Euphonic Studio Synthesizers

Euphonic Studio has a variety of synthesizers and a sampler for your digital recording project.

Alesis QS8.1 

This is an 88 key piano-action synth that features over 500 native patches and qualifies as a first-class master keyboard.  It's stunning.  I have several Q Cards, each with a collection of an additional 500 or so sounds, so this is an extremely versitile and useful synthesizer.  The cards also work with the QSR rack mount version, which I also have (see below).

Roland PK-5A

You can see these peeking out below the Alesis in the picture above.  If you're trying to reproduce 5 layers of studio overdubs on a live stage, you can either grow an extra appendage or get one of these.  This looks like a 13 note spinet pedal board, but it's a complete MIDI monster, allowing you to change patch, mono/poly, octave, velocity, and the kitchen sink with your "extra" foot.  I kicked pedals for years hawking home organs, this is GREAT!

Alesis QSR 

Rack mount version of the QS series; extreme power in a 1U rack space.  The QSR is a great addition to your synthesizer rack and you can pick them up for around $200 on eBay.

Yamaha TG-55

Outstanding 1U rack sound module.  Has multi-timbrel capabilities.  This unit is somewhat dated in its sounds but the TG-55 can faithfully reproduce some of the sounds the DX7 made famous in the late 70s.

Akai Samplers 

I've added a S2000 and S2800 to the party.  You can buy these dirt cheap on eBay and they sound FANTASTIC.  I paid $45 for the S2000... yes, that's FORTY-FIVE dollars!

If you plan to use an Akai Sampler of this vintage, it will be to your advantage to add a PC with a SCSI interface and obtain a copy of Akai's MESA II software.  This allows you to perform all the library tasks such as finding, loading, and organizing your samples into manageable order without having to run through the front panel of the sampler.  Everything you need to do can be done through the front panel, but constantly having to navigate through their menus gets tedious, tiresome, and slows down your creativity as you struggle to find and load the right patch.

You can buy a PC that's up to this task for less than $100, including the monitor, keyboard, & mouse at a computer recycling store such as Midwest Computer Brokers.  When you buy your PC, make sure it has a free PCI slot.  You will also have to find a SCSI card that is compatable with your sampler.  This has gotten to be somewhat of an arcane topic because SCSI has been largely obsoleted by advances in technology such as USB, firewire, and serial ATA drives.  However, I think you can use a SCSI type 1 or type 2 interface card with your Akai S series sampler.  There is a lot of information about this on the internet and I'll try to find some links.

Yamaha S-03

Lightweight, 61 key general synth with 600+ patches including Yamaha's famous DX sounds.  This is an inexpensive instrument that packs a surprising wallop!  This keyboard may be used as a multi-timbrel instrument.  The action is a bit mushy and it doesn't have aftertouch, but those are things you could get used to at this price point.

Roland Juno-106

Roland released these mid-year 1986.  The Juno-106 is an analog synthesizer with a fair MIDI implementation and a digital memory for recalling patches.  It's got a great assortment of factory sounds that are quite usable without any editing.  If you like to create your own sounds or edit existing ones, it sports the usual analog controls such as an ADSR envelope generator, voltage control filter and amplifier, a high pass filter, a low frequency oscillator, and a digitally controlled oscillator. 

If you have one of these and need the original factory data, please email me and I'll send you an .mp3 of the data.  This synthesizer was designed to use an audio tape backup system.  I'll be happy to send you this for free, although you may also purchase it on eBay if you prefer.

Roland D-70

This sample player from about 1990 is a very interesting piece that I bought primarily for its piano sounds.  It has 76 semi-weighted keys, 4 outputs, and the ability to stack and split performances.  Many of the sounds are very realistic and usable.  I would take this to a live gig because of the piano sounds.  D-70s have maintained some popularity; you see one on eBay now and then and sound ROMs even more frequently.  You can also find these as sound modules, meaning they are strictly played through MIDI. 

As is typical with Roland, the documentation is semi-cryptic.  It has fair MIDI implementation and I've read on other sites that some players think it's a good MIDI controller because it has a number of sliders that can be programmed to control other synthesizers.  However, the only MIDI parameter that is supported is volume, so you can use it as a MIDI mixer but not much more.  I suppose it's handy to some degree, but if you're looking for a MIDI controller I think you'd be better off buying a keyboard that is designed for that purpose.  The price of those keyboards has gotten to be very affordable.   

Ensoniq SD-1

The SD-1 from Ensoniq is a very useful piece of recording equipment in one package.  It is a combination synthesizer and 12 track sequencer with full MIDI implementation.  This means that you can record tracks on it that play other synthesizers as well as its own 32 note polyphonic voices.

I find myself using this keyboard a lot as my MIDI controller keyboard interface with Sonar 5.  Typically I'll use the SD-1 to record the basic rhythm tracks and then dump the MIDI tracks into Sonar 5 to either play a virtual synthesizer or an external hardware synth.  I have gotten very familiar with this sequencer over the years and if anything happened to it I'd have to replace it.  There are some limitations to it, but the transport, punch-in, punch-out, locate, quantize, and other composition aids are very easy to use and do everything you need.  There is a guy in Wisconsin who has discs, batteries, and other parts for the SD-1.  One thing the SD-1 does is that it tends to run very hot.  There's a large external heat sink, and the gentleman has designed a fan assembly to help you keep the instrument's temperature down.  This isn't too much of a problem in an air conditioned studio, but if you use your SD-1 outdoors or in other potentially hot situations, I think it would be a great idea to buy one of those units.  I will put the link on my links page.

Of all the Ensoniq products I've played, the SD-1 is the best of the lot.  They came out with an early stage piano that was very nice, and also a sampler that has retained some popularity.  However, there are plenty of pianos and samplers out there that do a better job; the SD-1 is still useful after all of these years.

Virtual Synthesizers

Sonar 5 ships with several virtual synthesizers which function for all practical purposes like a hardware synth played over MIDI. You can also buy these from other developers.  The best one I have is an add-on called DimensionPro.  This is truly an amazing piece of software.  The samples in it are extremely well done and it is very easy to use.  Other synthesizers included with Sonar 5 are Alien Connections ReValver, Cyclone, DS864, which is actually a sampler, EDIROL VSC, GroovePlayer, nPulse, PSYN II, Roland GrooveSynth, and VELOCITY. 

Mount Vernon, Iowa serving Cedar Rapids, Marion, Solon, Mechanicsville, Ely, Springville, Anamosa, Iowa City and surrounding area

For information about music lessons and digital recording at Euphonic Studio, call Bill at 319.895.8002