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I picked up a gaia a few years ago because I was interested in synthesis and thought it would be better to have a real synth than to approximate one with a guitar synth. I ran into 2 issues though. The first being that the Gaia doesn't sound that fantastic--if I had to do it over I would buy a real analog synth (moog, minibrute, mopho, etc..), a ultranova, or an ipad. The 2nd issue is that I don't enjoy making music on a keyboard. I like programming synths and making noises, but when it comes time to play music, my brain prefers a neck with strings over a keyboard.

I don't know if this helpful or make sense. I guess my takeaway message would be: if you want a synth, don't buy a gaia

Get a PitchFactor, That bitch can help you get the strangest sounds possible.

hollowhero wrote:I picked up a gaia a few years ago because I was interested in synthesis and thought it would be better to have a real synth than to approximate one with a guitar synth. I ran into 2 issues though. The first being that the Gaia doesn't sound that fantastic--if I had to do it over I would buy a real analog synth (moog, minibrute, mopho, etc..), a ultranova, or an ipad. The 2nd issue is that I don't enjoy making music on a keyboard. I like programming synths and making noises, but when it comes time to play music, my brain prefers a neck with strings over a keyboard.

I don't know if this helpful or make sense. I guess my takeaway message would be: if you want a synth, don't buy a gaia

I agree with both of those points. The Gia's a pretty good synth to learn synthesis on because of its layout, but it really isn't a powerful sounding synth. Also, having a more polyphony than you you have keys is silly.

I run into that musical thinking problem too. I intuitively KNOW how deal with a guitar, regardless of tuning, but I haven't gotten to that point with keyboards. I really think I ought to get one of those Roland guitar synth dealies like rufurtkamp's always talking about on here. Then I'd just buy synth modules, make a rack and space out. for-ever.

Bottom line: I'd go with a synth. A guitar's always going to be a guitar no matter how much you process it. So, if you want synth sounds, get a synth. If you're looking for something digital and cheapish, the mininova (aka ultranova because they both have the same synth engine) is excellent. It might take a while before you can figure out how to get the sounds you want out of it, but it has a lot of fun sounds programmed on it already, and tweaking them a little's not too hard. Lots of fun controls too!

OK thank you, maybe I agree with you. I like synthesis, but I hate playng leads on a keyboard, I ever thinked that the neck of a guitar is more expressive instead of keys, pitchweel and knobs, only strings and fingers.
I should watch more demoes of pog2 and hog\hog2 or maybe I should wait that EHX releases the POG3...

new idea: yeah, totally buy a minibrute, man

i can't make the clouds shit enough rainbow to even begin to tell you how cool it is

DarkAxel wrote:new idea: yeah, totally buy a minibrute, man

i can't make the clouds shit enough rainbow to even begin to tell you how cool it is

Only two octaves, maybe 37 keys are few for me :/

Dramatis Persona wrote:OK thank you, maybe I agree with you. I like synthesis, but I hate playng leads on a keyboard, I ever thinked that the neck of a guitar is more expressive instead of keys, pitchweel and knobs, only strings and fingers.
I should watch more demoes of pog2 and hog\hog2 or maybe I should wait that EHX releases the POG3...

I can definitely relate on the expressiveness issue. I'm going to look into making my guitar able to control midi stuff so I can play synths using my guitar.

Sidenote: you seem to know your stuff when it comes to effects, and a lot of the concepts are the same when it comes to synthesis. So, it should be easier for you to learn how to use a synth than a lot of people if that's a concern. I know it was for me.

wfs1234 wrote:

Dramatis Persona wrote:OK thank you, maybe I agree with you. I like synthesis, but I hate playng leads on a keyboard, I ever thinked that the neck of a guitar is more expressive instead of keys, pitchweel and knobs, only strings and fingers.
I should watch more demoes of pog2 and hog\hog2 or maybe I should wait that EHX releases the POG3...

I can definitely relate on the expressiveness issue. I'm going to look into making my guitar able to control midi stuff so I can play synths using my guitar.

