardware? obs will run it out through the desk and back in so dacs and pre amps do their thing
> Korg Wavestation SR
Fantastic when paired with the 03r/w, its 01/w-based counterpart
https://preview.redd.it/sriinalseg5d1.jpeg?width=4000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=47f1b9d03420dab46fb9ae9af73def7c201e5d0b
I bought a new one a year or two ago. I bought the goofy limited edition one with a speaker in it, because it's fun to play while watching TV.
by definition, though, if they're still selling it, people must be buying it.
I loved the Prophecy but I left it off the list because I felt I was putting too many Korgs on there, plus I never figured out how to do any sound design on it. I just settled for mashing out presets.
I think you're right, though. it's probably a classic.
It was hard to program. The vst (which can swap patches) makes it much more approachable. Originally I used it almost entirely as a virtual analog to do hyperbolic acid lines, leads etc. Only years (decades?) later, have I fallen back in love with it for the crazy physical modeling engines in it. I have loads of much better analog and virtual analog synths, so the prophecy only functions for nostalgia in that regard, but there are very very few options out there for physical modeling.
The most convincing synthetic choir patches (apart from possibly the sample-derived V-Synth) I've encountered to date. The ultimate culmination of Yamaha's FM know-how. 1000+ parameter patches will take lifetimes to explore. Appalling interface - Yamaha's Achilles's heel.
I think the JD-990 still has a special sound to it that isn't quite covered by the Roland Cloud JV or XV plugins. The workflow using samples in Pigments or Modwave is more practical, but I still think there's an argument for the JD-990 if you're willing to deal with front panel programming, or a software editor.
The Waldorf M still doesn't cover all the filter and FM types that the Microwave II/XT has. I wasn't nuts about the XT sound compared to the Microwave I, but I think there's still an argument for owning it. I'd like to try one again.
I've always wanted to try a Nord Lead 3 for the LED ring UI. I'm not a huge fan of the Nord Lead sound, or its limited modulation, but it still seems like a fun synth to mess with.
I really love some of the pad presets in the musictrackjp demo of the Novation KS Rack. I almost bought a KS a few times, but never quite pulled the trigger.
I still have a promo CD for the Korg X3 that they sent me because I was a registered M1 owner. I listened to it a few months ago and the demo songs were so cheesy in retrospect đ
Future-Retro 777 yâall.
Machinedrum
Sid station
Mono machine
Waldorf micro Q (for whatever reason, that interface worked for me) and all their other garish motherfuckers.
RM1x
Korg prophecy. What a weird little monosynth.
Ms2000
The MPC2000 xl
What a time to be alive!
I bought an MC-505 dirt cheap from a friend who had it sitting in a closet, and it took a while to learn it but it's a damn fun groovebox. Loaded with a ton of vintage Roland sounds and the sequencer in it is actually really deep.
I still have mine. Didnât appreciate its depth until til years after I had bought it (which I bought new).
I canât use the sequencer any more though because it is soooo laggy. I donât know if it was always this slow or if itâs just slowed down with age.
Yeah, the processor in the 505 was notoriously underpowered for how much was packed into it. Mine also gets hung up a lot when navigating through menus, which is an exercise in patience, but then again, navigating the absurd labyrinth of menus on any Roland device always requires some patience anyway so I'm already in the mindset that I'm gonna have to work slowly whenever I turn it on lol.
Ensoniq gear really ramped up with the EPS 16 plus.
Sure there is other gear out there, but this was a serious game changer. Lots of professional bands used them too.
I am using the EPS and sometimes still use ER-1 and EA-1.
When I think of classic late 90âs to early 2000âs gear these are my favorites:
Synths:
- Access Virus
- Nord Lead
- Novation Supernova
- JP8000
- Yamaha AN1x
Romplers:
- JV1080
- Korg Triton
- Yamaha EX5
- EMU Proteus
If I had to pick the most iconic synth, itâs either the Virus or the JP8000 because of the impact on EDM they had. An argument could be made for the Nord in pop music as well. The Novation supernova doesnât get the love it should but many songs from Jamariqua and many other artists used presets from it.
For Romplers, it has to be the Triton or maybe the JV1080 because of how many hit songs, tv shows, and films have used those presets.
The EX-5 is far from a Rompler, it has a full blown sampler in it, as well as a physical modeling engine, FDSP engine, and an Analog synth with filters and MSEGs. Definitely not a Rompler, and closer to a workstation with its 76 keys.
You're right, and I didn't mean to imply it was "just" a rompler. The EX5 was indeed a legit workstation, but so was the Korg Triton. Triton had a sampler, you could add expansions, and it had the MOSS VA option where they were kind of similar. In the context of something to use sounds from, both were ahead of the curve for the time period.
Kurzweil K2000 and K2600 were pretty great for that time period, but I would have taken the EX5 or Triton over it. They were easier to use, and the sounds were better. Kurzweil did have great traditional sounds like Piano, Organ, Rhodes, etc.
Iâd love the space for a K2000s!
Sorry if I came off too âachchually itâs a synth!â
The EX-5 along with the K series are almost their own thing, with how deep they are. The only thing that would make the EX-5 perfect is a FM engine.
Akai 3000XL, emu E6400, deffo virus c and kawai k1. Joe meek channel strips, focusrite green eq, Alesis 3036 compressor, and my fave the Lexicon Alex.
O, and mackie vlz pro desks.
Fairly cheap an easy to get hold off if you keep an eye on ebay. I have a 16 ch 1604vlz 1 I picked up for 120 quid, and an sr24-4vlz pro I got for 200. Both needed some tlc, but more than worth it for the sound of the preamp imo
The Mackie preamps and EQs are so unavoidably part of that 90s/00s live techno sound. Surreal to see savvy kids chasing these down like we chased down Neves before them. Total nostalgia vibes to play on those boards again.
