Don't Buy Your First Synthesizer Without Watching This Video
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- Опубликовано: 3 авг 2024
- Are you considering purchasing a new synthesizer to take your music production to the next level? In this eye-opening video, I'll reveal the 5 hidden costs of buying synthesizers that could potentially screw you out of a significant amount of money.
►ROLAND D-50 PATCH LIBRARY: vultureculture.live/products/...
►VINTAGE DRUM SAMPLES: vultureculture.live/products/...
►FREE CHORUS / REVERB PLUGIN: vultureculture.live/pages/ink...
By uncovering these 5 hidden costs, we aim to empower you to make informed decisions and protect your financial interests when buying synthesizers. Don't get caught off guard and end up getting screwed out of your hard-earned money. Join us in this eye-opening video to gain valuable insights and avoid financial pitfalls in your synthesizer journey.
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0:00 Introduction
2:21 Hidden Cost #1
4:05 Hidden Cost #2
5:06 Hidden Cost #3
7:26 Hidden Cost #4
8:37 !! MOST OVERLOOKED Hidden Cost
10:42 Grand Total & Conclusions 
Хобби
Man, I would've wanted this info back in 2007 when I got my first synth. Novation Xio25. I turned it on and was like, "why is it not making sound?" I ended up doing audio via usb on my laptop at the time.
For stands - so you got the crave, the reface, and a laptop. One thing you could do that my band does live and I do live and in my studio is get a single tier stand and then get a board of some kind to put on top of it. Then you have all your small devices on one tier. I went to Home Depot and got a board but there are definitely other options. May look a little jank, but I prefer that to multiple small devices on two tiers.
Careless drink incident! Oh no! Don't spill the Scum Beverage!
Another cost thing I've experienced with Roland specifically is that there will be units that take USB C and they will not include a USB C cable/wall wart adapter.
also 😸
Thanks for watching to the end!
That's actually a great idea - I'm going to pin this comment so hopefully some beginners see it and make their own home depot setup 💰
The “do it all at once” tip is great, some shops charge by hour or some by service, on either case there’s a minimum to pay every time you open the lid on a synth, some components require more time in dissembling than the cost of the part (like a car), depending on that, bench dissemble time can be a lot of the cost of a repair, by minimizing that you can save a lot of money, and stuff like switches, knobs and sliders are considered as consumables, ie, you’ll have to eventually change them.
Don’t forget the hidden cost of the perfect desk! Also, music lessons when you realize you don’t know how to use the black keys! So many early songs all in the key of C-Major. 😹
I just trashed my desk accidentally too 😭💰💰
I definitely need piano lessons 😅
The best way for anyone to get into synths as a beginner is to drop a little on some Roland device. Any Roland synth, groovebox, bleep bloop maker. Every single piece of Roland gear from the Boutique things or JD-Xi to the Mc-707 to the Jupiter-X or Fantom has a built in audio interface, and most of the zen based stuff even has a midi hub hidden in there so you can connect everything in your studio with a few usb cables and a $10 usb hub from Amazon. If you’re starting off, one single Roland device can get you going at literally any budget…then you can grow from there.
The Roland s-1 is particularly amazing at the bottom end of the price scale - polyphonic synth that sounds good and has a great amount of control. AND doesn't need an audio interface as it can send audio on USB. (it does need a keyboard though)
Wise words ... NO DEBT! buying your vintage stuff, even parts to fix it .. wish I was aware of how much all this small expenses became a huge financial trouble for me and my family. Be wise as @Vulture Culture says, for you and your familiy.. the ROI is not secured buying a $7k EMU sampler when everyone around you is broken.
Debt is a terrible thing. Don't do it!
Speaking as a old/vet/established synthesist, the MOST cost effective entry point is software and a controller when considering functionality per dollar. Granted losing some amount tactility may be a show-stopper for some people, you can get further at the start with less if you push hardware off for a while. :)
I agree 💯 Favorite software to start with?
