what did you buy then ? "NO!"

Good thread. Had the same question on my mind. Looking to become serious with music production, and am trying to learn all I can about soft synths and the like. I don't plan on getting any hard synths, just a decent MIDI controller.

I have my eyes on this controller:

http://www.guitarcenter.com/shop/pr...l_sku=102640398

What do you all think? I know many of you may think the 88 keys is overkill, but I have good reason for it.

Anyway, was thinking about the PRO-53, V-Station, Absynth and Vanguard. Any others that you think would be good for a nice melodic, progressive trance track? HALion 3? Hypersonic?

Thanks for any help!

Rhythm

quote:

Originally posted by eisbaer6 Anyone have any recommendations for cheap beginner synthesizers, talkin like under 400. And what else I would need to produce?

A good sequencer is in order; that much I know to be true. What else I know to be true is that everyone holds a different definition of a good sequencer. It is a matter of taste, but I sided with Cubase after much research, just because I think it is extremely powerful and more aligned with my needs. Others include Reason, Ableton, Logic, and Fruityloops, to name a few.

Rhythm

quote:

Originally posted by Rhythm Good thread. Had the same question on my mind. Looking to become serious with music production, and am trying to learn all I can about soft synths and the like. I don't plan on getting any hard synths, just a decent MIDI controller. I have my eyes on this controller: http://www.guitarcenter.com/shop/pr...l_sku=102640398 What do you all think? I know many of you may think the 88 keys is overkill, but I have good reason for it. Anyway, was thinking about the PRO-53, V-Station, Absynth and Vanguard. Any others that you think would be good for a nice melodic, progressive trance track? HALion 3? Hypersonic? Thanks for any help! Rhythm

this controller seems very nice and complete. But i would only buy it if i had some serious piano like playing abilities, which i dont so 88 keys is really unnecesarry for me. for that price i would defenetily get instead one of the novation remote sl (even the little one) , because of its amazing automap feature which makes it sooooooo easy ton control every parameter on most softsynths. for my way pf playing is more important to have easy and instant control of all knobs and faders on all vst synthetizers, than having many octaves of keys. And also there the Xiosynth which for $100 bucks less, has an audio/midi interface with preamps, built in real virtual analog synthetizer (hardware) and extensive capability for midi control. I would personally go for the Xiosynth and most probably will, just after i get my studio monitors.

quote:

Originally posted by pixxxan this controller seems very nice and complete. But i would only buy it if i had some serious piano like playing abilities, which i dont so 88 keys is really unnecesarry for me. for that price i would defenetily get instead one of the novation remote sl (even the little one) , because of its amazing automap feature which makes it sooooooo easy ton control every parameter on most softsynths. for my way pf playing is more important to have easy and instant control of all knobs and faders on all vst synthetizers, than having many octaves of keys. And also there the Xiosynth which for $100 bucks less, has an audio/midi interface with preamps, built in real virtual analog synthetizer (hardware) and extensive capability for midi control. I would personally go for the Xiosynth and most probably will, just after i get my studio monitors.

I appreciate your feedback. I will look into it. Yeah, I was choosing the 88-key for piano realism.

If you end up opting for software, I'd say go with RCGaudio Z3ta. Cakewalk sells it now though. The layout is great. There are 2 pages. One page is where the osc, filter, envelop, and modulation matrix are, and the other page is where the effects, equalizer, amp and such are. You don't even have to touch the modulation matrix. The oscillators are easy to use, and the manual is decent. Loads of presets, and more to download.


forgot to mention that this thing is a beast! you can have 64 notes, playing each with 48 voices...... ahhhhhhhhh

You can turn off 2x oversampling, and set it to low quality for good performance.

___________________
BP

quote:

Originally posted by -_1_--Ben--_1_- what did you buy then ? "NO!"

I bought a ton of useful stuff, I learned the hell out of them and experimented on them for ahwhile. The thing is, right after I'm starting to get 'my sound' I only need a few vsts.

aha, hard or software ?

quote:

Originally posted by -_1_--Ben--_1_- aha, hard or software ?

I'm all software.

Yeah, I've only heard good things about the z3ta. I think I may purchase that one, too. So many choices, so little money. Oh wait, today's payday

quote:

Originally posted by Rhythm Yeah, I've only heard good things about the z3ta. I think I may purchase that one, too. So many choices, so little money. Oh wait, today's payday

also curious about a good midi keyboard somewhere in this under 600 or some other good synth programs. any info is appreciated.