JP-8000 or SH-201?

You really can't go wrong with either of them to learn the basics of subtractive synthesis on. Both have great front panels that are well laid out.

And they're actually quite similiar, but there are differences. The JP-8000 has cross-modulation (FM) and a phrase sequencer, but my favorite of the two is the SH-201 because of it's fully programmable second LFO and the addition of overdrive, which can give it a way more aggressive tone.

I've never been a fan of ribbon controllers because they're not very precise, but it it's important to you it's not on the 201. If you're looking at a used 8000, be sure to check all the knobs. They can get loose over time and self-edit, which will totally wreck your learning experience.

If you are here in the States, most people are paying less than $600 for a new SH-201, so be sure to shop around.

Thanks for your answer . I think it'll be an SH-201, I'll have less problems with it. But oh God, the JP-8000 is so attractive . Ah, nevermind.

the other option is getting a JP 8080, which is essentially the same synth (in rack form) with more voices and a vocoder.

The drawback is that you don't actaully have a keyboard to play with, but you can use any other keyboard or midi controller.

I'm really hoping someone can play both JP-80x0 and SH-201 side by side and tell us about the filter sound. Having a V-Synth already, the SH-201 would only be interesting to me if the filter was a little less digital sounding than the V-Synth.

(The TB-303 filter is really nice, but the 24dB low pass COSM is only adequate for the job IMO)

Cheers,
B