Ten Of The Best Hardware Synths 2022

From “Wow, is it actually that low cost?” to “I suppose it’s time to take out a second mortgage on the house” costly, we run down the perfect {hardware} synthesizers in the marketplace in the present day.

It’s an incredible time to be alive for those who like synthesizers. Just a few a long time in the past, you’d be fortunate for those who had greater than a handful to select from. Now making an attempt to give you an inventory of simply 10 has been fairly the train. We’re frankly spoiled for selection, with loads of unimaginable devices out there for each worth vary and in all method of synthesis packages.

Frustratingly, we had to attract the road someplace, and so we did with keys. The entire synths featured right here have some kind of built-in keyboard, whether or not that be correct blacks and whites or simply rubber buttons. We’ve additionally excluded grooveboxes so whereas an onboard sequencer is OK, something that you can seemingly use as a drum machine has been ignored within the chilly. (Sorry, Elektron.)

As all the time, merchandise are listed so as of ascending worth. Right here we go.

Cre8audio West Pest

West Coast synthesis is experiencing one thing of an explosion of curiosity recently. As soon as relegated purely to hardcore Buchla fanatics (wait, is that assertion redundant?), the opposite analog synthesis has change into decidedly much less esoteric as of late, with even Korg making the West Coast-style Volca Modular. Eurorack firm cre8audio is doing its greatest to additional unfold the phrase with the West Pest, an especially reasonably priced (£219) monophonic semi-modular desktop module.

West Coast synthesis does issues just a little otherwise than East Coast (sorry, Marc Doty). Quite than a VCO/VCF/VCA sign path, the synthesis structure designed by Don Buchla begins with an oscillator (right here developed by Pittsburgh Modular) after which passes by a wave folder. Referred to as Waveform Contour on the West Pest, it is a large element of the West Coast sound and may create every kind of harmonically wealthy waveforms. After that, it goes by a singular Dynamics Controller AKA a lowpass gate, which acts like an envelope shaper and VCA. Add LFO, a patchbay with 20 factors for expanded synthesis, a sequencer, and MIDI/CV connectivity.

The West Pest sounds unimaginable and gives you a style of West Coast synthesis with out freaking you out. It additionally performs effectively with the East Beast, cre8audio’s companion East Coast synthesizer. In the event you’ve been desirous to get into West Coast synthesis however don’t know the place to start out, that is your entry level.

PWM Malevolent

With a reputation like Malevolent, you already know what you’re in for: evil tones. The debut instrument from new British firm PWM (with assist from Future Sound Programs), this semi-modular monosynth could also be missing within the sorts of superior options that we’ve come to count on within the twenty first century however it’s definitely not missing in character. Just like the monster analogs of yesteryear, Malevolent has it the place it counts.

The sign path is traditional analog monsynth: two VCOs with noticed, triangle and pulse, a multimode Sallen-Key two-pole filter with low, band, and highpass modes, and two envelopes. To date so what, however the important thing to the sound of the Malevolent lies in the entire sound-shaping choices, like oscillator form management, two knobs for FM, overdrive on the VCA, frequency modulation inputs on the oscillator and filter, and far, far more. All of it provides as much as a beefy and muscular sound that’s saturated in analog goodness.

At £439, Malevolent gives you boutique energy with out the artisanal worth. Throw in the entire semi-modular patch factors and connectivity for Eurorack and a sequencer, and also you’ve obtained a must have instrument.

Arturia MiniFreak

Arturia’s authentic MicroFreak was a shock: a cool little synth with a capacitive touchplate keyboard, it’s unabashedly digital and uncooked. The French firm’s new MiniFreak is simply as a lot of a shock, this time as a result of they’ve taken the identical digital engine and turned out a flexible instrument (with actual keys!) that may be tough like its sibling but in addition sweetly lovely.

The important thing to its versatility lies not simply within the digital oscillator – which, like the unique, has 22 completely different engines together with some from Mutable Devices and Noise Engineering – however in the truth that there are two of them and thus the doable combos. You can too course of one oscillator by the opposite, leading to some distinctive timbres and tones. The analog SEM filter is similar, though this time it’s true polyphonic, with one for every of the six voices. (The MiniFreak can even do 12-voice paraphonic.) A slew of results (10 to be exact) serves to rework the sound even additional.

