With timestamps and such comprehensive insights, this is one of those ultra-valuable videos going forward. I'm going to keep coming back for reference again and again. So well done man!
I appreciate it! My goal with these video is to make a definitive reference for sane people who don't think about synths as much as I do to be able to go back to throughout the year and see what's out there lol And Happy New Year Jason 🥂🎆
Congrats on successful 2024 to you, VC. You brought a lot of great content to the synth community. The Donner B1 sounds surprisingly good, I'd snatch that up if I didn't already own so many 303 clones. Happy New Year!:)
3:13 Can absolutely agree! Such a fun and great Sounding machine! Also really intuitive to use (not like most of the other 303 type synths) Great Video!
Brilliant breakdown & analysis of the year in synths. It was a great year and as stated a forward-looking year. My personal fave was the Korg Multipoly, not a Korg fanboy but Korg had a great year. Love the new Polybrute but I'm already happy with my original PB so won't be upgrading, and laughed/totally agree with your astrolab summation. Also found your super 8 notes very interesting as I had GAS for that synth.
Love to see the love for Tal -Pha! Loved Tal for years and as a long time Alpha Juno owner they smashed it out of the park with this plugin. LOVE that you can use two detuned Saw waves if you want, + using voices/detune spread instead of the chorus.
Best synthesizer reviewer online bar none. Thank you ~ let’s go 2025! Good thing I made the choices to get the ASM Hydrasynth Deluxe and the Arturia Mini Freak. Concur about Arturia. Very appreciative of their recent update to the Mini F. Dream synths to add to a collection of Vintage pieces.
@@VultureCulture I ❤ it that most are referring now to this as the “Golden Age of Synthesizers” ! It certainly is being to feel like it! If I had only kept my Jupiter 8 from childhood 😀
Thanks for putting this together as I know it takes a lot of work and I appreciate it , Also you hit it out of the park at 1:18 , buy what motivates you , cause there is nothing worse than buying something for the sake of buying it , walk instead of taking a cab and skip that fast food and brown bag it , buy the cool shit and save your money
It was just on my heart this year to encourage people to save money up for what they really want instead of impulse buying a synth that's not going to cover what they're looking for.
@@VultureCulture For sure. Also love that people who really want a slice of vintage analog can still pick up alpha juno's for fair prices without breaking the bank. It's always been the lackluster controls that have kept them cheap, but that's a double edged sword. Especially now that you can program them from the Tal-Pha and migrate patches back and forth which is awesome.
Man, I love these videos! So many cool synths here! That polyend Synth looks and sounds incredible. And at that price point !!!!! I’m glad to see the multi/poly here. It’s my first hardware synth and I’m having lots of fun with it as I learn all its features and work out how to incorporate it into my workflow. Glad to see it fared relatively well here. But wow, now I’m super curious about the ModWave 😂😂😂
I'm glad you enjoy them my friend! Let me know what you think about multipoly after you've had some time with it. Can't wait for your first dark ambient mix with it!
I never looked into the Opsix and I have no idea why. I love my FM synths. Definitely seems like a kick ass synth for sure! Easy to program FM with an MS20 filter? Forget about it! MiniFreak is another one I've thought about. My think right now is grooveboxes just because I can create songs on those then perform them live and they take up less space. The modern grooveboxes lack so much imagination it's sad. I am stoked for that Behringer PPG that you mentioned. Love seeing these year end wrap ups on synths. Great stuff!
Cheers to the Hyrdrasynth Explorer (desktop) - Have it running through my Push 3. Happy New Year mate! Wow, Behringer Bros hitting the list hard this year. Haha. I love the PolyBrute12... but man, that Moog Muse sound!
New synth guy here. I’m interested in a synth for ambient music and to lean the “piano”. I’m not the collector type, so hoping to settle on one synth. Considering the ASM Hydrasynth 49-key. Anyone have additional thoughts. Great video!
The Hydrasynth is a fantastic choice for someone who wants one synth to do it all. WaveState is another great choice that can do so much for ambient music
Great overview. The Korg Multi Poly sounds good but at that price you expect more than a tiny 37 key keybed. Many synths are restricted by their keyboard nowadays and need a decent external midi keyboard and all the hassle of stands/cabling etc to be useful. Most are really desktop modules with a mini keyboard built in
Love your assessment of the teo 5 and chichi bought in 24 as well EVERYTIME i use as is and as a midi keyboard? Is amazing great feel and instant sound
I love seey my minifreak on the list every year and I feel like it’s going to have a permanent spot if arturia keeps up these W updates it feels Christmas every time
The Teo-5 has that sound, doesn’t it? Amazing sounds right off the mark, and a great mod matrix. The effects are good too. Even though I got the PB12, I still love the sound of the Muse. Everyone kept telling me the PB12 is just a better synth, and while I think it is extremely capable, is more expressive, and can sound wonderful, and has an amazing hands on mod matrix, it does not have that instant vibe that the Teo-5 or the Muse has. I will keep it, because of the standout features it has. Want to say that playing around with soft synths these days, you really don’t miss much compared to hardware synths, except hands on workflow. Sounds are often better (excellent modeling, more features, more voices, more expression). Cherry Audio nailed it this past year. Atomika is awesome, the Chroma is amazing, and the P10 also great. The Legend HZ sounds huge and analog. Sounds incredible. The Korg ARP 2600 VST surprised me how realistic it sounds. Great effects too. In my opinion, the best sounding software synth is Hyperion. It has phenomenal sound quality. Paul from Wavesequencer has made a masterpiece of a synth. He’s continually improving the interface and features. He’s also thinking of making a hardware synth, which I would be highly interested in. I want to make a mention for something that I feel is the most complete and fastest hands on music making device, which is the Synthstrom Deluge. It is very fast to make music on. I can make a basic song with drums, a bass, and 2 or 3 synth tracks in 10 minutes. It is crazy. It is also very deep and a sequencing beast. The community open source software keeps adding features, which is bonkers.
