A synthesizer to start with?

I am looking to buy a real synthesizer instead of just recording crap sounds, so what would be a good one to start out with; to learn how to actually get interesting sounds out of them? A fairly lush sound would be preferred, as would a price tag that's not thousands of dollars, but all recommendations will be investigated.

Also, does anybody know why when you record a sustained note on an organ or something, the volume on the recording decreases a few seconds after the note has started?

Learn on a software synthesiser, with a MIDI controller. I guess this assumes you have a MIDI interface. It's the easiest and cheapest method if you don't know exactly what you want.

^what he said

korg ms2000

fuck midi. in its ass. fuck it. hardware

  solarion said:

Also, does anybody know why when you record a sustained note on an organ or something, the volume on the recording decreases a few seconds after the note has started?

What you're describing is very likely the Decay and Sustain stages of a keyboards volume envelope. Volume envelopes usually consist of four parameters; Attack, Decay, Sustain, and Release (or ADSR for short). I dont have the time to type it all up right now, but it shouldnt be hard to find an explanation for how an ADSR envelope works.

fuck soft synths. avoid electribe ea-1 the mini korg ain't bad.

i agree with the soft fuckin in the ass ....but if you really want to have fun with a vst try Karma fx, its like a simplified version of maxmsp infinite posibilities ....if you want good sequencer....MACHINEDRUM !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  Velazquez said:

fuck soft synths. avoid electribe ea-1 the mini korg ain't bad.

have you used Korg's soft synths? they sound really good imo, i think i'm only saying this cause you mentioned Korg.

or are you saying fuck them because there's no bits to touch?

if you want brand new - alesis micron (i'm starting to get like tftt recommending this thing all the time), korg microkorg, korg microX, novation xiosynth or maybe a groovebox of some kind. all around £200 - £350.

or look on ebay and get some kind of inexpensive sampling workstation type thing.

gear prices are going crazy upward. everything, though still seeming quite expensive just about 3 years ago, is now and outrage. seems stuff is now twice what it was worth then.

i'd started w/ a Juno 60. sold it, now i have a MicroKorg. the Alesis Micron sounds pretty cool too. what i really want which you can get for between $500 and $700 is a Roland JP-8000. heard the rack mount JP-8080 does some more stuff but who can resist a keyboard.

I've said it before - Roland Alpha Juno 1 or 2. Probably can be had for under $150, and you'll probably want to keep it forever. It's analog; it does acid; it does the hoover! Chord memory, multistage envelopes, easy to program (easier with a PG-300 programmer or sofware editor). A great synth. An affordable classic.

arp 2600

drunk rambling

Don't get an Alesis Micron, I can say that for sure. I got one a year or two back and I really regret it... The main problem with it is that it's a pain to edit patches, IMO.

Really, I wouldn't get any of the "micro" synths, like the MicroKorg, etc, especially if you're just starting out. They have hardly any knobs, and yeah, that sounds like a stupid reason not to get one, but when you're starting out, it's a good way to learn how a synthesizer can be edited.

Really, the MS2000B (which is pretty much the same architecture as the MicroKorg on the inside) is a good choice, the knob layout is excellent and there are a lot of awesome sounds you can get out of it. It's only 4 voice polyphony, but if you're really enjoying it, you can get the MS2000R (rackmount version) and sync the two to get 8 voices.

If you don't want to spend more than $500, and you do end up getting something with little to no knobs, you might as well get a really shitty synth that only has a display and a few buttons, and you'd still learn how modify patches. The Casio CZ-1 is good for this, and it has a large keyboard. I bought one for $75 a few years back, I think I was lucky but you can probably find one for under $150.

  scones to die for said:

I've said it before - Roland Alpha Juno 1 or 2. Probably can be had for under $150, and you'll probably want to keep it forever. It's analog; it does acid; it does the hoover! Chord memory, multistage envelopes, easy to program (easier with a PG-300 programmer or sofware editor). A great synth. An affordable classic.

Yep, if you're ready for hardware this is the #1 bargain right now.

