In this episode of PIano Shack, Woody reveals his top 5 favorite synths of all time! Featuring Woody's identical twin brother, Wally. Facebook: www. woodypianoshack
It still sounds like nothing else, the materials are far superior to what is used now a days I had a little Jam with a friend owning a Kronos, I had my M1 with was connected to an Arturia Beat Step Pro! Kronos destroyed me on the realistic sounds, and that was it. When we started with futuristic sounds, pads and weird effects I felt like Zeus's lightning was brightening in my bare palms. Moreover the way the M1 cut into the mix is UNIQUE. Best ever made workstation for me. I have many synths and keys but that Korg is forever plugged to my mixer, because nothing cut the mix like the M1!
@@mmtech3874 Still have my M1 and still play it the most. I got the Juno 106 with the presets which I feel makes a easier to use all around better synth than the Juno 6 choosen here. I also have a DX7 II FD. Love some of those classic sounds like E pianos, and organs.
@@subwaygaragemusic That's awesome. Because I have the IID with modified added factory disk drive it is now a IIFD. I usually have a blues bank loaded in and keep the factory bank on my cartridge. The blues bank came from the music store I bought it from. The sales guy was a great keyboardist for a blues band. He let me copy all of his disks. I must have 6 of them with 8-12 banks each. I use one called Drawbars. Sounds Like a hammond B3 and can use the slider to add more toned down version or more of a screamer version depending where I move the slider data entry control. Also the modulation wheel adds the leslie. Pretty cool. Best B3 sound there was until B3 emulators started coming out.
i just bought a M1 for 100 bucks, damn i love this thing but my list looks like that: 1. Korg Triton 2. Yamaha DX7 3. Korg M1 4. Roland SH 201 5. Roland D 10/50
great video as usual. I am an old guy and when the Yamaha DX7 came out it was amazing. So cheap, many alternatives to create sounds and so easy to recreate acoustic instruments and analog synths. It was an easy and affordable instrument to the working musicians. After that, for another reasons, the Korg M1 was amazing too but it was expensive.
These are my favorites and I have had and still have some of these, 1 Roland D50, 2 Yamaha DX7, 3 Korg Wavestation, 4 Korg M1, 5 Roland JD 800. I still have the D50 also a D10, Korg Wavestation, Yamaha CS2x and a Korg O3W/r
Great video. Hearing you play the intro to electric dreams on the Juno6 takes me way back....the amount of times I tried to recreate that intro myself back in the 80's on my PSS35(or whatever it was) using vibes and strings....well, great memories :)
Just purchased a Juno 106. To my ears this thing never needs to apologise it just sounds amazing. When I listen to boutique or plugins I find myself trying to qualify why it really sounds not too bad !
I actually agree on the D10. I used it multi-timbrally with a MMT-8 sequencer, which opened a new world of composing possibilities. The best synths are those that make you do the best music.
wow, number one was such a surprise!!) i'm making songs with the vst version of that synth at the moment and seeing it here brought a smile on my face, very unexpected choice indeed!)) and i actually guessed number two for some reason as well! so overall i like your list, hehe..
The great things is that are SO many wonderful synths out there, so everybody's Top 5 is going to be different. But... you definitely need to have more synths in your life Woody!
Great video, I really enjoyed it (I loved the editing/corrections you did) I only have the VST korg collection and the ones that come in Logic BUT Im madly in love with the Arp Odyssey, its a FUN keyboard, though it can get out of control terribly fast.
Great video Woody. I love the Juno 6 too. Great job on your top 5. My favorites are the Jupiter 8, Juno 106, Juno 60, JX-3P, and Juno 60. Keep up the great videos. Take care and have a wonderful day. Sam.
I wanted a D50 for a long time and was about to buy one when the D70 came out and I went with that... I wish I still had it, it was awesome. I also loved my Korg O1W which I sold pretty quickly because I got a Mac with Logic 1.0 and it was so much easier to use than a workstation keyboard.
I've got a D-20 that has been in it's box in a closet for the past 25 years (bought it used and at the time it smelled so badly of cigarettes I couldn't stand it.) Pulled it out the other day and plugged it in, still works. The smell has finally faded.
Yup I got the D-10 as my second synth when I was 12 years old I think. I still have it, but having a hard time still powering it on, sometimes fidgeting with the power adapter it would still power on, I think the power thing inside broke. I never got to figure out the advanced features of it though just using the basic sounds and recording my compositions through my sequencer app was all I was doing with it.
that's what it did best, i don't remember doing much deep editing, just splits and layers. but it was brilliant at the time for sequencing. hope yours lives to play another day.
I have not owned a lot of synths but can judge some by their software versions or just having heard them. I do own a TG77 which is my number one favorite. Love the Korg Wavestation, the Casio CZ line, Ensoniq ESQ-1, and of course the Prophet 5. I love all synths though! So many great ones to choose from.
The D10 was also my first synth and I have fond memories creating lots of sounds on it, using an editor on the Atari STe. It was quite precursory at the time. Some of my patches actually got published in Keyboard magazine. These were the days...
I loved my M1 and DX7S. The 01w fd had some fantastic sounds. The Korg Trinity I had for 13 years was a great workhorse. I recently got a Kronos which I am still getting my head around is amazing. I put all the DX7S sounds into it so its like I got that keyboard back again. The amount and type of sounds it produces is amazing. Definitely my favourite one now. Ask me again in 13 years.
Very intresting to listen to your reasons of your personal favourites list. So glad the wavestation and the DX 7 made it in there. Thanks for the reminder on the history of the Clavia Nord lead it was a golden age for VAs at the time with very feirce compoletition . The like of Access , Novation, Yamaha and of course Clavia all released some beasts. I still remember trips to turnkey in London early 2000s and lusting over these .
hi adamski, yeah the history of clavia and the nord lead is a topic well worth covering on the channel, if only I can find a NL1. the golden age of VAs as you say.
