Five Polysynths - Which Should You Buy?

To answer the many questions I get about these specific modern polysynths I've decided to cover it off in a massive video. Hopefully this clears up which synth is or isn't the one for you!
All sounds are presented "raw" meaning that only FX from the synths themselves were used (if they have them) and that there was no processing of the audio afterwards. What you hear is what the synths sound like.
Notes:
1) Cheers to Markus for the Hydrasynth loan.
2) Cheers to CALC for sorting the Summit.
3) Cheers to UDO for sorting Super 6.
4) Cheers to Roland for sorting the Jupiter-X.
5) Cheers to Sequential for bringing back the OG Prophet.
6) First person to say "i cAn'T bELiEvE yOu fOrGoT tHe pOlyBrUtE" or something similar has to do 50 press ups and 10 Hail Marys.
0:00 Intro
0:40 Super 6 Raw Sounds
3:10 Super 6 Thoughts
5:45 Prophet~10 Raw Sounds
6:52 Here's the thing
7:36 Ah there it is
10:27 Summit Raw Sounds
12:55 Summit Thoughts
16:10 Jupiter-X Raw Sounds
18:22 Jupiter-X Thoughts
21:21 Hydrasynth Raw Sounds
23:17 Hydrasynth Thoughts
26:17 Outro
Social and my music:
Facebook.com/AlexBallMusic
alexballmusic
alexball.bandcamp.com/

[@AlexBallMusic]

cAn'T bElIEvE yOu fOrGoT tHe pOlYbRuTe {EDIT} To clarify this comment, it's not specific to the Polybrute. I was referring to general "I can't believe you forgot.." comments I get on every video as if I have a warehouse of every synth ever made and can wheel them all out for every single video. This video is about five polysynths I actually had to noodle upon with my twinkle fingins. {EDIT 2} I spoke to Arturia yesterday. 😉 {EDIT 3} A Polybrute arrived this morning. 😜

[@graxjpg]

DUHH

[@glenesis]

I really want a polybrute 😅 I do tho

[@Pablo668]

I feel attacked.

[@mylarmelodies]

Sure sure. Bbbbbbbbbut da polybrooooot is (genuinely) amaziiiiiing wah wah wahhhh - anyway looking forward to your upcoming amazing KPM library music vibe album.

[@RayyMusik]

... and the video is brilliant (as usual), despite it doesn’t feature that French poly synth. No excuse needed for too much talking, btw. Your sense of humour and puns are absolutely enjoyable. :)

[@dzod]

What nobody ever mentions about the hydrasynth is that its envelops can be synced to midi clock. Instead of adjusting your ADSR values of 0 to 127 or values in miliseconds you can actually set the values as 1/64, 1/32, 1/16, 1/8, 1/4 etc etc also includes dotted and triplet values. So what I hear you say. This kind of precision is amazing for creating very well timed pads that don't get too muddy when you change chords. It's great for doing some really interesting arp sequences. It's something you really have to try out for yourself to understand.

[@AlexBallMusic]

Indeed. I went into tempo synced envelopes and polyrhythmic step LFOs in the dedicated Hydrasynth video. It is indeed a monster synth.

[@bimguff]

That's a nice feature. Getting envelopes right is probably my biggest time suck if I'm building a patch.

[@shadowseal22]

Also the fact that you can send any modulation parameter out via midi is something people often overlook when talking about the hydra. Sending out a non poly stepped LFO in one shot mode to modulate post processing in the DAW is incredibly powerful. It can be a really intuitive workflow for sound design since once the modulation is set up you can just dial in a few strengths and it's off to the races. Also the native MPE support. I wish more people would mention that since MPE is becoming standard in DAW piano rolls and the Hydra has one of the better MPE implementations in hardware.

[@RichardJNeo]

Wow, that’s awesome. Another tick ✅ I’m getting more and more keen on one.

[@kamalmanzukie]

my stomach was feeling upset but I juiced two lemons and drank the juice with salt. I almost expected it to make it worse but it seems to have helped 🍋

[@harrisonthacker9707]

Prophet-10 hands down.

[@AlexBallMusic]

It's a beaut.

[@benzmobil]

The main thing with hydra is that you can spend too much time discovering it! One day you find that you can use loopable envelopes which can be modulated by lfos, another day you discover that you can completely modulate the arpeggiator, then you find the Analog Feel option, then you learn to make binaural sounds with osc panning and 2 independent filters, then you finally get your hands at ASM-PWM mutator which can be used surprisingly well as a wave shape fine tuning, then you start to map wave selection on all oscs to a macro knob and all your patches begin to breathe with new life and so on and on and on...

[@sambritt2672]

Yeah it’s sometimes overwhelming 😅

[@jettsom]

For me the new Prophet rev 4 is the perfect synth. Simple to use, fantastic sound, very versatile (bass, pads, lead, strings), with great keybed and it looks and feel gorgeous!

[@kierenmoore3236]

❤ SUMMIT ❤

[@CitizenOfEverywhere]

Dear Arturia, please send Alex a PolyBrute for Christmas.

