hallo i have a motif es6 and want to buy a second synth, whichone would be a good addition to the motif? it shouldnt be a roland fantom, because they are very similar. maybe a virus ti?

I also have an ES6 and a Virus TI...can’t say much in depth about the TI as I’ve only had it 2 days ;) but it sounds excellent, as it should for the rather elevated price tag. A brand new TI keyboard costs more than an XS6!!!

Anyway, over the 5 years I’ve owned the ES I have owned a few “second” synths and all have been analog or virtual analog, including a couple of analog modular synths that were really cool but not for me.

Sample based synths can’t do certain types of sounds that analogs can, such as audio rate modulations (ring mod, filter FM) and filter self-oscillation.

Have you looked into the PLG boards?

The PLG150-AN is virtual analog and I have been happy with that for a few years but the Virus does make it superfluous (way more voices and multitimbral).

The PLG150-DX gives you a full blown DX7. Yamaha’s FM is another type of synthesis sample based synthesizers can’t replicate.

You can buy those two PLG boards new for $500 and used for about $300, which is way cheaper than buying a Virus TI!!!!

Anyway, take a long hard look at what you think the ES is lacking in terms of sounds YOU are after and then start shopping around.

Get a Korg M50!  :)

no m50. i’ve not enough space for it. and both keyboards are to similar. maybe a virus will do better.

I guess the real question to ask yourself is what do you want the second keyboard to do?

So Fantom is out because it is too similar. OK but similar in sound or features or feel or look??
Narrow it down a bit then see what obvious contenders stand out. A tenori-on woudl be different, but would you want to use it etc.

There’s no reason not to source something from e-bay (or similar) that might be an up and coming classic.

A few thoughts :)

Cheers

get an OASYS

Do what I did and get a Korg Radias, you can just get the module without the keyboard if you want to save space, the Radias is an incredible synth with endless possibilities to make your own sounds and much more affordable than the Virus check out some videos on Youtube of the Radias in action.

49erkid

Korg Kronos or Jupiter 80.

Virus TI hands down.  Kronos duplicates the Motif to a degree.  Sure, you get a bunch of synth engines but it has a lot of bread and butter sounds that you already have in your Motif.  Same with the Jupiter.  At the end of the day when you mix everything down professionally, most people who listen to music is not going to know/care if you used a Kronos or a Motif or a Jupiter so you may as well get something with a completely different sound palette.

I really like the Korg Triton as a second keyboard.  My assistant at church got a triton this past summer and we ended up always putting the triton on top of the Motif for additional sounds.  I grew to like the contrast of it to my Motif stuff so much I ended up getting a Triton Rack to use myself.

Gospelpad160 - 21 April 2011 03:36 PM

I really like the Korg Triton as a second keyboard.  My assistant at church got a triton this past summer and we ended up always putting the triton on top of the Motif for additional sounds.  I grew to like the contrast of it to my Motif stuff so much I ended up getting a Triton Rack to use myself.

YUP!

Kurzweil PC 3 LE. The version 2 of the software allows full editing.