im new... hi...

the_girl_in_yellow_docs · Post by **the_girl_in_yellow_docs** » Wed Aug 30, 2006 7:42 am

hey i dont meet to draw attention to myself . but i am just fasinated with moogs i think they sound great and are fucken cool. im saving up for one at the moment. but i have no idea what i should buy. the little phatty looks sick as. and yeah just so i dont talk to poeple and act like i know what im talking about can anyone help me into understanding all about moogs.

thanks................

Love Bianca

godzilla · Post by **godzilla** » Wed Aug 30, 2006 10:41 am

do you know about other synths?
what do you know about music/sound in general?
it's hard to judge where to start without a reference point,
for me one of the coolest things about moog gear is all the CV stuff
i was drawn to this site by the theremins but have always played synth and soon i will have have my 1st moog synth, the LP.
i'd say the LP would be your best bet if your looking at getting a moog as it won't have any problems with it, and it will just be plain awesome!
if you want to mess around with some free moog goodness try the free minimoog software demo from arturia

http://www.arturia.com/en/minimoog/minimoogv.php

how did you get into moogs?

the_girl_in_yellow_docs · Post by **the_girl_in_yellow_docs** » Tue Oct 24, 2006 5:40 am

thanks for the reply!
sorry i have taken so long to respond. been pretty busy with work and school and things.

i dont really know much at all!

i joined here to learn about them because i have heard synths in a far few bits of music i listen to and i reckon it sounds ace so i want to know more about it and possibly get one in the near future!

what are your thoughts?

thanks Love Bianca xox

Demokid · Post by **Demokid** » Wed Oct 25, 2006 2:40 am

Hi Bianca,

If you are going to buy your first sizer maybe a monophonic (only one key sounds at a time) analog sizer is a bit overkill… Analog sizers (especially old used ones) need a lot of maintenance which is expensive.
Are you going to compose music using computers? Most of the early (pre 1983) analog sizers can not easily be controlled by computers since they lack MIDI.

Why not start with a virtual analog sizer and then if you get hooked buy a real analog sizer…

Best regards
Demokid

nicholas d. kent · Post by **nicholas d. kent** » Wed Oct 25, 2006 6:01 am

Demokid wrote:Hi Bianca,

If you are going to buy your first sizer maybe a monophonic (only one key sounds at a time) analog sizer is a bit overkill… Analog sizers (especially old used ones) need a lot of maintenance which is expensive.
Are you going to compose music using computers? Most of the early (pre 1983) analog sizers can not easily be controlled by computers since they lack MIDI.

Why not start with a virtual analog sizer and then if you get hooked buy a real analog sizer…
Best regards
Demokid

Yes, but if she likes the sound of Moogs then why not get a real one? Some people just like synthesizers in general but some people really perfer the sound of Moogs. So obviously the new Little Phatty isn't a bad choice and certainly can be connected to a computer, will have a waranty against breaking for a while and has memories, which means it can remember and reload sound settings you save. What's mentioned that is a good point is that most old and all new Moogs can only play one note at a time rather than chords, so it's meant to play the melody or special sounds, not chord pads or a whole "orchestra" at once.

As for old synthesizers lacking MIDI, well with some minor exceptions, very few synths actually connect directly to a computer. In general unless you have an exception, MIDI synths need a MIDI interface, which is not a big deal to buy. Likewise you can hook up a lot of really vintage synths with a second interface you could buy from a specialty dealer, a MIDI-CV interface. Now there are some old synths you just can't hook up easily. But many many synths before 1983 can be hooked up to a computer (with a MIDI interface + a MIDI-CV interface).

As for a lot of maintainance. It's true that some old synths have more problems than others, for instance a few rare parts in a few synths are known to almost always die with age. It's not for certain, I've had many already old synths for over a decade myself and they haven't broken. I've had some new synths that have broken. You can think about it two ways. If you have a 30 year old synth sooner or later it might break. If you have a thirty year old synth that hasn't broken so far what makes you think it's going to break soon. What is well worth doing is searching on the net for stories from other owners. There are synths with internal batteries that might leak or part(s) that always die with age, but more synths don't than do. Finally it's good to warn people that if you aren't very familiar with synths then at least some people selling them second hand sell them only partially working and hope you can't prove they sold you something they broke themselves.

museslave · Post by **museslave** » Wed Oct 25, 2006 11:12 am

Two very sad foregone conclusions:

That a keyboard must play more than one note at a time

That a keyboard must be MIDI to be used as a compositional tool

Demokid · Post by **Demokid** » Wed Oct 25, 2006 2:54 pm

Hey guys...

