Sonic LAB MFB Synth Pro Poly Synth Review
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- čas přidán 3. 08. 2020
- MFB Synth Pro is the newest machine from the Berlin based manufacturer and is a solid, desktop unit which offers a surprising amount of features in a small unit.
It's an 8 voice polyphonic analog synth with the ability to run in various multi-timbral modes as well - with 8 mono synth parts a possibility.
#soniclab #mfbsynthpro #review
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Those who are looking at this, MFB has done a good job fixing pretty much all the issues Nick mentioned. I was surprised after their treatment of the Tanzbar 2 (practically no fixes). But they really should be commended for the effort. I bought one last month and its a great synth.
3 years later, what's your opinion on it?
@@tsuobachi I liked it, but I ended up selling it because I realized I didn't need an analog poly.
If I was going to get another one, I'd get one of the 4th revision units that fixed the somewhat-audible pop the vca at times.
FWIW, I decided to pre-oreder an Isla Caladan, that's where my poly dreams are placed now
@@matthewadunlap Thanks, that's quite helpful. I hope you love your new synth, but if not there's always another one coming around the corner, eh?
MFB make some really cool sounding gear! I love my Tanzbar. Nice to see a little business stay in the game for so long. Thanks for the review!
Hi, Nick! Finally, the review on Synth Pro from *you!* :) The 1st who did mentioned and show that it's multi-tembral! I've seen a comment on the store's site "it's multitembral" but I've thought "meh, probably it's a wrong translation or something".
a new sonicstate review...and it's from MFB...and has PWM....oh boy! exactly what I need after a long day at work!
waiting for a new chapter on your favorite series :)
Nick your reviews are delivered with a level of honesty that I love.you point out the things that are good and bad in a language I enjoy.it lets me know yea this bit is great this is not so great holding no punches.this is why this is the go to channel for synth reviews.cheers and keep up the amazing work.
Excellent review. Appreciate the honesty. Still want one
I love my Dominion 1. The Synth Pro sounds epic!
Really enjoyed this demo! Loved the patches. Got me thinking about getting one 🤭🤩
Like the new background! Thanks Nick.
Love the sound of these oscillators! Very pleasing top end to my ears.
High level and honest review. Love your shirt.
Despite issues with the firmware - I love the sound of this. The filter(s) especially. The sound reminds me of my Prophet 6.
11:45 Enough talking .... Love you Nick! Great review as always!
Super test, thanks! Compared to novation peak, which one is more exciting and which sound do you like better?
It's a really nice blend/compromise between knob tweakability and firmware patching via a simple on-screen menu. Nothing seems to be too buried in submenus or require extensive cable-routing or switch turning. I like that. True, some things may be out of reach or hard to achieve, but what IS easily available/accessible is lovely.
MFB makes such amazing sounding gear. Nick sold me on the Dominion 1 many years ago and it’s my favorite. This is on my wish list. Would love to have seen a full keyboard version as well. But for the size and the price it packs a punch.
As a Polysix owner, this makes me proud and happy. Expressive instruments are lacking in the market! No more robots! More VCO + VCF + VCA!!! When you do it right, it sounds gorgeous and is capable of so much personality!
Far from perfect, but it sounds just perfectly imperfect analog. Love it!
i've been waiting for someone to do a deep dive of this. have been interested ever since they announced it. loving the synth display in the back btw!
You played that first chord and I immediately yelled "WHOAAAAAAAAAAAA" at my TV
It's a lovely patch isn't it?
I literally did too!!
I’m used to hearing Mfb have this harsher quality it was refreshing
Cheers Nick, great review. Still can't decide if the imperfections would grate more than the tone soothes, but man does it sound like I'd want an analogue poly to sound :)
I want one of these - I'm just put off by the half arsed firmware and high pitched noise caused by the screen on some units - hopefully they've fixed and continue to fix these issues. Your unit seemed fine though. I'd like to hear it through a quality reverb pedal. Is there a live panel mode?
