Hey. I'm looking to make electronic (or Synthpop depending on how I feel) music. At the moment I've got an ancient Yamaha PSR-170 hooked up to my Macbook running Logic Pro 8. I'm looking to move towards individual devices though, so what would you guys recommend for a beginner in terms of Synthesizers, Drum Machines and Sequencers?
Kaoss pad.
You need one.
> I'm looking to move towards individual devices though
Why that? Looks like you're writing off software because you don't have a good controller.
I ask since I'm using an Axiom-61 (great controller for almost everything) and 2 other keyboards in a comparable setup (Logic Pro 8, Reason 4 rewired, on a Macbook) - I would never be able to do work half as good without a software setup unless I paid serious cash for tons of gear.
>>3
Again, a Kaoss pad would prove useful.
But you're right, with good software like Reason, you can avoid buying a good lot of the hardware. But you still need nice MIDI controllers if you want to be able to do anything good.
Using Reason as my main sound source and to record improvs I touch up rewired in Logic, I actually find Logic Pro more powerful than Reason, if I had to choose only one, I'd prefer Logic. It's a real pain to set up a plug-in based rig compared to the rack metaphor of Reason, but there are tons of great plug-ins.
I tried to use MidiMouse (http://www.audiocommander.de/blog/?p=10) with a Wacom tablet, as a sort of ghetto kaoss pad. It most definitely won't ever live up to the real hardware (not that I ever got to try it) but it was useful to add expressive articulations on recorded parts.
But since he has only a keyboard that doesn't seem to have anything useful besides the keys, I think it'd be more important to get a general-purpose control surface with faders, rotary encoders, and maybe trigger pads. Now maybe a general-purpose thing may be useless for his kind of music, it's difficult to say.
Also, >>1, do you intend to do live performances?
>>5
Not sure I'm not an excellent keyboard player, I just tend to record one part at a time and go. I could see myself doing things live though if my skill improves, which would render mainstage kinda useless to its lack of a sequencer. Will probably use Logic for that purpose.
Went and bought an Akai AX73 I found in a second hand shop, so at least I now have a pitch bend wheel and velocity-sensitive keys. It also produces some fairly decent bass and pad sounds, so if anything I'll probably do a midi-split with a GM sequence routing into the AX73, while the other half of the split will control the sound in Logic.
Am considering to get a Korg MicroKontrol to act as my main controller, but I might get a full MicroKorg to act as a standalone, I've heard it's a pretty robust synth for its price.
Uh, you have all that you need (at the moment).
I guess you could invest in a better midi controller. Adjusting the controls by hand instead of mouse is a bit more convenient, but I would say since you're just starting off, a functional keyboard you can use as a controller is more than enough. I would upgrade once you get better or decide this is something you really want to do.
If you're wanting to use full blown synthesizers and not software...well, unless you're one rich son of a *****, I wouldn't bother. They are EXPENSIVE. Most people use software these days anyways, even performers. A lot of people have their Macs on stage with them.
>>1
Yo, OP! You are so cool! This thread is so useful and I hope that this thread will not die! ^^
Btw...any good software synthesizer that you guys can recommend to a beginner like me??
Any ideas on artificial vocal creation (besides vocaloid of course) without using a real life vocals? I am lost in this...
> Btw...any good software synthesizer that you guys can recommend to a beginner like me??
crystal
http://www.greenoak.com/crystal/
> Any ideas on artificial vocal creation (besides vocaloid of course) without using a real life vocals? I am lost in this...
i doubt there exists anything better than vocaloid
myriad software makes something called 'virtual singer' but it's pretty shit
>>9
TAL have a great set of free VSTs based on Roland's classic 80's synths (Juno 60, SH-101). The "U-NO 60" is one I use all the time; very easy to program and experiment with - should be good for a beginner looking to get in to subtractive synthesis.
http://kunz.corrupt.ch/?Products:VST_U-NO-60
http://kunz.corrupt.ch/?Products:VST_TAL-BassLine
> good software synthesizer that you guys can recommend to a beginner like me
If you want to learn you way around all this synth stuff rather than have a big sound right away, Synth1.
You'd probably like to watch http://www.vimeo.com/1309545 and read http://www.noisesculpture.com/htmanframe.html (look for the free download. use mailinator if you must, it's worth the trouble).
About synths, I also love to use Reason in ReWired mode, it's an awesome set of synths and samplers pretending to be a shitty DAW. Patching those huge-ass racks to make crazy sounds is real fun and often painless.
> Any ideas on artificial vocal creation (besides vocaloid of course) without using a real life vocals? I am lost in this...
Would using a vocoder be an option? It needs real life vocals, and has a pretty cheesy sound, but absolutely no vocal talent required, and a shitty mic will give good enough results.
Also, if it's just a "I'm not good enough yet" problem, AutoTune or Melodyne. Disregard the bad press they get from all their abuse, they can make a difference even with subtle settings.
We actually struggled with this issue in recording the /dqn/ album. We mostly went the easy way out of it, by really abusing speech synth - http://tanasinn.info/wiki/Really_Long_Song_Project#Resources_for_people_who_can.27t_sing - I would only use vocoders in serious productions, but they're kind of a one-trick-pony.
XD man...u guys are really helpful thanks a lot :D
Lay off the intentional misspellings please, they're annoying
sorry dude.....will looking forward it