Sampler/Synthesizer/Keys Advice

O.P.H

I don't know alot about the electronic side of intruments so I'm not looking for any computer packages or any midi controllers or the like. I'm looking for some sort of a keyboard(dosent need to be the full 88 keys) that allows you to create all sorts of sounds, mainly that atmospheric kinda Sigur Ros, Brian Eno kinda thing, basiclly no limits to what you can do. And also that allows you to record sounds into it and then manipulate those sounds with the keyboard. Would'nt want to be spendin too much. Was lookin on Thomman and found these kinda things

http://www.thomann.de/ie/arturia_jupiter8v.htm

http://www.thomann.de/ie/arturia_minimoog_v_plugin.htm

http://www.thomann.de/ie/gforce_imposcar.htm

but not sure if their what I should be lookin at, any advice.

cornbb

Well for a start, those are all software packages, virtual emulations of the real thing. They are quality packages in their own right but you would need a hardware keyboard plus a well equipped computer with them.

You'll need to spend a lot of money to get a hardware "no limits to what you can do" machine, especially something that has the capability to record/capture audio and manipulate it. If you are on a tight budget you could consider something like the MicroKorg (http://www.thomann.de/ie/korg_micro_korg.htm) although the keys are a bit small and fiddly. While its feature set isn't massive, its adequate. It also has a vocoder for creating that robotic-voice effect you hear Daft Punk etc do.

This is the section of Thomann you'll want to be browsing: http://www.thomann.de/ie/synthesizer_keyboards.html

O.P.H

oh crap i thought they were actuall keyboards :rolleyes: but i've seen things like those before, you know, keyboards with rows and rows of knobs and stuff above the keys, what are they called and are they expensive.

Thomas_S_Hunterson

They're called synthesizers and vary in price tremendously.

AS a beginner you might want to look at in no particular order:

Novation Xiosynth
Korg Microkorg
Alesis Micron

O.P.H

Cheers for that, I would actually spend about a grand, would be lookin for more keys I think, is there a name for those kinda things (i.e. samplers or synths etc)

Rustar

All of these keyboards fall under the general heading of synth / synthesizer....some do fancy things like sampling or have wavetables.

The only ways to find out if a keyboard has what you're looking for (soundwise) is to either hit a store and try one out, or find sound samples on the net.

O.P.H

What about this -

ROLAND SH-201

cornbb

Looks good for the price, the hands-on nature of the controls means you'd learn a lot about synthesis instead of endlessly pissing about with presets. The audio demos on the website sound good too. There's no sampler functionality but you won't get everything at that price. It will allow you to apply filters, effects to an external input though which might be what you're after.