[@AlexBallMusic]

I have a MiniBrute but I thought it would take too long to record one note at a time. 😉

[@DerekPower]

Your terms became acceptable 😁

[@bitspacemusic]

I bought a Prophet 5 some time ago. Together with a Lexicon PCM-70, I've reached a point where I can die happy now.

[@100states6]

The P5 is the ideal polyphonic synth. Its strength is the middle register to which a keyboardist normally contributes his performance in context of the other musicians of a band/group. It sounds so rich! Never sell it! I sold mine 17 years ago for 1500USD which I do regret today.

[@jakobole]

A side note: I got a PCM-81, and had a guitarist in the studio. He was ready to die happy in the spot :) Greetings from Sonic Peak Studio

[@johnyentes6643]

My prophet 10 and jupiter X live in the same room. They are set up right next to each other. I play the prophet literally every day. The jupiter, I only use it when I am building a synth track and need some of those Roland specific sounds. To me, the jupiter x is a comprehensive tool, but the prophet 10 is a beautiful instrument, A true work of art that can only truly be appreciated via the finer details one only tends to notice when sitting in a room with it, playing it, and filling the room with sound. I have owned many synths, guitars, basses, lutes, violins, etc. etc. the prophet is the finest instrument I have ever owned bar none.

[@100states6]

The P5/10 is the ideal polyphonic synth. Its strength is the middle register to which a keyboardist normally contributes his performance in context of the other musicians of a band/group.

[@WildernessMusic_GentleSerene]

Yes, there are synths that stand on their own and play wonderfully beautiful music. But once orchestrated in a mix all the little nuances are difficult to hear, just as a violin has extraordinary articulation in the hands of a master that we can't hear in a symphony but seated close in an intimate quartet its range of modulation is incredible. This is where the confusion arises with synths, we test them on their own, standing alone and by themselves, and when we love them, we tell others to buy them for the big bucks. Yet, many don't have the trained ear to hear, and are not masters of the keyboard to articulate creative sounds beyond the sound design.

[@synthartist69]

Same here..

[@marmite-land]

what sounds specifically are roland specific ?

[@fredrikh9299]

Well put! The JPX is a versatile music making machine. Even though i don't own a sequential or Moog, I'd choose them for the craftsmanship and love of synthesizers.

[@HJPhilippi]

Entertaining and informative, great review! What I find most fascinating about ASM and the Hydrasynth: that a new brand is able to "spit" such a super interesting synth almost out of the blue. And then its built this solidly and sold at a very competitive price. Mission accomplished, I need to get one!

[@rardubar728]

Fantastic video Alex - I think you've really captured the essence of each model and demonstrated their role. Great stuff!

[@bnjmnwst]

I'm game for another 5-piece comparo video, for sure. This was very informative, & hearing you play them made it quite enjoyable, as well. I guarantee you've sold several of each model with this video. Excellent work, as usual, Alex. Thank you.

[@BritoWorx]

The Summit and the Hydrasynth are freaking amazing!! All in all you can’t go wrong with either in this line up. Wonderful video per usual AB

[@AlexBallMusic]

Yeah, I deliberately only demo gear that I'm comfortable in recommending. You can't go wrong with any of these (as you say), it's just a taste thing as to which suits you best.

[@masanorimatsuda4462]

I have jupiter-x, but I enjoyed watching the video comparing it with the famous synth. It's a dream-like video. Wonderful.

[@FrankenLab]

That was an absolutely fantastic video, you didn't talk too much, and your demos are worth every every minute of it! I can only dream of having all the "toys" you have the pleasure of creating on, thanks for sharing!

[@solidarius6400]

Thanks Alex, really helpful overview and after watching many many videos you helped me make my final decision (its the Summit I'm going for - love its sound AND the looks)

[@tehedx]

Thanks for putting out these synthesizers, which are all great pieces for sure! The Hydrasynth is really something. I really love to see complex functions been made simple and accessible. In software development you see very often that persons are either very technical but don't fully grasp how the end user thinks, or one does understand how the end user thinks but does not grasp the deep internals and possibilities. Here's where the "bridging" engineer comes in that masters both areas - and they are not common. Or have a team that works _really_ well together in thinking out concepts, what can/could/should we do. Either way, cool stuff!

[@donjenkins5381]

I've just bought a Summit and hanging for Holidays to really get into it, some of the sounds it has, blows me away and wish I had this back in the late 80's for the band I was playing at the time.

[@fuzz7boy]

Another video that was both informative and entertaining. Bravo, Alex!

[@MrAliensix]

Firstly, great video as always! I love my Hydrasynth desktop. It gets used a lot on my productions. To my ears I find it can sound quite satisfyingly analogue for an all digital synth and I love that it's so quick to go quite deep when programming it. With all those modulation options, and the Mutants, I can pretty much get any sound I want. Best purchase I've made in a long time!