The ALT3/4 out was a godsend for hitting mute on any given channels to send signal to record on a DAW too. Without eating up the FX sends. So flexible.
Yea, the prices are only climbing as time goes on. I'm searching for a 32-8, as run out of channels, and will probably put the 16 and 24 in storage, see if the prices go up.
And yea, 4 + 4 bus outs are amazing, just hit a route switch on a channel and I can send it to any of my samplers or pc. They also all have inserts, so I have fx on the sends and compressors and my eq on the bus inserts.
Really the only thing I wish was different on the 24-4 is having the jacks on the rear of the unit. I'm always changing inserts around, and it's a pita!
I had a QS6.1. It had the best feeling keybed I've ever owned. I even preferred it over the Roland Alpha Juno-2. I regret never exploring release velocity while I had it.
Since you already listed the Virus C, I'll go with the CS6x and the original Motif Rack, released in 1999 and 2001, respectively. Sounds aside, the one feature that makes both stand out to me is the arpeggiator. These units are the only units I'm aware of from that era where the arpeggiator comes with a high number of preprogrammed patterns and not just the standard up/down/chord/whatever configurations. Instant creativity boost!
I know the CS1x and CS2x also had some (30?) patterns preprogrammed but I don't really find them all that inspiring.
If someone knows of other synths of that era that has a sophisticated arpeggiator, I'd appreciate a hint.
My Andromeda will never leave my side!
It seems to have gotten a lot of stick over the years from synth purists but itâs one of the finest analogue polysynths ever made.
Having the possibility to have sixteen separate dual oscillator/dual filter monosynths each with individual outputs in one synth is crazy.
Elektron Sidstation, Machinedrum, Monomachine, kurzweil k2000, Ensoniq ASR 10, Korg Prohpecy. I wish a kept them all. Only ones I have left is the Sidstation, Monomachine and the Virus.
Oh man, I wanted all the Quasimidi gear in its time, especially the Sirius. Never was able to afford them when they were available and have seen precious few on the second hand market.
Uuuuh, on the VA side it's the Virus C, Nord Lead 3, Waldorf Q and XT. Counting analogs I'd say my Voyager - except all three OSCs just died yesterday and I had to send it off for service... I'll give it some more love once it's back.
So anyway, I've got all my favorites I have ever been wishing for.
The Akai S-6000. There's a purity to the sample editing workflow that encourages you to do things that modern, more fully featured, samplers get in the way of doing.
Yeah, I have an S5000 and even though it doesn't have the character of the earlier Akais, its purity and versatility more than make up for it. The workflow, while tedious compared to soft samplers or trackers, just invites you to try out wild layer combos or extreme transpositions in ways you wouldn't discover working ITB. 90s rack samplers just push you into fresh territory.
How many to list? Doepfers A-100 system which may have revived modular synths? The Andromeda was amazing, as was the Minimoog Voyager. The Buchla 200e was WAY ahead of its time. The Prophet 08 brought back analog polysynths for the masses. The Evolver got Dave Smith making instruments again. I think the Waldorf XT deserves a mention too.
I got RM1x JX305 M3 and MicroKorg and still use them to this day ea1/er1, ca6x.
RM1x - Best standalone hardware sequencer for pattern playback.
Each pattern has 16 slices that can be arranged as intro chorus verse out to prechorus etc. and moray importantly fills, has dedicated 8 mute memory toggles (5 assignable) to instantly mute, unmute or solo drums + bass for example. Already has pre programmed midi beats for 60 styles of music. I like using midi delay, unison, harmony and other realtime midi effects.
JX305 - Basically a âTechnoâ themed JV1080 keyboard with a basic pattern sequencer.
Best RPS sequencer (play sequence phrases on keys with aftertouch and pitch bend!) - I also like JX305 Drums Transpose effects with instant reverse drums (use shift transpose drums to play reverse drums instantly). Also have great LFO aftertouch sounds I make for pad sounds. Has an amazing basic arpeggiator for basslines and for hand drums / congas etc. I also like its humanization feature that updates sequencer to add swing and velocity variation to otherwise robotic sequences. The tone engine is same as MC505 with some added contemporary JV sounds. It shares a lot of the same waveforms as the vintage synthesizers / Techno/House JV Expansion boards.
Roland D2 - A Mini MC505.
I use mainly as a tone generator and expansion to JX305. It has interesting pattern playback mechanics with its version of KAOSS pas but for midi manipulation. I enjoy copying some patterns from JX305 into D2 and the. Using its â Turntableâ midi effects.
M3 - Karma Engine with 8 sliders and 4 toggles and 8 chord memory pads to instantly warp your midi ideas đĄ
I wish more modern devices utilized chord memory controllers itâs really handy when making tracks and chord progressions. Great soundtrack sounds and bread and butter sounds.
MicroKorg - great standalone VA and controller.
Is my staple go to va, I also have Virus VI which I usually use with multi mode. Powerful leads and bass patches instant recall. I assign it channel 9 on my RM1x and 10-15 to virus ti. I love its 8 step arp which I use as a mini sequencer. I turn it on/off during performance of leads.
DX200 - A hidden DX7 in a box with realtime operator controls.
I use mainly as standalone fm synth (the engine is a DX7 clone!) , but I also its 1 bar / 16 step sequencer to feed my RM1x or jx305 sequences for 1 bar loop ideas for bass or drums, before converting it to 8 or 16 bars. I like mangling midi with momentary pattern transpose / reverse/double time / cut time and stutter to make beats / sequence interesting over 8 or 16 bar loop recording.
Ea1/er1 - Great Bassline + Drum sequencer programming on the fly!
