Members LR Weizel Posted September 21, 2009 Members Share Posted September 21, 2009 It seems this is a bit of a stereotype here. It is a little embarassing to say this, but I'd like to offer my point of view as to how this turned out. At the same time I think I'm a bit of an exception, but so could lots of others. I actually started out playing keyboard before I got into guitar. I'd wanted one for a while, and my friend's brother had quite a nice one, it had decent electric guitar sounds(keep in mind i Knew very little about guitar when I was about 12) and nice piano. He played a piece of music from the game Discworld Noir and I was impressed. For a while I was going to just get an MIDI controller, but my Dad insisted on getting me a "proper" instrument probable because those little things didn't look very impressive. After having a look at my friends keyboard, I wanted a proper one too. I mostly only cared for video game and some older electronic music at the time, so keyboards interested me the most. I got a fairly cheap PSR260 Yamaha keyboard(though it was a little expensive at the time), one with a "DJ!" button. After a while I got a bit bored with it, I discovered Muse, and my friends got me into other "proper" music, and I got a Yamaha Pacifica with a good old {censored}ty 10 watt amp. When I realised how naff the Yamaha was completely, I ended up getting a Roland U-20 which was my first serious keyboard. I used it jamming with a friend the whole time, for the strings piano and flute mainly. I recorded some stuff with that, some basic piano solo piecees. That was my keyboard for a while, but eventually one of the weights detatched from the keys and I couldn't figure out how to fix it. Now around this time too, I started making my own music in Fruity Loops. More recently, I got into using Trackers etc., most of the kind of music I make is fairly electronic and synth in of itself. I might get it fixed some day(or get the module version), but either way it was too heavy for me to carry around with a guitar. There was one time I was going home to jam, with a Rucksack on my back with the U20 poking out swaying from side to side narrowly missing things(most of the time, this is probably what lead to the key becoming detached eventually), a guitar in case with pedals in it in one hand, and the Microcube and a shopping bag in the other. I ended up getting a Taxi in the station, the driver remarking "Well if anyone was in need of a Taxi bud, I'd say it was you". I made up my mind to get a lighter keyboard. So after getting quite a few SF2s and VSTs I liked better anyway, I eventually invested in an MIDI controller(like I'd originally wanted), i ended up with an Emu X-board. I was well into College at this stage and I didn't have much room for it, so it stayed at home. I still haven't gotten much used out of it, but I'm glad i have it for when I get seriously into gigging, I'll probably need it for piano stuff. I have a bad back and left arm, so I can't carry much gear around. My main amp for ages was also a Roland Microcube. I'm generally limited for space. Since it wasn't working out with that keyboard either, I obviously needed a super portable thing. At the same time, I also wanted some good analogue synth sounds, I was thinking of getting an MFB Synth Lite for use with the controller. I didn't small smaller keyboards because they were too limited and toylike. When I read up about the Microkorg, I realised that 37 keys would be fine for most Synth stuff. It was battery powered, small and portable. I eventually found one for my birthday, it ended up coming late though. I had a lot of fun playing around with it. The guys I jammed with really liked it and thought what I did with it worked with their music better than the guitar. Since i was bringing a guitar with me too, I couldn't bring anything bigger. I'm without my guitars at the moment since they're in for a setup, so I'm running my MK through my ZT Lunchbox amp, and having good fun with it. I can get the sounds I like from bands like Boom Boom Satellites and The Birthday Massacre(well, mainly that one plonky NES square wave sound I like). So I'm pretty glad I got a Microkorg, even if a lot of people turn their nose up at it, especially since I'm primarily a guitarist(though originallly a keys player, and still mostly an electronic music composer). Since it is a little overused even professionally, I've picked up an MIDI/USB cable and an EEEPC to run soundfonts/VSTs on. I could do with a lot of help setting this up, though. I could do with a sound module maybe instead for places that are too rough for laptops, mainly I'd want some DX-Synth sounds, and some brass, violin and flutes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members soundxplorer Posted September 21, 2009 Members Share Posted September 21, 2009 Don't be embarrassed. The fact that you thought about this before you posted means you're 10 steps ahead of the people who get made fun of around here. And it's really not the MicroKorg itself that is the issue, it is the large number of people who stop by to post "I want to sound like band X, should I get a MicroKorg or a Micron?" It's been proven that if you have talent and taste, you can write a hit song on anything, including a Casio VL Tone. [YOUTUBE]Lq9m5izHxEI[/YOUTUBE] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Tomkeen Posted September 21, 2009 Members Share Posted September 21, 2009 Good for you. I think the Microkorg is an awesome piece of gear. Small board, big sound. The interface is quite intuitive, the vocoder rocks, sounds are great and you can get used to the mini-keys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members moog man Posted September 21, 2009 Members Share Posted September 21, 2009 Microkorg is a good synth. There is a reason it is used by so many. If one cares for a more complex sound however, more expensive options are available that will make you think otherwise before buying a sub $500 hardware synth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members LR Weizel Posted September 22, 2009 Author Members Share Posted September 22, 2009 Yeah, I'm pretty strapped for cash most of the time. I'd like to grab a cheap FM Synth module if I can, and one for general MIDI kinda sounds. Any idea what I should get? I wish they made cheap synth modules like they did effects pedals. It makes Korg DS look like great value, if you think about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mildbill Posted September 22, 2009 Members Share Posted September 22, 2009 Yeah, I'm pretty strapped for cash most of the time.I'd like to grab a cheap FM Synth module if I can, and one for general MIDI kinda sounds. Any idea what I should get? I wish they made cheap synth modules like they did effects pedals. It makes Korg DS look like great value, if you think about it. Cheap FM synth module = Yamaha TX81Z or FB01. Cheap GM type module = Roland JV-1010 Those are used though. Can't think of any real cheap new modules. