Hi I've played classical piano for 13 years. I play/arrange by ear and doodle around with pop/classical/whatever improv/impromptu composition. My main objective at the moment I want to find out is how to start playing live synth for performing (sorta like this Vox Atomic on youtube-I can't post links yet, so gratias tibi ago if you look him up). Where would I start that? I already know my theory pretty well, so would I just go buy some stuff (what would you recommend buying for starters?) and mess around to figure it out? Or is there a different, more formal approach you guys recommend taking?
Newbie question on Synth
- Thread starter drakerake
- Start date
XploZiveToyz
All American Un-American
What do you have? Do you have an interface, midi controller, and a way to monitor(hear) yourself?
mjbphotos
Moderator
Playing synth live - as in a band, or solo? A synth that is set up for live playing (ie easily changeable patches, and knobs/sliders for tone adjustment) will probably be the best, rather than VSTi's controlled by a MIDI controller, but it really depends on what you're trying to do.
Solo. Yeah I don't know what to buy. I suppose I have an iPad and a computer...and a Grand though that's unrelated. Would the MicroKorg alone be sufficient to dink around on, or would I need to take lessons or something?
XploZiveToyz
All American Un-American
If you have an interface and a midi controller you can use soft synths and get a lot more variety for less expense. Do you have GarageBand on your Ipad?
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XploZiveToyz
All American Un-American
You can buy midi keyboard controllers for around $49.00 and up. They all work pretty well because all your sounds are actually coming from your computer. You can get just about any keyboard sound you can imagine, from grand and upright pianos, all kinds of organs, and all kinds of synths. You can get all kind of apps from the Apple store that will produce just about any kind of sound you can imagine. You can also get all kinds of drum machine apps as well. Interfaces are basically the bridge between your controller and your computer, and your computer to some sort of monitor system, be it headphones, a PA, or a monitor system(speakers). They too go from around $49.00 and up. Garageband is free. It is a kind of DAW. If you don't know what that is just look it up. I'm not a synth guy, but I believe that if you don't already have a synth that an interface and contoller will be the least expensive way to go.
SeaGtGruff
Member
Jumping in a little late here, but I also recommend using a soft synth to start out with. There are a number of soft synths which are available as free VST plug-ins, such as the MiniMogue and the Arppe2600, making it very easy to start learning how to program and play a synth without having to actually buy one. Synths can be extremely expensive, especially a good one. I wouldn't recommend purchasing an actual physical synth until after you've thoroughly explored what can be done with a soft synth.
One thing about soft synths-- and virtual instruments in general-- is that you generally need to watch out for latency issues. If you use an ASIO driver for the audio output, it will help to greatly reduce or eliminate any latency. And having a fast PC doesn't hurt, either.
As far as a MIDI keyboard controller, I think you should carefully consider its features before you buy one. You can buy one for pretty cheap, but the cheaper ones tend to have very few controls, and/or they have keyboards with only 2, 3, or 4 octaves, sometimes with mini-keys or button-keys. If you can afford it, consider spending a bit more to get a controller that has more buttons, dials, and sliders, as they'll let you modify the soft synth's patch settings directly without having to do it on the computer screen. I was looking at buying a MIDI keyboard controller a couple of years ago, and at first I was tempted to buy a cheap one (under $100), but I eventually decided to get a more expensive one instead-- an M-Audio Axiom 61-II for $330 US-- because I wanted the extra controls and a 5-octave keyboard with full-size keys. I've seen some negative feedback from users of M-Audio's cheaper Keystation controllers, but I haven't had any problems with my Axiom.
One thing about soft synths-- and virtual instruments in general-- is that you generally need to watch out for latency issues. If you use an ASIO driver for the audio output, it will help to greatly reduce or eliminate any latency. And having a fast PC doesn't hurt, either.
As far as a MIDI keyboard controller, I think you should carefully consider its features before you buy one. You can buy one for pretty cheap, but the cheaper ones tend to have very few controls, and/or they have keyboards with only 2, 3, or 4 octaves, sometimes with mini-keys or button-keys. If you can afford it, consider spending a bit more to get a controller that has more buttons, dials, and sliders, as they'll let you modify the soft synth's patch settings directly without having to do it on the computer screen. I was looking at buying a MIDI keyboard controller a couple of years ago, and at first I was tempted to buy a cheap one (under $100), but I eventually decided to get a more expensive one instead-- an M-Audio Axiom 61-II for $330 US-- because I wanted the extra controls and a 5-octave keyboard with full-size keys. I've seen some negative feedback from users of M-Audio's cheaper Keystation controllers, but I haven't had any problems with my Axiom.