While editing, I hear every line of dialogue and the audio demos dozens of times. You become so numb after hours of work. But I listened to the TEO-5 demo every time. They nailed the ad, that resonance is goosebumps-inducing. I have to check out the 2600 on stream sometime! Also Legend HZ. And at some point I'll have to get a Deluge, just to find out what all the hype is about!
Exellent video !!! Still i think the XD is a must have , and the iridium (grabbedd the core and it's a fuking gas killer for any synth lol ) , the iridium KB at 2444 Euros is imho the best Poly AFT synth around , superb keybeed and the engine is simply mindlowing Taking this occasion to wish you health , peace of mind and sucess for this new year !!! Keep doing those great video , one of thne few channel i watch on the regular !!
I really should spend more time checking it out, people really love that synth. Do you think it's a bit of a strange workflow to win something like best high end analog semi modular?
I think MD900 is very cool but at a very high price point, which is expected for the more boutique stuff. I'd love to check it out sometime if they give me the oppourtunity!
I love your Roland new synth ideas. I felt the SYSTEM 8 was just a good start but too restrictive on certain features. I do like the native engine. I dreamed of a System 16 with 61 keys and such.
System 12 FTW! System 8 is still my most used synth. Bought it when it came out! Would love to see a bigger keyboard. I play it so I want 61 keys and a poly aftertouch would be fantastic.
Love your Roland rant 100% agree ! I have there fantom 7 ex (upgrade) and don’t play it much cause the keybed sucks , they should get Yamaha to teach them how to make a quality key bed , until than I use Roland cloud with a NI Mk3 keyboard controller super easy to program knobs !
VC, as always, great presentation. Best bang for the buck buy for me this year was the multi/poly. Korg hit it out the park with this one. The only thing that could make it better is a 61 key version. My worst buy this year was the KingKORG NEO. For the first 9 months there wasn’t even an editor/librarian for it, until Soundtower stepped up and released their’s recently. The factory programming is awful, and once again, another Korg vocoder doesn’t hold a candle to the 20 year old Radias. Future synths I’d like to see are a hardware version of the osCAR and a new Korg flagship with KARMA and integrated native versions of the wavestate, modwave, opsix and multi/poly. A new System 12 would be awesome! Looking forward to your 2025 webcasts. Cheers!
The Korg Multi/Poly is the best synth purchase that I’ve made in years. I don’t have room for another synth let alone another 61 key synth. The M/P serves my needs just fine.
I want to feature Artemis but the price is really high for what it is. Which is okay, boutique stuff should be more expensive, but it's not likely to get featured unfortunately 😕
I’ve saw some Astrolab in the wild. Storch? Not sure of his name. He’s a well known prod. I discarded it at first but it does sound lush. I don’t think they missed on it. No mention of the volt lab 2? It is probably not for everyone but it is the best sounding overall.
Would you say the Moog One is a lifetime synth where if I purchased it I would not be missing out on any anolog synth whats so ever. I have the yamaha montage mx6 and the moog muse. Looking for a synth which has everything i could possibly need in a synth and I think the Moog one is the way to go. Need advice thank you!!
@VultureCulture Any particular reason as to why it's frustrating. I see they have firmware updates still, and you can save thousands of patches, which I find awesome. From what I see, the richness is still there like the moog muse but has even more flavor due to having more oscillators and effects. Do you have a synth in mind that can cover all aspects of sound design that could be used for years to come?
It is funny the reviews made bye some synths. You hear the Mavis Moog, it sounds incredible in the review, but You buy it and surprise, you have to buy 4 o 5 more devices, the Roland TRS 8, the DFAM... That is how it works. Thank you for the video.
Great vid.. totally agree with you on the System-12 (or even 16). I own a System-8 and just so disappointed in its short travel keys the toy like appearance and limitation in voice count. Why oh why didn’t they at least go for 6 voices per chip rather than 4 (I know - power of the chip used) ps… I think you might be a bit shocked as to just how low spec the chips used are (ie how cheap they actually are)
In response to my fantom7 updated ex the sound is there cause the ex has ACB synths now the problem is the secret sauce is hidden in all the menu diving and very steep learning curve if this your first synth
My synth manifestation is a full-sized (61-keys or more) divide down string synth with presets and high-quality digital effects (well, some analog effects would be nice, too) that mirrors the architecture of the Freeman String Symphonizer. I know it will never happen. Way too niche. But, I can't help it, I'm a string synthesizer fetishist.