Fabulous list Woody! Loved the Juno 6 back in the day :) My top 5 synths: 1. Korg 01w/fd (never to be beaten in my world) 2. Roland Juno 6 4. Korg Triton Classic 4. Roland D-50 5. Korg DW 6000
Woody, I agree....saw this when it first came out, don't know why I didn't comment then. I learned on the MS-20, my first two purchases (new, I'm that old) were the Pro One and the Juno 60; still have them... of all my gear (won't even try to list, it's a disease), the Juno is the most intuitive machine I've ever run across, and the sound! I'll probably be buried with them. Love your videos.
I couldn’t broach my top five favorite synthesizer models among the ones that I’ve owned. I’ve enjoyed each of them for something different and how they all complement each other. If I have to choose five, I’ll choose all of them.
godzilla12332 I agree on that one the sounds were big, fat and bellowing. Only bit I struggled with was the architecture, very steep learning curve. Extremely underrated machine.
It's a fantastic synth in it's own right, but it should never have been labeled as a Jupiter...... Roland were cashing in on an iconic name to sell more units. Apart from the colour scheme it has nothing in common with the original. I just wish they had called it a Saturn instead perhaps... Don't get me wrong, I'm not one of those "analogue purists", far from it, I'm a huge fan of digital synths and actually prefer them, But the original Jupiter was a big fat (now legendary) analogue polysynth whereas the 80 is not.
Gary Wright I think it still has a lot of the ideas from the Jupiter. But your right it's not that similar at all (it's analog simulation is pretty good but that's besides that point of the what the Jupiter 8 was mainly used for )
My synth right of passage has been: Roland Juno 6, Yamaha DX7, Crumar Bit 99, Roland Jupiter 6, Roland S50, General Music Gem??, Nord Modular G2, Kurzweil PC3X, Dave Smith Pro 2, Studiologic Sledge, Korg Electribe 2 Sampler, Moog Mother 32, Arturia DrumBrute, Arturia MatrixBrute
Very nice list, Woody! And I was very pleased to watch the last bit of your video, as I was ABSOLUTELY sure... you'd have chosen the D-50 AND the Korg M1 :p My current owned synths list, along with the year I got them (from the first I bought to my most recent addition): - Roland MT-32 (bought in 2005 to enjoy "high-end" music from these old MS-DOS games I always heard with AdLib/Sound Blaster back in the time, like most of us did. Back then, the Munt emulation project was absolutely insignificant. - Korg X5DR - 2006 (as someone already said here, some very nice 90's-like presets and a decent, not-so-heard General MIDI mode) - Roland SC-8850 - 2007 (as a GM enthusiast, I HAD to own a Sound Canvas as well. I was blessed enough to find one on eBay with European specs back in the time.) - Yamaha MU1000 - 2007 (same reasons as above. Felt even more lucky to find one, as the top-end MU models (1000 and 2000) were mainly sold in Japan.) - Roland D-550 - 2009 (yes, I HAD to own a D-50. Such a legend... Still the best sounding I own, to be honest. Such a beast. But yes, I understand why it didn't reach your #5 spot. Its lack of General MIDI capabilities is sometimes frustrating. Even its "small cousin", the MT-32, is actually better on that particular point.) - Korg M1R-ex - 2010 (same as above.) And, yeah, I still own all of them. But I stopped buying hardware synths as well ;) Two facts you should probably enjoy reading: - my MT-32 is actually the second unit I owned. The first one I bought suffered from a huge background hiss noise I couldn't solve myself, with my poor electronic capabilities. I discussed this issue on the board ran by the QuestStudios website back then, by huge enthusiasts of Sierra's game music (most prolific game company using the MT-32). Seeing that I was sad with my MT-32 experience, a member named Laust ultimately offered me to send my faulty unit to him in Denmark (I live in France!) so he could fix it, and sent back one of his own modified units in return, at no charge! It was an absolute bargain to me... so, even if I never opened it, I know I own a unique MT-32 ;) Unfortunately, the forum seems to be gone nowadays, although the website is still alive and maintained by the same founder (Tom Lewandowski). So, unless I can find some tracks on WebArchive, I can't go back to the forum thread I opened, which had nice pictures of my now-own unit! - all my synths being standard-size or half-size racks, they actually all fit... in two Ikea Rast nightstands! Much, much cheaper than real rackable stuff to hold them, no? :) Did you know this nightstand's' width perfectly matches the standard width of a rackmount unit? If you haven't already tried this, you should! Moreover when you live in Sweden, no excuse to avoid buying Ikea stuff :p (The overfamous Lack tables also fit, actually.) www.reddit.com/r/synthesizers/comments/5lo0dg/built_my_own_custom_ikea_rast_studio_rack/ My own setup, with pictures (in French): fr.audiofanzine.com/ikea/forums/t.587890,exemple-de-home-studio-ikea-gamme-2015-plateau-linnmon-et-tables-ikea-rast.html I recently moved to another location, so I still have to rebuild this Ikea hack setup... Will try to enhance it ;)
loved the pictures, nice clean setup, i like that too. great to hear from another MT-32 fan. I wanna get one but they are hard to find, the retro DOS gamers are buying them up. They were rather hissy even when new, especially in the reverb. i'm gonna investigate the munt vst plugin version.
Great choices, I've had and loved a few of them. I'd like to give an honorable mention to the Akai AX60. Absolute beast of a synth I wish I still had. Could split the keyboard, arpeggiator, doubler, chorus and other effects, like a Juno 60 on steroids.
Very interesting listing man ! I'm proud to own 3 ROLAND : JUNO D, JDXI, SH201 and the so famous Yamaha DX7 (the same version chocolate made in 1983). This one is very difficult to master but with patience I know it's an unlimited source of sounds. Thanks for your video, you make me sure to get good synths at home.
Ah, a nice trip down Memory Lane. I have a Yamaha CS1x which I purchased in 1999. It is such a nice keyboard and one I don't want to part with any time soon.
