thanks for the advice guys.... went to the store today, and picked up a Novation X-station... so that i can be integrated with any kind of program im running yet still have a separate synth... so ya no virus for me, maybe my next one, but im happy with what i bought, and it was only $700, so i got money to spare now... im currently downloading a bunch of sampling software and virtual synthesizers, anywho... thanks a lot for all the advice... pz out...

k its been a few days since i bought the synth and its awesome... id like to thank derrivative... man u were so right about not spending shitloads of money... i think the novation x station was the best deal i could get... i never realised how powerful some of the software out there is... ive been using FL Studio 5 and im amazed at what you can do, and thats not even one of the best programs out there... i could just spend days on end, playing around... i love it... also i got Absynth 3 and Native Instruments FM7 which are amazing, i especially like FM7, havent had a chance to try out absynth much, its pretty overwhelming now, but ill get it all in order... since the novation is an excellent controller but not that powerful of a synth these virtual synths will complement it well... but ya thats pretty much it... gotta get some schoolwork done... pz

If you need a leading instrument in your production, you have to buy a hardware synthesizer. Otherwise you can use software only...

There are many producers which use software synths like ES2, Albino, Atmoshpere, Trilogy ...

quote:

If you need a leading instrument in your production, you have to buy a hardware synthesizer. Otherwise you can use software only...

i disagree. vehemently. software instruments that rule when making leads -

audiorealism bassline
rgc audio zeta+ (oh god yes)

rgc audio triangle 2 (still cant believe its free)

g-media impOSCar (to my mind, the most analogue sounding softsynth you can buy. a bit ironic since the OSCar was a digital synth with an analogue filter. but hey. not only that, it sounds more analogue than most so called virtual analogue hardware thats commercially available these days)

and thats only the tip of the VA iceberg.

a k-station + impOSCar + something like FM7 would have alot of bases covered in terms of the synthesis you are going to do in EDM. i mean, the k-station can handle most of the virtual analogue stock sounds. impOSCar is awesome at handling analogue basses, quirky effects and so forth. most VA filters dont sound analogue at all but impOSCar's is really really close to the real deal (the virus filter sounds really good but it just doesnt sound analogue no matter what you do with it. the moog filter on a virus c and above doesnt sound like a moog filter). and FM7 will do all the digital stuff that the other 2 cannot ever do by replicating analogue synths. the funny thing about the FM7 is that its easier to program and sounds better than the DX7 hardware its modelled off. how ironic. thats why you can buy beat up DX7s on ebay for like 80 quid. since FM7 came out theres just no point in buying a DX7.

@ serban:

x-station is the same engine as the k-station right? infected mushroom use one of those on most of the tracks on im the supervisor and erez gets some pretty mental stuff out of it. filter is really god damn aggressive too. again, check out muse breaks - especially midway through when the noise starts up.

now all you need to worry about is the learning curve. take it one step at a time and try to master each instrument before moving onto the next and i guarantee you that you will make the most out of the gear you bought. and its amazing what you can do with just 1 synth when you really force yourself to be resourceful with it. just looking at some of the sounds the genero project guys get out of fruity 3osc is amazing in itself.

too many people just buy up all and sundry and end up using none of it, because its a whole shit tonne full of confusing shit you have to learn. and its just too much for anybody, all in one go. case in point:

http://www.cikira.com/gear/

i checked this too - she hasnt released any records. and i think i know why - dusting all that shit is a full time job in itself, let alone playing any of it.

good luck producing serban and generally getting crazy, mind bending sounds out of that x-station and fl studio. (fl user here too. 2 years and counting and still no limit to what i can create except my own imagination.) whilst most other people would waste their time on videogames and TV, its awesome to see more people take an interest in that most noble of hobbyist persuits - music making. stick with it - if you put the hardwork in, *never* give up and keep learning new things, i promise you it will pay off and there are few things that are as rewarding as finding your own sound and seeing it come together. beats playing xbox after school. easily. har.

Last edited by Derivative on Nov-04-2005 at 20:04

supernova II

it runs for 1000 you could try ebay

Personally I'd spend some quality time on ebay and buy a couple of old analog pieces that are not too expensive, have already depreciated (you can sell them on if you don't like them for little or no loss), and most likely have a sonic character that's hard to replicate (some may say nearly impossible)with software.

Korg Mono-Poly is a GREAT place to start to get to grips with the emormous amount of learning ahead of you. Not too expensive either.

Though of course there are many many choices out there.

My key piece of advice is do not go nuts and buy one very expensive piece of gear that you may or may not get along with..

does anyone know if you can still buy the access virus soft synth

i know they are not making the hardware version any more

if anyone knows just let me know.

ive searched google and came up empty

so what i ended up doing was buy a novation x-station 61..... its sweet, but i havent had much time producing yet.... been focusing on djing these days.... but i did manage to get FL 5, and a whole lot of VST plugins.... the thing about synths these days is u can manage to make songs using software only and its a whole lot cheaper than buying hardware... for example i have FL5, a bunch on Native Instruments synths like Absynth and FM7, Pro-53 etc... and thats all u need these days to start producing tracks.... derrivative gave me good advice at the beginnning telling me not to spend money on hardware....thanks man...

For what it's worth I think you followed some great advice and made an excellent decision. The X station is a great and flexible controller/interface and the synthesis is far beyond the K station in terms of possibilities (I love my K Satation and it is one of the easiest synths to program). The added filter types, waveforms etc on the X are useful for creating new sounds the K can't. I am one of those Gear Acquisition Syndrome guys and have owned 100 or so synths in the last few years and have learned that less is definitely more when it comes to equipment. Buying and trying synths is fun for me and in the process I get to build my home studio with instruments I love. However, even in my studio with a dozen or so hardware synths I am at a point where if I want to play I use hardware, when I want to produce, out comes the software.