The Super 8 comments were spot on. I looked at all their range and was like ... "Uh, WHY?" Looks like a great synth, but just not that cheap enough to warrant choosing it over the Super Gemini.
The Pro 800 is incredible. It did more to deflate my gas than anything ever has. Even watching this ultra-gassy video, I'm keenly aware of the difference between all the awesome synths you're talking about that would be NICE to own..... but that I so do not NEED to own, to accomplish the music I want to.
99/100 times the gear you already have is what you need to make incredible music. I do these videos to help people make good purchases, but not to make people feel like they're missing out if they're not constantly buying synths lol
A happy new year for Vulture Culture and for All 😇. As for me the Korg T1 and the Soma Enner will leave and a Moog Subharmonicon and a Behringer UB-Xa (a B-stock offer I couldn´t resist) will arrive.
Yes Roland needs to make a system 8 upgrade but everyone wants a JP-8000 as part of the plug out package, I also want all the knobs, and I want Roland to double down on Ableton and VST control surfaces that include 3rd party VSTs like Diva, Vital and Serum. All for less than $1500 usd.
@@VultureCulture LOLs yeah the price tag is a long shot manifestation, but I'd take them as paid plug-outs. at mimimum add the JP-8000 to the suggestion list :)
System 64 (just let us load all the released ACB plugouts and not have to do the swap out, and a great keybed ala Virus KB), System 64m (MC-707 or TR-8S footprint - KNOBS!), MX-2 (with more powered USB Aira Ports, Class Compliant, more channels, and some vintage effects)
@@VultureCulture P.S. In regards to the TAL-PHA, +1 for your take. I didn't science the shit out of it like you have, but I did own the original machine back in the early 90s and can confirm - it's sonically identical (to my ears), while at the same time functionally kicking its ass.
If you're looking for a cheap introduction to Roland's ACB, I recommend the S-1. It's a 4 voice emulation of the SH-101, great for leads, basslines, pads and arps. Holds its own in a mix up against a growling Dreadbox, the ACB sounds phenomenal and definitely packs some punch. It has a good performative filter that goes from smoothass silk to squelchy acid, a sweet little multilane sequencer for recording parameter changes, some nice effects (delay, reverb a hidden chorus function) and stereo output. The portability is a bonus for small / mobile setups and noodling on the couch - the UI is small/tight but well--implemented and surprisingly quick once muscle memory sets in. I'm looking to incorporate one into a bashed up cyberpunk keytar - it even has what they call a D-Motion feature (basically tilt-controlled assignable modulation), making it perfect for this. Probably the best value portable synth on the market right now. All hail Vulture Dad in the Great Hereafter!
Now we just need to become rich. Either that or we make a revolution and seize the means of sound production. Did Moog fix those bugs in Muse Florian talked about? They have a firmware update. It does sound amazing. Too bad things are kinda divided between Muse's sound and PB12's features. Now imagine if Moog's next flagship is basically a Muse with PB12 features. Maybe they can deliver if they don't lay off their workers...
Muse vs Polybrute12 .........There's a video out there where the guy compares them and how much more awesome the Muse sounds, then he shows that all the Muse clips were also a Polybrute12
@@VultureCulture lol well... I've been eyeing the Opsix and the pro-800 for a while. but ... I really want the TEO-5 hehe It's in my cart as we speak XD
System 64. I own the Jupiter X. I understand their vision, but the implementation could have been better. It's MUCH better if you build sounds on the companion editor. VERY powerful in that regard. As my main machine, I feel I would be in excess if I bought anything else for a digital synth. I still will be a "nostalgic slut" and seek out some vintage gear, and plan on either a Muse or Oberheim later this year. For Roland prices, all I will say is MAP pricing in USA is why a Jupiter X is $700 more than some places in Europe. Great video. Embrace the plants.
The moment an editor is a better way to program a synth, I am *upset* because the whole point of hardware is not having to use a VST. That said the Jupiter X is a gorgeous, really premium feeling piece of hardware.
I love the Summit, but it's not keeping up with the other poly at synths. I would be shocked if we don't see a new hybrid with poly at from Novation this year.
I really, really don't like the Polybrute 12's look. The cream color just doesn't do it for me. But it's definitely an amazing product. I hear people dissing its sound quality, but I saw a video comparing the Muse's sound with the Polybrute that made the Muse sound awesome and the Polybrute anemic ... only at the end of the video they pull the rug out from under you and tell you that ALL the sounds in the video came from the Polybrute. So, I think the "it sounds thin" stuff is BS.
Best synth with most caracter sound is black b2600. Why Roland does not make mv to compete with Akay mpc's is the million dollar question. An absolute fail.
I’m so glad u didn’t try to shill any of the bs Roland crap 💩 it’s so sad that people really think that Roland is good compared to the past the jx3p destroys every single thing they’ve made in 25 years
System 64!! I recently fell in love with ACB from the Aira series. I easily achieved vintage tones that I could never got precisely with other VA manufacturers (Novation Nova, Modal...). Roland should make an ACB device with a decent keybed and lots of knobs and more LFO! The Korg Multi/Poly seems to have the same vintage flavor, with a lot more modmatrix, but I found it a bit overpriced for a small keybed range with Raspberry.
