It's only $330 right now on sweetwater, down from it's original $750

You are very right! The dam broke with affordable new analog monosynths 5 to 10 years ago. Now digital synths, esp fm synths are getting some attention; additive synthesis in general always fascinated me with possibilities. Great time to be looking for a digital synth, the used market is a bit crazy unless you need a particular model original to a certain time. For brand new fm hardware experiments this couldn't be a better time.

I wonder what was the decision for making minilogue with mini keys and Wavestate, Opsix with full size.

@@mdjey2 the Microkorg is one of the best selling instruments of all time, almost 20 years on production. So that's where they're getting their encouragemnet from. I'm with you though.

@@Syntox Personally I don't care what size they are, but I don't see consistency or logic switching halfway, if we look at these synth coming from one family (compact synth with 3 octaves).

@@mdjey2 - I mean... is it so hard to believe they listened to customer feedback?

I have the Korg Wavestate and it's a great synth but 37 keys, as this Korg has as well, is not enough. I'll end up using an external midi controller to get more octaves.

What's the major differences. Would be nice or some would make a full size version with all the engines and a great sequencer. As that is too many little synth to have.

Yeah wish I knew about this before getting a reface DX.

@@gevansmd1 I agree they should do every one as a module as well, but I believe that's in the pipeline. The Minilogue XD module is already out.

hydrasynth.

Or with the Minilogue, Monologue or Prologue . . .

feel like most Animal Collective songs started as a weird patch that most people would react to with "mmm nice but you cant really make a song with it..."

Other than the Argon8, I don’t really know of any 😅

So far i really only saw Korg doing anything FM related. With the Volca FM and the Opsix. Arturia has FM on the Microfreak but just 2 OP FM synthesis and not that super interesting. But still though, more new FM synthesizers are always appreciated.

@@KRAFTWERK2K6 Well I was also considering the elektron Digitone only been out for 2 years and the ASM Hydrasynth if you would consider that FM. Definitely capable of Fm sounds at least.

@@yeahrightbear8883 Then there's also the DX7 reface but it kinda feels a little hard to use but if you wanted a DX7 and don't have the space, it would be still a nice option. Even though i think the Reface series is a little overpriced.

@@darklightprojector2688 Digitone, Model Cycles, MegaFM, plus a slew of eurorack modules. I’m sure I’m missing some others in there.

Interesting. I saw the Opsix in Guitar Center today and definitely pegged them as pink and purple as well. Thanks for the tidbit!

@jack j The display seems inspired by Digitone as well

@@paulburkhart2619 its a shame the digitone is hampered by being 4op

@@psynautic The amount of control you have over editing and the sequencer more than make up for the 4 op engine. Not saying I’m not interested in having similar control with 6 operators, though! 🤣

@@paulburkhart2619 im not sure how that makes up for it if you're looking for a full 6op phase modulation synth. it's very nice if you are looking for a subset of algorithms and a sequencer.

Cool yeah

really? Where did you read/hear about that? I'm curious and thinking to give away my dx7II for this cutie :) That would be pefect if I could send the pathes over.

@@patrickp9624 I might be wrong :( Misinterpreted something I read on a gearslutz post. Sorry.

@@timtimminz would have been too cool. But maybe someone will come up with a little hack for this at some point.

@sbmphr Yeah because of the 6 OP FM synthesis. Is Yamaha still holding the patent for 8 OP FM synthesis which forces Korg to go the 6 OP way?

@@patrickp9624 check the tutorial on my channel :)

Since you need an external sequencer to make anything with the slightest bit of melodic complexity... might as well make a desktop version

Nothing may exactly replace the Yamaha TX synths. The FM chips fed into that particular analog output circuitry give them a really unique sound.

Reface is a lot less powerful but also cheaper. Btw, the Minilogue XD can be converted to a 4op FM synth, too, similar to the Reface. However, if I want a dedicated FM synth, the Opsix will be my choice.