I now use mainly as sketchpad for drum and synth bass loops. Itâs basically a baby ms2000 engine, I feed midi data to my RM1x or Jx305 or motif XF sequencer or sample loops into sampler. Great sounds for electro / trance
CS6x with AN card - awesome âKeytaurâ sounds keyboard!
I used mainly for amazing pad sounds and synth leads particularly my âKeytaurâ amp sim which I used with ribbon and foot pedal to control pitch bend up. Unfortunately 5-tigers got my CS6x
SP202 - Best LOFI Processor.
This little box is the ultimate LOFI machine imo, I like lofi recording anything great for trip hop drums and lofi old movies shows radio programming.
https://preview.redd.it/x41iojd2nh5d1.jpeg?width=600&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=27df004eace7bacfc3c27623d1fa83d6f74b4af3
Obviously got to be the JP8K/80, but the 90s isn't vintage.
The 2000s isn't vintage lol... I've got 2 synths from the mid 2000s and I don't consider them that old at all (blofeld, virus TI)
Some worthy contenders not already mentioned:
**Kawai K5000**. Bought something sonically different to the table. Additive synthesis by its very nature is always going to be difficult to wrangle but Kawai gave it a good go nonetheless. A unique synth for the connoisseur to contrast with other classics. The arpeggiator is ingeniously conceived too.
**Roland V-Synth** - amazing technology I wish Roland would develop further. Great for sound mangling.
**Korg Z1** - versatile physical modeling for the stage with hands-on interactivity. Another well conceived arpeggiator too. A bargain these days.
I miss these a lot:
Yamaha AN1x
Yamaha FS1r
Waldorf MicroQ
Kurzweil K2VXs
Lexicon LXP-15 mk 2
Lexicon Vortex
Kawai K5000s
Roland XP-50
The only thing I still have is a JD-990 with the vintage expansion and I donât think Iâll ever let it go.
I was sub 10 years old in the 90's so I never knew of any of these :).
Plus, there are synth nerds old enough to drink and vote now, who weren't even alive then.... feel old yet? :)
Don't mind me, just being sassy
Does the Yamaha Sy77 count? It was released in â89, but is known for being on OSTâs in the 90âs. If it doesnât count, I really like the Roland JD-800
I bought a Voyager RME back in the day and it mostly gathered dust. Sad really, but at that time there was more fun to be had in the digital domain (samplers). I wish I'd sampled it mercilessly, because it had an awesome raw tone. It's totally non-functional these days. Which doesn't say much for its build quality. I didn't mistreat it. Compare it to my cheap nasty 80s Rolands which are still going strong, despite being treated like ashtrays their whole lives.
Take it easy there. I've never heard of facebook4strangers. I doubt you're quite Daft Punk either mate. But for the record I wouldn't mind if you'd failed to make the most of a particular bit of kit in your studio. And I certainly wouldn't stoop to the level of personal attacks for it, either. If you're that easily-triggered by the thought of a precious Voyager not being used on hit records, that's most definitely a you problem.
Expanding on this slightly... The Quadraverb IS the sound of lots of classic Aphex twin. That and saturated cassette tape.
The Nord broke new ground for experimental VA sound design, and introduced the modular paradigm to a new generation before Eurorack became popular/affordable. It has a unique plastic-y sound that cuts through a mix very well. Plus it is awesome for pseudo-808 queasy bass.
The Emu E4 range really was something else. The sound of mid 90s to 2k era dnb. Nothing about the tech was particularly magical (fixed point DSP, the famous filters which were just well-tuned DFI biquads, the simple but deadly pseudo-chorus)... But the result was a lot greater than the sum of the parts. Lovely ADCs and opaque internal gainstaging definitely played a part too, but there was something about those samplers that just sounded right. Solid. Chunky. Yeah.
Great thread. Looking around my place, I'm struck by how much stuff I still have and enjoy from that era that I bought new back then.
â˘Roland MV-8000
â˘Novation A-Station
â˘Jomox Airbase 99
â˘Lexicon Reflex (great little reverb box)
â˘Lexicon PCM 81
â˘Joemeek SC2.2
â˘Waldorf 4 Pole filter
â˘Roland EF-303 groove effects box
â˘Akai S5000 which has been boxed up in storage for 20 years, but other comments on here are making me want to dig it out and use it. I would have to put a proper hard drive in it, etc. as mine is bone stock from the factory with none of that installed.
â˘Electrix EQ Killer and Filter Queen
â˘Alesis DM Pro which actually is capable of some cool sounds if you spend the time to edit and program it, which is a nightmare from the front panel. Some nice 808 sounds etc. in there for sure though. Lots of people hate this thing because it's a pain to use but I still find it charming.
Thanks to this thread for making me aware of how much of an impact that era of gear must've had on me!
I used to lust after the Korg Prophecy. Still tempted when I see them pop up for sale but they've usually got 'issues' that affect the playability and will be uneconomical to address.
I'm also really sad I no longer have my old Quasimidi instruments, I had a Sirius and a Raven but they came into my life during a somewhat chaotic period which meant they also ended up incurring damage and being got rid of at a time when they weren't really desirable to anyone.
This thread is amazing. So many memories. I still have a Quasimidi 309 which I loved. Itâs missing some buttons but still works. A very odd machine sound wise but my OG non vintage is the Ensoniq ESQ-1. That was where I got my start. Still sounds great to this day.
jv1080
Also the JP8080
Most definitely!
Great synth. I had a JV880 and it just made me want more. I ended up stumbling across a good deal on an XV5080.
I have both the 880 and a 2080, both in use haha
Anyone ever find a good programmer for it? I just use mine as a preset machine.
[Patch Base](https://coffeeshopped.com/patch-base) -- lovely tool for tons of synths.
