Analogue mini-synth advice needed

vi scose poise · Joined: Jun 23, 2005 Posts: 31 Location: USA

I am very interested in purchasing (rather than building) a small, analogue "mini-synth" of sorts for myself; preferably, something like the Sound Lab Mini-Synth. Though I am intrigued by the idea of building such a synth, I'm not very good at engineering and electronics, nor do I have the time to devote to such a task! Any suggestions?

I've discoverd the Analogue Solutions MiniModular, but $529 is a bit more than I wanted to spend on such an instrument.

If this is the wrong forum, please move the topic!

Wild Zebra · Posted: Tue Dec 13, 2005 7:43 am Post subject:

There are two guys on the Music from outerspace page that will build you one. Not sure how much, but on the bottom of the home page there are some e-mails. I wish I had the time I'd build you one. I need the money.
Very Happy

deknow · Posted: Tue Dec 13, 2005 7:46 am Post subject:

if you are looking for something modular, the paia 9700 might not be a bad choice (but it does require building, and it costs $450). if you don't need patchability, i'd go with the evolver www.davesmithinstruments.com . other options are an old yamaha cs01, paia fatman (i've built one of these, it's not very hard, and i could probably put one together for you at a reasonable price). www.paia.com for paia stuff. i could also probably build you just about anything that has good documentation for a reasonable price.

deknow

opg · Posted: Tue Dec 13, 2005 8:37 am Post subject:

I started off the same way. You've probably already been watching eBay like a haxk, I assume? I was obsessed with the MiniSonic 2 (http://pcbunn.cacr.caltech.edu/jjb/Synthesizers/Minisonic2/default.htm) but being as it was a kit you built yourself, it's highly unlikely that you will ever see one for sale. I also checked craigslist (the Boston area) and Daddy's Junky Music, but they're just as scarce. That's why people build them themselves.

Mohoyoho · Posted: Tue Dec 13, 2005 12:07 pm Post subject:

http://www.davesmithinstruments.com/
Look at Dave Smith's Evolver. He makes a small analogue synth for about $500. It's mono, and he makes some expensive ones too like the Polyevolver Keyboard. But I have heard many people praise the small one.

http://www.technosaurus.ch/index2.htm

I've heard that these are pretty good for the price as well.

Then there's Future Retro.
http://www.future-retro.com

These ought to get you up and running.

egw · Posted: Tue Dec 13, 2005 3:37 pm Post subject:

check this out...

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deknow · Posted: Tue Dec 13, 2005 3:48 pm Post subject:

...an old roland mc 202 is nice as well (no midi). i never owned one, but i do have a 101 which is similar, and one of the "most usable" synths out there.

deknow

jksuperstar · Posted: Tue Dec 13, 2005 10:14 pm Post subject:

I built a fatman in 2 days. It's all large components, that aren't difficult to put together with a fairly cheap soldering iron (something around 15Watts or less will do).

peripatitis · Joined: Dec 16, 2005 Posts: 36 Location: Hague

We could propably use more information about what you would like this synth for ..
My favorites :waldorf 's pulse and dsi evolver .
I tend to see the pulse as the most 'analog' of the two ,while evolver is propably a better 'tool'

Gothboy · Posted: Wed Mar 01, 2006 2:37 pm Post subject:

I'd recommend a Paia kit. If I wanted to build one I'd probably go with a Paia because they are VERY affordable. Or, do like I do...get a Nord Micromodular and virtually build one!

jksuperstar · Posted: Wed Mar 01, 2006 5:01 pm Post subject:

Yes, a micro-modular can be had for very cheap these days, that's ALWAYS a good option for synthesis!!

v-un-v · Posted: Wed Mar 01, 2006 5:37 pm Post subject:

Why don't you get someone here to make you up a Soundlab? Alan McKerchar will build one of those synthi AKS looking ones for you. I think the price is very reasonable too.