My Solina arrived earlier his week. Plugged it in, pressed a few buttons, modulation on, bit of slow phaser and suddenly I was playing the intro to Equinoxe. Love it.
This is such a wild release from Behringer. I give them a lot of credit for selling something so niche but it sounds great. They did a really good job on this.
It seems like there is a lot of hype about it. I could never get the original, but for Cure ish sounds always wanted it. Very curious to see what this will do in the hands of people that normally wouldn’t go for this sound.
The problem with having the phaser built in, is that you lose flexibility. A fav trick of mine is to out the phaser in the left or right, dry on the other channel. Another experiment that sounded huge was to put two different phases on the left and right, at slightly different speeds.
When you first engaged the modulation button, the sound triggered some kind of emotional response in me. There is something about string synthesisers, and the Solina in particular, that really is amazing. I have owned many of the classics - Solina Mk1, ARP Omni II, Yamaha SS30, Hohner String Melody, Logan String Melody 2, Vox String Thing, Crumar Performer, Roland VP330, Elka Rhapsody and another Logan that was a combination of string synth and combo organ. All were fantastic, but the Solina is the best in my humble opinion.
I used to have a Waldorf Streichfett that had the same kind of magical "modulation" that turns it from sounding like a thin fake accordion into sound like a shimmery wash from outer space, but it struck an even deeper emotional feeling because it opened the sound up in stereo at the same time, I really became attached to pressing that button! Makes me wonder if it's possible to mod the onboard ensemble effect into stereo outs by making separate outputs for direct and delayed signal. Or just find a BBD stereo chorus that achieves the same effect. The lack of stereo is the main thing holding me back from buying one of these. Yeah I know the original is mono, but there's something really special about doing this stuff in stereo, it's a missed opportunity to make a simple but massive improvement on the original.
Love how the Solina sounds! I also appreciate that you're using a JX-8P to control it. That was the first keyboard I bought back in 1986 and I still am playing it. 🥰Thank you for the great video!
JX-8P is my favorite Roland Poly! I played the Jupiter-8 last weekend and I have to say that they have much more in common than people will admit! I also have some 8p videos on the channel! 🍀🤖
Wunderbar! it’s interesting to hear this. I use to gig with an ARP string ensemble, with a Rhodes and Clavinet a long time ago. Love hearing the similarities as well as your presentation. 🎧.
Another wonderful and informative review! Thank you for the firsthand information about Jean-Michel Jarre, a great fact to know that he used an Eminent! I farted around with one of the String Ensembles in 1986, it was pretty beat up, but that sound! I'll be buying this for sure, it's so perfect for what I've always wanted for my sound.
Yes! I pre-ordered it at Thomann as soon as it appeared and it was delivered to me a few days ago. I already used it in the chorus of a prog rock/prog metal song I'm working on, replacing my Hohner Logan String Melody that was in that place before. I just love those string machines, could listen to them for hours. I double track them usually to get a wider stereo field. Quadruple actually in this case, because they need to fight against Double tracked metal guitars and a 10-layer vocal track.
@@winesynthsYes, two hearts are beating in my chest, one for synthesizers, and one for metal. I try to put them together, and out comes... space metal 🙂
How about a Waldorf Streichfett? String section/ensemble is amazing and you get other waves with live morphing with a lot more controls with many pots... and key pressure, 128 voice polyphonic, nice effcts. I'm a big fan and it's quite cheap, especially on second hand market (bought last year 150€). Great video as usual! 👍
Streichfett is an okay-ish sounding emulation... until we hear it with actual divide-down string synths: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-smEMTPd2VgY.html
I have one streichfett and original solina and other strings machine from the era. I found the streichfett to have nice sounds but that specific (and fantastic) sound of the solina is really something else.
The fact that its so simple to use makes it great for fast compositions. I like sound design but this sounds great as it is. I will surely get one soon; I'll need to get a 4 octave midi keyboard though.
I started making music at a time when digital synthesizers were taking over. Analog devices disappeared temporarily and we started playing with digital synths and then vsts. And one day, they appeared as very expensive, hard-to-find vintage products. “Why don't they just remanufacture these old devices?” I asked a lot. We waited too long. At least we will be able to use it from now on. I would like to thank those who brought this reproduction idea to life.
