What is a synthesizer? What synthesizer program should I get?
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Simply put, a synthesizer is an instrument that electronically produces a sound. This can take almost any form, from being a simple square wave piano to a full-on programmable synthesizer with multiple oscillators and effects built in.
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| A hammond organ, one of the earliest types of synthesizers |
Most synthesizers use a piano keyboard as a controller. The synth itself sometimes does not come with a keyboard attachment, but instead must have one connected externally. This may seem like a burden, but this usually means that a musician can attach any sort of controller he wants to his synth, making it much more flexible and easy to play.
Other synth controllers, also known as MIDI controllers, can come in many different shapes and sizes. For example, a MIDI controller can look like a piano keyboard, or a flute, or it can even be a guitar.
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| A MIDI guitar |
Synthesizers used to be exclusively hardware devices, but these days a software synthesizer can be just as good as the hardware.
Synthesizer Program
A synthesizer program is what you typically want if you don't have enough space or possibly want more flexibility than a hardware synth. Many electronic composers never acquire a hardware synth, but still make great music with software.
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| A screenshot of one of thousands of synthesizer programs |
Most of these programs require a sort of host program, or a piece of software that can sequence MIDI notes that will be processed through the software synth. Most DAWs are also containers for soft synths. Other ways to play soft synths exist, but a DAW will allow you to easily compose and rearrange notes onto a "piano roll."
Like hardware synths, a synthesizer program can come in any number of configurations. What's great about these programs is that they can be controlled by the same MIDI controllers that hardware synths can, giving you a multitude of ways to play your synth software.
Starting Out
So what synthesizer program should you start out with?
There's a post down below this one talking about additive and subtractive synthesis. Subtractive synthesis is the most common type for people to use, so I'm going to recommend a subtractive synthesizer.
A great subtractive synth to start out with is the Subtractor from Reason. Propellerheads, the company that created Reason, allows you to download a demo for their software. Reason is a great DAW but it isn't free. Still, the demo is a great learning tool.
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