Sidenote: you seem to know your stuff when it comes to effects, and a lot of the concepts are the same when it comes to synthesis. So, it should be easier for you to learn how to use a synth than a lot of people if that's a concern. I know it was for me.

Maybe someone can suggest me a cheap synth for beginning in the synthetic way of life?
Maybe a master key and an expander?

Personally I'd look into the Novation Bass Station (2) and Korg Volca series.
Moog is possible as well, offcourse, but I'm not such a big fan really.
Other fun synths are: Roland Juno 60, Juno 106, Korg Polysix, Poly 61(M), Poly 800

Tristan wrote:Personally I'd look into the Novation Bass Station (2) and Korg Volca series.
Moog is possible as well, offcourse, but I'm not such a big fan really.
Other fun synths are: Roland Juno 60, Juno 106, Korg Polysix, Poly 61(M), Poly 800

Roland Juno 60 is awesome, tried one in germany some years ago, it's not a synth, HE is a living creature with his soul an life.
But I've no money and (above all) experience and tecnique for afford a similar expensive buying. I suck at keys, the most thing I hate of the keyboards is the "stange" distribution of the chromatic scale, fuck the black frets, I prefer the user friendly guitar neck.

Maybe I'll remain a guitar player for the rest of my life, and I like it.

PS: A waldorf blofield keys? (a bit expensive)
The cheapest that I've found is an used Venom or a ex demo Akai miniak or an Alesis Micron.

I've got the keys version of the Blofeld and it's the bee's knees. Every time i sit down with it I lose hours tweaking and making cool noises. It might not be the best to start with. It's a lot of synth and the presets are terrible, so you pretty much have to program your own if you want it to sound good.

The miniak and the micron are both the Alesis Ion. So it's up to you which version you'd prefer if you go that route. It's a great synth too.

The microkorg's fun, can be had for pretty cheap and has lot of fun presets. But if you're looking at the microkorg, I'd have to recommend the mininova over it. It's a lot more synth and it's a lot easier to understand as far as its editor goes. Also, it has a dedicated dubstep bank of presets

Definitely look at those Korg Volcas. They would be a great way to get familiar with the synth basics without fully investing yourself in the world of synth. That bass station looks pretty cool too.

The volka keys seems really cool to add on my pedalboard

I found a really cheap alesis micron! What should I do?

Dramatis Persona wrote:I found a really cheap alesis micron! What should I do?

It's tiny and whatever...

Get a synth and this...

http://www.sheetmusicplus.com/title/The ... ok/4619883

My alesis micron just arrived today

Ok, after a week of failing with the micron, I totally hate keys, i sent back to the store and exchanged for a HOG2...
I found the micron really useless, poor keyboard and not so impressive sensitive, it's impossible to make a setting with the small display, it's hard to connect it to a pc, and find any free VST editors...
So I ship back to the store!!!
And now I got the HOG2, this thing is awesome It's like having octaver and a bit of harmonizer + slow volume\gear\motion + super ego + a volume pedal + no lfo detuner + wammy + a shitty wha + an awesome synthy filter. The sound quality is really high and warm (sometimes it's a bit glitcy, but only with open chords and strings). The filters seems working better with an expression pedal. And it's really cool when you are playing only 4 octaves upper (whammyed to 5 up) that you can't hear the notes, stupid human hears.
If Arceus is the God of all pokemons, the Hog and now the Hog2 are the gods of all pedals!!!
Finally I found a new way to play guitar
I'm gonna shit rainbows for the whole of my life.

Now i need the controller
(and a cello bow too)

EDIT: I'm a shitty piano player, but I found more confortable the real keys of a real piano (my aunt's) that the keyboard keys, it's like you are playing the air... Fuck, one dey that piano will be mine, I totally hate synths and similars now, nothing is like a guitar's neck, nothing is like watch your endless chains of pedals, nothing is like a wall of harmonized noise, it can destroys everytime the whole pads and strings of the whole world keyboards. (except Mellotron)