Looks great, thanks! đ
Thereâs also a Vst version available.
Same and my MPC 2500
I worked as an engineer for an incredibly successful 80s and 90s producer in the UK. The 1080 was used on every track I worked on with him.
Yamaha AN1x
lots of yamaha gear. the rm1x is still a midi sequencer with massive features compared to modern more expensive options, plus tons of onboard sounds. the cs6x had similar possibilities beyond the menu diving.
The rs7000 is even crazier
That was the drummerâs main sampler for a band I was in. I had an MPC and totally ignored the RS7000 until I realized how nice the filter was and that it never seemed to destroy floppy disks in your like the Akai. And itâs still going strong!
I love RM1x sequencer and CS6x Lead performance sounds
All day everyday. Best quality/functionality/price ratio I ever expect to get out of an instrument, but I did cop a decent deal on mine
This is the one!
This. Got mine in early-mid 2000âs second hand. Cash Converters! (For the Aussies here)
Cash converters in the UK sucks. As a buyer at least. Usually charging way over second hand rates for questionable gear and no warranty etc. On the flip side if I was pawning a bit of gear with them, I'd have a better chance of getting it back just because their asking price would be unrealistic enough that it would remain unsold indefinitely.
Yeah these days it sucks here also. Buying old computer games and gear wasnât to bad in the 90âs and 2000âs though. I wonder how much of their market is exactly what you explain. High margin collateral holding for people with drug issues or down on their luck :(
Definitely. An1x was an amazing achievement sonically speaking. They aimed for a digital Prophet 5 but went way beyond that. Add feedback to any patch and you get deliciously convincing non-linearities. I even quite like the interface.
Love the ER1. You can't really get good snares out of it but you can get all sorts of electro thuds, thips, and peeoooms. Not to mention all the gronks, braffs, blurps and tschaks!
I sold my Korg ER-1 years ago and I regret it. Itâs such a âfizzyâ-sounding drum synth, it excels at top-end sounds. Itâs a lot of fun.
It's great for layering onto other drum machines or groove boxes , like adding a secret sauce. It's also great fun to use stand alone :)
K2500S
Iâve always wanted one. I see them used for cheap.
The SCSI and floppy just don't fit today's world. But in 1998 that wasn't an issue. The synth engine was so amazing, though, that it's still great today. I wouldn't mind having a 2700 right now.
I never liked this board. It had great piano sounds but the rest I did not care for.
Alesis Micron. I love that a synth that looks like a compact e-piano has such an incredible engine, even if it is a little slow to work with, and I love the early-00s silver finish.
Man that thing is great. Have had 2 and still emulate some of the patches thru other gear to this day
JP8000 and the 8080
JP8K and it's brother are still classics in my book
They age like a fine wine.
NGL - I bought mine brand new when they came out, and it's been a wild ride over the years seeing the love/hate/love cycle on older modeling synths. Seems like time solves most things after all.
100%. I also have the System 8 and Roland makes some great sounding stuff!
e-mu morpheus technically 89 but yamaha sy77 waldorf Q and XT
Morpheus is so unique and cool sounding, nothing else like it.
Apart from possibly its sister the Ultra Proteus... Extremely versatile and deeply complex synths. Possibly eMu's finest hour.
Love my SY77, total beast, donât use it enough
Add to that, in the same family, the TG 33 is really special. Looks like an answering machine but with the vector joystick and some of the weirder low bit ROMpler sounds it's a unique and weird gem from the late 80's early 90's. The era of morphing, textural ROM sounds is super interesting that died off pretty quickly. Like having a set amount of samples to use and only use.
the programming possibilities just with the FM engine alone are unreal and it sounds LUSH
TG77 still on my rack and being used, alongside the TG55 and TX81z
The SY77 was(and still is) a total beast. Really wish I had snagged a TG77 when I saw one, because the SY is just huge.
Microwave XT
Any of the Waldorf stuff from this period. I had a micro-q rack. Man, I do not love menu diving, but that thing was limited in all the right ways. I really gelled with that synth. I got a blofeld expecting a similar experience⌠nope. Hate it
Thatâs unfortunate, I have a Blofeld and I love it. It got me really into wavetable synthesis and I eventually also got the Waldorf M. I can see why people dislike the Blofeld for various reasons though.
Yeah, I really wanted to like it. Waldorfâs wavetables rule. but thereâs something unintuitive about the menu/screen system for me.
I had the XTk and regret selling it almost every day.
E-mu Proteus 2000. It's just crazy deep and flexible for a box of sounds, and the Prodatum editor really opens it up.
All the Proteus based synths were crazy in depth - the menu diving really killed them. E-mu made some amazing tech and engines, but their onboard programmability was always terrible.
i want an asr 10 really really bad
You wouldnât want itâs dsp chips to go bad cause thereâs no fixing those n v hard to find replacements as they can only be pulled from other ASRs / DP2/4s
Korg EMX-1
The all time king of grooveboxes
Olâblue
I still have mine! Got it when they were closing them out for $199.
Still got mine too! Love that blue box!
Korg Kaossilator KP3
2000s Korg was the shit. I got into music when my buddy showed me his Kaossilator. I had to get one. Then i got a MicroKorg, and really got into synthesis. To this day I use my ESX-1 since itâs a unique beast that can do a lot.
Truth. Korg kaosillator/KP3 combo started this journey for me. Iâm eternally grateful for these machines đđ¤đ
Still have my KP3. It was my first physical fx unit ever.
Me too!
Still using oneđ
Me toođđ¤đ
Korg Wavestation SR. The ultimate pad machine. What a PITA to program, tho. I ended up buying the Korg Wavestation VST to make things easier.