For maximum power, the Yamaha ModX is even better, but the interface is more difficult and the synth is even more expensive.

FM8

What is that original concept supposed to be?

@@MintyBiz To me, it's very disappointing. I'd be better off looking for the DX7II.

Yeah it's called midi

Opsix is only $330 right now on sweetwater, down from it's original $750

It can probably do something like that, but it won’t have the character or tone. The OG riffs were done on the Minimoog, so analogue is definitely the way to go 😎

YEAH!!! I don't know about anyone else, but I'm running out of room for more synths 😭

Full keyboard or nothing!!!!

I think of it as sounding like something Brian Eno would make. Either way, it sounds really nice.

more like brian eno

😆😆😆

Planet Kolob Style

@Jason Rick has been Casio's Product Marketing Manager since 2015.

It's almost like korg released a companion sequencer a few days after this

@@CoryAlder so they finally heard our pleas for useful sequencers and were like "of course, just buy another thing!" I love Korg for many reasons but any hate I have is for the sequencers and this doesn't change that. In fact putting out a good sequencer and putting shitty sequencers on your synths seems callous and cynical and actually makes me like the company lessz if that's what they were thinking

@@s3nsec0rruptr80 I am not arguing that korg's onboard sequencers aren't frustratingly limited, but I am saying we have options. They just made a decision that a feature-heavy sequencer is out of scope for this synth - many synths don't even come with sequencers, so I think that's a fair decision. I would definitely prefer they had made different choices (separating sequence and patch memory, for example omg why korg why), but the nice thing is that I have options. A keystep pro, a beatstep pro or a seq-64 would be way more powerful than anything they could reasonably build into this synth without turning it into a different thing entirely (e.g. a digitone)

Everyone who wants a serious sequencer buys one of the many available on the market. The built in one is a bonus, not a main feature. But I agree, 32 steps at least is a must.

LOL!

And then they go on to crank every slider to full, causing a mess of sound 🤦‍♂️

All three are correct.

@@medwaystudios yes

@@medwaystudios I mean yeah, technically :) If I were to describe a car to you for the first time, point at the brake pedal and say "This one changes your acceleration, or your speed, or it even slows you down", that would be correct too but would it be a good explanation?

“256 voices” is just What do you think is realistic

@@Ranney165 well that is what the yamaha montage has or 128 stereo voices if you will, this allows for multi tracking layered chords and what not without ever a fear of running out of poly. I believe it has 128 steroe pcm sampled voices too. This has 32 voices which is actually good, but you cannot layer them or run them all separate midi channels, so its monotimbral, one voice at a time, and that severely limits it. Just think with multitimbral ability, you could have an extremely complex 4 voice chord with 8 layers, and each layer could have a different sound based on velocity note, after touch, etc, or blended sound, never mind efx, sequencer, arp, etc.

@@Ranney165 I think I mispoke the montage has 128 voice fm polyphohy. I am guessing panning and effects make it stereo, but there is no difference beteween left and right, unless you add efx, so technically it is probably 128 mono, not sure/ The modx has 64 voice, both yamaha units allow for split, multi layer, etc, plus of course a wide range of efx, and synthesis, filters, eq's, efx, motion efx, arps, etc. but it is a menu diving impossible to program from the instrument. opsix is very easy to program, but just one sound at a time I think. with 32 voice polyphony.

I go clear back to DX7's and used to sell programs for them. As a MODX and Montage owner, the Opsix seems way easier to program in the sense of access to parameters. The Montage is really deep and capable, but not fun to mess with. This looks like fun to grab sliders and go. I haven't played an Opsix, just observations.

@@theoversouls yea I owned a dx711 fd with the grey matter e board that allowed for layering 8 fm voiced into one. I did not program much, except for splitting and layering sounds. That is the one thing this cannot do. I had complete drumkits, ad songs made from just fm, or fm and a few pcm tracks from another synth. Hopefully they can upgrade this to multitimbral and split and layer soon. one voice at a time is a bit old fashion for a $1000 synth, even some analogue synths allow layering.

