Analogue Synths like the Behringer Wasp,Crave, Model D etc

As a shit guitar player I'm contemplating infecting another instrument with my eager ineptitude, namely synths.
I hate the whole digital VST, plug in thing (I've tried many times with amp sims etc and never enjoyed the process).

Using the model D as an example, its got knobs, lots of em (I like this) and I'll need a MIDI keyboard to dick about with. 
So the question is are they ok? I want to create ambient pads maybe learn a little keyboard skill. I'm not likely to need a multi octave keyboard so the little Akai MP range or similar would suffice and the analogue/monophonic nature is appealing but I don't know where to start. Want to keep the budget as low as possible really.

If someone can point me down the correct rabbit hole that would be lovely, youtube channels etc etc

You won't go wrong with any of them, really, for the money.

I'm currently selling Crave to fund Model D, just because I'm more used to the latter and don't want to go down the rabbit hole of modular.

ta, I'd love to go down the modular route but I dont really need that level (nor do I know what to do with it) but it looks so interesting

They're cool imo, and deliver value for money that would have been hard to imagine 10 years ago. For ambient pads I'd tend to think polyphonic rather than monophonic though, and a good built in reverb too (although you could probably stick one through some guitar FX if needed).

Korg Minilogue (I have one)  or smaller Monologue (son has one) are good fun

The Monologue is great for old-school synth sounds and to learn how to create them, but it won't really do ambient pads, being monophonic.

It's a digital reproduction of analogue, but you can't go wrong with the Yamaha Reface CS. It's completely WYSIWYG and it encourages learning plus despite being cheap it's used by loads of pros.

Otherwise I'd recommend the Korg Minilogue or Aturia Microfreak, or Microbrute as they already have keyboards. 

If you want to make little tracks then the Circuit Tracks is awesome.

Monologue or Minifreak. Great sounds, pretty easy to use and not that expensive. I have both.

I had a Polybrute, a Summit and a Iridium and now I just have those two and I can do all kinds of mad stuff with them and a Digitakt. I'll probably get a Summit again at some point but for now this is more than enough for me. 

im assuming the aturias can use the midi over USB to control something like garageband If i wanted to utilise the keyboard as a midi option?

Anyone tried Behringer TD3 (303-alike) ?

Jalapeno said:

Anyone tried Behringer TD3 (303-alike) ?

spev11 said:

im assuming the aturias can use the midi over USB to control something like garageband If i wanted to utilise the keyboard as a midi option?

Yep that should work. I believe there were some issues with it at launched but I think they're fixed now.

Korg minilogue XD or the Behringer Deepmind 6. 

monquixote said:

Jalapeno said:

Anyone tried Behringer TD3 (303-alike) ?

If you are looking for a 303 I'd get the Donner. You can get it super cheap when they have a sale and it's really good.

Ta. They're hardly pricey but will take a look ;)

Jalapeno said:

monquixote said:

Jalapeno said:

Anyone tried Behringer TD3 (303-alike) ?

If you are looking for a 303 I'd get the Donner. You can get it super cheap when they have a sale and it's really good.

Ta. They're hardly pricey but will take a look ;)

The reason I'd choose the Donner is because it has a really fun jammable sequencer whereas most 303s are like torture.

@spev11 I have also started going down the Behringer Synth Rabbit hole, I can share my perspective so far with you.

I decided to do this is the cheapest way I could, as I suspect this is fad.,..

Purchase 1: Behringer Model D, because I love classic Moog Sounds. Getting used to the constraints of the HW vs SW where so much extra is possible has been a challenge, especially getting used to Mono!! Spending time with the device and watching a lot of videos has finally got me familiar with all the routing...

Purchase 2: Behringer Swing, All of the fun with synths is in the know tweaking, so I wanted an arpeggiator and a sequencer. I toyed with getting a Crave as it is both those things + a synth, but the Swing is so cheap. It's VERY close to an Arturia Keystep, but 1/3rd of the price. 

Purchase 3: Korg Beats - needed some drums. Got this one form the forum - will replace with something more fully featured in the future. Does a job and sounds good.

Purchase 4: Behringer Cat - ordered today as I wanted a different sound to the Model D - it is able to play the two VCOs separately. Will sync all up with Midi so I can start producing something a bit more layered. The cat also looks like it does a good line in mad noise, which I like.

Next on my list is the newly announced Behringer Grind as it's variety of VCO looks great - or if it's going really well, all in on a Deepmind 12

I came here to post exactly the same thread ! - on the same day !  How weird is that !!

I'm loving what they've been doing on the replica synth front...

https://www.behringer.com/catalog.html?brandName=behringer&catalog=Category&category=C-BEHRINGER-0-SYNTHESIZERSANDKEYBOARDS&itemsPerPage=60&pageNumber=1&sort=releaseDate

monquixote said:

It's a digital reproduction of analogue, but you can't go wrong with the Yamaha Reface CS. It's completely WYSIWYG and it encourages learning plus despite being cheap it's used by loads of pros.

Otherwise I'd recommend the Korg Minilogue or Aturia Microfreak, or Microbrute as they already have keyboards. 

If you want to make little tracks then the Circuit Tracks is awesome.

I love my Microbrute which I bought during lockdown to scratch a synth itch I've had since I was a teenager. That said, I'm considering selling to to buy a Model D, or maybe a second hand Polybrute.

Another vote also for the Yamaha Reface series. Being an 80s vintage type I bought  a second hand Reface DX to relive my teenage years. Great fun, but only slightly less complicated to programme than it's 80s  predecessor.

Donner might be releasing an SH101 clone which might be interesting:

https://synthanatomy.com/2024/10/donner-l1-new-roland-sh-101-analog-synthesizer-clone-with-detachable-keyboard.html

Id get a JDXi if i were you. Ticks a lot of boxes, including analog mono synth and  virtual analog/digital polysynth and a keyboard vocoder all into one. If ambient pads is your thing, dont go mono synth, polyphonic all the way. 

But if an analog mono is really what you are after, plenty of options as above. For me, i kept with a roland Se02 after various decade long rabbit holes. If you can revisit VST, Monark is absolutely brilliant and the closest thing to a moog model d ive heard. Behringer clones? not sure tbh. 

Well, the CAT arrived today and is extremely unintuitive .) spent at least an hour convinced it was broken but turns out it's just mad

Surely, for ambient, any synth through a full-on modern reverb is the answer?

Something like the Ventris Dual Reverb with even a Volca Bass can make huuuuuuge washy spaces. (Polyphony lets you be more ambitious, of course - Minilogue XD.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ap3eGNf30SE

In a rare show of restraint i've just ordered a Midi keyboard to use with my Mac so I can learn some keyboard skills first then I'll stump up for a compatible synth unit once ive achieved a similar level of disappointing skill as the guitar. How long it will last before I just stump up for a Model D or summat I dunno  =)  

Grab the Animoog and Model D https://www.moogmusic.com/products/animoog-z
https://www.moogmusic.com/products/minimoog-model-d-synthesizer-app

Wil do, honestly If I havent succumbed to buying a desktop unit to go with it by the end of the month then I'm probably ill  :#

The Animoog is quite an odd software only synth from moog and free. Well worth grabbing. They also do a few emulations or their own synths, like the Model D, but you gotta pay for those. Just noticed they do sims of their effects too, which might be fun 

If I was going to spend some money on VST synths I'd go UHe or Synapse Audio.

If you want something cheaper then Cherry Audio.

If you go down the module route and need a small practical midi keyboard, I’ve an Arturia in the classifieds. ;)

Well, in a flurry of activity at chez spev11, I just bought a used Korg Minilogue, if it turns out to be shite I’ll have a look at that aturia, 
ta chaps