It can be a wavetable but also a “standard“ synth with classic waveforms, it can be a granular processor and more. It’s definitely not for the fainted-hearted since you’ll need to do a lot of programming and work on its screen but the results are worth it. Waldrof’s flagship wavetable synthesizer is an advanced and marvelous synthesizer. Versatility: 8/10 - Lots of options to manipulate sounds and a great mod matrix that requires some menu diving. Price: 5/10 - I feel like it should now be a bit cheaper since nowadays, there are a lot of similar synths that cost less. Sound: 7/10 - Amazing for pads and soft sounds On the other hand, the Peak is so feature-packed and reasonably priced that definitely deserves more credit and love. And that’s not some kind of analog purist rant, but the digital oscillators often struggle to cut through a mix and when you have a lot going on the sound gets a bit muddy. But for some reason, I feel it’s often neglected and that’s mainly because of its digital oscillators. On paper, the Peak has way more than we’re used to in most synths. It creates beautiful & lush pads and can deliver almost every sound adequately. ![]() The Peak has 8 voices, with 3 DCOs, an analog filter, 3 ADSR envelopes, a very deep modulation matrix, and effects. The Peak by Novation, and its bigger brother, the Summit are two amazing synthesizers. The modulation adds a lot to the sounds coming out of the synth but you are still limited to only one VCO so the core sounds are quite plain. Versatility: 5/10 - Having only one oscillator can get you only that far. Price: 8/10 - An unbelievable price that compensates you for its few downsides and quirks Sound: 8/10 - Absolutely massive for pads, lead, and bass sounds It’s a bit noisy and quirky to use, but for the price and its size, the Nymphes is truly marvelous and the easiest gateway to analog poly synths if you don’t want to spend a fortune on a synth! We also have a full hands-on review of this one if you want to learn more about it! Dreadbox is famously known for its fat & rich sounding oscillators and Nymphes is another great example of that. While there are many secondary functions and menu diving (without a screen), after a while, you’ll be able to work your way with the Nymphes. It has 1 oscillator and a sub-oscillator, two LFOs, an analog filter with both low pass and high pass, and a digital reverb to wash everything out. Our beloved Dreadbox managed to make a fully analog 6-voice synthesizer that is tiny, has a ton of features, and costs less than 500€! The Nymphes sounds massive and while it lacks in size, it packs some critical modulation options. Versatility: 4/10 - Juno’s versatility is quite limiting so by staying true to the original models, Roland lost an opportunity to expand on its vintage synths. Price: 6/10 - Very budget-friendly but there is a lot of competition at this price point Sound: 5/10 - Its digital nature and limited options will force you to use the same sounds all the time So if you absolutely want the “Juno“ sound, it is the best, and very budget-friendly, option out there. The JU-06A sounds great and can provide all the classic sounds you’d find on a Juno but it lacks versatility. The Juno’s architecture is so simple and easily recreated on a lot of synths, that almost feels absurd to pay a huge amount for a vintage model that will probably need maintenance and can die on you at any time. It’s a fully digital, 4-Voice Juno, that sounds exactly like its predecessors and it costs 1/5 (or even less) that the originals. Roland has made numerous desktop clones of its own vintage synths & drum machines but for me, the JU-06A is the best one. ![]() ![]() The JU-06A is a faithful recreation of the iconic Roland Juno 60 & 106 in a much smaller (and reliable) package. We’re starting off with the cheapest option that has a very heavy history on its back.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |