Table of Contents
Synths and Drum Machines
DIY
I would love to make my own electronic instruments. I barely know how to solder, let along do electronics :(
People
Interesting electronic music related people
- Allieway - Allieway Audio
Types
Drum Machine
Effects
Sampler
I think some kinda sampler or sample player is what I want next. I don't mind having to setup the samples on the computer then put them on a card, have no need for sampling with a microphone. I don't want to fuck with menus and tiny text. Something to work nice alongside the Roland TR-8, so a similar sequencer built-in would be nice. Leaning towards as Electribe ES-1 (ended up getting one~very happy with it).
- Korg Volca Sample - zOj0Ro6mp-8 Doesn't record, 16 step seq, naff buttons, about $150, a bit annoying to get samples in (There's a Sample 2 where you can just load via USB, but you still need a software, SDK is open source, mixed reports on Linux support).
- Works in Wine, but maybe not with the 2 https://singlecellsoftware.com/cevs
- hisschemoller/volca-freesound | https://hisschemoller.github.io/volca-freesound/
- glindstedt/vsrs - CLI, prepares samples to send.
- matthewh806/Minipops - Mac
- glindstedt/korg-syro-sys - Rust bindings
- glindstedt/korg-syro-rs - Rust API
- Octatrack
- Elektron Model: Samples - _Hr-8jzlpCk Propriety software for sample transfer.
- Korg ES-1 - Lyxr7ZbyLfI More info § below. Smart media cards. 16 steps, delay a bit limited, but there's a replacement firmware that helps with that.
- Korg ESX - OP18zlohVhI Much pricier. There's a SD card version, but other than that I'm not sure the differences are worth the extra money.
Sequencer
Don't seel like I particularly need one, but down the line it would be fun to have one to act as a brain. I don't care about fancy algorithms. I tihnk I ultimately prefer just using Reaper.
- Korg’s SQ-64 - BobWThW5IV4 - 64 steps, good for triggering modular setup
- Arturia BeatStep Pro - Also lots of outs. Both are good 'brains'. Both have four channels.
- Polyend SEQ
- Cirklon - Like SEQ, it has lots of outs and features, but is expensive.
- Also the SQ-1 - J0J101qE9J8, which seems nice and simple, and not pricey.
Grid
I really liked playing with the ToneMatrix website, and would like a grid-based sequencer. Lots of room to play and get surprised.
- Monome Grid - https://monome.org/#grid
Bare-bones, just a controller you can hook-up to other things. - Polyend Seq
Maybe perfect, but expensive. No sounds on its own - Deluge
Maybe similar to the Seq, but lacking all those MIDI outs.
Notes
A mess, sorted by manufacturer.
Akai
Rhythm Work
Drum machine with a nice bass instrument too.
Also do one called the Tom Cat that replaces the nice bass synth with a tom.
Arp
Omni
I really like the design of the Arp synths (etc.). Really like how easy to understand they seem, and like the sliders.
The Omni has a really lush sound.
Arturia
Drumbrute
Analogue! About $600! D: More like $350 on Gumtree?
More I see/hear it the less I want it though.
Matrixbrute is amazing but never ever affordable (several grand [whoops I bought one secondhand]). Minibrute closer to my budget? (oh god the Minibrute 2/s is like $1000). Micro is unappealingly small.
Minibrute
Smaller keyboard than the Korg MS20 Mini, but the arpeggiator is really appealing.
Casio
SK-1
Keyboard sampler. I like the human voice instrument, the delay changes depending on pitch.. Shame it's several hundred dollars.
Donner
B1 / Syn Bass
Dunno the actual name, but affordable 303ish thing.
Eko
Computerhythm
Close to my ideal drum machine. Everything's all clearly laid-out, beautiful buttons, patterns stored on punchcards!
- The First Modern Drum Machine | Eko Computerhythm - history, demo
- I visited the Italian Synth Museum! - history, demo
- EKO COMPUTERHYTHM - demo
- Eko Computerhythm Mk III - demo
Erica Synths DB-01
Hohner
The Electronium is a synth in an accordion form!
Jomox
All their stuff seems ace. They also have some effects units that do interesting feedback and resonance, really rich dark sound.
Alpha Base
Lovely drum machine. Analogue, also some samples and even FM. Would love one of these.
Sunsyn
Synth.
XBase 09
TR-09 clone, but a wonderful one with lots of control.
Korg
ARP Odyssey
Electribe
Kinda into all the first Electribes. Ended up buying the ES-1, EA-1, ER-1. Might just be me, but there's a little something missing from the sound of all of them, so they really benefit from some external EQ and effects?
Electribe ES-1
Sampler/resampler/sequencer. Takes SM cards. Has decent samples included. Easy to use.
- Faxi Nadu - Korg Electribe ES1 Sampler / Sequencer Review
Watched this scrappy video yonks ago and it's kinda what got me keen on getting into music hardware in the first place.