I've always loved the old string ensembles. I own both a Crumar Performer and a Roland RS-202, and since both of them are huge, heavy, and in need of repair, this little lovely thing is very, very tempting. Thanks for the video!
L9ve the sound. I just wish it would hold notes on sustane peddle. So then i can reach for something else. What i do as a work around. Is use my oberheim xk controller note hold button which holds notes via midi. A sostinuto in organ terms. A bit awkward but it works.
Merci pour ton travail ! J'aime beaucoup ta chaîne. Tu m'as convaincu !!! Quel son prenant et profond, rempli d'émotion. Bon courage pour la suite... 🎵🎶
Oh and can I say, thank you so much for the Raven, I got mine at the end of last year and I'm enjoying it immensely. So versatile if you're willing to dig into the sound creation and the motivator.
Unfortunately, the soundtrack in the background interferes with the showcase of the instrument itself. Otherwise, this is a great review and hell yes, I’m buying one!!! Thank you.
Fwiw, I bought the "poor man's" mellotron, an EHX Mel9 pedal. It is a tracker-synth pedal and works great with a clean wave from a synth. Cost is under $200 us.
Yes I think I will have to get the Gforce Mtron pro complete bundle at just over £300 it’s cheaper than the £1000 + for the Melletron micro from Thomann.
Too original and reminder to not buy it, this instrument have it's place in my racks, with original sounds replica from Behringer. It will be driven by a Roland (super) MC 500, over my Juno 6, ans a SH 2000. Very retro part of my studio. So happy for your smooth explanations. This is a simple instrument but can't be replaced🙏🤗
Cool you worked for Quasimidi ! Did you work on the Quasar, my favourite module? I have the first ever independent solina string ensemble of Eminent with the chorus sound always on. Nice job of Behringer but I prefer my Eminent!
I see you have a knee brace. I had one for about 8 years. It used to cut into my leg and make it bleed. No fun. I then had surgery and now my knee only bends 15 degrees. At least you can play synths sitting down. Fantastic channel.
Damn you for making this, going to have to buy one now to wallow in 70s nostalgia. The Jean-Michel Jarre anecdote was excellent as well, I can imagine him sending out minions in a van to buy up Eminent's and bring them back to his lair where he patches them to his taste and then glues the knobs in place // amaxing
Out of the box mine was dropping notes when played, which initially I was told was the quirky nature of the original.... however, after a firmware upgrade it now plays like any other vintage organ/string synth..... watch out for those arm chair experts!
And of course, the armchair expert highly recommends updating the firmware of your synths to the latest version after unpacking! Maybe I should address this in a special video? 🤔
@@winesynths yes indeed they do! Historically with other synths you don’t generally have to do an update for basic midi control to work, but it certainly seems the case with Behringer… maybe its because they’re in a rush to get them out after all the delays.
This is what you think! I had new Synthesizers here that were six times the price of a usual Behringer with unbearable MIDI-glitches! Even a year after being released. Also, from well known brands. To be honest, in this field, Behringer is doing a comparably good job! 😉
@@winesynths I'm not criticising them, just observing. I've had many an expensive synth too, but basic functionality has always been present out of the box. My Solina was though unplayable.
Solina sounds nice. I fear this piece of gear would sit on the shelf if I bought it. 1-trick pony and performance limitations, and I have more strings than you ever will (3 workstations and a jv-2080 with orchestra sound bank, plus all the synths including a dx7). The Toro and solina would both be good for guitar bands. Super fast setup. The sustain is from the controller keyboard. I use multiple sustain pedals in my rig and they are on the controlling keyboards. To me, sustain on a module is not very useful so I understand. Fwiw, my workflow is more performance oriented, and that is why I got grandmother vs matriarch. Still trying to work the 2600 into the live flow. Our tastes in sound do overlap even though you work in the box.
I have Strymon Mobius pedal. In the Chorus effect section there's different modes. The mode "multi" is completely imitates solina ensemble chorus!!! (With few other adjustments of level, depth, rate, and tone. Tweak it and you'll be impressed!!!
Geat review. Would love one, but I think I'll have to stick with the Solina patches on my AN1x, can't really justify the expense for one sound. Do you use the Star Trek tricorder as an aditional modulation source? 😆
Danke für ein weiteres interessantes Video. Mich würde ja wahnsinnig interessieren, wie diese Geräte mit der Small Stone-Weiterentwicklung für's Eurorack "AJH Next Phase" klingen.