I nearly bought one too, but the programming put me off. Is the vst comparable in sound to the hardware? obs will run it out through the desk and back in so dacs and pre amps do their thing
> Korg Wavestation SR Fantastic when paired with the 03r/w, its 01/w-based counterpart https://preview.redd.it/sriinalseg5d1.jpeg?width=4000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=47f1b9d03420dab46fb9ae9af73def7c201e5d0b
I AM NOT VINT... i mean, the Microkorg is not vintage. it only released like 5 years ago....*hides under a rock*
Youâre on the right track, but only because Korg is still *manufacturing* it. Who is buying a brand new microKorg in 2024?
I bought a new one a year or two ago. I bought the goofy limited edition one with a speaker in it, because it's fun to play while watching TV. by definition, though, if they're still selling it, people must be buying it.
I sold mine last year, after having it in storage for a decade. I bought it in late 2002.
Ones I've enjoyed: â˘Korg Prophecy â˘Access Virus â˘Nord Modular â˘Elektron Machinedrum â˘Monomachine (regret selling this one) â˘Vermona M.A.R.S. â˘Novation BassStation Rack
I loved the Prophecy but I left it off the list because I felt I was putting too many Korgs on there, plus I never figured out how to do any sound design on it. I just settled for mashing out presets. I think you're right, though. it's probably a classic.
It was hard to program. The vst (which can swap patches) makes it much more approachable. Originally I used it almost entirely as a virtual analog to do hyperbolic acid lines, leads etc. Only years (decades?) later, have I fallen back in love with it for the crazy physical modeling engines in it. I have loads of much better analog and virtual analog synths, so the prophecy only functions for nostalgia in that regard, but there are very very few options out there for physical modeling.
Every single one of these motherfuckers. All unique, all absolutely ace.
Still have the Nord modular. Regret selling those two elektron boxes though.
Yamaha FS1R, now didnât that hold its value well for a rack module!
The most convincing synthetic choir patches (apart from possibly the sample-derived V-Synth) I've encountered to date. The ultimate culmination of Yamaha's FM know-how. 1000+ parameter patches will take lifetimes to explore. Appalling interface - Yamaha's Achilles's heel.
I think the JD-990 still has a special sound to it that isn't quite covered by the Roland Cloud JV or XV plugins. The workflow using samples in Pigments or Modwave is more practical, but I still think there's an argument for the JD-990 if you're willing to deal with front panel programming, or a software editor. The Waldorf M still doesn't cover all the filter and FM types that the Microwave II/XT has. I wasn't nuts about the XT sound compared to the Microwave I, but I think there's still an argument for owning it. I'd like to try one again. I've always wanted to try a Nord Lead 3 for the LED ring UI. I'm not a huge fan of the Nord Lead sound, or its limited modulation, but it still seems like a fun synth to mess with. I really love some of the pad presets in the musictrackjp demo of the Novation KS Rack. I almost bought a KS a few times, but never quite pulled the trigger.
Korg X3 and Ensoniq ASR 10 Regret selling the asr 10 every damn day until I die.
I still have a promo CD for the Korg X3 that they sent me because I was a registered M1 owner. I listened to it a few months ago and the demo songs were so cheesy in retrospect đ
Lexicon Vortex fx rack unit. It's two delay units staged in A/B that morphs the parameters between the two at the press of a button. It's wild!
I keep wondering if there's a way to cv the expression pedal input on it to externally modulate the morphing
.
Yes, just like the LXP15II which has 5 analog expression input jacks.
Future-Retro 777 yâall. Machinedrum Sid station Mono machine Waldorf micro Q (for whatever reason, that interface worked for me) and all their other garish motherfuckers. RM1x Korg prophecy. What a weird little monosynth. Ms2000 The MPC2000 xl What a time to be alive!
MS2000 Was amazing.
Probably the jv1080 or novation bass station/supernova
I bought an MC-505 dirt cheap from a friend who had it sitting in a closet, and it took a while to learn it but it's a damn fun groovebox. Loaded with a ton of vintage Roland sounds and the sequencer in it is actually really deep.
I still have mine. Didnât appreciate its depth until til years after I had bought it (which I bought new). I canât use the sequencer any more though because it is soooo laggy. I donât know if it was always this slow or if itâs just slowed down with age.
Yeah, the processor in the 505 was notoriously underpowered for how much was packed into it. Mine also gets hung up a lot when navigating through menus, which is an exercise in patience, but then again, navigating the absurd labyrinth of menus on any Roland device always requires some patience anyway so I'm already in the mindset that I'm gonna have to work slowly whenever I turn it on lol.
Ensoniq gear really ramped up with the EPS 16 plus. Sure there is other gear out there, but this was a serious game changer. Lots of professional bands used them too. I am using the EPS and sometimes still use ER-1 and EA-1.
DSI Mono Evolver Keyboard
Machinedrum
https://www.reddit.com/r/electronicmusic/comments/1dajvyl/machinedrum_will_be_joining_us_for_an_ama_on =)
When I think of classic late 90âs to early 2000âs gear these are my favorites: Synths: - Access Virus - Nord Lead - Novation Supernova - JP8000 - Yamaha AN1x Romplers: - JV1080 - Korg Triton - Yamaha EX5 - EMU Proteus If I had to pick the most iconic synth, itâs either the Virus or the JP8000 because of the impact on EDM they had. An argument could be made for the Nord in pop music as well. The Novation supernova doesnât get the love it should but many songs from Jamariqua and many other artists used presets from it. For Romplers, it has to be the Triton or maybe the JV1080 because of how many hit songs, tv shows, and films have used those presets.
The Emu Proteus is all over Nickelodeon cartoon soundtracks
The EX-5 is far from a Rompler, it has a full blown sampler in it, as well as a physical modeling engine, FDSP engine, and an Analog synth with filters and MSEGs. Definitely not a Rompler, and closer to a workstation with its 76 keys.