Funny, you listed exactly the same few reasons why at the time I decided on a (in my case) Roland D110 rack instead of a D50 or 550, namely multitimbrality, cheapness & the drums. I figured I could always put it through a good chorus to sort of compensate. Later it became academic as, though I never got a 50 or 550 I eventually got a V synth XT rack. Btw I guessed the Juno 6, esp when u said 1982. It was my first synth too. I owned 2 at different times but now have a 106 with Kiwi.
The melody played on the Roland D20 remind me a string sequence from a movie Karate Tiger 1 - No retreat no surrender when Jason felt in a sleep and a ghost of Bruce Lee apeared at abandoned house.
I started with a Technics KN2000 and then a Korg X3. Then sold the KN2000 to buy a Nord Stage 76 which is my personal favorite. Then I found an old Korg M1 of which I mostly enjoyed replacing the battery and restoring the factory presets. Then I sold the M1 and Nord Stage to buy a Roland digital drum kit... Haven't played any keys for 10 years now. Became a gigging drummer instead but I still have the X3... Keep it up Woody!
I started with the Roland Juno 6 back in 1982 - brilliant first synth. Followed by DX-9 for a few years, Then the incredible D-20 which was a game changer as great workstation. Recently upgraded to Roland FA-06 - great sounds but still trying to work out how to use properly.
1. Korg Minilogue XD - Workflow, performance, build, aesthetics, & sound A+. Sequencer limited. 2. Korg EMX - Aesthetics second to none! Build, sound, workflow, performance A+ True classic. 3. Vintage Gold MicroKorg - Great aesthetic design - Only 700 made for US distribution. Polyphonic digital analogue for lovely sound design. 4. Roland Groovebox 909 - Crappy build but spectacular in every way + sampling capabilities. 5. Dedicated to all the gear I’ve loved before: Roland XP (HIGHLY underrated), Yamaha SY 85 (my first), SP-202 (my first sampler), Roland SH-32 (diamond in the rough), Medusa (what a short, strange trip it was).
I've noticed that D-20 is sold at my local shop and cost at 6000yen (approax. $60) ... very cheap. Well I've just now decided to purchase that after seeing your video reports. "Soundtrack" tone is the most unique and impressive one. Thanks for nice demo.
Korg 01W/FD Hammond XK-2 (with Neo Ventilator) That's my main rig. I have a Rhodes 88 which stays home. Also have a Korg PS60 as a backup but that's it. I never got GAS all these years. But I get to play a Korg Kronos 88 and Hammond XK-5 with a Leslie 3300 at our rehearsal studio and on our Three Dog Night (3DN) gigs. The Kronos is amazing.
These are some great mentions, Woody. It should be observed that Roland has a great track record going back to its founding In the immediate post-War years. Not only that but they bought the rights to the Rhodes piano. It would come as no surprise to me if some or all of their synths had a general midi for an EP. Korg pulled off a coup of its own when it bought the rights to ARP and revived the 2600 and the Odyssey. During the 80s the Yamaha dx7 did combat with the Fairlight CMI in terms of appearances on platinum selling pop/dance tunes. I know that Whitney Houston and Kenny Loggins were typical of the names that benefitted from it. The Nords are pricey but excellent boards made in Scandinavia. Beyond that, I don't know much about them. Great video!
Kawaii K1 (my first professional synth), Korg M1 (my band mate had 1 and when he bought it, it rocked out world), Roland D-50 (fond memories of pop songs made with that keyboard), Roland MT-32 (my 1st professional anything and got me into sequencing along with Cakewalk), Lync LN-4 (technically not a synth, but my first and favorite keytar), and of course the DX-7 even though to this day, I've never owned one. But I do have a Yamaha MX61 which has a remarkable facimile of the electric pianos from the DX.
My top 5 (and own all of these): 1. Roland JV-80/880 - suited for almost anything and still holds its own against much newer romplers. I have two 880's. 2. Roland D-50/550 - never owned one but worked with them for years. Now have a D-05 with the same unmistakable signature. 3. Tie Between Roland alphaJuno-1 and a Juno-106 - alphaJuno-1 was my first real synth 31 years ago, and I use it to this day. 4. Yamaha FS1R - hands down the best FM synth ever made, and probably one of the most underrated. 5. Korg Wavestation - any flavor. Fantastic film-scoring synth. I have an SR.
I have an Akai miniak that is a little hard to control but the sound is nice, I like the filters there and that you can put a guitar in it and get a fun sound. I'm considering a north lead 2x.
Of the ones I've owned, these were the best regarded and used most for my music: Yamaha TX81z, Chroma Polaris, Korg PS3100, Ensoniq SQR+, Kawai K5000. Personal list. In terms of programming, getting good results with effort.
Nice choice :) '87 brought a CZ-101 with pocket money. Swapped my BMX for an Atari ST1024. Working on a building site during summer of '88 & '89 got my D10 and DX7. Happy Dayz (music can change the world) xx
Great list, Gareth! ;) this DX7 MK1 will come back anyday....as a dog to his master!! LOL You're right, Roland qualities have drastically changed over the years, probably when they started to manufacture in China (as with most of other companies Akai, Yamaha etc)...I noticed that when I bouhgt my Juno 2 and I was completely amazed with its weight, built construction and quality keyboard!! even better than the famous D-50 that came a bit later... Cheers!
The synths that made me go "Wow" when I first heard them in a shop (though not necessarily the best ever and I'm including soft synths): 1. Roland D50 2. Korg Prophecy 3. Omnisphere 4. SCI Pro-One (and also U-He Pro-1) 5 Roland JP8080 (both 2 & 5 were stolen from me in a burglary - a dark day)
On 5 the D-10! Very well placed! The D-10 is a winner! I have one and it will feature soon in a new "vintage set".Incredible and beautiful sounds! I own also a Nordrack 2, I must still discover it but I'm sure it will be a fantastic experience! Juno-6 on n°1 : I can understand that, cause by watching videos on TH-cam of the Juno-series, the Juno-6 is on my wishlist now! greetz
I wonder why the prophet 5 (or 6) or the oberheimer is not mentioned so often in the comments below. I certainly dont know all synths but these impressed me most so far.....
