| LearnJazzPiano.com archives: Pro Synths | |
| Styles -- 11/25/2006, 16:27:10 -- #31427 | |
| Being deeply inspired by the recent developments in Hiromi's use of the synthesizer in her playing, arguably with as much or greater creativity than Herbie Hancock,I have begun to investigate the very daunting landscape of professional synthesizers to complement my capable Casio WK3000, which specializes in piano and organ emulation... I've figured this much out: A true analog synth is out of the question. I don't have either the money or use for them, so analog modeling will be my path. I basically want three things out of an analog modeling synth: 1. To create cool lead sounds that work well with improvisation; as well as good bass sounds 2. To create hip new pads and almost orchestral backings of other lead melodies (good polyphony), 3. Good noise sounds, the blinks, boinks, and other cool noises made popular by Moogs and such Hiromi has the Nord Lead 2, but I haven't been close minded in my search: "Oh I'll get it because she has it"... No, I've researched and am very interested in the Alesis Ion or Micron.... Anyone with knowledge with synths have anything to say about the Nord Leads, Alesis Ion, or any other capable synth around the $1,000 mark? | |
| Jazz+ -- 11/25/2006, 18:27:08 -- #31427 | |
| The Nord Lead fits the bill, go for it. I am not really a fan of the Alesis Ion or Micron. Guitar Center carries all these synths. | |
| jaledin -- 12/03/2006, 20:18:03 -- #31427 | |
| Any reason why the Alesis synths don't satisfy, Jazz+? I've borrowed a Micron for several weeks and, if I were after a synth capable of doing what Styles wants, I'd be thinking seriously about an Ion (in addition to considering a Nord Lead). I don't know anything about synths, really, though -- just how to shape basic sounds. I'm more curious than anything else on this topic. | |
| 7 -- 12/03/2006, 23:36:11 -- #31427 | |
| As regards "creating" synth sounds, I spent a lot of time learning how to program the early analog synths when they first came out in the mid-70s (Moog, Arp, Roland, Korg). Just when I thought I knew everything about synth programming, the DX7 hit the market in the early 80s. FM modulation was a whole new ballgame, with a pretty steep learning curve. To emulate the disco sounds for the dance band I played in I spent a lot of time tweaking patches to get them to sound just like the recordings we werte copying. Soon after sampling became affordable, which created another huge study in how to manipulate those "events" (cross-fading, tailoring the ends, finding zero points, etc.) It's interesting to note that when the first synths came out they seemed to present a whole new world of unheard of timbres to excite the ear. We were like pioneers on the verge of a vast unexplored realm of sonic bliss waiting to be discovered. Guys like Tangerine Dream were at the cutting edge of this revolution. Yet within a few years all of these "new" sounds were being almost exclusively used for crappy disco music and our brave new world faded like so much haze in the morning sun. The other use for synthesizers that we now take for granted were emulations of traditional instruments in little electronic boxes that eliminated the need to carry big heavy things like acoustic pianos and hammond organs to gigs. In the end it became pointless to spend time tweaking synths for two main reasons: 1. It's more fun (and ultimately more useful) to play your instrument than it is to spend all that time programming it. (Just as it is more fun and useful to play your piano than it is to spend hours tuning it yourself.) 2. The sounds that the professional programmers were able to come up with were of higher quality than what *I* could program, and so I decided to let them do their job (programming) - and I decided to do mine (playing). The bottom line here is that there are very few musicians who actually program synths anymore. Granted there is a resurgence in interest in the early analog synths (especially the mini-moog). The mini-moog has a warmth that is very difficult to reproduce by something that isn't a mini-moog. Yet you'll note that the mini-moog sound that you hear on all those hip-hop recordings is, by and large, one of the simplest sounds that that instrument is capable of producing. Isn't it odd that often the simplest thing is the best? If you want to spend your time learning to program synths, don't let me stop you. But you might want to consider whether your goal in life is to become a full-blooded musician or if your goal is to become a synth programmer. | |
| Styles -- 12/08/2006, 23:47:43 -- #31427 | |
| It's okay if your'e too lazy to make your own sounds anymore, 7. "Here's a lick on a Rhodes, now Wurletzer......how bout Clavinet?"...I gotcha man, it's all good. (Please don't worry about me hiding behind a synth. I know how to play.) ---------------- Jaledin, The funny thing is, nobody gives bad reviews to a synth unless it really sucks. So I've heard the Ion is great, and the Nord Lead is great. But the Ion is alot cheaper. Since the Micron and Ion are the same thing, how was your experience on the Micron? | |
| anacephalic -- 12/09/2006, 07:57:46 -- #31427 | |
| if you want the most tweakability for under $1000 try to find a used Kurzweil k2500 WITH KDFX (not a standard feature on the 2500 but it is on the 2600 which is usually about $500-800 more). i have a k2600 and just taking a standard patch into the KDFX for abuse creates some amazing changes. VAST is a whole 'nother thing, mangle city. The playing inspiration that can be found in an altered a sound subjected to a few minutes of modification is pretty cool. Full on sound design to get to something specific may be time consuming to an unreasonable degree but tweaking is fun...that's what made the analog so cool. all those knobs jsut waiting to be twirled. add that flexibility the great sounds in the kurz from the start and the 2500 is hard to beat imo you can also get weighted versions but they are monsters to move | |
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