If you don´t know what synth to buy because you have nearly no clue about synthesis then check out all the free stuff first. Lot´s of good choices. Learn the different timbres of the oscillators, the different sound of each filter, learn how to modulate them with your LFOs and envelopes.
But if you really wanna spend some money because you feel safer that way check out some semimodular/modular stuff and have fun.
I find it way more important to have a good MIDI controller with assignable sliders and knobs and a nice velocity curve and perhaps aftertouch.
It is way more satisfying to turn your filter cutoff via knob then via mouse.
Regards
Sebastian
Some Ideas to get deeper into Synths
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- KVRAF
- 7755 posts since 15 Sep, 2005 from East Coast of the USA
Check out these free ones first:
Charaltan (Windows only)
http://www.blaukraut.info/
u-he free synths
http://www.u-he.com/cms/tyrelln6
http://www.u-he.com/cms/podolski
http://www.u-he.com/cms/zebralette
Tone2's Firebird
https://tone2.com/html/firebird%20vsti% ... lugin.html
Elektrostudio synths (Windows only)
http://www.elektrostudio.ovh.org/index.php?go=odsay
http://www.elektrostudio.ovh.org/index. ... 4e034f99c5
OBXD
https://obxd.wordpress.com/
Charaltan (Windows only)
http://www.blaukraut.info/
u-he free synths
http://www.u-he.com/cms/tyrelln6
http://www.u-he.com/cms/podolski
http://www.u-he.com/cms/zebralette
Tone2's Firebird
https://tone2.com/html/firebird%20vsti% ... lugin.html
Elektrostudio synths (Windows only)
http://www.elektrostudio.ovh.org/index.php?go=odsay
http://www.elektrostudio.ovh.org/index. ... 4e034f99c5
OBXD
https://obxd.wordpress.com/
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- KVRian
- 540 posts since 8 Jul, 2009
It's wise to spend some time learning the basics of programming a synth.
Gordon Reid has written the best synthesis tutorials:
In Sound On Sound
http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/allsynthsecrets.htm
And about Thor
https://www.propellerheads.se/blog/tuto ... ng-reason/
If you have an iPad you could buy Thor (14 euro) and follow Gordon's tutorial.
The the synthesis video courses by Richard Lainhart on MacProVideo are also great.
Best way to learn a synth is by deconstructing/studying the patches.
Gordon Reid has written the best synthesis tutorials:
In Sound On Sound
http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/allsynthsecrets.htm
And about Thor
https://www.propellerheads.se/blog/tuto ... ng-reason/
If you have an iPad you could buy Thor (14 euro) and follow Gordon's tutorial.
The the synthesis video courses by Richard Lainhart on MacProVideo are also great.
Best way to learn a synth is by deconstructing/studying the patches.
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- KVRist
- 63 posts since 14 May, 2006
Zebralette was mentioned above as a good free synth to explore. I agree with this, especially if you are looking at purchasing Zebra in the future. Before Zebralette was released free to the public, it was bundled with Zebra specifically to help users learn the basics before graduating to the more complex Zebra. (One thing you learn is that you can produce rich sounds in Zebralette -- and thus Zebra -- with simple patches.)
But there's still lots of complexity to Zebralette if you want to explore it: lots of modulation possibilities with LFOs and a multi-stage envelope generator, the ability to draw waves or harmonics and the ability for a patch to morph or segue between waves. And spectral effects! And there are a number of free soundsets available for it. And so on.
But there's still lots of complexity to Zebralette if you want to explore it: lots of modulation possibilities with LFOs and a multi-stage envelope generator, the ability to draw waves or harmonics and the ability for a patch to morph or segue between waves. And spectral effects! And there are a number of free soundsets available for it. And so on.
