NearTao wrote:The Behringer stuff looks decent enough... so definitely a price conscious way to get into synthesis more. Fresh breath has a thread you can look for if you’d like to really dig in on this site.
For me, synthesis really clicked when I got into Moog’s style of subtractive synthesis. If you’ve got an iOS device I’m pretty sure you can still get the Minimoog app for free. Having hands on controls is way better, but it is hard to pass up on free if you have the ability to get into. It is pretty much one for one control to the sound you hear, and there is not much “hidden”. The version I cut my teeth on was the Arturia Minimoog emulator, and the manual was flipping amazing. I’d suggest seeing if you could find a pdf version of it kicking around, because it is quite well laid out and what you can learn there applies to many other synthesizers.
EDIT: just adding... it is super easy to go crazy buying gear. Focus on what you’ve got, and what you think you need. Ask for advice and explain to folks what you’re looking for to add, you’ll frequently get good advice, and you may find that what you have is way more capable than what you thought. Remember, for a lot of folks like myself, I’ve been doing this for twenty+ years, so the investment over time hasn’t been so bad, and some devices I have sold off have sold for a lot because I have taken good care of my gear and made sure it is in good shape. So don’t hold on to stuff forever, and don’t be afraid to try something and flip if it if it doesn’t click. It’s better to stick to a budget, flip what you don’t need, and keep what actually is special to you in your process.
I always shake my head at folks who jones after older Akai gear like the S950 or MPC 60/3k. Yeah, they do get you a distinct sound, but you also need to be willing to commit to them. A lot of gear is not plug and play, you need to really dig deep, read the manuals, and think about how it will work for you. Nobody else is going to be able to give you the whole recipe for your success but you. That said, a lot of us are here to help!
I've been playing bass about 20 years now and it's been in that time that I've collected the instruments I have, so it's been a slow build with the exception of the Arturia pieces and the MPC within the past year or so. I also don't have any iOS devices, unfortunately.
The Behringer stuff appeals to me because it's inexpensive, but I'm self-aware enough to know that another piece of gear isn't going to change what I'm actually capable of.
My focus in the few weeks since I've had the MPC is getting my hands on it every day, even for a little bit, and working through the Bible. I started putting together the bones of a song I want to cover to help me learn how to build a song for m scratch. That's how I intend to teach myself once I have a better handle on the MPC. My intention is to make kinda 90's lo-fi indie music. Maybe a bit out of the norm for the MPC but it's more than capable, so I only have myself to blame if I can't get it done.