BEGINNER NEEDS HELP !

hi there , im a kid living in BSAS argentina, and have no money. I am really into music recording/performing and im interested in purchasing a synth .
So ive researched the local second hand market and found a Kawai Spectra KC-10.
is it a good synth/keyboard to kick off ? ?
which affordable synths would you recommend ? ?

thanx a lot

Well, what kind of synth are you after.
What features are important to you?

-ED-

well, it should be tweakable , i dont like presets, it should feature poliphony, midi and be sensitive. other than that i dunno.

Ok, that's a start. What type of sounds are you after ? Analog / synth types only, or emulations of other instruments, and if so, just keyboard based instruments or a general palette of sounds ? What exactly are you looking to do and what kind of music are you looking to play or produce ?

Really, it's a little difficult to answer without some further knowldege of what you want to do. We could probably be more helpful to you if we had a better idea of what it is that you are after.

AJ

AJ's right.
Without knowing what kinda music you're into and what kinda sounds you're after it is
difficult to make a suggestion.

You see, there are lots of tweakable polyphonic midi synths out there. SOme come as keyboards, some come as modules. Some feature just one form of synthesis, some are packed with lots of different forms of synthesis and options. Once I know what kinda sounds you need and what your musical direction is - I'll be able to help.

-ED-

sorry im not clear enough, im a guitar/bass head, so im not experienced at all with synths. Im looking for a keyboard synth, not a module, cuz i wanna perform live and i dont own any controller.
Im really into lofi early electronic moog like sounds, but id like the synth to be polyphonic to perform chords. Id like to be able to produce nice string, bass, piano and whacky sounds.
Im no expert here, but i like how AIR use synths. Imnot big fan of their music but thats the kinda sounds im looking for.
Does the kawai spectra kc-10 fullfill any of my requirements ?? '

thanx for your help
yr nice people.
nicx

[This message has been edited by nicisfree (edited 03-08-2004).]

I don't know all that much about the Spectra KC10. It's likely that I might have tried one many years ago, only because back then I'd make the trip over to Sam Ash and Bronen's Music on a fairly regular basis to try out the new boards and would usually turn most if not all of them on to try them out, but if I did try it I don't remember it( Bronen's had some Kawai stuff that I do remember trying ).

Perhaps there are others here who have used one. There are also some user reviews at Sonic state, for what they may be worth to you. Here is the link: http://www.sonicstate.com/synth_reviews/_inc/user_comments.cfm?id=306&print=1

Try doing a search on the net as well. I did just that, hoping that if I saw the board, I might remember it. Based on what I did see, I'm not convinced that this board is going to excel at some of the sounds you are looking for, but it's pretty hard to tell without having it up close and personal. Hopefully, you can play it before you decide..

AJ

Well, I think you need a workstation, that is capable of doing a bit (or a lot) of everything.
Here are some synths to check out:
Korg Triton or a Korg Trinity expanded with a few synth cards.
Yamaha Motif and EX series.
Roland XP series.

Synths made by companies like Kawai, Kurzwell, Alesis and Ensoniq is a different story.
Don’t get me wrong, those companies make some nice synths, but their hardware just isn’t as reliable as hardware made by companies like Roland, Korg and Yamaha.
If you're going to use your synth live, you need more then just OK reliability. Just my experience.

Anyways, good luck to you!

-ED-

nicisfree:
" which affordable synths would you recommend ? ? "

I think a fair beginer's board meeting your needs could be a used Roland XP-30, Alesis QS6 or QS7, or even quatro. Or even cheaper but with much less functionality, Roland RS-5. Or perhaps a Yamaha S03 or S30.

Best wishes
Bob
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I agree with Ed and Bob. I like your recommendations for him btw Bob. I especially like the XP30 and QS6. I think that both deliver excellent value for the money that they can be had for.

AJ

thanx a lot guys . ill research the models you mentioned.
cheers

If I recall correctly the Spectra will split[bass and piano for example] and has a built in drum machine..Nothing elaborate and limited editing..but you should buy it at a low price and it may meet your needs till you can afford to upgrade..I actually had a friend use one professionaly foe a year or so..