My top five of all time: 1. Korg Volca Keys 2. Korg Volca Keys 3. Korg Volca Keys 4. Korg Volca Keys 5. Korg Volca Keys Yeah, it's a bit of a joke, but after the monotribe, these are really the synthesizers that helped me get into synths and I carry a pair of them with a volca beats and a keystep in my everywhere set-up. All runs on powerbanks too.
Love that the JUNO-6 is No.1 on your list. It's also my favourite. The Juno-6 was the first analogue synth I purchased with my own money. It's the keyboard on which I learned synthesis and, together with my TR-707, it's still the centerpiece of my studio. Over the years it's been joined by a Juno-60, 106 and alpha JUNO-1 but it's still the first keyboard I rescue if the studio caught fire. My Top Five List: 1. Roland Juno-6 2. Realistic MG-1 3. Roland SH-2000 4. Univox Mini-Korg 5. Novation Bass Station Most Coveted Synths: 1. Korg 770 2. Roland VP-330 3. Roland SH-5 (or SH-7) 4. Roland ProMars 5. MiniMoog Model-D
Have you tried the Yamaha Reface DX? I just picked one up for under $300 and love it. It's not a DX7, but it's sort of like a portable DX7. Yes it has minikeys, but again portable, and their the best minikeys I've ever played and work nicely as a portable MIDI controller too.
From what I've seen, the Reface is a bit like a DX11 in a DX100 body with a built in effects unit - of course I'm glossing over quite a bit, but that seems to be the gist of it.
Great presentation! My first synth was a Roland D-20 (1999). My friend had a Roland D-10 and I always thought his sounded better. Is it possible? Also, I loved your vid on the D-50. It sounds massive!
I'll absolutely agree on the Lead 2X. It's a monster, and I haven't even tapped into the multi-timbral abilities yet. My huge gripe is that it has no BPM sync, it's just 'rate'. So I'd need an external clock to use it with my band.
The Yamaha dx7 sounded like a Sega Genesis! My first synth was a Korg N364. I then got a Micro Korg, MS2000B and a red Karma! I have since sold them all and regret it! Just downloaded the Korg iWavestation app on my iphone and lost track of time for a couple hours!
Top synths I've owned (long time ago!): 1/ Roland D-50 - 2/ Casio CZ-5000 - 3/ Roland JX-8P (with PG-800). Never owned but I've loved them (I've tried them): Korg Wavestation and Ensoniq ESQ-1.
I own only two hardware synths: Novation X-Station 61 - bought it as midi controller, but i has also pretty nice 3osc VA module Korg X5D-R - has decent piano and strings, and some candy sounds from 90s Also played with some softsynths: NI FM7, B4; Arturia Jupiter-8
My top 5 synths I owned (between -85 and -95) are: 1. Roland D50 2. Yamaha SY-77 3. Korg M1 4 Ensoniq ESQ-1 (becuase of the great internal sequencer) 5. Casio CZ-5000 (my first ever synth)
![Almost in tears | Roland D50 demo | Factory sounds [01]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/3xfdigHwIeg/mqdefault.jpg)
i sold my Juno 106 and regret it every day.
The Korg M1 when it came out though sounded like nothing else - and it was a full workstation - loved that keyboard
It still sounds like nothing else, the materials are far superior to what is used now a days I had a little Jam with a friend owning a Kronos, I had my M1 with was connected to an Arturia Beat Step Pro! Kronos destroyed me on the realistic sounds, and that was it. When we started with futuristic sounds, pads and weird effects I felt like Zeus's lightning was brightening in my bare palms. Moreover the way the M1 cut into the mix is UNIQUE. Best ever made workstation for me. I have many synths and keys but that Korg is forever plugged to my mixer, because nothing cut the mix like the M1!
@@mmtech3874 Still have my M1 and still play it the most. I got the Juno 106 with the presets which I feel makes a easier to use all around better synth than the Juno 6 choosen here. I also have a DX7 II FD. Love some of those classic sounds like E pianos, and organs.
I also loved my M1. I replaced my broken one with an M1Rex and it's a beast now purely because of the addl. 4MB T3 ROM!
@@gobigparts I remember using the organ patch on the MkII on bank 1 and be able to nail Tony Banks' (Genesis) organ sound.
@@subwaygaragemusic That's awesome. Because I have the IID with modified added factory disk drive it is now a IIFD. I usually have a blues bank loaded in and keep the factory bank on my cartridge. The blues bank came from the music store I bought it from. The sales guy was a great keyboardist for a blues band. He let me copy all of his disks. I must have 6 of them with 8-12 banks each. I use one called Drawbars. Sounds Like a hammond B3 and can use the slider to add more toned down version or more of a screamer version depending where I move the slider data entry control. Also the modulation wheel adds the leslie. Pretty cool. Best B3 sound there was until B3 emulators started coming out.
I love how you present the list with so much enthusiasm
My top five synthesizers are:
1. Krog M1
2. Yamaha DX7
3. Roland D-50
4. Mini Moog
5. Krog Wavestation EX
Just got my paws on a M1😊
Number 2 on that list is a Synthesizer that is one of the deepest desires of my heart.
@@willfomes406 I have one. It is definitely worth getting, even if it's just the module version.
i just bought a M1 for 100 bucks, damn i love this thing
but my list looks like that:
1. Korg Triton
2. Yamaha DX7
3. Korg M1
4. Roland SH 201
5. Roland D 10/50
Once again, thanks for posting this video! .
You are amazing, Woody! Congratulations for your videos quality!
Nice list Woody, thank you for sharing. I almost forgot about the Juno 06, interesting choice for the top slot.
great video as usual. I am an old guy and when the Yamaha DX7 came out it was amazing. So cheap, many alternatives to create sounds and so easy to recreate acoustic instruments and analog synths. It was an easy and affordable instrument to the working musicians. After that, for another reasons, the Korg M1 was amazing too but it was expensive.
