I Wanna Play Synth Bass...

**TheEmptyCell** · #1 08-09-2006, 09:34 PM

...or at least give it a whirl.

I've got a nice little Acer Aspire 3000 series laptop, and I'd like try my hand at playing synth bass. Figure if I ever do some wierder prog metal, or even R&B, it'll be a nice skill to have. Plus, it'll give me some base to work on playing real keys with.

I'd like to get a unit that would interface with my laptop, so from what I've read, this is called a 'soft-synth.'

Educate me in the ways of the synthesizer! I don't want to drop oodles of money into it, but I want a piece of hardware that will last and be able to just upgrade my software for better sounds later.

I'd say my max price is around $300.

superbassman2000 · #2 08-09-2006, 09:45 PM

soft-synth is short for software synth, and my favorite soft synth is reason 3.0

i also suggest an oxygen8 keyboard, just a two octave keyboard that is inexpensive...otherwise i see a midi keyboard on TB that you can get too

tplyons · #3 08-09-2006, 10:06 PM

Any Midi keyboard will do what you're looking. M-Audio makes some great USB/Midi controllers that will interface with softsynths.

However, in my synth ventures, I've found hardware synths to be much more useful. IMO of course.

keb · #4 08-10-2006, 06:07 AM

I prefer hardware synths as well, but yeah they'll be more expensive in general.

On the cheap route, you can pick up an inexpensive M-Audio MIDI controller keyboard and search around for freebie softsynths. There are more than a few free Minimoog emulations, or other analog synth emulations, out there that'll get ya going. The keyboard itself more than likely comes with some software or demo versions of stuff.

The only issue you may run into is that if your audio interface is not up to speed. It could result in some nasty latency (a noticeable and aggravating delay in a note being sounded after you play a key) or crackling.

TheDarkReaver · #5 08-10-2006, 06:19 AM

could you do this with a keytar? that would be cool.

tplyons · #6 08-10-2006, 09:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheDarkReaver

could you do this with a keytar? that would be cool.

Yes, a keytar is a midi controller with a strap on it and a "neck"

FretFree · #7 08-10-2006, 09:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tplyons

Yes, a keytar is a midi controller with a strap on it and a "neck"

Maybe he meant KEYTAR!

tplyons · #8 08-10-2006, 09:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by keb

The only issue you may run into is that if your audio interface is not up to speed. It could result in some nasty latency (a noticeable and aggravating delay in a note being sounded after you play a key) or crackling.

This is the worst part. Same reason I can't find a Whammy I like... delay.

The smallest delay drives me nuts. If it's not right on, I don't want it. And so far, I'm not about to use a computer to dedicate it entirely to midi, therefore, I'm not going to use softsynths.