There’s extra, in fact, far more than now we have area right here to listing, however suffice it to say that the MiniFreak is a triumph and a pleasure to play and program. It additionally appears like a real, fashionable synth, one which isn’t making an attempt to recreate the previous however as an alternative forge a path to the long run. At £529, it’s value each penny.

Modal Electronics Cobalt8

Based lower than 10 years in the past, the UK’s Modal Electronics has rapidly made a reputation for itself with a string of stable devices that lean in direction of the digital facet of synthesis. The corporate has not too long ago up to date its Cobalt8, a digital analog synth launched in 2020, with model two firmware and the enhancements have taken an already glorious instrument and made it legendary.

Why purchase digital analog in 2022 when there are such a lot of great-sounding precise analog synthesizers out there? Truthfully, as a result of digital analog can do issues that common analog can’t – and a lot extra of it. Take the Cobalt8 for instance. This eight-voice, MPE-compatible synth has 64 oscillators (that’s eight per voice for many who slept throughout math class) with greater than 40 completely different oscillator algorithms, from the same old sq. and sawtooth to extra out-there fare. The latest firmware improve has pushed the filter kind rely previous 30. There are additionally three envelopes, three audio-rate LFOs, a sequencer, an arpeggiator, and 26 results. The replace has additionally added a Classic Parameter for emulating the conduct of classic synths.

Cobalt8 sounds lush and big with all kinds of sound prospects. It’s additionally extraordinarily reasonably priced at £574. Stage as much as the Cobalt8X to elongate the keybed from three to 5 octaves.

Korg Modwave

Though analog tends to hog all the eye, we’re effectively and actually in the midst of a digital synthesis renaissance with no indicators of slowing down. Korg’s Modwave is one such instrument and a part of a trio of digital synths which additionally contains the Wavestate and Opsix.

The Modwave is a surprisingly deep, 32-voice wavetable synthesizer. The instrument comes loaded with 200 wavetables, every with as much as 64 waveforms. You may then modify and morph these in plenty of other ways. You can too mix wavetables and even load in your individual. Every of the 2 oscillators can maintain two wavetables, that means you’ll be able to layer as much as 4 at time. These then cross by the filter, which just like the wavetable part is advanced and different, with MS-20, Polysix, and different emulations included. There are many modulation choices as effectively, together with 4 envelopes, 5 LFOs, and even a Kaoss Physics touchpad.

As you’ve most likely guessed, the Modwave is one thing of a synthesis powerhouse and one for many who prefer to program their very own patches. The £585 price ticket shouldn’t flip too many off.

Moog Grandmother

Certainly one of our favourite latest analog synths is Moog’s Grandmother, a monosynth that owes extra to the corporate’s modular historical past than the Minimoog. Semi-modular, the synth has a lot of synthesis capabilities that may solely be accessed by patching and that makes it one thing of a puzzle field, revealing extra performance the extra you play it.

Begin with the twin Moog oscillators, every with sawtooth, triangle, and two pulse waves. There’s simply one thing about Moog oscillators. They’ve a profound energy that you just don’t hear in different analogs. The Moog Ladder filter can also be attractive, chewy and creamy. On the finish of the sign, there’s even a spring reverb tank, which provides a scrumptious sense of ambiance to the sign.

What makes Grandmother a lot enjoyable to play with although are all of the patch factors. Simply having a mult and attenuator opens up so many choices. It’s extraordinarily intuitive as effectively. Interact the arpeggiator or sequencer, seize some cables, begin patching and see what occurs.

Moogs could be costly. If £988 is just too wealthy in your blood, strive the Moog MAVIS, the corporate’s entry-level package synth.

ASM Hydrasynth Keyboard

Ashun Sound System’s web site boldly declares, “Digital is the brand new analog.” Earlier than enjoying with the corporate’s Hydrasynth, we’d have dismissed that declare as advertising hyperbole however as soon as we heard what it was able to, we needed to agree. Digital can typically be chilly however, like analog, the ASM Hydrasynth actually does sound alive.

Hydrasynth is, at its coronary heart, a wavetable synthesizer. Every of the three oscillators can run one in all 219 single-cycle waveforms. These can then be positioned in any order you want, a course of ASM calls wavelisting. You may then alter the wavetables with Mutators like FM, sync, pulse width, and others. There are two filters you can run in collection or in parallel, with the primary having 16 completely different fashions to select from. There are additionally LFOs (5 of them), envelopes (one other 5), an arpeggiator, and far more.

