alphatruc « An astounding synth »
Published on 12/03/16 at 13:52
Value For Money :
Excellent
Audience:
Advanced Users
What I like about this piece of gear :
- First, you feel how clever its conception is, with the sound quality (passion) and the concept of making a low-budget synth. When you play with it you’d never imagine a 300€ price tag. I mention the price as to me (according to my experience and idea of what music should be) it sounds really, really musical.
- Great sound color, its grain is sober and sometimes hoarse. (This aspect doesn’t show at all on the online videos and I didn’t expect its actual sound and grain). As a rule I don’t care at all about the kind of synthesis used, the only thing that matters is musicality and how attractive the sound is.
- Great flexibility, quick reaction: this sound is full of energy, plus it’s way more versatile than I’d thought
- Sound is very lively (and it evolves), its organic sound plays hands down in the same league as analog synths (I’m lucky I have this)
- It’s original – a piece of gear that looks like no other. It gives you the feeling to own a very unique gear, especially compared with Yamaha, Roland (etc.) PRODUCTS (even though these manufacturers can make good products).
Its position on the market is totally legit, it’s neither following a current trend (ala fashion analog with many knobs/ ultrabass/ massive sound) nor in a lucrative counterculture (expensive/ limited edition/ so-called vintage authenticity). It’s almost modern, it’s modest, sober and serious, but it more than does the job.
- Good presets : listening to the patches, you can really have an idea of its capacities, which first avoids to spend useless hours exploring its capacities and limits as to synthesis. Usually you have two or three astounding patches at the limits of the product’s possibilities which were designed to hook customers, but here we are spoilt with many pro-sounding patches.
- Great ergonomics: even if i haven’t had the time to try everything, all seems practical and easy to access. A real toy (yes, take it as a compliment).
- Here we’re getting into something very subjective, but I have the feeling of hearing the sound of old machines… I still mention it as it brings me a certain, particularly pleasant nostalgia as it doesn’t seem like an emulation but rather a re-interpretation of those sounds.
And the cherry on the cake is that it sometimes really sounds “machine-like” (like on an old synth).
- Sound quality that goes from semi-pro to bro.
- An unbeatable value for money – with a really excellent value
- I really have a use for it in my machine set (and more than just a so-colled special, original sound on one song – I can line up tracks with it)
> I insist on mentioning that this sort of synths is not really for those after a big, analog sound (not that it’s thin either, but it’s digital) and I’m not surprised to see so many being sold just after purchase. A question of tastes and choice regarding an already existing machine set. As for those who’d hesitate with the waldorf - blofeld in the same price range, I’d say these are two entirely different beasts (with no possible comparaison in spite of both involving wavetables).
As to its cons :
Frankly, when you look at the price, there’s none to me (8-voice polyphony + arpeggiator + fx and so on… only this is already huge).
Then, when you find the sound you like, the defaults seem to vanish or even disappear right away in this case.
You see how much of a synth passionate its creator is (thanks again to him for bringing us this baby).
PS : If I were to define this machine’s character, i’d go with : Honest – Resolute – Poetic
- First, you feel how clever its conception is, with the sound quality (passion) and the concept of making a low-budget synth. When you play with it you’d never imagine a 300€ price tag. I mention the price as to me (according to my experience and idea of what music should be) it sounds really, really musical.
- Great sound color, its grain is sober and sometimes hoarse. (This aspect doesn’t show at all on the online videos and I didn’t expect its actual sound and grain). As a rule I don’t care at all about the kind of synthesis used, the only thing that matters is musicality and how attractive the sound is.
- Great flexibility, quick reaction: this sound is full of energy, plus it’s way more versatile than I’d thought
- Sound is very lively (and it evolves), its organic sound plays hands down in the same league as analog synths (I’m lucky I have this)
- It’s original – a piece of gear that looks like no other. It gives you the feeling to own a very unique gear, especially compared with Yamaha, Roland (etc.) PRODUCTS (even though these manufacturers can make good products).
Its position on the market is totally legit, it’s neither following a current trend (ala fashion analog with many knobs/ ultrabass/ massive sound) nor in a lucrative counterculture (expensive/ limited edition/ so-called vintage authenticity). It’s almost modern, it’s modest, sober and serious, but it more than does the job.
- Good presets : listening to the patches, you can really have an idea of its capacities, which first avoids to spend useless hours exploring its capacities and limits as to synthesis. Usually you have two or three astounding patches at the limits of the product’s possibilities which were designed to hook customers, but here we are spoilt with many pro-sounding patches.
- Great ergonomics: even if i haven’t had the time to try everything, all seems practical and easy to access. A real toy (yes, take it as a compliment).
- Here we’re getting into something very subjective, but I have the feeling of hearing the sound of old machines… I still mention it as it brings me a certain, particularly pleasant nostalgia as it doesn’t seem like an emulation but rather a re-interpretation of those sounds.
And the cherry on the cake is that it sometimes really sounds “machine-like” (like on an old synth).
- Sound quality that goes from semi-pro to bro.
- An unbeatable value for money – with a really excellent value
- I really have a use for it in my machine set (and more than just a so-colled special, original sound on one song – I can line up tracks with it)
> I insist on mentioning that this sort of synths is not really for those after a big, analog sound (not that it’s thin either, but it’s digital) and I’m not surprised to see so many being sold just after purchase. A question of tastes and choice regarding an already existing machine set. As for those who’d hesitate with the waldorf - blofeld in the same price range, I’d say these are two entirely different beasts (with no possible comparaison in spite of both involving wavetables).
As to its cons :
Frankly, when you look at the price, there’s none to me (8-voice polyphony + arpeggiator + fx and so on… only this is already huge).
Then, when you find the sound you like, the defaults seem to vanish or even disappear right away in this case.
You see how much of a synth passionate its creator is (thanks again to him for bringing us this baby).
PS : If I were to define this machine’s character, i’d go with : Honest – Resolute – Poetic