@@neuzethmusic131 sticking purely with the sound, it's not a bad synth engine, some of the demos I've seen aren't really my cup of tea sound wise and I haven't had a hands on demo myself. But at the end of the day it's a virtual analogue subtractive synth which doesn't really bring anything new. It's based on old synths like the Juno, well you could buy a Roland JU-06A for a fraction of the price, and get full size midi ports. If I wanted more than that then the price of this is almost a second hand Juno X. Both of which have controls that you can actually read. For 900 I want something that gives more in terms of functionality and style. I used to love my Amiga 500 computer but that doesn't mean I want a synth that reminds me of it's power brick
No shade to the wonderful presenter, lovely video as always. But, 900 bucks for a digital synth with illegible labeling, micro USB, super clicky, inconvenient and unorthodox keyboard and not even a crummy dsp reverb or delay? From a pedal company at that? Other reviews show it can't be used with a microphone in the same room, just like the gimmicky Chompi that picks up its own clicks. These mechanical keyboard switches are the dumbest fad by instrument makers. So you spend a grand after taxes and shipping on an extremely limited (yet well built and lovely sounding) synth, you still need effects and an external, playable keyboard. You can get a Minifreak or Hydrasynth Explorer with built in effects and way more sound design ability and still have 300 left to GAS out with.
I may be weird but I personally think it sounds simple and excellent. I also prefer external effects 9/10 to the built in ones minus the distortion that’s built into some filters. Besides, I feel like most musicians have a midi keyboard and a couple pedals laying around anyways. And to each their own on the keyboard. I personally like different types of keys and methods to play an instrument. I love the keyboard fold on my digitone and the buttons feel nice too. I do stuff on it that I don’t do with a keyboard typically. I’ve enjoyed the keys on my minikorg just as much as I have on my moog little phatty and the Casio Privia with weighted keys I used to have back in the day. 900 hundred may seem a lot, but it seems to be built like a tank and sounds very good, despite its simplicity. I think there will be plenty of people to get their moneys worth for it but I definitely don’t think it’s for everyone either.
@@keeganbeck8415 People spend loads of money on whichever kind of product but that doesn’t mean that those products are actually worth the price they are paying for. This machine for what it does and the price it has is just absolute bs….This doesn’t take out the fact that if you like it and spending those money on that makes you satisfied, you are absolutely free to do it and enjoy it
@@beggbasso287 We’ll just have to agree to disagree which is fine. I personally just think that as a good sounding and solid built synth that is designed and assembled by a two person project, it’s not the worst price. You can definitely get more out of other gear, both cheaper and more expensive, but I think it has some mojo as a simpler sound source much like one would use a guitar or bass and expanding from there with pedals
not commenting on the rest because I'm tired of this discussion but this is a pedal boutique manufacturer; it makes sense they wouldn't include effects; you just have to get the effects from them on top.
The price tag of this very basic subtractive VA synth, is for me completely unjustifiable. I mean come on. With $500 you can get a top notch full hands on Nord Rack 2x, with 20 voices of polyphony, 1 stereo and 4 mono Outputs. 4 synth layers x 2 OSC each, 2 LFO's / Arp, an amazing FM, Ring and Sync, Multi mode filter, 2 ADSRs plus MOD Envelope, its mindblowing sounding Stereo Unison mode, the Iconic Morphing function, 40 drum kits and 400 sound memory slots! That's 20 years ago and I can sure paint it beige. With also $500 you can buy an Arturia Minifreak if the sound design and an endless sonic palette is your thing. That is more than justifiable. What new brings this $900(!) beautiful deco studio prop? Kudos for your presentation though.
It's not uncommon that whatever Sarah presents ends up either on my want-list, or, I end up buying them, so I started watching with some enthousiasm. Unfortunately, this time I remain unimpressed. I do some occasional diy electronic projects, and I know a bit about costs of components. This is a digital device (which is perfectly fine), so it just has a processor, with a minimum of other compenents compared to anything analog. The main costs is in the box and the I/O components: sliders, pots, switches etc, and there aren't that many of them. The bulk of the work is in the coding, and that work is independent of how many units you sell. Even for a small company, its pricetag isn't really justified in my view. At first glance it looks cool, until you realize all labels are printed in white. A good design *adds* to the user experience; making labels deliberately illegigle does not contribute to a better user experience: that's arrogance. The big red flag is the addition of a micro-USB port. Who does that in 2024? Why choose the most fragile and fiddliest of all USB ports? More important: what does that say about other choices that have been made when choosing parts? Yes, ok, it all sounds nice, the arpeggiators are nice (if you really need moar arpeggiators), but I think that if you already have more instruments this one is going to collect dust on the shelf pretty soon, because if you don't use it weekly you're going to forget all the shift-functions, And of course there is no screen. (A 128x64px OLED screen costs
Nice video, but the Arturia MiniFreak completely beats this on every front, velocity-sensitive keyboard, genuine analog filters, loads of oscillator algorithms, and built-in effects - all for way less cash. I truly don’t understand why they brought this synth to market.
