Members Stazinish Posted July 30, 2010 Members Share Posted July 30, 2010 I'm mainly a guitar player but I've been thinking of getting into synth stuff lately. Not really too sure where to start. I was looking at the microKorg, Axiom, and Kaossilator but I hear mixed things about all of them. Any suggestions as to what to get? Any help would be appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ChristianRock Posted July 30, 2010 Members Share Posted July 30, 2010 Just get the MicroKorg and be... (it's what all guitar players do when they want to experiment with synths, anyway, so I might as well save you time) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Stazinish Posted July 30, 2010 Author Members Share Posted July 30, 2010 Alright then. Any opinion on the original vs the xl? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ChristianRock Posted July 30, 2010 Members Share Posted July 30, 2010 The best thing would be to just try them, try the Micron, try the SH-201, listen to online demos and see what you think sounds the best. Then when you have specific questions ("does this synth have the X feature?" or "can this filter self-oscillate?") then feel free to ask. The MicroKorg thing is a joke, I personally think it's a toy and not a serious synth (because of the keys), but it's been used in a lot of recordings, and most people who start end up getting it anyway (because it's cheap and guitar players think they should pay the same for a synth as they would pay for a chinese guitar copy or an effects pedal). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members tremens Posted July 30, 2010 Members Share Posted July 30, 2010 >>> looking to get into synths if you do this you'll lose your warranty... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members FLNagle Posted July 30, 2010 Members Share Posted July 30, 2010 And because everyone buys the MK, they're all over eBay too. I actually think its a solid synth, as long as you can deal with the keys. Novation's XioSynth and X Station are definitely better for the beginner though. Way easier to learn synthesis on, plus it has lots of great utilities if you ever get into computer based music. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Tomkeen Posted July 30, 2010 Members Share Posted July 30, 2010 A drummer friend of mine learned synthesis basics on a Korg R3. Cool synth btw Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members soundwave106 Posted July 30, 2010 Members Share Posted July 30, 2010 I'm mainly a guitar player but I've been thinking of getting into synth stuff lately. Not really too sure where to start. I was looking at the microKorg, Axiom, and Kaossilator but I hear mixed things about all of them. Any suggestions as to what to get? Any help would be appreciated. The M-Audio Axiom is a controller. You need other synthesizers or computer programs (plug-ins, sequencers, VSTs, etc.) to work with that. The Korg Kaossilator is an effects unit specializing in real-time controllable effects. The microKorg is a synthesizer. I personally find the original microKorg kind of difficult to program and play -- the XL is a bit better. Some people I'm sure are okay with this. If you want to more play synth lines and less want to do simple effects or riffs, I think the Radius is a much better choice (plus it's a heck of a lot easier to program). Except... they no longer make this one. Whoops. I'll be honest... that leaves the Roland Gaia (with what looks to be much easier programming, haven't tried it though) as an option if you want good real-time control of all parameters. Overall, I prefer the Alesis Micron regarding the small "micro" synths (although it's a bitch to program, too.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members airship71 Posted July 30, 2010 Members Share Posted July 30, 2010 I was in your shoes, asking the same question here a few years ago -- guitar player wanting a synth. I have owned the MicroKorg, the Micron, the XioSynth 25 and the X-Station 25. I am far from an expert but will offer my two cents. The MK is fun, and I like that it can run on batteries, but those mini-keys will piss you off eventually. The Xio and X-Station are cool and more useful than any of them if you want to integrate it into a computer-based setup. They do sound a bit thin to my ears but are great fun, have some cool sounds and also run on batteries. I preferred the X-Station because of the knobs and sliders. But the Micron is the coolest and best sounding of the bunch to me, and I wish I had kept mine (may get another one someday). If you're not needing a MIDI controller too, this is the one I'd choose for a small, cheap synth. If you have some more money to spend, you might consider the Roland Gaia, as someone else suggested. If you are not concerned about learning synthesis and just want some cool sounds to play with, including some acoustic sounds like piano and organ, and also want more keys, you can go the ROMpler route like I did and buy a used Roland Juno-Di. Or, even cheaper, get an old Roland XP-30. Tons of sounds in there. I used to have one of those as well, although the Juno-Di sounds better. So, as you can see from my example, you might be treading into dangerous ground "getting into synths," heh heh. I enjoy them just as much -- if not more -- than guitar now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members synthesia Posted July 31, 2010 Members Share Posted July 31, 2010 if you do this you'll lose your warranty... ha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members OPEN OCEAN Posted August 3, 2010 Members Share Posted August 3, 2010 you will need to check the soundsets and the one that works for you although a real synth can create almost any sound. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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