[@shayneoneill1506]

If you ever get a chance, upgrade to a hydrasynth keyboard. I can not stress how good that aftertouch is. I never really "got" aftertouch until this thing, and now, its just a whole new world.

[@jorgebohyn]

I'm about to buy my very first synth and I think I'll just go for the Novation Summit. This thing sounds really fantastic to my ears and it does exactly everything what I'm looking for. Thanks for the comparison!

[@RobertSaintJohn]

We’re very fortunate to live in a time in which there is such a broad range of prices, features and sounds. None of these sound just a bit different from each other, as you demonstrate. I can’t imagine that many couldn’t find their perfect synth from these choices (I picked Jupiter-X, love it everyday). Pick two and you’re set for the rest of the decade. Okay, maybe until 2025 😄 But the landscape is so different now than it was 5 years ago, and it’s amazing. Oh, and great matrix at the end btw!

[@ainsbass]

26:39 I find hearing you describe the synths more informative than the playing at times (though the playing is great!). There's often many sources out there when it comes to hearing a synth, but expertise and insight isn't that readily available so thanks for sharing! Keep up the great work

[@colinhenneymusician19]

This is a great review. Such a pleasant change to have someone who is a good player as well as having the knowledge of synthesis. A rare combo when it comes to these sorts of vids!..

[@colinhenneymusician19]

Oh and btw, am still getting truly surprised after all these years by how good a live synth my Access V***s TI2 can be (not the best name just now!) … so tweakable, and the whole sound of it is stunning

[@comfysynth]

You didn’t talk “an awful lot”. This video was super useful and informative. And peppered with your sense of humour which I really enjoy. In the end, I thought several things. 1. I’m super glad I have my prophet rev2. Basic synth but with loads of modulation and bi timbral. 2. Very curious now about the Hydrasynth explorer and the Jupiter XM. Don’t have enough room for another big poly and these small digital synths are really versatile and interesting! 3. Alex Ball is an awesome synth KZbinr.

[@danielpirone8028]

We truly live in a golden age for polys I appreciate your selection and review- excellent as always!

[@danielpirone8028]

I am very fortunate to have enough space to have a few. A few more on my list: Summit Moog one Osmose Take 5 Iridium Op six Mod wave Modx

[@danielpirone8028]

Some have argued that you can get 2 prophet 6 and poly chain vs the prophet 10

[@AlexBallMusic]

We do indeed.

[@aqueous5099]

Wait, do you have ALL 5 on this list PLUS those, good lord?! If this is the golden age, you’re living at the golden gates 😁cheers

[@FlowJunkee65]

Loved and subscribed, Alex - brilliant! Thank you for this brief but meaningful review and demo.

[@Maddolis]

Congrats on the 100k subscribers! I'm curious how far you can go considering the fairly niche subject matter but your effort and production values have been apparent for a long time and I always find myself recommending your channel to muso friends who have some curiosity on synths and film soundtracks. Wishing you the best on your continuing musical journey!

[@ZoeSummers1701A]

Great video. No matter how many synths I hear I can’t help being a Roland Fangirl. They just sound so lush and wonderful to me that everything else pales in comparison.

[@DiamondWoodStudios]

I agree Roland knows how to make synthesizers, I think the only synths that make me look away from Roland are the Prophet-5, Oberheim Ob-XA, or any Moog with polyphony because those are seriously fat and warm 😂 Every other synth just sounds like half a synth or that it’s trying to hard to emulate another synth, oh well Roland is where it’s at 🔥

[@TheRealBlueSwan]

Went out and bought the Summit. It sounds amazing.

[@leftovernoise]

Good choice! I've had mine for 2 years and absolutely love it. I'm still surprised by it all the time

[@ArcAudios77]

Alex, Was a great watch & listen while my 'GEARLUST' takes broader roots. Thanks & best wishes are sent.

[@1ralton1]

Thanks for this video. I think you covered the five synths very concisely and gave a good overall impression of each's strengths and weakness'. I am particularly interested in the Hydro Synth and I found that although others have more in-depth reviews on it, you really brought it home how easy it is to use, well done!

[@MattJohnsonJamiroquai]

Great video, it's a good time to be a synth freak!

[@AlexBallMusic]

Indeed!

[@MaverickM1]

I am very happy with my Summit. A lovely piece of instrument and a very good value for the money. Since the 2.0 fw update it is simply brilliant.

[@hawk194]

Really good feature Alex, I could listen to you talking about synths all day! I am considering the Jupiter Xm as I’m running out of space. The last slot was recently taken up by a mint DX7 Mk2. Thank you as ever.

[@Jehudi]

Hey Alex, I really enjoyed your musical demonstration. You bring out the best with these instruments! I wish you a PolyBrute for Christmas!

[@piercemcintyre1327]

Hydra synth is the last one shown with most unique features, gorgeous sound, and lowest price. Who doesn’t want one?

