Shootout At The Boomstar Corral

Studio Electronic’s latest line of synths – the Boomstars – share a common 2-oscillator analog synth architecture. The synth is offered, though, with four different filter types:

  • 4075-classic Arp 2600
  • 5089-classic Moog 24db ladder
  • SEM-classic Oberheim 12db
  • 303-classic Roland TB.

How do the four filter options change the sound? That’s the question behind the “Shootout at the Boomstar Corral”.

The video documents a Boomstar 5089, 4075, 3003 filter shoot out/comparison.No compression/limiting or gain maximizing, EQ, or plugins were used.

See the Studio Electronics site for more info on the Boomstar synthesizers.

Check it out and let us know what you think of the four options!

7 thoughts on “Shootout At The Boomstar Corral

  1. 28 minutes of the worst sequences possible to demonstrate the tone differences.

    I have no room left for desktop modules (exception would be made for a luscious Oberheim). A euro version would be more interesting, especially if the filters were swappable.

  2. Man, I enjoyed this video. Great sequences! I wonder how they were done. Would have liked to have seen the SEM version in there, as that’s the one I’ve most considered. They all sounded great, but the 3003 would be the one for me if I had to choose of the three based on the vid. The 5089 may have been the smoothest sounding though.

  3. Very artist video. Sadly, the human ear has a “muscle memory” of mere seconds (for most people).

    I love hearing filter comparison demos, but this one didn’t do it for me. (If it was in fact the maker’s intent to showcase the differences between the two models.)

    Helpful criticism: I think it would be better next time around to start with all pots zeroed out so that there is nothing affecting the tone of the raw oscs. Then, 2-3 second clips of the filters sweeping, back to back, with no resonance. The, with 25% res. Then 50%, 75, max. Then repeat the process with another waveform on all units.

    Something sorely missing from other demos out there is a comparison of how different filters affect an osc across the frequency range, and how much the filter’s resonance effects volume across the keyboard.

    Afterwards, demo how the filter sounds when being modulated, how they track and behave when self-oscillating, etc…

    IMO, this would have given viewers a better understanding of the differences between the B* units. Hope my criticism is taken positively. Thanks for the video!

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