We’re recommending the Keyboard mannequin because it provides the perfect mixture of ease of use and worth (£990). Gamers might want to splurge on the big Deluxe whereas these simply after the sound might most likely get by with the Explorer or Desktop, though at the price of some bodily controls. Irrespective of the way you slice it, although, the Hydrasynth is a wonderful machine.

Roland Juno-X

Roland’s Juno-106 is a bonafide traditional. Shopping for a classic 106, although, is a bonafide ache within the ass, with failing elements and rising costs making it nearly extra bother than it’s value. Roland famously refuse to chase ghosts however they may take inspiration from their previous and replace it for the current. That brings us to the Juno-X, a contemporary, digital synth with not one however three Juno synths inside, plus an entire lot extra.

Primarily a digital analog synth (though not strictly), the Juno-X makes use of Roland’s ZEN-Core synthesis engine to create emulations of the Juno-106 and its older brother, the Juno-60. It additionally incorporates a brand new engine, referred to as Juno-X, which takes inspiration from traditional rave and dance music. Suppose hoovers and plush 808 State-style pads. It’s additionally obtained a complete XV-5080 inside, itself a brilliant module with a great deal of dance sounds from the outdated JV-1080 and JV-2080 bins. Briefly, it’s a rave in a keyboard.

We love the Juno-X and discover that the Juno-look-alike kind issue makes sound programming a breeze. The value is just a little larger than we’d like at £1769 however you do get lots of instrument for the deal. In the event you make dance music and solely plan to purchase one synth, that is the one to get.

Sequential Prophet-5

Sequential Circuits’ Prophet-5 is the stuff of legend. Designed by Dave Smith and launched in 1978, the five-voice poly had digitally programmable patch reminiscence (a primary!), sounded wonderful, and regarded horny as hell, one thing of a primary for an instrument that was normally performed by bearded guys in capes. Quick ahead to the twenty first century and Dave Smith’s firm has been shortened to simply Sequential and the Prophet-5 has been re-released, now with all three authentic revisions plus a brand new quantity 4 multi function nonetheless very horny synth.

The brand new Prophet-5 options two Curtis chip analog VCOs and one-per-voice Curtis filters as within the authentic, together with new 2140 low-pass filters designed by Dave Rossum of E-mu to exchange his authentic Rev 1 and a couple of 2040 filters. A swap permits you to select between filter designs. To take it even additional, twist the Classic knob to go from the very steady and fashionable Rev 4 again to the wild and woolly Rev 1. The remainder of the sign path is as you’d count on, with Unison mode and attribute Poly Mod part current and accounted for. Velocity and aftertouch are welcome new additions.

The Prophet-5 isn’t low cost, with costs hovering round £3100. It was a premium instrument within the ‘70s and stays one in the present day. Nonetheless, for the devoted synthesizer participant and programmer, proudly owning a Prophet-5 is like being a part of historical past.

Oberheim OB-X8

Dave Smith: I feel I’ll remake my traditional synth and embrace all of the variations.
Tom Oberheim: Maintain my beer.

If the brand new Prophet-5 is the Cadillac of synths, that makes Oberheim’s OB-X8 the Rolls Royce of synths. A brilliant Oberheim of kinds, it’s obtained the three large Obie polys – the OB-X, OB-XA, and OB-8 – all rolled into one eight-voice machine. And sure, it seems like traditional Oberheim: large, gooey analog energy.

It’s not probably the most advanced sign path, with two VCOs with noticed and pulse per voice, discrete SEM-series filters, devoted filter and quantity envelopes, a single LFO, unison mode, and that’s about it. However you don’t choose a automotive by the variety of controls on its dashboard, you choose it by the way it drives, and boy, does the OB-X8 ever cruise down the street… er, sound wonderful.

To be truthful, the OB-X8 additionally boasts an arpeggiator, a bi-timbral mode, and programmable per-voice panorama for ultra-wide sounds, however actually, you pay the large bucks for the large sound. The value tag of £4899 is certainly large bucks, however fortunately the OB-X8 additionally has the large sound you need… nay, want.