[@antagonizingusername]

muh analog

[@gerdpfeil]

I don't want one, not because it would be a bad synth - in fact it sounds gorgeous - but I have decided to avoid buying things from China where I can, for a variety of reasons of which sustainability is only one. It's not that the Hydrasynth is entirely unique and I'd prefer products getting support for many years. But that's just me and I appreciate that a decision like that is a luxury that's not always affordable.

[@cymbolic_space1832]

it kind of sounds a bit flat

[@judethree4405]

@@cymbolic_space1832 Only on some of the sounds. But, on yet other of their sounds, they sound very rich, and indistinguishable from robust analog.

[@cymbolic_space1832]

@@judethree4405 maybe! i am by no means an analog purist, but i find the hydrasynth just feels a bit sterile or lacks some sort of personality.

[@ejh1100]

The Hydrasynth is a lifelong effort synth , thinking of trading up to the Deluxe , love it.

[@smallpeople172]

What do you mean lifelong effort?

[@ejh1100]

@@smallpeople172 Poor wording...a lifetime synth for anyone to use , do you doubt that ?

[@smallpeople172]

@@ejh1100 well I'm just asking what that means

[@ejh1100]

@@smallpeople172 One you can spend a lifetime with.

[@modmodell8897]

Very objective, smart and professional review. Also very good examples. For me as a owner of a old P5, JP8, the UDO and the Summit super interesting. Thank you!

[@synthshoot1026]

Thank you very much. Nice sound design skills. I'm glad you went for some mellow stuff on the Hydra showing thats it's not just for havoc.

[@Rosseloh]

Absolutely love my Hydrasynth, I've had it for coming up on a year. The interface is just so accessible. Digital or not, I highly recommend it.

[@AlexBallMusic]

Indeed. I forgot to mention that you hold one button and press another to connect them. Then the screen pops up with the matrix and asks which parameter you wanted to modulate and by how much. How easy is that?!

[@Rosseloh]

@@AlexBallMusic Absolutely. You can even do that with parameters that you can't usually map with just a button press - for example, if you go into the matrix and select something like the aftertouch, move down to the "destination" block, and then press the button for the destination zone you want, it will jump to that instead of having to scroll through the whole list. But of course the fastest way is definitely still to press, hold, press, when dealing with things that have a button. On a side note, back to the "digital" thing - maybe my ear just isn't well-tuned enough but to be honest, when you mess with some parameters and turn on random phase mode....I'm hard pressed to tell the difference between "analog" and "digital" (as a test,. playing a single note on the hydra followed by the same note on the mother-32). I'm sure the distinction exists but if you learn the instrument, you can make it sound like just about anything you want, at least in the electronic space.

[@jbognap]

@Alex Ball They obviously took a cue from Ensoniq. The interface is a descendant of the ESQ-1/SQ-80 and poly aftertouch was present on a couple of their boards. Just from an oscillator perspective, this thing is a monster!

[@5meohd]

@@jbognap yep. Designer mentioned this in the Syntaur interview. The SQ80 and CS80. When I heard his rationale my ears really perked up and I started watching and listening to every video I could find. Now it's on my list...

[@lifelies]

I exchanged rack for deluxe and finally happy

[@GertBoers]

Brilliant overview! I myself (only) own the Hydrasynth (keyboard and desktop) out of these, but also a Peak. When the Deluxe hits the shelves, I'm certainly gonna buy one. Totally love my Hydra! PS: I'm liker 808. ;)

[@isaacdunn7867]

Dude youve done a smashing job comparing these polysynths. thank you so much :)

[@asynchronicity]

Well done! Looking forward to the next poly roundup.

[@synthnerd4539]

I bought the Peak before the Summit was announced, but tbh I never felt like I missed out. It's a very versatile bit of kit, and nicely straddles the mid 80s hybrid / modern analogue zone. You're not wrong about that filter drive, it's perfect for a bit of rough. What gets me most about the Peak is that almost 3 years on I'm still getting new sounds from it every time I switch on. It's consistently inspiring. So if the Summit is a bit much, I'd very much recommend the Peak.

[@echodub81]

I totally agree! Peak is a very cool and flexible synth

[@leftovernoise]

I saved up and got rid of 2 smaller synths and replaced it with the summit as my only hardware synth. Honestly sometimes I feel like I'm not even worthy of it because I'm still not amazing at sound design and I don't think I will ever use it to it's fullest potential. But I do love every second of playing it and that's what counts. I fell in love with the bass station 2 filter many years ago and the summit has the same character but so much more if desired. It might not have the most "character" compared to some synths but fuck, it's just always sounds good

[@Wagoo]

well I know people who've bought a Summit and decided to keep their Peak too..

[@gossamyr]

I also bought the peak before the summit was released, and also feel left out. Of these 5, the summit is the obvious choice to me personally. edit: I'd love a Peak 2, with the audio ins and keyboard, I don't need a double peak...

[@AlexBallMusic]

I joke that the Summit should have been called "Twin Peaks". But if the Peak is broadly one part of the Summit then that's pretty darn powerful, especially in a compact box. I think they brought some features to the front panel that are in menus on the Peak, but still. Win-win really.