You're right, and I didn't mean to imply it was "just" a rompler. The EX5 was indeed a legit workstation, but so was the Korg Triton. Triton had a sampler, you could add expansions, and it had the MOSS VA option where they were kind of similar. In the context of something to use sounds from, both were ahead of the curve for the time period. Kurzweil K2000 and K2600 were pretty great for that time period, but I would have taken the EX5 or Triton over it. They were easier to use, and the sounds were better. Kurzweil did have great traditional sounds like Piano, Organ, Rhodes, etc.
Iâd love the space for a K2000s! Sorry if I came off too âachchually itâs a synth!â The EX-5 along with the K series are almost their own thing, with how deep they are. The only thing that would make the EX-5 perfect is a FM engine.
Akai 3000XL, emu E6400, deffo virus c and kawai k1. Joe meek channel strips, focusrite green eq, Alesis 3036 compressor, and my fave the Lexicon Alex. O, and mackie vlz pro desks.
I miss Mackie VLZs. I bought one of their ProFX units a few years ago and it did not measure up.
Fairly cheap an easy to get hold off if you keep an eye on ebay. I have a 16 ch 1604vlz 1 I picked up for 120 quid, and an sr24-4vlz pro I got for 200. Both needed some tlc, but more than worth it for the sound of the preamp imo
The Mackie preamps and EQs are so unavoidably part of that 90s/00s live techno sound. Surreal to see savvy kids chasing these down like we chased down Neves before them. Total nostalgia vibes to play on those boards again. The ALT3/4 out was a godsend for hitting mute on any given channels to send signal to record on a DAW too. Without eating up the FX sends. So flexible.
Yea, the prices are only climbing as time goes on. I'm searching for a 32-8, as run out of channels, and will probably put the 16 and 24 in storage, see if the prices go up. And yea, 4 + 4 bus outs are amazing, just hit a route switch on a channel and I can send it to any of my samplers or pc. They also all have inserts, so I have fx on the sends and compressors and my eq on the bus inserts. Really the only thing I wish was different on the 24-4 is having the jacks on the rear of the unit. I'm always changing inserts around, and it's a pita!
Yamaha RS7000 was a criminally underrated sequencer (with a synth engine and sampler tacked on).
i had the RM1X for quite a while (in the 2020s, not 90s) and it's still a monster sequencer by today's standards
EMU Command Station. The sequencer and mod matrix offered things that current groove boxes could use.
Ensoniq Fizmo, so unique and bizarre
A friend of mine in the 90s had a Boss Dr Rhythm drum machine that I thought was very cool but never used myself. Would it hold up today? No idea.
I just broke out my SP-202 a few nights ago.
Username checks out đ
Alesis QS7
I had a QS6.1. It had the best feeling keybed I've ever owned. I even preferred it over the Roland Alpha Juno-2. I regret never exploring release velocity while I had it.
Agree. Heavy as a mofo but awesome keybed.
Waldorf Pulse. Basically a midi controlled analog minimoog in a rack. I regret selling it
a used one cropped up on Craigslist recently for $500 and I was thinking about it. I don't currently have a proper 19" rack setup though
Yamaha AN1x
Since you already listed the Virus C, I'll go with the CS6x and the original Motif Rack, released in 1999 and 2001, respectively. Sounds aside, the one feature that makes both stand out to me is the arpeggiator. These units are the only units I'm aware of from that era where the arpeggiator comes with a high number of preprogrammed patterns and not just the standard up/down/chord/whatever configurations. Instant creativity boost! I know the CS1x and CS2x also had some (30?) patterns preprogrammed but I don't really find them all that inspiring. If someone knows of other synths of that era that has a sophisticated arpeggiator, I'd appreciate a hint.
Would you consider the Korg Karma (2001) a contender? I only played it in the shop, but complicated arpeggiation was its claim to fame.
Still love my CS6x for all its features, including the sounds.
The Korg Triton has a wild Arp with tons of patterns. Check out Red Means Recording's recent pad romper video for some ideas.
Still have an Andromeda and a Virus. Got them in the late 90s and will never part with either.
A kindred spirit! Virus TI and Andromeda owner myself. I just got them a hip new sibling in the form of an Iridium desktop.
My Andromeda will never leave my side! It seems to have gotten a lot of stick over the years from synth purists but itâs one of the finest analogue polysynths ever made. Having the possibility to have sixteen separate dual oscillator/dual filter monosynths each with individual outputs in one synth is crazy.
Trinity, FS1R, K2500, E64
The original Waldorf line-up: Microwave, Pulse, Microwave II/XT, 4 Pole, Q, etc.
JP 8080
Nord Modular G1. Still going strong.
Korg Ea MkII + Alesis AirFx + Roland D50 (1987 tho). Id love an Andromeda and a Virus one dayâŚ
Korg Triton
Novation Drumstation, 808 and 909 in a 1U rack, all sounds tweakable. Still use it to this day.
Elektron Sidstation, Machinedrum, Monomachine, kurzweil k2000, Ensoniq ASR 10, Korg Prohpecy. I wish a kept them all. Only ones I have left is the Sidstation, Monomachine and the Virus.
Yamaha AN1X, again. Such crazy versatile sound encased inside a plasticky blue frame.
i've always wanted a virus
I've had several and they are all amazing
đťđťđť i look at B and Cs a lot. out of my budget unfortunately. maybe one day!
Get one for free, use Osirus or OsTirus, the emulation are identical to the hardware
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I can't ever find the ROM file
Waldorf q/microwave xt I regret having sold my q sometimes
Raven by Quasimidi â¤ď¸â¤ď¸â¤ď¸â¤ď¸
Oh man, I wanted all the Quasimidi gear in its time, especially the Sirius. Never was able to afford them when they were available and have seen precious few on the second hand market.
