Beginner (First) Synth

No one gets something complex and wishes they would have gotten something simpler,
and everyone who gets something simple wishes they would have gotten something more
evolved and complex. :LOL:

Go big or go home. At the very least, go medium. ;)
 
spawnofthesith said:
Minilogue is awesome, and a killer bang for the buck

I used to have a moog subphatty also but those are mono
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I think I’m leaning towards the Minilogue but I’m going to have one last “research” push this evening between it and the Hydrasynth, which looks awesome as well. Tough.
 
la szum said:
No one gets something complex and wishes they would have gotten something simpler,
and everyone who gets something simple wishes they would have gotten something more
evolved and complex. :LOL:

Go big or go home. At the very least, go medium. ;)
Click to expand...

For sure. Being entrenched in the guitar gear space and using that as a parallel, I know enough to know I don’t want to waste my time getting something that I’ll be immediately looking to churn for something better. That said, being a gear degenerate I know that line of thought can be taken to extremes and the next thing you know you’re building a rig so complex that it’s laughable for the use-case.

I’m thinking keep it simple. Mid tier synth, and maybe toy around with the idea of pairing it with a basic groove box. Can take it from there and see how it goes from there. Worst case I’ve just pissed away a couple Strymon pedals worth of money. :ROFLMAO: :ROFLMAO: :ROFLMAO:
 
"Beginner"
Whizzinby said:
That said, being a gear degenerate I know that line of thought can be taken to extremes and the next thing you know you’re building a rig so complex that it’s laughable for the use-case.
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janet varney mirror GIF by IFC
 
Whizzinby said:
For sure. Being entrenched in the guitar gear space and using that as a parallel, I know enough to know I don’t want to waste my time getting something that I’ll be immediately looking to churn for something better. That said, being a gear degenerate I know that line of thought can be taken to extremes and the next thing you know you’re building a rig so complex that it’s laughable for the use-case.

I’m thinking keep it simple. Mid tier synth, and maybe toy around with the idea of pairing it with a basic groove box. Can take it from there and see how it goes from there. Worst case I’ve just pissed away a couple Strymon pedals worth of money. :ROFLMAO: :ROFLMAO: :ROFLMAO:
Click to expand...

I have had a few synths, and have gravitated more to the workstation vibe, because it
gives me most of what a synth does, but with a sequencer, and some decent piano
sounds, Hammonds, better keys and sensitivity than most synths, and things like brass
if needed.

Just to throw a wrench into these proceedings. :LOL:
 
Whizzinby said:
I think I’m leaning towards the Minilogue but I’m going to have one last “research” push this evening between it and the Hydrasynth, which looks awesome as well. Tough.
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Between Minilogue and Hydrasynth Explorer, I'd pick Hydrasynth. It isn't the simplest but the UI is excellent and the user base is one of the largest out there today. Plus the PolyAT keys are probably the best mini keys available.
 
TJontheRoad said:
Between Minilogue and Hydrasynth Explorer, I'd pick Hydrasynth. It isn't the simplest but the UI is excellent and the user base is one of the largest out there today. Plus the PolyAT keys are probably the best mini keys available.
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Tell me more about PolyAT.

Tonally how would you classify their differences. From what I’ve heard the Hydra seems darker? More old school digital synth vibes? Bear with me I don’t know any lingo/descriptors in this world.

Thoughts on grooveboxes, sequencers. I’d love to be able to add a cheap (yeah right) box to do drum beats, sequencing, multi-track. I’d love to be able to have a full daw’less setup after learning the ropes of the synth I get.
 
Whizzinby said:
Tell me more about PolyAT.

Tonally how would you classify their differences. From what I’ve heard the Hydra seems darker? More old school digital synth vibes? Bear with me I don’t know any lingo/descriptors in this world.

Thoughts on grooveboxes, sequencers. I’d love to be able to add a cheap (yeah right) box to do drum beats, sequencing, multi-track. I’d love to be able to have a full daw’less setup after learning the ropes of the synth I get.
Click to expand...

Polyphonic Aftertouch (PolyAT) allows for individual key modulation of things like pitch, filter cutoff, oscillator levels, or whatever you choose. It means you can for example add vibrato to a single note within a chord without effecting the other notes. Most synths only have channel/monophonic aftertouch where the effect hits all notes played at the same time.

Hydrasynth is an open architecture design. There's no safety net. It can sound really good with careful programming or it can sound like crap with inexperienced attention. New users sometimes get frustrated with programming it. It took me awhile with lots of ear fatigue along the way to learn its sweet spots.

As far as grooveboxes and sequencers go, again these can run very deep in terms of complexity. The above mentioned MC-707 is one I previously owned. Loved all it could do but didn't like having to refer back to the manual to relearn stuff I'd forgotten if I had not used it in a while. Sold that and got a TR-8S which is a simpler and more focused design.

Your most powerful sequencer and arguably the easiest to use is your favorite DAW. DAWless isn't always better. I run a hybrid setup with both my Mac mini and an Erica Synths Black Sequencer. They both have strengths and weaknesses.
 
Tonal difference between Minilogue and Hydrasynth are apples and oranges. Minilogue is warm sounding analog with a limited sonic range IMO relative to Hydrasynth. Hydrasynth is unapologetically digital with a very wide sonic palette. Neither is better. Just depends on what you want.
 
Whizzinby said:
I wish you wouldn’t have mentioned that because I YT’d it, and it looks amazing, and I want it. :ROFLMAO: :ROFLMAO: :ROFLMAO:

Minilogue XD + TR-8S = Profit ?
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Also consider a TR-6S as it has almost all the same stuff in a smaller less expensive package.

Profit??? How long did you say you've been in the music biz???
 
Oh, I should mention if you're interested in the Roland grooveboxes and a synth, the JD-Xi has all that in one package. I'd consider selling mine if you're interested. I never use it just because it gets lost in everything else I've got laying around here :bag
 
TJontheRoad said:
Oh, I should mention if you're interested in the Roland grooveboxes and a synth, the JD-Xi has all that in one package. I'd consider selling mine if you're interested. I never use it just because it gets lost in everything else I've got laying around here :bag
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how are the PCM sounds? specifically, well; you know...?
 
TJontheRoad said:
Also consider a TR-6S as it has almost all the same stuff in a smaller less expensive package.

Profit??? How long did you say you've been in the music biz???
Click to expand...

Other that IO and 2 less instruments it’s the same?

How would I chain either to my monitors? (Minilogue + TR) I run 1/4” out from one to the other and then outputs from one to the monitors?
 
JiveTurkey said:
how are the PCM sounds? specifically, well; you know...?
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It has the same Roland sounds as they're other gear of that generation. But less of them. It wouldn't be my favorite trumpet sounds. Trumpet is best on my AE-30 wind synth.

Whizzinby said:
Other that IO and 2 less instruments it’s the same?

How would I chain either to my monitors? (Minilogue + TR) I run 1/4” out from one to the other and then outputs from one to the monitors?
Click to expand...

2 less instruments and less I/O. The UI has more levels of menus and shift functions. Otherwise, it's the same sound engine. You'll need a mixer.
 
Minilogue XD has landed. This will be this years “wrap and hide under the tree to me from the kids, OMFG how did you know I wanted this, confused look on the wife’s face” present.

As is tradition.

Moving on to look at the TR-6S/8S or Novation Circuits tracks. (Leaning toward one of the Rolands)
 
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