Saturday, August 29, 2009

What You Have Know About Buying A Synthesizer

By Brady Carlson

If you get excited about the idea of composing and playing your own music, perhaps a career in music is for you. Maybe you already have an instrument or two in mind, but whatever instrument you decide to pursue in your music career, you need to gather information about buying the instrument and learning how to play it.

Let's use the synthesizer as an example. Before buying a synthesizer or learning how to play it, you will want to know what brands are out there, how much a synthesizer costs, what are its features, and what parts go into making up the instrument.

This is going to be one of your most important and expensive purchases, so you'll want to shop around quite a bit and take your time before buying. These guidelines may help:

Here are some decisions that you will need to make as you look at synthesizers: will you be using it to record in a studio or will you be playing it for your personal enjoyment; do you want an analog or digital synthesizer; do you want a classical synthesizer or a software synthesizer that you can program with high profile sounds; and, importantly, what is your budget.

If budget is a factor, you will want to find a synthesizer in an average price range. If you go for the low end, you may end up buying an instrument with an inferior keyboard that lacks the vital functions and does not last very long. If you go for the high end, you may end up with features that you will never use.

So it's important to really listen to any synthesizer you're thinking of buying. Select a store with a knowledgeable salesperson, or better yet bring an expert with you. The sound needs to be appropriate for the style of music you're going to be playing. Compare and don't just buy the first one that sounds good to you.

If you do decide to buy a used synthesizer, check it out carefully. You want to make sure that all of the keys work and that all of the notes have the same volume (no one note sounds louder or softer than the others). Unlike violins and guitars, synthesizers do not improve with age. You really want to check out every facet of it, including the internal batteries.

If you are an experienced musician and composer, you may want to acquire a synthesizer workstation. This is essentially a synthesizer with a built-in sequencer, many polyphonic voices, a drum kit, and additional special effects. This is equivalent to purchasing an entire studio system in one instrument. Best of luck!

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