Members physicist-jc Posted September 5, 2005 Members Share Posted September 5, 2005 Sorry people if this is bending the rules or something, but I'm in some need of advice in starting my own live synthesizer rig. If it is, then just delete it and I'll ask someplace else I'm the guitarist and songwriter for an experimental progressive metal/rock/aggro band and I wish to become synth player also. I am envisioning the style much in the same way Jimmy Page used to swing his guitar across his back and start playing the Theremin in Led Zeppelin, but I want access to wider range of sounds. Primarily sound effects, but I want to progress into musical phrases and possibly full keyboard sections if things go down well [hey, i just want to experiment ]. The kind of sounds I am looking for wouldn't be far off a mix of Nine Inch Nails, Prodigy, Tool [the ambient sections], At the Drive-In and Mars Volta. Various players have suggested "smaller scale" synths to start me off such as the Alesis Micron and the MicroKorg, and I recently saw a local band do the same kind of thing I am aspiring to do with the guitar player fiddle about with a Korg Electribe. In need of some advice concerning this, and possible manufacturers to consider, because most of these keyboards/synths as described as "dance" on their manufacturers site. So a kind of industrial/ambient sound. What should I consider? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Yoozer Posted September 5, 2005 Members Share Posted September 5, 2005 Short answer : Nord Lead 2, Waldorf XT, decent delay/reverb unit and a phrase sampler. However, that's not going to work. The reason they told you to start small is because the above is not cheap and it will probably become an expensive paperweight if you decide that it's not the thing for you or too complicated. What's your budget? Have you tested the synths you've named already? What's your experience with keys in general? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members physicist-jc Posted September 5, 2005 Author Members Share Posted September 5, 2005 My experience with keys is quite limited in the sense that I don't own a keyboard myself, but I have spent time playing various synthesizers, probably most prominently, the Korg MS2000B. I've only tried briefly the Korg MicroKorg from the synths I listed above and I wasn't really taken with it; I wasn't fond of the "genre" setup, but then again, I didn't get much chance to hear all the presets or really try it out. Budget would be up to around Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Sleepin' Deeper Posted September 5, 2005 Members Share Posted September 5, 2005 For 600 squid I say go with an Alesis Ion, Boss SP 404 sampler and TC M300 fx. If you want used, just replace the Ion with a Nord Lead 2. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Khazul Posted September 5, 2005 Members Share Posted September 5, 2005 Have you thought of a midi guitar rig driving a synth rack module - maybe with some midi pedals to drive CCs on the synths? Or are midi guitar systems still crap? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members physicist-jc Posted September 5, 2005 Author Members Share Posted September 5, 2005 I don't like the idea of MIDI guitar, to be honest. The Ion sounds like a good bet, I may do some research on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Khazul Posted September 5, 2005 Members Share Posted September 5, 2005 Ion probably a good bet - great sound, very abusable, and damn cheap these days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ElGorilla Posted September 5, 2005 Members Share Posted September 5, 2005 Is the sp404 a drum sampler or can you use multi samples? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members LameAim Posted September 5, 2005 Members Share Posted September 5, 2005 Originally posted by ElGorilla Is the sp404 a drum sampler or can you use multi samples? It's a phrase sampler, so you can sample drum loops, instrument loops, short phrases, single instrument hits, etc. But not multisamples - at least not in a traditional sense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members physicist-jc Posted September 7, 2005 Author Members Share Posted September 7, 2005 Cheers for all the replies everyone. Can anybody comment on the Novation K-Station. It has been brought to my attention as a good little synth by some other players. Any thoughts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Sleepin' Deeper Posted September 7, 2005 Members Share Posted September 7, 2005 Originally posted by physicist-jc Cheers for all the replies everyone.Can anybody comment on the Novation K-Station. It has been brought to my attention as a good little synth by some other players. Any thoughts? For slightly less money, and more reliability, I Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Khazul Posted September 7, 2005 Members Share Posted September 7, 2005 Originally posted by physicist-jc Cheers for all the replies everyone.Can anybody comment on the Novation K-Station. It has been brought to my attention as a good little synth by some other players. Any thoughts? I have the KS-Rack which I think has a similar sound engine, but 16 voice poly, 4 part multi-timberal and a load of otehr improvements. KS-4 and KS5 are the keyboard versions of the KS-Rack. I cant remember what the exact differences are between K-Station and KS-Rack are other than multi-mode and polyphony, but it has been covered in several topics on this board - I have a suspicion that the good points of the KS-Rack might be lacking a bit on the K-Station - overdrive filters, osc sync. KS-Rack is 3 osc as well. Try search in these forums for X-Station, A-Station, K-Station, Supernova, KS-Rack, KS-4, KS-5 - one of them should locate the threads for you. I suspect that the K-Station would fall someway short of the mark for you in terms of the sounds it can produce well. Alesis Ion is probably your best bet - available in the UK for about 420UKP at the moment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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