6 ms·
Everyone else has covered some good places to get started reading and learning, but eventually you'll have to twist some knobs on your own. Assuming you do go
by desine 5y ago
Everyone else has covered some good places to get started reading and learning, but eventually you'll have to twist some knobs on your own. Assuming you do go down this path, I want to throw out a suggestion.
If you get into synthesizers and music production, I highly recommend picking up a couple of Korg Volcas. They're not fancy, you won't impress any synth musicians with them, but their design is wonderfully fun. They often get overlooked by "serious" bloopmakers; they're a bit limited in capability, inexpensive, and the sound quality (noise floor especially) is not that of a high end synth. But their immediacy, learning curve, and common design makes it very easy and fun to play with. I can get someone who's never played any music in their life to start making beats and dance rhythms with me in under an hour. Elektron has some similar devices in the Models line, but their learning curve (and capabilities) are greater.
If I had $800 to spend on gear, I would much rather have 3 volcas covering rhythm, bass, and lead, and a mixer and recorder, than a single mid-range synth. I'd be able to make more professional sounding tunes with just a license for a major DAW (and maybe one piece of hardware with the leftover cash), but the fun factor and joy of beat crafting would be far greater.
Basically I'm a huge fanboy of Tatsuya Takahashi, a man who went to Korg with a home-built synth from his engineering degree's final year, got a job, and ended up causing a relatively large shift in the industry. There's an interview with him here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xb_-q5GKxK4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xb_-q5GKxK4
- biztos 5y agoI second the Volcas -- I bought a Volca Modular[0] this month and am enjoying it greatly, though if "music" is what you're after you probably want the Volca Keys[1] which is cheaper and less weird and has MIDI input. I also recommend the Keystep 37[2] from Arturia as a MIDI controller -- super interesting sequencer and arpeggiator plus decent quality mini-keyboard and some assignable knobs -- but must point out that it's only "bus powered" on a computer, your iPad or smartphone probably won't power it without an additional power bank. [0]: https://www.korg.com/products/dj/volca_modular/ https://www.korg.com/products/dj/volca_modular/ [1]: https://www.korg.com/us/products/dj/volca_keys/ https://www.korg.com/us/products/dj/volca_keys/ [2]: https://www.arturia.com/products/hybrid-synths/keystep-37/overview https://www.arturia.com/products/hybrid-synths/keystep-37/ov...
- brudgers 5y agoOdds are I won’t get terribly into those things. Just a little more into them than I am now. I have other rabbit holes already. I just want to know a little more down the flat early slopes of the curves. I have “a few YouTube videos” worth of interest. Not ten channels of subscription level.
- dharma1 5y agoI don’t think you need any books or hardware at this stage, maybe just someone to explain the basics to you and ask questions from, and a few YouTube videos. And try installing Audiokit Synth One (it’s free) on your iPhone or iPad to mess around with. Best to learn how oscillators, filters, envelopes and LFOs work from just messing around with a synth.
- desine 5y agoFair enough, but: 1) Hardware is a lot more fun than software. Being able to twist knobs two-handed, live, not using a mouse, is pretty freaking cool, and is a big part of the experience, IMO 2) If you do spend money, don't write off the volcas. They may offer less sound design, but they're a great capturing of that experience essence. You can syncronize a few, put in a mixer, and jam with a friend or two very easily. It's an expensive hobby if one falls into it's rabbit hole, but this particular model line is both inexpensive and good.
- burnt_toast 5y agoI love the volcas. Still just a novice and can't do much but I love their design and all the knobs to play with. I've got the drum, keys, and bass. It's a personal preference but there's just something about the physical hardware that I like better than software