@@VultureCulture - well it introduces another question of "do you want to focus on synth playing with your band? If so, get a software synth that will run standalone, otherwise you're signing on to learn a DAW. Now your case was to play two synths with your bandmate friends...so I'd suggest standalone. I'm not up on the best current free options, but a good learning synth might be Pigments, or Vital, or perhaps Serum, or if you have the money Omnisphere for good bang for the buck. Since the case was for 2 synths, something like Omnisphere is like buying 8 synths since it can have each of its 8 parts assigned a different midi channel. You could have a single switchable controller or even two lower end keyboard controllers running on separate channels into your software synth. I mean, you understand this I'm sure...for minimal money and minimal time spent...two simple key-controllers and either one multitimbral standalone or two separate standalone software synths will get you more features for your money but will sacrifice tactility. So how bad do you need those knobs kid? Or is it all just about playing and adding sound to your mates? Carry on Mr. Vulture!
@synthseeker great advice!
A few additions from my experience... I've bought a lot of synths second hand and was able to resell them for more, sometimes considerably more. The other important thing you missed was getting a case for the equipment - absolutely crucial if you're going on the road - shoving it in a soft bag is a quick way to get broken keys, knobs knocked off, dented case...
True! Another hidden cost!
Great video, now I am sick for summ of a money I have spent on a studio. For gigs, begginers, get Kurzweil synth like PC3 or K2661 in a good condition and it will last a long long time. They are now like 500$ which is insane value.
I never planned on owning any synth but on my birthday my dj gf made me a gift of volca bass. I tried to play with it and the sound was shit. My roommate at the time told me its much better if i use a sound card. So we got 50/50 share on fireface 400. After i knew i could do more with some drums and got a 707 for cheap. Then i knew i nedded some house strings - tx7. And there was my first jam on soundcloud. Its been over 7 years now, and a love hate affair with over a 40 vintage synthesizers of shapes and sizes, many hours at night with headphones drifting away, sometimes until sunrise. Met many weird, cool, inetersting people buying selling gear going to their houses and studios. Many weekend jams ar friends houses sharing a joint and a beer. Some dorky live performances, many nostalgic explorations of songwrting and sound design. Through this journey i happen to know myself better but also learned to appreciate the artform more. Today i have two cheap units that cover my different tastes and pretty much enough for me (although i would go for one more thing someday) and i like that i dont have em all stacked somewhere just to own. Sometimes things have to go into new hands, as i am not a musician but really an average enjoyer. Coming from a 90s kid , a sci fi thematic lover, i watch this channel and appreciate it even more just leaving those streams with nice sense of distant fantasy, because they are done right way to celebrate them. And i hate cables.
Cables are the worst!!
Really great journey you've been on and I love that you're down to earth enough to know you don't need crazy amounts of gear to have a great time.
What are the two finals synths you ended up with?
😸100% agree about all those hidden costs. I've been doing this for many years, and I still occasionally forget to get something with a new synth -- or find out the extra gizmo I've got "in stock" won't work with the new synth. I also agree about the plants and lights. They definitely make all synths great.
Funny thing: Even though I think my Polybrute would be a lot of fun to perform with, I'd be pretty terrified taking mine out on a gig, yet I happily dragged a Kronos 2 out weekend after weekend.
Cheers! 😸
Thanks for watching to the end!
You're not the only comment I've seen of people saying they're afraid to take their synths to gigs!
I've seen people use ironing boards as keyboard stands! Not sturdy enough for tough treatment, but way cheaper.
And I have genuinely used a stack of upturned beer crates for a small keyboard, at gigs.
You can hold up an ironing board and keep it from collapsing with zip ties. It’s like a $2 solution too. Works super well. The zip ties I have on mine have held up for like 5 years.
Great video Vulture Culture! And I agree it's important to point out what is often overlooked when buying that first synth (or 17th synth!). The other thing I'd add to that list is a good case/bag for protecting your new gear, as it gets old quickly to use the original cardboard box (which I've admittedly done in the past) when transporting your new synth to the gig. And sometimes, that case becomes a lost/depreciated item if it only fits that particular synth when you go to sell it. The other thing your video made me think of, which you can't necessarily put a price tag on so easily, is your time to learn the synth. A bit off-topic, but it's easy to get sucked into the hype of a synth before you buy it, then to realize only later that there is so much to learn before you can really get the full benefit out of the instrument. Of course it depends on the complexity of the synth, but I usually need to put in the hours with a new piece of gear to feel like I really know it and can extract the most out of it. Also, agreed, cats are essential :) 🐱
Great point!
That was my great regret with the Kawai K5000s. Such an incredibly and incredibly complex synth that I simply didn't have the hours to learn.
