NSD New Synth Day!

Pine Apple Slim said:
If you were going to use this in a performance situation, like for funk or new wave bass lines for example, what would you plug it into? A keyboard amp? A bass amp? A Marshall stack? Just go straight to the board? How did they monitor the Mini Moogs and such back in the day?
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Straight into the PA is the norm for live use. Some folks use keyboard amps for personal monitoring or for venues that don't have a decent rig. I generally only use 1 or 2 synths live these days, but when I was using a whole bunch of them, I brought along a small mixer that compiled them before running that mix to FOH.

As for your second post/question, that's a tougher one to answer. Not my typical sound set, but when I do use those types of sounds they usually come from software. I'm an even shitier keyboard player than I am a guitarist, so things like weighted keys, velocity, and aftertouch are pretty lost on me. I don't need those dynamics for a live setting but have several keyboards that are equipped and capable for studio use. A weighted Controller with all of that stuff will set you back huge and you'd still need a sound source. Best option is probably one of the absurdly plentiful mid-range performance synths from Roland, Yamaha, KORG etc. Any fairly modern such products should be more than adequate.
 
OGG said:
Straight into the PA is the norm for live use. Some folks use keyboard amps for personal monitoring or for venues that don't have a decent rig. I generally only use 1 or 2 synths live these days, but when I was using a whole bunch of them, I brought along a small mixer that compiled them before running that mix to FOH.

As for your second post/question, that's a tougher one to answer. Not my typical sound set, but when I do use those types of sounds they usually come from software. I'm an even shitier keyboard player than I am a guitarist, so things like weighted keys, velocity, and aftertouch are pretty lost on me. I don't need those dynamics for a live setting but have several keyboards that are equipped and capable for studio use. A weighted Controller with all of that stuff will set you back huge and you'd still need a sound source. Best option is probably one of the absurdly plentiful mid-range performance synths from Roland, Yamaha, KORG etc. Any fairly modern such products should be more than adequate.
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For recording, I could still use the old X5D as a controller only I suppose. I haven't really tried any recording with it. I think my Logic software has some keys sounds that came with it, maybe I'll experiment with those. But I was really just thinking about a multi purpose board for jamming purposes to keep in my music room that has better sounds than the X5, without having to become a tiny menu programming expert. I have an old friend who prefer to play keys over guitar nowadays because of hand problems , but he's dirt poor and his keyboard is even shittier than mine.
 
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Disagree about Heaven 17 - "Temptation" is better pure pop than any HL song, and I'm a fan. Ian Craig Marsh is a vastly underrated composer.

I want at least semi-weighted keys. I'm no keyboardist, but the things I do involve dynamics and feel, and I can't get that without.

Looking today at a Poly D; the Korg Minilogue has so many fans but I look at at and just don't feel like it does anything I don't already have with plugins and the Taktile.
 
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Danhedonia said:
Disagree about Heaven 17 - "Temptation" is better pure pop than any HL song, and I'm a fan. Ian Craig Marsh is a vastly underrated composer.

I want at least semi-weighted keys. I'm no keyboardist, but the things I do involve dynamics and feel, and I can't get that without.

Looking today at a Poly D; the Korg Minilogue has so many fans but I look at at and just don't feel like it does anything I don't already have with plugins and the Taktile.
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Not a fan of the Minilogue. It's certainly a very capable and nice sounding machine, but it doesn't really stand out among the competitors or even it's numerous KORG older siblings like the MicroKORG or the MicroKORG XL etc.

I love my MicroKORG XL though. Clever little beastie that sounds impossibly huge. I like it so much, I customized it to have my signature look!

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How good a deal is an Ensoniq ESQ 1 for 250? I haven't seen one go that low on ebay but those are before shipping and this is on craiglist. Probably won't because I'll get cooties and die but wondered. I like the demos I've seen on youtube.
 
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Theodore said:
How good a deal is an Ensoniq ESQ 1 for 250? I haven't seen one go that low on ebay but those are before shipping and this is on craiglist. Probably won't because I'll get cooties and die but wondered. I like the demos I've seen on youtube.
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If it's in fully functional and good condition, and if you're looking to make music that sounds like the theme song to Doogie Houser M.D. it's a good deal :)

I loved all those early Ensoniq boards. They were so much better that anything else out there at the time. They had awesome sounds, huge capabilities, and most importantly... the absolute best user interface in the history of digital synths. In that regard, they eclipsed EVERYONE else. Not sure how useful they are for modern music, but they are pretty great.

At one point my entire rig was made up of an ESQ-1, an SQ-80, and a pair of EPS-16 samplers. Eventually I added the venerable VFX-SD, that became the ultimate workhorse and my entire "backing band" all by itself.

I'd scoop up a nice example of one at that price for sure, but I can't say I'd recommend it for everyone.
 
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