Depending on your needs...

Waldorf rocket - despite the limited architecture, what it does it does very well for cheap.

Jv1080 for 100-150 insane value

Alpha junos

Sy77 are still selling cheap

Nord lead 2

The price of Alpha Junos is staggering to me. Amazing value. I think the older workstations are very good value right now. For a couple hundred more than a MIDI controller you can get decent sounds, sequencer, sampling and a nice keyboard. A good choice given all the smaller form stuff that coming out these days.

I was surprised at the amount of functionality coming from this board.
A pretty good all-arounder if you can get past the Casio name.

There are just a whole ton of excellent bang for the buck products to choose from these days.
Older romplers/workstations are good value. And for those looking for more straight synth type things, the older Ion/Micron/MiniAK and the newer inexpensive Waldorf stuff offer good programmability and sound.
Enough good stuff around to make your head spin.

Really the part that's tough to get around is the user manual and the UI. The user manual might as well be tossed in the trash because it makes it harder to learn the machine than just poking it with a stick and figuring it out intuitively.
The UI isn't terrible for editing the synth engines but the relationship between the sequencer and the part mixer is obtuse in the extreme. And the Control Tracks could have been thought out better - why the CC values need to be entered numerically and not with a slider is beyond me. And forget the USB, it's a joke. Luckily the editor software communicates via Midi. Anyways once you get accustomed to working with these niggles it does have great potential. I use it in my music constantly now and despite the weirdnesses its step sequencer beats the pants off of my Beatstep Pro.

I also agree about the Ion/Micron. Extremely capable machines and for the money a guaranteed win whatever style of music you make.

Um.... I think you are thinking of a Juno D or something. A Alpha Juno is a DCO synth and thats about it. No sampling or sequencer.

My Alpha Juno statement was separate to my workstation comment. I had an AJ2 so I'm well aware of what is does and doesn't do.

You can get a secondhand Virus for a very reasonable price considering what it can do. Even the full 61 key version of TI for under 1000 euros. All you're missing compared to a TI2 (retailing for over 2300€) is a bit of polyphony.

I must admit my taste in music is more towards soulfull 80's Club/House and electro funky bass styles, the BSII excells here if your into that, I had a minitaur but sent it back as it wasn't working properly, but when it was working it sounded good but I never seemed to gravitate towards it that much, I found it a bit samey in all, this is where my experience with BSII is different, it was my 2nd mono to the Mopho Desktop(now have SE version), It doesn't hit me that it has a certain sound, it seems to have a very wide pallet, very Roland sounding too. I also like my Mopho SE, but not for Bass, that's my regular lead synth. The more I get to know my Mopho SE the more I like it, it's a real grower also with lots of suprises...

I'd also rate the Mopho Keys range as great bang for buck, but he seems to be discontinuing them(hmm?), I'll also never sell my Mopho SE.

I think the MS-20 Mini is more Marmite, IMO it's a synth you'll either love or hate, it's quirky as hell, it's not a go to for me though, I'm still learning this one though methinks. Great for FX though...But heh, it's cheap and it's good and worth having around for those times when you do use it.

My latest addition is the Karp Odyssey, Having only owned it a couple of months my opinion is it sounds great, but at twice the price of the BSII I wouldn't rate it as great bang for buck, worth it's money maybe but it's not a steal. This is my 2nd most expensive bit of kit I own...

That's why I rate the BSII as my greatest bang for buck, at the price it sells for it is a steal IMO...I'd highly recommend it to anyone getting into synths...

Wow, mine was only 200, I'd buy it again for 400 though.

Ensoniq ESQ1. 8 voices for less than 1/15 a new Minimoog, and that POS only has one voice! For shame.

I'm sure I'll spend more time with the Bass Station and get more out of it. It's a great little synth if you like its sound, without a doubt, and the build quality is great for the price.

The MS20 I agree is very marmite. I love it (and marmite!), but for one bass sound and making weird sound effects (not like marmite). I also agree it's very quirky - in fact it outright fights you, even when you play it with its stupid note priority. And as for its eccentric envelope behaviour... But I like it, perhaps because of its eccentricities.

I envy you having the Odyssey - if I had the money I'd snap it up.

I think you've picked the BSII as greatest bang per buck for the same reason I've picked the Brute. It's useful in a lot of ways, and is inexpensive as synths go. BSII is definitely the better all-rounder. I just like cantankerous synths, I think! The BSII is too friendly!

Seems like manufacturers can combine almost any feature(s) in a affordable price.
- JD-Xi
- MINIAK
- Tetra
- so on....
But the price goes up and features down when we have decent interface (Knobs and full size keys) and good build quality (Metal case, wood)
Imagine if OB-6 had a drum part built in...? Would cost 5k?

I haven't bought it yet, pocket money finance, £20 ish per month...

I wouldn't normally buy something that expensive(I ummed and arred for months) and you don't need too with all the great budget analogs/gear available these days...It was just a treat to myself to buy it. I could live without it...I just wanted to experience a very old school style synth, to see what the hype is about. Has it changed my musical life? No, is it a cool synth, yes, so far...

My choices:

* BassStation 2 (I love mine like I've never loved a synth, it's a great sounding and inspirational synth to play for just about anything. And it's soooo cheap)
* used Microkorg (it's like £100, come on)
* used Miniak (it's like £150, come on)
* any of the old 80s knobless analogs (dw, alpha juno, jx etc)
* couple of newer romplers like the Korg Kross, Juno Di/DS (though build quality suffers)
* previous generation workstations (Tritons, Motifs, Fantoms)
* any of the old JV series (my jv880 was 80 quid...), the 1080 is only about £120 usually
* older VAs like an1x, jp8000 (my sh-201 was £150...)

Etc etc

Mint Moog little phatty purple £550... she sings and I'm getting a Model D

Fair play man. Sometimes it has to be done. I like the Oddy, I'd like to own one at some point but I need a decent workstation first!

As a Prince obsessive this made me drool. A purple moog? Damn...

BS2

Looking forward to some ex7 sounds and/or videos from xander.

Alpha Juno, DX7, TX81z, JV/XV

But I swear I've had more fun with the Korg Monotribe than anything.

Slim Phatty was also a huge deal for me at the closeout price.

All my synths are "value"

Hoping to one day step up to expensive stuff...or not.

That is all I would ever want in synths man. I miss my AJ1 so much. I regret selling it so much.

Any older Yamaha Motif capable of taking expansion cards, add the AN and the DX card.

Any old Korg Triton, add the MOSS expansion

Any high end sampler, they cost peanuts now and are very capable still today

Omnisphere 2 is the last synth you'll ever need. If you need hands on, buy a slate Raven and you're still only out 1400ish.

Until it's no longer supported.

Moog Slim Phatty is an amazing deal in the used marked right now. Much more musical than a Micro/Minibrute, more versatile than a Minitaur (not just limited to bass scale) or a Vermona Lancet. Definitely sounds more personal and less sterile than a BS2. For me the tone is even better than the Sub Phatty in a smaller footprint. Only downside is the long warm-up time but you can learn to live with that.

Cheers, buying the Karp has also had another effect on me, it has reaffirmed how good the other cheaper monos I already had were for the money, the Karp is it's own thing though and different enough to warrant keeping...It was that or the Erebus when I got it...The Erebus seems to sound good too...

Seems like Behringer Deep Mind 12 will fit here nicely

Obviously on the used market, and the right seller!

For instance, the V-Synth GT I got on Boxing Day for $765USD.

Still using my Moog Little Phatty 2 daily in tracks, great piece of kit for analogue sounds which is a breath of fresh air with all the plug in synths around

Moog Little Phatty II

Mainstage