PLEASE someone help me pick the RIGHT snyth and...

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   Software!!

This is what I need and I need you guys at progarchives to help me because i Have NO CLUE about these synths im looking at, I dont even know what it means to be a MIDI controller!!!?!??!?

Anyway...what I need is a synth keyboard to play with my dad and brother songs like Watcher of the Skies, loads of Moody Blues early stuff, Genesis, Italian prog stuff like PFM and Banco, Early YES, you know...the awesome synth sounds of the late 60's (Expecially the mellotron on strawberry fields) up until about 1975 when genesis died.

Sooooo...I am looking for these sounds, on a nice keyboard, and all i know is:  I need a synth and i need some software.

Here is what ive looked at: M-Audio stuff, M-Tron, MiniMonsta...so on...they look pretty awesome and I am going to buy them...BUT.....I need a SYNTH and I dont know what to buy!!!

Im scared it wont WORK with the software, im scared it wont have the propper konowbs and things for adjusting sounds or for doing fade ins like Tony Banks on Watcher of the Skies or, more specifically, Fountain of Salmacis.

I need to play Foundtain of Salmacis PERFECTLY to what Banks did with the fade in, and want to do this through the synth and not with a mouse!

Can anyone here recommend something???  I have this website up where I am checking stuff out and I found this http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/MAudio-Keystation-61es-USB-MIDI-Controller?sku=709204

Im just not sure what all these things mean, compatability and such, MIDI, controllers....Im so lost....I just want to play old synth sounds like they did in the 70's!!!

PLEASE HELP ME...Greatly Appreciated!!! THANK YOU

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The Lost Chord Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Senior Member Joined: June 23 2005 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 1907	Topic: PLEASE someone help me pick the RIGHT snyth and... Posted: May 29 2006 at 11:14
	Software!! This is what I need and I need you guys at progarchives to help me because i Have NO CLUE about these synths im looking at, I dont even know what it means to be a MIDI controller!!!?!??!? Anyway...what I need is a synth keyboard to play with my dad and brother songs like Watcher of the Skies, loads of Moody Blues early stuff, Genesis, Italian prog stuff like PFM and Banco, Early YES, you know...the awesome synth sounds of the late 60's (Expecially the mellotron on strawberry fields) up until about 1975 when genesis died. Sooooo...I am looking for these sounds, on a nice keyboard, and all i know is: I need a synth and i need some software. Here is what ive looked at: M-Audio stuff, M-Tron, MiniMonsta...so on...they look pretty awesome and I am going to buy them...BUT.....I need a SYNTH and I dont know what to buy!!! Im scared it wont WORK with the software, im scared it wont have the propper konowbs and things for adjusting sounds or for doing fade ins like Tony Banks on Watcher of the Skies or, more specifically, Fountain of Salmacis. I need to play Foundtain of Salmacis PERFECTLY to what Banks did with the fade in, and want to do this through the synth and not with a mouse! Can anyone here recommend something??? I have this website up where I am checking stuff out and I found this http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/MAudio-Keystation-61es-USB-MIDI-Controller?sku=709204 Im just not sure what all these things mean, compatability and such, MIDI, controllers....Im so lost....I just want to play old synth sounds like they did in the 70's!!! PLEASE HELP ME...Greatly Appreciated!!! THANK YOU

Fitzcarraldo Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: April 30 2004 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 1835	Posted: May 29 2006 at 15:04
	The Arturia minimoog V software synth is excellent. Endorsed by the late Bob Moog himself. You can click your mouse pointer on the keys to play a note (or click and drag to rotate a pot, flick a switch etc.) but really you need a music keyboard. I bought the Evolution Ekeys 49 midi keyboard which just plugs into a USB port on my PC (no external power supply needed) and it's plug-and-play with the Arturia software - I didn't need to configure anything. You can read about the Arturia minimoog V package and the USB keyboard here: 1. Minimoog V software manufacturer and shop: http://www.arturia.com/ 2. Reviews of Arturia's Minimoog V software: http://remixmag.com/ar/remix_arturia_minimoog/ http://www.vintagesynth.com/ (type "arturia" into that site's search box) You can download a demo of the Arturia minimoog V software from the Arturia site and play around with it. There are loads of presets (even from KLAUS SCHULZE). The only difference between the demo and the package you buy is that the demo makes a 'static' sound every so often.
	Read reviews by Fitzcarraldo

pierreolivier Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Senior Member Joined: August 31 2005 Location: Canada Status: Offline Points: 222	Posted: May 29 2006 at 15:24
	Hi, A MIDI controller is simply a keyboard with no internal sound made to control sounds from external sources(like softwares or from an other MIDI synth).A controller is exactly what you need if you gonna buy softwares like MTron and Minimonsta. When you gonna buy your softwares, just ask the clerk if your computer had enough memory to hold severals softwares because it takes a lot when you got severals in your computer.You probably need to change your card sound too.Often, a card designed to heard audio files in a computer is not enough to take the signals and the sound can be weak.You will have to check with the clerk when you will buy your softwares.You will probably need a software mixer or something similar if you need to run 2 programs at the same time. Hope that help a little.

The Lost Chord Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Senior Member Joined: June 23 2005 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 1907	Posted: May 29 2006 at 18:48
	thanks, i was playing the demo for the minimoog V or whatever off that arturia website you gav e me and the notes only hold for a specific amount of time before going off and kicking back in, it it supposed to do that? if i hold down a note it stays for about 10 seconds and then there is a gap and it comes back

Fitzcarraldo Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: April 30 2004 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 1835	Posted: May 30 2006 at 06:34
	It does not behave like that on my PC, TLC. Do you have another PC you can try it on? Humm... Just thinking: I wonder if Arturia has changed the demo so that it puts in a gap on purpose, instead of, or as well as, the 'static' sound. I downloaded the demo a long time ago, so perhaps they have a new version of the demo that behaves differently. Anyway, try the demo on another PC to see if you get the same effect. But, you can take it from me, the software does not do that. You could always e-mail Arturia to ask them, if you have any doubts.
	Read reviews by Fitzcarraldo

Jaydubz Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Senior Member Joined: April 12 2006 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 100	Posted: May 31 2006 at 20:30
	Ok - sounds like you're cool with have a PC at your side while you're playing - and not a synth that you can just plug ino anywhere and play without interfacing with a computer... 1. If you're going the USB keyboard/soft synth route, don't scrimp on your USB keyboard. Get one with at least 61 keys, and lots of knobs - such as this lil' guy here: http://www.m-audio.com/products/en_us/MK461C-main.html 2. The Arturia stuff rocks for the virtual analogs, as does the M-Tron for Mellotron samplage. Native Instrument's B-4 is a killer Hammond emulator. I believe the "gap" is there to keep it a "demo" copy. I've got the Arp 2600, the Moog Modular & the CS-80v and none of them do that... How are you going to amplify your sound?
	"Music is the best." ~ FZ