Buying Your First Synth

Buying your first synthesizer can expose you to apparently meaningless technical specifications, conflicting advice, and overwhelming technical jargon. Confused? You won't be, after reading Derek Johnson & Debbie Poyser's plain English guide to making the right choices.

The Synth Buyer's Guide in the last issue of SOS was designed to help first‑time buyers decide which of the 100+ keyboards and modules currently available new in the UK would best suit their needs. However, there's no denying that the jargon involved in choosing a synthesizer can be very daunting — and though buying a synth is not the huge financial investment it was when the average keyboard cost several thousand pounds, it still represents a significant outlay. The last thing anyone needs is to end up with a machine they want to get rid of in six months, losing money in the process.

Nevertheless, navigating the large number of new synths available isn't the impossible task it might seem, once you know the hardware options available, the key points in a synth's features list, and their significance to the first‑time buyer.

The Options

• WORKSTATION
  This type of keyboard is becoming increasingly popular, since it offers a modern sound generator capable of producing a wide variety of realistic and impressionistic sounds, coupled with a sophisticated multitrack sequencer for recording multi‑part musical arrangements, and digital effects to enhance the sounds. As a workstation is designed to be self‑contained, it in theory provides everything you need to produce a finished composition, including a disk drive that allows you to save your work — both song and sound data — to 3.5‑inch floppy disks. A workstation makes a good choice as a first synth if you want to keep your setup simple and cost‑effective.
• KEYBOARD SYNTH
  A keyboard synth offers all the sound generating and effects capabilities referred to above, and even occasionally a basic sequencer, but does not have a disk drive, as it's usually expected that it will be used in conjunction with other equipment, including, possibly, an external sequencer. If you only want to play live with a band, or just for practice and fun at home, a keyboard synth may be all you need. It's also the best bet if you like the idea of sequencing with a computer software package (allowing you to see your work in detailed graphic form on a monitor), as you won't then need a built‑in sequencer or disk drive.

The only way to decide which manufacturer's approach to sequencing suits you best is to study reviews and brochures religiously, and/or try out several at the best‑stocked music store you can find.

• MODULE/EXPANDER
  Simply put, a synth in a box without a keyboard. In order to use a module, you'll need a MIDI keyboard of some kind — either another synth which you can use to play your module's sounds, or a mute MIDI 'master' keyboard (if you'd like more information about MIDI and MIDI instruments, see the SOS MIDI Basics series, which ran from August to December 1995). Modules do not usually have sequencers or disk drives (though, just to confuse things, one or two of the expensive ones do), but many have built‑in effects. As you expand your setup further, modules can be the ideal way to add more sounds, as they are often much cheaper than keyboard instruments, and are always more compact. But why would you want to buy a module as a first instrument? Many musicians brought up with the piano often miss the 'feel' and action of the piano when moving over to a synth; a viable option is a combination of module and decent master keyboard, especially since many master keyboards currently on the market offer a weighted, piano‑like feel at affordable prices. Though a few synths and workstations come equipped with piano‑weighted keyboards, these are expensive, top‑of‑the‑range instruments. However, a budget module plus a weighted 76‑note master keyboard need cost you no more than a sub‑£1000 synth.

Modules come in all shapes and sizes, ranging from tiny, pocket‑sized boxes, through chunky desktop units, to truly substantial machines designed to fit into professional 19‑inch studio racking.

The Features

Now that we've covered the types of synth you'll be considering, let's examine the significant features you'll find mentioned in specifications:

• POLYPHONY
  This term refers to how many musical notes a synth allows you to play simultaneously. If an instrument is referred to as being 8‑note polyphonic, for example, it will allow you to play up to eight notes at one time before the earliest notes played are cut off. Most current instruments are 16‑note polyphonic or more — and some now manage an incredible 64 notes, which is obviously only useful if you have a sequencer. In general, if you're looking for a first synth, you should try to get as much polyphony as you can for your money. However, you should note that even if a synth is described as having a given polyphony, this is not necessarily the whole story. The voices offered by modern synths are often made up from more than one 'element' and a single voice could be made from as many as four elements. Consequently, an instrument which is said to have 16‑note polyphony might play only four notes when using a four‑element voice.