@@winesynths Gut portionierter Hall ist der Feen- und Sternestaub auf einem guten Sound. Das Einzige, das mir am Matriarch missfällt, ist der fehlende Federhall der kleinen Schwester. ^^
@@Waldemar_la_Tendresse Uhhh! Federhall auf die Solina! Am besten aus einem Fender Twin-Reverb oder so! Das würde den Dracula-Factor nochmals deutlich steigern! 🧛🏻
I hope they will improve the weak points of the Pro-800 with an update. It has a lot of potencial. But as it is now, it‘s just a great clone of an average vintage synth.
Sounds beautiful & I've been interested in this since they announced it, but I just know I probably won't get much use out of it. I wouldn't be able to help myself with trying to make late 70's-early 80's Hi NRG & Euro Disco style tunes either & although I do love that stuff, just don't wanna steer off course too much at the moment 😁😁
I got it, and right now i dont like it! All my midi controllers except one fail to trigger notes on the solina properly. However it does work perfectly with my doepfer keyboard but not my Yamahas. Seems like poor firmware rather than a defect? But then its strange that i havent heard anyone mention this issue.
No problems here with different Controllers & Keyboards. The Solina is absolutely dumb MIDI-wise. It just accepts Note-On and Off. No Velocity, no aftertouch etc. I am sure you will figure it out! 🍀
Seems it shipped with early(wrong?) firmware (0.3.3). I managed to get synthtribe working and update the solina. Weird requirement for a brand new synth, but well its working fine now!
Wow! I don‘t know! Honestly! 😁 Take whatever sounds the nearest to the original. The string sounds usually aren‘t dry and packed with FX. But I think somebody already made a video about this subject.
Interesting you were related to Quasimidi as well. So far I only know about Jörg Schaaf. You were involved in the Raven? About that review - for me the sound is really 100% nailed, makes me almost buy it.... but: Still can't decide whether that VP clone is more interesting. Could you eventually make a comparison of the string section and maybe try out if you could reproduce the modulation+phaser sound with that as well? Maybe even use the Solinas Phaser?
I started at Qm as a product specialist when Raven came out. My job consisted in demoing on trade fairs like Musikmesse or Namm, writing Manuals, programming Sounds and helping users at the hotline! Like JMJ! 🤖 I had exactly the same idea to combine the VC and the Solina phaser! Especially since I also have a Small Stone Nano to compare! I will try this later on! 🤓
Due to the absence of s good remake I already invested in a Solina VST. So I’m afraid Uli is to late with this synth . 🤔 For me it doesn’t add anything to my setup, At this point in time.
The Arturia VST is really a great alternative! If you are not 200 % into the last analogue sound details! Totally agree! For a nice spooky Dracula organ now and then it‘s just perfect! 🧛🏻
Спасибо за обзор! Если с pro800 все понятно- аналоговый синтезатор, то тут зачем солина нужна? Сейчас в любом синтезаторе и даже в плагине такие звуки есть! Слишком примитивно для сегодняшнего дня
@@winesynths It's a soviet synthesizer that uses a similar frequency divider technology like in a string machine but offers the four timbres piano, strings, harpsichord and brass which you also can use simultaneously. Those timbres are what I don't like about it. And then all of this goes through a single Polivoks filter and a single VCA for all voices. It was produced at the Formanta plant where also the better known Polivoks has been produced.
Slightly weird pricing I feel on this, very limited compared to other synths in their line (at this price). I'll just use the Solina in my MPC, free and has the same sound. Thanks for the video.
Behringer is insane about pricing. They get excited by lowering prices and they have some actual fetish about it. They just slashed prices 20-60%. You can now get a 2600 for 500 bux or get 2 of them. Pro-800 price is nuts. Some of the Eurorack modules are half price now. If there's any "weird pricing" it's for a good reason. The Solina String and VC340 both have relatively higher pricing because they have 70's-accurate divide down circuits that are more expensive to reproduce than just using Behringer's CoolAudio CEM integrated circuits. They could have used approximations, but these are original divide down ladders and Behringer can't manufacture it for any cheaper or you know they'd definitely do that.
@@zyxyuv1650 I know their pricing, it's on sites lol Still overpriced compared to their others though. I don't really buy into, "this costs more" technology without any data. Like I say, it's certainly nice, but I've got that sound covered much cheaper and lest estate.
