BlahBlahCafe - Jean-Michel Jarre forum

I'm really new at this, synths. I'm 13, but I really want to learn how to use synths. I know the history of Electronic music, what are the most used synths, etc. I want you guys to help me out, so I got some questions:
A: Where did you learned about synths? Did you went to a special class or something?
B:Did you learned to play the piano (or Keyboard) to play synths?
C: I have seen wonderful compositions of you, guys! But, can't you make the song to be oficially released by a record label?
D:I know to play piano by ear, and I use Mac. What sequencer software, soft or hard synths do you recomend to me, a beginner. Or should I start with a MIDI keyboard? (I got some crappy Radioshack MIDI keyboard but I don't want it anymore )
E: What other accesories do I need to add effects and other things?
F: I have messed up with Garageband (Messing with AU's, sf2's and a demo vocoder), what other things do you used to do before you learned about synths?
G: Can just I control a vocoder with the pitch of my voice?
H: I want to know what a sampler, and a drum machine is.
I really aprecciate your help, guys! Sorry to cause trouble, Thanks!

Jarre4422 wrote:I'm really new at this, synths. I'm 13, but I really want to learn how to use synths. I know the history of Electronic music, what are the most used synths, etc. I want you guys to help me out, so I got some questions:
A: Where did you learned about synths? Did you went to a special class or something?
B:Did you learned to play the piano (or Keyboard) to play synths?
C: I have seen wonderful compositions of you, guys! But, can't you make the song to be oficially released by a record label?
D:I know to play piano by ear, and I use Mac. What sequencer software, soft or hard synths do you recomend to me, a beginner. Or should I start with a MIDI keyboard? (I got some crappy Radioshack MIDI keyboard but I don't want it anymore )
E: What other accesories do I need to add effects and other things?
F: I have messed up with Garageband (Messing with AU's, sf2's and a demo vocoder), what other things do you used to do before you learned about synths?
G: Can just I control a vocoder with the pitch of my voice?
H: I want to know what a sampler, and a drum machine is.
I really aprecciate your help, guys! Sorry to cause trouble, Thanks!

A: I learnt by using freeware softsynths. Just play around with the controls and get to know what each control does to the sound. Later on I found out what they technically do, but to start off with all you need to know is how to get a certain sound in my opinion.

B: I learnt keyboard/piano before buying my first synth, but I don't think you HAVE to do this.

C: You could get signed to a label if your compositions are good enough. You've just got to get your music promoted and "out there". Sending demos to labels is a very good idea.

D: As I said, I found it best to learn with softsynths, but a cheap hardware synth would also be a good choice if you have the money.

E: A lot can be done with software nowadays, especially if you have a Mac.

F: I think I started on Cubase. Now I won't touch that pile of s**t

G: This would be fairly complex to do. The best way I can think of doing it is to find a pitch tracker which outputs a MIDI signal into your synth, and then put your vocals and your synth into the vocoder. I'm not sure if such trackers exist, analogue ones definitely used to (Pitch -> CV converter) but I'm not sure if any manufacturer has bothered updating it to the digital realms of MIDI.

H: A sampler is used to record or store a sound and play it back. Samplers can usually manipulate this sound in various ways (pitch shift, reverse, etc.) A drum machine is used to emulate drum sounds. Different drum machines will perform different jobs, for example the Elektron Machinedrum synthesizes drums and is more useful for electronic music, while the Boss DR range stores samples of real acoustic drums and is more useful for "acoustic" music.

It's no problem at all! Welcome to the forum!

Jarre4422 wrote:I'm really new at this, synths. I'm 13, but I really want to learn how to use synths. I know the history of Electronic music, what are the most used synths, etc. I want you guys to help me out, so I got some questions:
A: Where did you learned about synths? Did you went to a special class or something?
B:Did you learned to play the piano (or Keyboard) to play synths?
C: I have seen wonderful compositions of you, guys! But, can't you make the song to be oficially released by a record label?
D:I know to play piano by ear, and I use Mac. What sequencer software, soft or hard synths do you recomend to me, a beginner. Or should I start with a MIDI keyboard? (I got some crappy Radioshack MIDI keyboard but I don't want it anymore )
E: What other accesories do I need to add effects and other things?
F: I have messed up with Garageband (Messing with AU's, sf2's and a demo vocoder), what other things do you used to do before you learned about synths?
G: Can just I control a vocoder with the pitch of my voice?
H: I want to know what a sampler, and a drum machine is.
I really aprecciate your help, guys! Sorry to cause trouble, Thanks!

A: I got the spark of interest from synthesizer greatest series (first cd compilation was released in 1987), but interest to the machines began in 1996, when I tested the JP8000 at the musicstore

B: I have taken a couple of lessons, of keyboard playing in 1994--> but I have quitted a couple of times, so I'm didn't go very far (4 teachers over the years)

C: Of course I'd like to publish my works, but my works doesn't have any sense, because I don't know the music theory well but try to learn it in www.teoria.com

ps: I can't finish my compositions, so I don't have any complete songs available

D: -

E:-

F: School and messing with computer (I had an Amiga back then
link )



G:-

H: A drum machine

Sampler

Jarre4422 wrote:I'm really new at this, synths. I'm 13, but I really want to learn how to use synths. I know the history of Electronic music, what are the most used synths, etc. I want you guys to help me out, so I got some questions:
A: Where did you learned about synths? Did you went to a special class or something?
B:Did you learned to play the piano (or Keyboard) to play synths?
C: I have seen wonderful compositions of you, guys! But, can't you make the song to be oficially released by a record label?
D:I know to play piano by ear, and I use Mac. What sequencer software, soft or hard synths do you recomend to me, a beginner. Or should I start with a MIDI keyboard? (I got some crappy Radioshack MIDI keyboard but I don't want it anymore )
E: What other accesories do I need to add effects and other things?
F: I have messed up with Garageband (Messing with AU's, sf2's and a demo vocoder), what other things do you used to do before you learned about synths?
G: Can just I control a vocoder with the pitch of my voice?
H: I want to know what a sampler, and a drum machine is.
I really aprecciate your help, guys! Sorry to cause trouble, Thanks!

A: you can read a lot, but the most important is to turn the actual knob and HEAR what it does. eventhough when you have read what a filter or envelope generator does, you need to put it into practise. personally i have read some stuff on the internet only after I couldn't figure it out by ear.
B: no.
C: yes of course you can, but offering it for release is only half of it - you also need people buying your music or otherwise releasing it makes no sense at all.
D: I would start with something not too complex. Why not start with something like Reason or Fruityloops? They all have their synths and sequencers included in the software. I think that would be a fair start.
E: Effects are also included in Reason and Fruityloops.
F: I used to worry about getting potty-trained before that.
G: No you can't, cause a Vocoder is made to have the pitch defined by the keyboard and the sound manipulated by your voice. However, if you want your voice to sound like the typical robot voice usually related to a vocoder, there are plenty of effects units available which can achieve that, but you shouldn't look in the vocoder corner.
H: A sampler is a device that can store any recorded sound in any length and play it back at your demand at any given pitch or tempo. For example back in the 70s, bands wanted to use choir and strings sounds but couldn't afford to hire an orchestra so what the basically did is buying a device (mellotron) that could play pre-recorded choirs and orchestras at their demand. A drum machine is what it is sounds like. Not a human drummer but a machine that drums for you.