Electribe EA-1
90s analogue modelling synth. with sequencer. Sounds real good! Can get acidy sounds.
Electribe MX
AKA: Korg EMX
There's also an ESX, which's more the ES-1 equiv/upgrade
Minilogue
MS-20 Mini
Mini analogue synth. in and out, would work nice with a drum machine or laptop input too.
MS-2000
About $600 on Gumtree
Opsix
FM synth that sames pretty easy to use (and has lots of presets).
Triton
- KORG TRITON "Ultra Pads" Ambient Synthesizer Music Demo Rik Marston PRO-REC (patch set you can buy)
Beautiful pads!!! Can get a nice kitchy Fashion/J-Pop sound.
About $600?
Wavestate
Looks a lot like the Opsix, with uses wavetable synth.
Vladimir Kuzmin
Musician and Soviet synth designer.
- EnglishOvervew - Vladimir Kuzmin shows all his instruments.
Maestro
Search: Маэстро
Beautiful sound, neat UI.
- MaestroVS34(English) - Demo by Kuzmin.
- This Soviet synth is A E S T H E T I C - Heibach
- Maestro on the Museum of the Soviet Synths page.
Polivoks
Search: Поливокс, Polivoks, Polyvox
- Polivoks on the Museum of the Soviet Synths page.
Melbourne Instruments
Nina
To-be-released, pricey, no-compromises synth. Wish those buttons were a sequencer…
Philips
PMC 100
FM synth, mostly want (really want :0 ) for the rad sequencer. Easy to use, can have heaps of steps. Has a tape slot, for both saving and playing audio, and saving sequences as data! No MIDI. Small and portable.
Polyend
Medusa
Kinda seems like the Matrix Brute's matrix/grid, with maybe an easier interface? Use it as a sequencer, use is as a keyboard of customised sounds. Seems rad. 3 digital wavetable VCOs, 3 analogue.
PreenFM2
FM synth with lots of texture
Roland
I love effect-drenched Roland claps.
I think Roland synths have those nice icy/crystally sounds I like too.
JD-990
JV-880
I don't think my mind is settled between the 880, the JD-990, the 1080, or the D-550 for late 80s'90s sounds (not big on the Korg M1), but I think I like the 880 sound the most.
- Roland JV-880: Is It Worth It? | Better than the JV-1080?? - Not really a comparison video.
SC-55
There's a MkII version that I'm not sure has anything extra I need. Has 37 extra sounds.
There's a version called the CM-300 which removes the LCD screen and the buttons. Would be fine if you're sending MIDI data fro ma DAW. Seems a good deal cheaper. The SC-55ST and SC-55K are similar things too.
SC-88
U-220
Rack-mount synth
D-550
Rack mount version of the D-50, the iconic late-80s/90s synth.
TR-8
Not 08 ;)
Dark sounds
TB-03
Boutique D-05
Sequential Pro 3
UDO Super 6
Beautiful rich sound, nice and hands-on.
Waldorf Blofeld
Has different kinds of synthesis: wavetable, FM… and it can all interact.
Can load in samples!
Can use as a MIDI controller
Waldorf Kyra
Powerful FPGA polyphonic synth.
Yamaha
QY Series
Tempted by these things because of their Showa-era J-Poppy sounds. UX seems a bit fiddly, maybe enough for me to not want to use them, but also be fun to mess with on the train or in bed or something.
Update: I bought a QY100 and really enjoying playing with it in the backyard next to the cat 
- QY70
- Summer Vibes on the Yamaha QY70 - fun sounds, might be annoying to progrm stuff with lots of menu work, but might be nice with a sequencer.
- QY100
About $300 with shipping and card.- Card just saves settings and songs, can't load samples.
- Yamaha QY 100 - the mini synthesizer workstation you were looking for? - Explains workflow in a simple way.
- Creating A Pattern on the Yamaha QY100 / QY70 - Another good guide, goes into the chord stuff.
- QY700
Maybe not as many sounds(?), released earlier than the 70 and 100, but bigger unit with better menu navigation. $500,$700+ D:
MU Series
Desktop MIDI device kinda meant to be used with computers. Would love a 1000 or 2000 model. Try to get one with upgraded firmware (EX version). Additional features of the 2000 are a sequencer ad ability to play samples, not that useful, but can also load playlists of MIDI files of the Smart Media card. Drums are naff. Can also pass audio into it and use it as an effects unit.
- Yamaha MU - The Ultimate DTM Tone Generators! (Sound Profile) - Great overview.
- Yamaha's PLG100-SG: Vocaloid Before Vocaloid! - Sound Profile - This would be a fun addition card, does synth voices.
RS Series
Tone generators with sequencers. Could be a more playable alternative to the MU series, but I haven't looked at them much. Like the QYs with better UX in palce of portability?
TX81Z
Rack-mount version of the DX11. Affordable. Will probably get this as my FM synth. You can link two together and make them play alternate notes. Fiddley to program on the screen, but there are software tools.