These are my favorites and I have had and still have some of these, 1 Roland D50, 2 Yamaha DX7, 3 Korg Wavestation, 4 Korg M1, 5 Roland JD 800. I still have the D50 also a D10, Korg Wavestation, Yamaha CS2x and a Korg O3W/r
Great video. Hearing you play the intro to electric dreams on the Juno6 takes me way back....the amount of times I tried to recreate that intro myself back in the 80's on my PSS35(or whatever it was) using vibes and strings....well, great memories :)
My god This guy always looks so well it’s unbelievable!!!
The D10 was my first synth too and I love it!
Just purchased a Juno 106. To my ears this thing never needs to apologise it just sounds amazing. When I listen to boutique or plugins I find myself trying to qualify why it really sounds not too bad !
That Juno 6 clip just became my new ring tone. Thanks Woody!
I actually agree on the D10. I used it multi-timbrally with a MMT-8 sequencer, which opened a new world of composing possibilities. The best synths are those that make you do the best music.
Interesting list you have, great video!
Just found the channel, and its great!
I love your videos, man!
wow, number one was such a surprise!!) i'm making songs with the vst version of that synth at the moment and seeing it here brought a smile on my face, very unexpected choice indeed!)) and i actually guessed number two for some reason as well! so overall i like your list, hehe..
The great things is that are SO many wonderful synths out there, so everybody's Top 5 is going to be different. But... you definitely need to have more synths in your life Woody!
another interesting vid. Thanks Woody.
Great video, I really enjoyed it (I loved the editing/corrections you did)
I only have the VST korg collection and the ones that come in Logic BUT Im madly in love with the Arp Odyssey, its a FUN keyboard, though it can get out of control terribly fast.
So nice to hear some OMD
Great video Woody. I love the Juno 6 too. Great job on your top 5. My favorites are the Jupiter 8, Juno 106, Juno 60, JX-3P, and Juno 60. Keep up the great videos. Take care and have a wonderful day. Sam.
i probably would have guessed!
Loved what you played on the Nord!
In the mid 80s i fell in Love with Korg DS-8 and DSS-1 This old Sampler has had so much Charme
I wanted a D50 for a long time and was about to buy one when the D70 came out and I went with that... I wish I still had it, it was awesome. I also loved my Korg O1W which I sold pretty quickly because I got a Mac with Logic 1.0 and it was so much easier to use than a workstation keyboard.
Great list Woody. Surprised me with the JUNO-6! Was definitely expecting a D-50 or M1.. :)
Can't wait to see his review of the Prophet 5 rev4!
D10 my first synth. Thx for the memories 🤗👍
I've got a D-20 that has been in it's box in a closet for the past 25 years (bought it used and at the time it smelled so badly of cigarettes I couldn't stand it.) Pulled it out the other day and plugged it in, still works. The smell has finally faded.
ugggh, need to take that board apart and sterilize it
Yup I got the D-10 as my second synth when I was 12 years old I think. I still have it, but having a hard time still powering it on, sometimes fidgeting with the power adapter it would still power on, I think the power thing inside broke. I never got to figure out the advanced features of it though just using the basic sounds and recording my compositions through my sequencer app was all I was doing with it.
that's what it did best, i don't remember doing much deep editing, just splits and layers. but it was brilliant at the time for sequencing. hope yours lives to play another day.
I have not owned a lot of synths but can judge some by their software versions or just having heard them. I do own a TG77 which is my number one favorite. Love the Korg Wavestation, the Casio CZ line, Ensoniq ESQ-1, and of course the Prophet 5. I love all synths though! So many great ones to choose from.
Hey, the CZ series got mentioned in a video about top 5 synths. Possibly the first time in history since most people don't even know they exist.
Not only the CZ Series was memorable.. but the VZ1 synth.. they both, were the best synths delivererd by Casio OF ALL TIMES.
idk how it was 2 years ago, but holy shit are CZ keyboards expensive now
interesting, just getting back into synths, have a CZ-5000 with cartridges in storage. Might have to revisit it.
@@robertbmxpa they sound great. You won't regret it
@@Breakbeat90s A nice looking 101 is, but the big beasts are afordable. CZ5000 is not that expensive.
My old man used to gig with a Carlsbro and a DW8000. I did some awesome tuneless widdling on that!
The D10 was also my first synth and I have fond memories creating lots of sounds on it, using an editor on the Atari STe. It was quite precursory at the time. Some of my patches actually got published in Keyboard magazine. These were the days...
I still have my MT32 and CZ1000. 😉
I loved my M1 and DX7S. The 01w fd had some fantastic sounds. The Korg Trinity I had for 13 years was a great workhorse. I recently got a Kronos which I am still getting my head around is amazing. I put all the DX7S sounds into it so its like I got that keyboard back again. The amount and type of sounds it produces is amazing. Definitely my favourite one now. Ask me again in 13 years.
I'd love to see you talk about the Roland JD-800. Probably my favorite old synth.
Very intresting to listen to your reasons of your personal favourites list. So glad the wavestation and the DX 7 made it in there. Thanks for the reminder on the history of the Clavia Nord lead it was a golden age for VAs at the time with very feirce compoletition . The like of Access , Novation, Yamaha and of course Clavia all released some beasts. I still remember trips to turnkey in London early 2000s and lusting over these .
hi adamski, yeah the history of clavia and the nord lead is a topic well worth covering on the channel, if only I can find a NL1. the golden age of VAs as you say.
Fabulous list Woody! Loved the Juno 6 back in the day :)
My top 5 synths:
1. Korg 01w/fd (never to be beaten in my world)
2. Roland Juno 6
4. Korg Triton Classic
4. Roland D-50
5. Korg DW 6000
Woody, I agree....saw this when it first came out, don't know why I didn't comment then. I learned on the MS-20, my first two purchases (new, I'm that old) were the Pro One and the Juno 60; still have them... of all my gear (won't even try to list, it's a disease), the Juno is the most intuitive machine I've ever run across, and the sound! I'll probably be buried with them. Love your videos.