I love the sound of electricity
Nick all of your videos are wonderful and very informative and complete. Can I ask you to level out the volume difference between your speaking voice and the synth when you play it? I am getting about a 20dB difference and sometimes I play this in an environment that is acceptable at certain volumes but not at others. So if I set the volume to your voice levels, when the synth comes in, I have to jump for the volume knob and crank it down. If I set it for the synth level, I cannot hear anything you say. Thanks and keep up the good work on the reviews, many people rely on your judgement and thoroughness!
Sounds absolutely incredible.
Would you consider publishing your patches? I'd love to have them on my Synth Pro!
That thing sounds so delightful. Wow.
I had one, for one day. Unfortunately too many small bugs with settings randomly doing some weird things.
For the price this one is really promising and I hope MFB will come up with a firmware update addressing the not so promising details.
Man that filter sounds steppy as hell, even when just controlled via the LFO (unlike some where the knob steps to 0-127 but they're still smooth when controlled by an LFO/envelope)
I recall chatting to Dave Smith at the MusikMesse a few years ago who told me that the mono-synth market was too crowded, and that having the tech skills to build poly-synths & calibrate them such that all the voices match is what separates the wannabes from the pros - looks like MFB have made it to the Pro category! 😄
Sounds exactly like what we've come to expect from MFB. Beautiful and unique sounding synth that does some interesting things you don't find anywhere else, but also some bizarre design decisions and missing stuff that you'd expect. I have a fair amount of their gear and they can all be summed up like that.
*sigh* I'm still going to get it… and complain about it… and love it to pieces…
This guy... small world amongst producers.. your new ep was great
@@erikmccauley2088 Thanks man! :)
It sounds a lot like an Akai VX600 with that resonance howl. Very nice!
This nice little synth has potential, but it feels underdeveloped or like it's some prototype yet.
Dagens Eko, kvart i fem 9:52
hahah eller hur!
Haha låter bekant.
great review. interesting synth. thx
Mcmillen K-Board works with the MFB Synth Pro from the usb key socket!
Are they any significant updates to the weird fx behaviour on only one side of the stereo filters or mod matrix?
What is with the screen whining noize?
The lfo digital sizzel of the low reaolution?
Its a top synth that deserves such updates!!
Nick is this the working mans moog one? maybe not as big but it’s sounds more vintage than the one at least to me any chance of a head to head with the one?
What keyboards or pads would you recommend for me starting out to mess around with cubase for doing dance or pop rock music?
I've been waiting for this one🔥
Hi Nick, could you do a Digitone review and what about the MFB Dominion Club?
Reasons to get this over an ob-6 or prophet 6 module? Less than half the price comes to mind
The multitimbral mode with 8 mono analog voices is the big seller here. Control it with a Linnstrument and now you can bend and add expression to individual notes in a chord. That REALLY changes the character and expressiveness of a poly patch.
I understand the concept but i yet to see good demonstration of this use,
do you know "inspiring" MPE demo? (for new stuff not playing country guitar on a keyboard)
@@jamaharon I haven't seen CZcams demos of this with modern synth sounds either. I'll keep my eyes open. I like to slide one note to change from one chord to another. But even without slides, you wouldn't believe how much more "organic" a synth sounds when each finger is subtly affecting pitch and timbre. The patch becomes a lot more guitar-like in expressiveness without being an imitation of a guitar.
Does anyone know if some of these problems have been addressed by now?
I gotta say, this synth sounds absolutely amazing. Best i've heard in a looong time. It would be a no-brainer for me, if it wasn't for those weird problems. Some of them are really dealbreakers, sadly.
@sonicstate when is the review of the keystep pro coming nick?
