Can anyone recommend a synthesizer

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Newsong
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Can anyone recommend a synthesizer

Post by Newsong » Wed Dec 14, 2022 1:21 pm

Hi my name is Ralph Woodson can anyone recommend a synthesizer that’s good enough quality for sync music my budget is up to $2000 thanks

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Telefunkin
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Re: Can anyone recommend a synthesizer

Post by Telefunkin » Thu Dec 15, 2022 5:30 am

Good enough? Its not the tools its the operator, its not the gear its the ears :).

My honest answer would be..... don't buy one! Instead, buy a mother keyboard or use any cheap midi/usb synth connected to your computer, then use soft synths/VST instruments, there's thousands of them and they keep getting better.

You could use that to trigger the sounds that come with many digital audio workstations these days (like Logic or Cubase). If you want more flexibility though I'd suggest getting hold of Kontakt, which is sample playing software from Native Instruments. The free version is fantastic but has restrictions that you'll soon start to feel, therefore you'll probably want to get the full spec paid-for version before long. The best way to buy that is as part of the Komplete bundle but wait until there's a sale on at NI. Yes, its expensive, but if you buy-in at the low end you'll get plenty of stuff for your money, as well as opening up a whole world of access to NI instruments, third party instruments and loads of free instruments too - and still have plenty of change out of your $2k. The trouble is, then you'll never stop buying more and better instruments, and upgrading....etc :).

https://www.native-instruments.com/en/catalog/komplete/
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Re: Can anyone recommend a synthesizer

Post by cosmicdolphin » Thu Dec 15, 2022 9:44 am

NI Komplete
Omnisphere
Serum
Dune
Zebra
Etc etc.... depends on what genres you write in

Don't buy a hardware synth for sync. It will likely end up as an expensive master keyboard. Soft synths and sample libraries are the best for sync composers.

Mark

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Re: Can anyone recommend a synthesizer

Post by Paulie » Thu Dec 15, 2022 11:25 am

What kind of music do you want to create? This will determine your next steps. And, are you a Mac or PC user?
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Re: Can anyone recommend a synthesizer

Post by SteveR » Fri Feb 03, 2023 7:43 am

Sorry to hijack this thread a little, but since some trained “ears” have posted here, I’m looking for a quality orchestral package to use with Cubase Pro 12. What works best with Cubase that has dynamic orchestral sections? Good solo instruments would be good too but not as important to me as high quality orchestra sections. I want to add something to what I have. I’d be grateful to hear what advice the musicians here have.

I second the statement about a synth becoming a MIDI controller btw lol. Since moving to Cubase my most expensive synth (Kronos X-88 workstation) spends most of its time switched off (mainly due to glacial start up time). It has a pretty good piano weighted keyboard for piano playing, and some lovely onboard pianos, but the rest of its features have become very under utilised for what I’m doing lately. Not dissing it though - I still very much love it because of the hours I’ve spent with it over the last decade and the huge amount of creativity I have enjoyed with it, but in agreement with the above statements, a decent DAW and a user friendly MIDI keyboard will get you on a good path to make music and will be a much better use of your cash. I hate to admit it, but I was a DAW hater in the past but where we are now with what they have to offer. No contest. We are living in an amazing era to make music. The quality of what is in reach of most musicians to create music these days is incredible. All the best! I’m excited for you.

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Re: Can anyone recommend a synthesizer

Post by cassmcentee » Fri Feb 03, 2023 8:06 am

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIA3i0dplRA
Guy Michelmore's setup from 2 years ago
Robert "Cass" McEntee
"Making music on a spinning ball of Magma"
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Re: Can anyone recommend a synthesizer

Post by cosmicdolphin » Fri Feb 03, 2023 4:28 pm

SteveR wrote:
Fri Feb 03, 2023 7:43 am
Sorry to hijack this thread a little, but since some trained “ears” have posted here, I’m looking for a quality orchestral package to use with Cubase Pro 12. What works best with Cubase that has dynamic orchestral sections? Good solo instruments would be good too but not as important to me as high quality orchestra sections. I want to add something to what I have. I’d be grateful to hear what advice the musicians here have.
That's a whole can of worms, there's a mutlitude of options from free like the excellent BBC Discover to really expensive and as always " it depends " on what type of orchestral music you want it for.