I couldn’t broach my top five favorite synthesizer models among the ones that I’ve owned. I’ve enjoyed each of them for something different and how they all complement each other. If I have to choose five, I’ll choose all of them.
NIce bit of OMD!
My top one is the Roland Jupiter 80 I've owned it for a year and it does synth pads so well
godzilla12332 I agree on that one the sounds were big, fat and bellowing. Only bit I struggled with was the architecture, very steep learning curve. Extremely underrated machine.
and of course the accustic sounds (organs pianos ECT) sound awesome. Its been my all on one for awhile
It's a fantastic synth in it's own right, but it should never have been labeled as a Jupiter...... Roland were cashing in on an iconic name to sell more units. Apart from the colour scheme it has nothing in common with the original. I just wish they had called it a Saturn instead perhaps... Don't get me wrong, I'm not one of those "analogue purists", far from it, I'm a huge fan of digital synths and actually prefer them, But the original Jupiter was a big fat (now legendary) analogue polysynth whereas the 80 is not.
Gary Wright I think it still has a lot of the ideas from the Jupiter. But your right it's not that similar at all (it's analog simulation is pretty good but that's besides that point of the what the Jupiter 8 was mainly used for )
godzilla12332 mehhh. Jupiter-8!!!
1) Matrixbrute
2) Novation mininova
3) Clavia Nord Lead
4) Roland Sh-5
5) & all modular synthesizers :)
1. Access Virus TI
2. Access Virus C
3. Novation Ultranova
4. Roland Juno-60
5. Roland JP-8000/8080
the detune on the jp-8000 🥺
Great List Woody! My list: 1-Casio Cz1 / 2-Minimoog / 3-Roland JV80 / 4-Korg MS10 / 5-Roland JD800 (Wish List: 1-Memorymoog / 2-OBXa / 3-ARP2600 / 4-NED Synclavier / 5-EMS VCS3)
My synth right of passage has been: Roland Juno 6, Yamaha DX7, Crumar Bit 99, Roland Jupiter 6, Roland S50, General Music Gem??, Nord Modular G2, Kurzweil PC3X, Dave Smith Pro 2, Studiologic Sledge, Korg Electribe 2 Sampler, Moog Mother 32, Arturia DrumBrute, Arturia MatrixBrute
2:00 I was NOT expecting that! My jaw literally dropped when that happened!
Very nice list, Woody! And I was very pleased to watch the last bit of your video, as I was ABSOLUTELY sure... you'd have chosen the D-50 AND the Korg M1 :p
My current owned synths list, along with the year I got them (from the first I bought to my most recent addition):
- Roland MT-32 (bought in 2005 to enjoy "high-end" music from these old MS-DOS games I always heard with AdLib/Sound Blaster back in the time, like most of us did. Back then, the Munt emulation project was absolutely insignificant.
- Korg X5DR - 2006 (as someone already said here, some very nice 90's-like presets and a decent, not-so-heard General MIDI mode)
- Roland SC-8850 - 2007 (as a GM enthusiast, I HAD to own a Sound Canvas as well. I was blessed enough to find one on eBay with European specs back in the time.)
- Yamaha MU1000 - 2007 (same reasons as above. Felt even more lucky to find one, as the top-end MU models (1000 and 2000) were mainly sold in Japan.)
- Roland D-550 - 2009 (yes, I HAD to own a D-50. Such a legend... Still the best sounding I own, to be honest. Such a beast. But yes, I understand why it didn't reach your #5 spot. Its lack of General MIDI capabilities is sometimes frustrating. Even its "small cousin", the MT-32, is actually better on that particular point.)
- Korg M1R-ex - 2010 (same as above.)
And, yeah, I still own all of them. But I stopped buying hardware synths as well ;)
Two facts you should probably enjoy reading:
- my MT-32 is actually the second unit I owned. The first one I bought suffered from a huge background hiss noise I couldn't solve myself, with my poor electronic capabilities. I discussed this issue on the board ran by the QuestStudios website back then, by huge enthusiasts of Sierra's game music (most prolific game company using the MT-32).
Seeing that I was sad with my MT-32 experience, a member named Laust ultimately offered me to send my faulty unit to him in Denmark (I live in France!) so he could fix it, and sent back one of his own modified units in return, at no charge! It was an absolute bargain to me... so, even if I never opened it, I know I own a unique MT-32 ;)
Unfortunately, the forum seems to be gone nowadays, although the website is still alive and maintained by the same founder (Tom Lewandowski). So, unless I can find some tracks on WebArchive, I can't go back to the forum thread I opened, which had nice pictures of my now-own unit!
- all my synths being standard-size or half-size racks, they actually all fit... in two Ikea Rast nightstands! Much, much cheaper than real rackable stuff to hold them, no? :)
Did you know this nightstand's' width perfectly matches the standard width of a rackmount unit? If you haven't already tried this, you should! Moreover when you live in Sweden, no excuse to avoid buying Ikea stuff :p
(The overfamous Lack tables also fit, actually.)
www.reddit.com/r/synthesizers/comments/5lo0dg/built_my_own_custom_ikea_rast_studio_rack/
My own setup, with pictures (in French): fr.audiofanzine.com/ikea/forums/t.587890,exemple-de-home-studio-ikea-gamme-2015-plateau-linnmon-et-tables-ikea-rast.html
I recently moved to another location, so I still have to rebuild this Ikea hack setup...
Will try to enhance it ;)
loved the pictures, nice clean setup, i like that too. great to hear from another MT-32 fan. I wanna get one but they are hard to find, the retro DOS gamers are buying them up. They were rather hissy even when new, especially in the reverb. i'm gonna investigate the munt vst plugin version.
Interesting list - my first poly synth was the Roland D-10.
My first synth was a korg triton le, still have it now with allot of custom sounds
Great choices, I've had and loved a few of them. I'd like to give an honorable mention to the Akai AX60. Absolute beast of a synth I wish I still had. Could split the keyboard, arpeggiator, doubler, chorus and other effects, like a Juno 60 on steroids.