MFB made the "Poly Lite", a four voice version of its Synth Lite II. The Poly Lite had almost no controls of its own, but could be edited via the Synth Lite II, or software editors. So this synth is not the very first poly synth MFB make - but it may be the first one with its own knobs and switches... :-)
I have one of these and would love the details of the first patch you played, it’s beautiful
Love to but I cant seem to save the patches from the unit over USB, the midi port doesnt show up, any tricks
to it?
sonicstate ahh that’s a shame I have no idea unfortunately, thanks anyway
sonicstate And the patch at 12:51, bank 30 preset 2: how did you get that voice-like sound? I tried, but to no avail. Thanks for this and all reviews btw! The way to back-up presets is explained in the pdf-file that’s included in the Presets-download at the MFB-site. Or was it the usb one, can’t remember.
It couldn’t be nothing but great, but this is even more beautiful. Unbelievably to 2020. And Nick, u r a true Musician.
Nick being a true Musician? Right, this "Just Can't Get Enough" interpretation at 17:56 is a masterpiece!
MrArpSolina sorry, I dont listen to much music)))
After watching tthis video I decided to buy Mfb as a first synth. Can you recommend any midi keybord with track selection (like keystep ) to use multi-timbral funcionality of the synth But with keys quality semi- weighted or synth feel keys?
... forgot to say: the Synth Lite II and the Poly Lite worked together to form a five-voice synth (in a tiny footprint, too).
wow this synth sounds amazing!
Woah imagine seeing you here! Love your music!
My main man Shook! Was listening to Hotline earlier today 👍
"These are my hands"
Men I wish you would do a review & tutorial MFB Tanzbar 2 in your studio. I got one of those and I'm still trying to figure it out.
Finally. Been following this synth since january. Can you buy one already? My next purchase anyway, when time comes, but its tempting to get the opportunity for another listen to it. Besides, i'm growing upset by the quality of musical/synth youtubers lately, and Nick is the happy exception.
More interested in that little blue stand!
12:52 A beautiful sound/patch you have made. I would like to play it. 20:16 another one.
It seems that there is a lot of great potential here. It kinda' feels like it was rushed to market before a lot of little bugs were worked out. Basic sound is incredible. The stereo filter is incredible! The FX are not at all impressive. Not saving the mode per patch is really a bad overlook! But I look forward to firmware updates. This might just be incredible in a year! Thanks for the great review Nick! I feel like I always get the truth from you!
Very tasty stuff on the shelf in the back. :)
Just terrific, the pros upweight the limited mods by far.
A must have for me.
16:00 Yes we can hear the thumps! Is it the extreme peaks of an LFO or a cycling envelope maybe?
And the LFOs and Envelopes are digital so maybe it can be sorted out.
sounds nice - like the screen - impressive synth
Sounds cool. I'd love to see a big keyboard version with some of the kinks ironed out. This would murk any Juno.
I really hope they wont and focus on bug fix and new features.
I like the Dominion but this one sounds strange to me, can't put my finger on it but maybe it's just the patch design. The little speech bubble was a nice touch!
Love it! Warts & All!
Sounds just like my Casio XWP1! Nice!
Sounds great hard to get in Australia though..
Just beware, MFB support is pretty much nonexistent. Have been waiting for an answer for 1 year now.
What was the issue?
Yes, I second this caution. Same situation with me.
Yeah they dont really react to emails at all :( , however... their products are pretty awesome.
Don’t get in touch with MFB, get a replacement from your dealer. I just did that and the new unit was much better.
I know for me it was various issues with the Tanzbar 2, mostly firmware. Love it, but the firmware is unfinished IMO (usable but problematic). I wouldn't expect most of the niggles Nick has run into be patched.
Have they fixed the bugs on version 4?
Have they fixed the bugs with the v4 update? Think it was in june
If Behringer doesn't screw up the UB-Xa, I have to get this. This sounds wonderful.
