u/rotorobot

I’ve been playing a long, long time but have never dealt with sequencing a non-midi synth.

I’m looking seriously into a Yamaha CS15 (fell in love) but want to know what the best decide would be to use to integrate it into my MIDI setup (Roland RD700GX, Behringer Poly D, Korg MS20 Mini, Ensoniq SQ80 mostly for sequencing, and a few other things like modules and drum machines).

Arturia Keystep? Would that allow my MIDI sequencer to talk to the CS15 via CV? Kenton?

Ideally, I’d like to give the CS its own midi channel(s) to run through the SQ sequencer or Reaper. Or both.

Even partial workarounds are welcome.

Any advice on how to bring the Yamaha CS15 into a modern-ish setup would be greatly appreciated.

(Stock photo attached)

Prefer to sell locally so I don’t have to ship.

Arturia Astrolab 37 Synthesizer. This is basically a VST in a box and creates some absolutely stunning sounds. Loaded with 1800 (that’s right, one thousand eight hundred) patches.

In near mint and fully working condition. Comes with power supply and original box.

$500 plus flat shipping of $25 in CONUS only.

Zelle preferred but will do PayPal FF.

I am a frequent poster on the synthesizer sub.

I’m also happy to chat on the phone if you would like.

Sorry for the reposts. I didn’t follow the post rules correctly. Fixed.

Please message me with any question.

I would like to be clear. I am a real person. I'm not a scammer. I'm happy to discuss gear and music over the phone so you know I legitimate. I am happy to take PayPal Goods and Services for your safety if you pay my 2.9 percent fee. I have been a piano player for a long, long time and am simply selling this to pay for other gear as GAS has ahold of me. If you're interested, message me and I would love to have a conversation about what gear I have, if we share the same interest in music, etc.

Lastly, if I end up deleting this post, which I may if things continue to escalate, it is because I don't have the energy to fight people accusing me of being some type of scammer or cheat. I don't need it and I don't want it.

What I thought was going to be a simple for sale ad for the Astrolab has turned into a headache of false and possibly libelous accusations by another member here.

Thank you

Andy

Prefer to sell locally so I don’t have to ship.

Arturia Astrolab 37 Synthesizer. This is basically a VST in a box and creates some absolutely stunning sounds. Loaded with 1800 (that’s right, one thousand eight hundred) patches. The video is just a tiny taste of what it does.

In near mint and fully working condition. Comes with power supply and original box.

$500 plus flat shipping of $25 in CONUS only.

Zelle preferred but will do PayPal FF.

I am a frequent poster on the synthesizer sub.

I’m also happy to chat on the phone if you would like

Please message me with any question.

Thanks!

Looking to sell both the Edge and Crave as a pair. Both are in near mint condition and come from my smoke free home studio.

Ridiculously fun (especially the Edge).

Both come with power supply (not shown in pics) and cables for semi-modular connections (shown).

I will ship to continental US for a flat fee of $25.

I’m a frequent poster in the Synth sub and have bought and sold here.

Pickup in Phoenix, AZ welcome as well.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Thanks!

Andy

I’d been eyeing this synth for a while and was intrigued. A VST in a box with 1800 patches.

I did my homework and didn’t take some of the criticisms from other owners very seriously. That’s 100 percent on me.

This is the first synth I’ve ever bought and almost immediately regretted it.

To be clear, it does have some beautiful patches, is built well and looks really nice in white.

I just think Arturia really made some bad decisions with this synth. Not enough ram or processing power to handle some of the the more advanced VSTs. Although I read reviews, I was still surprised at how low the polyphony is on some patches. Some are 2 or 3 voice. On sounds that are designed to be played “big”.

The interface, while relatively intuitive and arranged well still seems to be lacking an inspired workflow.

This is a synth that should have been a home run. But they just didn’t get it right.

Now, I’ll give it some time but I’m not super optimistic.

To be fair, I’ve also read many other musicians love it. Maybe it’s just not for me.

Honestly, while the Astrolab is sonically superior, my Roland XV-3080 inspires me much more and seems to offer the right sound when I need it. A 90s Rompler that beats out the Astrolab? Weird.

So, that’s my “much to soon” review. I’ll probably look to sell or find a nice trade.

I regret not grabbing the Oberheim Teo-5 a local guy has for $800. I still might if I sell the Arturia.

Bummer because they make some awesome stuff. IMO, the MicroFreak is destined to be a classic.

Does anyone have an Astrolab and can offer some advice? I mean, it’s pretty much a “you get what you get” synth.

I’m in Phoenix, AZ so often there are some good deals to be had on good synths.

Also this purchase was an “I don’t need it but I’ve been reading about it so I want one”.

Shame on me for not listening to other musicians’ comments on the AL.

Again, I love the CONCEPT. Just a great idea. Poorly executed IMO.

I’ve had a history of terrible back issue. Sciatica which is absolutely excruciating. Lately it’s been at its worst and it’s nearly impossible for me to sit and play while also constantly leaning over to adjust synth setting while recording.

Not expecting a magic answer but has anyone else dealt with a problem like this? The last week or so it’s been nearly impossible to sit and play in my office/studio without a lot of pain. Even sitting here I’m hurting.

I have an appointment with a back doctor to go over my MRI on Thursday but it’s hard not doing the thing we all love: Playing music.

Just curious as to how those of you who’ve dealt with similar issues have managed to keep making music.

And, I just took delivery of a Behringer Edge which is HUGE fun!

The pic is my setup. About 90 percent complete. Still needs some adjusting and cleaning up. The Yamaha HS80 monitors have made a giant difference in sound too! I had Presonus Eris 4.5 before.

Had a slight scare when I thought that the Yamahas weren’t going to fit!

So, I just needed a small and inexpensive midi controller to trigger my synth modules that are set up too far from my keyboards. In order to tweak sounds, I need to trigger them and then move back to my stack to lay down my tracks. In other words, my arms aren’t long enough.

Headed to Guitar Center to buy a little midi keyboard with the main priority being able to change midi channels easily and quickly.

They had JUST opened an Akai MPK Mini to test something. So, brand new. I said, hey! Open box! Discount? They knocked off $10. Got it for $89.

To be honest, I really didn’t research or shop. Just needed something quick, easy and cheap.

However, DAMN! It’s a great and capable little controller! Velocity sensitive and lots of functionality.

So, with virtually no consideration other than being able to easily change midi channels, I bought it.

Great purchase! It’s solid and is actually pretty useful and flexible beyond what I’d intended using it for.

Anyway, love when you get a little win like that once in awhile.

So, after watching a lot of videos on the Behringer Edge, at the price point, I decided I’d love to have one. Still waiting in delivery. I also recently picked up the Crave and am really impressed at the craziness it can output!

So, I know the Edge is supposed to be a DFAM knockoff. However, I watched a lot of videos on the DFAM and it seems to be MUCH tamer sound-wise. The Edge can be super aggressive (which is very cool).

Has anyone found that they prefer the DFAM for hard hitting and aggressive sounds over the Edge? Not that the Moog is bad, it’s just not what I expected being that it’s the “real” version of the two.

I’m looking forward to adding to my setup and pairing it with the Crave.

Thoughts?