Cool list Woody👍🏻 lovin all your vids
Very interesting listing man ! I'm proud to own 3 ROLAND : JUNO D, JDXI, SH201 and the so famous Yamaha DX7 (the same version chocolate made in 1983). This one is very difficult to master but with patience I know it's an unlimited source of sounds. Thanks for your video, you make me sure to get good synths at home.
Great list. The other synth channels covet the Juno 6 with few equals one of those being the Oberheim OB-X .
Ah, a nice trip down Memory Lane. I have a Yamaha CS1x which I purchased in 1999. It is such a nice keyboard and one I don't want to part with any time soon.
Great list, I gave my mark1 to my brother Chris, sold my Juno 6 for more than I paid for it. My first poly as well. “Subdivisions!!”
Funny, you listed exactly the same few reasons why at the time I decided on a (in my case) Roland D110 rack instead of a D50 or 550, namely multitimbrality, cheapness & the drums. I figured I could always put it through a good chorus to sort of compensate. Later it became academic as, though I never got a 50 or 550 I eventually got a V synth XT rack. Btw I guessed the Juno 6, esp when u said 1982. It was my first synth too. I owned 2 at different times but now have a 106 with Kiwi.
The melody played on the Roland D20 remind me a string sequence from a movie Karate Tiger 1 - No retreat no surrender when Jason felt in a sleep and a ghost of Bruce Lee apeared at abandoned house.
It's so nice watching your videos. Very useful and sympathic. :)
appreciate that, thanks
I started with a Technics KN2000 and then a Korg X3. Then sold the KN2000 to buy a Nord Stage 76 which is my personal favorite. Then I found an old Korg M1 of which I mostly enjoyed replacing the battery and restoring the factory presets. Then I sold the M1 and Nord Stage to buy a Roland digital drum kit... Haven't played any keys for 10 years now. Became a gigging drummer instead but I still have the X3... Keep it up Woody!
love your style and a azing speaking about synths! ahh and beatifull homee je
I possess a D-20 right now and I absolutely love it.
I started with the Roland Juno 6 back in 1982 - brilliant first synth. Followed by DX-9 for a few years, Then the incredible D-20 which was a game changer as great workstation. Recently upgraded to Roland FA-06 - great sounds but still trying to work out how to use properly.
Great list my top 5 are
Roland d50
Yamaha dx7
Korg m1
Roland juno 106
Roland jv series
1. Korg Minilogue XD - Workflow, performance, build, aesthetics, & sound A+. Sequencer limited.
2. Korg EMX - Aesthetics second to none! Build, sound, workflow, performance A+ True classic.
3. Vintage Gold MicroKorg - Great aesthetic design - Only 700 made for US distribution. Polyphonic digital analogue for lovely sound design.
4. Roland Groovebox 909 - Crappy build but spectacular in every way + sampling capabilities.
5. Dedicated to all the gear I’ve loved before: Roland XP (HIGHLY underrated), Yamaha SY 85 (my first), SP-202 (my first sampler), Roland SH-32 (diamond in the rough), Medusa (what a short, strange trip it was).
I figured it would be a Roland Juno 106...but the 6 is pretty much the same thing...I am glad that the 6 is your favorite!
I've noticed that D-20 is sold at my local shop and cost at 6000yen (approax. $60) ... very cheap. Well I've just now decided to purchase that after seeing your video reports. "Soundtrack" tone is the most unique and impressive one. Thanks for nice demo.
Korg 01W/FD
Hammond XK-2 (with Neo Ventilator)
That's my main rig. I have a Rhodes 88 which stays home. Also have a Korg PS60 as a backup but that's it. I never got GAS all these years. But I get to play a Korg Kronos 88 and Hammond XK-5 with a Leslie 3300 at our rehearsal studio and on our Three Dog Night (3DN) gigs. The Kronos is amazing.
i love the retro vibe to your rig! the 01/w is just as good today as when it was released. xk2 is a fab clonewheel. nice.
Nice, Woody! I have a Yamaha reface DX and a Korg Minilogue that give me a nice pallet of digital and analogue sounds.
I wish I could buy all the synths in the world.
I'm working on it.
These are some great mentions, Woody. It should be observed that Roland has a great track record going back to its founding In the immediate post-War years. Not only that but they bought the rights to the Rhodes piano. It would come as no surprise to me if some or all of their synths had a general midi for an EP. Korg pulled off a coup of its own when it bought the rights to ARP and revived the 2600 and the Odyssey. During the 80s the Yamaha dx7 did combat with the Fairlight CMI in terms of appearances on platinum selling pop/dance tunes. I know that Whitney Houston and Kenny Loggins were typical of the names that benefitted from it. The Nords are pricey but excellent boards made in Scandinavia. Beyond that, I don't know much about them. Great video!
Kawaii K1 (my first professional synth), Korg M1 (my band mate had 1 and when he bought it, it rocked out world), Roland D-50 (fond memories of pop songs made with that keyboard), Roland MT-32 (my 1st professional anything and got me into sequencing along with Cakewalk), Lync LN-4 (technically not a synth, but my first and favorite keytar), and of course the DX-7 even though to this day, I've never owned one. But I do have a Yamaha MX61 which has a remarkable facimile of the electric pianos from the DX.
Great vid, very likeable chap!
Yaaaay! I knew it! Juno 6
My first synth.
Stolen in 1993 else I'd still have it! Broke my heart.
sorry to hear that, dammit
My top 5 (and own all of these):
1. Roland JV-80/880 - suited for almost anything and still holds its own against much newer romplers. I have two 880's.
2. Roland D-50/550 - never owned one but worked with them for years. Now have a D-05 with the same unmistakable signature.
3. Tie Between Roland alphaJuno-1 and a Juno-106 - alphaJuno-1 was my first real synth 31 years ago, and I use it to this day.