Before my synth addiction I already had a hybrid studio addiction. Got myself a Presonus Quantum 4848 for 32 channels of IO. Just patch bays and snakes for IO between the interface and bays, without even considering the cables for patching in the hardware itself, was another $1500.
A nontrivial amount!!
Technically, my first synth was my Roland MC-707 and I already owned a MIDI keyboard controller to hook up to it. Being already almost thirty years deep into the home studio financial black hole I already had everything I needed except a dual tier keyboard stand that I needed for my Yamaha MX49 and Roland VR-089b. I consider those as my first synths because they have the keys attached. I just bought them a few weeks ago and I can't believe it took me this long to get into synths. I'm having a lot of fun learning about synth history as well as how to use all the knobs and sliders and buttons.
I'm glad you're going down the rabbit hole 🐇
If you ever need any help, I'm here!
@@VultureCulture Thanks. I'm learning a lot by watching synth channels.
I need to spend a lot of time with the MC-707 to dive deep into the Zen Core engine before I buy another synth. Seems as though that pretty much has every Roland sound already in it, as well as the ability to make any sound I could ever want. The MX49 has the MOTIF sounds and the VR-09b has the Supernatural engine. I should be set but G.A.S. is never satisfied.
Absolutely brilliant video!
I'm glad you enjoyed it! 🙏🙏🙏
Great video. Excellent points. Accessories are crazy expensive. Always liked your stands.
They are very good 🙏
I been making music in some form for like 30 years. Mainly guitar from 93-well; now, and daws like acid pro, flstudio, reaper used with a old 90s Casio keyboard in 2000-2003, then a Evolution mk249 midi controller from 2003 to windows 10.. picked up an akai apckey 25 and used it til I got my keystep 37 around 3 yr ago. My first analog synth was a korg monologue around 2017. And I bought a volca sample, a volca kick, and volca fm. I sent the kick back after a few weeks, and sold the monologue around a year later. Upgraded my old maudio interface to a focusrite 6i6 a few years later. I have a Univox Les Paul copy which was a trade in 92 or 93 with a friend for some old CDs and a army laundry bag and got a fender squire 2 strat which I traded a peavy bass for in 97. Had a crate 90watt head and a 4-12" cab. Sold that in like 2000 to a friend. Owned a few random digital effects units and got rid of them, recently got some boss pedals and a few other off brands. Got a few mics, a stand, korg nanokontrol, dbx286s preamp, Owned several acoustic guitars that got traded or lost to time. Only recently bought a pair of studio monitors, Kali audio and stands. So yea.. it's a journey. I never added it all up but I'm sure I lost more money than earned from making music. That's a fact. 😿
Thanks for watching to the end! 🙏
Great episode, Vulture Culture! I bought my first synth (Mini XD) as a retirement gift to myself a few years ago. I'm Canadian so had to pay more for the synth, audio interface and the cables than those sweetwater prices. I had an inkling of the hidden costs thanks to advice from a synth sensei - less sticker shock, I reckon. And I have zero plans to play live (apart from maybe a techno gig in a senior's home? 🙂) so saving some dollars there. Anyway, this is all superb helpful advice!
Glad you found it helpful and enjoy the synth!
🐈⬛Yeah, I have two cats, and more synths than any sane person should have. Your advice to beginners is something they need to hear, especially about not taking on debt to buy gear. And your cat is really cool; every studio should have one...or more.
Thanks for watching to the end!
Terrible information. A beginner usually doesn't buy 2 synths. They buy one. And the only other thing they need to get started is a set of headphones.
Im fully statisfied with my D50 and Jupiter X + some 90's Roland samplers. I always loved Roland instruments, never thought it would be the only brand i ended up having synthesizers from tho😂🤔
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Thank you for watching to the end! 🙏
ironing board is my stand, old guitar cables are my stereo outs, my laptop is my synth, midi controller is Arturia key lab so I get analog lab and 3 v collection synths included, interface is a behringer um202.
Excellent video with brutal honesty! This video should go viral so noobs realize what they're getting into. It's never as inexpensive as one thinks starting out.