Not the first comment to say I need to reexamine the aira line. I think Multi/poly sounds really good and modern, but maybe not the best for recreating vintage analog tones.
I somewhat agree. I think 37 keys was fine for my moog source and other constrained synths like that. For something as cinematic as multipoly or wavestate you need the extra keys
I’d like to see a return of rack mount sound module synths that can be easily mapped to sliders and knobs on modern keyboard controllers so you can have as many keys as you want and still access all the tweakable knobs on hardware synths.
I don't mind a 37 key bed if I'm using it to write bass lines,, but have heard of midi? It's like this amazing invention where you can plug in a bigger keyboard and control all your synths with it 😊
![Lp. Сердце Вселенной #60 РОЖДЕНИЕ ЛОЛОЛОШКИ [Финал] • Майнкрафт](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/YoR0pAV9FVQ/mqdefault.jpg)
With timestamps and such comprehensive insights, this is one of those ultra-valuable videos going forward. I'm going to keep coming back for reference again and again. So well done man!
I appreciate it! My goal with these video is to make a definitive reference for sane people who don't think about synths as much as I do to be able to go back to throughout the year and see what's out there lol
And Happy New Year Jason 🥂🎆
Thanks for putting this together. That Hydrasynth foursome at 21:55 is pretty neat.
Isn't it though? They murdered that performance
Bro this thumbnail is incredible :D also great list!
My incredible girlfriend made it, she murdered it
Appreciate your providing some great options for those looking for options. Happy New Year. Stay safe.
Happy New Year and stay safe too! 🥂🎆
Thanks for sharing making this video! Happy New Year 🎉❤
Happy new year!! Thank you!
Congrats on successful 2024 to you, VC. You brought a lot of great content to the synth community. The Donner B1 sounds surprisingly good, I'd snatch that up if I didn't already own so many 303 clones. Happy New Year!:)
I really appreciate you saying that! Happy New Year to you too!
3:13 Can absolutely agree! Such a fun and great Sounding machine! Also really intuitive to use (not like most of the other 303 type synths)
Great Video!
Thank you Pyro!
The best guide that I've seen this/last year....👌👌👌👌...Great video ....thanks
Glad you enjoyed it! 🙏
Brilliant breakdown & analysis of the year in synths. It was a great year and as stated a forward-looking year. My personal fave was the Korg Multipoly, not a Korg fanboy but Korg had a great year. Love the new Polybrute but I'm already happy with my original PB so won't be upgrading, and laughed/totally agree with your astrolab summation. Also found your super 8 notes very interesting as I had GAS for that synth.
Super 8 is no doubt a great synth on it's own, if Gemini had never existed lol
Love to see the love for Tal -Pha! Loved Tal for years and as a long time Alpha Juno owner they smashed it out of the park with this plugin. LOVE that you can use two detuned Saw waves if you want, + using voices/detune spread instead of the chorus.
It's the best of both worlds - the classic Juno sound with the added versatility of modern.
Happy New Year man! My wake up NY video. First video after working out of the year.
Thank you and Happy New Year to you too!
Best synthesizer reviewer online bar none. Thank you ~ let’s go 2025! Good thing I made the choices to get the ASM Hydrasynth Deluxe and the Arturia Mini Freak. Concur about Arturia. Very appreciative of their recent update to the Mini F. Dream synths to add to a collection of Vintage pieces.
You're too kind! Those are both badass synths!
@@VultureCulture I ❤ it that most are referring now to this as the “Golden Age of Synthesizers” ! It certainly is being to feel like it! If I had only kept my Jupiter 8 from childhood 😀
Ol Espen Kraft... Loved the reviews. Opted for the Prophet Rev2 over the UB-xa, but I'm considering the D model.
Great recommendations as always the play really does everything a new player needs
Thanks for putting this together as I know it takes a lot of work and I appreciate it , Also you hit it out of the park at 1:18 , buy what motivates you , cause there is nothing worse than buying something for the sake of buying it , walk instead of taking a cab and skip that fast food and brown bag it , buy the cool shit and save your money
It was just on my heart this year to encourage people to save money up for what they really want instead of impulse buying a synth that's not going to cover what they're looking for.
Oh yeaaaaah baby!!!! Also great looking thumbnail brother 🫵
Hey Samurai. Happy New Year man.
Appreciate that, my friend! 🙌
Just popping in to say how happy it makes me to see the Alpha Juno / TalPha getting love. Both are just amazing.
It's the best of both worlds - classic analog with modern versatility.
@@VultureCulture For sure. Also love that people who really want a slice of vintage analog can still pick up alpha juno's for fair prices without breaking the bank. It's always been the lackluster controls that have kept them cheap, but that's a double edged sword. Especially now that you can program them from the Tal-Pha and migrate patches back and forth which is awesome.
I look forward to this vid every year. Thanks!!!
Glad you enjoy these!
Man, I love these videos! So many cool synths here! That polyend Synth looks and sounds incredible. And at that price point !!!!! I’m glad to see the multi/poly here. It’s my first hardware synth and I’m having lots of fun with it as I learn all its features and work out how to incorporate it into my workflow. Glad to see it fared relatively well here. But wow, now I’m super curious about the ModWave 😂😂😂
I'm glad you enjoy them my friend! Let me know what you think about multipoly after you've had some time with it. Can't wait for your first dark ambient mix with it!