@@ryanleblanc9263I actually am a fan of acoustic instruments, thus I know that you shape the sound on many of them by the way you play them, you don't have any controls on them. On a synthesizer you have controls which you should be able to know what they are doing.
@@ryanleblanc9263 Maybe for a genius like yourself this is okay but in the end this is a huge production mistake. Mark my words; they will come with a black version with dark gray lettering hahahaha
I could easily purchase this, yet would never do so. The interface and the whole concept is beyond me. Sad this is even being given any attention. Clearly they had a good marketing budget to get this schilled.
It’s a MIDI controller, so assuming you have appropriate software for translating MIDI note values into specific keystrokes, the answer is an obvious yes.
Yes, when I clicked the link to the shop I couldn't believe it. I can only hope it's some sort of typo or error. A nice sound but at that price, with its limited set of features? I just don't see how this is competitive or a viable product and price point compared to the options out there.
Nice sound and look......but synths without CV inputs feel like jail to me.....I get claustrophobic just looking at it. But then again in certain situations, providing the instrument has enough complexity, limitations can lead to the element of discovery as well, since youre forced to dive deep with what you have: As seems is the case here. I especially found interest in the microtonal keyboard....but didn't understand how it works and how flexible it is. The other thing I always look for in a synth, is its ability to process audio and function as an effect. What would happen I wonder if you plugged an Electric guitar in its input or a trumpet? For example: Can it's arpeggiator be programmed to play a shape, so youre hands are free to play an instrument, as it filters, AMs, FMs .etc its timbre?
I enjoy the buttons on my ko2 despite the controversy surrounding it, but these ones seem way louder. When I sample into the ko2 at least I'm not hearing a click on playback. I agree about buying a minifreak or hydra over this. Heck, you could get the deluxe.
When I saw this piece of junk I was like only SBR could make anything interesting on this… and here we are. My worst synths are better than this thing and at least half the cost. It’s cool that it’s small, if it had a battery or UBS C to power it maybe a traveler would use it, but anyplace with an outlet, my real synths can follow. To expensive as a toy. Analog synths are pointless without more touch ways to modulate like a wheel, velocity, etc. might as well just be a junk midi keyboard into a AIO euro module with an LFO.
Of course, there are also plenty of useless and very expensive gadgets on the market (and this Vongon as a synth looks like just an expensive gadgets), but they are almost always made of special materials and with very high quality components, while it seems to me that this Vongon Replay, apart from the nice design, is not even made of special materials or with very high quality components and cost $900.
I hope this is a sample and not a production machine. Anyone with money to blow on a $900 VST in a box probably has age related, less than perfect vision.
yes digital synths are mostly "vst in a box" (like korg synths are litterally running raspberry pis); can we move on? you buy a synth because you like using it and making music with it; not because of perceived value per dollar and a shopping list of features; otherwise you simply just use vsts and be done with it.
Good demo, but you get much more for less by buying a dreadbox Nymphes. I can't believe anyone would choose this over a hydrasynth explorer, nymphes, or even a deepmind 12d. They've obviously gone down the cost efficiency route as well, using a micro usb at that price point.
people need to stop thinking of synths as a shopping list of features you have to tick and maximizing value per dollar. This thing has a soul; it sounds good; it has a particular set of features I bet a lot of people would like. The only comparable thing on your list is the nymphes; which is a great synth that sounds good (and is also incredibly cheap for what it does); still it's not a knob/function synth and it doesn't have a keyboard. The reason to buy this and an hydrasynth explorer are entirely different. This is an instrument you don't have to "patch"; you just play it as you form the sound; the appeal seems pretty obvious to me.
I appreciate the details and exploration in this video. Your videos are always fun to watch, because you go over not just what a thing does, but why it's special. And I can kind of see the appeal of why some folks would like this synth. I personally have a hard time with it, though. To me, it feels very similar to the Arturia Microfreak, but with fewer features and a more challenging user interface, and for nearly 3 times the price. I can't speak for personal inspiration, though, and it sounds like you found this device to be very enjoyable and inspiring to work with, which is totally valid. I just don't think it's for me.
@@zoned7609 you have unknowingly proven yourself to be an utter dolt. Not that it’s any of your business, but I have maintained gainful employment for over a quarter of a century. However, my initial comment would stand regardless of whether I was currently working. Additionally, I don’t know what the logic is between what I choose to spend my money on and a perceived lack of financial sense, but the fact that I’ve got at least $900 standing by when I want to purchase a luxury item would indicate that I possess some degree of aptitude in the area. I’m sure if I saw your monthly expenditures I could find several examples of what I would consider to be “wasteful” spending. I set aside money for all sorts of things (pro tip: it’s called “budgeting” and you could probably benefit from learning about it) including music gear and, since you brought them up, my taxes… which to be honest I only pay because otherwise I would have to deal with an already grossly incompetent government system in ways I would prefer to avoid. Lastly, I don’t participate in politics at any level other than the personal (as I’m doing now), so your puerile attempt to label me as something you dislike is both ridiculous and trite. Typically when people respond emotionally with ad hominem attacks they’ve been triggered in some fashion. Perhaps you ought to consider what about my initial comment elicited such a negative emotional reaction.