@@vaiman7777 I also don't buy any "this costs more" arguments blindly, especially as their passive multiple for the Eurorack Moog system was up with the most expensive passive multiples on the entire market before the recent price dumps. In Berlin there's a company hand soldering multiples with twice the amount of jacks for a lower price than that. And in the USA it was even way more expensive at ridiculous $69.00 for a freakin' 2x4 passive multiple, making it by far the most expensive one on the entire market before they reduced the price to $19.
Ich habe mich immer gefragt, was Menschen dazu bringt, den Klang alter, schlecht klingender Synthesizer in die Gegenwart retten zu wollen. Aus heutiger Sicht ist der Sound des Solina an Armseligkeit wohl kaum zu überbieten, und trotzdem wollen manche offenbar genau das haben. Na ja, immerhin ist das Teil ja recht günstig zu haben.
@@winesynths Ja eben. Ich habe ja auch einige davon. Was mich aber schon lange wundert ist, dass so viele nostalgisch an den alten Klängen hängen, auch wenn sie gar nicht so soper waren.
@@winesynths Ja OK. Jeder nach seinem Geschmack. Auch die großen Hersteller gehen da voll mit. Ich habe z.B. einen Roland Jupiter-xm, und der bietet auch Sounde vom Jupiter-8, Juno-106, JX-8P, SH-101 und JV-5080 (und gegen Aufpreis den Vocal Designer des V-Synth). Dabei werden die alten Synthesizer richtig emuliert, d.h. die Sounds lassen sich nur so bearbeiten, wie es auch bei den alten Synthesizern der Fall war.
Gerade bei Roland werden sie leider weniger richtig emuliert als bei Behringer! Da kannst Du dir auch gleich Plugins holen! 🫣 Früher, als die billig waren, besass ich eine Menge von diesen Kult-Geräten und habe irgendwann alles verkauft. Nachdem ich die zahlreichen Imitate getestet habe, kaufte ich mir erneut einen Juno-6, mittlerweile 2xJX-8P, den SH-101 und diverse andere Vintage-Effekte. Das ist natürlicher purer Luxus. Aber bei diesen Geräten geht es auch darum, wie man sie spielt! Gerade beim Juno und beim SH. Habe einige Videos dazu gemacht. Schau mal rein! Meiner bescheidenen Meinung nach, trifft es Behringer bei den Synthis noch am besten, dicht gefolgt von Arturia! Und gerade die Solina ist dafür ein gutes Beispiel! 🤖
@@winesynths I'll have to import for sure. Cosmo Music has exclusive rights to Behringer apparently... so if you live in Canada and want a Behringer product... importing is the only choice.... Cosmo doesn't have it, doesn't know when they'll get it, and even if they did - it would be shipped slow.
@@mathewworkman1625 Thomann ships worldwide. But of course shipping costs and customs... and Solina is sold in the moment, should be back in about 2 months.
@@monolith2063 Thanks, will need to import for sure. I have no idea why Cosmo music was given exclusive distributorship - when they are not able to keep stock. 'Covid' as an excuse doesn't fly anymore - SweetWater is able to keep Behringer stock.
If you want to sound like Jean Michael Jarre, OMD or Clockwork Orange... this is the machine. I love it because is the one machine that creates those pads and set up that mood. All you need is to start playing things on top.
Same for me when I found Equinoxe among the records of my parents! It sounded so otherworldly! Years later it was exactly this copy I got signed by JMJ when I met him in his studio! 😁
@@winesynths you are so lucky to have met the great and the only genius modern musician J-M-J.... i found équinox very later in my life when i ve got 20 years old but oxygene ,my mother have this record when i was young and i start to listen it at 4 years old and for a long times i listen it every day and each time i found a new sound or a new part... even today i love this album and also the oxygene 2 and 3 ..i have all his albums even the 3 before oxygene ... he came at montréal in 2018 i think and i and my mother was there...i just come to found your channel and i will follow you , i like the way you work and talk with a huge accent germanic ,its very cool..me i live in the quebec in the stinky and shity CHINADA ,and if i have made better choice in my life younger i should go live in russia ,.... anyway good luck and thanks to have respond to my comment and sorry for my bad english i am a real quebecers old stock ,so we speack in french but not the same french that in france.. .P.S. who are you? do you have play in a band or somethings?