I never looked into the Opsix and I have no idea why. I love my FM synths. Definitely seems like a kick ass synth for sure! Easy to program FM with an MS20 filter? Forget about it!
MiniFreak is another one I've thought about. My think right now is grooveboxes just because I can create songs on those then perform them live and they take up less space. The modern grooveboxes lack so much imagination it's sad.
I am stoked for that Behringer PPG that you mentioned.
Love seeing these year end wrap ups on synths. Great stuff!
I really want to get an Opsix SE, basically the most tricked out DX7 mkii with the programmer built in
Cheers to the Hyrdrasynth Explorer (desktop) - Have it running through my Push 3. Happy New Year mate! Wow, Behringer Bros hitting the list hard this year. Haha. I love the PolyBrute12... but man, that Moog Muse sound!
I like the sound of both, but people really seem to prefer the muse sound.
Behringer's recreation of the Arp Odyssey is still my favourite play thing out of the more than 12 synths I own.
Great roundup and clean video. May you discover AFX Mode in the new year :D
New synth guy here. I’m interested in a synth for ambient music and to lean the “piano”. I’m not the collector type, so hoping to settle on one synth. Considering the ASM Hydrasynth 49-key. Anyone have additional thoughts. Great video!
The Hydrasynth is a fantastic choice for someone who wants one synth to do it all. WaveState is another great choice that can do so much for ambient music
@ excellent! I greatly appreciate the feedback. I’ll research the WaveState and choose one. Happy New Year 🎊
@Archaon12 Happy New year 🎊
Your dad had some great advice 👌🏾
Miss him greatly, glad I got to share some of who he was in this video.
The pro 800 is the best bargain synth I own
Uncontested best value you can get for an analog synth
Great overview. The Korg Multi Poly sounds good but at that price you expect more than a tiny 37 key keybed. Many synths are restricted by their keyboard nowadays and need a decent external midi keyboard and all the hassle of stands/cabling etc to be useful. Most are really desktop modules with a mini keyboard built in
I do think their modules are the way to go. Honestly I'd go for an Opsix SE just because it would effectively be a DX7 with a built in programmer
Love your assessment of the teo 5 and chichi bought in 24 as well EVERYTIME i use as is and as a midi keyboard? Is amazing great feel and instant sound
I love seey my minifreak on the list every year and I feel like it’s going to have a permanent spot if arturia keeps up these W updates it feels Christmas every time
It's very hard to see it getting dethroned in the near future 👑
The Teo-5 has that sound, doesn’t it? Amazing sounds right off the mark, and a great mod matrix. The effects are good too.
Even though I got the PB12, I still love the sound of the Muse. Everyone kept telling me the PB12 is just a better synth, and while I think it is extremely capable, is more expressive, and can sound wonderful, and has an amazing hands on mod matrix, it does not have that instant vibe that the Teo-5 or the Muse has. I will keep it, because of the standout features it has.
Want to say that playing around with soft synths these days, you really don’t miss much compared to hardware synths, except hands on workflow. Sounds are often better (excellent modeling, more features, more voices, more expression). Cherry Audio nailed it this past year. Atomika is awesome, the Chroma is amazing, and the P10 also great. The Legend HZ sounds huge and analog. Sounds incredible. The Korg ARP 2600 VST surprised me how realistic it sounds. Great effects too.
In my opinion, the best sounding software synth is Hyperion. It has phenomenal sound quality. Paul from Wavesequencer has made a masterpiece of a synth. He’s continually improving the interface and features. He’s also thinking of making a hardware synth, which I would be highly interested in.
I want to make a mention for something that I feel is the most complete and fastest hands on music making device, which is the Synthstrom Deluge. It is very fast to make music on. I can make a basic song with drums, a bass, and 2 or 3 synth tracks in 10 minutes. It is crazy. It is also very deep and a sequencing beast. The community open source software keeps adding features, which is bonkers.
I love the teo5
While editing, I hear every line of dialogue and the audio demos dozens of times. You become so numb after hours of work.
But I listened to the TEO-5 demo every time. They nailed the ad, that resonance is goosebumps-inducing.
I have to check out the 2600 on stream sometime! Also Legend HZ.
And at some point I'll have to get a Deluge, just to find out what all the hype is about!
Big fun! Regarding Atomika: Filtomika was a nice effects app with just the filter too! I’ll probably end up using that even more!
I haven't even checked it out yet. I've been a bad Cherry Audio fan lol
@ it’s a fun filter to play with breath and send other synths through. What I was surprised by Atomika is how amazing it was as a poly synth.
also note to Roland: make a MX2 !:)
Yes System 64 would love that.
System 64 we're coming for you!
Exellent video !!! Still i think the XD is a must have , and the iridium (grabbedd the core and it's a fuking gas killer for any synth lol ) , the iridium KB at 2444 Euros is imho the best Poly AFT synth around , superb keybeed and the engine is simply mindlowing
Taking this occasion to wish you health , peace of mind and sucess for this new year !!!
Keep doing those great video , one of thne few channel i watch on the regular !!
Have a happy new year full of health and synths Zozilla! I appreciate you!