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members frogmonkey Posted September 22, 2009 Members Share Posted September 22, 2009 My name is Frog and I like the Microkorg. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members LR Weizel Posted September 22, 2009 Author Members Share Posted September 22, 2009 Cheap FM synth module = Yamaha TX81Z or FB01.Cheap GM type module = Roland JV-1010 Those are used though. Can't think of any real cheap new modules. The TX81Z and FB01 are certainly pretty cheap. The JV-1010 is a little pricier though. I'm wondering if it's best to use my EEEPC altogether. I'm just worried about where i'll put it jamming and playing live. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kilon Posted September 22, 2009 Members Share Posted September 22, 2009 Microkorg was the first synth I bought but sold it in a few months. The reason was the small polyphony, 4 was forbidding for the style of music I make, ambient, as long releases do kill the polyphony in no time. I replaced it with a blofeld that costed less but it was maybe 10 times more powerful. Never looked back. But have to be fair, I love the portability of Microkorg, its vintage looks, the big knobs , and the best emulation of analogue sound I have heard so far. I would have kept it if i could , but I needed the money to get a Blofeld. I think its a very good synth , excellent for beginners. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ChristianRock Posted September 22, 2009 Members Share Posted September 22, 2009 Sorry, someone's gotta do it. All this love for the mK all of a sudden, makes me want to puke: Actually, it's something you can make perfectly good music with, if you get around its (many) limitations. But I'd much rather have pretty much anything else out there... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Tomkeen Posted September 22, 2009 Members Share Posted September 22, 2009 I'd take a MK over the SH-201 any day Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Umbra Posted September 22, 2009 Members Share Posted September 22, 2009 What was the point of this post? Is there a question in there somewhere? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ChristianRock Posted September 22, 2009 Members Share Posted September 22, 2009 I'd take a MK over the SH-201 any day Well... knowing you, you'd probably rather have herpes than own anything by Roland, any day... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members soundxplorer Posted September 22, 2009 Members Share Posted September 22, 2009 What was the point of this post? Is there a question in there somewhere? What is the point of your question? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Tomkeen Posted September 22, 2009 Members Share Posted September 22, 2009 Well... knowing you, you'd probably rather have herpes than own anything by Roland, any day... Well, I would love a V-synth, JD-990, JD-800 and anything analog by Roland actually. I just don't like their new stuff. (yes I know I had the 990, but if money and space wouldn't be an issue I would get one again) I also don't like herpes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members LR Weizel Posted September 22, 2009 Author Members Share Posted September 22, 2009 Microkorg was the first synth I bought but sold it in a few months. The reason was the small polyphony, 4 was forbidding for the style of music I make, ambient, as long releases do kill the polyphony in no time. I replaced it with a blofeld that costed less but it was maybe 10 times more powerful. Never looked back.But have to be fair, I love the portability of Microkorg, its vintage looks, the big knobs , and the best emulation of analogue sound I have heard so far. I would have kept it if i could , but I needed the money to get a Blofeld. I think its a very good synth , excellent for beginners. I mainly got the Microkorg as an MIDI Controller and Monophobic lead/bass synth. I always planned to expand it. It was just the handiest Midi controller I could get. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members flat earth Posted September 22, 2009 Members Share Posted September 22, 2009 I'd take a MK over the SH-201 any day what? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Darkstorm Posted September 23, 2009 Members Share Posted September 23, 2009 Microkorg is a very good mini synth with big sound. Lots of pro touring bands use one as one of their synths. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members The Severalist Posted September 23, 2009 Members Share Posted September 23, 2009 What is the point of your question? What is the point of your questioning of the question? What does it all mean?!!!????????????????????????..........! P.S. Hidden behind many complex code words and crazy Egyptian rhetorical puzzles, the point of his question was likely "what was the point of this post?" Of course I may be reaching a bit on that one, and wether the question is about requesting an honest answer or is just a clever way to diminish the OP is anybodies guess. I personally assume that Umbra is trying to teach us how to love. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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