Metal case that's good. I thought it looked plastic tbh. The layout of sliders and functions says SH-101 rather than Juno to me and I'm also getting a Casio vibe clacky plastic keys and discoloured MT-40. All good as far as I'm concerned. Love many of the retro sounds but I love the price much less so. Do I want it enough to overcome the price obstacle? Probably. Thanks SBR.
I wish it had levels or a pot for key tracking amounts,,, it’s like a slew or glide on the tracking which creates so much utility in a filter like say the infamous SE88 which is a strange beasr but op amp smashing is not their invention . PS if I missed a bipolar key tracking element on the filter my apologies.
I hardly ever see these reviewers (who are given the Replay) play sharps/flats. Obviously because the keyboard is extremely badly designed. The sharps aren't even raised. The reviewer can talk and talk, but this Synth is a hipster instrument through and through including the very average sonics.
I like it. there's gonna be a million dweebs who shit on it cos of its limited nature and quirky, minimalist design but that's precisely what draws me in. like there aren't plenty of options for people who want tons of menus and features in a traditional black box with clear labeling. go buy one of those.
I would be afraid the micro usb would fall apart, as virtually ALL of my devices that used them eventually did. But for nearly 1000 bucks (for a device with a mini usb in 2024, really?) its not even worth considering something this limited and with glaring design decisions like white on white text…was pretty cool a first thinking it would be consumer priced at like 200 bucks or something. Where exactly is the 1000 value considering what else is available for that price? There’s plenty of actual hardware for that price, and while virtual analog is in a great price right now there sure better be a user experience, and feature set to back it up since components are not what’s raising the price. That said i enjoyed the video and your thoughtful presentation. Just seems like a lot of blunders that went into the design of this thing up to and including the price point. It’s a bit insulting.
What really bugs me is the part around 15 mins in when you start talking about it's spec sheet/ features being presented to the user then BAM!!!!! Two pedals appear. Really expensive ones. Can you not make this synth do cool stuff on its own? Do you need to connect to pedals that together cost more than the synth itself to make it sound cool???!😢 Can you honestly tell me that it's ok to have £900 worth of synth only shine when you bring in another £900 worth of pedals? Don't get me wrong, it looks so cool and sounds great.....for £600. I love this synth and really want one but I'm so badly on the fence about it. Is it worth it?? Do a video with just the replay and show me it's worth it. Make it shine
I love Sarah, thanks for your video on this. This synth sounds absolutely great, so true! The price however is a major dealbreaker for me. The micro USB connection will break sooner or later. The white text or the cream plate is hard to read. The enclosure feels strong yet the keys and the knobs feel cheap. It's overpriced period!
The whole time I’m watching this my eye keeps coming back to the waveform select switch, where the user has to remember a chorded input of “alt” + a keyboard key to unlock some of the more interesting waveforms, but the three-position switch has a position reserved for “off”. SBR does a wonderful job showing how Vongon is articulating an interesting concept for small VA synth, but I can’t help feeling that it would benefit from another pass through UI design. Maybe the Re-replay will be an instant classic?
Dear Lord, the sound and timbre of this synth is stunning (I don't say that often)! Unfortunately I just bought an OP-1 (which I unexpectedly quickly fell in love with) and my Eurorack wants to get filled. Vongon, I don't like you! But I would love to record the Replay into my Morphagene 😑
There's other synths i would get first, but if i had ritches i woud get one of these to be a beautiful coffee table synth because its very pretty and the weird keys might get you out of a mental cul de sac (i also like the hard to see writing because its clean look is one of its greatest strength and you would learn 22 controls, 5 of which are ADSR and volume, easy)
Am I right that LFO modulations are applied on a per voice basis? That is cool and might explain why it can still sound experimental in spite of it’s limitations. Combining it with all the external effectors is however a bit misleading.
Sounds ok and I like the sliders, but I would suggest Hydrasynth desktop would be the way to go if looking for hardware in this price range for something you can do wild sound design on. Far more versatile + CV IO (which can bring audio in) and stereo + effects and polyphonic after touch pads.
Thank you for this great effort and review that truly shows what an artist would do rather than just the clean and simple facts of the synth. Perfect!!!
Excellent demo! Looks and sounds great but I’d need to hear the DAC before I could justify the price, but I’m def interested thanks to the quality of this demo.
but after spending $900 on a synth you can’t read the labels on, don’t you want to spend more money on silent key switches so that you can even consider using it in a room with a live microphone?
You did a great job getting the most out of it. I get the whole CMU-810 aesthetic of it but it is missing the clearly legible and logical print! When you look at the Dreadbox Nymphes or competitors it seems bare bones. It lacks features I would expect on a 2024 digital synth like a sequencer, effects, velocity, and tons of presets. After all, it is all a programmed chip.
