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I got me one-a them VW diesels affected by the emissions scandal thing. They're going to do a free two stage repair on the car, and give me ~$3500 for each stage. I'm dropping $5000 of that on what I still owe on the car, and using $2000 for some spending between my wife and I. Part of what plan to do with my share of the spending money is pick up some gear that's been on my list for years; some pedals, and a synth.

I've been messing around with a small selection of synths at my local music store and a couple shops when I get out of town... but I don't have much experience - oddly, Nova Scotia isn't a huge synth market. One that's been at my shop recently is the Korg Minilogue, which seems to have a fair range of capability, and is reasonably priced... I'm currently leaning in that direction.

I'm looking for decent sounds, and on-the-fly adjustability. I really like that the Minilogue has minimal menu diving for most normal parameters, and lots of knobs. Construction seems solid, and the sounds I've played with seem useable. I know that the small keys are a problem for a lot of people, particularly if they have prior keys experience, which I barely do... I THINK I'd adapt to their size well enough, not having the standard key muscle memory.
I know a couple of you have, or have had, these - laterallateral didn't get on with his; Nick did you get one in the end? Aen, I noticed one in one of your recent videos, do you like it?

Are there other good options I should be looking at? I don't get cash for gear very often, and I'm unlikely to be able to upgrade in the next... I dunno... decade? I want to get something that I'll be pretty happy with.
Poly isn't necessary, but, I think I like the idea of the flexibility of play options it offers. I'm not stuck on analogue, I know a lot of modern virtual analogue engines are pretty damn solid. I like the small size of the Minilogue, as it would be an accessory instrument, and I have enough gear to lug without adding a full sized keyboard... That said, I'm somewhat tempted to ignore the Minilogue and pick up a Nord lead 2x that a friend is selling for $700, but I'm also thinking that won't really suit me.

Processing bass and guitar through the synth engine would be a bonus.

Hey man, I have one of these, and I'm a big fan. It's pretty easy to work with and REALLY capable of a lot of sounds. It's even replaced my Moogs in the rock band while I await their repairs. Honestly the only other bad-ass I know in that price range is a used MS2000. Pretty much the pinnacle of turn-of-the-century digital synths. Of course, today's synthy boys turn up their noses at digital, which is why this thing is still affordable.

...my brain still sees that as Kylie Minogue...

Ha, my brain never did before, but now always will. Excellent.

NickD wrote:...my brain still sees that as Kylie Minogue...

Ha. Me too. Every time.

You've doomed us all!

Few other synths you might want to take a look at:

Berhinger DeepMind 6 / 12:





Based on the Juno 106. The 12 has 12 note polyphony, the 6 has 6. Obvs.

Korg Arp Odyssey:



Only duophonic though.

Roland JD-XI



Combines a monophonic analogue synth with a polyphonic digital one. Also has sequencer/drum machine built in.

Love the look of the deep mind. Tried a Roland in a shop, and was impressed.

I second the MS2000. I have one of these and it's an incredibly capable synth (and still fairly reasonable price wise).

i think given your requirements the minilogue would probably do the job. if you're looking to get a bit more involved and 'future proofed' (you never know, you might get the bug and decide to get more into keyboards) your friend's nord sounds like a good deal (they're amazing synths).

The Minilogue keys aren't a big deal, they're skinny but longer than most mini keys so they're OK to play. The sounds are fab for the money. The only real limitation is the 4 note polyphony. You'll probably find that and the 3 octave keybed becoming an issue the more you get into keys.

The Nord would be a good shout. Amazing synths.

If I were buying my first synth I'd likely get a good controller keyboard and something rack mounted. There are rack mounted versions of the MS2000 mentioned before, not to mention super powerful synths like the Access Virus B and C that you can score around the 300 mark preowned.

Vintage synth-wise the Roland JX-3P is one of the most affordable (and reliable) Great variety of sounds, presets, analogue, sounds amazing. Great buy especially if you can get it with the programmer.

Unless you have loads of space rack gear can be a godsend.

If you're considering a poly and a mono (or even just a mono) don't overlook the Bass Station II. Best bang for your buck mono by a country mile.

The Deepmind looks amazing. I actually picked one up the other day but I've not actually had a chance to play it yet.

Thanks, lots of good stuff to start researching.

Update - I did end up buying the Minilogue earlier this week.
I've only had a bit of time to mess around with it - mostly exploring the presets, and a little messing around building a custom patch and seeing how the oscillators, filter, etc. interact. Generally fairly pleased with it so far, but haven't had the time to dive very deep and really start learning. Several patches are good right from the start, but it's gonna be a learning curve!

Thanks for the advice and suggestions!