I am kind of surprised you never talk about the Solar 42 synth which to me sounds like one of the cooler modular synths
I really should spend more time checking it out, people really love that synth. Do you think it's a bit of a strange workflow to win something like best high end analog semi modular?
Digitone 2 is the synth of the year for me
I'll have to check it out!
Synth Manifestation is the greatest category! I cant let go of my mikrofreak and prologue either.
I'm glad everyone seems to like it!
Happy New Year 🎉
This was great!!
Any thoughts on the EMI MD900/Vibes?
I think MD900 is very cool but at a very high price point, which is expected for the more boutique stuff. I'd love to check it out sometime if they give me the oppourtunity!
Love my TEO-5! =)
Really the winner of the year for me.
I love your Roland new synth ideas. I felt the SYSTEM 8 was just a good start but too restrictive on certain features. I do like the native engine. I dreamed of a System 16 with 61 keys and such.
Roland, please hear the people's cries!
100% agree on everything you said about Roland ! System 64 bring it Roland !
System 64! The people have spoken!
Roland System-64!
@rolandglobal hear us roar 🦁
Expressive E Osmose or Elta Solar42f missing???
Both are cool but I don't know exactly where I would fit them in.
System 12 FTW! System 8 is still my most used synth. Bought it when it came out! Would love to see a bigger keyboard. I play it so I want 61 keys and a poly aftertouch would be fantastic.
I hope Roland listens to us!
Is the Arturia Microfreak really an MPE synth? My understanding is that it has a kind of poly-aftertouch keyboard that does not support MPE.
You're right it's not a full MPE synth but poly-aftertouch and works as a great midi controller.
@rolandglobal please release a SYSTEM 64! 🙏 Happy New Year, VC!
Happy New Year Dave! 🥂🎆
Omg I never thought- did polyend make a budget linnstrument?
That's very similar to what it is
Is Novation Summit still worth buying?
I think so! A really powerful, workhorse hybrid. I suspect Novation will release a new synth soon, hoping for a Poly AT Summit or something similar
@ yeah I guess they will. The summit is a synth I would to have as rack/desktop
First I thought 💭 we already had those synths in 2024 and second please take care around machinery ❤ much love 🎉
Much love to you too!
Love your Roland rant 100% agree ! I have there fantom 7 ex (upgrade) and don’t play it much cause the keybed sucks , they should get Yamaha to teach them how to make a quality key bed , until than I use Roland cloud with a NI Mk3 keyboard controller super easy to program knobs !
Roland Cloud will sound closer to the real thing too! I hate that lol!
VC, as always, great presentation. Best bang for the buck buy for me this year was the multi/poly. Korg hit it out the park with this one. The only thing that could make it better is a 61 key version. My worst buy this year was the KingKORG NEO. For the first 9 months there wasn’t even an editor/librarian for it, until Soundtower stepped up and released their’s recently. The factory programming is awful, and once again, another Korg vocoder doesn’t hold a candle to the 20 year old Radias. Future synths I’d like to see are a hardware version of the osCAR and a new Korg flagship with KARMA and integrated native versions of the wavestate, modwave, opsix and multi/poly.
A new System 12 would be awesome!
Looking forward to your 2025 webcasts. Cheers!
I agree with you on the Multi/Poly - it's a fantastic synth. Let's hope Korg makes a 61-key SE version!
The Korg Multi/Poly is the best synth purchase that I’ve made in years. I don’t have room for another synth let alone another 61 key synth. The M/P serves my needs just fine.
I know the price is a little steep, but I’m hoping Dreadbox’s Artemis is good enough to make the 2026 list
I want to feature Artemis but the price is really high for what it is. Which is okay, boutique stuff should be more expensive, but it's not likely to get featured unfortunately 😕
@ I’m hoping they do a demo at the Buchla and Friends exhibition that changes your mind.
Shoutout for TAL-Pha. I truly feel like I now own a legit Alpha Juno 2. 😎
You do. It's a perfect recreation.
I’ve saw some Astrolab in the wild. Storch? Not sure of his name. He’s a well known prod. I discarded it at first but it does sound lush. I don’t think they missed on it.
No mention of the volt lab 2? It is probably not for everyone but it is the best sounding overall.
Volt lab 2 is great but more pricey than Cascadia, which is already the most expensive analog mono I've recommended
I can’t add man more keyboard synths. I wish there were more rack/desktop versions.
That's why I have a small form factor category for all of these synths!
Would you say the Moog One is a lifetime synth where if I purchased it I would not be missing out on any anolog synth whats so ever. I have the yamaha montage mx6 and the moog muse. Looking for a synth which has everything i could possibly need in a synth and I think the Moog one is the way to go. Need advice thank you!!
My friend Karl from Angelspit has one and he loves the sound but it has a lot of frustrations. I don't think it's the final synth
@VultureCulture Any particular reason as to why it's frustrating. I see they have firmware updates still, and you can save thousands of patches, which I find awesome. From what I see, the richness is still there like the moog muse but has even more flavor due to having more oscillators and effects. Do you have a synth in mind that can cover all aspects of sound design that could be used for years to come?