Though the general trend in modern instruments is towards more and more polyphony, there is also a significant backwards movement in synth design towards less — including a return to monophonic synths, which play only one note at a time. Interestingly, the trend towards 'monophony' is found not only in recently‑revived analogue designs, but also in cutting‑edge Digital Signal Processor‑based instruments, where the technology is currently too expensive to allow more than one or two notes at a time to be generated. If you're looking for a first synth and are buying only one, the chances are that you won't want a monosynth. Despite the fact that old and new analogue monophonic synths are very commonly used in current dance music, even if dance is what you want to do, you won't be able to make much music with one monosynth!

• MULTITIMBRALITY
  This term is as important as polyphony where modern synths are concerned, as it refers to how many different sounds, or 'timbres', a synth will play at one time. This is of particular significance if you want to use your synth to produce sequenced multi‑part arrangements. As an example, if your synth was 8‑part multitimbral, you would be able to sequence a track featuring a bass part, a piano part, a drum part, a sax part, a synth pad, and a guitar part, and still have two parts left over! Most instruments these days are 16‑part multitimbral, which offers a great deal of scope for creative arrangements. By their very nature, monophonic instruments cannot be multitimbral, and people using exclusively monosynths have to amass several synths to create the same multitimbral capacity as one modern multitimbral synth. A more laborious, but cheaper, method of making it sound as though you have more monosynths than you really have is to multitrack different parts onto tape.
• KEYBOARD TYPE
  If you're buying a synth or workstation, there are certain factors to consider about its keyboard:

Velocity Sensitivity: A traditional piano keyboard can be described as 'velocity sensitive', because the harder you strike the keyboard, the louder the notes sound. This effect is due to the physical construction of a piano. Synth keyboards are constructed in a completely different way and can either mimic this effect electronically, or not. Most modern synths, fortunately, do have velocity‑sensitive keyboards and will thus allow you to play expressively.

Aftertouch: Another point to consider is whether the synth keyboard is equipped with 'Aftertouch'. This is a completely un‑piano‑like effect whereby increased pressure of the fingers on the keyboard after a sound has been 'triggered' generates an extra dimension in the sound (typically some kind of modulation or vibrato effect) to add to its expressiveness. While aftertouch is a nice feature to have on your keyboard, you could probably live without it on a first synth if you had to.

Length: Most current synths have a 61‑note C‑to‑C keyboard, which is felt by both designers and musicians to be sufficient for most musical purposes. However, some people (especially pianists) feel cramped by this 5‑octave span, so several mid‑priced and more expensive instruments are available with 76‑ and even 88‑note keyboards.

Feel: Synth keyboards vary from manufacturer to manufacturer, and most bear no resemblance at all to a piano. If keyboard feel is important to you, the only way to assess it is to try out all your target instruments personally.

• EFFECTS
  The incorporation of digital effects into synths has been arguably one of the most important advances in modern synth design, especially for beginners or those on a tight budget. Effects can make a huge difference to the sound of an instrument, and can even render a mediocre sound appealing. If you don't already have a stand‑alone effects processor of some kind, you should certainly make sure that your first synth has built‑in effects, as this will save you the expense of having to buy an external unit. Even if you acquire a separate effects unit later, the fact that your synth has effects means that the dedicated effects box won't then be tied up in processing your synth.

The quality of effects on modern synths varies enormously; at the bottom end of the scale they can be very basic, while at the other extreme some manufacturers use the same high‑quality effects chips in their synths as in their stand‑alone multi‑effects processors. When looking at manufacturer's information for your target machines, a few clues can tell you whether the effects are likely to be comprehensive or basic: the longer the list of available effects (and the more effects you can use at once) the better.

