Archives for February 2018

 

Two of the half-dozen or so well known synthesizer makers in the world are Roland and Yamaha. Other notable brands are Korg, Moog, Casio, and a few others. Both are known to make some exceptional products, and both have high end and low end synthesizers. In my experience with synthesizers in recent years, Yamaha and Roland (along with Korg) have really emerged as the front-runners and most dominant manufacturers in the industry. Because most people agree that Korg is head and shoulders above the rest of the crowd, we’ll take a look at what has seemed to be the second and third best synthesizer makers in the world, but in what order?

 

Analyzing the facts…

Yamaha has been entrenched as an authority in this industry for many years and most people know the firm for making electric pianos. As you meet more and more ‘hardcore’ synthesizer musicians, most of these people will be very familiar with Roland products and might even own a few workstations. Does this mean I think that Yamaha is a better company? No, but I do acknowledge that their exposure to the average person does help their case.

 

Sounds and features

I love the sound quality of Roland synthesizers and I truly think that they are superior to the vast majority of other synthesizers, but I also feel the same way about synthesizers made by Yamaha. When I first got the Roland JUNO-DS88 it was the best sounding synth I had in my collection up to that point. If you read my reviews you’ll notice that I raved about this product quite a bit because of how impressed I was with it. Since I got the Montage 8 though, I learned that there were many other synth makers who had made synthesizers just as good (if not better sounding) than the DS88. I would still give the slight edge to Roland in the sound quality department.

So what about features? Well, this varies from model to model but in my experience Yamaha synthesizers have been the best in this category by far. This is not just in the comparison with Roland synths, but with all synths – they pack the most features into their products. Take a look at any of models belonging to the Montage series and you’ll see what I mean.

 

Build quality and aesthetics

It’s hard to say which of these synthesizers is more durable and better built. Most synthesizers these days are built in the same way with many of the same or similar components making differentiating them more and more difficult every year. I will say that my Yamaha keyboards have held up extremely well over the years. Not to say that the Roland’s haven’t – just that the Yamaha synthesizers have retained nearly everything in the same way since I purchased them.

Aesthetically, they are both pleasing. I like the look of the Roland synths as they feel more sleek and premium to me, but I am slightly biased. Yamaha’s look great too but they feel more generic to me.

 

Overall

This might come as a surprise to some, but overall I am taking Yamaha over Roland. They are nearly neck and neck in sound quality, build, and aesthetics but Yamaha’s synths edge out those made by Roland in the features category. Everything else is nearly comparable but when you have as many features and presets as a Yamaha like the TYROS 5, it’s difficult to choose Roland over these synths. Both of these brands make some of the best synthesizers in the world, and a lot of this comes down to personal preference!

 

A very common debate when it comes to synthesizer keyboards is the discussion of which is better – analog or digital? Though there are perks and negatives to both options, they are both fair to use in 2018. The factor which comes into play the most heavily is person preference, as always. Generally speaking, a majority of instrument manufacturers have chosen to completely abandon the analog variations and go all in on digital synthesizers. Most high end synths on the market these days are digital, so what is the reasoning behind this and which is better?

 

 

How do they differ?

Basically, it all comes down to how the synthesizers actually produce their respective sounds and also how they look and feel when using them. The main point to make is that analog synthesizers use real circuits in producing their sounds while digital synths try to replicate this ability through software, and they’ve gotten pretty good at it over the years to the point where it is nearly impossible to differentiate. Does this make analog synths obsolete? Absolutely not, as analog synths will almost always provide more customizing capabilities. Long gone are the days when digital synths were distinctly different from their counterparts in terms of sound. They also differ in that analog synthesizers have physical knobs and buttons while digital synthesizers capitalize on touch screens and buttons – rarely do they have knobs. Other than those differences, they are more or less the same. Because of the fewer knobs on digital synths, the layout and interface is usually more clean and clutter free. Since you’re removing a few things, you’re freeing up real estate on the board and this makes for a more enjoyable experience.

 

Which is better?

Neither is definitively better than the other. Asking a question like this is like asking if a coupe vehicle is better than a sedan; it is all subjective and there are pros with cons to both. Sometimes it benefits an individual to choose one over the other when they have a certain sound or style they want to produce – then you can say one is superior. For example, if you want to create deep vintage sounds, then most people will probably tell you to choose an analog synthesizer, and they would usually be right for doing so. If you want more presets and less clutter on your interface, or if you’re a very digital person and like to work with software and computers, then you might be better suited for a digital synthesizer.

 

Conclusion

No matter which synthesizer type you choose, it’s in your best interest to research all of the different options and do things like read reviews. Again, in certain scenarios one would be a better fit over the other, but nine times out of ten an analog synth can do the same things as a digital synth and vice versa. You won’t be limited in one way by choosing one over the other. Check out this article to dive deeper into how you can make the best decision possible.

