how easy is it to program a synth?

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It seems the vast majority of users adjust parameters with very little idea of what they are doing. Very few people are well educated enough about each component of a synthesizer to effectively create anything with it other than by trial and error.

That said, there are a lot of people who do so very successfully! Trial and error isn't a bad thing. With some of the more simple synthesizers which are also well designed there is no "wrong" setting. Almost anyone can sit down with the SH-09 for example or the SH-101, MC-202 and similar and randomly modify parameters to get a whole range of sounds.

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When you only have nine or ten parameters or less to adjust it is very easy to simply listen to what happens as you adjust them. Over time you may develop an intuition for these parameters.

When I was first exposed to the MS-10 as a kid (teen) I developed a basic intuition within about an hour. After that I became fascinated with exactly how every component worked and years later this led me to create my own synthesizers. (At the time I was already attempting to create electronic circuits, analog synthesizers. It took a lot longer to develop enough electronics expertise to design/create my own working circuits than it took to understand the function of those circuits.)

Not everyone will take that next step and many people may just stick with slowly developing intuition. Neither is particularly difficult though, you are always free to go whichever way you desire.
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It would not be hard to program a synthesizer, thought Curious George. But it wasn't easy!
Incomplete list of my gear: 1/8" audio input jack.

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Programming a synth isn't hard.
Making a sound that is appealing to the masses - therein is the difficulty/challenge.

All comes down to one of my favourite phrases. "Music is just organised noise"

Same with a random patch on a synth. It's still technically a sound, even though it may not sound like a Bosendorfer piano, full symphonic strings or a moog bass that are (just some) of the preconceived notions of a "sound".. fwiw, even "init patch" is a sound and required someone to "program" it..
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emcee wrote:Programming a synth isn't hard.
Making a sound that is appealing to the masses - therein is the difficulty/challenge...
I make sounds that are appealing to me. Im not interested in pleasing anyone else.

...and yes, its easy to program a synth, once you make an effort to learn how it works.

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I make sounds that are appealing to me. Im not interested in pleasing anyone else.
And there's the thing that makes music interesting. If you strip music (not synthesis) right down, and without including the different non-western scales, we all have the same 12 notes to make a zillion tunes that are always evolving - much like painting with 12 colours. Why repaint the Mona Lisa, it's already been done. And (don't judge me) I don't think it's the best painting I've ever seen.

Skinny Puppy as an example going back to Music.. I can listen to it but after 20 mins I'm like... yeah. Rick Astley, much the same. Yet some people would listen to either for hours. Bad examples perhaps.. and kinda going off on a tangent. Hey it's Friday afternoon.

Bottom line - we're all wired differently to like and dislike different things - so one man's trash is another's treasure, which applies to all manner of things, including music (and programming synths)

:)
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