Synth reviews from Reddit
Summary
We analyzed 405 Reddit reviews across 13 subreddits and 57 posts to rank the best Synth brands recommended by redditors, including communities like r/synthesizers, r/TechnoProduction, r/basspedals, r/FL_Studio, r/Behringer_Synths. Top-rated brands include Korg (4.6/5), Arturia (4.6/5), Roland (4.3/5).
Stats
Reviews405
Subreddits13
Posts57
Brands39
Products92
405 reviews from
and
By Brand
/By Product
#1
Korg
4.6
(104)
"Easiest get a minilogue and a circuit rhythm. Super easy to get started yet deep enough to keep diving."
"Both great for learning synthesis, both very flexible in sound design and fun to play."
"Korg Minilogue is often recommended as a good 1st synth & you'll get plenty of mileage out of it."
"You can get a mk1 MS1 for practically nothing atm, perfect starter synth imo"
"I'd get an ms-1 as a good first synth.. More expensive but the 101 is legendary for good reason 😎"
"Korg Monologue if you are intending on teaching her subtractive synthesis."
"Surely the Korg Volca Drum needs a mention."
"Korg Minilogue! I can only recommend the OG one because that's the only one I've tried lol."
"Best machine to start with i would say korg m1."
"I love this synth. Never going to sell it."
#2
Arturia
4.6
(63)
"I really love pigments especially if you can get it on sale."
"Pigments - I love, easy to use and amazing engines."
"Pigments is fantastic."
"Both great for learning synthesis, both very flexible in sound design and fun to play."
"Arturia Pigments, got it in discount. Amazing!"
"I always like to pair an analog mono with a digital poly so my suggestion would be either the Hydrasynth or Microfreak."
"How about a Minifreak, with the extra budget spent on a pedal?"
"Melody/Harmony - MicroFreak."
"Arturia MiniBrute 2 or 2S."
"For Under $200 buy pigments or serum and be done!"
#3
Roland
4.3
(33)
"Roland SH32 through the Sherman. Nothing beats the rawness and aggressive behaviour from the Sherman."
"SE-02, Typhon, and DB-01 - all the best entry-level analog monos."
"I'm using a SE-02 for my baseline and it absolutely crushes the task!"
"Massive polyphony, 4 synth parts plus a drum part, classic Roland drum sounds and multiple synth models onboard."
"But also consider the sonicware megasynthesis."
"A fantastic mono synth also capable of drones and pads."
"Apparently there is a sale on the Roland GAIA 2 right now. It's the best bang-for-buck right now."
"I say Roland Gaia 2 for $600, hands down."
"I would recommend a Roland SH-4d."
"I would go Roland SH4-D + Arturia Keystep."
#4
Novation
4.7
(17)
"Bass Station is rad."
"I absolutely adore my Bass Station II for G funk."
"Second the bass station 2. It has everything you need at a decent price."
"Seems like a Bass Station 2 would be a good pick."
"Novation Peak is an ambient powerhouse."
"If you’re for an analog type of synth, look at the Novation Peak or Summit."
"Bass Station 2 seems like the obvious choice."
"Novation peak."
"Worth looking into."
"Look for a used Novation Circuit Tracks."
#5
ASM
4.7
(16)
"Hydrasynth. It’s polyphonic and can go really interesting places."
"I always like to pair an analog mono with a digital poly so my suggestion would be either the Hydrasynth or Microfreak."
"I would get 1 VA, 1 analog, and 1 digital."
"ASM Hydrasynth is really good also for these kind of ambient/drone/lush/cinematic sounds."
"Get a Hydrasynth Desktop. It is very versatile, sounds great, and easy enough to navigate given how complex it is."
"Get a Hydrasynth Desktop. It is very versatile, sounds great, and easy enough to navigate."
"Gotta have love for the Hydrasynth, too."
"It has minikeys but it is fully professional, and has an incredible synthesis engine."
"Hydrasynth explorer? The hydrasynth is so deep."
"Asm Hydrasynth Explorer."
#6
Source Audio
4.3
(17)
"The C4, however, tracks amazingly well."
"The C4 is truly awesome."
"Source audio c4 and Panda audio Future impact both have tracking that's almost imperceptible."
"I second this, I have both and there is something about the FI that is a bit easier to dial in sounds for me. It has a much better envelope set up."
"But the F.I. is my favorite pedal of all time."
"There is a patch on the source audio C4 synth pedal that is modeled after Chameleon."
"I have the exact patch on my source audio C4. I will never not recommend this pedal. It’s killer."
"It's the most versatile stereo (digital) distortion pedal I've ever used."
"I got a C4 for less and it's leagues above in every way."
"Sold the future impact for the C4 because the tracking is wayyy smoother imo."
#7
Moog
4.6
(16)
"The Minitaur is far more of that deep Moog sound creating dry, chair-shaking, pant-ripping fart sounds."
"Moog Grandmother it’s affordable and will get you the real sounds."
"Moog Rogue, lil Phatty, sub25, grandmother."
