I've owned both. The esq1 is easier to program and more versatile. I still have it even though it needs service. A lot of what it does can be covered by my modal argon8. It does not have a floppy drive, that's the improved version, the sq80. As far as distinctovely 90s Cevin sounds? SY series. An SY22 or 35 is a slimmed down version that's easier to program as a result. Both produce very industrial sounds with a little effort and overdrive added as needed. In big complicated SY type synths the best bang for buck is the ex5 as it's a full sy99/dx7II plus a monophonic physical modeling engine and it's got a full spx fx engine built in just like the 99 only better... downsides are the impenetrable programming interface if the 77 and 99 and some wonky midi timing that limits the amount I use mine. All post DX yamahas have a floppy drive. It can be replaced with a usb emulator more easily than the dx7 cartridge drive if you don'thave old floppies in your attic.
Yamaha's synths are much more durable than an ensoniq. If you get an esq1 or sq80 plan on servicing it right away. There are design flaws and the encoders go bad.
For puppy influenced patches do not discount the kawai k series additive synths. I'm not sure puppy used them but they can really do the business for 3electro industrial and are a huge bang for buck. The k1 us the lamest entry level one and if I recall the 3 is not additive synthesis, it's more like roland d50 and therefore a bit like the vector engine of the SY range. The k5000 was the pinnacle of the k line and one version has a bank of assignable knobs while the other is also a sampler...
For puppy sounds I've also had good luck with the korg dw synths. The 6000 can be had for peanuts and has lush analog chorus to boot. The poly61 style filter loves distortion. The 8000 lismore popular for some reason and offers a different array if sampled wave forms and stereo digital delay with a very crunchy SDD sound.
For 242 it depends on the era. They used all sorts if gear and their sound evolved a lot... NIN the esq1 can help with but neither an esq or sy was used by trent as far as I know from Charlie. Thrill Kill? I was riding along in their bus one time when my friend was the live drummer but we were not talking gear. They're very guitar driven. Bill Leeb has owned every synth ever marketed and then some. By flavor of the week things had gotten out of hand!
If you're married to a 77 or esq1 just buy a serviced model of either or have some funds set aside to have them serviced... if, like me, you use Belltone here in philly go esq1, I think they'll work on that but probably not a post-DX Yamaha.
A modal Argon 8 will do everything both synths you're talking about do. It has it's own twist to it but it does wavetable, subtractive, FM, complex envelopes assignable to anywhere and sports the nicest joystick ever put on a synthesizer which can be assigned to basically any parameter with a different parameter and range for each direction... and yes you can assign it to oscillator shapes and effectively program it to do vector while utilizing the FM features. Just a thought. My argon is the reason I haven't serviced my esq1 and I rarely use my sy35 or ex5 now...
Hope I've been some help!