The MODX has a total shite interface. The DX7s are actually easier to program! Problem with MODX and Montage is Yamaha built a kitchen sink engine that you have to tab through jillions of pages to edit. It's crazy powerful and deep, but lame as hell to actually use. It's mostly suited for film and tv composers who need quick access to tons of sounds that they can pay other people to program.

@@hostnik777 are their software that can help with that? too bad you cannot use the opsix to program the modx

@@Tigerex966 - if you're going to use software for FM, just use FM8 or Sytrus; they're just as powerful, much cheaper, and far easier to program. There's zero point in buying a MODX then using a computer to edit it.

Can't you plug a controller keyboard into it?

@@GarryLarryBarry you can. But why didn't they just make a desktop module? This way it takes up much more space and costs more just because of this shitty keybed nobody needs

That's where Korg is going, so maybe you should wait for Behringer to make an improved version, like they did with the Odissey.

@@konradhausmann6359 Korg knows what type of musician they're targeting. This isn't the center of it all keyboard.

@@csharp57 Yes but some pepple are looking for a really solid midi keyboard with aftertough that can also second as a killer synth on a smaller scale like this. I agree, this is more of a sound design tool, but aftertouch would have een amazing for this keybed, it would add a huge amount of utility to it in a studio.

Is this a joke?

I wrote the manuals for the DX-21 and DX-100. Yamaha is a great company with multiple divisions devoted to musical instruments and production.

@@deepspacetheater Very cool! I sold my DX21 when I got the TG77, but 4 operator synths can be pretty amazing in their own right. the 21 had a nice chorus. To Michael above, what you're missing is the DX series has a single slider for programming, and even though I have a few FM synths, the shear playability of this device seems like a huge step forward. It;s very hard to make FM something that's easy to explore.

@@specialcharactersgilesdick8876 Well, you obviously know more about FM than I did when I wrote those manuals. I'd just arrived in Tokyo for my new job, and my boss assigned the manuals to me. I'm a guitarist--not a synthesist--but as a professional writer I'm fearless. So, I got into it. Thanks.

They had sliders?

whats your point? fm is a method of synthesis invented by john chowning, not by yamaha. not trying to denounce yamaha though, im a proud dx7 owner.

i mean duh

Yes, there are plenty out there.

I mean yeah but viewers who also don't know a lot about the technical side probably take away more from this review style.. more knowledgeable folks can find other, more in-depth reviews I'm sure, at Sweetwater or whatever. What annoys me more is that these Reverb clips are basically commercials, there's almost never any downsides or limitations mentioned.

@@Karl_Squell Yeah, I get that, you are right. And I also think that it is possible to be light on the technical side without being so..... I don’t know, it looks like she is playing the synth for the first time in front of the camera. And it does look like an infomercial at best...

$329 right now

@@madelinehoyle1059 US only and they're gone.

@@bitspacemusic I'm aware

No, that's a wavetable synth.

This sounds way more musical than argon8

That’s like saying every FM synth is basically a glorified DX7... ...although one wouldn’t be completely wrong saying that either.

The Volca FM isn't too shabby. The only thing it does less well than my TX7 is polyphony. I'm considering selling my FM gear to get this.

As someone who likes the Volca FM (doesn't have one yet) this actually sounds like a compliment. LOL It's not bad to have a compact FM synth that is a bit more complex. FM synthesis really isn't for everyone. It really often seem to be the Marmite of Sound Synthesis. lol

@@KRAFTWERK2K6 FM is capable of really fat powerful sounds but no-one seems to use them (least of all preset designers).

@@mikeellisonhimself Preset sounds on Synthesizers are something i almost always completely disregard and rather build my own custom sounds. Almost all presets on modern synths sound boring, bland and just forgettable and shockingly useless.

It's not a great demo.

Sounds like you’re projecting what you see in the mirror

@@sergiosensation6 gotttteeemmm