 

Whether it’s your first synthesizer or your dozenth, you know that there are different size keyboards. Most notable are 88-key synths (and sometimes 61-key synths) as they are often the most expensive and high-tech. In recent years however we’ve seen a surge of smaller and more lightweight synthesizers that can compete with the big boys in terms of performance. Synths like the Teenage Engineering OP-1 come to mind. Under different circumstances, certain people require different size instruments. For example, someone who travels a lot might need a smaller keyboard. An individual who is more stationary and serious might want something larger and more powerful like a TYROS 5. So which size synthesizer should you opt for?

 

 

Understanding the differences

A few years ago, the difference between a small keyboard and a large one were quite drastic in terms of output power, performance, and design. Nowadays it’s becoming more and more difficult to pinpoint what kind of synthesizer was used to produce which sounds as they all sound pretty good lately. If you look at this list for example, which displays the greatest synthesizer of the year, you’ll notice that not all of them are large keyboards! Some even tiny synths can be quite impressive. By far, the biggest advantage of the large synthesizers is the fact that you have a wider range of sounds you can work with – meaning that you’ll be able to fine tine your work more precisely. Rather than being able to break down a single sound through a few dozen keys, when you have more keys you have more precision to work with.

 

Are all ‘big’ synthesizer better than small ones?

Absolutely not. In fact, I’ve noted multiple times throughout my reviews that it is not at all uncommon to see smaller synths completely beat out large ones. I’m sure if you took the top 50 88-key synths and compared them to the top 50 small synths you’d notice that in general, the large synthesizers will perform better. However, this does not mean such is the case at all times – there are exceptions.

 

Which one should I buy? 

Read this post to get more understanding of how to choose a synthesizer. It’s actually quite simple to break this down and you likely already know which size synthesizer would work best for you. The general consensus is that if you’re a professional and do shows in front of thousands of people you will probably need something powerful, intricate, and usually large like a Montage 8. If you do more amateur performances with fewer attendants, then maybe something less powerful and more affordable like a Krome would suit your needs better. If you are a beginner and just want to play around with the sounds and get a feel for the instrument, then you certainly don’t need to be spending too much money on something like this. Perhaps a MS20 synth would suit your needs.

 

88-keys versus 61-keys

If you’re more on the high-end of the scale from beginner to expert, this might be a question you are asking yourself. 61-key synthesizers are usually significantly cheaper than their counterparts – just look at the Yamaha Montage 6 as opposed to the 8. It won’t be the case always, but the significant drop off in price is justified; you don’t get as much power with the smaller keyboards. This isn’t to say that one can’t be happy with the smaller workstations. They are great and far superior to the average synths in the world.

 

Conclusion

Buying a synthesizer is a wonderful process, but you want to make sure you’re doing it the right way. Thankfully there aren’t too many options when it comes to size and this makes the whole selection process a little bit easier.

 

Let’s face it – in today’s day and age you are absolutely bombarded by possibilities when it comes to synthesizer buying options. There are just so many to choose from that the whole process becomes quite overwhelming. Do you go for the one with the most sound options or do you opt for the one with lesser features, but better overall sound quality? How important are certain features going to be in your specific case, and should you make decisions based off of reviews? These are some of the many questions you’ll likely have to ask yourself if you want to make the best possible decision when it comes to choosing the perfect synthesizer for you.

 

How to break it down…

 

Sound Quality

This is one of the most important things to take into consideration, if not the most important. It’s no secret that some synthesizers sound better than others, and it should come as no surprise that sound quality rates in as one of the most important aspects of any instrument. You have certain synths like the JUNO DS88 by Roland which sounds absolutely fantastic (making it one of the top synths of the year) but you also have workstations like the MiniNova whose sounds are underwhelming. In 2018, It’s hard to say that there are many synthesizers with sound quality less than great, but it still happens. In most entry level synths and above (88-key and 61-key), you won’t have many issues in the department of sound quality. The only synths that sometimes have suspect sound quality are synthesizer for beginners, but even that is becoming more and more rare every year. Fortunately we have platforms like YouTube which enable us to see and hear what synthesizers sound like without having one right in front of us – check out the DS88 synth go to work!

 

Features

I don’t know if the amount of features and what specifically they are is more important than the sound quality, but it’s up there. Again, it is rather rare to find keyboards with subpar sound quality and features but it still something to pay close attention to when purchasing an item of this price. How is the sequencing? What kind of piano and organ sounds can it produce? Is there a big emphasis on mixing? Synthesizers like the Yamaha Montage 8 have things like this down pat and features are not something to worry about at all. There are many features to take note of and after sound quality, this might be the most essential part of what makes a synthesizer great (or not so great).

