Production

thinking of buying a synthesizer, any recs? (my budget is about 350-400$)
Also, do I need to buy anything else in addition to record stuff ? Do I need a special program? ( I have Linux)

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This cost around 400 dollars and it’s pretty good for a first synthesizer. I got it used for 250 so try to find a good deal if possible.

I know a little about this, but my knowledge is from 2009 when I was into hobby producing. Here's what I know.

You'll need an external soundcard for your pc with a 1/4" input if you want to record directly into your pc. Otherwise you'll need to go old school with a proper mic setup and speakers etc.

For arranging, mixing, etc you can use cubase, sonar, fruityloops, and probably others by now.

If you want to have drums in your songs then you'll either need a drum machine or a synth with a noise generator. But keep in mind that it's very difficult to produce good percussion sounds with a synth.

For 450 you might be able to get a monophonic synth or a low poly synth. If money is a factor most music shops will let you finance. That's how I got my Nord 2x back in the day.

You need a DAW to record any free one will do. Well I think, I've never done anything on Linux other than server stuff so I don't know how the DAWs hold up, but recording is so basic that I can assume they're good at doing it.
You'll need a cable to begin with, a good quality one.

The thing with hardware synths is that there are many different ways of recording them, the more money you have, or the more willing you are to book time at a studio, the more options you'll have. But plugging it in straight from the synth to the PC should get you started

Oh right, I didn't even think about this when I wrote my reply. You pretty much need a sound interface whether onboard or USB to plug the cables and to reduce latency. The Scarlett Solo is a good one to start with.
Also I forgot too. Recording will change depending on whether your synth is stereo or mono. You may need two cables.

Isn't plugging straight into the PC ideal since there is no loss of sound quality?

>incredibly advanced synth
>only has mono mode

Korg Minilogue used fits your price range and will give you exposure to polyphonic analog synth with a lot of function and you'd also get to visualize the wave forms in the fm

No, you need to start thinking of hardware synths as real instruments. Physical circuits change the sound signal by their nature just like different violins have different sound quality. If you want "perfect" sound quality you have to use a software synth which creates a perfect signal. The thing is that people tend to prefer the 'imperfect' hardware sound because it feels more natural. People tend to put hardware synths through other hardware units, from SSL mixers to compressors, EQs, etc. All these units have their own tone that they impart on the raw signal, and it is something generally desirable.
Of course, some people will just plug it in straight. There's no single answer to this topic, I'm just letting you know all the possibilities when it comes to recording synths

this is probably not even the right thread to ask this in, but im gonna anyway.

i know zip about knowing how to play music, buti wanna learn piano but i also wanna play around with other instrumentals through keys. I wanna just play the songs I like and that's it, just be a hobby and a skill to learn. i like synths too.

so by deduction i should get a midi keyboard right? all im missing is probably a sound card.

Yes a midi keyboard. You don't need a sound card for midi recording, sound interfaces exist to reduce recording latency which is not a problem with MIDI, to increase gain for mikes and provide phantom power and to ensure good recorded sound quality. MIDI keyboards are just plugged straight through USB

Buy a monologue
youtube.com/watch?v=xe3muem1d6s

Cool, so what if you get just a midi keyboard and over time you wanna build onto sounds? Is there any additional equipment to throw on there? Like a controller or a mini synth keyboard working in conjunction.

As long as your MIDI controller has enough octaves, weighted keys, and support for pedals you shouldn't ever need to change it until it breaks. First thing I would buy after the keyboard is a set of pedals. Then you can throw in whatever you want, if you are alright with using software synths then you can upgrade your monitor setup and get some real speakers because you don't need more hardware to produce sounds.

Some DAWs allow you to control hardware synths with your keyboard but that depends on your synth, so you can go the hardware route.
Or you can go the real instruments mixed with synths route if you know how to play and should invest in recording equipment instead.

What I'm trying to say is that what you buy after the midi controller depends only on what kind of sound you're going for or what you enjoy doing the most, and how much money you have to spend

>sound interfaces exist to reduce recording latency which is not a problem with MIDI
latency does exist when you are playing software synths

what, 3 ms or so? you can't even plug a midi keyboard into an interface, they all work with usb

this is all really helpful stuff cheers user, i'll have to refer to the wiki for learning and other info.

obviously im thinking too far ahead with controllers/pedals and whatnot but at least now I know there's a fork in the road depending on what to do when i get there.

first glance look at what im gettin is pic related, its a YAMAHA PSRE453 at $400 AUD, seems like a decent flexible starter keyboard with audio and midi capabilities, arpeggios etc.

I'm pretty much in the same boat except that I more so want to create my own music rather than learn music I already like. I have just a mini MIDI controller coming in the mail and this was decently helpful so thank you anons.

I don't like how the keys aren't weighted in that keyboard, not sure I would recommend it but that may be just me coming from a classical background, you may not even like weighted keys if you never played the piano. On the other hand 61 keys is a good size, 88 would be perfect if you have space in your room, but any smaller than 61 and you'll want to shoot yourself later.

I currently plug my guitar into a mixing board which plugs into my computer where I run logic. I really don't like how thin the guitar sounds though, how can I boost the sound and give it a litttle more meat (so to speak). Is it an equipment issue?

Yeah the fact it isnt weighted and 88 keys is really my only negatives as well. I used to dick around on my grandmothers grand piano ALOT growing up and the keys were as weighted as you can get it was a grand piano.

So Im pretty used to the feel of them, and its got that ability to have a softer touch, and personally I'd teach myself classical first for technique before even really getting into just stuff i like. But the number of keys aren't as big of a problem, 61 is fine for me too.

I'll visit my local music store and see what I can get that's similar but weighted.

I recommend a Korg Minilogue. It's a versatile little thing and I love it to death. You can get crazy textural soundscapes by running it hot through a cassette recorder. Even if you don't want it for this purpose, it's versatility makes it pretty viable for whatever synth thing you're going for.

There is a gap in the market unfortunately.
A weighted keyboard with less than 88 keys doesn't exist with two exceptions. Looked into this quite hard because I'm a little limited by space.
- There is an old Studiologic keyboard, but they are hard to find, still overpriced and massive (so whats the point).
- There is I think a Yamaha or an Akai or something that has the same number of keys as an organ (70-something), weighted, but again, its built big so whats the point.
Its a bit frustrating. The logic seems to be that a piano has a weighted keyboard and a piano has 88 keys, and that is that.
Its strange that nobody has filled this gap because it seems to be a common complaint and the market is otherwise flooded with dozens of otherwise almost indistinguishable products.

anyone know where to find cracked ableton anymore?

>you can't even plug a midi keyboard into an interface, they all work with usb
Uhhh...

yes and no, learn to eq

The JDXI is fantastic and quite cheap for what it is. The analogue is a bit limited though.

Partly. Hard to say bc I don't know why you don't like the sound of it/it being thin. Try increasing the gain and boosting lower EQ? In any case, the preamps on your mixing board are probably not the best for an instrument signal. Get a cheap DI, like a Line 6 Pod GX if you want the signal to sound better going into logic.

or buy an additional preamp, like a Presonus Tube Pre or something that will make for a better preamp for your instrument signal if you didn't want to DI.

I found a minilogue for sale on craigslist for $400 in great condition. thinking bout getting rid of a guitar and copping bc I want to work with synths but prefer hands-on as opposed to software instruments. feel like it will be easier to learn on

Go for it, that's a good price. For any cheaper, you should go with arturia's microbrute, or the monologue

youtube.com/watch?v=lae0C4spghI

not interested in monophonic synths desu