I own a Tanzmaus and absolutely love it - but MFB support is possibly the worst support I have ever received from anything ever purchased.. quirky bits of kit with great sounds but just wish they’d try harder with support and firmware updates
Thanks Nick...I've had my eye on this for a while, and probably the biggest thing holding me back has been firmware issues I've read about. Definitely not the sound.
I know right? I don't know how much additional processing speed a mod matrix would take up, but it seems a little silly to have 8 voices and no mod matrix and whatnot. That said, maybe simply sounding great is enough. Kudos for the 8x mono mode.
Whats up with the firmware?
@@The_Invisible_Man There are parameters that don't get stored with patches, such as poliphony mode or a patch name, and a general sense that the digital side could use some refining. Nick goes over these points in the later half of the video.
@@robertsyrett1992 Yeah, I really do think it sounds pretty "classic analog polysynth" in an excellent way. Unfortunately, as Nick commented, it's not just the sound that is 80s, it has an 80s (as in "not so modern") work flow as well.
Not having patch names, when there's already a screen on the device, seems like a huge and obvious miss.
Big downer imho. Hopefully possible to add in a firmware update.
@DIV1NITAL The viewing angle on it is poor if this video is anything to go by. It looks like a typical RGB LCD. But it will certainly do.
No idea why he uses serif fonts on it, though. Those just make it more difficult to read and take up more visual room. If he went with sans-serif, he wouldn't need to leave empty lines on the screen for readibility, and could use them for things like a patch name. But that's just a nit. :)
@DIV1NITAL Personally, I like the OLED screens on the Peak/Summit and DSI synths better, until you go much larger, which OLED doesn't do much of unless you buy a phone screen. The viewing angle is much better, as is the contrast and both low and high light performance. But that's a personal preference. OLED displays also use less power when the background is black, but unless running on a battery, that doesn't matter much.
Dominion 1 is excellent. It's one of my favorite sounding monos. The interface can be a challenge at times (one of the only synths that I've had to hit the manual for), but it really does sound beautiful, and has all the right front-panel controls.
@DIV1NITAL yea support is non existent no matter how many emails you send
This one has been on my list for a while. Nice to get a good demo and review!
Is the output jack balanced? If so, that would explain the TRS jack. That would also be nice here, as my MOTU stuff has all balanced audio inputs.
Edit: Actually, you mention later that it's actually stereo. Neat
Oh my ! Listen to that!
Oooh I like MFB stuff
EDIT: Not sure about this one
Thing sounds great & ticks all the boxes nothing else seems to check all of. Why the low score on Thomann of 3.7? That was only 3 scores 1 5star & 2 3stars but still.
Valid Core firmware issues I imagine
The voice modes are really not stored with the presets? That's extremely strange!
Should be soon...
That shirt....54 Cymru Beats on Drukqs. This shop's name inspired by an Aphex Twin track?
Sounds pretty great.
Lovely analogue.
Perhaps the Dry/Wet knob might be labelled Dry/Damp, or Non-Moist, Less-Moist.
thanks Nick I got mine send from Thomann it’s a great analog synth with with all the analog helpings but still with a lot of bugs and it is multi timbral but there you get a lot of bugs were I get a couple copies of the same sound. As far as the peak this sounds way better real analog two separate filters witch gives me my fx you can even do wave table sounds by modulating the shape of the oscillator only thing peak has better is the digital fx
I think it is a mistake to use tri-colour LEDs on the front panel. They've done it in several places and it confuses. You have to remember what each colour means and some people can't tell the difference between red and green. Aside from that, the circuitry necessary to support a tri-colour LED isn't a lot different from that needed to support three individual LEDs. The savings you make in terms of manufacturing costs are negligible.
Sounds stunning, want to want it but the UI, firmware and support just means I couldn’t possibly go for it confidently.
yeah this is the analog poly synth for me
And then he started playing it. Wow.
I thought way back in the day, there was an MFB Synth and MFB Synth II that were poly?
MFB Synth II was mono.
RIP Manfred Fricke !
