Electronic Music - What to Buy When Starting Out?

This is very much a personal account of what I am using to make electronic music. One of the most important things you can do is figure out what works for you. What do you like when it comes to making music?

My collection of synths started off and continues to be more along the lines of the budget conscious and continues that way. Some Korg Volcas, use Microkorg XL, Roland SH-01A, Uno Synth, and a D-05. A Behringer Neutron is for Christmas. Many are not used all the time. I also have effects pedals - Digitech RP100, Zoom B2.1u, Boss DS-1, Danelectro Wasabi Reverse Delay - those were purchased when I played more guitar. EHX Oceans 11 and Zoom MS-100BT were purchased with synths in mind.

Another new purchase has been the Empress ZOIA. It is both a modular effects pedal and a modular synth. You can combine the two parts to your liking. It is not all that hard to learn but if you are considering it, it is worth watching a couple of YouTube tutorials on it to see if it might fit the way you like to work.

I also have a iPad with Korg Gadget 2 and a few other apps like the Moog Model 15. Some apps I do not really use, to be truthful but they are there. Many apps like this sound very good. Korg Gadget 2 is its own DAW with all the apps or Gadgets necessary to cover just about any type of synthesis there is.

Other budget based options are VCV Rack and Caustic for computers. These can be made to sound very good even though they are free. You have to put the time in, just like learning hardware and plugins for your DAW.

If I had my choice and more room to spare, I would be considering synths like the Novation Peak, Moog Grandmother and Matriarch, a Minilogue XD, maybe a Prologue, maybe some DSI synths. Maybe a Novation Circuit soon as well as a Behringer Model D. - Those two could be made to fit in my current setup. I like the idea of modular but I have neither the money or the space for a modular setup.

The Moog One is way out of my budget so at this time I do not spend time thinking about it. This is also true for the DSI synths. The Novation Peak desktop module is about as high as I could go and I would have to save for quite some time for that.

Take some time to consider how you want to hear your instruments. Do you want to record? Do you want an audio interface with MIDI IO? Do you want a mixer and if so, with USB audio and what about number of audio channels?

What about speakers? Monitors to hear with, or some might laugh or shake their heads but I am using a set of Altec Lansing 6.1 speakers that are meant for surround sound on a computer. I only use stereo out with a bass speaker for this setup as I am using the stereo plug. These were there for me to use so at this time I am not spending money on monitors. I like sound so they suffice.

In the end, you should watch a bunch of YouTube videos to figure out if you like the way different devices work. When you buy, that is when you are really going to find out if certain pieces of equipment work for you. It is well worth the time to learn how each piece of equipment works to figure out if you really like it.

In my opinion, it when people do not spend the time learning their equipment that GAS strikes.

To start with, whatever you buy, you should get something that is oriented towards subtractive synthesis. It is by far the easiest type to learn and the most common among equipment used. It can be analog, virtual analog, or a VST. Given the paragraph above, I highly suggest reading and APPLYING Sound on Sound's "Synth Secrets." Look it up.

That last bit brings you to the option of a MIDI controller. Any synth with a keyboard these days will act as a keyboard MIDI controller. If you are to buy one piece of equipment a wise investment would be a new analog or VA synth as it will act as both a synth and a MIDI controller. It could be a mono synth or a poly synth. It depends on your budget. Have a look around and watch YouTube. If you go with just a MIDI controller, get something with at least 8 knobs with keys. Mini-keys are a possibility but full size keys are nicer.

One last note, buying used can very often be a good option for many pieces of equipment. If you can buy using eBay or Reverb as they have some buyer protection practices in place. If you buy used from the classified ads such as Kijiji, Craigslist, or the newspaper, it is best to be able to try the piece of equipment in person so you do not get burned. I have sold some of my own equipment through online classified ads and mailed them to buyers with them not having tested them. I never had a complaint. But, as a buyer, there is always a risk.