Yes, the tapered knobs are later, and only version 3 supports the 30 voice expansion board.

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Maybe he’s a bit… abrasive, but Jexus has a lot of old synth demos and also reviews on his website. He was dormant for a few years, but his older stuff is mostly 80’s/90’s/00’s. The sounds he can coax out of any synth will sell you on it, but his commentary is also useful.

As for me, I <3 the Blofeld, and second the recommendation of the Reface DX… its modulation capabilities are somewhat restricted, but embracing them can lead to fantastic results. :slight_smile:

I used a ESQ-1, and I think it has a really cool interface, but I didn’t fall in love with it. (Heck, if anyone from Pittsburgh wants it, hit me up.)

The Casio HT-700 is a fun instrument, but frustratingly limited, and with a really annoying interface for programming (like an Alpha Juno where the dial remembers what position it’s at and has hard stops, so you always need to find your place in the parameter list because it’ll be different once you’ve changed the value.) If you can get one cheap, go for it.

Lastly, my old roommate at one point was given an SY77 with some missing keys that had sat out in the rain as payment for reparing a Juno, and… I loved that thing. Sure, it’s a ROMPLER that I never wanted to program, but the presets and the sounds on it are just good and musical. <3

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Yay. Looks ugly but sounds better? I’ll take it!

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The tapered type knobs on my MWXT were crumbling/cracking so I replaced them with the chroma caps ones. Looks pretty good IMHO.

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Wow, you have a Shadow Edition XT, you lucky thing…

Knobs look good!

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Yes - love those knobs way more than mine!

I went with these replacements on my Q some years ago after the original knobs disintegrated.

(Got on a group buy for these, but it was like 8-10 years ago)

Q was 1999 so just barely in scope for this thread :laughing: (well that and it’s virtual analog so…)

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In addition to having multi-outs a newer Blofeld with more knobs I think would be a big win for me.

Maybe you tried it and still found it thin anyway, but I feel like a lot of people seemed to trash it as being thin/cold/sterile, and if I had older Waldorf gear I might feel the same way put side by side, but also a lot of patches and I get the feeling users kinda ignored things like the “drive” function which IMO actually make a VERY big difference in sound. its certainly more hassle to tweak via menu without an editor but trying the different drive functions on different filters with different waveforms and volume levels really offers a lot of control and can be really subtle to fuzzy or blown out clipping. I wonder if the idea there was to give people something that is very clean by default and to let them warm or muddy it up as they see fit.

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Yes, the interface is a big pro to the XT.

I mean on paper the Blofeld seems to have fewer artifacts and higher resolution filters. My guess is the DAC is superior but maybe not the line amps (which is equally important). Certainly the line amps on the Quantum seem a big step up.

In any case, the XT has a kind of low midsy veiled quality going on even when things get crazy which I think is more musical than the Blofeld. You often don’t need the 2nd filter to mellow things out. Can be harsh in patch design but not harsh to the ear.

I also prefer the XT’s digital filters to a lot of recent vst filters, even though the tech is much older.

Of course, like I implied, the Microwave I has the best raw sound, but is limited in comparison in terms of filter type (same with Blofeld to lesser extent) lack of 8 stage wave envelope, and interface again.

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on the Quantum at that price they better be :scream:

I can’t remember what the retail was on the Blofeld when it was first released, or say the XT when it first came out aside from them being high enough I knew I wasn’t going to be getting one at the time. Maybe its just my mind vs inflation but the Quantum just seems nuts to me. but… I’m getting more and more off topic when the Blofeld isn’t even really a 80s/90s synth itself anyway…

Maybe they also aren’t so relevant in the age of cheap modular filters, but I was always curious about the miniworks 4 Pole and the X Pole though.

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Yeah I saw the group buy on those - long gone!

the TQ5 is the coolest looking synth. why don’t all synths look like they sound??

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Im a fan of the micron. Owned one in the late 00s and it could carry a lot of the weight in a live solo set. The voice architecture is super capable and the sequencer meant I could layout drum patterns and backing arrangements.

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That is pretty fantastic. I immediately want one… :sweat_smile:

A few years ago I won a TherapSID mk1 and AY3 mk1 in a charity auction, to find out they hadn’t actually been built and I’d have to wait some number of months… and then there were serious build quality issues. However, I’ve heard that the mk2 versions and everything since has been pretty solid.

So that leaves me telling myself that between Akemie’s Castle and Plogue Chipsynth MD, I don’t actually need the MegaFM too… or do I? Yikes. It does sound gorgeous and considerably dirtier than the Castle…

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I always wanted the Akemie’s Castle, but just couldn’t make the space for it when I was in Eurorack land. Definitely satisfies that itch. And it’s poly. :slight_smile:

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I’ve gone back and forth on MegaFM. A couple of times I was sure I was going to go for it… but this afternoon I fired up the Castle and I think I’m going to at least sit on that decision for a good while yet. :slight_smile:

Thanks to this thread!

Love these old hefty manuals

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I have one as well… it is a lovely weird synth.

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My Craigslist trawling paid off- $50! Lately Bass all night let’s goooo

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I’ve had this on my eBay watch list for a number of months. Nice price!

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