Synthesizers aka watch that money fly away 💸💸💸
Yeah, dude, totally. "Hidden costs" are almost never ending! Want to change the layout of your setup? Better be prepared for the possibility to have to get new stands, cables, hubs, etc., else be limited by those things. Oh, and don't forget all the I/Os required; interfaces, ADATs, midi relays, mixers, etc., if you want to add more and be able to have them all play at the same time, synced. Not to mention, the costs of all of those things can vary wildly.
It's never ending and can be quite disheartening at times lol
Volcas are super for starting out🐈 Cables, cables and cables.... btw that Kawai K5000s I got is amazing - thanks to your live streaming video. I did upgraded the floppy to a USB emulator floppy as there ton of free patches available for it. Even Chronos has patches for it. But you got to use the Wizoo manuel for it - not the standard manual if you want to get anywhere with it. I'll get to replace the push buttons on it but that's something I do anyway.
Awesome! I'm glad you're enjoying that incredible synthesizer!
Thx @@VultureCulture
Another optional cost that people find themselves shelling for is effects, often pedals, or plugins. Speaking of which, you might find yourself needing a DAW to record.
I highly recommend REAPER to everyone because you can try it out for free for two months and it's only $60 if you eventually buy it.
@@VultureCulture That’s amazing
It's worth bearing in mind with the resale cost- this doesn't take into account the value of fun and learning from using said instruments (and even earnings from live performances). As far as the Ob-X8, when it becomes discontinued, I'm sure the value will go up. I think synths like that, the Minimoog reissues (that work!!) are investments if you can stretch to them. Even some of the Roland Boutiques (!!) will appreciate. Behringer synths generally will not (I have a few Behri synths and am not making any other comment about them- just the resell value). As for the plants, lights and cats- whatever happenend to plasma balls?
I need to get a plasma ball now 😂
Lol yeah I was complete oblivious to all these costs when I bought my Behringer TD-3 from a friend. But hey now just bought an original 1983 DX7 for 500 and without the need to buy anything else, since I bought everything initially lol
It is nice once you own enough that you don't have to worry about the little things
no studio is complete without a cat 🐱 my three leg fur friend often sits on my lap while i noodle.
The most critical part of the synthesis equation 😼
Well done.
Thank you! And thank you for watching / commenting!
2:25 Rapco cables or Crapco cables? My experience is that the cheapest cables are noisy, not durable and some even can pick up radio signals.
I didn't say they were good! Just the absolute bare minimum in terms of price!
Cat! I currently do all software. I'm thinking to get my first hardware synth in 2024. I'm actually leaning towards a ContinuuMini. I'd love to hear your thoughts about this.
I really haven't heard much of it, but it looks like a really unique instrument!
Hidden costs are even higher, if you buy all at the same seller! I think sweetwater is not the "cheapest" company on the internet. I´m not from the UK or US. I´m from Germany. I bought my cables from Thoman - arround 5$ for 3Meter audio-cables. Same price for Midi-Cables. Keyboard desk on Amazon arround 30 - 50$... So - If you search the internet, you pay for this gear half the price. Of course, there is gear with better quality that costs more money (your keyboard desks...!) but as you mentioned - we talk about beginners! And it is always possible to sell gear later to buy better one, when you are climbing the latter. And - last bur not least: There is the used market! I think, If I buy a used Audio-Interface, I can get all the Gear you mentioned for arround 300-350$.
For sure the used market is great for saving money (all of my synths are used) but I wouldn't recommend that to a beginner. You need to know what you're doing / what to look out for.
What's the backing track that plays over your videos? It's really good.
It's actually just a jam I made for my D-50 video using only sounds from my D-50 library Neon Chronicles.
I'm glad you like it! 🙏
I was well aware of the costs….I voluntarily jumped off that cliff😂. Now I have become addicted to effects pedals 😭….another rabbit hole for my money and time to fall into.
Me too 😭😭😭
Depreciation isn't a hidden cost that goes on top of the price of the synth. It's essentially included in the retail price. i.e. Unlike the other additional objects which you have to buy, you already have the synth (albeit with a declining resale value). It doesn't get more costly while you own it, it's more that the price you already paid just looks sillier over time (especially if the synth doesn't get used much).
The hidden part is that many people think their hardware synth is going to hold its value much more than it actually will.
