Who plays synthesisers?

[El Pr0n]

I'm in the middle of one of those periods where you have a decent amount of money saved up, and you don't know what to do with it. I thought some sort of synthesiser might be cool.

I'm a big big Radiohead and Aphex Twin fan, as well as stuff like Kraftwerk, I'm really interested in learning about, and making, that kinda electronic sound. Clicks and beeps, as opposed to "searing leads" and "soaring pads" or whatever.

I guess, if money were no object, I'd get a ginormous analogue modular system, but money is, unfortunately, an object 
Sequencing drums would be my main interest, I suppose. I do a bit of that with Fruity Loops, but I'd much rather work with knobs and buttons and all instead of a mouse. Also, I have a really rubbish computer.

Anybody here into that kinda stuff.

[ugly casanova]

i am a little bit into that cut and re-arrange stuff but i am not sure what you mean by making clicks and beeps by a synthesizer.
when i am making any clicks and beeps i take drum samples (free downloads) and modify all the parameters to make them sound either click-y or booom-y.
would you mind saying what particular songs you think of? and which parts especially? 

i am a big fan of radiohead and i do like what aphex twin does. (some radiohead tunes wouldnt exist without the inspiration of aphex twin as we all know)

[rickenmetal]

You can do that with a synth if it has a sequencer, the thing is the programming will be mostly in real time, sometimes step-by-step also, but I think on most synths just one step at a time, you might want to look into something else if you want TR style rhythm programming.

Or esle you could try also a synth with an external sequencer.

[El Pr0n]

I honestly have no idea about this kinda stuff, I'm just really interested in learning about it. I kinda thought of "synthesiser"  as a catch-all kinda term, mistakenly 

I like the way Fruity Loops work, but I feel kinda 'stale' just sitting in front of a computer. I wanna rawk 

So I guess for Radioheady Aphex Twiny stuff, one would need a few different machines all together?

My favourite Radiohead electronic track is Idioteque, I love The Gloaming too. I know for Idioteque, Jonny Greenwood is playing an Analogue Systems RS 8500 modular thingy, and The Gloaming is done with a computer (Max/MSP?). And for Aphex Twin, I like all of it. Maybe Flim and Girl/Boy Song are my favourite? For his older stuff (SAW, I Care Because You Do), it sounds like he's using the usual kinda TR-909, TB-303, that kinda gear.

But all of the above equipment is a bit out of reach for mortals, how about stuff that doesn't cost the earth? 

[Pingu]

I honestly have no idea about this kinda stuff, I'm just really interested in learning about it. I kinda thought of "synthesiser"  as a catch-all kinda term, mistakenly 

I like the way Fruity Loops work, but I feel kinda 'stale' just sitting in front of a computer. I wanna rawk 

So I guess for Radioheady Aphex Twiny stuff, one would need a few different machines all together?

My favourite Radiohead electronic track is Idioteque, I love The Gloaming too. I know for Idioteque, Jonny Greenwood is playing an Analogue Systems RS 8500 modular thingy, and The Gloaming is done with a computer (Max/MSP?). And for Aphex Twin, I like all of it. Maybe Flim and Girl/Boy Song are my favourite? For his older stuff (SAW, I Care Because You Do), it sounds like he's using the usual kinda TR-909, TB-303, that kinda gear.

But all of the above equipment is a bit out of reach for mortals, how about stuff that doesn't cost the earth? 

If I remember correctly the main chord progression in Idioteque is a sample from a 70's electronic composer named Paul Lansky, and he in turn supposedly "borrowed" the notes from Wagner.

[spook]

[haesslich]

i own lots of synth stuff, analog, digital, sampling, hardware, software, polyphonic, monophonic, modular, i have at least one of each kind
it's addictive. just don't get started! this is my advice.
in fact i started playing guitar just for preventing me from buying more synthesizers.

So I guess for Radioheady Aphex Twiny stuff, one would need a few different machines all together?

if you choose your tool careful and with a certain amount of research before buying you'll probably be able to do most of your stuff with one or two machines. the really interesting stuff has to be explored at each machine for itself, too much gear only prevents you from doing so. even if i had twice as much time as i spend it for making music i'd only be able to explore only half of my gear, so in the end i only know two or three machines really good.
a combination which works out for me is for example the akai mpc and maybe something like the waldorf microwave 2/xt. or maybe even an mpc and a microkorg (which i don't own but i'd really be confident with). i am really obsessed by the mpc1000. it's certainly not a one trick pony and i use it for far more than the usual "hip hop beats" stuff, but a "real" synthesizer is always a great companion for machines like the mpc.

[BenHagerty]

I have that too, I don't know how to use it though haha

[Pingu]

I really don't know much about synths either, usually I just select a preset and tweak the knobs at random until it sounds slightly less horrible.

[Maggieo]

Bob and I endorse the Alesis Micron- sounds as good as the Korg, has an awesome multi voice sequencer thing called "setups"  that combines a drum track, a sequencer/arpeggiator on the lower half of the keyboard and a lead voice on the upper half.  Also, I like the full-sized, velocity-sensitive keys:

[tsalwel]

OT 

maggie how many times we have seen bob already    ?

what a cat !! 

  d

[Maggieo]

Bob is an integral part of my sound!! 

[Pingu]

Do you feed the Micron to the Pignose? Synths through amps is a very underrated sound.

[Maggieo]

Do you feed the Micron to the Pignose? Synths through amps is a very underrated sound.

Yep!

Micron into Pignose is pretty awesome.  I do direct when recording and tweak GuitarAmp Pro to sound like the 'Nose.

[El Pr0n]

I've looked at the Micron a lot, as well as the Novation Xiosynth, I really like look of the Micron, it seems a lot more... I dunno, 'serious' than the MicroKorg, and it has more keys than the Xiosynth. I heard some really cool FM sounds from both, though.

So should I be looking at a 'groovebox' kinda thing like an MPC? I read that DJ Shadow made the entire Endtroducing album on a really basic MPC.

And yeah, the chords in Idioteque are taken directly out of that Paul Lansky piece, but I think the drum sounds are done with an RS Integrator. That's what Jonny fiddles with during the song on stage, anyway!