Best synth for a beginner?

[djshire]

Just get the Gaia. It's what I recommend to everyone asking what you asked.

[teceem]

Originally Posted by djshire

Just get the Gaia. It's what I recommend to everyone asking what you asked.

Without a DAW he won't be making any tracks with it.

[AikiGhost]

Originally Posted by teceem

That, or a 'workstation synth'.

Its doubtful he could get anything capable of doing modern beats for $700. I suppose an alternative could be something like the Korg EMX or ESX with a little midi controler keyboard.

[teceem]

Originally Posted by AikiGhost

Its doubtful he could get anything capable of doing modern beats for $700. I suppose an alternative could be something like the Korg EMX or ESX with a little midi controler keyboard.

A Kurzweil PC361 can be found cheap.

[Lune]

$700 is a lot to spend if your not sure what you want or need. You might find you like sampling a lot, or FM, or wavetable. You need to explore freely before commiting the cash and find out what you really like- then I would go used and get a serious synth.

I would consider holding off purchasing- get on that computer you have and going with free vsti's and free hosts and a cheap used controller (or keyboard that can be used as a controller- some thing knobby so you can do midi learn). I learned endless stuff about synthesis with free vsti's.

Discover synthesis for free- then buy up to quality.

[djloekee27]

I'm a beginner and I have an Access Virus KB. Got it used in Korea for 800,000 won. Subtracting import tax and currency exchange would bring it under $700. The guy wouldn't sell it to me for cheaper because he said that he repaired it and that Viruses were rare in Korea (the music market had lots of Junos and 90's workstations in the same price range; which were in the same price range as a new 49 key midi keyboard. Korea and its high import tax). Plus he refused to sell my the Prophet 5 he had which was out of my price range anyways, said it was already sold. And the other shop refused to sell me a Nord Lead 2 (not the 2X), said it wasn't for sale.

[skira]

Originally Posted by teceem

Without a DAW he won't be making any tracks with it.

There's always Reaper.

[skira]

Originally Posted by gorbishganoid

For my synth I want to be able to do stuff like make beats used in hip hop music as well as like the stuff used in trance music.

With a $700 budget I'd say to get a 'dumb' keyboard controller to connect to your computer via USB, choose digital audio workstation (DAW) software for recording, editing and playing back digital audio, then choosing bang-for-the-buck software synths and drums/drumsynths and/or sampler and do everything from your computer. On PCs a lot of people starting to make beats use (and even stay with) FL Studio ($189).

Look at 49-key and 61-key controllers (with full-size keys) from Akai, M-Audio and Novation, different models range from $150 to $550, and some models come with 'lite' versions of popular DAW software.

Tweakheadz is a great introductory guide to musicmaking and home studio equipment. Spend an hour or two here: Tweak's Guide to the Home and Project Studio

[verve92]

Its important that the gear inspires you.
Hardware does this better IMO.
If only the Tempest weren't so much- GAS for that fo' sho'

[djloekee27]

Originally Posted by verve92

Its important that the gear inspires you.
Hardware does this better IMO.
If only the Tempest weren't so much- GAS for that fo' sho'

I second this. I had tried Reason, Absynth (crashed in Pro Tools 9), Largo, Albino & Predator before I got hardware. My friend had recommended Sylenth & z3ta+ after I got tired of the sounds in Reason but I never tried them before I bought my keyboard (got tired of my 25 key Akai MPK Mini and was looking for a cheap used synth or workstation to use as a midi keyboard instead of paying 600,000 to 700,000won aka $600 to $700 for a 49 key Axiom/MPK/SL MK II).

[ootini]

I tried a few analogue synths when I was first starting out, a friend had a veritable museum and would lend me a couple here and there to play with. The Korg MS20 baffled me, I honestly couldn't get a noise out of it, but then being semi-modular I think you need a certain understanding of synthesis before you start on it. The Roland SH101 was ok but always sounded a bit shit. The one that really got my juices flowing was the Kork Mini700, I loved it.
I think as far as modern equivalents go, I never got on with my old Nord Lead 2, utterly detested my Emu sampler but thoroughly love my K2000, a friends Virus TI and my old XP80.

[verve92]

Originally Posted by djloekee27

I'm a beginner and I have an Access Virus KB. Got it used in Korea for 800,000 won. Subtracting import tax and currency exchange would bring it under $700. The guy wouldn't sell it to me for cheaper because he said that he repaired it and that Viruses were rare in Korea (the music market had lots of Junos and 90's workstations in the same price range; which were in the same price range as a new 49 key midi keyboard. Korea and its high import tax). Plus he refused to sell my the Prophet 5 he had which was out of my price range anyways, said it was already sold. And the other shop refused to sell me a Nord Lead 2 (not the 2X), said it wasn't for sale.

REALLY? Virus KB's start at well over $1000US.
In fact more like $2k plus.
Does this mean if I PayPal you $700 you could find me expensive gear for cheap? I'd love any Virus synth.

[Bullseye]

Nobody asked if he had a computer already. Doesn't that make a difference?

[nebelfrau]

Originally Posted by Bullseye

Nobody asked if he had a computer already. Doesn't that make a difference?

Because he's already mentioned he has one.

[LiveFromKyoto]

Originally Posted by verve92

REALLY? Virus KB's start at well over $1000US.
In fact more like $2k plus.
Does this mean if I PayPal you $700 you could find me expensive gear for cheap? I'd love any Virus synth.

The KB is the keyboard version of the Virus B from the 90s. The Virus TI/TI2 61 is the current keyboard version in the price range you're talking about.

A KB in North America would be under $1000 for sure.

[skarekroh]

im a newbie aswell and i bought a microkorg modeling synth so to get "workstation" style features i had to get an alesis sr-16 drum machine, and a korg kaossilator pro but im happy cuz the microkorg teaches you about synthesis VERY quickly if you're commited. i love my setup.. but im going to buy a casio xw-p1 to replace my microkorg in about 4 to 6 months.

[teceem]

Originally Posted by skarekroh

im a newbie aswell and i bought a microkorg modeling synth so to get "workstation" style features

The Microkorg synth doesn't have "workstation" style features.
The Micro X however does.
Korg Micro X