• SYNTHESIS METHOD
  The method used by a given instrument to generate its sounds is probably completely academic to most first‑time synth buyers, who are likely to be far more interested in simply getting access to the kind of sounds they've heard on record. The truth of the matter is that a good synth programmer can make a quality modern digital synth sound like almost any other type of synth (and approximate most real‑world instruments too) — and many modern synths have a selection of presets which mimic these other synth types for you if you're not into programming.

S + S: The most common method of sound generation at present is the so‑called Sample + Synthesis method, which uses short samples of real instruments (or even of other synthesizers) as the raw material for sounds. These samples can be modified by a traditionally‑styled synthesis section which, although digital, is similar in layout to that found on older analogue instruments — hence the term 'Sample + Synthesis'. You won't find brochures from manufacturers describing their synths as 'S+S'; they usually have their own proprietary terms for methods which fit into the S+S category — for example, Korg call theirs 'AI2', and Yamaha's term is 'AWM2'. S+S synths can produce a wide variety of sounds, and are recommended if you want an all‑rounder which will provide recreations of real‑world instruments, atmospheric synth pads and washes, synth and traditional basses, and so on.

Analogue: Analogue synthesis fell out of favour during the mid‑'80s, but has enjoyed a renaissance in the '90s, with the result that old analogue instruments are now in short supply, and correspondingly expensive. Some manufacturers have responded to this resurgence in popularity by making new analogue instruments, using similar components to the originals, and designed to sound as much as possible like their vintage counterparts. However, like their forebears, new analogue synths usually have very limited polyphony — often just one note.

Analogue synths are notable for their warmth and depth of sound, but are not at their best imitating real instruments; their rise in popularity has been fuelled by their extensive use in dance music. They are most often used for bass and lead lines, and, as noted earlier, are best used in conjunction with other monosynths, or to augment a digital synth with their distinctive sound. You couldn't really get by with just one analogue monosynth as a first‑time buy!

FM: If you're buying a brand‑new synth, you're unlikely to come across Frequency Modulation, or FM, synthesis unless you buy a Yamaha SY35, the only new machine which incorporates this technology — and even here it's a simplified version, used in combination with AWM S+S. We're not aiming to provide an in‑depth explanation of synthesis techniques here, but briefly, FM works on the principle of sine waves being modulated by one or more other sine waves to produce more complex waveforms. The second‑hand market is plentifully supplied with FM instruments, as FM was Yamaha's 'next big thing' for the mid‑to‑late '80s, and sold very well.

Navigating the large number of synths available isn't the impossible task it might seem, once you know the hardware options available, and the key points in a synth's features list.

DSP/Virtual Acoustics/Physical Modelling: These terms are used to describe the newest wave of synth technology, based around fast Digital Signal Processor (DSP) chips. These synths define a model of a given instrument in software, and then synthesize how the instrument should sound based on this model. They are currently rather expensive, as the technology is new, but cheaper variants are expected in the near future. Though the first DSP‑based synths, notably Yamaha's VL1 and VL7, concentrated on recreating acoustic instruments with considerable accuracy, one manufacturer (Clavia of Sweden) has made a synth (the Nord Lead, reviewed in SOS May '95) which uses this type of cutting‑edge digital system to produce a convincing model of an antique analogue synth.