As well as chord memory, it also has portamento and CHORD MEMORY PORTAMENTO. Which is ridiculously cool.

what about the Juno-D?

  tauboo said:

  Velazquez said:

fuck soft synths. avoid electribe ea-1 the mini korg ain't bad.

 

have you used Korg's soft synths? they sound really good imo, i think i'm only saying this cause you mentioned Korg.

 

or are you saying fuck them because there's no bits to touch?

no bits to touch... soft synths can sound great.

Yo, just look for unfashionable gear - look for old analogues that aren't the same old rolands everyone else is trying to buy and you'll find the prices are much more reasonable.

I recently picked up a siel opera 6 and dk700 for the complete bargain £100 - cos no-one's hunting for Siel gear!

  Tamas said:

Don't get an Alesis Micron, I can say that for sure. I got one a year or two back and I really regret it... The main problem with it is that it's a pain to edit patches, IMO.

 

Really, I wouldn't get any of the "micro" synths, like the MicroKorg, etc, especially if you're just starting out. They have hardly any knobs, and yeah, that sounds like a stupid reason not to get one, but when you're starting out, it's a good way to learn how a synthesizer can be edited.

 

Really, the MS2000B (which is pretty much the same architecture as the MicroKorg on the inside) is a good choice, the knob layout is excellent and there are a lot of awesome sounds you can get out of it. It's only 4 voice polyphony, but if you're really enjoying it, you can get the MS2000R (rackmount version) and sync the two to get 8 voices.

 

If you don't want to spend more than $500, and you do end up getting something with little to no knobs, you might as well get a really shitty synth that only has a display and a few buttons, and you'd still learn how modify patches. The Casio CZ-1 is good for this, and it has a large keyboard. I bought one for $75 a few years back, I think I was lucky but you can probably find one for under $150.

i have a micron and it's awesome. and if you're just starting out with synths it's unlikely you'll want to be editing patches anyway. for an unbiased view, try reading some reviews of the micron on line - it's hard to find a bad one and they all say it is one of the most authentic sounding virtual analog keyboards out there. as good as, if not better than many more expensive synths.

  Amen Warrior said:

Yo, just look for unfashionable gear - look for old analogues that aren't the same old rolands everyone else is trying to buy and you'll find the prices are much more reasonable.

 

I recently picked up a siel opera 6 and dk700 for the complete bargain £100 - cos no-one's hunting for Siel gear!

HA! i was, just yesterday. i've seen all kinds of cool stuff for cheap recently.

Korg KPR-77 $40 (Korg's 606, who could pass that up)

Ensoniq ESQ-1 $60

Korg Poly-800 w/ case and stand $165

i can't keep holding on to all this money. i feel the gear lust creeping on. time to hit the pawn shops.

  Amen Warrior said:

Yo, just look for unfashionable gear - look for old analogues that aren't the same old rolands everyone else is trying to buy and you'll find the prices are much more reasonable.

 

I recently picked up a siel opera 6 and dk700 for the complete bargain £100 - cos no-one's hunting for Siel gear!

HA! i was, just yesterday. i've seen all kinds of cool stuff for cheap recently.

Korg KPR-77 $40 (Korg's 606, who could pass that up)

Ensoniq ESQ-1 $60

Korg Poly-800 w/ case and stand $165

i can't keep holding on to all this money. i feel the gear lust creeping on. time to hit the pawn shops.

I would've picked up that KPR-77 right there. They've gone up so much on ebay that I don't even bother looking for them there anymore.

  scones to die for said:

I would've picked up that KPR-77 right there. They've gone up so much on ebay that I don't even bother looking for them there anymore.

i live a ways away from this guy, but i just talked to him on the phone today and bought it!

also went to all the pawn shops and just about everything was dirty overpriced, or at least i didn't feel like i'd be getting a deal.

Juno-60 $589

Jupiter-6 $2000

i guess they base that on, that you can test it and pick it up right then and there.

In NZ, the pawn shops look up all the synths they get in on eBay and slap the highest price they find on them.

I.e. forget about finding deals at pawnshops.