Synth or Controller + Software?

indieJones

Disclaimer: I'm a newbie.

I'm a guitar and piano player and recently I've wanted to get into some electronica. While I was away I was in a music store looking at some synths and the shop assistant said that if I was anyway computer competent I'd be better off just getting a USB Keyboard controller and some software.

I have a macbook pro and only the bundled garageband. Don't know really where to start with what software to get (Protools, Logic, Ableton?). Am I better off just getting a proper hardware synth. I was thinking of something simple like the Micro Korg. I don't gig, just fool around in the bedroom

seannash

indieJones wrote: »

Disclaimer: I'm a newbie.

I'm a guitar and piano player and recently I've wanted to get into some electronica. While I was away I was in a music store looking at some synths and the shop assistant said that if I was anyway computer competent I'd be better off just getting a USB Keyboard controller and some software.

I have a macbook pro and only the bundled garageband. Don't know really where to start with what software to get (Protools, Logic, Ableton?). Am I better off just getting a proper hardware synth. I was thinking of something simple like the Micro Korg. I don't gig, just fool around in the bedroom

if you get logic youll be able to use there in bulit synths(with a midi controller)
id say get that.although if your judst having a fiddle about,logic is a bit complex.

Thomas_S_Hunterson

Using a soft-synth is just not the same as twiddling around with a hardware synth.

Anima

Isn't that why he's getting a midi controller as well?

I'd say software and a midi controller is probably the cheapest route and it'll give you the most options. Whatsmore you can always buy different software synths, if you don't like the hardware synth you're fairly stuck.

nicknackgtb

i use ableton with a midi keyboard and it is great, bought a load of native synths to plug into the program and use them alot. then in the near near future i might be getting a roland juno d, bout 500 quid and meant to be good, still have to fiddle round with one yet.

thebookofbob

It really depends on your level of interest.

If you just intend messing around a bit it may just be worth Leaning one of the easier Audio Workstation programs for the PC. There are a good number available , each with their pros and cons. I suppose the question to ask yourself is amount of time you wish to dedicate to it and whether your happy just playing for the sake of playing or whether you want to start laying down multiple instruments tracks and creating tunes and arrangements.

For the sake of learning the ins and outs of a single single hardware synth , you could be learning to use a PC studio application where you could transfer those skills across to others if the interest stays. A lot of these programs operate on similar principles. There are also a lot of Free software plugins out There that you could download and use which would give a very good start.
There are even little applications which will run these plugins as stand alone synths so you could litterally just have one of them on the screen and play it like you would a normal keyboard without getting bogged down into finding out how to record and learning to use the studio application.
Google - "Free VST Host" .. there's a few of them out there & "Mini Host" has a keyboard on the screen mapped to some of the keys of a standard PC keyboard so you can mess around without even spending anything at all.

I started exactly in the way your describe, as a keyboard player / guitarist with an interest in Electronic music. I went down the route of learning a one of the free cut down version of studio application ( Cubasis , which was shipped free with an old Roland Midi controller Synth ) and when I was confident with this , I eventually made the jump to the full commercial version , which over a period of about 4 years , I've learned inside out.

Hope that's useful

Rob

ICN

The reality is...

If you want "hands on" - get the f*@$ing Hardware.


If you want the flexibility of being able to do anything that you can possibly think of - get the plugins.. you can automate everything in your DAW :pac:

A USB Midi K-board will let you do a lot - but it will never replace being able to just go to a synth.

You'll be messing around with a mouse a lot. You'll get a few parameters going with the pots / faders / buttons etc.. & they'll certainly control the couple of things you need.. but dont think that both are equal - they're not really.

Plugins are cool.. You'll be able to probably get a few for the price of one synth! Getitng Logic.. and all the bundled synths and effects in that would really get you going.. you'll be able to record audio too!


Microkorg is about €400 from Musicstore?

Get Logic 8 Express - for about €80 from Ebay.. Essential!

http://shop.ebay.ie/?_from=R40&_trksid=m38.l1313&_nkw=logic+express

Leaves you with €300 for Plugins..

Look up the Arturia stuff (prophet.moog.jupiter) / Native Instruments Pro 53 - FM8 or Rob Papen Albino (amazing synth..) on Ebay.

Lots of value around with the current fiscal climate.


Go on! :pac::pac::pac::pac::pac::pac::pac::pac::pac::pac::pac::pac::pac:

SteveDon

Lot of helpful advice here, from my experience i was playing guitar aswell before i got into electronica. Started off on reason with a midi controller, it was fun and all, really got to grips with the soft synths, the only thing is i think that the computer, although its more than capable than making good music, it kinda zapped the fun out of making tunes.

I decided to purchase some hardware about 6 months ago and i have become an addict now, the hands on nature of the synths i think allows me to be much more creative and whats more its so much more interesting.