Synthesizers

[VerbalPuke]

I'm not expecting a huge turn out for this, but I'm wondering if anybody has any experience with synthesizers on EWB. I've always wanted to purchase one because I enjoy synthesizer driven music and have always wanted to make weird sounds and turn it into music.

Can anybody recommend a good but cheap synthesizer? I guess, something that is a good starter but also decently priced (something around $500-600, or lower if possible). I also have to ask if a synthesizer is an instrument you can pick up and play if you don't have much prior musical experience. I've often figured it wouldn't be too hard to get the hang of in the way that drums or guitar is.

[METALMAN]

Synthesizers are bloody easy - far easier than guitar or drums - so you've got nothing to worry about there. In terms of what to get, this is the bit I'm not so sure of. In my band we use a Korg something or other. I don't know what exactly but I'll find out for you next time I see the guys.

But Korg is usually the best. they are well thought of and have a wide range, from relatively cheap stuff to the big expensive ones.

there's also that lovely Yamaha one for the 80s with that really famous E-Piano sound. I've always wanted that one.

[Skummy]

Yeah, I'm a musical retard and I played synths in a band for quite a while. Obviously an element of musicianship will help, but they're much easier to just get a pleasant noise out of if you don't know what you're doing than the vast majority of instruments are.

I still don't know much about what's worth investing in, but generally with synths and any kind of noisy electronic things I'll second the recommendation for KORG.

Slightly hijacking this thread perhaps, but after playing around with one over the weekend, I really, really want an Eigenharp.

[METALMAN]

oh and

[Guest skipschool]

I don't know about foreign prices, but a great starter bit of kit is always the Microkorg, if you want something that will last you your entire life and you'll never tire of it and never grow out of it, you can get a Roland Juno-D.

Korg are average synths at best, people are swearing by them like they're the be all and end all, but its vintage Korg which does the best work (and they're freaking expensive), Nords are the top of the top these days and you can rarely go wrong with Roland for a reasonable priced Keyboard.

Juno-D, unlike most low/mid range synths have weighted keys which gives it the proper piano feel, but has such great tone, one of the best functions on it are the multi note key, so you press a single key on the board and you can get up to (I think) 32 notes out of it, its beautiful if you're playing live and are quite energetic so you don't want to mess up your chords.

They're around £450 here, but are from America, so may be better than $700 (which is about the exchange)

[VerbalPuke]

I've also seem the name Moog thrown around quite a bit. I gathered that most synthesizers accomplish similar things, but I hope to get something that can produce some dark, Moody sounds but also heavy and industrial sounding. I imagine the speed of the sound is a standard control for any synth?

[Guest skipschool]

I've also seem the name Moog thrown around quite a bit. I gathered that most synthesizers accomplish similar things, but I hope to get something that can produce some dark, Moody sounds but also heavy and industrial sounding. I imagine the speed of the sound is a standard control for any synth?

You won't be able to afford a Moog or a Nord, they're the top of the top.

If you're looking to experiment with alot of basic synthy sounds, your best bet is the Microkorg, you can just hide it away if you get bored of it eventually, its not a bank breaker, as I said, if you're serious, and want to do ALOT of different things, Juno-D is your piece of equipment, its got a beautiful piano tone as well as some great bass stuff and straight up electro synth, I assume when you mean "speed of the sound" you're talking about when its arpeggiated (when it makes the woooooooomp wooooooomp sounds or the dingalingawoooooo bits) then you control it by changing the beats per minute on it, if you're using those sounds you'd need a good band with a drummer playing to a click track, or else you're better off playing the notes yourself.

[KevinStorm]

I have a Yamaha keyboard that I can hook up to my computer with a MIDI to USB cable and play around with programs like Reason. It works pretty well, though it doesn't have a pitch wheel that will work with Reason.

[Herr Matzat]

You could get an iPad (even an iPad one, 16gig running at 360€ new i belive)

http://www.korg.com/ielectribe about 10-12$ (also around in a Gorillaz Edition)

http://www.korg.com/ims20 $32.99 (also works with a MIDI Keyboard, like the one you might already own for RockBand 3 priced at about 80€)

There are good reviews about these Apps around on YouTube, for example.

Rebirth (12€ - these prices are insane)

Cover Version Sample Songs don with this Hard/Software.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SoeSWPsXzA&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ze5zjEUlHKM&feature=related

Also a ton of other Apps for music, like djay, looptastic, Pianist Pro ect. - i think the iPad has found it´s most profesional use in Music, there are Guitar AMps and what not... (well, and maybe Photografie) This guy looks at a bunch of Music apps. (but also at a lot of free and less profesional ones, and he sounds a bit creepy, twiiiistäää those Robot nippäls)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ze5zjEUlHKM&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5l7QAC5SAg

Some Reviews

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPRSB2Eljg

Edited June 10, 2011 by Michael Matzat on a Plane

[VerbalPuke]

My link

I think I've decided on this guy here, it's not the cheapest one they have, but it's also not something that I'd have to pay a grand for. It looks like it has some pretty neat features and should be good for me to mess around with.

Not to turn this into some whacky rant but I've always enjoyed electronically driven music (industrial, techno, the old synth punk bands, etc.) and it really bothers me that I never did stick with an instrument as a kid given my love of music. I want to make my own and this seems to be a good route due to the fact that I can appreciate it without ever needing an actual band behind me. Besides, if I bang around on a synthesizer I may actually make something that sounds good rather than if I attempted to play a guitar (which would sound like shit because I don't have a fucking clue). This would be a nice hobby without having to invest a ton of practice into it like you would with a guitar or drum set, and those may end up driving my wife nuts as is.

Granted, it's going to be awhile before I buy it because I don't exactly have 500 bucks laying around. It's something fun to look forward to at the least.