I’m all into analog sizers... I’m even going to buy a Synthesizer.com Studio44 system. I’m not saying that moog LP or Voyager is a good first buy. I’m just saying that sometimes a VA is good if you just want to compose music, with analog sounding sounds and plenty of knobs to play with. Then if you want to go hardcore… buy a real analog because it sounds so much better.

I have heard plenty of stories of people buying an analog sizer and just lost the interest in composing since it could only play one note at a time or just one sound (mono timbral) and so on. Those people should have bought a VA or a workstation and maybe they still would compose music today. I’m just saying go and try a VA, a LP in a music shop, talk to people before you buy… it is a lot of money.

Kind regards
Demokid

museslave · Post by **museslave** » Wed Oct 25, 2006 7:47 pm

I would say that if you are looking for a workstation sort of situation, or were interested in sequencing, it's almost pointless to buy an analog synthesizer, unless you buy a new one (that can be driven by your sequencer). And still, what's the point?
My stance on this has always been that if you're going to mix digital synths and analog synths, there is a good chance the differences between the two will be lost. If you've got some sort of electronica track with digital drums and digital chords and digital effects, and then a couple of analog sounds, there is a very high probability that most won't be able to discern which sounds are analog and which are not (unless you make extra effort to use idiomatically-analog sounds, but even then).
In that respect, I suppose I agree with demokid... what's the point of going to the extra effort and expense of using analog?
Analog use is much deeper than just a "warm sound." People who are drawn to analog synthesizers are usually drawn to them because:
a. They DO have a warm sound
b. The user wants to have total control over the sound at all times, which the standard knob-per-function layout encourages
c. There is some sort of nostalgic connection that has the user wanting the relatively limited (compared to digital) sounds analog synthesizers create
d. The user wants to emulate a musical hero they love who uses analog
e. There is emotion evoked by the aesthetics and what those aesthetics represent.
f. (unfortunately) It's hip to use analog.

If you're a person who is interested in writing and sequencing electronica, there really isn't a strong reason for you to invest time and effort in analog, unless you simply want to... but as most complain bitterly about the prices, "wanting to" usually isn't enough reason.

But about prices: If you wanted to buy a decent guitar, you'd pay more... perhaps a lot more... than you would for a mid-level vintage analog synth. (for now, anyway) $500 really isn't that much money for a professional musical instrument. You don't hear professional drummers or guitarists or etc. complaining about having to pay $400 for their instrument.
And why is this?
It's because so many keyboard players are not really keyboard players, but rather people who like electronic sounds and want to sequence them. It's not about having a fine musical instrument, it's about using an electronic device to compose a style of music. If you're interested in emulating electronic bands you like you are FAR less interested in honing musical and technical mastery of one specific device, and more interested in having the ability to produce fully-instrumented electronica tracks. So, in that case... of COURSE a monophonic may not appeal to you... because it really isn't what you're looking for.

If you're interested in using an analog synthesizer because you like what they sound like AND what they represent... AND you're interested in learning to play a musical instrument, then I would encourage you to look into analog synthesizers. If you like synthesizers and like bands that use them, then I might encourage you to start with something less intensive than analog.

The sad thing about that is that using analog is the best way to understand the history and aural principles that form the basis for synthesizer sounds in general.

the_girl_in_yellow_docs · Post by **the_girl_in_yellow_docs** » Sun Oct 29, 2006 1:26 am

hey everyone
thanks for the nice load of replys.............. well im goin to buy one i want to get a fairly good one. ive been looking at the little phatty and it looks pretty cool. i am very will to learn this fine instrument and i want to get good at it.... it seems like alot of fun and i listen a fair few bands with synths so yes. im already learning bass but id love to have another instrument under my belt and im pretty sure the moog is just the one im looking for!!!!!!!!!!

anything else i will need to know... by the way im from australia
where are all you guys from?

xo

Bianca

Demokid · Post by **Demokid** » Tue Oct 31, 2006 6:01 am

Hi!

I'm from Stockholm/Sweden.

Regards
Demokid