Some really cool sci-fi sounds in the Filter Experiments (19:09) section! I hear you on the labels, I think black, especially with a monospace typeface would have been a better call. But you get used to where things are, as you mentioned. Thanks for the exploration!
Ha! I thought it was a Vogon Synth... hoping it might make my poetry sound good. Clickless switches could be a big plus, but how can I can swap out the stupidly noisy switches on my Digitakt??? Odd that this comes out about the same time as that Yamaha clone of the OP-1, and when I'm thinking about getting a second OP-Z or Organelle. Gotta ask my friend Ford Prefect what he thinks about this Vogon thing... does it include a towel? Sounds good though... beige is a very less threatening colour indeed.
I’ve been curious about what they would do next since I got my Polyphrase. Was not expecting this!!! Edit: after watching the video, yes it is super expensive for what you get in terms of features, and it seems like a bit of a blunder for so many things to be buried in shift functions, but as your playing has demonstrated: it does sound excellent! And that’s what matters most, I think.
Overall nice video Sarah. I of course appreciate the experimentation-friendly aspect. That sets you apart from the usual gear people that either demonstrate how you can achieve rockin' sounds on your guitar with a pedal or make generic techno with synths.
Fantastic presentation - especially enjoyed the musical demo section and final performance. The arpeggiator seems particularly awesome, very nice instrument and it really looks (and sounds!) fun to play it.
At first glance this is ticking... None of the boxes
You really didn't like the sound?
@@neuzethmusic131 sticking purely with the sound, it's not a bad synth engine, some of the demos I've seen aren't really my cup of tea sound wise and I haven't had a hands on demo myself. But at the end of the day it's a virtual analogue subtractive synth which doesn't really bring anything new. It's based on old synths like the Juno, well you could buy a Roland JU-06A for a fraction of the price, and get full size midi ports. If I wanted more than that then the price of this is almost a second hand Juno X. Both of which have controls that you can actually read. For 900 I want something that gives more in terms of functionality and style. I used to love my Amiga 500 computer but that doesn't mean I want a synth that reminds me of it's power brick
So true lol
One digital oscillator for what, $900? You could get so many better synths for that price it’s insane.
First thing I thought about when saw the overview…
No shade to the wonderful presenter, lovely video as always.
But, 900 bucks for a digital synth with illegible labeling, micro USB, super clicky, inconvenient and unorthodox keyboard and not even a crummy dsp reverb or delay? From a pedal company at that?
Other reviews show it can't be used with a microphone in the same room, just like the gimmicky Chompi that picks up its own clicks. These mechanical keyboard switches are the dumbest fad by instrument makers.
So you spend a grand after taxes and shipping on an extremely limited (yet well built and lovely sounding) synth, you still need effects and an external, playable keyboard.
You can get a Minifreak or Hydrasynth Explorer with built in effects and way more sound design ability and still have 300 left to GAS out with.
An absolute joke, can’t believe my eyes 😂
I may be weird but I personally think it sounds simple and excellent. I also prefer external effects 9/10 to the built in ones minus the distortion that’s built into some filters. Besides, I feel like most musicians have a midi keyboard and a couple pedals laying around anyways. And to each their own on the keyboard. I personally like different types of keys and methods to play an instrument. I love the keyboard fold on my digitone and the buttons feel nice too. I do stuff on it that I don’t do with a keyboard typically. I’ve enjoyed the keys on my minikorg just as much as I have on my moog little phatty and the Casio Privia with weighted keys I used to have back in the day. 900 hundred may seem a lot, but it seems to be built like a tank and sounds very good, despite its simplicity. I think there will be plenty of people to get their moneys worth for it but I definitely don’t think it’s for everyone either.
@@keeganbeck8415 People spend loads of money on whichever kind of product but that doesn’t mean that those products are actually worth the price they are paying for.
This machine for what it does and the price it has is just absolute bs….This doesn’t take out the fact that if you like it and spending those money on that makes you satisfied, you are absolutely free to do it and enjoy it
@@beggbasso287 We’ll just have to agree to disagree which is fine. I personally just think that as a good sounding and solid built synth that is designed and assembled by a two person project, it’s not the worst price. You can definitely get more out of other gear, both cheaper and more expensive, but I think it has some mojo as a simpler sound source much like one would use a guitar or bass and expanding from there with pedals
not commenting on the rest because I'm tired of this discussion but this is a pedal boutique manufacturer; it makes sense they wouldn't include effects; you just have to get the effects from them on top.
The price tag of this very basic subtractive VA synth, is for me completely unjustifiable.
I mean come on.
With $500 you can get a top notch full hands on Nord Rack 2x, with 20 voices of polyphony, 1 stereo and 4 mono Outputs. 4 synth layers x 2 OSC each, 2 LFO's / Arp, an amazing FM, Ring and Sync, Multi mode filter, 2 ADSRs plus MOD Envelope, its mindblowing sounding Stereo Unison mode, the Iconic Morphing function, 40 drum kits and 400 sound memory slots!