I've noticed some people are too quick to push high end 1k+ synths on people just getting into hardware or synths in general which for me seems like a weird thing to do given suggesting something like a Polybrute is like recommending some one who's just starting with guitar to go by a Fender stratocaster and a high end amp. Hell even my current hardware set up I wouldn't recommend to a beginner because even buying second hand with just a TR8S and a MC-707 I've spend 1100$ on just the instruments themselves and have another 200-300$ in accessories just in cases and cables because I don't have space to just leave the two of them set up and ready to go at all times. Those extra costs on accessories can add up quick.😸
I agree! I've got comments on this video saying things like "the real hidden cost is wasting $500 on a cheap synth" and I just roll my eyes so hard.
Thanks for watching to the end 🙏
🐱 Great video brother! Love my cats as much as my synthesizers. Well, I guess that's debatable depending on how much stuff they've knocked over, haha!!! J/K
Hahahaha 🙏
also, if you spend all your savings on one flagship synth it's damn stressful to take it with you when playing live
Seriously!!
Meow. Me-owe. But they're so much fun!
The Reface CS is a cool Synth and sounds amazing! But way too expensive in the US. I got mine brandnew for $290 here in Europe on a Sale. For Synth beginners I recommend the legendary microKORG or a KORG Minilogue.
What a deal!
microKORG or minilogue are fine, but the issue is, if you want a polysynth, at least for me, 4 voices just isn't enough and I think it can be frustrating especially for a beginner.
@mudi2000a do you think 5 voices is enough? Say in a Take 5?
@@VultureCulture good question but I really like the Take 5. I think it is on the border. An advantage of the Reface mentioned in the video is that there is no menu, no shift functions etc. it is strictly one knob per function. On the other hand you can’t save your sounds like in an analogue synth.
@mudi2000a I just looked it up and there is a librarian someone could use with the cs called Soundmondo - another step but still cool
Your analysis seems dead-on to me. Great choices for initial synths. Might have suggested an alternative setup of the Volca Keys and FM2 along with your choice of MIDI controller. Honestly, I don't even think you end up saving money this route, but FM2 might offer more flexibility than than CS Reface. Interesting thought experiment!
I need to look into the volcas more!
@@VultureCulture The volca line is one hell of a gateway drug.
If this new synth player is playing live, they will need a case or gig bag!
I forgot about including a case but good point!
Too late for me, brother, I'm about 20 synths deep. 😅 Just grabbed a Proteus MPS after watching your video on it. $75 seemed too good to let it get away!!
75⁉️ that's fucking awesome 👏
@@VultureCulture right???
I don’t have a software setup. I’m just going to go straight into a mixer into a keyboard amp. Is there an issue with this live setup?
What's your primary goal? Playing live?
@@VultureCulture yes. I’m a guitarist, so synth would be my 2nd instrument.
I’m not really interested in working with DAW.
@Richtig1085 if you're playing with a band and there's no midi component going on there's nothing wrong with just plugging her into an amp and rocking out 🤘
@@VultureCulture awesome. I have it narrowed down to either the Microfreak or the Minilogue.
@Richtig1085 both great choices!
So, good to know that cat might be hidden cost.😆😆
The most hidden!
NO SHIT (You nailed it.)
hm, no speakers or headphones?😁
It just keeps adding up
I want to kill 2 birds with 1 stone. I want to learn to play piano/keyboard. 88 keys like the real thing, and of course designing or play cool presets would be ideal sooo are workstations the only way to go? The Yamaha modx series seem like what I’m looking for? Any advice or help would be appreciated.
That might be the best option, but I might consider getting a great 88 key midi controller and Keyscape. You can always upgrade to Omnisphere later if you want to get more into synthesis
a software synth is much cheaper, and most likely more powerful that these hardware things.
No doubt.
@@VultureCulture some people might say a hardware synth is more reliable for live duties, but i had hardware synths crash.
most of these hardware synths these days have a computer brain.
the biggest hidden cost is that this guy has bought a 449$ synth thats useless and will immidiately buy a new one
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I appreciate you!
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Thanks for watching to the end! 🙏
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What's with the gross Santa beard?
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Thank you!
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Thanks for watching to the end! 🙏
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Thank you for watching to the end! 🙏
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Appreciate you!
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Thank you!
Lemon! ❤
WISDOM
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Please don't do it I implore you to reconsider
Paint Warhammer figures instead
😂😂😂
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Thank you for watching to the end 🙏
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I appreciate you 🙏
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Thank you!