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So I've never used a synthesizer before

Posted: Sun Oct 31, 2010 5:16 pm
by Slave
In fact the only instrument I play is guitar, which I have been playing for over a year. I am a fairly skilled guitarist, but I'm now interested in expanding my horizon. I am at the moment considering buying a synthesizer. I have very little knowledge about synthesizers, so I figured I better ask some questions first... Where should I start? What sort of things can I do with a synth, etc. It'd be much appreciated. Thanks

Re: So I've never used a synthesizer before

Posted: Sun Oct 31, 2010 5:27 pm
by Slave
Maybe I should start with the Moog Guitar? It looks bleeping incredible after watching some videos of it.

Re: So I've never used a synthesizer before

Posted: Sun Oct 31, 2010 10:20 pm
by Just Me
EDIT: deleted

Re: So I've never used a synthesizer before

Posted: Tue Nov 02, 2010 2:46 am
by Bääx
Slave wrote: Where should I start? What sort of things can I do with a synth, etc. It'd be much appreciated. Thanks
Do you have a music store nearby with any demo synths you can get your paws on? The simpler ones to play around with would be the Moog Little Phatty or the Dave Smith Mohpo.

As for what you can do with them, YouTube has tons of synth clips. Seeing as you're asking around on the Moog board, do some video searches on the Voyager and the Little Phatty and see if anyone's doing anything you like.

Re: So I've never used a synthesizer before

Posted: Wed Nov 03, 2010 3:55 am
by Electrong
If you can record, or if you can get a loop pedal, the synth can be used for basslines, and for "colorization" in your music, all kinds of different sounds can be made with it. The synth can be used for even drum sounds. Some synths (with an audio input) can process your guitar with the filters it has. So you're playing your guitar into the synth and it is filtering or modulating the sound somehow. Music is a very rich and complicated thing, though, so just discussing it on this forum is pretty short of understanding anything about it. So, yeah, look up these terms on youtube to see demonstrations of how others use them, but as far as your use of synths and guitar in music, your imagination and willingness to experiment is the only limitation you have.