That's 20 years ago and I can sure paint it beige.
With also $500 you can buy an Arturia Minifreak if the sound design and an endless sonic palette is your thing. That is more than justifiable.
What new brings this $900(!) beautiful deco studio prop?
Kudos for your presentation though.
Pretty much. And the company knew exactly which synthfluencers to send these to.
They couldn't manage more than a single oscillator in a virtual synth? This thing is just running on code. I'm confused.
i think it's designed to be purposely simple and great sounding :) so much so, that it only needs faint indicators of what each fader or knob does :)
@@mattypaxton yes exactly
Never forget that some people actually bought Teenage Engineering’s more frivolous stuff so of course you’ll have your folks who will buy this
@@mattypaxton Confused to where the grear sounding bit is? It sounds OK. Needs lots of effects. Seems like a very pricey , not very playable toy to me
TOO MUCH MONEY . . . . . . . . ..hipster ?
Hipster bait! White lettering on a light beige synth is genius.
Florian has entered the chat…
I just recommended it to him
😂
Good material for a new episode of....
…you already know...^^
Haha i was thinking the same. It’s just a matter of how long it will take
@@PaulHofreiteri mentioned it to Florian and he said "great suggestion!!"
It's not uncommon that whatever Sarah presents ends up either on my want-list, or, I end up buying them, so I started watching with some enthousiasm. Unfortunately, this time I remain unimpressed.
I do some occasional diy electronic projects, and I know a bit about costs of components. This is a digital device (which is perfectly fine), so it just has a processor, with a minimum of other compenents compared to anything analog. The main costs is in the box and the I/O components: sliders, pots, switches etc, and there aren't that many of them. The bulk of the work is in the coding, and that work is independent of how many units you sell. Even for a small company, its pricetag isn't really justified in my view.
At first glance it looks cool, until you realize all labels are printed in white. A good design *adds* to the user experience; making labels deliberately illegigle does not contribute to a better user experience: that's arrogance. The big red flag is the addition of a micro-USB port. Who does that in 2024? Why choose the most fragile and fiddliest of all USB ports? More important: what does that say about other choices that have been made when choosing parts?
Yes, ok, it all sounds nice, the arpeggiators are nice (if you really need moar arpeggiators), but I think that if you already have more instruments this one is going to collect dust on the shelf pretty soon, because if you don't use it weekly you're going to forget all the shift-functions, And of course there is no screen. (A 128x64px OLED screen costs
Yeah the white labels are unforgivable. White on white was avant-garde in 1918 (Malevich); in 2024 it just means you need to fire your design team.
Nice video, but the Arturia MiniFreak completely beats this on every front, velocity-sensitive keyboard, genuine analog filters, loads of oscillator algorithms, and built-in effects - all for way less cash. I truly don’t understand why they brought this synth to market.
Unreadable graphics, unplayable keyboard, and no CV control really limit the appeal of this synth for me.
Micro USB. What year is it?
White text on beige finish. Great idea. Why would anyone want to read what is written on the synth.
wtf do you need to read? there's like 5 controls on this thing. guessing you're not a fan of violins or trombones either.
@@ryanleblanc9263I actually am a fan of acoustic instruments, thus I know that you shape the sound on many of them by the way you play them, you don't have any controls on them. On a synthesizer you have controls which you should be able to know what they are doing.
@@ryanleblanc9263 Maybe for a genius like yourself this is okay but in the end this is a huge production mistake. Mark my words; they will come with a black version with dark gray lettering hahahaha
Whoever had the idea of putting white lettering on a white synth?
Hipsters love this kind of thing 😉
It's arty. Form over function.
It’s lUsH bro
Everyone is so forgiving of this utter user experience blunder. Its boggling my mind.
It boggles my mind that anyone cares. Let people like what they like and buy what they want. Who gives a shit?
@@harveytherobot you sound salty af over nothing.
@@harveytherobotbecause things like this set and reinforce pricing standards in the industry and everyone but the dumbly rich suffer the results
I could easily purchase this, yet would never do so. The interface and the whole concept is beyond me. Sad this is even being given any attention. Clearly they had a good marketing budget to get this schilled.
have you actually tried it?
2024 microUSB, next. what a piece of garbage
This looks like it was designed down to a low price point, and yet it costs a lot more than I was expecting. It’s a no from me.
can I use it as a type writer?
It’s a MIDI controller, so assuming you have appropriate software for translating MIDI note values into specific keystrokes, the answer is an obvious yes.
They make a ribbon attachment and golfball like the IBM Selectric.
With the white on beige lettering this automatically becomes an experimental synth in my case.
But it doesn’t have deep or many mod capabilities so it’s not even experimental lol
Had to delete my last comment after seeing the price.
Yes, when I clicked the link to the shop I couldn't believe it. I can only hope it's some sort of typo or error.