It is funny the reviews made bye some synths. You hear the Mavis Moog, it sounds incredible in the review, but You buy it and surprise, you have to buy 4 o 5 more devices, the Roland TRS 8, the DFAM... That is how it works. Thank you for the video.
Yeah the smaller synths have to overcome that hurdle of being only one thing, not enough to make a whole jam or even ambient track on.
@@VultureCulture Thank you very much for your answer. Have a happy year.
Great vid.. totally agree with you on the System-12 (or even 16). I own a System-8 and just so disappointed in its short travel keys the toy like appearance and limitation in voice count. Why oh why didn’t they at least go for 6 voices per chip rather than 4 (I know - power of the chip used) ps… I think you might be a bit shocked as to just how low spec the chips used are (ie how cheap they actually are)
In response to my fantom7 updated ex the sound is there cause the ex has ACB synths now the problem is the secret sauce is hidden in all the menu diving and very steep learning curve if this your first synth
Fantom is actually closest to what I want out of a Roland synth, I just want it with the hands on control
My synth manifestation is a full-sized (61-keys or more) divide down string synth with presets and high-quality digital effects (well, some analog effects would be nice, too) that mirrors the architecture of the Freeman String Symphonizer. I know it will never happen. Way too niche. But, I can't help it, I'm a string synthesizer fetishist.
You never know! None of us saw the minikorg 700 coming lol!
The Super 8 comments were spot on. I looked at all their range and was like ... "Uh, WHY?" Looks like a great synth, but just not that cheap enough to warrant choosing it over the Super Gemini.
Super 8 is the right buy for no one lol.
Novation Summit (polyoscar) my to go tool.
Still one of the all time greats!
The Pro 800 is incredible.
It did more to deflate my gas than anything ever has. Even watching this ultra-gassy video, I'm keenly aware of the difference between all the awesome synths you're talking about that would be NICE to own..... but that I so do not NEED to own, to accomplish the music I want to.
99/100 times the gear you already have is what you need to make incredible music. I do these videos to help people make good purchases, but not to make people feel like they're missing out if they're not constantly buying synths lol
A happy new year for Vulture Culture and for All 😇. As for me the Korg T1 and the Soma Enner will leave and a Moog Subharmonicon and a Behringer UB-Xa (a B-stock offer I couldn´t resist) will arrive.
That's a pretty awesome lineup! Happy New Year! 🥂🎆
1:20:03 Let’s face it, your gonna keep buying synths with full gas😂
Yes Roland needs to make a system 8 upgrade but everyone wants a JP-8000 as part of the plug out package, I also want all the knobs, and I want Roland to double down on Ableton and VST control surfaces that include 3rd party VSTs like Diva, Vital and Serum. All for less than $1500 usd.
Yeah I would add your suggestion, a Jupiter 8, JP-8000, and JD-800 built into one would be incredible!
Less than $1,500 seems unlikely lol
@@VultureCulture LOLs yeah the price tag is a long shot manifestation, but I'd take them as paid plug-outs. at mimimum add the JP-8000 to the suggestion list :)
Awsome video, Thank you. Agreed 💯% Roland needs to step it up.zen core crap does not sound like its supposed to.
System 64 (just let us load all the released ACB plugouts and not have to do the swap out, and a great keybed ala Virus KB), System 64m (MC-707 or TR-8S footprint - KNOBS!), MX-2 (with more powered USB Aira Ports, Class Compliant, more channels, and some vintage effects)
Roland, you're listening, right?!
SYSTEM-64! There, I said it. :D
Cmon Roland - it's time!
@@VultureCulture P.S. In regards to the TAL-PHA, +1 for your take. I didn't science the shit out of it like you have, but I did own the original machine back in the early 90s and can confirm - it's sonically identical (to my ears), while at the same time functionally kicking its ass.
If you're looking for a cheap introduction to Roland's ACB, I recommend the S-1. It's a 4 voice emulation of the SH-101, great for leads, basslines, pads and arps. Holds its own in a mix up against a growling Dreadbox, the ACB sounds phenomenal and definitely packs some punch. It has a good performative filter that goes from smoothass silk to squelchy acid, a sweet little multilane sequencer for recording parameter changes, some nice effects (delay, reverb a hidden chorus function) and stereo output. The portability is a bonus for small / mobile setups and noodling on the couch - the UI is small/tight but well--implemented and surprisingly quick once muscle memory sets in. I'm looking to incorporate one into a bashed up cyberpunk keytar - it even has what they call a D-Motion feature (basically tilt-controlled assignable modulation), making it perfect for this. Probably the best value portable synth on the market right now. All hail Vulture Dad in the Great Hereafter!
No no no
I tried the S-1 at Knobcon a couple years ago and I thought it sounded good. I'll check it out again sometime if I get a chance!
I thought Modal went out of business?
They're still around! We'll see what the next wave of Modal looks like.
Novation Peak is still one of the best!
It truly is one of the greats!
I do wish it had its own keys but it's also cool they dedicated the design to being desktop.
Not sure why Behringer Wave was not covered. If I were you, it would win multiple categories by itself.
Now we just need to become rich. Either that or we make a revolution and seize the means of sound production.
Did Moog fix those bugs in Muse Florian talked about? They have a firmware update.