[@jtf2dan]

Great video showing their capabilities. I have a Prophet X, a Fantom 6, and a Hydrasynth Deluxe and find each has its unique strengths that compliment each other.

[@baconfister]

As always, FANTASTIC video!!!

[@dillipphunbar7924]

Wonderful demos and really good explanations. Thanks Alex.

[@marcuspearson6214]

Really interesting comments about the prophet 10, as I have an old korg polysix that only has a mono out, and the way I use it is exactly how you described the best way to use the prophet, lots of parts panned all over the place and together you get this epic warm loveliness that is very hard to get from modern synths.

[@AlexBallMusic]

Yep, that very thing. It means that you approach it in a different way, which suits me just fine.

[@ssssssssssss885]

The Super 6 is the most visually attractive and sounds really good, the Jup X is a very complete [digital!] beast, the P10 is an 80's heritage monster, don't know much about the Summit (it sure is a beast), and the analog-like price-capabilities-ratio of the Hydrasynth is unmatched. Having all of them together is a totally different level of "gearmanship". Even though these are all very different beasts, very nice head-to-head juxtaposing by AB. Great job. Personally, if anything, as a hobbyist, Hydrasynth Explorer is probably the way to go.

[@boybianchi]

OMFG it's so refreshing to hear unique opinions about (in this case) polysynths. Love the way you explain and in the proces inspire us. Thank you!

[@AlexBallMusic]

Thanks! Good to know.

[@boybianchi]

@@AlexBallMusic you obviously know a thing or two about composing and arranging as well. I'm new to your channel so i don't know if there's content about that already, but for a professional nut like me who spends their days in studio's, i would very much welcome more insight in how to compose.with synth sounds / synthesizers. For example: the part about the prophet 5 being mono and utilising that to actually broaden the spectrum, blew my mind. Inspiring stuff. Cheers.

[@AlexBallMusic]

Cheers. I've done some tutorials in the past, but never one specifically on arranging for synths or on composition itself which really is the crucial thing which sound design and arranging hang from. Perhaps I'll look at doing something next year.

[@boybianchi]

@@AlexBallMusic it's not that easy to explain. Composition, arrangement and sound tie in to each other so neatly that it almost becomes too complex to fathom really. I do think however that you posses a talent to educate about this relation though. Fingers crossed :)

[@ianwynne764]

Hello Alex: After a break, I'm now back to watching music videos. The Summit at around 11:40 reminded me of a passage in Blade Runner. Excellent job. Keep up the good work. Stay well and safe.

[@ubiquitousreverser]

Well...I’m not likely to ever own any of those, but I did get my hands on the XD module, so I’m set. Great demo’s. That Udo is killer!

[@XPJV]

I already bought one. It is a new 2020 Roland Fantom. It ables to reproduce 99% of any vintage synth tone. But, I like how you demo vintage synths. Great job Alex!

[@maxthrust976]

There was a point during this video where I was all "wait my AX Edge does what?". Turns out there was an update for it almost 2 years ago that I never thought to look for. Thanks for alerting me to that!

[@EarlOfMaladyCrescent]

I've just clicked the 2,000th like! 😃 Cool video! I hadn't actually heard many of these before. I'm not an expert on what gear is out there. My favourites here are Prophet 10 & Hydrasynth. That Prophet 10 sounds so warm!

[@stevenbakos]

The Super 6 just sounds and feels like home to me ❤️❤️❤️

[@rayfinkle4086]

After a year with this instrument, I can confidently say that it is the most elegant and beautiful sounding synthesizer I have ever had the pleasure of playing. The Super 6 is lush, immediate, well designed, and SO expressive.

[@8trackninja]

@@rayfinkle4086 Could not agree more

[@Bananskuden]

I doesn't sound exactly like a Jupiter-8, but it definitely has that palette like no other new synth on the market.

[@samplequence]

@@rayfinkle4086 greatest design of a synthesizer imo. Gives heavy SH-101 vibes

[@kierenmoore3236]

What makes it so much better than the Summit?! It seems comparable, yet rather more expensive … ?!

[@jameshagerman]

Awesome video! Thank you for putting it together and giving honest opinions! I have the Hydrasynth and it has an enormous amount of range and can sound really amazing... But the wavescan oscillator modes are... not great. They are the one area of the synth that feels largely unfinished. I was hoping for more updates that would make it easier to navigate and add smoother wavetable interpolation and hope now that the larger and smaller siblings are out, they circle back and flesh the concept out further. Still, the number of filter emulations alone are amazing to see. And it's nearly a DX7 when it comes to FM. And the PWM options are really flexible and unique.

[@synthtastic]

That Prophet 10 jam was sublime. Caught me off guard. Came for the polysynths, stayed for the bangers.

[@TDRKB]

You were channelling Kraftwerk at the beginning! Very insightful demo of these amzing machines. Thanks as always for a through video and entertaining of course!

