Desert Island Synth... (no right or wrong answer!!)

facade1984

Senior Member
Apr 27, 2021
760 Posts
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Sydney NSW
All jokes aside it sounds great. Not loving the GUI but that's always a secondary concern for me. I'll get properly stuck into it soon as I start something new though
 
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LostLegend

Elite Member
Dec 5, 2020
1,316 Posts
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Liverpool, UK
Website
www.beatport.com
Always been a software guy. In my early days for financial reasons, recently due to lack of space, now I don't know what my excuse is :LOL:

For me, the Juno 106 is the one that will never leave my side.
I recently picked up the VST version of this. I know, not the same as the real thing, but I love it!
Feels really easy to create great sounding pads and arps on it. There's something very magical about the chorus effect as well, like a proper secret sauce.


As for what my fav is? Not sure if I have an all time Desert Island Synth, but I've always had a special place in my heart for Reason's 'Subtractor' synth. It was the synth I learned to make noises, bleeps and bloops on for the first time back in like 2001/02 ish. A little bit on the primative sound by todays standards, but a really easy synth to learn and perfect for beginners back in the day.

ReasonTech_0523_05-jav.iRq2VoMcbQJXdyb4wyYIMos6DJvb.jpg


Peter Jubel, the creator of Subtractor also worked on the Clavia Nord Lead DSP engine before working on this and there's definitely some of the DNA in there.
 
Mar 3, 2022
118 Posts
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Bristol, UK
My favourite synth is Dune 3 by synapse audio (vst) the first big soft synth I bought. I’d like at some point to commit to my hardware synths more, struggled sorting the midi with Studio one v4 for years.

in the 90s I used a Yamaha SY35, I still have it but it needs to be fixed. Strings to die for (or live for 🙂) - if I save the money to get that fixed and studio space to use it ..it might be no1.
That Yamaha strings DNA runs strong.

Outside of electronic I saw Broken Social Scene live years ago and they used a little Yamaha synth for the strings on Lover’s Spit. Wonderful sound.

The Cure use a DX7 live. I think a lot of Disintegrarion was an S330, Roland RS-09 and an ARP Solina machine but live they definitely seem to recreate using a DX-7
 
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LostLegend

Elite Member
Dec 5, 2020
1,316 Posts
1,680 Thanked
Liverpool, UK
Website
www.beatport.com
I bought a thing :LOL:


I worked a ton of overtime last month with the intention of spending it on some home studio upgrades.
My first purchase was a new midi controller keyboard. It has a load more knobs, faders and pads than my last one so I've spent the past week or so live tweaking synth parameters with it and having a ball, so decided I may as well jump in and buy a cheap entry level hardware synth.

I opted for the Arturia MicroFreak in the end. Has a load of sound engines from basic waves, ultrasaw/squres, wavetables, granular, FM etc. and a rather warm sounding analogue filter and self resonating res knob

source.gif


The built in keyboard is a trip. They are touch sensitive circuits rather than keys that you press down, so you cant rest your fingers on the keys, which takes a bit of getting used to. Applying more of the surface of your finger to the circuits triggers the after-touch which can be set by the simple but easy to use mod matrix.

I've got more software synths than I can count, but have neglected to seriously deep dive any of them, so I figure actually having a physical control surface there will encourage me to explore it inside and out properly!

Just need to upgrade my shitty Behringer audio interface now as the latency is horrendous unless I set it to direct monitor 😒
 
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Jetflag

Legendary Member
Jul 17, 2020
5,037 Posts
4,502 Thanked
I bought a thing :LOL:


I worked a ton of overtime last month with the intention of spending it on some home studio upgrades.
My first purchase was a new midi controller keyboard. It has a load more knobs, faders and pads than my last one so I've spent the past week or so live tweaking synth parameters with it and having a ball, so decided I may as well jump in and buy a cheap entry level hardware synth.

I opted for the Arturia MicroFreak in the end. Has a load of sound engines from basic waves, ultrasaw/squres, wavetables, granular, FM etc. and a rather warm sounding analogue filter and self resonating res knob

source.gif


The built in keyboard is a trip. They are touch sensitive circuits rather than keys that you press down, so you cant rest your fingers on the keys, which takes a bit of getting used to. Applying more of the surface of your finger to the circuits triggers the after-touch which can be set by the simple but easy to use mod matrix.

I've got more software synths than I can count, but have neglected to seriously deep dive any of them, so I figure actually having a physical control surface there will encourage me to explore it inside and out properly!

Just need to upgrade my shitty Behringer audio interface now as the latency is horrendous unless I set it to direct monitor 😒
Wicked m8,

is it full hardware as in, no software in the DAW or does it come with an added plugin?
 

LostLegend

Elite Member
Dec 5, 2020
1,316 Posts
1,680 Thanked
Liverpool, UK
Website
www.beatport.com
Wicked m8,

is it full hardware as in, no software in the DAW or does it come with an added plugin?
Full hardware. There is a connected app, but that’s just for file management, moving/renaming presets and loading your own samples/wavetables and onto the device. Forces you to be more hands on with it, which I am quite enjoying.
 
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Barry G

New Member
Oct 30, 2026
5 Posts
9 Thanked
London
Website
www.masteringmastering.co.uk
Hi just joined up. It is very difficult to pick 1 but right now.. most likely Adam Szabo Viper. I do have a Virus Snow but have not used it for a while now, Viper whilst not an exact replica does a very good job and takes the hassle away from using the "over USB" plug in controller (which is a little bit unreliable /laggy at times).
 

Jetflag

Legendary Member
Jul 17, 2020
5,037 Posts
4,502 Thanked
Hi just joined up. It is very difficult to pick 1 but right now.. most likely Adam Szabo Viper. I do have a Virus Snow but have not used it for a while now, Viper whilst not an exact replica does a very good job and takes the hassle away from using the "over USB" plug in controller (which is a little bit unreliable /laggy at times).
plus point: the presets, even the standard banks by szabo are absolute class.
 

Barry G

New Member
Oct 30, 2026
5 Posts
9 Thanked
London
Website
www.masteringmastering.co.uk
He did an amazing job with it. I am currently stuck with a slightly old version and I believe it started to be able to do some of the
more unique abilities of the Virus like the "Formant complex synthesis" (commonly used in psy trance). I have never got round to installing the extra wavetables etc. One day I will probably download and do a fresh install making sure all the components are in the right place.

It is a synth that pretty much covers it all.