INTRODUCTION TO SYNTHESIZERS - hol.gr

important to you. Solid drum sounds? Realistic piano? Synthetic techno-noises?
Do you need 88 fully weighted wooden keys or are you happy with a standard 5 octave synthesizer keyboard?
And also if you already have a good solid MIDI keyboard, maybe you should consider purchasing a keyboardless
synth module as your second synth. I know, modules can be a hassle - they're stuck in the rack - but if studio
space is at premium, like if your home studio is located in your apartment, rack modules can be godsent.
Perhaps you're not very interested in actually playing a keyboard instrument, but would rather like to assemble
more or less prefabricated rhythms, loops and sequences to a dancey tune? In that case maybe you should
consider purchasing a groove box?
Make up your mind in advance about how much money you are willing to part from. It's easy to overstep your
boundaries. Just like you would expect, there is no upper limit. The most complex musical instrument setups
cost more than your house and only the likes of Peter Gabriel and Jean-Michel Jarre can afford them. But what's
more important is to avoid the "crappy synth threshold" (CST), a level below which you should avoid getting.
Don't aim too low
Below the CST you will find synthesizers in which serious sacrifices had to be made to keep the price down - like
a lousy keyboard, lack of important functions or a limited palette of sounds. A synth from below the CST will
entertain you for many weeks - even months, but eventually you will find that it stops you from developing your
musical ideas and you will be looking for something new.
So, where is this CST? Well, it's hard to say, but if you stay above the 1000-dollar level, you should be fairly
clear.
Please understand me correctly - I don't say that you can't find the synth of your dreams for much less, but you
should definitely watch out for anything cheaper than, say 600 dollars. Even in otherwise absolutely brilliant
designs, like the Korg Electribe-series dance tools you will have to live with compromises, like the lack of a
proper keyboard.
Try it out
The most important is to use your ears. Kindly tell the salesdroid to give you a pair of headphones and ask him
to go away. Plug the headphones into the phone output jack of the synth - and not the phone output of the
mixer console. You want to know what the synth really sounds like, without the sound first taking a trip through
that two-grand aural sound processor unit, right?
Listen. Really. What does it sound like? It's very easy to be overwhelmed by any new sound, but try not to be.
Step through the programs and use your ears. Focus on those sounds that suit your musical preferences. All
those looping sounds and whirling noises may sound very impressing at the shop - but honestly, how likely is it
that you will ever use them in your music? Not very much, is it? Also don't play that demo song - it will just give
you the wrong impression. Some instruments are also known to be cheating, and feature additional effects and
sounds that you will not be able to recreate outside the demo.
When you have a feeling for the sounds, try another synth - at a completely different price bracket. Can you
hear the difference? What are the similarities? The differences? Take your time, this is actually quite important!
The good thing is that you can hardly go wrong. If you make sure to keep above the CST, almost every modern
synthesizer is a wonder of sounds and functions.
You could also decide to purchase second hand equipment by browsing newspaper ads and by frequent visits in
synthesizer shops. However there are some special considerations that need to be made when choosing this
approach. Read about them here!
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