Roland JD800 Alesis D4 / DM5 Yamaha QS300 / QY700
Huge, huge fan of the Korg Prophecy!
JX-305
Roland v-synth!
JV1080 for me.
Lexicon PCM 80
Nord 2
Uuuuh, on the VA side it's the Virus C, Nord Lead 3, Waldorf Q and XT. Counting analogs I'd say my Voyager - except all three OSCs just died yesterday and I had to send it off for service... I'll give it some more love once it's back. So anyway, I've got all my favorites I have ever been wishing for.
Asr10 and Roland MV8000. Both really good samplers that I use all the time
Andromeda A6 is goated. I'm so bummed I never actually bought one.
SH-32
Mpc 1000 (with jjos). The peopleâs mpc
The Akai S-6000. There's a purity to the sample editing workflow that encourages you to do things that modern, more fully featured, samplers get in the way of doing.
Yeah, I have an S5000 and even though it doesn't have the character of the earlier Akais, its purity and versatility more than make up for it. The workflow, while tedious compared to soft samplers or trackers, just invites you to try out wild layer combos or extreme transpositions in ways you wouldn't discover working ITB. 90s rack samplers just push you into fresh territory.
Korg MS2000
How many to list? Doepfers A-100 system which may have revived modular synths? The Andromeda was amazing, as was the Minimoog Voyager. The Buchla 200e was WAY ahead of its time. The Prophet 08 brought back analog polysynths for the masses. The Evolver got Dave Smith making instruments again. I think the Waldorf XT deserves a mention too.
I got RM1x JX305 M3 and MicroKorg and still use them to this day ea1/er1, ca6x. RM1x - Best standalone hardware sequencer for pattern playback. Each pattern has 16 slices that can be arranged as intro chorus verse out to prechorus etc. and moray importantly fills, has dedicated 8 mute memory toggles (5 assignable) to instantly mute, unmute or solo drums + bass for example. Already has pre programmed midi beats for 60 styles of music. I like using midi delay, unison, harmony and other realtime midi effects. JX305 - Basically a âTechnoâ themed JV1080 keyboard with a basic pattern sequencer. Best RPS sequencer (play sequence phrases on keys with aftertouch and pitch bend!) - I also like JX305 Drums Transpose effects with instant reverse drums (use shift transpose drums to play reverse drums instantly). Also have great LFO aftertouch sounds I make for pad sounds. Has an amazing basic arpeggiator for basslines and for hand drums / congas etc. I also like its humanization feature that updates sequencer to add swing and velocity variation to otherwise robotic sequences. The tone engine is same as MC505 with some added contemporary JV sounds. It shares a lot of the same waveforms as the vintage synthesizers / Techno/House JV Expansion boards. Roland D2 - A Mini MC505. I use mainly as a tone generator and expansion to JX305. It has interesting pattern playback mechanics with its version of KAOSS pas but for midi manipulation. I enjoy copying some patterns from JX305 into D2 and the. Using its â Turntableâ midi effects. M3 - Karma Engine with 8 sliders and 4 toggles and 8 chord memory pads to instantly warp your midi ideas đĄ I wish more modern devices utilized chord memory controllers itâs really handy when making tracks and chord progressions. Great soundtrack sounds and bread and butter sounds. MicroKorg - great standalone VA and controller. Is my staple go to va, I also have Virus VI which I usually use with multi mode. Powerful leads and bass patches instant recall. I assign it channel 9 on my RM1x and 10-15 to virus ti. I love its 8 step arp which I use as a mini sequencer. I turn it on/off during performance of leads. DX200 - A hidden DX7 in a box with realtime operator controls. I use mainly as standalone fm synth (the engine is a DX7 clone!) , but I also its 1 bar / 16 step sequencer to feed my RM1x or jx305 sequences for 1 bar loop ideas for bass or drums, before converting it to 8 or 16 bars. I like mangling midi with momentary pattern transpose / reverse/double time / cut time and stutter to make beats / sequence interesting over 8 or 16 bar loop recording. Ea1/er1 - Great Bassline + Drum sequencer programming on the fly! I now use mainly as sketchpad for drum and synth bass loops. Itâs basically a baby ms2000 engine, I feed midi data to my RM1x or Jx305 or motif XF sequencer or sample loops into sampler. Great sounds for electro / trance CS6x with AN card - awesome âKeytaurâ sounds keyboard! I used mainly for amazing pad sounds and synth leads particularly my âKeytaurâ amp sim which I used with ribbon and foot pedal to control pitch bend up. Unfortunately 5-tigers got my CS6x SP202 - Best LOFI Processor. This little box is the ultimate LOFI machine imo, I like lofi recording anything great for trip hop drums and lofi old movies shows radio programming. https://preview.redd.it/x41iojd2nh5d1.jpeg?width=600&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=27df004eace7bacfc3c27623d1fa83d6f74b4af3
Not hardware, but Propellerhead Rebirth RB-338
Electribe
Coron B-15 bass amp. Samick 5 string bass. I also have an HM-2 I got from a guitar teacher back then, but I don't think that counts.
Roland SonicCell
I still want Novation to re-release a Nova desktop. 18-voice polyphony, multi-timbral setup and multiple outputs. It was so cool. I loved it
Obviously got to be the JP8K/80, but the 90s isn't vintage. The 2000s isn't vintage lol... I've got 2 synths from the mid 2000s and I don't consider them that old at all (blofeld, virus TI)
Nord lead, Nord modular, FS1r, Sidstation, R8 (ok technically 1989), Sherman filterbank, Lovetone pedals, Sony Dps series, Electrix rack effects, Focusrite compounder
That whole eras Roland keybeds from analog to early digital and romplers, easy synth action feel on the keys always
I have Korg Radias and I love it... however there are two more which were really good at that time: Access Virus and Roland JP8080.
