Soundforce SFC-60
Many of us look to years gone by for inspiration, yearning for the golden egg of synthesisers that we just know will help us craft the next masterpiece. As pleasant a dream as that is, reality soon sets in and the cost of owning such tools sets in too, be it the initial outlay or the maintenance of keeping them in order, that becomes a little too much to bear.
This is where modern takes on vintage gear come in, with many plugin designers creating VST versions and even the original developers getting in on the act.
Over the last few years, the Roland Juno series has become increasingly popular, with a matching increase in prices of the popular Juno 60 and 106. No other though, as plugins like the TAL-UNO_LX comes very close in feel and sound, without the need for replacing voice chips or having a humidity-controlled studio.
The downside to this is that using a mouse to shape sound just never satisfies in the same way. Until now.
Build
Soundforce have released V3 of their beautiful SFC-60 controller, which, although a normal MIDI controller, is very much aimed at TAL-UNO-LX users and brings the look and feel of the Juno right to your fingertips.
Build quality is fantastic, comprised of a bet metal chassis, capped by walnut-end cheeks. The device is USB class compliant, so one cable is all that’s needed. Soundforce have a preset that you can load (only needed once) that maps the device to the plugin, making for very easy setup.
Although the familiar Juno controls are laid out in three rows, as there is no keybed to worry about) it still feels very Juno and really transforms the experience of sound design. The sliders have a nice throw to them and just the right amount of resistance. If I had to criticise the physical controls, it would be that the buttons are just a touch on the clicky side and don’t feel quite as top drawer as the rest of the unit.
In play
In use the SFC-60 is fun and it looks cool too. However, the real benefit is that it makes the task at hand feel more pure. Using the sliders to set LFO rates is probably less precise than typing in a value but it feels somehow more accurate. Maybe it’s the musician in me that appreciates the hands-on approach, interacting with some physicality, rather than simply typing or clicking with a mouse.
The SFC-60 doesn’t end with the TAL plugin though, as it is a MIDI controller in many senses, able to be mapped to any of your plugins or your DAW, so if the Juno just isn’t the vintage synth of your dreams but you like the idea of interacting with your softsynths in a more hands-on way, then you can do that too. If you aren’t a dab hand at MIDI mapping then Soundforce have provided an online manual that is pretty comprehensive and offers up some links to further articles for certain workflows.
Maybe it’s the musician in me that appreciates the hands-on approach
To conclude
I think it’s clear that I’m very fond of the SFC-60. It’s the most Junoest (yes, that’s a word) controller out there, other than the Rolands. It’s well built, feels fantastic and lets you live the romance of a classic without the hardship that entails.
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