A nice sound but at that price, with its limited set of features? I just don't see how this is competitive or a viable product and price point compared to the options out there.
I did the same after the Emily Hopkins video. They should say the price upfront imo but the people who a send demo units to TH-camrs don't want that
Vital vst anyone?
read the room ;)
Nice sound and look......but synths without CV inputs feel like jail to me.....I get claustrophobic just looking at it. But then again in certain situations, providing the instrument has enough complexity, limitations can lead to the element of discovery as well, since youre forced to dive deep with what you have: As seems is the case here. I especially found interest in the microtonal keyboard....but didn't understand how it works and how flexible it is. The other thing I always look for in a synth, is its ability to process audio and function as an effect. What would happen I wonder if you plugged an Electric guitar in its input or a trumpet? For example: Can it's arpeggiator be programmed to play a shape, so youre hands are free to play an instrument, as it filters, AMs, FMs .etc its timbre?
It looks like an yellowed computer keyboard from the 90's... just for 900$
playing a synth with Cherry MX keys seems like a pretty awful experience, even if declicked. Oof.
I enjoy the buttons on my ko2 despite the controversy surrounding it, but these ones seem way louder. When I sample into the ko2 at least I'm not hearing a click on playback.
I agree about buying a minifreak or hydra over this. Heck, you could get the deluxe.
If I want to play Cherry MX or any mechanical key, I’ll use my keyboard at my desk…..
When I saw this piece of junk I was like only SBR could make anything interesting on this… and here we are. My worst synths are better than this thing and at least half the cost. It’s cool that it’s small, if it had a battery or UBS C to power it maybe a traveler would use it, but anyplace with an outlet, my real synths can follow. To expensive as a toy. Analog synths are pointless without more touch ways to modulate like a wheel, velocity, etc. might as well just be a junk midi keyboard into a AIO euro module with an LFO.
with effects sounds interesting :D but 900 + 200/300/400 bucks sound?? no way!
Of course, there are also plenty of useless and very expensive gadgets on the market (and this Vongon as a synth looks like just an expensive gadgets), but they are almost always made of special materials and with very high quality components, while it seems to me that this Vongon Replay, apart from the nice design, is not even made of special materials or with very high quality components and cost $900.
I hope this is a sample and not a production machine. Anyone with money to blow on a $900 VST in a box probably has age related, less than perfect vision.
I don't use VSTs, but if this was a VST it would certainly have been a free one from a long time ago.
yes digital synths are mostly "vst in a box" (like korg synths are litterally running raspberry pis); can we move on? you buy a synth because you like using it and making music with it; not because of perceived value per dollar and a shopping list of features; otherwise you simply just use vsts and be done with it.
@@valdir7426 Korg synths are also half the price and far more oscillators, envelopes, etc.
Do you own this synth?
I mean of course sarah makes anything sound brilliant. However i find this mostly just looks nice and really doesnt excite me at all…
Honestly, this synth is absolute garbage, looks and price aside, it sounds terrible - harsh and piercing
Good demo, but you get much more for less by buying a dreadbox Nymphes. I can't believe anyone would choose this over a hydrasynth explorer, nymphes, or even a deepmind 12d. They've obviously gone down the cost efficiency route as well, using a micro usb at that price point.
people need to stop thinking of synths as a shopping list of features you have to tick and maximizing value per dollar. This thing has a soul; it sounds good; it has a particular set of features I bet a lot of people would like. The only comparable thing on your list is the nymphes; which is a great synth that sounds good (and is also incredibly cheap for what it does); still it's not a knob/function synth and it doesn't have a keyboard. The reason to buy this and an hydrasynth explorer are entirely different. This is an instrument you don't have to "patch"; you just play it as you form the sound; the appeal seems pretty obvious to me.
I appreciate the details and exploration in this video. Your videos are always fun to watch, because you go over not just what a thing does, but why it's special. And I can kind of see the appeal of why some folks would like this synth. I personally have a hard time with it, though. To me, it feels very similar to the Arturia Microfreak, but with fewer features and a more challenging user interface, and for nearly 3 times the price. I can't speak for personal inspiration, though, and it sounds like you found this device to be very enjoyable and inspiring to work with, which is totally valid. I just don't think it's for me.
Another TH-cam device with a TH-cam price
Get a job.
@@saggygnaw so he can spend it on a single digital oscillator juno-like for 900$
@@saggygnaw we have more money than you. And more financial sense.
I'm guessing you voted trump. How's your taxes? 😂
@@Dudderlyful so he can spend it on whatever he damn well pleases
@@zoned7609 you have unknowingly proven yourself to be an utter dolt.
Not that it’s any of your business, but I have maintained gainful employment for over a quarter of a century. However, my initial comment would stand regardless of whether I was currently working.