"Consider the Grandmother, I think it has the best Moog tone."
"Moog M-32."
"Try find a used Moog Lil Phatty Stage 2."
"It sounds great"
"Fat, thick and luscious tones. Huge bass and pristine leads."
"Used Moog Grandmother."
"Maybe use the Little Phatty to fill in the leads? I think that would sound great."
#8
Elektron
4.7
(14)
"Elektron Syntakt. It also pairs awesomely with iPad"
"Elektron Syntakt is an awesome drum synth and pairs nicely with iPad."
"Elektron Syntakt is an awesome drum synth and pairs nicely with iPad."
"My favorites for are the OpSix and Syntakt."
"Syntakt"
"Elektron Analog Four mk1 if you can find one used. It's insanely flexible."
"Digitone mk1s are selling for little over £300 and are perfect for hypnotic sounds."
"I just got my first hardware synth/groovebox, an Elektron Model Cycles."
"The Digitone Mk1 will be a bit cheaper since the Mk2 just dropped."
"I would get a Digitone, the new one is $999 but you can get the 1st gen really cheap right now."
#9
Behringer
4.1
(15)
"My first synth was a behringer model D fitted to a keystep."
"Behringer Edge is the answer 100%."
"Behringer Edge - Affordable, sounds great, has MIDI, and is semi-modular."
"Behringer EDGE. Thank me later."
"It’s $200 and it has so many sick sounds."
"Behringer D sounds just like the real thing apparently and it's only $250."
"Behringer Model 15 is a great option that is cheaper."
"Behringer Model 15 that is the clone of the grandmother for $300."
"Behringer model D."
"Bass - behri model d."
#10
Yamaha
4.4
(13)
"Yamaha Reface CS is the one I bring to outdoor jams."
"Give the Yamaha Reface CS a look."
"I’d recommend a workstation if you want versatility like a Montage."
"Might I suggest a Yamaha Montage?"
"Yamaha reface series are great for live playing with a band."
"I mean I’ve gotten some pretty good bass sounds from the CS! It’s super easy to program too."
"I think you could you get some good G funk tones with the Yamaha Reface CS."
"Used Yamaha MX49, or Roland FA-06."
"I'm thinking of a used Montage and Sequential Take 5."
"Look for a used Yamaha MX49 or MX61."
#11
Vital
4.2
(12)
"If you want an all in one synth I'd go Vital for free or Pigments for paid."
"Get Vital. It's free. It's like Serum-lite."
"If you have the paid version of Vital you can use the text to wavetable feature."
"Otherwise, like others have said, Pigments/Vital."
"Otherwise Vital for flexibility and affordability"
"Don't sleep in Vital or SurgeXT either. Both free and great!"
"I'll probably rock Vital until I see a sale on pigments."
"Vital's free tier brings you everything you need and there are ton of community presets available."
"Vital and SurgeXT are free and very powerful if you just wanna dive in."
"Try Pigments and Massive demo, and free Vital, Surge XT and TyrellN6"
#12
Xfer Records
4.3
(10)
"Don’t hate me but serum2 is actually incredible"
"Serum 2 ! It's insanely powerful"
"My number 1 recommendation would be Serum 2 for $190. It has anything you’d ever want, and most of the content out there as far as tutorials, YouTube videos, or preset sound packs, will use Serum."
"I did a remake of it almost exclusively with wavetable (used operator for two sounds, doable in serum and vital)."
"Serum is another great option, I prefer how the filters on Serum sound to how the filters on Pigments sound they are just a little crisper imo, but both synths are equally good"
"Only reason I recommend Serum over Pigments is due to amount of content out there focused on Serum. Personally I prefer Pigments more."
"Serum 2"
"As others mentioned, Serum and Pigments are probably your best choices."
"I use Serum a lot, the modulation is very good, Serum 2 seems awesome but it uses too much processing power in my setup."
"Serum 2 just launched and seems cool."
#13
Dreadbox
4.4
(8)
"The Typhon is amazeballs and can sound like a Moog Sequential 37 (and cheaper) and is like a chainsaw explo"
"DB's are awesome but the bases have that wet, juicy fart sound with that polyvolks filter that works great for some things but not others."
"I really love my DB-01!"
"Dreadbox Typhon, Korg NTS1, iPad"
"Dreadbox Typhon."
"Dreadbox Typhon."
"Dreadbox typhon."
"Would suit but why not use a nice bass sample."
#14
Sequential
4.6
(7)
"I’d wait a bit to save up for a nice poly like a Prophet 6 desktop used and use VSTs in the meantime."
"Or get a used Prophet 6 and a mono synth."
"Just got a take 5 with strymon mobius."
"My vote, it really does just sound great."
"The Pro VS Mini is a cool little package."
"I have a Pro VS Mini and it's cool, plus you can't beat the price."
"I'm thinking of a used Montage and Sequential Take 5."
#15
Boss
5.0
(4)
"Boss SY-1 or SY-200. It tracks perfectly and has useful sounds for days."
