The Studiologic Sledge 2.0 synthesizer is a very interesting product. It is far superior to its predecessor (the 1.0) in many ways, and even with it’s much needed improvement it has remained a relatively cheap synthesizer. With that being said, the Sledge does have its downsides. It is great for mixing, programming, and customization in general but as far as the engine is concerned, there are better options (albeit those options are usually substantially more expensive). These attributes make it a very niche product, and it isn’t one that it considered versatile and good for anyone. Certainly, I wouldn’t recommend this product to a beginner.
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User Interface/Style
The Studiologic Sledge sports a very beautiful and classic look, as far as the appearance and feel of the hardware is concerned. It comes in an all black, matte finish (no fingerprints!), and is surprisingly lightweight and portable. Everything is spread out evenly and in a great manner. Once you get the hang of it, it is very easy to use. The interface and layout is nearly flawless, but not quite flawless due to the fact that the buttons and knobs are black and sitting on a black dashboard. This can make it difficult to read and see the panel and can cause for a learning curve.
The keys are also not very heavy at all, which is both a good and bad thing. If you’re looking for that deep and heavy piano key-feel, you won’t get it with this product. Something like that is more common products by Roland and even Yamaha to a certain extent. The fact that the keys aren’t piano-like doesn’t make it a bad option though – it’s important worth mentioning simply for the fact that a sizeable group of people feel that this is a very critical characteristic.
Sounds
The sounds of the Sledge are good, but not quite great. Again, it won’t have that meaty and beastly engine that you’ll find on synthesizers like this one, and that makes for a less versatile and powerful keyboard. Granted, the comparison to the Moog can be deemed as slightly unfair since this product is more of an all-purpose instrument, rather than a bass and performance instrument.
The Studiologic is in fact polyphonic like the JX-8P, and that does make it stand out as not every synth has that going for it. For many people, this is not enough and that alone does not make this instrument any more practical for things such as live performances and serious mixing, etc. It’s not shabby though; there’s definitely a certain audience who can benefit from using this product.
Features
This is the sector in which the Sledge really shines. It is loaded and can do so many different things, and that’s really the main reason that people go for this instrument in the first place. Here are some of the many features you can expect:
- This bundle includes: 1 x StudioLogic SLEDGE-2-BLACK Synthesizer with 61-Key Semi-Weighted Keyboard 1 x Axcessables MID-203 Dual Midi Cable 5 pin to Same – 3 m. 2 AxcessAbles TRS14-XLR115M Audio Cable – stereo 1/4″ TRS TO XLR male (15ft) 2 x AxcessAbles I-010 Guitar Instrument Cables – 10 Feet 1 x AxcessAbles KX-101 Single X Keyboard Stand
- 61 semi-weighted keys with After touch; exclusive dark case with reverse black and grey keys
- 35 pots, 3 “chicken head” rotary switches, 1 rotary encoder with push function, master volume control
- 2×16 digits backlit LCD
- High quality pitch & mod wheels
Overall – Is The Studiologic Sledge Worth It?
It really depends. What do you want a synthesizer for? If it is for live performances and mixing professionally, then it is quite clear that this is not the most practical synth in the world. However, if you like to play around, mix and match, and generally be very creative musically, then you can consider purchasing this synthesizer. In many ways, it is sort of a lesser version of the OP-1, which is a beast in its own right.
So for the average person, the synth is probably not worth it as you can get better options for the money. However, if you know what you want in detail and the Sledge fits your criteria, it can definitely be a good purchase.