synthesizer basics

[strongbad]

I dicked around with my friend's synth the other day and i decided to check out korg ds-10 on my nds which is just an emulation of a Korg MS-10. it's really fucking fun to play around with, and I'm already starting to see its limitations (only two synth lines, no mixing while your song is playing, etc).

i've heard that there are solid (inexpensive?) synth keyboards that i could connect to my computer using usb that i could mess around with using reason or fl studio.

what would you guys suggest for a beginner? not trying to spend more than $100

i've been googling the topic as well but i like to hear boyah's point of view

[The Hand That Fisted Everyone]

casio keyboards have a funky sound and you can find them second hand for pretty cheap. but that is me and my finger is far from the pulse of everything take it with a grain of salt yolo

[Mando Pandango]

I think boognish would probably be the best person to ask on boyah.

[PLEASEHELP1991]

Attack.
Release.
Sustain.
Decay.

[snoorkel]

the things you plug into your computer are midi controllers, not actual synths. but for less money they're very useful because you can assign any sample you want to the different keys/pads, and integrate them with mixing WorkFlows in ableton or Logic or whatever you use

if you want a really cool analog "roots of synth" synth look up the Korg polysix or poly-61. but you can also find funky casios and shit at garage sales

roland still makes some pretty cool modern semi-analog OG synths but i would avoid korg for anything modern but controllers.

[strongbad]

the things you plug into your computer are midi controllers, not actual synths. but for less money they're very useful because you can assign any sample you want to the different keys/pads, and integrate them with mixing WorkFlows in ableton or Logic or whatever you use

cool, yeah excuse my ignorance.

apparently my friend has a synth that i can use for a midi controller, it just needs a replacement part or something.

but cool i appreciate the replies.

as far as software goes, what would you guys suggest? my friend says that fl studio is ideal for a beginner but i don't want to be restricted because of software that is too user friendly. reason seems cool but i need to learn a lot more before i can utilize it

[Boogus Epirus Aurelius]

Hey.
I've kind of pulled away from using software synths, but there's a ton of cool stuff out there if you're interested.
If your midi keyboard situation's covered, cool. Otherwise you can find some solid units for under $100.
I've been using a novation REmote 25LE for a while now and it's the best one I've ever got my hands on. I think it's out of production now, but they pop up on ebay all the time. Otherwise M-audio's oxygen line works real well too.

As far as a DAW goes, I'd suggest looking into Ableton before FLstudio. Ableton's pretty easy to get comfortable with and can do everything that FL can do and more.

Otherwise there's Reaper, which is completely* free and gets rave reviews from everyone who touches it. I don't really have enough experience with it to say one way or the other.

Ableton has some great synths built in, enough for anyone to get started with, but some of my favorite softsynths are from Native instrument's line. Absynth5, FM8 and Massive are all staples. They're pretty complex and kind of difficult to program if you're not patient and not familiar with some of the basics of sound design though.

If you want to learn more about the basics of synthesis, pick up the magic 8bit vst too. Basic waveforms and control lets you get an idea how some of the simpler components mesh into one another and work.

the things you plug into your computer are midi controllers, not actual synths. but for less money they're very useful because you can assign any sample you want to the different keys/pads, and integrate them with mixing WorkFlows in ableton or Logic or whatever you use

if you want a really cool analog "roots of synth" synth look up the Korg polysix or poly-61. but you can also find funky casios and shit at garage sales

roland still makes some pretty cool modern semi-analog OG synths but i would avoid korg for anything modern but controllers.

Except for the electribes and the KP3. The EMX is fucking awesome.

[Mando Pandango]

I use Reaper for my Rock Band authoring work, and I've done some pretty basic synth work with it. The interface itself is nice, and it has a couple built-in plugins and things, but you'll have to look for VSTs and stuff elsewhere if you want to do anything fancy.

As for being free, it has an indefinite trial period, kind of like WinRAR.

[me003]

Novation makes nice controllers as well as M-Audio. Those two I have had expierence with. M-Audio feeling a little cheap but you get what you pay for.

[piano moths]

buy a drum machine! fun stuff.