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I feel you should pick up and learn the synthesis architecture of the synths you you love the most. This article/blog goes over VSTs and such, but theres nothi

I feel you should pick up and learn the synthesis architecture of the synths you you love the most. This article/blog goes over VSTs and such, but theres nothing quite like sitting with a piece of hardware and learning that piece of hardware. If I had to select a great piece of hardware to learn synthesis on, it world be probably the *Elektron Digitone*. - It's oscillator is a 4 op FM but the rest of the architecture is subtractive. - Its very easy to get that 4 OP FM oscillator to do the classic triangle/saw square waves, for that more traditional subtractive feel. - Its pretty popular and there are loads of high quality tutorials - You can construct entire songs on it - You can learn to synthesize drum hits, bass lines, etc. - Its a 4 track midi sequencer! (4 track internal synth engine sequencer) - Multitimbral 8 voices - It's also a USB audio device! (I love this little box) 90% of this track is made with just this box.https://soundcloud.com/cassilda_and_carcosa/cirk8 https://soundcloud.com/cassilda_and_carcosa/cirk8 Great demo and overview of different synthesis techniques by loopop. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2Ic9upij-U https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2Ic9upij-U

smoldesu 5y ago
To each their own, but starting with FM synthesis over subtractive synthesis (particularly when it's an $800 box in question) seems to me like a good way to frustrate the average person. Now, the Digitone is no DX7 when it comes to complexity, but I've always felt like additive/FM synthesis just completely went over the layman's head. I love FM synthesis for the outright insane stuff that you can build with it, but subtractive synths have always filled the knob-twiddling hole in my heart. Once you know the basic components, you can dial in pretty much anything you can think of with a good degree of confidence. My recommended beginners synth would probably be the Behringer Neutron [0]. You can often find it used/on sale for less than a third of the price of a Digitone, and it's a design that "grows" pretty well for the average learner. You can already get a ton of mileage out of default configuration, but then it also has a patch bay that would make your Mother-32 turn green with jealousy. [0] https://www.behringer.com/product.html?modelCode=P0CM5 https://www.behringer.com/product.html?modelCode=P0CM5
- weatherlight 5y ago
  - Thats the trick though, it's a subtractive synth, you can completely ignore the FM part. - You'll still need a keyboard or a sequencer to use the Neutron and some sort of mixer or euro-rack to headphone amp. Thats said, eurorack is a lot of fun, and patching cables is a lot of fun.
pwenzel 5y ago
Personally I'd recommend starting small with an Artruria Microbrute. It has one oscillator and no presets. Print some preset examples out from Brutal Patches and enter them on your own to learn. The manual that comes with has great synthesis explanations that aren't too complicated. It has MIDI and a tiny patch bay. You can expand from there if you want. If you need a drum track, get yourself a Pocket Operator Rhythm and clock it from the Microbrute. (Be careful, this is a gateway drug. I learned how to use a Microbrute and now I own 168hp of Eurorack modules, a 0-Coast, and an Arturia Matrixbrute.)
- kennywinker 5y ago
  Microbrute is totally a good starter hardware synth, but I’d suggest people strongly consider the Korg Monologue. It has no patch bay, so if you’re headed towards modular it’s maybe the wrong purchase - but it’s built-in oscilloscope REALLY helps visualize what you’re doing in a way that I think a lot of people would find helpful.
  - weatherlight 5y ago
    Monologue and Minilogue XD are solid synths :). Those would be fantastic "first" synths. Tatsuya Takahashi, and by extension, Korg, did a really good job with those.

smoldesu 5y ago

To each their own, but starting with FM synthesis over subtractive synthesis (particularly when it's an $800 box in question) seems to me like a good way to frustrate the average person. Now, the Digitone is no DX7 when it comes to complexity, but I've always felt like additive/FM synthesis just completely went over the layman's head. I love FM synthesis for the outright insane stuff that you can build with it, but subtractive synths have always filled the knob-twiddling hole in my heart. Once you know the basic components, you can dial in pretty much anything you can think of with a good degree of confidence. My recommended beginners synth would probably be the Behringer Neutron [0]. You can often find it used/on sale for less than a third of the price of a Digitone, and it's a design that "grows" pretty well for the average learner. You can already get a ton of mileage out of default configuration, but then it also has a patch bay that would make your Mother-32 turn green with jealousy. [0] https://www.behringer.com/product.html?modelCode=P0CM5 https://www.behringer.com/product.html?modelCode=P0CM5

weatherlight 5y ago
- Thats the trick though, it's a subtractive synth, you can completely ignore the FM part. - You'll still need a keyboard or a sequencer to use the Neutron and some sort of mixer or euro-rack to headphone amp. Thats said, eurorack is a lot of fun, and patching cables is a lot of fun.

pwenzel 5y ago

Personally I'd recommend starting small with an Artruria Microbrute. It has one oscillator and no presets. Print some preset examples out from Brutal Patches and enter them on your own to learn. The manual that comes with has great synthesis explanations that aren't too complicated. It has MIDI and a tiny patch bay. You can expand from there if you want. If you need a drum track, get yourself a Pocket Operator Rhythm and clock it from the Microbrute. (Be careful, this is a gateway drug. I learned how to use a Microbrute and now I own 168hp of Eurorack modules, a 0-Coast, and an Arturia Matrixbrute.)

kennywinker 5y ago
Microbrute is totally a good starter hardware synth, but I’d suggest people strongly consider the Korg Monologue. It has no patch bay, so if you’re headed towards modular it’s maybe the wrong purchase - but it’s built-in oscilloscope REALLY helps visualize what you’re doing in a way that I think a lot of people would find helpful.
- weatherlight 5y ago
  Monologue and Minilogue XD are solid synths :). Those would be fantastic "first" synths. Tatsuya Takahashi, and by extension, Korg, did a really good job with those.