Hello fellow Korg forum members, I'd like to hear how all of you were introduced to synthesizers whether it be by curiosity, a friend, or just the love for it's musical capabilities! Also, how every one of you learned how to synthesize, and what was your first synthesizer/musical instrument.
I grew an interest into synthesizers from various artists such as Crystal Castles, Enter Shikari, Foals, Attack Attack, etc.
My first keyboard was a Casiotone CT-102, and moved up to the infamous microKORG. I've even learned a lot from using Ableton and Reason.
So come and tell your stories fellow users!
Introduction to Synthesis
Moderators: Sharp, X-Trade, Pepperpotty, karmathanever
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Johnny Sniper
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Introduction to Synthesis
<b>Hardware:</b> microSTATION, iPad/Dock/Alesis Q49, Arturia MiniLab
<b>Software:</b> Ableton Live Lite Alesis Edition, Pro Tools 10
<b>Software:</b> Ableton Live Lite Alesis Edition, Pro Tools 10
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michelkeijzers
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- Location: Netherlands
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I was born in beginning of the seventies so my youth was the eighties which was quite dominated by synth music.
Altough I had an organ (which was not that programmable) it took until I started to play in a band (when I was 20 or so) and bought my first synth. What a mistake I bought ... however, later I switched to Korg and still are with them.
Altough I had an organ (which was not that programmable) it took until I started to play in a band (when I was 20 or so) and bought my first synth. What a mistake I bought ... however, later I switched to Korg and still are with them.
Developer of the free PCG file managing application for most Korg workstations: PCG Tools, see https://www.kronoshaven.com/pcgtools/
I was studying classical piano since I was three and when I was in my teens (16/17) I heard Vangelis' China. Blew me away.
I had started composing on piano but the Vangelis sounds seemed to create new worlds not possible on the piano.
So, I researched (no internet in those days!) and discovered that Vangelis used some Korg keyboards. Around this time, Korg released the Delta.
Could only buy it in London (I lived in Edinburgh at the time). My father died when I was 12 but there had been a small trust fund started for me. It had £750 in it. The Delta was a little over £700.
So me and my pal got a coach down to London, I bought the Delta and we slept rough in some public gardens with me holding the boxed Delta all night, dreaming of the new musical worlds...
... and I still am!
... and I still have that Delta
I had started composing on piano but the Vangelis sounds seemed to create new worlds not possible on the piano.
So, I researched (no internet in those days!) and discovered that Vangelis used some Korg keyboards. Around this time, Korg released the Delta.
Could only buy it in London (I lived in Edinburgh at the time). My father died when I was 12 but there had been a small trust fund started for me. It had £750 in it. The Delta was a little over £700.
So me and my pal got a coach down to London, I bought the Delta and we slept rough in some public gardens with me holding the boxed Delta all night, dreaming of the new musical worlds...
... and I still am!
... and I still have that Delta
Plugged in: Fantom 8, Jupiter-X, Jupiter 80, System-8, JD-XA, V-Synth GTv2, FA-06, SE-02, JU-06A, TR-09, VT-4, Go:Livecast, Rubix44, Shure SM7b, Push2, Ableton 11 Suite, Sibelius, KRK Rokit 5,
Nice to hear your stories...
A friend got me into synthesis through his Dr Who obsession. He was interested in radiophonic workshop sounds and introduced me to a piece of software called SynthEdit.
Its got a bad reputation because it exports plugins and everyone who thinks they can make anything is trying to make money from largely mediocre stuff, but with good programming and skill, there are also some surprisingly good things out there where you say "Wow, I didn't realise that was made in SE too"...
Anyway, a year later I bought a bass guitar for my 15th birthday and got into rock and namely Prog. Eventually I bought a microKorg and joined a local Prog Rock band... Very happy memories for me, even though the band had more than its share of disagreements and collapsed quite quickly, I made friends for life and realised how valuable music is to life.
My gear has been expanding exponentially since that microKorg, with the TR, Poly800... A lot of it is shelved or sold now as I think I had too much!
I think my introduction to synthesis with SE was exceptionally useful because I really get to know and understand the (modular) signal path in every synthesizer from a technical point of view, as well as MIDI and event based processing. It really makes programming and playing very intuitive when you really know not just what you've got but how it works!
A friend got me into synthesis through his Dr Who obsession. He was interested in radiophonic workshop sounds and introduced me to a piece of software called SynthEdit.
Its got a bad reputation because it exports plugins and everyone who thinks they can make anything is trying to make money from largely mediocre stuff, but with good programming and skill, there are also some surprisingly good things out there where you say "Wow, I didn't realise that was made in SE too"...
Anyway, a year later I bought a bass guitar for my 15th birthday and got into rock and namely Prog. Eventually I bought a microKorg and joined a local Prog Rock band... Very happy memories for me, even though the band had more than its share of disagreements and collapsed quite quickly, I made friends for life and realised how valuable music is to life.
My gear has been expanding exponentially since that microKorg, with the TR, Poly800... A lot of it is shelved or sold now as I think I had too much!
I think my introduction to synthesis with SE was exceptionally useful because I really get to know and understand the (modular) signal path in every synthesizer from a technical point of view, as well as MIDI and event based processing. It really makes programming and playing very intuitive when you really know not just what you've got but how it works!