"It’s gotta be the boss synths. I’ve used bass a bit on the sy1 and sy200, seems as good as guitar."
"The boss SY pedals have 0 delay since it filters the analog bass signal."
"Boss SY series has fantastic tracking imo."
#16
Spectrasonics
4.5
(4)
"Omnisphere! I compose for short films and media. And my style is scfi cinematic. Omnisphere has everything you need."
"One day when you are more stable… get omnisphere and you’re good to go for a long time"
"Core synths that I'd use: operator or analog."
"I did a remake of it almost exclusively with wavetable (used operator for two sounds, doable in serum and vital)."
#17
Waldorf
4.3
(4)
"Get him a Waldorf Blofeld keyboard."
"Yeah, I was thinking that or a Waldorf Iridium."
"+1 for Waldorf Blofeld"
"Waldorf Blofeld is deep and easy-to-program."
#18
Circuit
4.7
(3)
"Super easy, relatively cheap and fun as hell."
"Cicuit tracks! My steph daughter love it."
"You might find more use out of a groove box eg Circuit Tracks rather than a single synth."
#19
Deepmind
4.7
(3)
"If he's good keyboard player I would pick something with full size keys and many octaves."
"It’s the biggest bang for the buck."
"Maybe a deep mind 12, pro800."
#20
IK Multimedia
4.7
(3)
"$99 is an absolute STEAL for the UNO!"
"Both easy to use and understand and sound great."
"Heard decent things about the Uno Synth too."
#21
Oberheim
4.7
(3)
"I ordered the Oberheim OB-X8 desktop and thought pairing that with the Prophet 5 would sound great."
"Can confirm, OB-6 pairs great with the Voyager."
"Although do keep in mind the OB-6 has modulation more typical of a Prophet."
#22
Vermona
4.3
(3)
"I think the Vermona Mono Lancet is actually a fantastic first starter synth."
"Also don't discount other options like the Vermona Mono Lancet or Roland SE-02."
"Is pretty solid for bass."
#23
U-he
4.3
(3)
"Or any u-he synth would be amazing quality, like Diva"
"Paid: Diva (phase plant is close second)"
"But my favourite is Diva. Analog synth, comes with 1000s of really cool presets."
#24
Serum
4.3
(3)
"Serum is my love."
"Rent-to-own serum for $10/mo on splice."
"I feel like serum is a must have for bass."
#25
Modal
4.0
(3)
"It's virtual analog like Multi/Poly, simpler but still has some advanced features."
"Modal Cobalt8 might be another choice that will offer more voices than the Minilogue."
"For this budget you can get Cobalt 8 which has 2x polyphony."
#26
Phase Plant
5.0
(2)
"Phase Plant, and maybe Diva for paid ones. Vital for free."
"Phase Plant blows both out of the water."
#27
Ableton
5.0
(2)
"Wavetable is fantastic!"
"Ableton’s synths are magnificent. They can do it all."
#28
Dave Smith Instruments
5.0
(2)
"The 800 is surprisingly good at being a monosynth. And then you get patch memory and 8 voices."
"Pro 1 and 800 are insane kick ass gear! They really did a hell of a job on the prophet clones."
#29
Kilohearts
4.0
(2)
"I also really like phase plant as it let's me dive in a bit more deeply."
"My preference is phaseplant just because of how powerful it can be while being easy to use for a modular platform."
#30
Surge
4.0
(2)
"Same with Surge."
"Try Pigments and Massive demo, and free Vital, Surge XT and TyrellN6"
#31
Electro-Harmonix
4.0
(2)
"I have the Mel9 and it tracks bass and cello well"
"Yeah the Mel 9 is probably the nicest of the EHX 9 series pedals."
#32
Modal Electronics
4.0
(2)
"Used modal electronics, either the argon 8 or cobalt 8."
"Modal Cobalt 8 or Cobalt 5S."
#33
Retro Synth
4.0
(2)
"I don't see how anyone could go wrong with Retro synth and Alchemy."
"I would begin with retro synth."
#34
Studiologic
4.0
(2)
"Consider a used Studiologic Sledge or a Korg Prologue, both mighty fine for G-Funk basses & leads and chord-stuff."
"Depending on your budget, you could look at either: a Studiologic Sledge - zero menu-diving, lots of knobs on a big, ergonomic front panel."
#35
Native Instruments
3.5
(2)
"That said Massive X sounds better than just about everything. But its presets are bad IMO and it’s a bit more uninviting to custom design."
"I have Massive X and love the presets,but the UI is not that intuitive, so if you’re wanting sounds from scratch, it’s not simple enough for me."
#36
VCV Rack
4.0
(1)
"Or try VCV for the modular rabbit hole"
#37
Body Synths
4.0
(1)
"Body Synths Metal Fetishist. Seen as a more angry DFAM."
#38
DS Thorn
3.0
(1)
"My favorite even if not as flexible as others is DS Thorn, I don't think it's very popular though."
#39
Cardinal
3.0
(1)
"Or Cardinal for a VCV VST."
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