Additionally, I don’t know what the logic is between what I choose to spend my money on and a perceived lack of financial sense, but the fact that I’ve got at least $900 standing by when I want to purchase a luxury item would indicate that I possess some degree of aptitude in the area. I’m sure if I saw your monthly expenditures I could find several examples of what I would consider to be “wasteful” spending. I set aside money for all sorts of things (pro tip: it’s called “budgeting” and you could probably benefit from learning about it) including music gear and, since you brought them up, my taxes… which to be honest I only pay because otherwise I would have to deal with an already grossly incompetent government system in ways I would prefer to avoid.
Lastly, I don’t participate in politics at any level other than the personal (as I’m doing now), so your puerile attempt to label me as something you dislike is both ridiculous and trite.
Typically when people respond emotionally with ad hominem attacks they’ve been triggered in some fashion. Perhaps you ought to consider what about my initial comment elicited such a negative emotional reaction.
Looks beige, sounds magnolia
A Beige box synth! Wow :)
I’m a xennial, so beige has become more and more appealing the closer I inch to 40 🤣
Have u even seen 2001 a space odyssey?
@@bobobob1637I have not. Should I? How is it related to this synth?
@@PanopticMotionI was being somewhat facetious. Design-wise it seems very inspired by that era of sci-fi. Give it a watch and you may see what I mean.
@@bobobob1637Cool, I'll watch it. I love the design. It's the color that's not resonating with me.
It sound good enough but in most other aspects it’s a form before function “me to” synth.
Looks cool but literally just an sh101
It’s polyphonic though, so more like a Juno-60
@@kgbinfoOr any of the sh101 remakes from the last 10 years, yeah
Heresy. It does not approach an SH-101 from any angle.
Yeah the SH-01 (with four note polyphony) seems quite similar.
Metal case that's good. I thought it looked plastic tbh. The layout of sliders and functions says SH-101 rather than Juno to me and I'm also getting a Casio vibe clacky plastic keys and discoloured MT-40. All good as far as I'm concerned. Love many of the retro sounds but I love the price much less so. Do I want it enough to overcome the price obstacle? Probably. Thanks SBR.
I wish it had levels or a pot for key tracking amounts,,, it’s like a slew or glide on the tracking which creates so much utility in a filter like say the infamous SE88 which is a strange beasr but op amp smashing is not their invention . PS if I missed a bipolar key tracking element on the filter my apologies.
I hardly ever see these reviewers (who are given the Replay) play sharps/flats. Obviously because the keyboard is extremely badly designed. The sharps aren't even raised. The reviewer can talk and talk, but this Synth is a hipster instrument through and through including the very average sonics.
I’ll pass on this gadget.
On big sweet spot, single trick poney for 900£, sounds like a great hipster machine!
Can’t w for it to end up on Bad Gear!
I like it. there's gonna be a million dweebs who shit on it cos of its limited nature and quirky, minimalist design but that's precisely what draws me in. like there aren't plenty of options for people who want tons of menus and features in a traditional black box with clear labeling. go buy one of those.
Love your videos!!! What camera, stand and light pack do you use?
get a minifreak instead. cheaper and way more features.. and it looks nice too
Neat synth. Not sure it's nearly a grand neat, but it's neat.
Are these the HS5 or HS4 monitors in the background?
I would be afraid the micro usb would fall apart, as virtually ALL of my devices that used them eventually did. But for nearly 1000 bucks (for a device with a mini usb in 2024, really?) its not even worth considering something this limited and with glaring design decisions like white on white text…was pretty cool a first thinking it would be consumer priced at like 200 bucks or something. Where exactly is the 1000 value considering what else is available for that price? There’s plenty of actual hardware for that price, and while virtual analog is in a great price right now there sure better be a user experience, and feature set to back it up since components are not what’s raising the price.
That said i enjoyed the video and your thoughtful presentation. Just seems like a lot of blunders that went into the design of this thing up to and including the price point. It’s a bit insulting.
What really bugs me is the part around 15 mins in when you start talking about it's spec sheet/ features being presented to the user then BAM!!!!! Two pedals appear. Really expensive ones. Can you not make this synth do cool stuff on its own? Do you need to connect to pedals that together cost more than the synth itself to make it sound cool???!😢
Can you honestly tell me that it's ok to have £900 worth of synth only shine when you bring in another £900 worth of pedals? Don't get me wrong, it looks so cool and sounds great.....for £600.
I love this synth and really want one but I'm so badly on the fence about it. Is it worth it?? Do a video with just the replay and show me it's worth it.
Make it shine
It’s a very ordinary and typical sounding synth. It looks weird and sounds bog standard.
I love Sarah, thanks for your video on this. This synth sounds absolutely great, so true!
The price however is a major dealbreaker for me. The micro USB connection will break sooner or later. The white text or the cream plate is hard to read. The enclosure feels strong yet the keys and the knobs feel cheap. It's overpriced period!
The whole time I’m watching this my eye keeps coming back to the waveform select switch, where the user has to remember a chorded input of “alt” + a keyboard key to unlock some of the more interesting waveforms, but the three-position switch has a position reserved for “off”. SBR does a wonderful job showing how Vongon is articulating an interesting concept for small VA synth, but I can’t help feeling that it would benefit from another pass through UI design. Maybe the Re-replay will be an instant classic?