[@onecubicmetreofsound8949]

I really enjoyed the comparison. Also, I appreciate the "why shouldn't you buy it" section - I feel like it's missing from a lot of reviews out there and I think it's an essential part to paint a whole picture. Also, I enjoy the fact that a lot of synths out there have a desktop version. Not a single regular version of these would fit in my gear space ^^''

[@neilloughran4437]

I have the Prophet 5 with the expansion and it's been a lifelong dream to own one (along with my ARP2600). I'll admit I heard a lot of sounds on the other synths which approached and even eclipsed the Prophet sound... I think what makes the Prophet 5 so desirable is the look and feel of the instrument as well as the large sweet spot when programming sounds. Also the wonkiness of some sounds imparts an organic non perfect sound. When I program my own sounds on the Prophet I frequently come across sounds I heard on albums from the late 70s such as Weather Report, Edgar Froese's Stuntman as well as Tangerine Dream's output from that period However, I think if I was in the market for a polysynth and funds were tight I probably would go for one of the other synths. Having a synth which does have a wide stereo field is an important sound in modern production I find. Jupiter had a cold sort of sound compared to the others but it still sounded pretty good.

[@blindsamurai1]

Another great video. I was undecided - but think I will go and check out the Hydra again !

[@nathangetz]

That first patch you did on the super 6 was MAGICAL

[@graxjpg]

I got a Deepmind12, it’s what I could afford. I absolutely love your playing!!

[@RegebroRepairs]

Same here. Also, it does a surprisingly decent Jupiter-8 impression.

[@graxjpg]

@@RegebroRepairs it can also approximate really interesting string machine sounds! Juno stuff too, it can do with ease.

[@AlexBallMusic]

"Deepmind" always sounds like a character from Halo to me. 😄 I've never played one but it's like a beefed up Juno plus, right?

[@RegebroRepairs]

@@AlexBallMusic Yeah, it has a Juno architecture and supposedly Juno filters. It's surprisingly deep, you can control effect parameters from any mod source and things like that. Definitely a good budget choice, at least if you like Rolands.

[@RegebroRepairs]

@@graxjpg Yeah, it can sound really warm. I could never get pads to sound any good on my Nord Modular, I have no idea why, super-easy on the DM12.

[@fallingmanuk]

Always fun to watch as well as informative and inspiring. The Hydrasynth reminded me of the Yamaha CS80 with its poly aftertouch and ribbon controller. I have a Studiologic Sledge which despite being a cheap VA with Waldorf guts, the knob per (most) functions is so much fun and quick with hardly any menu diving. Reliability seems to be an ongoing thing though as the software does seem rather buggy at times, which is a shame for an otherwise well-designed synth with some sonic pedigree - different to these bad boys obviously both in price and ability. Would be interested in a synth comparison video for the lower end of the market. Keep up the great work!

[@ToyKeeper]

I have a Blofeld, which uses the full version of the Sledge's engine but has hardly any physical controls. It sounds nice, and it's small and inexpensive, but the bugs and the lack of controls makes it a pain to use. Someday I'd like to replace it with a Hydrasynth.

[@PhilW222]

The fact that the Hydrasynth has the control abilities of the CS80 (poly AT and ribbon) is what swung it for me and I’ve not been disappointed. At some stage I’ll probably trade it in for the Deluxe version, amazingly powerful in terms of synthesis, accessible editing and so expressive.

[@wishusknight3009]

Waldorf Q is a legend in its own right. And decent as VA's go.

[@2ndattention]

I own the UDO Super 6. I have had quite a few synths over the years (and sold many of them except for my Virus-C, ASR-10 and TX81Z) but none of them have ever meshed with me quite like the Super 6. It's fantastically made, a joy to make sounds with and throws surprises at me all the time.

[@Paul_Y_T]

Another great video Alex - thanks!

[@Bawookles]

I'm an analog nut, but I love my Hydrasynth. Sounds great, and the poly-aftertouch and ribbon strip make it one of the most unique and special synths on the market.

[@RayyMusik]

I have 7 digital and 7 analog synths. The Hydrasynth is my favourite digital one, too. Maybe the Wavestate is even more versatile, but the Hydra is much more hands on. My favourite analogue, btw, is the Po … oops … 🤭

[@LukezyM]

@@RayyMusik Po?

[@SuchaDoofus]

"Sounds great, and the poly-aftertouch and ribbon strip". Polybrute!!!

[@jamesr2934]

Fantastic overview, amazing looking and sounding synths. I think for me the Jupiter was the one, closely followed by the Hydrasynth. But wow, what a time to be into synths!!

[@jemgel1162]

This is very well done and relatable! Thank you!

[@madagreement]

Congrats for 100K subs mate. Well deserved !

[@christianthompson1473]

I just picked up a Prophet 12... unbelievable synth blows me away every time, and great value.

[@promnightforthealiens6454]

Good on ya. I have this as the Poly in my arsenal as well. Seems like no one gives this synth any love.

[@AlexBallMusic]

Always wanted to try one of those. The PolyEvolver too. I've played the Pro-2 and that was great.