Current Gear: Kronos 61, RADIAS-R, Volca Bass, ESX-1, microKorg, MS2000B, R3, Kaossilator Pro +, MiniKP, AX3000B, nanoKontrol, nanoPad MK II,
Other Mfgrs: Moog Sub37, Roland Boutique JX03, Novation MiniNova, Akai APC40, MOTU MIDI TimePiece 2, ART Pro VLA, Focusrite Saffire Pro 40.
Past Gear: Korg Karma, TR61, Poly800, EA-1, ER-1, ES-1, Kawai K1, Novation ReMote37SL, Boss GT-6B
Software: NI Komplete 10 Ultimate, Arturia V Collection, Ableton Live 9. Apple OSX El Capitan on 15" MacBook Pro
Other Mfgrs: Moog Sub37, Roland Boutique JX03, Novation MiniNova, Akai APC40, MOTU MIDI TimePiece 2, ART Pro VLA, Focusrite Saffire Pro 40.
Past Gear: Korg Karma, TR61, Poly800, EA-1, ER-1, ES-1, Kawai K1, Novation ReMote37SL, Boss GT-6B
Software: NI Komplete 10 Ultimate, Arturia V Collection, Ableton Live 9. Apple OSX El Capitan on 15" MacBook Pro
Hi, I'm Robin from the Netherlands. Mainly, I'm a bassplayer. I have a small homestudio, and been to the SAE college in Amsterdam. I use my synths for composing music, and record stuff in Cubase 5. When I was a teen, I listened a lot symphonic and proq rock, as well as Heavey Metal and hardrock.
Guys like John Paul Jones, Rick Wakeman, Keith Emmerson got me liking synths.
I now own a Korg N1 and R3 and also a Yamaha RM1x sequence remixer.
I had also a Korg Prophecy, but sold it as I didn't use it much.
I also play a bit guitar, enough to record my own songs, and as I normally play all instruments on my recordings, I call myself musician instaed of bassplayer or guitarist.
Guys like John Paul Jones, Rick Wakeman, Keith Emmerson got me liking synths.
I now own a Korg N1 and R3 and also a Yamaha RM1x sequence remixer.
I had also a Korg Prophecy, but sold it as I didn't use it much.
I also play a bit guitar, enough to record my own songs, and as I normally play all instruments on my recordings, I call myself musician instaed of bassplayer or guitarist.
Korg N1, a R3, iElectribe & DS10, A Yamaha RM1x sequence remixer. Cubase 5, MOTU Midi Timepiece AV, Lexicon IOnix FW810 interface and a Roland A300Pro controller.
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SanderXpander
- Platinum Member
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- Joined: Fri Jul 29, 2011 7:23 am
I'm also from The Netherlands. I started on the accordion actually. Still play one somewhat regularly. I started playing the piano when I was about 12 I think, but didn't get very serious until about 16. Had lessons for two years I think, and around that time I started a band with some friends (still play with some of them!). I played someone's home keyboard and really wanted to have a board of my own with some good sounds. Around that time Roland's XP-30 came out and it was perfect for me - could carry it on my bike (in a bag), it had tons of quality sounds, and it was affordable so I could buy it with a loan from my parents. Later I got the vintage keyboards expansion for it too.
When I had it for about a year, I ran into a teacher at the music school where I was doing a night-watch kind of job (more evening than night, really) and he made a very simple schematic of synth structure for me, and explained that TVA and TVF are just Roland's way of saying "ADSR". That finally opened the editing up for me.
Since then I've had a Karma, XB1, Triton Extreme, A-Station and some stage pianos and a Rhodes and more crap like that. Went to the conservatory too to study jazz and pop piano and I was always "the one with the sounds"
Funny detail - the teacher at that music school who showed me synthesis, was later my main piano teacher at the conservatory, and now we're colleagues and substitute for one another. And try out the Kronos together! Which I've ordered. He hasn't (yet).
When I had it for about a year, I ran into a teacher at the music school where I was doing a night-watch kind of job (more evening than night, really) and he made a very simple schematic of synth structure for me, and explained that TVA and TVF are just Roland's way of saying "ADSR". That finally opened the editing up for me.
Since then I've had a Karma, XB1, Triton Extreme, A-Station and some stage pianos and a Rhodes and more crap like that. Went to the conservatory too to study jazz and pop piano and I was always "the one with the sounds"
Funny detail - the teacher at that music school who showed me synthesis, was later my main piano teacher at the conservatory, and now we're colleagues and substitute for one another. And try out the Kronos together! Which I've ordered. He hasn't (yet).
I was introduced to the sound of synthesis by hearing them as part of songs I heard on the radio in the late 60's and early 70's, mostly the result of bands that used the minimoog or modulars. However the biggest influence was the all synthesizer music I heard from Switched-on Bach, the Disneyland Main Street Electrical Parade theme song "Baroque Hoedown," and the early albums of classical music done by Isao Tomita. Tomita's albums were the first ones I bought specifically for synthesis. Tomita's synth music was groundbreaking and completely original reinterpretation of Dubussy and other classics using sythesis and multitrack tape recorders.
I then learned the minimoog and modular synthesis with help from a mentor who was an electronics engineer. I built my first synth from kits and plans made by PAiA (which now is paia.com). Yes, I had to solder my first synth together before I could hear it.
I then learned the minimoog and modular synthesis with help from a mentor who was an electronics engineer. I built my first synth from kits and plans made by PAiA (which now is paia.com). Yes, I had to solder my first synth together before I could hear it.