 

Build Quality

The build quality and durability of a synthesizer is very important. It may not seem as so at first but this is the truth; synthesizers are expensive and you need them to last if you want them to be worth purchasing, right? Some are great for the first few months but break down in ridiculous fashion soon after – loose knobs, scratches and dents, even software issues can come into play. You want to make sure that your potential synthesizer is fantastic quality and won’t break down on you anytime soon. These are things you can learn from reviews.

 

Aesthetics

Slightly less important but still impactful are the style, design, and overall aesthetic of synthesizers. Sure you might not care if the sound quality and features are superb, but these things still matter. Take a look at the TYROS 5 made by Yamaha. It has a very distinct look to it and while I personally like it quite a bit, I understand that it is not for everybody. Some may not like the tablet screen which protrudes out and others may not prefer their synthesizer to be of gray color. Aesthetics matter as they should! Not every design and style is for each person and everyone has their own personal preference when it comes to things such as this. Some like their synths flat and slim, others like them angled and thick. Some like them glossy black like a piano and others like them matte gray or silver like a sports car. It all comes down to what you like best and ultimately the decision is yours.

 

Conclusion

One of the most tedious tasks of entering the synthesizer world is choosing your instrument. The process may be long and rigorous but likely well worth it in the end. Not only are there many reasons why you should buy a synthesizer keyboard, but there are many reasons as to why you should be very careful in doing so. Along with the ones mentioned on this article, there are way too many different things to take note of just to have them listed here, so make sure to do your homework and find out as much as you can about your prospective synthesizer keyboards.

 

If you don’t yet have your very own synthesizer keyboard workstation, then there are a few reasons why you might want to get one. It’s always good to pick up talents through the journey of life, and one of the most underrated talents you can pick up is to play an instrument, such a synthesizer. Actually, playing a synthesizer is even more impressive than playing many other instruments, as they are require a higher knowledge base of the instrument, and generally playing a synth workstation is a higher degree of difficulty to say a regular piano. There are so many more things you can do with a synth!

 

 

1. Playing an instrument is good for your brain

Research shows that doing new things (such as playing instruments and learning sounds) creates new pathways and can improve brain function. Technically speaking, it doesn’t have to be playing an instrument; it could be learning a new language or even visiting a new place with different people. Nevertheless, one of the greatest ways to exercise your brain both artistically and logically is through creating music, and what better instrument to do so with than something so complex and beautiful such as a synthesizer.

 

 

 

2. Synthesizers are fun

If you’ve never had the chance to play a synthesizer keyboard, then you might not understand the pure joy you can get from doing something so simple until you actually try it. Synthesizers make you feel like a kid again and are a great way to express your creativity. It’s not so much the actual pressing of buttons you can say is the pleasure in using the synth, though that can be fun too. What is actually the most fun about using synthesizers is creating the music and playing around with the sounds. This is where keyboards like the Teenage Engineering OP-1 and Yamaha Montage 8 and 6 excel. They have so many different way they can be used and this makes the possibilities completely endless and infinite. The biggest reason to get a synthesizer in my opinion is for this reason – that they are fun to play.

 

 

3. They develop you as a person

If you don’t already know, having special talents and strengths is always an admirable thing in life. Whether you make a killer lasagna or you’re an expert of a certain video game, having a talent such as being able to play a synthesizer is a huge strength. Not only that, learning to play a synthesizer (and doing it well) might even open up doors in your career. Who knows? Maybe you’re meant to be the next Elvis of the keyboard world and you don’t even know it yet! Even if that isn’t the case, it certainly won’t hurt your resume to be able to play another instrument.

 

 

 

4. It can present new opportunities to you

As noted in the last point, you might not know it yet but having the ability to play a synthesizer can and might just open up new doors for you. Whether it be meeting new people or even a total career change, you won’t know what being able to play a synthesizer will do for your life. This might be your passion, and you probably wouldn’t be too happy to know that you missed out on what you were meant to do for your whole life. Take the chance and pick up a synthesizer, even if it’s one meant for beginners! You won’t regret it.

 

 

 

5. It will spice up your life

Let’s face it. So much of our lives is spent through routine and doing the same old mundane tasks, so why wouldn’t you want to change a part of it? Whether you want to admit it or not, it’s time for something new. How do I know? Because it’s always time for something new! You will be doing something new and exciting that can potentially even help you in your social life. Regardless, it doesn’t hurt and you definitely don’t have anything to lose from picking up a synthesizer and learning something new.

 

 

 

Conclusion

There are many reasons why you might want to learn many different things, but there are certain perks and advantages to learning to play a synthesizer over doing something like picking up a new sport hobby. Sure, you get some exercise (which I’m not undermining at all) but what does it do for you at the end of the day? Are you going to be playing in the MLB? Probably not, but becoming good at playing the synthesizer can take you far in a lot of areas of life, no matter your age. It isn’t hard to do and the fact that it is actually fun will make the whole process much easier. Pick up a synthesizer keyboard today!