The Yamaha AN1x Synthesizer mailing list

Hi,

 

Having a variety of gear is the key IMO, so you have a palette to choose
from.  I don't have an AN1x, but I do have the AN board (in a Kenton
Plugstation with the DX, PF and VL boards also installed).  I've found it
good to layer in real analog with the VA stuff, it definitely expands the
overall sound and helps to get away from that aspect of a synth's "sound"
that always identifies the piece of hardware.  Even a sample of some analog
equipment layered with the VA synth just gives it that different feel that
stops the synth being so identifiable.  

 

As you have lots of gear, you'll know what I mean about each piece of
hardware having its own sound.  Whatever sound you create, or dial up, on a
piece of hardware, there is something about the sound that is always the
same. It's just simply down to the combination of the components - no 2
synths have exactly the same combination of oscillators, filters and
amplifiers (or their virtual or digital equivalents), and each of these
components add its own stamp to the sound.

 

I had similar questions a while back about my DX7 related gear - I have a
DX7s, a TX802 and the DX board in the Plugstation.  But in the end I
realised that unless I need the space, or the money, what's the point of
ditching any of them when using them in layering can still keep them useful.
Just think how stand out the bass line sound in Nelly's Hot In Herre was -
not that I'm a Nelly fanas such ;-0 - layering in a DX7 electric piano
really made that sound.

 

Some gear might get used less than it used to, but there's always a use for
it sometimes, so my advice would be to only get rid of the AN1X if you need
the money, or the space.  Of course, you might need both if you have seen
something new that you fancy!

 

My gear list has grown and shrunk and grown again with the times over the
years, with only 2 real disappointments.  I sold my OSCar to a friend to
raise some money for a Tascam 38 in the early 90s, on the basis that I would
get first refusal if he ever wanted to sell it later.   I subsequently found
out he'd sold it on as they became more valuable, and didn't remember to ask
me if I wanted it back!  That was the end of what up to then had been a good
friendship.  My Siel DK600 - vastly underrated and I think wonderful synth -
suffered the common battery leakage fault on those synths in the days before
the net provided us with information to warn us about that problem ;-)  I
still have it, can't bear to get rid, hoping that one day I'll find someone
who might be able to fix it.  I have heard of them being fixed, but haven't
yet traced anyone who claims to be able to do it!

 

Of course my other general disappointment is that I didn't jump on to the
second hand buying game until after gems such as the Jupiter 8, Prophet 5
(although a friend has one I borrow on occasion) Oberheim Matrix 12 and of
course the Moogs became so popular again (with prices to match) - I'm sure
some were bought at crazily cheap prices by today's standards a few years
back.

 

Other than that, I currently rely on:

Real Analog - Roland MKS-50 and Walfdorf Pulse+

Virtual Analog - AKAI S5000 sampler, Novation A-Station, Yamaha AN PLG board

FM - Yamaha DX7s, TX802 and DX PLG board

Sample-Based - Alesis D4 and NanoPiano, E-MU Proteus 2000 (with B-3, MoPhatt
and Extreme Lead ROMS in addition to Composer ROM), Korg X3-R, Roland D-550
and PMA-5, Yamaha PF & VL PLG boards, QS300 and QY700

 

And, of course, plenty to mash the sound up with:

Alesis 3630 compressor, Micro Series gate, compressor and exciter (hard
wired in line with my Sessionmaster Guitar Pre-Amp), MEQ230 EQ, Midiverb 3,
Quadraverb +

Aphex Aural Exciter type c and 108 easy compressor

BBE Maxcom compressor/enhancer

Behringer T1952 compressor and DSP8024 EQ

dbx DDP (Digital Dynamics Processor, 266XL compressor and 286a mic
preamp/processor

Drawmer DS301 MIDI Dual Expander Gate

Lexicon MPX550 FX

MTR DNG-1 Dual Noise Gate

Presonus ACP88 8 Channel compressor

Roland SDE-2000 delay

Sessionmaster Guitar Direct Recording Pre-Amp

2x TC Electronics Unity Cards in my Yamaha 02R mixer, giving M2000 and
Finalizer FX

Yamaha FX500.

 

I do embrace software synth and fx, and do use them, but I do find each has
their own sound, just like their hardware equivalents. They each have their
place I the scheme of things.  Native Instruments B3 blows away E-MU's B3
board, and the Pro-53 is pretty close to the Prophet.  I also like Arturia's
CS80 and Minimoog emulations.  Some of the software FX are just wild! I
often plug synths thru Guitar Rig running on my PC - amazing, and there are
lots of others.

 

But I'll never get rid of my hardware unless I hit hard times or the cost of
electricity to power up my hardware on a regular basis becomes more than I
can afford.  Besides, the workstation I designed and had custom made (based
on the omnirack workstation for the Yamaha 02R mixer but suitably
embellished for my needs) would look a sad state if it wasn't full of gear
;-)

 

Don't be phased or overcome by how much hard and soft ware you have access
to - embrace it!  The trick is to sketch out what parts you need in a song
and then find the right sounds for those parts, and try not to be distracted
from that.  So if you say you need piano, organ, brass, and analog lead in a
song, stick to that thought, and only go looking for other sounds away from
that palette if you later find the song it working as you hoped.

 

Anyway, that's my 10p worth

 

NovPap

 

 

 



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