Well I adore MFB sound as much as I'm annoyed by their usability. It seems to be a great synth though
Always appreciate the honest and thorough reviews! With this said, this thing sounds so flat and dull. Still, though, at its pricepoint it’s a decent deal for a 3 VCO analog poly.
I hate and love the sound so i guess i love it
What will happen to MFB synths now? I mean, what's the possible future of Martin Fricke's legacy? My thoughts are a kind of "it will be so bad if all work that was made by him will be just left away". I hear no info :-/
Sorry if I possibly did bumped somebody's feelings.
Really it's all on the MFB homeage.. working to transition the company to Manfred Fricke's son and all planning to keep his visions/principles alive. There is a big lack of MFB stock everywhere right now though (at least for Synth Pro), but that's probably also in combination with the global component shortage
@@Wagoo Thanks for the answer!
I’ve got waaay more than 2 envelopes. Just picked up another 50 from pharmacy.
Are you teething then?!
God damn. Sounds greatttt
As someone who plays a LinnStrument, I'd really like to know more about the issue with the host port not working, if you happen to find an answer... Thanks. Cheers!
FYI, I don’t think this has aftertouch. At least I haven’tseen it mentioned anywhere when researching. Kind of a big deal with the Linnstrument.
@@ejjes Ah... Yes, aftertouch is definitely important for getting the most out of the LinnStrument. Poly-aftertouch would be even better. Oh well, in truth, I'd changed my mind on this synth by the end of the demo anyway. There are some odd limitations in its architecture and functionality. Thanks for the info though. Much appreciated. Cheers!
@@ejjes you don't need after-touch support, you can map the linnstrument pressure to any midi cc on any synth with midi controlled parameters
@@jamaharon Thanks, I'm aware. :) But that requires mapping and dialing in the min and max range as well as the correct cc. It's a wonderfully flexible controller to allow for this, but this is a pain compared to using it with properly featured synths that offer AT or poly AT as a mod source. It also makes that parameter impossible to change on the synth itself since the Linn overrides the control. The Peak is a great combo with the linnstrument. The MFB would quickly frustrate me.
@@ejjes It just an alternative way to this. anyway, there is after tocuh support, you can choose it has a source on the osc and filter, check the manual (they call it AftT)
I wonder if it has a similar analog chip as what is in the Futuresonus Parva, which sounds good with good features but no real support either.
Not sure, but *MFB* say their oscillators are discrete...
no support for parva? I was thinking it was the most socialist synth ever :)
Is that from your own experience? where did you see that?
I bought one of these after researching a new poly for ages. When I finally got it I was in love with its sound but unfortunately it was just was too buggy to keep. The oscillators where all firing differently and all sounded really different, it was vastly out of tune every time I turned it one, its base tuning was totally off plus it wouldn’t save my patches properly. Before I bought it I waited for the new batch (3 months back) before I purchase it as I had heard of some issues but unfortunately it was buggy as. Although I loved it I had to send it back. Great concept but this has that feeling of being a 70% synth that came out way before it was ready to hit the market. They really need to sort this stuff out before they bring a great little synth like this into the market.
What a synth rack behind you.....
have been reading here and there that this synth is a bit plagued by hardware and software issues, hope they're not widespread problems as i'd love to be able to confidently buy something with such great specs as these.
Better watch - and read the summary here: sonicstate.com/news/2020/08/04/sonic-lab-mfb-synth-pro-8-voice-desktop-poly/
Mine has some issues when I send MIDI from my PC to it.
Quite often the voices act up, which is really frustrating.
@@kikipups yeah i've read about inconsistent tuning/calibration of the oscillators/filters per voice. not reassuring.
Devon Hansen z
@@devonhansen5426 Well the oscillators are pretty old (if i understood correctly, they're the same ones used in popular synths from the 70s). So I can understand if they get weird sometimes.
I'm also hoping that upcoming firmware updates will fix the midi issues
Top t-shirt!