I agree with Dave Kropf at 52Cues that Symphobia1 is a great first orchestral library and they updated it to V2 not that long ago, some of the multis are very cool sort of "instant" cue material in some cases. I probably reach for it most over the others I have.

Mark

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Re: Can anyone recommend a synthesizer

Post by SteveR » Sun Feb 05, 2023 2:13 pm

cosmicdolphin wrote:
Fri Feb 03, 2023 4:28 pm
SteveR wrote:
Fri Feb 03, 2023 7:43 am
Sorry to hijack this thread a little, but since some trained “ears” have posted here, I’m looking for a quality orchestral package to use with Cubase Pro 12. What works best with Cubase that has dynamic orchestral sections? Good solo instruments would be good too but not as important to me as high quality orchestra sections. I want to add something to what I have. I’d be grateful to hear what advice the musicians here have.
That's a whole can of worms, there's a mutlitude of options from free like the excellent BBC Discover to really expensive and as always " it depends " on what type of orchestral music you want it for.

I agree with Dave Kropf at 52Cues that Symphobia1 is a great first orchestral library and they updated it to V2 not that long ago, some of the multis are very cool sort of "instant" cue material in some cases. I probably reach for it most over the others I have.

Mark
I get that. Huge topic full of options from free to mega. That’s why I jumped in and asked. Thanks for your reply. :D

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Re: Can anyone recommend a synthesizer

Post by SteveR » Sat Feb 11, 2023 9:51 pm

Hi Mark

Thanks again for your input. I downloaded the free Spitfire BBC Discover to get me started. Wow! So useful and lovely sounding. In a couple of my instrumentals I simply replaced the older strings from my Korg with the various BBC sections, and what a difference that alone made.

I since read up on the various orchestral plug-ins and compared prices etc. Symphobia looks like the way forward for me at this point. My birthday is coming up, so maybe a present to self… :D

Cheers!

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Re: Can anyone recommend a synthesizer

Post by SteveR » Sat Feb 11, 2023 10:07 pm

Newsong wrote:
Wed Dec 14, 2022 1:21 pm
Hi my name is Ralph Woodson can anyone recommend a synthesizer that’s good enough quality for sync music my budget is up to $2000 thanks
Hi Ralph, sorry that I ‘jacked your thread. Your question and the replies that followed were right on point for what I have recently learned, having been a hardware user for a very long time, and quite recently (a few months) switched to Cubase 12.

For music production, your money is definitely better spent on a decent DAW, which btw costs way less than your budget (Cubase Elements $99, Cubase Pro $579, with options in between), leaving cash for other components, such as audio interface, MIDI controller, decent headphones. The other major DAW’s also have the same main capabilities. Can’t go into which one is best… because that depends… The common summary in answer of that question is the best one is the one that you are used to. For me, I wasn’t used to any of them so I went with Steinberg, because I saw some very good youtube tutorials that made me confident I could figure it out. The others probably have the same but I just liked the look and feel of Cubase, and when I learned that Hans Zimmer uses it, I figured it’s definitely good enough for me lol.

You’ve probably researched this already by now but Cubase, for example, comes with some synth “VSTi’s”, which are software synths. There are hundreds of presets, like you would find in a hardware synth, and they are customisable with most of (if not all) the features you typically find in a synth. The user interfaces are great, since you have a PC/Mac screen to display it all on. It also comes with a decent sample library for drums, cinematic effects, etc. You really have a lot “in the box” for your money.

Good luck with your choices. Let us know what you end up doing 8-)

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