Decisions

Myles · Post by **Myles** » Thu Oct 08, 2009 2:15 am

well i have been into making some music lately. i have an old yamaha keyboard my dad gave me. but its not enough. im not verygood yet. just learning but lots of potential. my friend has the microkorg XL and iv played with it a couple of times. but to the point.

i cant decide whether to get the R3, or the Micro X. i most likely wont put my own stuff on it till im better. im leaning towards the microx because has more presets. but it doesnt have the vocoder.

what do you guys think is best for me?

xmlguy · Post by **xmlguy** » Thu Oct 08, 2009 2:21 am

A virtual analog synth probably isn't the best choice for a first keyboard. A ROMpler like the X50, M50, Juno Di, Juno-G, or better yet a used Fantom X6, Triton Extreme 61, or other workstation that's one generation behind the current models. These all have very powerful synth engines that can do most of what virtual analog synths can do, but they have a wider range of function. A minimum of 49-61 keys is useful.

Myles · Post by **Myles** » Thu Oct 08, 2009 3:35 am

does the Korg Triton Extreme 61 have all the synths like the r3 or a vocoder?

zalo · Post by **zalo** » Thu Oct 08, 2009 10:37 am

im going to throw in my 2 cents

every ROMpler i have ever owned is sitting in a pile collecting dust

once i learned how to create sounds on a (virtual) analog synth i never wanted to use a ROMpler again

all im saying is that its going to be harder to create "YOUR sound" on a ROMpler workstation

that being said, if you are going to be writing soundtracks, generic pop, hip hop, or contemporary christian than one of the workstations that xmlguy listed is for you

xmlguy · Post by **xmlguy** » Thu Oct 08, 2009 10:57 am

All of the ROMplers I mentioned have powerful synth engines. They all have basic sine, saw, square, pulse, triangle waves and the ability to manipulate them to nearly the same degree as virtual analog synths, in some cases, to a greater degree. They also have a large set of more complex waves to manipulate. Now if you only use the engine to play back the samples in ROM, then yes, they are nothing more than modern digital mellotrons to you. But if you do the exact same kind of manipulation with the full structure available to you, then it's very similiar to VA synthesis. They also have the advantage of higher polyphony and multitimbrality.

The Triton Extreme also has the EXB-MOSS expansion, which is a VA synth with physical modeling that's still quite appreciated today by those who know what it can do. The TrEx+MOSS is still a powerhouse workstation.

Myles · Post by **Myles** » Fri Oct 09, 2009 6:17 pm

ok well i got the Triton Extreme 61 of ebay used for 656! should be here next weeksometime

2disbetter · Post by **2disbetter** » Fri Oct 09, 2009 9:36 pm

Myles wrote:ok well i got the Triton Extreme 61 of ebay used for 656! should be here next weeksometime

Nice! Hope it all works out!

2d

xmlguy · Post by **xmlguy** » Fri Oct 09, 2009 10:31 pm

Hope everything works as expected on your T-Rex. It truly is a monster synth. If you listen to each patch for 5 seconds, it will take you all day just to hear them all. Then you've got to play with the valve force tubes. Then the massive effects. Then the sequencer. Then audio tracks and sampling. And that's before you get to programming anything inside.