I think the idea is "you probably don't need it; but we added it in the form of a secret menu just in case"
She’s so good at this- it’s such a simple synth, and I thought these sounds were more interesting than synths with way more features and power.
Dear Lord, the sound and timbre of this synth is stunning (I don't say that often)! Unfortunately I just bought an OP-1 (which I unexpectedly quickly fell in love with) and my Eurorack wants to get filled. Vongon, I don't like you! But I would love to record the Replay into my Morphagene 😑
There's other synths i would get first, but if i had ritches i woud get one of these to be a beautiful coffee table synth because its very pretty
and the weird keys might get you out of a mental cul de sac
(i also like the hard to see writing because its clean look is one of its greatest strength and you would learn 22 controls, 5 of which are ADSR and volume, easy)
Great review, really cool, but using the app Caustic with midi controller, you have same results !
Am I right that LFO modulations are applied on a per voice basis? That is cool and might explain why it can still sound experimental in spite of it’s limitations. Combining it with all the external effectors is however a bit misleading.
29:33 this part sounds like watching Looney Tunes while tripping on acid melting 🫠
Hi Sarah, nice presentation of this minimalist device. You remind me of Professor, Julius Sumner Miller.
Sounds ok and I like the sliders, but I would suggest Hydrasynth desktop would be the way to go if looking for hardware in this price range for something you can do wild sound design on. Far more versatile + CV IO (which can bring audio in) and stereo + effects and polyphonic after touch pads.
I love the Hydrasynth too!
Before I buy this, I would rather spend a night with Vogon's and listen to their poetry 😅
Thank you for this great effort and review that truly shows what an artist would do rather than just the clean and simple facts of the synth. Perfect!!!
Excellent demo! Looks and sounds great but I’d need to hear the DAC before I could justify the price, but I’m def interested thanks to the quality of this demo.
It is a demo of the synth or the effect pedals?
Great demo, expensive synth.
I really like the sound and the interface. The crappy keys and the price are a dealbreaker however
but after spending $900 on a synth you can’t read the labels on, don’t you want to spend more money on silent key switches so that you can even consider using it in a room with a live microphone?
You did a great job getting the most out of it. I get the whole CMU-810 aesthetic of it but it is missing the clearly legible and logical print! When you look at the Dreadbox Nymphes or competitors it seems bare bones. It lacks features I would expect on a 2024 digital synth like a sequencer, effects, velocity, and tons of presets. After all, it is all a programmed chip.
I like it
Some really cool sci-fi sounds in the Filter Experiments (19:09) section! I hear you on the labels, I think black, especially with a monospace typeface would have been a better call. But you get used to where things are, as you mentioned. Thanks for the exploration!
Thanks for watching!
Ha! I thought it was a Vogon Synth... hoping it might make my poetry sound good. Clickless switches could be a big plus, but how can I can swap out the stupidly noisy switches on my Digitakt??? Odd that this comes out about the same time as that Yamaha clone of the OP-1, and when I'm thinking about getting a second OP-Z or Organelle. Gotta ask my friend Ford Prefect what he thinks about this Vogon thing... does it include a towel? Sounds good though... beige is a very less threatening colour indeed.
Beautifully presented as always.Comes to life with Chase Bliss which says it all really.
I’ve been curious about what they would do next since I got my Polyphrase. Was not expecting this!!!
Edit: after watching the video, yes it is super expensive for what you get in terms of features, and it seems like a bit of a blunder for so many things to be buried in shift functions, but as your playing has demonstrated: it does sound excellent! And that’s what matters most, I think.
Great demo. Especially exploring the self oscillation
Overall nice video Sarah. I of course appreciate the experimentation-friendly aspect. That sets you apart from the usual gear people that either demonstrate how you can achieve rockin' sounds on your guitar with a pedal or make generic techno with synths.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Good demo, thanks.
Your videos are seriously the best
Thank you! 🙌
Sounds great
Sounds great. Love the functionality. The text labels hopefully glow in the dark for live sets.
super vibey! great video!
It's kinda satisfactory to see two Vongon pedals fit nicely between replay's jacks. Had a major tingles on filter selfosc part. A Pure wizardry!
excellent!!!
Love the look of this. Sounds amazing as well.
Great demo. You coaxed some really great sounds and phrases out of this relatively simple synth.
Fantastic presentation - especially enjoyed the musical demo section and final performance. The arpeggiator seems particularly awesome, very nice instrument and it really looks (and sounds!) fun to play it.
Thank you, I had a lot of fun with it!
I love how Sarah always wills any instrument to her nature …and beyond 😈👾 🌌
You know me, first thing I ask is, "how can I use this the 'wrong' way?" 😅
@@sarahbellereid 😝 Creative mad scientist 👩🏻🔬🌌
Incredible demo! We love your videos 👏