It does sound amazing. Too bad things are kinda divided between Muse's sound and PB12's features. Now imagine if Moog's next flagship is basically a Muse with PB12 features. Maybe they can deliver if they don't lay off their workers...
Hopefully they get it figured out - they should just port over some old Alesis firmware now that they're owned by the same company lol
Muse vs Polybrute12 .........There's a video out there where the guy compares them and how much more awesome the Muse sounds, then he shows that all the Muse clips were also a Polybrute12
"Most Innovative Synth".... Polyend Synth? Hmm... What about Deluge (+ community firmware 1.2) ???
Deluge is a powerhouse, but a big part of what I like with Synth is it's $500 price point is capable for many more to reach.
@@VultureCulture Maybe it is a proper time to add one more category?
Thanks for making me even poorer.
🤣🤣🤣
Anything you're thinking about getting?
@@VultureCulture lol well... I've been eyeing the Opsix and the pro-800 for a while.
but ... I really want the TEO-5 hehe It's in my cart as we speak XD
@Tonepusher a tonepusher sound pack for TEO-5 would be massive 😮
First 2025 🎉🎉🎉
Nice!
System 64.
I own the Jupiter X. I understand their vision, but the implementation could have been better. It's MUCH better if you build sounds on the companion editor. VERY powerful in that regard. As my main machine, I feel I would be in excess if I bought anything else for a digital synth. I still will be a "nostalgic slut" and seek out some vintage gear, and plan on either a Muse or Oberheim later this year.
For Roland prices, all I will say is MAP pricing in USA is why a Jupiter X is $700 more than some places in Europe.
Great video. Embrace the plants.
The moment an editor is a better way to program a synth, I am *upset* because the whole point of hardware is not having to use a VST. That said the Jupiter X is a gorgeous, really premium feeling piece of hardware.
Wow! Behringer, Behringer and Behringer! Top! And about Yamaha? Nothing? Novation? Osmose?
I love the Summit, but it's not keeping up with the other poly at synths. I would be shocked if we don't see a new hybrid with poly at from Novation this year.
I really, really don't like the Polybrute 12's look. The cream color just doesn't do it for me. But it's definitely an amazing product. I hear people dissing its sound quality, but I saw a video comparing the Muse's sound with the Polybrute that made the Muse sound awesome and the Polybrute anemic ... only at the end of the video they pull the rug out from under you and tell you that ALL the sounds in the video came from the Polybrute. So, I think the "it sounds thin" stuff is BS.
That's a sick video for pulling that lol!
@@VultureCulture It was pretty funny. And it was done in a way that you kinda knew something was up.
System 64! but I don't think you way God to damn it 🤷
System 64 💪
PB12 can beat Muse anytime
Best synth with most caracter sound is black b2600. Why Roland does not make mv to compete with Akay mpc's is the million dollar question. An absolute fail.
Hmmm Korg fan by any chance ? 🤣
I do like Korg! I don't think anyone does digital better, except maybe ASM.
Nothing comes even close to Dreadbox Synths in terms of fatness . They blow everything away! I would never sell my NYX.
I love, love, love their sound.
I love that the JD08 is still getting shout outs. Those sounds are so unique to it.
Such a cool synth!
This was great, until you put the B synths into the mix. B is for kids who don’t know better.
Why aren‘t you talking of 2024 instead of 2025: you don‘t know what comes in this year
I’m so glad u didn’t try to shill any of the bs Roland crap 💩 it’s so sad that people really think that Roland is good compared to the past the jx3p destroys every single thing they’ve made in 25 years
If you don't like it, don't buy it mate, stop complaining you ar not 5
@@mayankimmortalThe synths some people own always seem to be better than anybody else's! 😂
Motorsynth MKII yawns
Lm-2....lol
22:00. Four guys with synths. Not one of them can actually play keyboards. Welcome to the 20’s. Sigh. Bring back Zawinul, Hammer and Corea, please……
System 64!! I recently fell in love with ACB from the Aira series. I easily achieved vintage tones that I could never got precisely with other VA manufacturers (Novation Nova, Modal...). Roland should make an ACB device with a decent keybed and lots of knobs and more LFO!
The Korg Multi/Poly seems to have the same vintage flavor, with a lot more modmatrix, but I found it a bit overpriced for a small keybed range with Raspberry.
Not the first comment to say I need to reexamine the aira line. I think Multi/poly sounds really good and modern, but maybe not the best for recreating vintage analog tones.
Please, for the love of god, please stop producing synths with those god-awful 37-key keybeds. Junky in most cases and way too restrictive musically.
Stop showing off just because you know what the other keys do ❤
I somewhat agree. I think 37 keys was fine for my moog source and other constrained synths like that. For something as cinematic as multipoly or wavestate you need the extra keys
I agree. The fact that the Juno was 6 voices, but had 61 keys is proof
I’d like to see a return of rack mount sound module synths that can be easily mapped to sliders and knobs on modern keyboard controllers so you can have as many keys as you want and still access all the tweakable knobs on hardware synths.
I don't mind a 37 key bed if I'm using it to write bass lines,, but have heard of midi? It's like this amazing invention where you can plug in a bigger keyboard and control all your synths with it 😊
Synth Manifestation: System 64! 🎹 @rolandglobal
I hope they hear us!