• AUDIO OUTPUTS
  The majority of synths you'll encounter will have a simple stereo output, on either quarter‑inch jacks or phono connectors. To be honest, the type of effects available in most current instruments ensure that this will be all you'll need to output your finished music. However, that's not the end of the story. Some instruments provide a little more in the way of flexibility, in the form of an additional stereo output or a collection of separate outputs. A second stereo out may allow you to group your work into two stereo submixes, or separate the outputs from a dual effects processor. Either feature is fairly pointless unless you have an external mixer, and a mixer of some sort is a necessity when it comes to the multiplicity of individual outputs — typically eight — offered by many synth modules. While stereo outs are fine on your first instrument, separate outs are a nice bonus if you can afford them, providing a bit more flexibility when your setup becomes more sophisticated. Using these individual outputs allows you to isolate individual voices from the main stereo mix, so that they can be equalised and processed using an external effects unit — perhaps there is a solo part that you feel would benefit from a specific effect not supplied by your synth. Separate outputs are usually found only on mid‑priced modules and more expensive keyboard synths and workstations.
• SAMPLE RAM
  A fairly recent development in synth technology allows a user to load custom samples into a workstation synth and treat them as if they were part of the instrument's own collection of waveforms. This feature means that you need never get bored with the factory waveforms in your synth, as you can always add to them. Another common way of using sample RAM is for loading a drum loop into the synth, which can then become part of a sequenced composition. All instruments so‑equipped fall under the workstation banner, although a few disk drive‑equipped modules also offer the option, and in one or two instances, the hardware to actually do the sampling itself can also be added to the synth. If you're just starting in the synth world, you're unlikely to want to worry about adding extra waveforms to your synth via samples — you'll probably have enough to think about with the waveforms already in there! You're also unlikely to have the sampling hardware needed to inject the samples into your synth. However, if you come from DJ/dance circles, samples could be of great importance to you, and this feature could be invaluable when used in conjunction with a sampler of some kind.
• SEQUENCERS
  If you're about to buy your first synth, we hope you know, in theory at least, what a sequencer is! However, just in case: a sequencer will allow you to record what you play on your synth keyboard. It can be compared to a multitrack tape recorder, except that it does not record audio, but rather the MIDI data generated when you play the keyboard. It stores this data and uses it to re‑trigger the correct notes when you want to play back what you have recorded. A sequencer will allow you to record many parts (typically 16) which can then be played back together to make as full an arrangement as you like. Sequencers also offer editing facilities, to let you make changes to your tracks after you have played them — so you can correct wrong notes, tidy up timing (using a feature called quantisation), transpose notes and/or whole tracks, cut or copy sections of a track and paste them to other parts of the track, and so on. In fact, the sequencers present on many workstations rival the facilities offered by computer‑based software sequencers, though they lack, obviously, the large‑screen graphic approach of a computer system. Sequencers from different manufacturers operate slightly differently, but they all perform the same basic task, and none should be beyond you if you read the synth manual. The only way to decide which approach suits you best, unfortunately, is to study reviews and promotional literature religiously, and/or go and try out several at the best‑stocked music store you can find.
• COMPUTER INTERFACES
  Over the last couple of years, there has been an increasing trend for manufacturers to incorporate direct computer interfaces (compatible with Apple Mac and PC clone computers) into instruments they see as being particularly suitable for 'desktop music'. These instruments are all General MIDI devices (see section on General MIDI) and most are modules, though there are now one or two keyboards similarly equipped. The attraction of such an instrument is obvious if you have a suitable computer: you don't have to buy a separate MIDI interface to allow your computer to talk to your instrument, thus saving you money. The downside is that some GM instruments of this kind, usually the cheapest ones, are limited in their synthesis capabilities, and can often only be used with a computer, as they lack front‑panel controls. Don't be put off by these points, as there are computer interface‑equipped GM modules which are very fully‑featured and have user‑friendly front‑panels: Roland's Sound Canvas (SC) range, Yamaha's MU80, Korg's X5DR and Kawai's GMega are a few examples.

If you're looking for a first synth and are buying only one, the chances are that you won't want an analogue monosynth!