4. Yamaha FS1R - hands down the best FM synth ever made, and probably one of the most underrated.
5. Korg Wavestation - any flavor. Fantastic film-scoring synth. I have an SR.
I have an Akai miniak that is a little hard to control but the sound is nice, I like the filters there and that you can put a guitar in it and get a fun sound. I'm considering a north lead 2x.
Of the ones I've owned, these were the best regarded and used most for my music: Yamaha TX81z, Chroma Polaris, Korg PS3100, Ensoniq SQR+, Kawai K5000. Personal list. In terms of programming, getting good results with effort.
Nice choice :) '87 brought a CZ-101 with pocket money. Swapped my BMX for an Atari ST1024. Working on a building site during summer of '88 & '89 got my D10 and DX7. Happy Dayz (music can change the world) xx
great story, swap building site for greengrocers and it sounds so similar to my journey.
A video with a twist ending! You're going all M. Night Shyamalan on us.
Great video with very professional intertitles 😉
Great list, Gareth! ;) this DX7 MK1 will come back anyday....as a dog to his master!! LOL
You're right, Roland qualities have drastically changed over the years, probably when they started to manufacture in China (as with most of other companies Akai, Yamaha etc)...I noticed that when I bouhgt my Juno 2 and I was completely amazed with its weight, built construction and quality keyboard!! even better than the famous D-50 that came a bit later...
Cheers!
The synths that made me go "Wow" when I first heard them in a shop (though not necessarily the best ever and I'm including soft synths):
1. Roland D50
2. Korg Prophecy
3. Omnisphere
4. SCI Pro-One (and also U-He Pro-1)
5 Roland JP8080 (both 2 & 5 were stolen from me in a burglary - a dark day)
On 5 the D-10! Very well placed! The D-10 is a winner! I have one and it will feature soon in a new "vintage set".Incredible and beautiful sounds! I own also a Nordrack 2, I must still discover it but I'm sure it will be a fantastic experience! Juno-6 on n°1 : I can understand that, cause by watching videos on TH-cam of the Juno-series, the Juno-6 is on my wishlist now! greetz
I wonder why the prophet 5 (or 6) or the oberheimer is not mentioned so often in the comments below. I certainly dont know all synths but these impressed me most so far.....
this is good stuff
My top five of all time:
1. Korg Volca Keys
2. Korg Volca Keys
3. Korg Volca Keys
4. Korg Volca Keys
5. Korg Volca Keys
Yeah, it's a bit of a joke, but after the monotribe, these are really the synthesizers that helped me get into synths and I carry a pair of them with a volca beats and a keystep in my everywhere set-up. All runs on powerbanks too.
My Top5:
1. Roland Juno-106
2. Yamaha DX7
3. Casio CZ-101
4. Ensoniq SQ-80
4. Roland D-50
Thanks for mentioning Ensoniq. I have the Ensoniq KS-32. I isn't portable, but has served me well for almost 25 years.
Agree with your list except I'd put the Juno 60 way over the 106
Big shout out for the Ensoniq!
Paradigma MinimalWave yeah the Roland Juno-106 has a good sound
Gutsy CZ nomination!
Love that the JUNO-6 is No.1 on your list. It's also my favourite.
The Juno-6 was the first analogue synth I purchased with my own money. It's the keyboard on which I learned synthesis and, together with my TR-707, it's still the centerpiece of my studio. Over the years it's been joined by a Juno-60, 106 and alpha JUNO-1 but it's still the first keyboard I rescue if the studio caught fire.
My Top Five List:
1. Roland Juno-6
2. Realistic MG-1
3. Roland SH-2000
4. Univox Mini-Korg
5. Novation Bass Station
Most Coveted Synths:
1. Korg 770
2. Roland VP-330
3. Roland SH-5 (or SH-7)
4. Roland ProMars
5. MiniMoog Model-D
Have you tried the Yamaha Reface DX? I just picked one up for under $300 and love it. It's not a DX7, but it's sort of like a portable DX7. Yes it has minikeys, but again portable, and their the best minikeys I've ever played and work nicely as a portable MIDI controller too.
From what I've seen, the Reface is a bit like a DX11 in a DX100 body with a built in effects unit - of course I'm glossing over quite a bit, but that seems to be the gist of it.
Loved my S50!
Thanks 4 your greate video my favorits (vintage)
1. Korg MS20
2. Roland Juno 106
3. Yamaha Dx7
4. Ensoniq ESQ1
5. Memory Moog
Great presentation! My first synth was a Roland D-20 (1999). My friend had a Roland D-10 and I always thought his sounded better. Is it possible? Also, I loved your vid on the D-50. It sounds massive!
I'll absolutely agree on the Lead 2X. It's a monster, and I haven't even tapped into the multi-timbral abilities yet. My huge gripe is that it has no BPM sync, it's just 'rate'. So I'd need an external clock to use it with my band.
Play whatever it takes by pillar with lyrics
The Yamaha dx7 sounded like a Sega Genesis! My first synth was a Korg N364. I then got a Micro Korg, MS2000B and a red Karma! I have since sold them all and regret it! Just downloaded the Korg iWavestation app on my iphone and lost track of time for a couple hours!
Top synths I've owned (long time ago!): 1/ Roland D-50 - 2/ Casio CZ-5000 - 3/ Roland JX-8P (with PG-800). Never owned but I've loved them (I've tried them): Korg Wavestation and Ensoniq ESQ-1.
I own only two hardware synths:
Novation X-Station 61 - bought it as midi controller, but i has also pretty nice 3osc VA module
Korg X5D-R - has decent piano and strings, and some candy sounds from 90s
Also played with some softsynths: NI FM7, B4; Arturia Jupiter-8
Korg X5dr was a cool synth, I had the Korg N5ex, I swear it had over 1000 presets! Loved it
My top 5 synths I owned (between -85 and -95) are:
1. Roland D50
2. Yamaha SY-77
3. Korg M1
4 Ensoniq ESQ-1 (becuase of the great internal sequencer)
5. Casio CZ-5000 (my first ever synth)
Super top 5 Synth 👍