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I would get a hardware synth. Much more engaging to program than looking at a screen. I know people hate Behringer but the fact is, they are killing it with th

• syntheweave 5y ago
  Hardware has the advantage of tactility and stability(both in terms of "boots the same every time, no software install or licensing" and "built to not crash"), and the disadvantages of physical maintenance, connectivity(a real studio setup needs physical cables and patch bays, so recalling a config is not so simple) and inflexible interfaces(some hardware is actually just bad to program because it's too complex to fit in a front panel). It's very personal and philosophical to decide on one or the other approach. For me the right compromise has been to get a MIDI knob controller like the Korg Nanokontrol, use plugins to build up sounds, but bounce to samples frequently. When I want really fresh sounds, I go look for new presets or sample packs. Working in samples using a powerful sampler/sequencer like Renoise, you've got a ton of flexibility to add production, since you can send it back through the synthesis path as many times as you want. The loss is primarily on the end of expressive performance in the raw source, which is where using a knob controller comes in to build up an expressive part when and where it's called for. Keyboarding skills can also do some of this, albeit in a different way: knob sweeps over an existing sequence is like conducting an orchestra, while little shifts in rhythm and velocity add individuality to a part. And although extensive modulation is technically appealing, most uses of it will make a sound effect that doesn't seat itself well in an arrangement. The big stuff for performance is usually the same tried-and-true - sweep the filter, bend the pitch, vary amplitude. And this is stuff that is more satisfying to do with real time controls, for sure. But I am also a bit disillusioned of the idea that my synth noises will sound so much different from preset synth noises as to define my sound: it's like how digital artists will get overly focused on brushes, or journeyman programmers will have big ideas to solve localized code problems without really integrating the solution into the big picture. There's faster feedback when you tweak synth knobs or mess with brush styles or do a lot of edit-test-debug, and that's very engaging, fun to toy with, but the feedback won't drive you in a particular creative direction unless you already know the goal.
• kennywinker 5y ago
  If you’re going to buy behringer, just buy second hand off craigslist/reverb. There’s so many of them flying around already because people buy them and then upgrade to something more powerful - no need to further saturate the secondary market.
• kimi 5y ago
  Behringer 2600 - lots of fun and sounds great.