• CARD SLOTS
  Many synths are equipped with one, two or even more card slots. The cards that fit in these slots are usually specific to a given manufacturer (or even instrument), and come in two flavours: RAM (Random Access Memory)/ROM (Read Only Memory), or PCM (Pulse Code Modulation). The RAM/ROM card option is straightforward: these cards are used to supply extra banks of patches for your synth, which are accessible without having to overwrite the main patches in your synth. RAM cards are rewriteable, but ROM cards are not. ROM cards are a common (and slightly cheaper) method for selling sounds, used by third‑party developers. RAM cards are also used to provide extra sounds, but are often supplied blank for the user to fill up with his or her own sounds. Some workstation synths even contain RAM card slots, which might seem strange given that these instruments can save patches to floppy disk, but the advantage here is that patches saved to a RAM card are instantly accessible alongside the patches already available on the synth itself; they don't have to be loaded from disk first.

The main problem with RAM cards is that they can be pricey; if your synth lacks a disk drive, you might like to add an external MIDI data recorder, such as Yamaha's MDF2. This is a floppy disk drive that records MIDI data, including patches, direct to a cheap 3.5‑inch floppy. If you're a creative person and enjoy programming your own sounds, a MIDI data recorder could quickly pay for itself in savings made from not buying RAM cards.

PCM cards are a different thing altogether, and provide sampled waveforms to be used in addition to those supplied with your synth. If your synth is weak in orchestral or piano waveforms, for example, the synth's manufacturer or a third party may develop a PCM card full of new samples to fill the gap. PCM cards are often supplied in a set with a RAM card containing extra patches that take advantage of the new waveforms.

• GENERAL MIDI
  General MIDI is a standard agreed upon by synth manufacturers which is designed to allow MIDI song files composed on one GM instrument to be played back faithfully, with the correct sounds, on any other. Synths outside the GM standard can arrange their on‑board factory patches in any way they like, so that playing back MIDI files across non‑GM synths could result in your electric guitar solo being played back by, say, a tuba patch! General MIDI avoids this problem by specifying a patch list of 128 staple sounds (plus drum kits), which are numbered in the same way in each GM synth. So, for example, patch 39 will always be 'Synth Bass 1' on any GM synth. In practice, patches differ in sound considerably, since each manufacturer programs their own interpretation of the patch name, but it's certainly a lot easier to modify a sequence to play properly between two GM synths than it is between two non‑GM synths. If you don't intend to use MIDI files, there's probably no reason why you should buy a GM synth in preference to a non‑GM synth. However, GM instruments do provide a comprehensive set of basic sounds.
• PRICE
  The cheapest new keyboard synths on the market have retail prices of between £599 and £899, while the cheapest workstations typically cost around £1200. The lower prices of the basic keyboard synths might tempt you in that direction, but remember that if you want to do any sequencing or save your work to floppy disks, you'll have to add on the cost of a sequencer (which could be a cheap second‑hand hardware sequencer costing around £100) and a MIDI disk drive unit (which could cost up to £300), or a computer plus sequencing software (costing anything from £250 for a second‑hand Atari setup, to over £1000 for a new Apple Macintosh or PC with the latest software). This could make the extra money for a workstation seem well worth it. Bear in mind, though, that computer sequencing has a graphic approach which many beginners find easier to cope with.

Synth modules start at around £200, though the average price is more like £500, with controller keyboards costing from £250 for a 61‑note synth‑action model and £400 upwards for a 76‑note weighted, piano‑action version. Names to look out for in this area are Fatar, Samick, Roland, Peavey and Yamaha. If you want to sequence with this setup, remember that you'll have to add an external sequencer and MIDI disk drive, or a computer and software, as detailed above.

Closing Words

Hi‑tech music‑making is not the cheapest of leisure‑time pursuits. However, it needn't reduce you to selling your aged grandmother, as a memorable series of ads from a well‑known synth manufacturer suggested recently — as explained above, you could get up and running for as little as £450 with a budget synth module and controller keyboard, and add sequencing for another £250 with a second‑hand Atari setup, or even less if you already have a PC. Just collect the brochures, digest the information, ask stupid questions, and above all, buy SOS every month! (Well, we would say that, wouldn't we...)