[@christianthompson1473]

@@AlexBallMusic I'm currently playing my P12 desktop from my Pro3 keys.... it's a combination so inspirational and powerful i dream about it... Still haven't found a way to stop midi volume control getting sent out though, i think all Dave Smith synths do it?

[@jacksprat3009]

I just picked up a P12 and being new to synths, it's overwhelming. It has its own character, hard to find a smooth sound,. (I've been assured it's there, buried among the vast array of knobs) A/B split/stack, routing everywhere, a little buzzy in the background. (an evolution of the Poly Evolver) But if you like beast mode, it will growl like one with little effort. Thanks for this post Alex. Talking was peachy keen with great examples. If I had heard it two weeks ago, I might have gone Summit.

[@ivorydungeon909]

Yes, I bought one about a year or two ago, (what is time now?) and think it's a blast. I don't have children but if I did then it's one that I would keep for them for sure. I've got an OB-6 desktop and Pro 2 and I love all three of them but, to my surprise, it's the Prophet 12 that I give the most attention. I sort of find it's my happy medium between those other models that I bought eagerly upon release. I picked up the P-12 a bit reluctantly - I'd dismissed at the point when I'd committed to getting the other DSI gear, but felt obliged to pick one up when production ended. Maybe it was my low expectations, or maybe it was because I bought a ghastly white machine just because it had the Sequential badge, but it was love at first sound.

[@leadpipejustice9253]

The summit was surprising. Never was a fan of novation, but here it sounded the best

[@xntricity6446]

It's definitely the best novation ever made, seriously capable Synth.

[@Phil-1]

Thanks for a really interesting & entertaining video. Please do another one along these lines.

[@philipTOMPSETT]

Another truly fantastic video. Thanks

[@cortical1]

I'm an old synth guy (and an old guy), but my favorite synths of late have been the Hydrasynth and the OB-6. The Hydra is just so versatile, powerful, and well designed, and the OB-6 just, well, sounds like why anyone got interested in synths in the first place.

[@cortical1]

Oh, and the Prophet 12. I think it's an incredibly overlooked synth. Dave Smith himself called it his favorite synth he ever made. Gotta take that seriously. 🏆

[@danielprieto1967]

@@cortical1 Just bought a Prophet 12 Desktop after several years of not finding the price right or not having money for it. It truly is a super powerful beast. I have the desktop version and it's incredible how much this thing can do.

[@cortical1]

@@danielprieto1967 That's great! Mine has become that addiction synth that I can't resist. So versatile, sounds so good in so many different ways but has its own character too. I haven't seen any demos that do justice to its depth. Enjoy it!

[@somnyad]

I agree.

[@red7ebra]

I tested the Jupiter-X, Novation Summit, Korg Prologue and Nord Wave 2. I wasn't tied to pure analogue or any particular brand. Jup-X was amazing, heavy, very well constructed, but not at all intuitive to use or accessible. Manual also seemed difficult. I didn't want to be tied to Xen Core for upgrades etc. Korg Prologue had really nice deep sounds but was let down by the keyboard for me. Too light and no aftertouch. The Novation Summit sounded brilliant, I very nearly went for it, but I seemed to only be able to split the keyboard into 2 MIDI control sections, where as the Nord had 4. The Summit needed time to design sounds and plumb the depths of what it could do. I needed something I could take 20 minutes from my day and connect with straight away. I ended up getting the Nord Wave 2 because of it's incredible ease of use, great construction, superb sample library and potential expansion of new sounds. I compliment this with a Dreadbox Typhon, for True analogue monosynth sounds and a Korg-NTS-1 for the Prologue digital oscillator and effects capability. I still wonder about the Summit though.

[@JonMurray]

Great video as always buddy. I’ve loved the Hydrasynth since it came out but I yearn for the Super 6. Urgh. It’s so bloody lovely.

[@TheKeyboardChronicles]

What a great roundup, thank you!

[@fernandochapa1433]

The hydra synth is an amazing synth that also works great as a midi controller for other external synths

[@grogboggoth]

The microphone's and pop filter's shadows look disconcertingly like a perspiration patch. Really enjoyed this, though, and Alex has demonstrated the longevity and desirability of the P5 (and 10) really well.

[@sliiiimjim]

I really enjoyed watching this... explained things very clearly. Thanks!

[@ToyKeeper]

These are all great. I particularly love the Hydrasynth and Peak/Summit. I'm barely scratching the surface of my Pro 3 though, and I'm low on space, so a nice poly synth will have to remain just a dream for now. Thanks for the pleasant dream!

[@internetguy1260]

This just made me want the Hydrasynth even more. I want the Deluxe.

[@Ojref1]

Its got a CS-80 in it, along with so much more

[@Danbatio]

I'm not a musician and I can't play any instrument. Just came to say I love the sound of the Prophet.

