ANALOGUE Analogue


"Nobs and sliders" "Interactivity" "Unreliability" - Analogue keyboards have all this, read on and find out more.

If you disagree with any of the following, or I have made any mistakes, then please Email, and I will endeavour to put it right.

Ten years ago, if you wanted an alternative to a guitar (instrument with one preset, made from wood) then you sought out your local music shop and spent a VAST amount of cash on box that looked like you needed a science degree to operate - The good old days !!!



A standard mono synth like the Pro-One, or SH101 would have cost £300-£500, and 10 years ago affordable poly keyboards were coming out for around £1500. However if you wanted a Jupiter 8 (Sex in orange and silver) you were looking at around £4000! That's without any effects, drum machines, sequencer's or a multi-track.

So with the digital revolution, sparked by Yamaha's DX-7, prices have tumbled, and these days you can get a good quality Workstation for under a £1000. This will provide you with all the sounds you need, including drum's, effects, and even a sequencer.

However there just is something about the creativity of analogue keyboards - the warmth of strings, - the cut of bass, and best of all weird noises galore!!!



The Downside

There always has to be a downside doesn't there ?? Well here we go.

Cost
Market forces - every one wants one, there's obviously a limited supply, diminishing all the time, hence massive price rises.

However don't forget to look at what these keyboards cost originally, as I mentioned before 10 years ago you would have forked out £4000 for a Jupiter 8, which you can now pick up MIDI'd for roughly £1295. a snip !!! However some of the mono synths like the SH101 - Pro-1 and everybody's favourite the Roland TB303, are not far off the original asking prices.

Reliablility Well, what can I say we have tuning problems galore, they love to de-tune themselves, some more so than others, but using them live can be a BIG problem. - Watch this one.


Serving Suggestion

If you need to use Analogue Live, or you want to use many synth lines, then you are going to have to use a sampler. Some samplers have filter cut-off and resonance, like the Emax I/ II for instance, so you could sample the basic waveform, and then build up a sound.

However, if your synth has an on board sequencer like the SH101, Pro-1, TB303 etc try sampling a phrase of 1-2 bars. You will need some kind of trigger, this can be provided by some of the older drum machines, like the TR707, Korg DDD-1 etc.

Top Analogue

  • Roland Jupiter 8 - This is absolutely beautiful. You can spilt the keyboard, stack sounds, and it has loads of memories, but don't forget U N I S O N - lock all oscillators together for fun fun fun !!! I have seen the inside of a JP8 and it is like spaghetti junction. Roland made a MIDI rack mount version with rack mount programmer, this really is the one to look out for. Expect to pay £850-£1300, depending on MIDI retro, or the rack (MKS-80)
    The Jupiter 6 is a further MIDI version, not quite the JP8, but a lot cheaper at £600-£700. Also JP4, big, clumsy, 8 memories but not bad if you can get a working one. (circa 1979 so not too reliable) expect to pay £300

  • Sequential Circuits Prophet t8 - Dave Smith from Sequential invented MIDI, along with one of the nicest synthesisers ever. Touch sensitive real action keys. However I think the development cost of this machine pushed them under. I was very sad. I don't think there are that many around, but Howard Jones had one !! Expect to pay £1500-£2500.

  • Memory Moog - The white knight. I think Bob had left when they build this, but it was a polyphonic version of the Mini-Moog, with memory's. It did have problems with reliability, but the Memory Moog Plus is the one to look out for. Expect to pay £1500-£2500.

  • Sequential Circuits Prophet 5 - A very nice machine indeed. This and the JP8 were the keyboards of 10 years ago. Poly mod is useful, although 5 not poly is a bit weird. Expect to pay £800-£1000.

  • Roland SH101 - Cheap reliable, and comes in a variety of colours. It has the classic Roland sound, nice top end for strings, and you can even get that 303 sound - but don't tell anyone!! There is even a Mod-Grip option to pose around stage with. Pay around £150-£250

  • Sequential Circuits Pro-1 - This machine has bollocks. Being a twin oscillator machine it can really cut up your mix. Very good for Bass, and especially good for weird noises, with a complex modulation system. Pay around £250-£350.

  • Roland's Juno Series - Starting with the Juno-6, six note poly, no memories, Roland then moved to the Juno 60, which was the same machine but with 60 memories, to the Juno 106, which was MIDI and with more memories, to the Alpha Juno 1&2 which had no sliders, but a better sound. The Juno range are similar to the SH101, with 1 osc+1 sub osc. The 106 is the most popular, prices going from about £350 to £495, however the Alpha Juno's are better value, if you can handle no sliders, as they have more features. One big point with these machines is that they had Digitally controlled Oscolators, so tend to be more reliable. Juno 6 - £150-£200 / Juno 60 - £200-£350 Alpha Juno £300 - £395.
    If you ever manage to hear of a MKS Super Quartet, this was Roland's first stab at a workstation. It was a rack mount Alpha Juno with TR707 Drums, and is an absoulte find !!!

  • Korg MS series - My very first keyboard was a Korg MS770, and I do miss it. There are several mono synths with the MS name, the most popular being the MS-10 and MS-20, both black, with in yer face controls. The sound is very Vangellis, but with Frequency Modulation, and a plug and play patch system (a la modular) they can create some very nice noises.

  • Ensoniq ESQ-1 - Although a digital machine, this is very underrated. You program it like an analogue machine, but it is actually a Sample + Synthesis forerunner of the Roland D Series. For around £350 you can pick up a machine with 3 oscillators per voice, 8 note multitimbral, and a sequencer.

  • Moog Source - Probably completly overlooked by everbody, because this was the machine that did away with nobs and sliders, and gave us digital access. However, if you can get your head round, what is really quite easy programming, then the Source is a bargain. It also has 16 memories, great for live, expect to pay £


    This is only a small pick of the crop, and I will soon add info about ARP / Oberheim, and even the latest analogue with Deep Bass 9, and yum yum yum - The NORD LEAD!!!!

    (My personal favourites:- JP8 - Prophet 5)

    Any questions ???

    I don't profess to know everything, but I'll have a bash at answering any of your questions, although Modular is not my thing!! Email: mayrton@cev.u-net.com
    Also check out some other analogue followers;

  • Music Machine Images
  • The Analogue Heaven Home Page


  • Places to Buy
    As yet the only on-line music shop is Music Control, any one else out there ??? - You know where to Email ...
    Music Control


    If you would like to contribute, or have any comments, please Email: mayrton@cev.u-net.com

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