A1 RACK VERSUS LEAD 3 RACK VERSUS PROPHET 08 VERSUS PRO 2

[Quai34]

Hi,
So, just to help you for recommendations :
I have a Nord Stage II, a Roland D50, a Nord lead 2X anniversary, A Roland XV5080 with SRX cards, a Yamaha TX802, an Oberheim Matrix 1000, an EMU Proteus 2000 with 4 Roms and a Nord C2 (updated with last version and with two Ocean Beach drawbars..)
I play Jazz, Jazz rock, Fusion, 80's (EMD, Duran Duran, Indochine, Yaz etc...), electronic Music like Vangelis, Jean Michel Jarre and Mike Oldfield, Classic rock, blues and R& B/Soul but no dance, no Electro, no house, no techno, no hard rock or grunge or metal...

This might (should or must, according to my wife...) my last hardware purchase...
The new A1 rack seems to be very appealing but I'm afraid it will be too close to my 2X but I feel that I could love the easy way to program it....
But at 1500 $ you could find a Nord Lead 3 rack that is famous for one of the best interface of all time ? people on forum said...will it be a good complement for my sounds, better than the A1?

But I'v been dreaming of a Prophet sound since the age of 15 when the Prophet 5 was released...But the new Pro 2 seems to be also the go to new synth...
I cannot try them, they don't have them available at Long and Mac Quade in Canada, I've had to order my Stage II...

So, your thoughts, last synth to buy according to what I already have....
That's it, thank in advance...

[Quai34]

It might help to know that the new Prophet series do not sound like the old Prophet 5s. They bear the same name but they are designed quite differently. Also the Pro 2 is basically a monophonic synth. It is 4 voice paraphonic meaning that is can play up to 4 notes at once with some programming limitations. By comparison the Prophet 8 is 8 voice polyphonic and the Lead 3 is 24 voice polyphonic.

Which is most suitable for what you do is really a matter of personal opinion. The idea that different synths suit different styles of music is very much exaggerated. Any of these synths (and plenty of others) will work fine for your type of music. Also the difference between the Lead 2, 2x and Lead 3 is not as great as some people would make out. If you have a Lead 2x already, the Lead 3 won't be as different as you might think, although it has programming and sound capabilities beyond those of the 2 and the 2x. There would be a lot of overlap between the two Nords if you bought a Lead 3. The Prophets would probably provide more variety of basic tone colour.

If I were in your position and already had a Lead 2x, I would go with the Prophet 8. The Pro 2 simply doesn't have the polyphony and while it has very advanced and deep programming capabilities, I doubt that you would really need them bearing in mind the sort of music you listed.

PS Normally I don't make recommendations on synths as it's so much a matter of personal preference, but of the synths you've listed, it seems like a clear and obvious winner here.

[Quai34]

Hi,
Thanks a lot for your quick answer, ok, you definitely helped me out, the Prophet 08 will be my next purchase...
sincerely

[Marlowes]

This might (should or must, according to my wife...) my last hardware purchase...

Are we married to the same woman?

[RedLeo]

Hi,
Thanks a lot for your quick answer, ok, you definitely helped me out, the Prophet 08 will be my next purchase...
sincerely

No worries, but...take your time. I don't wanna get blamed for nuffin'....

[Mr_-G-]

So fas nobody has mentioned the Solaris...

[RedLeo]

...or its 3000 pound price tag