Synth recommendations

Martian Telecom · Post by **Martian Telecom** » Thu Oct 09, 2008 6:08 am

It doesn't really matter, a poly synth is a poly synth. It comes down to effects processing and eq'ing more than anything else.

People get hung up on the gear because they can't make music. A decent tune and a solid mix are more important that having a room full of magical boards. That comes from you personally, no purchase can do it for you.

optX · Post by **optX** » Thu Oct 09, 2008 9:30 am

I can recommend you a Dave Smith Evolver. It's rather cheap (about $550 / €450) ... two analog Osc, two digital Osc, analoge Filters, a lot of great modulaion-possibilities, fat analog sound and also creepy digital sound. I love it!

oh, forgot : 4x16 Step sequencer and monophonic, but you would never expect that this big sound is monophonic, hehe

cheers

steevio · Post by **steevio** » Thu Oct 09, 2008 11:32 am

Martian Telecom wrote:It doesn't really matter, a poly synth is a poly synth. It comes down to effects processing and eq'ing more than anything else.

People get hung up on the gear because they can't make music. A decent tune and a solid mix are more important that having a room full of magical boards. That comes from you personally, no purchase can do it for you.

sorry man but thats just wrong.
it does matter what equipment you use.
just try making techno with a bontempi organ.

hydrogen · Post by **hydrogen** » Thu Oct 09, 2008 2:11 pm

steevio wrote:it does matter what equipment you use.

yes. and steevio should know this more than anybody. There is much different qualities between each subtractive synth. And it gets better when you don't even have to eq any of them because you know which one and where to put each one in the spectrum.

steevio · Post by **steevio** » Thu Oct 09, 2008 2:40 pm

hydrogen wrote: And it gets better when you don't even have to eq any of them because you know which one and where to put each one in the spectrum.

yes. if i have to EQ a synth, it usually means i got the harmonics, waveshapes, and oscillator levels wrong in the first place. i go back to sort it out at source and use EQ as a last resort.
same with effects, if you get into synth programming and you have the right machine you dont really need effects, i hardly ever use them (apart from a touch of reverb)
effects are a lazy way to avoid reading synth manuals.

sorry i'm feeling bolshi today

steevio · Post by **steevio** » Thu Oct 09, 2008 8:40 pm

ha ha sorry for being a total synth nerd,

effects are cool

Martian Telecom · Post by **Martian Telecom** » Fri Oct 10, 2008 1:26 am

[quote]sorry man but thats just wrong.
it does matter what equipment you use.
just try making techno with a bontempi organ.[/quote]

The point that I am trying to make is that the people sweat the gear the most are usually the people making up for a lack of talent or experience.

If you can't make good techno on a couple cheap pieces of midi gear in this day and age than the problem isn't the gear, it's you. In fact, if you can't make music on a simple cheap set up the worst thing you can do is buy more equipment. You are going to have a room full of stuff that you can't use and have no idea where to start when you do want to do something.

If you know what you are doing it is great to have a studio full of equipment. You have a lot of great tools that make it easy to execute your creative goals. I am not claiming that having a decent studio is pointless. If you are just starting out you should spend more time working on the music aspect and less time worrying about what board is going to do it for you.

Martian Telecom · Post by **Martian Telecom** » Fri Oct 10, 2008 1:39 am

And more to the point, it doesn't really matter if you are using a dco synth or a va, they all sound more or less alike and the processing is the main thing.

It isn't worth splitting hairs over. Get an old roland poly synth and call it a day.