Live synth set-up for metal band

[chad.wacey]

Hey there, new to the forums so sorry if this is the wrong place to be posting this.

I have recently been invited to a friends metal band to play synth. I am more of a guitarist, I got a MicroKORG for my graduation a couple years ago and I've played around with it, mostly just learning random things (video game themes) haha.
They are playing shows and hopefully within the next month or so I will be able to catch up and learn the songs but I am wondering what kind of effects pedals, add-ons, whatever you wanna callits to my set-up. I am very beginner so I am not even sure what most of this gear is. I have looked through the website and through a couple magazines and noticed a couple things that might be worthwhile.
So in someone a bit more professionals opinion, what kinds of things should I look into purchasing in the future?
Also, any suggestions on keyboards with less analog, and more.. realistic piano/organ type sounds on it?

[michelkeijzers]

It depends on what budget. If you are a very beginner I should first start learn to play instead of focus on gear, an instrument is never better than the player who plays it.

FOr more realistic sounds (I don't know the microKorg by the way), you can check for e.g. the M50 which is cheap but has quite good sounds. If you have much to spend, take a look at the Kronos. In between is the M3, but you can also look for a 2nd hand.

[chad.wacey]

Thanks, that's a good point.

MicroKORG is good but really 8-bit, analogy sounds. Thanks a lot, I will check into those that you mentioned.

[tpantano]

MicroKORG is good but really 8-bit, analogy sounds.

It's good for them, but 8-bit/chiptune sounds use barely any of the MicroKORG's capabilities, so you cannot say that it's only/majorly only for them. If we were talking about a GameBoy I'd agree, but the MicroKORG is a real, professional synthesizer. It's not a toy, and if people actually bother to learn how to synthesize, they'll learn it's true potential.

[csteen]

I can certainly say that the M50 has powerfully awesome sounds and features both. I am learning more each and every day about just how deap this thing gets and it's capabilities.

[Synthoid]

Also, any suggestions on keyboards with less analog, and more.. realistic piano/organ type sounds on it?

Actually, there was a new synth introduced at NAMM last month... the Casio XW P1. After viewing several videos and reading the specs, I have to agree with the pros that were quite impressed with it. It should hit the stores in a couple months and retail for $499.

For the price, this looks to be a rather innovative keyboard. It offers a synth section, tonewheel organ emulation w/drawbars, and a decent PCM library.



Specs are here:

http://www.casiomusicgear.com/home/index.html

[tpantano]

I can certainly say that the M50 has powerfully awesome sounds and features both. I am learning more each and every day about just how deap this thing gets and it's capabilities.

So do the microkorg/xl/r3/radias; it's simply that very few care about the possibilities with wave-based synthesis.

[chad.wacey]

I am not downing the MicroKORG, I got it for a reason. I am not downing the sounds, I'm just saying it doesn't offer a realistic piano and organ sound. Which are sounds I would like to use for the band. I am not an expert and it is hard to find good patches on youtube for the MK.

And thanks all for the suggestions, I looked into Kronos, absolutely amazing but the price is way too much haha
I will check into the m50 and the couple others mentioned.

Does anyone have suggestions for anything else? Not sure, but I think a sample pad would be a good choice..? It would be cool to be able to have a bass drop in a song.

[Timo]

You could always grab a second hand Triton, or even Trinity, for cheap on eBay.

[tpantano]

I am not an expert and it is hard to find good patches on youtube for the MK

If you're looking for patches that emulate an acoustic piano, then no, you will find none. That is not the intent of a synthesizer the style of a MicroKORG.

I'm not an expert, but with the help of these forum members, independent research and the manual, I taught myself how to patch. You can't expect everything to be given to you. That's not what being a synthesizer player is about. If you don't want to focus on the sound design aspect- synthesis, then don't get a synthesizer. It's as plain and simple as that.

[X-Trade]

For piano, real strings, etc. Look to get a ROM or sample based synth/workstation/rompler such as the M50, M3, X50, Triton, Trinity, MicroX etc.

What tpantano said is kinda true - to get the most out of a pure synthesizer (i.e. microkorg, r3, radias, etc - not just a sample player) you've really got to learn a lot of technical stuff about creating sounds. And they're limited in that they'll produce electronic sounds, not real sounds.

On a professional sample+synth/rompler/workstation though you can usually do much of the same, but it may not be as flexible or characterful - and it will come with all of the 'bread and butter' sounds like guitars, drums, piano, various synths, etc. already programmed in, whereas the preset programs on most 'pure' synths like the MK are more designed to just show off what you can achieve with them.

[chad.wacey]

Yeah, and once again I was never talking badly about the MicroKORG.

All this talk of synths and workstations is good but the main thing I was trying to ask about was pads, pedals, etc for a live band and nobody has said a word about it.

[chad.wacey]

I am not an expert and it is hard to find good patches on youtube for the MK

If you're looking for patches that emulate an acoustic piano, then no, you will find none.

And this isn't what I was talking about. The settings that come with the MK aren't the best for the most part. There are a few I really like and I've messed around with the settings and made a few I like but I am not an expert in this at all so it is hard to create sounds I like and there is nowhere, that I've found @ least, that lists custom patches. I know of a few bands that use the MK and they have good sounds and I'd like to achieve sounds similar to them.

[Synthoid]

I know of a few bands that use the MK and they have good sounds and I'd like to achieve sounds similar to them.

Here is a huge list of synthesizer tips and tricks from Sound on Sound magazine that should help get you started:

http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/allsynthsecrets.htm

[tpantano]

And this isn't what I was talking about. The settings that come with the MK aren't the best for the most part. There are a few I really like and I've messed around with the settings and made a few I like but I am not an expert in this at all so it is hard to create sounds I like and there is nowhere, that I've found @ least, that lists custom patches. I know of a few bands that use the MK and they have good sounds and I'd like to achieve sounds similar to them.

And I can guarantee you that the majority of the bands you listen to that use the microKORG do not use the default patches or other peoples' patches.

Yeah, and once again I was never talking badly about the MicroKORG.

You're implying that it's useless because you don't like the default patches and people aren't simply throwing patches at you.