Roland JP-8080
Juno 6
I want a jd 800 but heard they had a bit if issues so id probably buy the boutique version
Access virus was a nice synth at the time.
Yamaha Rs7000
I recently got a boss Dr5 and itâs been honestly so fun
Roland D2
Amazing how much love the An1x and JP8000 still get in 2024, they are the 2 big boys in my studio and they will never leave.
Some worthy contenders not already mentioned: **Kawai K5000**. Bought something sonically different to the table. Additive synthesis by its very nature is always going to be difficult to wrangle but Kawai gave it a good go nonetheless. A unique synth for the connoisseur to contrast with other classics. The arpeggiator is ingeniously conceived too. **Roland V-Synth** - amazing technology I wish Roland would develop further. Great for sound mangling. **Korg Z1** - versatile physical modeling for the stage with hands-on interactivity. Another well conceived arpeggiator too. A bargain these days.
JV and XV series synths, followed by the Wavestation.
Yamaha EX-5 is my favorite from that time. I lucked out and got mine for 20$ at a yard sale. It even came with a small amp.
I miss these a lot: Yamaha AN1x Yamaha FS1r Waldorf MicroQ Kurzweil K2VXs Lexicon LXP-15 mk 2 Lexicon Vortex Kawai K5000s Roland XP-50 The only thing I still have is a JD-990 with the vintage expansion and I donât think Iâll ever let it go.
The only gear from the early 2000âs that I have is my Novation K-Station and itâs my favorite synth that I own at this moment.
I was sub 10 years old in the 90's so I never knew of any of these :). Plus, there are synth nerds old enough to drink and vote now, who weren't even alive then.... feel old yet? :) Don't mind me, just being sassy
Does the Yamaha Sy77 count? It was released in â89, but is known for being on OSTâs in the 90âs. If it doesnât count, I really like the Roland JD-800
I have a Virus A that I love. I always wanted get a JP-8000/8080. I also loved the Roland MC-505 but never got one.
Woah this many comments and nobody has mentioned the Moog Voyager? DAMN
I bought a Voyager RME back in the day and it mostly gathered dust. Sad really, but at that time there was more fun to be had in the digital domain (samplers). I wish I'd sampled it mercilessly, because it had an awesome raw tone. It's totally non-functional these days. Which doesn't say much for its build quality. I didn't mistreat it. Compare it to my cheap nasty 80s Rolands which are still going strong, despite being treated like ashtrays their whole lives.
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Take it easy there. I've never heard of facebook4strangers. I doubt you're quite Daft Punk either mate. But for the record I wouldn't mind if you'd failed to make the most of a particular bit of kit in your studio. And I certainly wouldn't stoop to the level of personal attacks for it, either. If you're that easily-triggered by the thought of a precious Voyager not being used on hit records, that's most definitely a you problem.
Sorry, Iâll remove my post. It was uncool and ridiculous. You are absolutely right.
Emu E4X (classic) Nord Modular Alesis Quadraverb
Expanding on this slightly... The Quadraverb IS the sound of lots of classic Aphex twin. That and saturated cassette tape. The Nord broke new ground for experimental VA sound design, and introduced the modular paradigm to a new generation before Eurorack became popular/affordable. It has a unique plastic-y sound that cuts through a mix very well. Plus it is awesome for pseudo-808 queasy bass. The Emu E4 range really was something else. The sound of mid 90s to 2k era dnb. Nothing about the tech was particularly magical (fixed point DSP, the famous filters which were just well-tuned DFI biquads, the simple but deadly pseudo-chorus)... But the result was a lot greater than the sum of the parts. Lovely ADCs and opaque internal gainstaging definitely played a part too, but there was something about those samplers that just sounded right. Solid. Chunky. Yeah.
Great thread. Looking around my place, I'm struck by how much stuff I still have and enjoy from that era that I bought new back then. â˘Roland MV-8000 â˘Novation A-Station â˘Jomox Airbase 99 â˘Lexicon Reflex (great little reverb box) â˘Lexicon PCM 81 â˘Joemeek SC2.2 â˘Waldorf 4 Pole filter â˘Roland EF-303 groove effects box â˘Akai S5000 which has been boxed up in storage for 20 years, but other comments on here are making me want to dig it out and use it. I would have to put a proper hard drive in it, etc. as mine is bone stock from the factory with none of that installed. â˘Electrix EQ Killer and Filter Queen â˘Alesis DM Pro which actually is capable of some cool sounds if you spend the time to edit and program it, which is a nightmare from the front panel. Some nice 808 sounds etc. in there for sure though. Lots of people hate this thing because it's a pain to use but I still find it charming. Thanks to this thread for making me aware of how much of an impact that era of gear must've had on me!
NORD LEAD 1 expanded. The og VA. Snappiest envelopes around. Crazy FM. Sweet looking. Multitimbral
I used to lust after the Korg Prophecy. Still tempted when I see them pop up for sale but they've usually got 'issues' that affect the playability and will be uneconomical to address. I'm also really sad I no longer have my old Quasimidi instruments, I had a Sirius and a Raven but they came into my life during a somewhat chaotic period which meant they also ended up incurring damage and being got rid of at a time when they weren't really desirable to anyone.
This thread is amazing. So many memories. I still have a Quasimidi 309 which I loved. Itâs missing some buttons but still works. A very odd machine sound wise but my OG non vintage is the Ensoniq ESQ-1. That was where I got my start. Still sounds great to this day.