[@antgeeze7129]

You did a great job and thanmks for your time passion and effort displayed

[@daveham5113]

Really enjoyed the comparisons. Last synth I purchased was a Roland JX8P, regrettably had to sell my Roland Juno 60 and Roland Cube amp to get my wisdom teeth removed circa 1985!! Now that our boys are nearly out of college I’m looking to splurge on a new synth - your comparisons were very helpful.

[@glenesis]

Of course I'd love any or all of these, given room and budget, but I've got a DeepMind 12D and I'm very much enjoying it. 🦜 My first analog poly 😁 I enjoy your Prophet 10 very much, by the way. 😍

[@JayaLove]

I love my affordable Deepmind 12!

[@74goldenjet]

Love the sounds you get out of the Prophet 10 and the Super 6! The Jupiter and the Hydra, meh... Sounds like plastic. The Summit sounds quite good and modern, but I'm a sucker for vintage sounds :)

[@Towoist]

I have to say, I was looking for some sort of a concise source of information regarding polysynths as I was in the market for one some time ago (went with the Super 6 and haven't been disappointed). Alex's channel is an absolute goldmine, a deluge of information on all things musical and I'd be keen on seeing other similar-style videos on for example monosynths or drum machines! Perhaps in the future...? :-)

[@dn8071]

Awesome video matey! I purchased a hydrsynth off the back of it and I love it 😀 ❤️

[@geephlips]

When you do a Polybrute review, can I humbly suggest that you explore the musicality and expressiveness of the instrument from a player’s perspective? Most reviews seem to focus on evolving time-based modulation bathed in effect, and while these are strengths, the Polybrute can do so much more. I’ve never experienced an analog poly capable of such a wide range of timbres without ever touching the mod matrix.

[@aqueous5099]

100% this

[@nanotrax]

Prophet 10 wins to me :D, i got the Hydrasynth and the Novation Peak i love them.

[@cds8137]

Absolutely superb breakdown of some of my favourite synths.... would add Polybrute obviously, maybe Quantum, Prophet/OB6, Pro X, Moog one (way too expensive).... Workstations arent part of the list clearly but Montage and Fantom... and I love the Wavestate and Opsix. Thank you so much for your superb video. You really do help inform people in an entertaining manner, Cheers.

[@ZenMountain]

Great channel, great content. Thank you!!

[@AlexBallMusic]

Cheers

[@gamma_noize]

Personally i'd go for either the Summit or the Hyrda Synth (Deluxe), cause i'm looking for more of a modern sound and a deep synth engine. The Summit would be the upgrade from the Peak, i already have and adore to no end. :D The Peak / Summit sound just sooooo good and since user wavetables were added, this synth reeeally shines! I had the opportunity to test the Hydra for some time and it's just gorgeous! It has a nice character, is intuitively usable and has some features like the Ribbon and poly aftertouch, which are pretty rare to find. Back then it was just too expensive for me. But maybe, i'll get the Deluxe Version next year. :) But all in all, all of those synths seem to be very good in their own right. :)

[@SLRPS]

Waldorf M and Iridium might be worth a look also if you are ok with module versions. I've been loving the M, really quite deep with its complex envelopes but also has great character and charm if you want. Too many good options for synths these days :)

[@gamma_noize]

@@SLRPS Yeah, those two seem to be very good as well. If i had to choose, i guess, i'd go with the Iridium as it has way more sonic possibilities than the M. :)

[@SplotchTheCatThing]

If I were made of money and space, I think I'd go for the same. I'm all about those weird, aggressive, and noisy sorts of sounds, especially when they fit into a mix with other instruments... those two both seem to do that kind of stuff really well. More likely the Summit if it is fully analog, 'cause pure analog sounds are the spot where my own setup is the weakest right now.

[@gamma_noize]

​ ​ @Splotch the Cat-Thing The Peak and Summit are hybrid synths. Their oscillators are digital, but calculated by an FPGA at (i believe) 12 MHz sampling frequency. They're almost indistinguishable from analog oscillators. But they have the advantage of being able to use wavetables, some kind of super saw and wavefolding on the triangle wave.

[@GizzyDillespee]

It's next year. Time for a Hydra Deluxe!🐉🐲

[@knrtn439]

I'm new to synths and I fell In love with the Prophet 5 / 10 a few months back. I have been listening a lot to Saga and found the monooutput sound better for me. So time to drop a few $ on a banger of a synth.

[@jemgel1162]

saga is awesome!

[@kaitlyn__L]

I had put off watching this video at first in case it usurped my own research before settling on the Super 6. But I’ve come out of it feeling vindicated haha. I was drawn to the warm wide lush sound and one knob per function with zero screens. So as great as these all sound; your “why not to buy?” sections confirmed to me that my research was adequate :)

[@medenine4828]

The iridium has been top of my list for a while for polys, followed by the hydrasynth for accessible workflow and sounds. The summit sounds super impressive in your hands and well worth a look. The take 5 looks decently impressive. Currently using Analog Four and digitone for poly use and pretty happy. I’d be very interested in a similar mono synth review. Nicely done.