Hey all, I'm brand new to the whole synth thing and just have a few questions.

I'm trying to decide between getting a synth or a guitar and drum machine. I don't know anyone else who plays anything. I love both guitar driven (smashing pumpkins, oasis) and beat, synth driven (depeche) music. My personal favorite group however is Garbage.

My question is can a synth do guitars well? Overall I guess I would want some thing that can be used to make whole songs, from the drums to the keys (give or take vocals)

Am I better off buying one station, or different parts? If anyone could give me some suggestions on what to get it would be great. btw I want to spend around $500 give or take $300.

Thank you.

Guitars are STILL just about the hardest instrument to emulate on a keyboard. We're getting closer than ever before, but there is so much variation in the playing style with harmonics, bends, slides, and pull offs that it's really a tough job. Sax is another hard one to really play with "soul". We have the sounds, but the technique is so hard to copy. Play what you do best, and get toys for the rest.

Yeah, the worst you could do is getting a synth and try to do guitar or acoustic type stuff. It's nowhere near believable or realistic, unless you sample whole parts and compose out of that.

-tek

Why not go with a midi guitar setup, like the roland ready? You would then have both worlds. I have heard some midi guitar songs and was impressed, except for the sax sounds.

Go down to your local music store and spend the day there playing guitars and keyboards. Decide which one you enjoy more (at least more now). You could also rent a guitar and a keyboard for a while and test this out at home. Best of luck to you.

www.meriphew.com

Hi shakesphere,
UD is right, guitars on keyboards just don`t do it. They lack the ability for expression(ie: hammer-on`s +pull-off``s)
Also correct finger style like Stairway to Heaven, I find much easier on guitar than keyboard and strumming can`t figure that out on keyboards either.(unless you sequence) Anyway , play at night+ sleep at day, you`ll figure it out any old way. And rember, "all the world in love with the night, and pay no mind to the garrish sun"

The best guitar emulation Ive heard is right on my Roland XV5080 but its so expensive. I would lean to a keyboard/work station cause you can do so much with one. Youll have to decide what you want to be your main instrument - the guitar of keyboard? I couldn't decide so I play both. The Roland XV or XPseries have nice drums/guitars/synth sounds so you can do really nice sounding demos. But I dont think you will find one for cheap.
Look for an used Roland XP50 or XP30, its a great workstation, with nice guitar sounds. Aside from having a decent wave or sample to begin with, the secret to great guitar emulation is in the amp simulation effects, and how well you know how to play and program a sequencer so that it sounds like a real player playng a real guitar. Like I said, the Roland XV5080 has the most realistic guitars Ive ever heard, totally top notch, due in part to the wicked amp/ distortion effects built in to it and to the matrix control where you can really get some nuances out of a sound.
[This message has been edited by novaheart (edited 02-27-2002).]

[This message has been edited by novaheart (edited 02-27-2002).]

[This message has been edited by novaheart (edited 02-27-2002).]

The best guitar emulation Ive heard is right on my Roland XV5080 but its so expensive. I would lean to a keyboard/work station cause you can do so much with one. Youll have to decide what you want to be your main instrument - the guitar of keyboard? I couldn't decide so I play both. But I started on drums when I was 4 years old, thats right I leared to play the beat before I could even play one note on a keyboard or guitar. I think you should learn both the keys and the guitar then you wont have to rely on anyone to help you.