Randelph wrote:Synthguy,
That's awesome that you've got the synth collection, the interest, and the aptitude to relate to synth/sound technology from the 70's and 80s. I consider the 70's, which my Nord Stage does such a bang up job of re-creating, to be some of my fav sounds: killer organs, EPs, synths, fx.
My personal opinion is that anyone who doesn't at least reflect on the heyday of electronic music from the 70s is doing themselves a disservice, as well as not giving some excellent music a chance. Whether it's prog rock in the vein of Yes, ELP or UK, fusion from Jan Hammer, Joe Zawinul, Stanley Clarke, or experimental rock from David Bowie, Robert Fripp or Brian Eno, these guys pioneered some marvelous musical landscapes without which today's music might not exist. Or certainly not quite in their current forms. The Nord Stage is certainly designed to be that basic gigging machine which can cover many of the bases well.
Of course, now we're getting the Big K...
I've found a better modern musical workstation partner in the M3, and while I appreciate the workflow a lot more, I have to work so hard to find the good sounds on that board. So having engines and not just rompler playback is major, 'cause ultimately for me its about sound quality. Whether I'm playing my flute, hand drums or keyboard, I've found over the years that everything that drives it for me is the quality of sound.
Personally, while I admire people who created great music with the old synths, I also know that it was their full time job, they often had help creating the patches, and that the amount of work dealing with the first stage of technology (synths in particular) is rather onerous. That would be a lot of time taming various boards, which of course takes away from time composing/sequencing/etc.
Well, that's certainly true for most of us.
I'm curious as to what you mean by "quality of sound." I suspect that you mean "character." I know that OASYS owners are fairly vocal about the fact that nothing can match the sound quality of the Big O, but my own M3 has been a very good musical companion for me and delivered some very nice sounds of all types. It helped that I bought the Radias board with it, so I did have a few options rather than being stuck with using a better rompler for the most part. And as someone who has been messing with this technology for a couple of decades or so, I've learned a lot about how to coax some fantastic textures from an instrument.
Because the M3 was so versatile for me, it was often the only thing I'd use. I always seem to need more, and am so addicted to collecting gear that when I couldn't push the Radias board as far as I wanted, rather than midi-ing up another VA, I bought a Radias. When I wanted more Moogy sounds, I bought a Virus, and then the Origin. And as good as the M3 is, I'd end up wanting the sounds of the other romplers and synths I own, so they'd get turned on and join the "orchestra."
As I said, they all have a character, a quality that makes each one a unique entity in its own right, rather like the various instruments in an orchestral ensemble. Obviously the rom waves are all different, but so are the filters, effects and even the output electronics. They all play differently too. As I mentioned previously, I just can't recreate my TS-10's electric 12 string patch on another synth, or play it the same way. So having a different sound as well as behavior is very significant to me with all my gear. I'm no Jordan Rudess by any means, but he's very pertinent when he says that his instruments are very organic and inspiring to him. When I turn all this stuff on, each one suggests how it wants to be played, and inspires its own musical directions.
Fortunately I've lived with all these guys for so long that I remember who is good for the killer distorted lead patch, who gives the best pipe organs and saxophones, and who has the drum sounds I'm needing.
Which brings me back to Kronos...
For myself, it's such a task already dealing with the always-more-to-understand technology, that I'm glad that something that's built from the ground up to be a musical instrument (Kronos) finally has multiple synthesis engines at an affordable, reasonable weight and high sound quality all around- it's a first as far as I can see.
But more power to you- it's guys like you that are still working with the old gear that make excellent programmers for the boards many of us have never played. That's why it takes me so long to audition sounds, 'cause I'm aware that I don't necessarily know what kind of sound quality potential it can have, and have to do a ton of compare and contrast.
I'm certainly ready for that ultimate instrument, having passed on an OASYS in hopes it would drop in price, and then picking up an M3 instead hoping to have the equivalent of an OASYS Le, and then discovering that I really wanted a Kurzweil PC3 instead. The Kronos gives me the chance to own the instrument I wanted all along.
While I'm likely to want a better reverb on it, the rest of it will no doubt blow me away. Having a CX-3 organ instead of trying to fake a Hammond with organ samples. Having a full blown FM synth rather than getting by with my K2000 similarities, or the four operator V50 with its wimpy effects. Having a modeled string synth to manipulate to ridiculous lengths. Having a piano with each note sampled end to end without loops, and finally a CP-80 Electric Grand I'll love - hopefully.
And the huge AL-1 modular analog synth engine under KARMA control, and its MS-20 and Polysix sidekicks.
All this will mean I'll finally have ONE instrument which just about makes my whole synth collection obsolete. Composing will mean turning on one instrument which is actually
nine very high quality instruments with a large effects rack included. For the most part, I'll be able to program in many of my choice patches from my other instruments. Perhaps not quite as good, but perhaps improving on them greatly, we'll see. Still, I can see that I'm still going to be running midi cables to my other gear when it comes time to get serious and do the actual arrangements because... well, that darn Ensoniq 12 string just doesn't happen on anything else.
Why not?
... Nord stage is quite ok as a product. But when you take its price into account, it becomes rather ridiculous. Check the price of Stage 88 EX 