Need a snyth reconmendation - a bit lost

[theliverevolution]

I thought I typed this out already but i can't find the thread =/ so if you do see a similiar thread like this tell me so i can delete it. not sure whether i typed it here though, short term memory

Anyway, to the main point
My friend and I are thinking of doing some recordings, cause we can't find members that will click with us yet. So we thought of emulating them via MIDI.
Problem is, we're a little tight on the budget, and we're not sure what to get.
We need a Synth/Midi controller that can emulate drums and bass to a relatively convincing degree. It can't sound crap, but it doesn't have to sound THE best. It's only temporal until we can find members that we can really mesh with, and for raw recording sake.
Preferably, we're also looking to emulate sounds like Strings, Woodwind, Brass instruments

I'm looking at the Korg Nano controllers, the MicroX and the microKORG (including XL) as a possible choice, but our budget is only $400 to $500 and I don't have all the time in the world to run down to the shops to test out every single keyboard in the market.
Anyone that can say anything about the above mentioned synths, or reconmend one that would be better?

 

[utano]

I don't think even the high end hardware synths can convincingly emulate the sounds that you mentioned. The best alternative is to go with samples and software synthesizers (you might need to up your budget though). Check out Native Instruments (www.native-instruments.com) and Eastwest (www.eastwestsamples.com).

Note that the Korg Nano controllers does not have any synth in it. The microX is an all in one synth with more focus on dance/trance/electronic sounds. The Microkorg is more classic synthesizer oriented.

 

[theliverevolution]

hmm, okay.
I just need the controller for raw recording, so I can pass my ideas around to my bandmate and see how they can tackle the idea with their own sense of style. it's not meant to be a permanent thing actually

 

[Cheez]

What do you mean by "controller for raw recording"? If you mean sequencing midi then passing the sequence to somebody with a sound source/module to produce the end product, you'll find that most of the time you won't get best results. That's because different sound sources (be it softsynths, softsamplers, hardware keyboards or modules) are programmed differently and may require different kinds of playing. Little nuances in playing makes a large difference.

Little pointer: for best emulations (ie realistic), 2 things are required:

1. Good and realistic samples/sounds
2. Good sequencing skills

Many thought point 1 is sufficient but often gets disappointed with the end results because sequencing skills is just as important, if not more important. Anyhow, for good realistic sounds that you need (ie strings/woodwinds/brass), the best is to go for Garritan's Personal Orchestra (GPO). It's a standalone softsampler. He also has a jazz library tailored for jazz music. For drums, EZdrummer/SD2 is the way to go.

If you want hassle free hardware but realistic drums/strings/woodwinds/brass samples, then Roland is your best bet. If you can find a 2nd hand JV1010, you can probably achieve pretty good results. JV1010 has pretty good sound templates that's still very usable today, without using Roland's more expensive XV engine.

 

[theliverevolution]

okay, thanks cheez! sure helps, would consider what you've told me, especially about the Roland

what I meant by "raw recording" is something like, I get how the idea of mine is in my head, then pass it to the other person to hear, and play or improvise. Example:
If I have a bass line in mind, I pass it to the bassist, then he/she would listen, then play it out on the bass, or perhaps improvise on it. Then, at least when we jam or do actual recording, we have an idea on how we're going to play the song

 

[Cheez]

Oh I see. Do you mean you do a quick midi sequence to pass around? In that case, you don't have to worry too much about realism, since the end-result of the midi sequence is not for production. Most realistic sound templates are not cheap to come by, and also not necessary for the drawing board stage.

 

[theliverevolution]

Ah, okay. Then just get a general MIDI controller would be enough then.

The only thing is that there MAY be the possibility of emulating strings, brass, woodwind, etc. I'm quite fascinated by the idea of mixing classical and modern rock together, so that is an area that I MAY consider in the future, depending on how my friend and I would want to push this band. We've yet to finalise a lot

But just asking, what's your take on the KorgNano series? Are they reliable and user-friendly? How good is the general recording, etc

 

[PatheinRaindropMoe]

i have tried the nanopad and using nanokey for quick composing tool on the go. Been using the nanokey for a while and some of the keys are getting a bit loose due to heavy usage. Those nano are just portable, but if really wanna use for heavy usage, might not be able to stand up to it

reliablity-depend on usage and finger strength. The general feel of those nano series to me are quite toy like. Especially the nanokeys, heh, its like typing on longer looking laptop keyboard instead of proper musical keyboard.

user friendly- It aint difficult, coz by itself, it doesnt have sound nor do anything musically. The important thing would be what softsynth/daw are you using it with. With different softwares, will have to adjust parameters inside the software, so the key would be knowing the program well

general recording wise- Again, this depend on the softsyth/daw you are using. Those midi controller are used just for triggering sound inside softsynth so that the sound(from softsynth, but triggered by the midi controller) can be recorded into your software recorder. The end recording will be patterns of various colour bars which you can edit and changed within the software recorder.

So in short, those midi controller, other then triggering sound in first stage of recording process, the rest are usually done within the softwares.

 

[Cheez]

If your context is sequencing strings/woodwinds/brass/drums (from your first post), you probably need at least a 61-key controller. Nanokey is a little limited. If you're new to sequencing, better stay away from 88 keys as weighted keys are not easy to sequence strings passages expressively, unless you are used to it. If using 88 keys, non-graded keys makes it easier especially when sequencing drums. You have to compensate for the differing weight of keys in graded keyboards to get even velocities in your sequencing.

However, for quick sketches and ideas, I guess a Nanokey can be useful.

As to your comment that a midi controller is enough - note that you still need a sound source. If your notebook/PC has built-in midi sounds from the soundcard (most would have), then you're OK. You would be getting cheesy sounding midi sequences. But for your purposes, it's sufficient.